Viking Rinda - Paris/Normandy

[texas charm]

Thank you for the YouTube link on Normandy. If there is anyone sailing on the Viking Rinda Oct.19 who would be interested in a private small group tour to Normandy please let me know.. I really don't want this experience to be rushed.

[propinquity]

Just returned from this journey. It was our 3rd Viking and 4th river cruise. A major draw was the 2 days in Paris parked in a central location. We received notice about a month before stating that the ship would be located in the suburb which in good traffic (Sat morning) takes at least 30 minutes and in rush hour about an hour. This was a major disappointment. Unlike the explanation that the river was too high, it is the fact that the authorities consider the ship too long. It is clear that this fact has been known by Viking for some time. Many passengers said they would not have selected the trip had this been known.

 

There is not much cruising, unlike our other cruises. Often our stateroom faced a parking lot (in the Paris suburb).

 

The excursions were mediocre. A lot of the guides were difficult to understand. We had spent a week in London prior (not with Viking) and felt that London walks overall did a better job and the groups were about 1/3 the size of the Viking tour groups. Often locals would complain the our tours were blocking access. It is a 2 hour bus ride to Normandy from the ship.

 

The cabins were very small. They were not well engineered/organized. If even a couple drops of water spilled on the counter where the faucet was it dripped onto the bathroom floor. I had to keep a towel on the sink. A fellow passenger said she was not sure how half of the passengers fit into the shower. She was not being critical and neither of us is super skinny. The bed clearly takes up a lot of the room. We had a balcony, but it was chilly so didn't spend much time there.

 

If you are going to see Paris, Normandy and Giverny (Monet) I would recommend that you rent a Paris hotel in the Latin Quarter and take a bus or train tour to Normandy and Giverny.

 

The staff was very nice and we liked our fellow passengers, but overall it was disappointing given the cost, the large groups and the fact that it was so far from Paris.

[Host Jazzbeau]

If you are going to see Paris, Normandy and Giverny (Monet) I would recommend that you rent a Paris hotel in the Latin Quarter and take a bus or train tour to Normandy and Giverny.

 

Sorry that you didn't enjoy the cruise much. As you noted, this itinerary doesn't have many cruising miles. Other rivers would be more interesting that way [when they have water :eek:]. As to your suggestion given the difference in hotel costs in Paris and outside, I would suggest renting a car and driving to Giverny and Normandy. We just did this and it worked out beautifully [see link to blog in my signature]. The hotels were very nice, and the hostesses were fonts of information about the local areas.

[Viking Cruises]

Dear propinquity,

 

Welcome back! We regret to hear that your recent Paris & the Heart of Normandy cruise fell short of expectations.

 

As Host Jazzbeau mentioned, this particular itinerary does offer less cruising time than others as, geographically, the itinerary is shorter in distance.

 

We understand (and share) your disappointment in the Le Pecq docking change. For the duration of the 2015 season, Viking has been persistently filing requests with the French authorities to grant Viking Rinda access to dock at Quai de Grenelle – where Viking has had the pleasure of docking in the past. Unfortunately, the permits have yet to be granted. While we consider the docking situation outside of our control, we are happy to hear the crew did their best to make your stay comfortable and maximize your time in Paris.

 

We find guest comments instrumental in making improvements and thank you for sharing yours. Should you wish to discuss further, please contact us at TellUs@vikingcruises.com.

 

We look forward to your email.

 

Warm regards,

Viking Cruises

 

 

Just returned from this journey. It was our 3rd Viking and 4th river cruise. A major draw was the 2 days in Paris parked in a central location. We received notice about a month before stating that the ship would be located in the suburb which in good traffic (Sat morning) takes at least 30 minutes and in rush hour about an hour. This was a major disappointment. Unlike the explanation that the river was too high, it is the fact that the authorities consider the ship too long. It is clear that this fact has been known by Viking for some time. Many passengers said they would not have selected the trip had this been known.

 

There is not much cruising, unlike our other cruises. Often our stateroom faced a parking lot (in the Paris suburb).

 

The excursions were mediocre. A lot of the guides were difficult to understand. We had spent a week in London prior (not with Viking) and felt that London walks overall did a better job and the groups were about 1/3 the size of the Viking tour groups. Often locals would complain the our tours were blocking access. It is a 2 hour bus ride to Normandy from the ship.

 

The cabins were very small. They were not well engineered/organized. If even a couple drops of water spilled on the counter where the faucet was it dripped onto the bathroom floor. I had to keep a towel on the sink. A fellow passenger said she was not sure how half of the passengers fit into the shower. She was not being critical and neither of us is super skinny. The bed clearly takes up a lot of the room. We had a balcony, but it was chilly so didn't spend much time there.

 

If you are going to see Paris, Normandy and Giverny (Monet) I would recommend that you rent a Paris hotel in the Latin Quarter and take a bus or train tour to Normandy and Giverny.

 

The staff was very nice and we liked our fellow passengers, but overall it was disappointing given the cost, the large groups and the fact that it was so far from Paris.

[$hip$hape]

Unfortunately, the permits have yet to be granted.

While we consider the docking situation outside of our control,

we are happy to hear the crew did their best to make your stay comfortable and maximize your time in Paris.

 

We find guest comments instrumental in making improvements and thank you for sharing yours.

Should you wish to discuss further, please contact us at TellUs@vikingcruises.com.

 

We look forward to your email.

 

Warm regards,

Viking Cruises

 

Thanks for the information.

... will be contacting you.

Michael

 

Paris Is Always A Good Idea

[notamermaid]

To bring this thread up to date - it has some details not mentioned in the other threads about Viking on the Seine - I would like to add the information established on another thread.

 

All the longships of Viking dock in LePecq, the authorities have not granted the permission to dock in Paris city centre.

 

Viking in effect now sails six loops of the river Seine fewer than Scenic. They. i.e. Scenic, have been given permission to dock in Honfleur. From what I could establish the same applies to CroisiEurope. Also, if you want to be precise, three bends of the river between Caudebec-en-Caux and Honfleur are also not sailed with Viking.

 

As regards the Normandy Beaches I have not looked up what Scenic and CroisiEurope offer.

 

Arosa, who announced in March this year that from 2017 they will be offering the Seine, will be another option, but use the same size boats as Viking.

 

notamermaid

[notamermaid]

$hip$hape,

 

when you started the thread you announced that you will be sailing in May 2016.

 

If you are on the Seine right now I hope you have a great cruise.

 

Would be nice to hear back from you when you return.

 

notamermaid