Trip Report - Lyon & Provence - Viking Denning 15 - 21 August 2023

[pontac]

On 9/16/2023 at 2:45 PM, soccermom4 said:

Considering this cruise in October of next year - and have never been on a river cruise before.

 

October will have different weather than August. I think you'll really enjoy it. Most river cruisers are repeat cruisers, but we all have to make that initial cruise.

 

We would never have taken the first if not cajoled by our closest friends to join them. That was 13 river cruises ago. 🙂

 

 

It's a long time in the future, but I hope you'll report back here on your experience.

[lkear]

Thank you for your review, my wife and fly out this Wednesday to do France's Finest with a pre in Nice and a post in Paris.  This is our first river cruise and we are looking forward to it.

[ural guy]

18 hours ago, pontac said:

Thanks

 

I didn't rant.

 

I stated what happened, how it didn't match the description, that I thought it overpriced, and proposed an amount I thought it worth, and requested a refund of the difference. Viking were more generous.

Great, that's the definition of how to approach these things.  A CD with Viking told me that it is surprising to him that people will complain and complain, and never simply tell him what will make them satisfied.  He thought they enjoyed the rant more?  

[PaulS]

Even though we have been on a Viking ocean cruise, we are taking our first Viking river cruise in November for the Christmas Markets.

in looking at the menus that you posted, it looks like the main meal of the day with the most offerings was lunch. Is that the case on your other Viking river cruises?

Thanks.

[pontac]

Hi @pauls

 

 I don't think so on this cruise or any of them: I counted 14 choices at lunch and 16 for dinner.

 

The lunch menu is one page and includes the lunchtime 'always available' choices. The dinner menu is two pages, with the 'always available' choices on the left facing the choice of dishes for that night.

 

You can pick from any of them, for example you might have a starter from the main menu, a main course from the always available menu and a dessert from the Regional Specialities. Also if you choose a main course but don't fancy the sides you can choose to have something else instead. The Day 1 menu had a New York strip steak accompanied by tagliatelle; the person who had it told me they'd thought that was a weird match and chose fries.

 

Since the dinner time  'always available' menu is the same every night I only showed it once, on the Day 1 post here

 

Edited September 19, 2023 by pontac

[PaulS]

Many thanks for y.our reply.

[CruiseIreland]

@pontac I really enjoyed your trip report and, as a result of same, I would be interested in a similar itinerary. I also enjoyed your fair and reasonable criticism of certain aspects of the trip. Thank you. Ken 

[revswife]

Wonderful trip report. We are doing France's Finest beginning OCT 24 in Avignon and finishing in Paris on NOV 7.  One question...Did you actually dock in Arles?  Everything I can find says the boat docks 15 Kilometers north of Arles.  We have done 9 river cruises but this will be our first with Viking.

[lkear]

We are currently on France's Finest and yes we docked at the new Viking Dock in Arles.

[pontac]

On 10/3/2023 at 6:48 PM, revswife said:

Did you actually dock in Arles? 

Sorry I missed this.

 

Yes, the included Arles walking tour starts from the boat and, as I said in my post above, in the afternoon we strolled back into the town.

 

Viking starts in Avignon then sails downriver to Arles where it moors, then sails back upriver to Avignon.

 

I asked the Programme Director why the cruise didn't start at Arles. His reply was that Viking had an office in Avignon and that it was a lot easier to take passengers' cases to/from the boat from Avignon. It's true that at Arles there's a long ramp down to the mooring.

 

See 

 

[pontac]

@revswife See also the Viking Daily* for Wednesday

 

05:00 - Cast off - Viking Delling leaves Avignon for Arles

08:00 - Welcome to Arles - Viking Delling arrives in Arles

6PM - Cast off  - Viking Delling leaves Arles for Avignon

 

I don't know where  you read that the boat moors 15 km north of Arles; I did this cruise the other direction in 2015 and we also moored at Arles then.

 

*Viking Daily is a four page newssheet with details of what's happening the next day that is placed in your room every night. Also on the Viking App.

 

 

[revswife]

I had googled "Where do Viking ships dock in Arles."  The response there was that it docked 15 km upriver. Then I looked at the port schedule for Arles and could not find the ship on the schedule.  I am so glad to have found your trip report and get the correct information. It has been so helpful, and I can't wait for this cruise! 

[pontac]

I Googled as you did, and I see what I think you saw

 Viking was not able to moor the ship at a pier in Arles, so they utilized a mooring location on the river 15 kilometers north of Arles.

 

This is a 2015 trip report, but I couldn't see what month it took place.

 

Unfortunately it's a fact of life that circumstances can change plans on any river cruise. The author didn't say why Viking couldn't use their normal Arles mooring. But Arles is the normal mooring and that's where we moored in August and where @lkear moored on the current cruise.

 

Have a great cruise; I'm sure you will. Lovely scenery, historic towns and super wines.

 

I'd go again like a shot!

Edited October 7, 2023 by pontac

[lkear]

13 hours ago, pontac said:

I Googled as you did, and I see what I think you saw

 Viking was not able to moor the ship at a pier in Arles, so they utilized a mooring location on the river 15 kilometers north of Arles.

 

This is a 2015 trip report, but I couldn't see what month it took place.

 

Unfortunately it's a fact of life that circumstances can change plans on any river cruise. The author didn't say why Viking couldn't use their normal Arles mooring. But Arles is the normal mooring and that's where we moored in August and where @lkear moored on the current cruise.

 

Have a great cruise; I'm sure you will. Lovely scenery, historic towns and super wines.

 

I'd go again like a shot!

I you use Google Maps and put in "Viking, Rue Jean Gorodiche, Arles, France" it will show you the exact location.  

[DECruiser09]

Thank you for your posting. We just returned from a back to back Viking French’s Finest. First week was Paris to Normandy and back to Paris.  We then took a train to Lyon for the second cruise, Lyon to Avignon.  Your assessment of that part of the cruise was pretty accurate in my opinion. The excursion to the Chateux Neuf De Popes vineyard was more a shipping excursion, we tasted only 3 wines which were a white, a red and a rose. We were in the village as well on a day most of the tasting rooms and shops were closed.  
I also agreed on the food from the ship. We were on the Helmhol and culinary excellence was not present. I was disappointed. Probably the worse soups I’ve ever had on a Viking trip — most were watered down. this was our third river cruise and we’ve done an ocean and expedition cruise. Food on all other cruises was superior to this one. Our fondant making was lava cake without samples. 

 

[revswife]

Does Viking provide city maps daily?

[lkear]

1 hour ago, revswife said:

Does Viking provide city maps daily?

We just got back, and yes. They had a map for all the cities we stopped at.

Edited October 13, 2023 by lkear

[pontac]

13 hours ago, revswife said:

Does Viking provide city maps daily?

 

Yes. Help yourself, colour maps are on the reception desk by door ready for when you depart the boat.

[Sleep7]

Thank you for sharing your beautiful journey with us!!😍

[revswife]

Thanks again for everyone's help. Can't wait for my trip!

[dreamercruise]

Does Viking offer air transfer (for a fee) for those who arrange their own air?

[Sleep7]

4 hours ago, dreamercruise said:

Does Viking offer air transfer (for a fee) for those who arrange their own air?

Hi!  Yes.. in the past we have purchased Viking transfers for airfare that we bought on our own.

They were for the day of embarkation and a return to the airport the day of debarkation. 😃

[pontac]

Thankyou @Sleep7

 

I can't answer @dreamercruise 's question because all the cruises booked from the UK include flights and transfers in the price.

[SFSing]

Just now, SFSing said:

 

I love your Van Gogh t-shirt.  I am following your trip in April.  This is our first Viking trip, we have been on the Amawaterways and American Queen Riverboat.  We are from California so it will be a long haul for us.  I wanted to come two days ahead but the pre-extension cruise were sold out already.  Meanwhile, she suggested to fly the day before and we would get there on time.

 

My husband is not an active soul and I just hope I can drag him from one airport to another. Plus, with all the transfers, I bet our suitcases will be in Germany instead of Marseilles.  I just know, we will be in the same predicament as you were in 2023. 

 

Thank you for sharing your obstacles and challenges on your cruise trip. 

[pontac]

Thanks for your comment @SFSing The Van Gogh t-shirt has now been through many washes and the colours are as bright as they were when bought, so it's good quality.

 

Suggest you do what we now do which is to put 3 days worth of necessary clothes in your husband's case and pack same of his, so if a bag gets delayed you'll have a change of clothes. If your bag doesn't arrive on the carousel you must report it missing before you leave arrivals hall

 

I always find flying from the USA to Europe more of a strain than vice versa as Europe bound planes usually land early morning and all I want to do is go to bed but if I do then I don't sleep well that night and it takes several days to right myself. It's worse for you as if you're staying in a hotel the first night then the check in time will be in the afternoon.

 

I am sure you'll have a most enjoyable cruise. Not long to go now!