For 15 months, we looked forward to my parents’ 80th birthday trip. I still can’t believe it happened. For anyone thinking about taking a European trip with their parents, I can’t recommend the Viking River Cruise experience enough. My parents have traveled all over the world with this company and it was such a treat for my sisters and me to tag along on this adventure along the Rhine River, beginning in Amsterdam and ending in Basel, Switzerland.
About the Viking River Cruise
Viking Longships for Rhine River cruises generally accommodate 190 passengers and a crew of around 53 members. There is no spa or casino on board and this is marketed as a plus!
Everything is paid for before you board the boat–lodging, meals, excursions, and even the gratuities. You literally have nothing to think about once you board.
What we loved most about this cruise was the staff’s attention to their audience. They were very aware they had a more “seasoned” group aboard and planned accordingly. For example, they would always categorize the excursions as requiring easy, moderate, or heavy activity. We always opted for their “leisure” group that modified the amount of steps required for guests to take. The upside was that travelers were able to comfortably join the fun. We also seemed to get the best tour guides for our group because they were such great storytellers, knowing they had to fill the time as we moved at a slower pace. Additionally, if we had an 8:30 a.m. start on one day, the next day wouldn’t be until 2 p.m. because they knew passengers would benefit from a little extra sleep.
In addition to the food being one of my favorite things, I loved that each night before dinner, there would be a 30-minute explanation of how the next day would unfold. They would give us enough details to be dangerous in the port, but not so much that it would feel like a history lesson. I geek out over stuff like that.
And speaking of food, our chef leaned into our mostly German route in creating his menus. Everyday there would be one menu of classic American fare. If you wanted to eat a steak for dinner every night of the cruise, you had the option to do so. But if you’d like to try the chef’s take on German cuisine, you had that choice. My favorite night was the full-on German buffet–so many pretzels, schnitzel, and bratwursts! It was heaven.
Since we were a party of seven, we always had our own table and the dynamic staff always made sure we had our favorite table. Smaller parties would choose to sit with others and it seemed like everyone made friends before our cruise was over.
Finally, the staff is what makes the Viking River Cruise experience so special. They literally feel like part of your family by the time you de-board. My Dad was quite the talk of the boat traveling with his wife and five daughters. One of the staff started calling himself my Dad’s long-lost son. We laughed every time he called our Dad “Daddy.” We all were a little sad when we left our boat. The staff do everything in their power to make the experience unforgettable. They truly have a gift!
Rhine River Cruise Itinerary
I think one of the things that make a Rhine River Cruise so special is they take you places you may not have otherwise gone. Most of the ports are small, charming towns right along the river. Here was our itinerary.
Sunday: Board the boat by 3 p.m. Set sail. An onboarding program offered an overview of the week, introductions to the staff, and dinner at 7 pm. All of us were happy about an early bedtime.
Monday: First stop, Kinderdijk, Netherlands. This little village was just steps from the boat. We had a wonderful guide and tour of a few windmills, one that housed a family with 16 children! We toured from 8:30-10:30 a.m. and then were back on the boat for a quiet day on the river.
Tuesday: Cologne, Germany. This was our only real day of rain. We had a walking tour scheduled for the morning in Cologne and decided to scrap that. Instead, we waited for the rain to subside before walking to the Kolner Dom, a Gothic cathedral, with relics of the three kings. It was a beautiful Cathedral and gave us just enough of a taste of old world Cologne. We then wandered the city a bit (it feels like a big city) and found ourselves in a permanent jewelry store where we all got bracelets.
Wednesday: Koblenz, Germany. This was a beautiful historic city that was almost completely rebuilt following WWII, with a blend of historic and modern styles. After our morning tour of Koblenz, we were back on the boat where we had a three-hour ride peppered with so many castles until we reached Rudesheim, another quaint little German town. My parents opted to stay on board that night while my sisters and I ventured into the city for a very German dinner of schnitzel, pretzels, and beer. Not being a drinker, I loved the NA beer options that they had available…on tap! It was such a treat!
Thursday: Speyer, Germany. This was one of my favorite towns and gave me such an appreciation for the burden that the Germans bear for the role their country played in WWII. It’s a well-preserved town with some buildings dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries. The town center has loads of fun little shops and our guide gave us a wonderful overview of the Catholic and Protestant influences on the town’s culture. We witnessed a couple of weddings while we were there, short 15-minute ceremonies followed by cake and champagne! So fun to see how people do things in other countries.
Friday: I think, collectively, Strasbourg was one of our favorite ports. It’s an incredible mix of old world charm and a modern, bustling city. We started the day with a canal tour of Strasbourg and Petite France (it feels like you’re in a mini Paris!). It gave us the lay of the land, so we could go back and check out the parts of the city we wanted to see. We took a closer look at Notre Dame Cathedral (did you know that all cathedrals in France are called Notre Dame?). This cathedral was never completely finished–only one spire was built. There is also a very old, astronomical clock inside that we raced to see strike the half hour. But if you miss this, it won’t ruin your trip! Then we poked around all of the cute little shops until it was time to get back on the boat. I even dragged my mom and sisters to bunch of the “French” pharmacies in Strasbourg. They were good–maybe not Paris good–but definitely worth checking out!
Saturday: We took a tour to the Black Forest. It was a 90-minute bus ride from our boat that took us through the most darling towns. We even saw our first storks that were mostly making their way south. It was so fun to see them in real life (I didn’t know they were real birds.) We reached a little spot that had a beautiful shop for cuckoo clocks and a Black Forest Cake-making demonstration. It was the perfect way to end our trip.
Sunday: We arrived in Basel, Switzerland and headed to the airport. The Viking Boat staff make disembarking so easy. Even though we arranged our own transfers to the airport, they got all of our luggage to our cars. The only hiccup was that the drivers only take cash. I think this was the only place that credit cards weren’t the preferred mode for payment. Also, another word to the wise, the Swiss airline gates that you must check in with in order to check a bag, don’t open until two hours before your flight. So while it’s a good idea to get there early because the lines can be long, don’t get there too early!
You all, this was such a special trip and my sisters and I will be forever grateful for these incredible memories my parents created for us. If you have a chance to travel with your parents, this is a wonderful way to do it!
xo,
