River Cruising--A Better Way to Explore
Video: Introduction to Viking River Cruises
River cruising is, quite possibly, the best way to travel through many of the world's most fascinating places. Comfortable and convenient, it offers a greater variety of destinations than you could encounter any other way--and lets you get in-depth exposure to the culture and history of each region. Both experienced and first-time travelers have discovered the joys of river cruising, making it the fastest-growing segment of the travel industry.
Hassle-Free Travel: After you board the ship, unpack--just once--in your spacious riverview stateroom. Relax in comfort for the duration of the cruise. No need to worry about maps, traffic congestion, or the many other hassles of traveling by bus or train. A river cruise is a stress-free way to see the best that your destination has to offer.
See the World's Great Cities: Cologne, Vienna, Moscow...because so many big cities and towns developed along the waterways, they were literally made to be accessible by river. Some of these cities are just not available to ocean cruisers, and bus passengers spend precious hours on the highway, checking in and out of hotels. River cruising brings you more of these destinations than you could see any other way.
New Scenery--All Day, Every Day: Enjoy breathtaking scenery from just about anywhere on the ship--in the bar, restaurant, or lounge (all with panoramic views), on the sun deck with fresh air or from the privacy of your stateroom. And, river cruise vessels keep moving, so you'll enjoy new vistas and explore new destinations throughout the day, every day. Our ships often travel at night, so you can wake up in an exciting new place each morning, with no effort on your part.
The Heart of Your Destination: Unlike ocean cruises, rivers provide easy access to city centers. Sail directly to the heart of every destination and dock in the middle of town. Walk right off the ship and join the day's activities. You spend less time getting there--and more time being there.
A More Intimate Experience: Because our ships are designed to accommodate 150 to 300 guests, it is easy to make new friends. Share a drink with the couple you met on the day's tour, or dine with interesting people in the ship's open-seating restaurant. And you can foget about waiting in long lines to embark, debark or have a meal.
Travel Your Way: Enjoy the guided walks, in-depth tours and excursions planned for you in each destination--or sightsee on your own, with time allocated for independent activities.
Smooth Sailing: The flat-bottomed shaped of river cruise ships ensures a safe and smooth ride without any worries about motion sickness. No need to spend days "getting your sea legs"--which means more time to actually enjoy your vacation.
The Viking Experience--Quality, Service, and Value
Viking River Cruises operates the world's largest fleet of 22 deluxe vessels built specifically for river travel. With over 175 years of heritage in European river cruising, we are the most knowledgeable company in the business. Viking was the first to offer river trips in Russia, and our China management team has decades of experience helping Americans see China. As a result, more than half a million people have joined Viking on magical, enlightening journeys through these exciting places.
Elegant, Comfortable Ships: Viking ships are Scandinavian in design, with open, airy interiors by famed maritime architects Yran & Storbraaten. Guests enjoy all the amenities they might expect to find in a fine hotel, plus, expansive, panoramic, ever-changing views throughout. Every stateroom has an "outside" river view, and on every ship most windows open to the fresh air. Enjoy hotel-style beds with European comforters and duvets, and satellite television with CNN and other programming.
Classic, Gourmet Cuisine: Expect sumptuous breakfasts and gourmet lunches and dinners with Viking. Created by European and celebrity chefs, our menus incorporate regional specialties with American fare to delight the most discriminating palate.
Consistently Excellent Service: Wherever you sail, you enjoy the same standard of service because we manage it all--nautical, technical, catering, sightseeing and guides. We operate all vessels ourselves, with offices throughout Europe and in both Russia and China.
Scenery & Cultural Enrichment: Glorious scenery surrounds your ship as you glide smoothly along one of the world's great rivers. But a Viking cruise or cruisetour is so much more--the perfect combination of shore excursions, lectures, demonstrations and performances, and complete relaxation.
When traveling with Viking, you enjoy at least one shore excursion every day. These guided tours bring you closer to the culture, people, and history of your destinations--and virtually all excursions are included in the cruise fare, providing great value and an incredibly rich, layered experience. In most ports, you also have some leisure time for shopping or whatever suits your fancy. And of course, you can always explore independently if you prefer.
Old World Highlights and Culture Curriculum: Not only will you have facinating experiences ashore, but you will learn even more about your destinations while cruising. Our Old World Highlights program complements your shore excursions with additional enrichment opportunities: language lessons, hands-on classes like our apple strudel workshop or early-morning Tai Chi lesson on the sun deck. And if you feel like digging a little deeper, we offer multimedia talks on the region's history and culture. Learn about the Dutch Masters or French impressionists while traveling through Europe, the fall of Communism in Russia, or China's dynasties as you sail along the Yangtze River.
Expert Program Directors and Enthusiastic Local Guides: Our Program Directors have been selected for their comprehensive knowledge of the regions where we sail and their genuine passion for travel. And our English-speaking local guides are chosen for their in-depth knowledge of each destination.
With our Quietvox tour headphone program, you never miss any of the interesting details on your shore excursions. A lightweight portable receiver worn around the neck and a comfortable earpiece with volume control lets you hear your guide's comments no matter where you are standing.
All-Inclusive Packages--A Great Travel Value: Your fare covers meals, shore excursions and cultural enrichment; on "cruisetour" itineraries it also covers hotel accommodations. And when you purchase air travel through Viking, we transfer you to and from the airport, ship and hotels at no additional charge.
Service Guarantee: It is no surprise that 99.8% of our passengers have rated their overall Viking experience as far above, above or met expectations. We are so confident you will be delighted that we guarantee it. Viking is the only river cruise line to proudly offer an exclusive 24-hour Service Guarantee.
High Ratings From Those Who Know: We have consistently placed high on competitive rankings like Conde Nast Traveler's Gold List, Readers Choice and Best Small Ships awards; and Travel + Leisure's World's Best. Travel agents have honored us with awards like TravelAge West's "Editor's Choice" and Travel Weekly's #1 River Cruise Line. And Viking is featured in National Geographic's 2008 "The 10 Best of Everything."
The Viking Fleet--Elegant, Comfortable Ships
Viking operates the largest fleet of our own river cruise vessels, and we are committed to providing you the best ships available. Most of the 22 Viking ships were built since 2000, and the rest have been recently renovated. Our ships are smaller than ocean vessels, so every stateroom has an outside view of the river and passing scenery. And the flat-bottomed shape of these ships ensures a safe and smooth ride with no worries about motion sickness. Viking ships are specially designed to navigate the world's great rivers and provide convenient access to every destination along the way.
Best River Ships in Russia: We have dramatically upgraded our Russian fleet--Viking Surkov offers deluxe staterooms throughout, including suites and singles, and Viking Kirov joins her in 2009 after a full renovation. These are the best river cruise ships in Russia.
State-of-the-Art on the Yangtze: Our China ship, Viking Century Sun is clearly the best on the Yangtze River, offering a balcony in every stateroom. This beautiful vessel has a full Western-style kitchen for a variety of delectable cuisine, and Swiss hotel management brings the Viking standards of service, cleanliness and excellence to the Far East. The China National Tourism Office has awarded it their highest 5-star rating.
Sail Aboard a Fine Hotel: Our ships have Scandinavian-influenced interiors designed to be sleek, comfortable and uncluttered in appearance. Furnishings are crafted of fine woods; fabrics are wools, cashmeres, cottons and linens in a neutral palette well-suited to river travel.
Perhaps the most important surfaces are made of clear glass--because you won't want to miss any of the passing scenery. Every ship features an impressive observation lounge with panoramic windows. Restaurants surround diners with large picture windows.
Many of our ships have atrium-style lobby areas where guests are greeted and assisted during their voyage. Each ship also offers a cozy library stocked with the latest itinerary-specific reading materials. Some have a spa, beauty salon, physician or even a tailor.
Built for the World's Great Rivers: Viking ships are dedicated and "purpose built" for the rivers they travel. Their size and shape fit perfectly when going through narrow passages or river lock systems, and the wheelhouses of our European ships actually descend to allow passage under bridges. And most Viking ships that navigate the Main-Danube Canal have a promenade deck, allowing passengers the great benefit of being outdoors throughout the 106-mile passage.
Spacious Staterooms: You may be pleasantly surprised to learn that Viking staterooms compare to those of ocean cruise ships. For one thing, every stateroom is an "outside" stateroom--with a river view through a picture window. Many windows open on all of our ships, and some are full-sized sliding doors known as French balconies.
Most staterooms are deluxe, which means they have hotel-style beds with European linens and duvets. There is plenty of closet space and a place to stow your bags once you have unpacked. All rooms have a private bath with shower, while most also have their own climate control system and telephone. Stateroom TVs offer CNN and other English-language programming--as well as region-specific movies and documentaries.
All-Inclusive Cruising--Another Viking Hallmark
Dining Onboard and Ashore: Classic cuisine is yours onboard our ships, with gourmet specialties from the regions where we sail, as well as Western-style favorites. If your itinerary includes meals ashore, restaurants have been selected to represent local culinary delights.
Shore Excursions: Many of the highlights of a Viking trip are found on our guided tours. You'll be immersed in local culture on an excursion every day, and virtually all of these activities are included.
Performances and Demonstrations: Viking itineraries feature cultural events--such as a Chinese acrobatic performance or a Dutch wooden shoe carving demonstration. Nearly all of these enriching experiences are also included.
Onboard Lectures: Our new Culture Curriculum lectures focus on the history of the regions through which we sail, with topics ranging from the painters of the Seine to the Russian economy. They are another facet of our all-inclusive package.
Hotel Accommodations: Viking "cruisetour" packages include overnight stays in major cities. In Europe, we offer quality hotels in central locations and in China our guests stay at 5-star properties such as Westin, Raffles and others.
Optional Excursions: You can also take advantage of occasional options that do cost a bit extra. If these experiences sound right for you, they are worth every penny. Here are just a few examples:
Attend a classical concert in Vienna. Take a World War II history tour in Nuremberg. Savor a Moselle Valley wine-tasting journey. Visit Moscow's State Tretyakov Gallery. Enjoy an opera in Odessa, Ukraine. Visit our Celebrations Travel Blog and post us a message. We look forward to hearing from you!
Return to River & Specialty Cruises
Use of this site constitutes acceptance of these Terms & Conditions.
© Copyright 2010 Celebrations International Travel, Inc.