The odd and the ordinary - river cruising on Viking

Far from the ocean megaship experience, river cruising is its own little world. Here are a few interesting quirks about river cruising on Viking:

• Double (or even triple) docking - kind of like double parking, the boats will be aligned side by side next to your pier. So either you are walking thru a different ship to reach the shore, or another group is walking thru your ship, depending on who is parked on the outside. Since ships are identical, it is good to mentally note which side you are parked on! This practice also affects the use of your window or balcony room, as it will be butted up against a matching room from time to time.

• Low security - unlike the big boarding centers with metal detectors and security guards, this is a much more laid back experience. You scan your room key in and out of the ship as you go, and the crew checks the scan logs if they need a headcount.

• No doctors - you are close to shore the whole time, so while there is a “dial a doc” system in place, you would just see any needed medical practitioners at your port stop. It follows that you need to be sure to bring whatever over the counter medications you may have otherwise requested from an on board doc. My personal list is ibuprofen, bonine, and pepto bismol tablets as well as earplugs, bandaids and strips of moleskin.

• Regional menus - the menu offerings vary depending on your stop, as Viking chefs pull inspiration from the local cuisine.

• Casual crew - while a large ocean liner has whole separate staff living, dining, and social areas, river ships are way too small for all of that. You’ll often see staff in loungewear or pajamas in the evening hours when they are off shift.

• Unassigned dining - the tables are not assigned, so if you have a favorite spot, it is best to be ready when the dining room doors open. Due to space constraints, there are no tables for two! You will wind up dining with your shipmates if you are traveling in a party smaller than 4.

  Here are some more ordinary details:

• Excursions

  • Every stop has one free excursion option, and other paid options.

  • The fancier your room category, the higher priority you have for booking excursions.

  • Excursions are rated by how physically challenging they are.

  • You may get off the boat at one dock and reboard it at another, so if you see something on your excursion that you want a photo of, or want to purchase - don’t think you will necessarily pass by it on the way back to the boat. Always take the first opportunity!

• Things that you won’t see:

  • passengers under 18

  • a casino

  • a gym

  • smoking

  • formal nights

  • interior rooms

• The boats have 4 floors. The middle two are connected by an elevator, but the top and bottom floors are only accessible by stairs. Keep this in mind when booking - if you have mobility issues you may want to avoid the standard staterooms, which are only on the bottom floor!

• Traveling light? The suite categories come with complimentary laundry service.

• Suites get to check in at noon instead of 3pm.

• Housekeeping comes in the morning and during dinner.