On the river

Just this week, I returned home from one such vacation. My wife and I took a Viking river cruise up the Danube, starting in Budapest, Hungary and ending in Nuremberg, Germany. The trip was incredibly relaxing and very informative. Although our weather was fine (some local rain, but nothing we couldn’t deal with), heavy rains elsewhere in Germany caused the Danube to rise to the point where, midway along our journey, the ship could proceed no farther. But Viking did an amazing job of handling things, resulting in our enjoying an extra day in Vienna, Austria, and two previously unplanned days in Munich while still going on nearly all of the excursions for which we’d originally contracted.

If you’ve spent any time watching PBS, you’ve undoubtedly seen Viking’s advertisements. You’ve probably dismissed those ads, thinking that the actual experience surely cannot measure up to what’s being shown on screen. But think again, having taken two such cruises (we sailed the Rhine back in 2019), I can assure you that what Viking portrays is almost exactly what you get. And the level of service that Viking provides at every step of one’s journey is top notch, making their trips ideal not only for those who have never traveled to Europe before, but also for those who want to let go and be guided nearly every step of the way (you always have the option to go out on your own, but Viking’s shore excursions are some of the best ways to introduce yourself to a new city or country).

Trips like this don’t come cheap, admittedly, but Viking often has sale pricing and, depending upon your choice of stateroom and the excursions you sign up for (some of which are included with your trip, and some of which cost extra), deals can be had. No matter what one pays, everyone gets to experience the incredibly high level of service that Viking provides. The company’s representatives are with you nearly every step of the way; a Viking employee met us just after baggage claim when we landed in Budapest, and handed us off to a driver who took us to our hotel. There, another Viking representative helped us check in, saw to the transfer of our luggage to our room, and then took us on an hourlong walk around the city. We experienced similar service throughout our trip right up to our final flight home, with a Viking representative even meeting us between flights in Frankfurt, directing us to our next gate.

Viking’s “longships” have been designed specifically for river cruising in Europe, and it shows. They are very unlike ocean cruise ships in that they are far more intimate, yet, meet almost every need. You won’t find casinos or art galleries or stage shows on a Viking longship, but you will find a functional, very comfortable stateroom (many with balconies), a dining room that can accommodate the entire ship’s company at one time (up to 200 people), plenty of outdoor seating, a walking track for those needing more exercise than the shoreside excursions provide, and shipwide Wi-Fi (good enough for email and messaging, but not for video streaming). And unlike an ocean voyage, these river cruises are so smooth that motion sickness should not be an issue. Without looking outside, it is often hard to tell when the ship is actually moving.

With nearly all costs paid up front, once I swallowed the initial bill I really relaxed, knowing that my shipboard meals (including house wine) were covered, and that I need only pay for other alcoholic drinks, souvenirs, snacks off the ship, and to tip the excursion guides (Viking has an option to pre-tip all of the on-board staff, taking yet another thing off one’s mind).

Writing this, I’m pretty much over my jet lag (Germany is nine hours ahead of us) and back into my routine. My trip not only provided the break I needed, it was a great opportunity to meet interesting people and see different ways of living. It can be so easy to forget that not everyone lives and works the way we do here in the Bay Area. Travel can not only help us envision a different way of life, it can also help us develop personal relationships with people around the globe, people we may increasingly need to rely on to solve today’s global-scale problems.

Greg Wilson is the creator of Walking Redwood City, a blog inspired by his walks throughout Redwood City and adjacent communities. He can be reached at greg@walkingRedwoodCity.com. Follow Greg on Twitter @walkingRWC.