If you’ve got the bug to travel again, you’re in good company.
We kicked off our Partner of the Month promotion with Viking Cruises last week, and featured their cruises this summer to Iceland, Bermuda, Greece and Croatia, and the response has been tremendous. These are selling really quickly, but there’s still some space left if you want to travel in the next few months. Here’s the link if you missed it: https://pamperedcruiser.com/why-viking-is-the-pampered-cruisers-partner-of-the-month/
If you book one of these ‘Welcome Home’ cruises between May 14th – May 31st, you’ll receive a complimentary Silver Spirits Beverage Package!
(Please note this is for NEW bookings only and cannot be added to existing reservations).
Not only that, but if you book ANY Viking cruise (Ocean, River or Expedition) through us during the month of May 2021 you’ll also receive a $100 per person shipboard credit from us. Everything is exactly the same as booking directly with Viking (including the price) – except you’ll benefit from our friendly, professional service AND you’ll get an extra $100 per person to use towards pre-paid gratuities, Silver Spirits Beverage Package, or optional excursions.
This week, we’ll talk about what Viking is known best for: European River cruises. Viking is on all the major European Rivers and are the largest operator there. Most first-time river cruisers end up on the Rhine (Netherlands, France, Germany, Switzerland), or the Danube (Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary). But there are other rivers in Europe that Viking sails too:
- France (Normandy, Provence, or Bordeaux regions)
- Portugal (Douro River).
- Elbe River (between Berlin and Prague)
- Russia (Volga River between Moscow and St. Petersburg)
For those who have been on many ocean cruises, but never been on a Viking Longship, there can be things you need to “unlearn”. Many of our Viking Clients come from Celebrity and Holland America, and we really like those cruise lines, but the Viking River experience is much different.
We’ll have new to river cruise clients request “an outside cabin, near mid-ship” – a perfectly reasonable request on the ocean, but one that makes very little sense on a Viking Longship. The ships are much smaller, and most of the time you have to look out the window to know whether or not the ship is moving. Here are some other things you can expect on a Viking Longship:
- All the ships are new (2015 or newer) and they are identical. In the larger ports, you have to be careful you’re getting on YOUR Viking longship (they have over 70 of them in Europe).
- Your cruise is about what you do on shore, and you’re on shore every day, for MOST of the day. The ship is NOT the destination (although when you are on board, it is very comfortable). A Viking cruise is about the destination.
- Immersion in local food – there will be two sides to your menu every day. One side stays the same throughout your cruise and contains a good variety of guest favorites. The other side of the menu is intended to offer you a taste of the local cuisine of the area through which you are travelling.
- No corkage fee – if you visit a winery on a shore excursion, and you want to bring a bottle back to the ship, they don’t confiscate it upon reboarding like the big ocean cruise lines do.
- No X-raying of bags – you don’t have pass through airport-grade security every time you get back on the ship. There is security, but the ship is small enough that the security people know the guests on the cruise, and they simply wave you on board.
- Entertainment – there is a resident piano or guitar player that accompanies you on your cruise. There is also entertainment brought in from shore that is again intended to reflect the culture and people of the region through which you are travelling.
- Shore Excursions – There is a shore excursion in every port of call included in your fare. Normally, this a walking tour with a local guide of the town you are in. Sometimes you walk right off the ship, and other times there is a motor coach ride involved to get you to the local attractions. There are optional shore excursions offered as well (for a fee) and these are great for those with a specific interest. If you’re just trying to get a feel for the place, the included excursions are just fine.
A Typical Day on a Viking Longship in Europe:
- You arrive at your destination before you wake up in the morning.
- You have breakfast on the ship, and prepare for your shore excursion
- A local guide takes you out for a tour of the area.
- You return to the ship for lunch. TIP: If it’s nice outside eat at the Aquavit Terrace at the front of deck 3 for al fresco dining.
- Afternoon is free time, where you can wander around on your own (now that you know your way around a little), OR you can take an optional shore excursion.
- Cocktail hour is around 6.00pm and the Cruise Manager will fill you in on what is happening that evening and the next day.
- Dinner is around 7.00 pm, followed by entertainment in the lounge.
- The ship will travel overnight, and you’ll wake up in a new town the next day to learn more about that place.
There is, of course, some variation in this routine, and the ship does sail in the daytime sometimes.
Featured Trip: The Passage to Eastern Europe
Bob and I have already been lucky enough to experience various river cruises on the Rhine, Danube, and Seine rivers. Of course, we’re always thinking ahead and planning our next trip 🙂 Here’s the next Viking River Cruise on our list:
- 11-day river cruise travelling between Budapest, Hungary and Bucharest, Romania.
- Travels through Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania.
- Prices start at $3599 per person and run from May through November.
- Viking has a 3-night extension if you want to visit Dracula’s home in Transylvania.
What we like about this trip: All the countries on this journey are former Soviet Bloc nations, so they weren’t available for travelling when many of us were younger and back packing around Europe. I realized I know very little about these countries, so what a great opportunity to learn more.
Tip: If you wanted to travel from one side of Europe to the other, there’s also a 23-day version of this trip that goes all the way from Amsterdam on the Atlantic, to Bucharest on the Black Sea. This might be a good way to make up for the travel time you lost during the pandemic 🙂
Domestic Travel Opportunities
New England ‘Land Cruise’: 7-nights from Providence RI to Cape Cod (with possible extension to Boston), starting at $2199 per person. Several departures a month between now and October. Visit the mansions of Newport, the artist colony of Provincetown, visit the islands of Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and Brock Island, and take part in a local Lobster feast. Plus… you can go back to where it all started at Plymouth Rock. Your ‘Land Cruise’ includes:
- All accommodation
- Transportation between Providence and Cape Cod
- 11 meals
- A cooking demonstration, and a New England Lobster and Seafood dinner
Charleston to Jacksonville ‘Land Cruise’: 7-nights starting at $2099 per person with availability on departures from September through November. Check out the cobblestone streets and historic homes of antebellum Charleston and do a trolley tour in historic Savannah, then spend 2-nights at the exclusive Jekyll Island Club. Your ‘Land Cruise’ includes:
- 6 breakfasts and 3 dinners
- A cooking demonstration showcasing regional specialties in Savannah
- 7 nights’ accommodation
- All transportation between Charleston and Jekyll Island.
If you really want to get back to travel, maybe do both land cruises!
In Case You Missed It:
- Alaska Cruise: There are a few cabins left on the American Constellation in July and August for this most unusual year when there will be NO mega ships in Alaska, and you’ll have the place practically to yourselves. Read more: https://pamperedcruiser.com/officially-tired-of-the-pandemic-cruising-is-back/
- National Parks of the Southwest: Take this ‘Land Cruise ‘to fill up your National Parks Passport. Read more: https://pamperedcruiser.com/3-trips-you-can-take-in-2021/
That’s it for this week! Even though we’re not back to “normal” quite yet, it’s very encouraging to see people making both domestic and some international travel plans. I don’t know about you, but I can hardly wait until the whole past year is a distant memory.
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If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help! Click here to get in touch today.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sue Bradley
Sue Bradley
