Outstanding experience!
Viking Hild Cruise Review by Bblalock2652
- Sail Date: May 2018
- Destination: Europe River
- Cabin Type: Veranda Stateroom
We’re 66 and 65 yrs old and a Viking River Cruise has been on our list of things to do for some time. We made reservations with Viking River Cruises for the Swiss Apls to Paris cruise aboard the Viking Hild. We have made server ocean cruises and a small ship cruise of Alaska but this was our first river cruise.
We elected to use our accumulated air miles for upgrades for air travel so Viking did not plan our flights. They did arrange transport to the airport for our departure. Due to the flight duration we decided add to our travel plans and arrived several days early to tour Switzerland before meeting up with Viking in Zurich.
Without any doubt this cruise was by far our best adventure. Maybe ‘adventure’ is the wrong word to use because everything was perfectly scripted by Viking. The ship was extremely comfortable with lots of natural light and the Scandinavian decor was refreshing.
The crew was exceptional. They quickly learned your name and seem to anticipate your request. Meals and wine selection were excellent, either buffet or cooked to order. We had dinner most evenings on the Aquavit terrace (bow) which allowed us to enjoy the weather and stunning views. We selected the beverage package which included a broad selection of premium wines and liquors.
I could go on and on but suffice to say we thoroughly enjoyed the cruise and are in the process of selecting a longer cruise for 2019.
Cabin Review
We have learned that booking a room with a balcony is worth the money and that was definitely the case in regards to a river cruise. An espresso / coffee machine was just down the hallway so having early morning coffee on the balcony as well as enjoying the sights and sounds added to the experience. Speaking of sounds the ship was all electric (except for generators) so there were no engine noise, exhaust or vibrations. Even on the stern the only sounds were those of prop wash. The room was very comfortable and the bathroom shower while small on any ship (I’m 6’2” and 285 lbs) was easy to ‘navigate’.