Viking Mimir Dining

You certainly won't go hungry on a Viking cruise. Despite there being just one main restaurant and a cafe lounge, each meal comes with a vast variety of options and generous portions.

Meals in the main dining room are served open-seating at set times, with some exceptions for earlier itineraries and excursions. The dining room's design is consistent with the rest of the ship, with muted beige and gray colors, soft and welcoming accents, like fresh blooms on each table. The tables are also dressed in white linens and are flanked by unimposing wine shelves for added decor. The seating is very open, with tables set for four, six, eight and one for 10. Five tables can be separated by a few inches for those wanting dinner for two (though not with that much privacy).

Breakfast is typically served from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and features a large, round buffet and adjacent tables setup with fresh fruit, toast and bread, cheese, select charcuterie, oatmeal and muesli. There's also an omelet station and other warm food options, like pancakes, bacon, French toast, eggs cooked to your taste, grilled and roasted vegetables, bacon and sausage. For vegetarians, there's often a vegetable scramble and roasted potatoes.

Lunch, which is from noon until 2 p.m., offers the chance to order off menu or enjoy a smaller buffet setup, which includes a soup and salad bar. The three-course lunch menu often has a featured entree, a vegetarian option, sandwiches and more.

Dinner, which begins at 7 p.m., is the most gourmet of all the meals onboard, and features a full menu and three courses, beginning with a hot or cold appetizer, an entree selection and a dessert. The meal also begins with a small Crudites, which could be anything from a meatball, chicken wing, shrimp skewer or caprese bite. The menu offers three entree selections a night, with at least one fish, meat and vegetarian option. In addition, there are menu staples that stay consistent throughout your ship, which are a grilled or roasted salmon and a steak. (One thing to note, during the Grand European Tour, most guests ended up choosing only the staple items toward the end of the cruise, as those were often the most reliable in terms of quality).

The chef does a good job of adding in local elements to the nightly meals, whether it's in the form of a local cheese on the cheese platter or an entree inspired by the country (like Bavarian schnitzel). Another element on many Mimir cruises is a theme dinner. Here, the chef and staff will dress in a different costume and will serve food that fits the theme. Our cruise featured a Bavarian night, which came with a hearty meat-carving station, a variety of sauerkraut, fresh pretzels and mustard dipping sauce at each table, a selection of local beers to try and sweet and savory desserts.

Aquavit Terrace: Located at the front of the ship off the lounge, the Aquavit Terrace was created to maximize the space allowed for river cruising. This outdoor eatery boasts 270-degree views of the breathtaking scenery with comfortable wooden chairs and circular dining tables that beckon a bite outside. To further encourage sightseeing and castle spotting, chairs are arranged facing the starboard of the ship -- with nothing but a small glasss windbreak in front of you and the river. In addition, the very front end of the lounge acts as an extension of the Aquavit Terrace during meal times, with sturdy wicker couches, plush pillows and side tables facing floor-to-ceiling windows.

The Aquavit menu is a smaller, more bistro menu -- with soup and entree choices, such as carved meats or build-your-own burgers for lunch. For dinner (7 p.m. – 9 p.m.), you can choose from more casual items, like a Caesar salad, pasta primavera or a fish entree.

During lunch and dinner, red and white house wine, beer and soft drinks are served. You can also purchase a recommended wine each day, including local varietals like Riesling, to be served at dinner.

As a quick breakfast alternative, coffee and pastries are available in the ship's lounge. Two coffee and tea stations in the upper atrium are also open 24/7 and have self-service machines that can produce lattes and cappuccinos, with mini-pastries offered in the morning and locally inspired cookies in the afternoon (like bite-size linzer tortes). There is no room service.