Viking Kara Review
The cruise ports and personnel were excellent; the Kara needed repairs/maint.
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Additional details
This was our second river cruise on Viking. The first, a Seine River cruise from Paris, was excellent. This cruise from Basel to Amsterdam was average due to limitations of the boat, Kara. It was unusually warm the last week of August and the air conditioning on the boat was not working. The waiters were excellent, working very hard but drenched in sweat. The temperature was about 84-85 degrees. Our room was good with the exception of the heat.
The employees were all very good at their jobs. The excursions were well planned and the guides very knowledgeable. Each night before dinner, the cruise director does a presentation on the next day's port and activities. The presentations were very informative and interesting. After dinner, there was either a musician or some other activity in the lounge.
The food was generally good, and reflective of the region you are traveling in. The French food on the Paris trip was excellent, but the German food on this trip was average. In fairness, German food is not my favorite. The service was very good, both in the dining rooms and from the cabin stewards.
Cabin Review
Deluxe Stateroom
The cabin was one of the less expensive, with a wide high window. The bed was comfortable but the pillows were fairly flat and not much use. The bathroom was nice with a large shower. The steward provides a large bottle of water as needed and there is a small refrigerator if you want to keep something cool. The cabin was roomy and, excluding the heat problem, was very nice.
Port Reviews
Cologne
The guide was very knowledgeable and the tour was fairly comprehensive.
Strasbourg
The Cathedral was beautiful and the guide was very good. This excursion was provided by Viking at no charge to all guests and was a good excursion.