We chose to cruise in October to celebrate my birthday. We had hoped for good weather but Mother Nature did not co-operate. All the days but one were cold, rainy and overcast. Of course Viking had no control over the weather. We chose the 2 day extension in Amsterdam and thoroughly enjoyed our time there. The hotel was very nice and we had a great tour of the city. The cruise started off with a glitch as the Viking Modi had run aground on her previous voyage and could not reach Amsterdam in time to pick up the passengers so we were bused to the ship. We were aware that there had been many problems with low water levels in the European rivers last year but decided to go on this cruise anyway. We were the first ship to make in all the way through without changing ships midway through the trip.

Previously we had cruised on many larger ocean going ships. So this was a definite new experience for us. One of the positives is that you get to know the crew and fellow passengers very well. After the first few days of the trip my favorite waitress knew what I liked for breakfast and had it ordered before I sat down. The crew were all very attentive. We liked the open seating as it gave us a chance to meet many new friends. Compared to other cruises, the food was just OK.

The entertainment was only so-so, mostly just piano music. We really prefer the entertainment on the larger ships. The excursions that were included were very nice, we learned a lot about the history of each of the ports. I highly recommend the optional excursion to Rothenburg, it was amazing. Read more