This was my first European river cruise. And the first time I'd been on holidays over Christmas. Myself and 3 others went specifically during Christmas week to experience a Christmas away from home. The food, staff and accommodations on Kara were exceptional. Staff were friendly, hard working, and accommodating. The only entertainment on board was a piano player. The ship itself was clean and our stateroom was always immaculate.

We were met at Schipol Airport as promised and brought to the ship, having been the last passengers to arrive. It went off like clockwork.

We were disappointed that the itinerary we received from Viking Cruises did not match the cruise we took. We had gone hoping to visit Christmas markets however the various governments had closed the markets the day we got on the ship. There was a Christmas Market open in Colmar (the last day of our trip) but seemed anti-climactic. This, of course, was not the fault of Viking Cruises. Read more