My husband and I did the Rhine cruise on the Alruna for our honeymoon and it was the most amazing experience! It was our first river cruise, and Viking really set the standard high, we had such a phenomenal experience. Viking the made the entire experience very easy, and we had no trouble with embarkation or switching to the ocean cruise ship in Amsterdam for the second half of our journey. I cannot speak highly enough of the entire crew on-board the Alruna. I have many severe food allergies, which always make traveling very difficult, and our Maitre D and chef made this the best traveling experience I have ever had. Every meal was unique, thoughtfully put-together, and made with such care. It was wonderful to be able to enjoy the excursions without worrying about what my next meal would be, as the chef, Maitre D and dining crew all knew me and had every meal planned, whether we were dining on the ship or away for afternoon excursions (yes, they even planned lunches for me to pack and bring onshore). The chef managed to incorporate local ingredients and flavors into every meal for me, despite my restrictions, and he went above and beyond in finding ways to make sure my culinary experience was just as wonderful and diverse as the main meals being served.
The ship was beautiful, and we loved the intimacy of the crew and other passengers. The activities and excursions that we did were all amazing (both the included ones and the ones we paid extra to participate in). The days that involved us being on the river were just as amazing as onshore - there were numerous activities on deck of the ship, the views were beautiful, and we loved learning about the castles we passed and the locks we went through. While the activities and sight-seeing were incredible, the crew on the Alruna really made the trip exquisite and set it apart from all other trips we have done before. My husband and I will only sail with Viking in the future, we see no reason to look elsewhere when they provided the most wonderful honeymoon we could have asked for.
After stopping at port in Koblenz, we went by bus to Braubach to view the amazing 13th century Marksburg castle.
A beautiful walking tour from the port to the Cologne cathedral.