travelwithjamesdean.ca

Romantic Danube - Viking River Cruise

Once again, Viking does not disappoint, with its exceptionalservice and value!!
For our second River Cruise, we chose the Romantic Danube cruise on the Viking Jarl. Booking on a special promotion, we received free airfare from Toronto, Canada which made this a very attractive vacation to book for early November. I cannot say enough about this company - from booking to correspondence to the precision of organising the multiple tours and buses to get everyone to the right places is quite a sight.!! Also staff are all so committed to the personal customer service, that they make you feel as they are ALL really interested in supplying a great Viking experience. Obviously there are some front facing staff that are superstars, like Cruise Director Gabor, Executive Chef Carlito and Queen of the Dining Room Belle, but we know that there are many behind the scenes that are supporting their efforts.
Highly highly recommend a Viking river cruise for a completely relaxing and enjoyable experience - where many city tours are complimentary with guides on their own luxury Viking coaches.

"Gourmet" Food onboard a river cruise

Anyone who has taken a Viking river cruise, knows how fantastic the dining experience can be. All meals are prepared and presented beautifully and are of gourmet quality. (I do not use that label lightly) Beer, wine and soft drinks are included for all lunch and dinners, with additional champagne toast evenings with the captain, so it is my opinion, that purchasing an additional drinks package is not necessary, unless you are a traveller that cares to try other local speciality wine and spirits from the bar.
The extra special care and consideration for dietary requests with Maître d’ Jeffery, make it absolutely best way to enjoy meals that you could never order in a restaurant. (ie. Executive Chef Carlito would make up a special batch of soup contains no onion before completing the normal recipe preparation) I cannot stress what a pleasure that attention added to our cruise experience.

Enjoy Christmas Markets in Vienna

Our cruise was actually booked with the understanding that we were just a bit early to enjoy the Christmas markets along the Danube, but it was also reflected in the prices that jumped up the following weeks. So, it was a great treat to find many had opened early and we were able to experience the biggest market at the Vienna City Hall (Rathaus der Stadt Wien). The Wiener Christkindlmarkt market started in the late 18th century and has grown to include fantastic illuminated displays in the surrounding parkland, Ferris wheel and Carousel, in a spectacular setting in front of the beautifully lit Town Hall.

A Live Classical Performance in Vienna a MUST.!!!

We were unable to see a show at the Vienna Opera house - even tours were unavailable while we were in town.
Viking had an optional tour/show featuring Mozart and Shubert, that by all accounts was a highlight of the visit for everyone that went - that included singing…..
But, since I like to research my own “special” events, l found a great article about Antonio Vivaldi living and composing in Vienna for years until his death, and buried beside Karl’s Church (Karlskirche). And, discovering a performance of his “4 Seasons” by the Orchestra 1756 on period instruments, and it seemed like a great evening out due to the high energy of the pieces. The absolutely breathtaking venue of the Karlskirche Baroque church made the night even more special, but the musicians were fantastically talented and the lead viola was a rock star of a performer and conductor.
We booked with Viator through TripAdvisor - booking early with the “best available” reserved seat option, which landed us in the second row where we could practically reach out and touch the musicians.!!!
What a memorable night - THE highlight of our Danube Cruise.!!!

Surprisingly emotional talk on on Danube cruise

Viking river cruises feature interesting Onboard Cultural Enrichment. - Often these are one-of-a-kind opportunities to cook or hear from local people and experts, to add a more specific cultural flavour to your experience.
We had heard about a cultural presentation: “Growing up in Eastern Europe”, hosted by the Program Director, for a “casual talk” about life behind the Iron Curtain. Not really sure about how popular that might be, we arrived to find the lounge was overflowing with fellow passengers. Others must have felt the way we did - about wanting to understand more about this “troubled” period of time…
We had heard the stories of Communist rule while growing up, but had little direct knowledge of the true heartaches. Gabor did such an amazing job of expressing his personal experiences. He spoke candidly, passionate and personally, while still presenting his story in a very professionally manner, as not to overstep, offend or preach. We are so appreciative for this opportunity to be taught this emotional lesson of having such privilege and freedoms that we so often take for granted living Canada.

We were truly humbled at Gabor’s candour, and we thank him for his courage to tell his story. (Also, congrats to Viking to allow for this kind of discussion to their patrons - to share stories of cultural differences around the world without restrictions)

A Note about High or Low Water Levels on River Cruises

Anyone who has researched a river cruise know that there is a possibility of restricted travel due to high or low water.
We felt that early November would be pretty safe, but we still ran into a problem the last 2 days of our cruise. The water levels made it impossible to get to our last location, but Viking went as far as possible to make the bus commute into town for the next day tours manageable. They also moved again to make the trip to Munich airport easier by highways.
We were also told that since Viking had so many ships on the river, if water is becoming a problem, they station ships throughout the Danube to try and keep bus transfers to a minimum.

Maybe more of a Personal Preference than a Cruise Tip

We are NOT buffet kind of people.!! (As l write this from our latest cruise l am reminded how l HATE to see people eating while in line at buffets, l find it the most disgusting thing to see others grazing while l choose my own food.!)

A very nice surprise is to find that the main restaurants have breakfast service as well as lunch and dinner. (Also on the day you embark, everyone runs to the buffet, but the main dining room is opened and half empty) It seems so much more civilised than the crowds in the buffet. You are still able to order what you want even multiple items or custom orders in the comfort of a fine dining experience. Why not.! Prepared and delivered to you own table hot and fresh. We even noticed that the unlimited FREE freshly squeezed breakfast orange juice in the dining room was available at the buffet at a $3 extra charge, at the same time.! The cruising experience is filled with inconsistencies like this... a milkshake may be free, but the same counter may serve ice cream in a cone for a fee.! Look into all the options that your particular cruise line offers as they differ great from one to another, and it is surprising how much choice is available without getting caught up with the extra charges.
And, still after having said all that, we have had amazing cruise experiences, finding good deals far in advance and really enjoying cruise vacations