"Life
is but a Dream" on a Viking River Cruise
It
all started while I was watching Masterpiece Theatre
on PBS and a lovely commercial showcasing people traveling to
exotic destinations on international rivers passed before my
eyes. I was hooked instantly, and knew I wanted to experience
one of these beautiful journeys. I wanted to experience the
"Life Is But A Dream" Lewis Carroll wrote about. Long
story short, this fall I found myself boarding an Air France
flight with a long-time friend for Nuremberg to become a passenger
on the Viking Njord, one of the beautifully appointed long ships
of the Viking River Cruise fleet. This journey included stops
in Nuremberg, Regensburg, Passau, Melt, Munich, Vienna and Budapest.
Viking Njord
The Njord is very attractive and modern from stem to stern,
with staterooms offering the best amenities, wide screen TV's
and very comfortable beds. No need to bring robe and slippers
because they are provided, as well as extra pillows.
The
ship offers a laundry and cleaning service. Built in dressers
and closets provide ample room for two people, and the suites
with balconies provide chairs and a table to sit and watch the
world passing by.
However,
no one stays in their room because there is always something
going on, and the second floor dining area has an outdoor patio
with fantastic views. There is also the upper deck, with lounge
chairs, a bar and a walking path where travels rest and enjoy
the ride.
Chef Preparing Lunch
Each day, following a delicious breakfast and reading daily
mini-news paper reprints, comfortable buses would take guests
to the cities on the cruise schedule for walking tours and time
to shop. Following lunch on the ship they were free to relax
or walk back to the city centers for up close and personal investigations
of the local points of interests. Each day cocktails and hors
d'ouvre are served in the lounge before dinner, where the captain
shares news of the day before he and the chef lead guests to
the dining room for dinner. This schedule would vary if it was
necessary to take guests to an attraction where lunch would
be included at a local restaurant. The concierge on the ship
was busy making reservations for people going ashore in the
evening to attend musical events or visit restaurants of interest
when the ship was docked.
The
food on the Njord was really very good, and meals were served
with complimentary wines and after dinner liqueurs. The menu
was usually themed with the city being visited. In Regensburg,
Passau and Munich the menu's included delicious German dishes
of wonderful sausage plates with local wines, and cheese. The
same was true for Austria and Hungary. The Viennese schnitzel
with strudel dessert was amazing and was paired with a delightful
Austrian wine. Dress on the Njord is casual, but women will
be women and they found ways to glam up their clothes for dinner
with scarves and jewelry.
The Able Staff
Several
evenings included live musical entertainment including and opera
night, Hungarian Gypsy night, Bavaria night and more. The food
and beverage manager allowed me to view the bevy of wines kept
on board for guest enjoyment, many of which were regional wines
you will never find for sale in the U.S. It was impressive that
the crew who did food service knew my name by the second morning
and were prepared to serve me all my favorite items each day.
These young people, who were from many areas in Europe, worked
very hard, and I was touched by how cordial they would be, and
their tireless effort to please.
The
attraction to this type of travel for me was the part about
cruising peacefully down the Danube, while having time to visit
and learn about the cities we were passing through. Being on
water is an experience that offers a special serenity and river
cruising offers an ongoing de-stressing experience that is a
bit different than traveling on an ocean liner. The Njord is
a smooth moving vessel that ensures a gentle journey, while
guests enjoy wonderful food and beverage services. A coffee
and sweets center was a popular meeting spot before breakfast
service for those who needed their early morning coffee, and
with many British travelers this venue was the preferred venue
at tea time as well.
Before Dinner Cocktails
Any
information guests needed regarding their destinations was available
in the ships library, as well as in handouts the captain and
crew made available. If it rained they had umbrella's ready,
and someone was always handing me a bottle of water. Upon returning
from tours the crew would be waiting by the entrance with appetizers
and petite beverages to welcome everyone home.
Pick-up
and delivery from airports was seamless, and efficient. All
the vehicles used were new and clean and comfortable, which
made arrival and departures quite easy. The Air France flights
were on-time, and economy seats were fairly comfortable. Viking
uses several carriers, but I was happy we selected Air France.
So,
if you are watching PBS and find yourself compelled to take
a Viking River Cruise - do it! What a wonderful way to see the
world, meet new people and be spoiled by a caring staff. It's
really a hotel on the water, and I look forward to possibly
visiting another destination like France or Spain or Russia
on a future river cruise.
For
information visit VikingRiverCruises.com.
By Bonnie Carroll
About Bonnie Carroll
Bonnie Carroll has been a food/travel/lifestyle writer since
1983. She is the founder & publisher of Bonnie Carroll's
Life Bites News - www.lifebitesnews.com,
does travel and food reporting on KZSB1290 radio, and contributes
to a variety of national and international travel/lifestyle
publications. Her first children's book C.C. Charles was published
in 2002 and she is currently working on a second book. Contact
her at Contact her at writebc@aol.com.