Considering a Viking River Cruise in 2024? Watch this first! Our COMPLETE GUIDE to Viking Longships!

[Music] Welcome to our complete guide to Vikings River longships we believe this is the first and most comprehensive guide of its kind on YouTube so it will be very relevant to anyone who has or is looking to book a Viking Cruise and with over 60 near identical longships on the rivers of Europe there's a huge chance that you'll find this guide very insightful and useful indeed by the end of this video we hope you'll have enjoyed a great little introduction to the Viking river Fleet the dining the amenities the types of State rooms and Suites and give you all you need to make that decision as to whether Viking is right for you so what is a long ship what do they look like what features do they all have and how do you spot one and well the obvious question are they any good we're going to give you our opinion of all the great features and also reveal these ships shortcomings based on what we learned on a full week's Cruise did we enjoy this ship as much as Vikings ocean ships did they have the same feel to them stay tuned to find out let's make a start shall we Viking has been sailing guests around Europe's Rivers since its founding in 1997 and it was after a period of explosive growth using a fleet of pre-owned ships the company decided to design a ship that was like no other the first Viking long ship was launched in the spring of 2012 an Innovative design it was meticulously sized to fit the constraints of the many low bridges and locks on the rivers we also noticed that they are subtly designed so they can be docked next to each other with relative ease in fact they almost looked like the interlock I'm sure this was part of the design consideration too because births on popular rivers are almost always shared with River ships stacking against each other Viking knew this of course and with the design chess made this necessary inconvenience a lot easier Viking took feedback from Ocean Cruisers that demanded further luxuries like balconies which were a difficult challenge given the width constraints of a river ship but Viking shifted the placement of the main cabin corridors off-center and this meant that Viking could offer two large Suites seven Veranda Suites and 39 Veranda cabins while increasing total capacity to 190 guests in 95 State rooms actually if you notice the starboard side of the ship is all uniformly placed balcony staterooms but the port side has a mixture of sweets which return 90 degrees to fit the slightly thinner profile of the port side of the corridor and statements with a Juliet Balcony which don't need the additional depth of an outside balcony genius also a uniquely recognizable feature is the rather squared off bow unlike a traditional river ship this bow allows more interior room and that's where the long ships have the galley kitchen which as we'll show you in a few minutes Services both restaurants that happen to be at the front of the ship without additional footfall for the servers again we think this is another ingenious design element that makes the long ships recognizable from a distance on any River such was the success of this design with both industry professionals and guests that the rollout of new longships was expanded greatly in 2013 the company simultaneously christened 10 long ships and this was followed in 2014 by naming 18 ships in three ceremonies over five days earning Viking a Guinness World Record the very next year they launched 10 more long ships and two ships on the elb River today Viking operates an incredible 55 near identical longships there's also a slightly shorter and therefore reduced capacity design of longships and four of these operate on the same river in France in addition there are a further five baby long ships two on the elb and three on Portugal's Duro River wow so what makes these ships so successful and why should you consider one for your next River Cruise well we'll go inside now and we'll show you the features of a longship the accommodation types the dining you can expect the top deck and also tell you the drawbacks and yes there are some so keep watching [Music] a viking long ship is designed in a very clean uncomplicated and logical way the front of the ship is all the public areas in the middle although it's not technically in the middle but you know what I mean is the reception area and two-story Atrium and the rear of the ship is all accommodation so let's go inside the fully glazed reception area is very open spanning the middle and upper decks and topped with a glass roof ensuring as much natural light as possible shines into this lovely space starting on the middle deck you may notice the main staircases off-center a quirky design that Echoes the stateroom corridor's unusual alignment [Music] and the rear of the reception area is the reception desk reception weapons may vary depending on ship and opposite that is a small shop selling Viking souvenirs and fine quality apparel there are plenty of seating areas here to take advantage of all that natural light the future Cruise desk is here and a rather handy screen showing you where you are across from here is an elevator spanning all three interior decks and there's also the entrance to the restaurant downstairs from here to What's called the main deck and you'll find only water level staterooms here and we'll show you those soon back up on middle through the entrance doors there's a small outside area which sort of serves as an entrance porch let's go to the upper deck now and there's a beautiful piece of art that differs depending on which longship you're on and there's some nice little seating areas up here too directly above the reception desk and Shop downstairs is a small Library area and a couple of computers foreign outdoor areas either side lead up to the sun deck let's just go back downstairs and take a look at the main restaurant on middle deck [Music] the restaurant is flooded with natural light from these incredible floor to ceiling Windows which run the whole length of the venue there's a cooking and serving station roughly in the center and we'll come onto the food in a few minutes there's one thing we noted in this restaurant that may be an issue for some prospective guests there are no tables for two in the entire restaurant couples that prefer to dine alone should not fret however as there are tables for two in the aquavit Terrace let's go to the upper deck now and immediately above the restaurant is the Viking Lounge just before you get in there on both sides of the ship is the tea and coffee station now you can pick up a complimentary beverage and a delicious cookie 24 hours a day the lounge is exactly what you would expect from Viking classic Scandinavian in style and some quality seating that actually is more comfortable than it looks which is pleasantly surprising because in many ships it's the other way round I guess this is a post-pandemic carryover but actually these beautifully clean almost invisible screens that separate the groups of chairs and tables actually benefits the guests by not only providing a subtle barrier against Airborne nasties but cutting down on noise transfer which makes conversations when busy in here much less effort the bar here serves very reasonably priced drinks and if you get this silver drinks package everything you see on the shelves is yours to sample only the most premium spirits and Fine Wines are extra in our opinion there's really no need to spend anything more if you have the package there's loads of Premium Spirits included if you don't like to indulge too much Vikings serve beer and wine at meal times as part of your fare and that beers and wines are very good and from your locality if available it's a very good deal indeed without these silver drinks package so something to think about also the lounge is where the resident Entertainer well entertains at lunchtime and the evenings the entertainment on board varies according to where you're sailing and often during your cruise there will be guest local entertainment giving you a flavor of the country you're visiting to be honest the resident Entertainer is excellent background music and it's lovely to have live music but it's the guest entertainers that really bring the culture of the locality to life the lounge also serves as the venue for daily pre-dinner Port talks captains welcome in farewells and other Gatherings you could call it the Social Hub of the ship at the very front the lounge leads out to the aquavit Terrace which is split into two areas inside and outside well actually the lines are blurred on that because these huge glass doors at the front open right up to bring the outside in and the whole Terrace had this lovely Alfresco feel to it we absolutely love this area and we're out here every single day having a spot of lunch or dinner but more about that later there's tables and chairs for dining and a couple of very comfy Lounge areas where we like to sit during the port talks as it was a little quieter out here and they have speakers in here to hear the talks and these clever TVs that pop up so you can also see the slides they show from the projectors in the lounge [Music] when the French doors are closed you go outside through this door and to the wonderful Terrace [Music] outside on the Terrace there's some steps here on the port side that lead up to the sun deck and that's where we'll head now the sun deck is designed with Simplicity in mind there's a walking Track but no splash pool or hot tub no bikes stored here Viking doesn't do bikes on its River ships and no comfy Lounge style seating it's all fairly conventional stuff but there's plenty of places to sit or lay and there's plenty of shade whether it's under the hydraulic canopy here or at the front under these large sturdy parasols do you like a pool on board a river ship is it really a necessary feature leave us a comment with your thoughts me personally I can live without it but some may find its absence a negative also there's no gym on board which to be honest I didn't lose any sleep over the included walking tour excursions are a perfect replacement for your morning cardio session and you get to see your new locality too that's a win-win at the rear of the sun deck though another standard feature to all long ships which you can't find on almost every other river ship is a herb garden which the chefs use daily in their meal prep one absolutely great idea this is flanked by a small putting green and a shuffleboard area presumably the chefs don't get too distracted by these while the lamb in the galley waits for some fresh Rosemary because of the low bridges the long ships have to squeeze under everything up here is collapsible including the bridge which hydraulically lowers in summary the sun deck is a more simpler and functional design and less luxurious than many other river cruise ships we've sailed on whether that's problematic for you is a matter of taste and opinion but for us the parasol tables and chairs at the front were actually a joy to sit on while enjoying a glass of Fizz on a sunny afternoon and the sun lounges Under The Canopy were just fine too so no complaints on either now we've shown you the public areas of the ship let's show you the private areas the state rooms and Suites there are five categories of stateroom on Border by King longship standard and there's 25 of these 22 French balconies 39 verandas seven Veranda Suites and last but not least the two Explorer Suites we're going to take a look at the most prevalent class The Veranda and we'll show you the differences between that and the other categories let's take a tour around Suite 303 which was ours for the week in keeping with Vikings scandi Traditions the decor and color scheme in the room is light woods and creams it has a fresh modern feel to it but with everything fairly neutral in here some may be disappointed with the lack of bright colors the highlight of course is this wonderful veranda [Music] facing back towards the entrance Door you have wardrobes one side and the bathroom the other let's now show you a few little details the better some rather interesting lighting including these two reading spotlights and also some relaxing soft night lighting behind the headboard there's plenty of sockets by the bed and they are nicely spaced out too so even with adapters you can use both at the same time the full-length wardrobe is a little snug but for a week-long cruise coupled with Vikings relaxed dress code it's adequate the cupboard to the left of the Wardrobe is voluminous with these cavernous shelves which swallow all your stuff and a massive thumbs up to Viking for the huge safe not every Cruise Line thinks of these things as important but if you have laptops or iPads it's incredibly useful the main side unit below the tv and mirror runs the length of the room and neatly disguises a built-in fridge which is thoughtfully designed with a cut out in the shelving to allow tall bottles another little touch that just makes everything more satisfying oh and if you need ice for your ice bucket there's a handy dispenser on every state from Corridor help yourself [Music] yet another thoughtful addition is the fruit but instead of a messy fruit bowl you get a neat plate with a single type of fruit and these are changed every couple of days to something new we've not seen that before and we think this is another nice touch overall this unit works really well functionally and with its clean lines is very easy on the eyes bedside tables are a bit of a quirky design however they have no drawers and feature this slide out extension that we never found a use for because this room is slightly larger than the other categories the table on The Veranda side was larger and a lot more practical but still with the quirky little pull out feature [Music] the room also comes with a stool and a chair another little feature is that the TV speakers are built into the ceiling which is a really good idea firstly it takes away the noise from a dividing wall and secondly puts the sound closer to you as you lie in bed so the sound is much better quality at lower levels another very well thought out detail all categories of accommodation except the nine Suite have identical bathrooms so by showing you stateroom 303 you can assume any other category you choose will be identical the standard bathroom is just superb with a double glass door shower heated floors and heated mirrors heated floors and mirrors are generally The Preserve of much more expensive Ultra Luxury ships so Viking having these as standard is a surprise the only thing we found a little frustrating was the toilet roll holder which if you lost the End of the Roll inside the slot you had to Fumble around for it yes it's a first world problem but in the interests of a balanced review we had to mention it finally The Veranda itself yes it's narrow but this is a river ship not an ocean Cruiser and we found it so relaxing and enjoyable being able to sit out here in our own private space enjoying a glass of wine as the Danube glided by let's show you a few differences between this Veranda stateroom and the other categories first up the standard water level State rooms these rooms are smaller in depth and are on the water line but the view you get from these windows I like to call it a swans eye view is fascinating the window shelf is nice and deep too for storing bits and pieces next up the French balcony stateroom is the same depth as the water level State Trims and you can see the difference in width of the balcony side table compared to The Veranda State drum the French balcony is beautiful though letting in a ton of natural light and fresh air now let's see the category above our room 303 and The Veranda Suite bedroom is separate from the living area and the living area has a balcony similar to our standard Veranda stateroom but in addition to that the bedroom area has a French balcony the bathroom is bigger too with a larger enclosed shower very nice indeed out of all the categories on board this was our favorite if you fancy something a little more exclusive than that here's a little peek into the two Explorer Suites that share all the space at the rear of the upper deck [Music] thank you [Music] we just about covered the physical aspects of a Viking longship and we hope you found it insightful and useful thus far but don't go anywhere we're going to finish this guide by talking a little about one aspect of cruising that is always at the Forefront of guests Minds that's right the dining what are the options on a long ship and what is it actually like and how does it compare to Vikings ocean ships well let's Dive In thank you well I'm happy to say that overall the food is as good as the ocean chips which by the way we think is utterly superb even though on a much smaller river ship obviously the selection isn't going to be as wide and the number of dining venues is only two the restaurant and the aquavit Terrace furthermore the two venues share the same menus so it's actually one set of choices you just have to choose what style of venue you wish to enjoy I'm making this sound too basic because actually the variation and quality on offer in our opinion was as good as we've had on any premium Cruise River or ocean breakfast can be taken in the aquavit Terrace where a continental selection is available from early in the morning before the restaurant is open and while this is mainly the sum of what you see here the restaurant is the place to go if you want the full arsenal of the chef prepared choices and there's plenty of choice and it's all cooked fresh and presented very well [Music] foreign on the aquavit Terrace the menu choices are usually a couple of starters four Mains and two desserts and these change every day on top of that you have the always available Classics and these do not change press pause if you want to read this selection of menus we like the fact that the portions are not huge leaving you room for all three courses and more importantly cuts down on food waste presentation of the food is clean and unfussy and more importantly tastes wonderful [Music] if the weather is good they even have a chef station out on the aqua Beach Terrace who will whip you up the special of the day in no time there are little items dotted around the ship during other times too grab and go with shiny red apples in the reception late night treats at the coffee station or settle into pre-dinner cocktails with the tasty canapes served every evening or nutty nibbles hmm Wasabi peanuts leave room for dinner though which is a single seating starting at 7 pm beware the bread they leave on your table it's fresh out of the oven it's warm and it's delicious we normally avoid the bread on cruise ships but there's no escaping the clutches of this it's bread heaven the dinner menu always features a regional specialty at the top and the Region's wine pairing at the bottom which is included with your meal in between is a menu that changes daily and on the left hand side is always available Classics here's a little gallery of some of the things we enjoyed [Music] on your Voyage you're more likely to experience a themed dinner evening and on ours it was Austrian and the restaurant looked fabulous as did the waiting staff who were all dressed for the occasion the tables were also dressed as if you were in a traditional Austrian Cafe and the food was a delicious array of local dishes rustic beers and finished with a fiery shot of something I can't remember it was very strong though very strong what a funny name we hope you've enjoyed our guide to Vikings longships why not continue your Viking Journey with us by watching these next thank you [Music] foreign [Music]

Channel: Visit With Us (Rich and Helen)

Views: 999,793

Keywords: visit with us, viking cruises, viking cruises review, viking longship river cruises, viking vilhjalm, viking river cruise food, viking river cruises europe, viking river cruises danube, viking river cruises rhine, viking river cruises rooms, river cruises in europe, best river cruises in europe, best river cruise companies, viking river cruise ship tour, viking cruise ship, best viking river cruise, viking river cruise review, viking river cruise, river cruises, viking river

Id: GCtAffXS0Po

Length: 22min 40sec (1360 seconds)

Published: Sun May 28 2023