“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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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Bonnie Carroll has been a food/travel/lifestyle writer since 1983. She is the founder & Editor-in-Chief of Bonnie Carroll’s Life Bites News (www.lifebitesnews.com). She does travel and food reporting on KZSB1290 radio, and contributes to a variety of national and international travel/lifestyle publications. Contact her at writebc@aol.com