We recently got (yet another) advert in the mail from Viking. We have cruised with them - river and ocean - four times in the past, so we are a prime target for their advertising.
This one is extremely attractive. Paris to Prague, 12 days, for less than $4k per person, with free air and a drink package thrown in. Historically, a river cruise for two people has cost me around a thousand dollars a day for my wife and I. This works out to much less than that. $8 or 9 K for two people for "twelve" days. (First and last days are bullshit).
Viking's niche in the market is assured by some specific promises they make. A free tour at every stop, no kids, no casino or shopping mall on board, relatively small ships/boats, good entertainment, and few costly extras. If you want to go on a "special" excursion it will cost you, but there is something basic and worthwhile at every stop. This free drink package is very unusual in the Cruising world; they must know that I don't drink and my wife drinks very little. But anyway...
A river cruise is the way to go. You stop right in the heart of the destination city, go on a tour in the morning, then have the afternoon and most of the evening to explore on your own. If you want to eat on the boat that is included, but you can also go out and eat on the economy. You unpack your stuff one time (assuming the rivers cooperate), don't have to worry about a hotel bed, car rental, navigation around a foreign country, or finding a place to park when you visit the popular tourist traps.
The unspoken downside of a river cruise is that you are at the mercy of the rivers. If they are too high, the boats won't fit under the bridges and you have to switch to a bus tour and possibly hotels; same if the river is too low for the draft of the boat. We have never been impacted by this, but it is always a real possibility - never mentioned by Viking.
We have done bus tours, ocean cruises, and driving tours, both here and in Europe, but I think a river cruise is the best option. The main downside is that the destinations are limited to cities on a large river. On the other hand, we have rented cars and driven to other cities in the past (Regensburg, drove to Munich to see the BMW attractions).
The Elephant in the Room is the Cajuna Virus. We toured Malta and Greece in August, and the restrictions compromised our enjoyment quite a bit. What will it be like in August 2022? Better? Don't know.
Parenthetically, we have opted for the cheapest staterooms on our river cruises. They are at the water level but otherwise the same as the more expensive cabins on higher levels. You still have a window, but it is 5' off the floor. So what? You spend very little time in your stateroom.
This one is extremely attractive. Paris to Prague, 12 days, for less than $4k per person, with free air and a drink package thrown in. Historically, a river cruise for two people has cost me around a thousand dollars a day for my wife and I. This works out to much less than that. $8 or 9 K for two people for "twelve" days. (First and last days are bullshit).
Viking's niche in the market is assured by some specific promises they make. A free tour at every stop, no kids, no casino or shopping mall on board, relatively small ships/boats, good entertainment, and few costly extras. If you want to go on a "special" excursion it will cost you, but there is something basic and worthwhile at every stop. This free drink package is very unusual in the Cruising world; they must know that I don't drink and my wife drinks very little. But anyway...
A river cruise is the way to go. You stop right in the heart of the destination city, go on a tour in the morning, then have the afternoon and most of the evening to explore on your own. If you want to eat on the boat that is included, but you can also go out and eat on the economy. You unpack your stuff one time (assuming the rivers cooperate), don't have to worry about a hotel bed, car rental, navigation around a foreign country, or finding a place to park when you visit the popular tourist traps.
The unspoken downside of a river cruise is that you are at the mercy of the rivers. If they are too high, the boats won't fit under the bridges and you have to switch to a bus tour and possibly hotels; same if the river is too low for the draft of the boat. We have never been impacted by this, but it is always a real possibility - never mentioned by Viking.
We have done bus tours, ocean cruises, and driving tours, both here and in Europe, but I think a river cruise is the best option. The main downside is that the destinations are limited to cities on a large river. On the other hand, we have rented cars and driven to other cities in the past (Regensburg, drove to Munich to see the BMW attractions).
The Elephant in the Room is the Cajuna Virus. We toured Malta and Greece in August, and the restrictions compromised our enjoyment quite a bit. What will it be like in August 2022? Better? Don't know.
Parenthetically, we have opted for the cheapest staterooms on our river cruises. They are at the water level but otherwise the same as the more expensive cabins on higher levels. You still have a window, but it is 5' off the floor. So what? You spend very little time in your stateroom.
