Mr CW and I have been married for 25 years. Celebrate this milestone felt important but how? We met on a boat, sailing in Greece, so another voyage, this time in quiet luxury. Cruising along the Rhine appealed to us both. We had both visited parts of it when we were children and I lived on the banks of the Rhine back in the mists of time. A Viking Rhine River Cruise that started in Amsterdam and ended in Basel ticked all the boxes.
Mr CW and I were guests of Viking Cruises
We have previously cruised down the Danube but that was with children and we cycled during the day, Cruising with Viking is an entirely different kettle of fish. More grown up. More luxurious. More relaxed. As we floated down the Danube we saw the sleek white Viking ships and vowed that next time that was how we would travel. Now the children are grown up it was time for to embark on a the Viking Rhine Getaway cruise.
Table of Contents
Our Experience of the Viking Rhine Getaway cruise
A quick rundown, of what we thought, before all the nitty gritty
- Six UNESCO heritage sites (well seven if you count the Upper & Lower German Limes)
- Excellent food and service
- Ideal for Cultural City Break lovers
- Perfect for milestone celebrations
Viking Rhine River Cruise Review: Viking Rhine Getaway (Amsterdam – Basel)
Before you leave home
A few weeks before you set sail an envelope will arrive at your home. In this envelope there will be two types of luggage tags. Big red Viking embossed ones for you to put your home address on and attach to your suitcase for travelling. Smaller paper printed tags with your name and cabin details, attach these after you have collected your bags from the baggage carousel. You will also find red Viking stickers which are for you to stick onto your jacket in baggage reclaim, these will help the Viking staff to recognise you as you emerge from customs.
Viking Rhine Getaway Cruise – Full Itinerary
The Viking Rhine Getaway cruise lasts 8 days, starts at Amsterdam and ends at Basel, calling at Kinderdijk, Cologne, Koblenz, Rüdesheim, Speyer, Strasbourg and Breisach. You can choose to start at Basel and do the journey the other way if you fancy. Along the way there are six included excursions. You can sip regional wines and beers, whilst eating local food, watching the iconic Rhine landscape slip by.
Day 1 Amsterdam – Embarkation
Arrival at Amsterdam
We were met at Amsterdam Schiphol airport by a Viking driver, who recognised us by the red Viking stickers on our coats. Then whisked to the river cruise terminal just behind and along from Amsterdam Centraal station.
Embarkation process
As we stepped from our taxi we were warmly welcomed and shown onboard the Viking Gersemi. Our luggage was whisked away from us, those labels that we had attached ensured that the staff took them to our cabin. We were quickly checked in and issued with a key card and a copy of Viking Daily which had a full rundown of what to expect for the rest of the day.
Exploring Amsterdam
Our flight arrived too late to join the welcome walk but Amsterdam is a city that we know well and so we headed off on our own. We have visited Amsterdam many times and explored the UNESCO listed canals. This time we headed off to the Maritime Museum, just a short walk away from the ship. Inside the story of the Netherlands as a great seafaring nation is told. We learnt all about the importance of the Rhine river to bring goods and ideas to and from Amsterdam. The perfect primer for our voyage. Highlight of the visit for me was stepping on board the replica VOC ship moored outside the museum.
Welcome Briefing
At 6pm we gathered in the lounge for a welcome cocktail and a greeting from the captain and a safety briefing. Sabine the cruise director introduced herself and gave a rundown of what to expect in the coming days and especially in the morning. Next up were the Maitre D’ and Head Chef outlining the day’s menu and what to expect in the restaurant.
First dinner
At 7pm we sat down to dinner. Seats are not allocated, you choose where you want to sit and with whom. Over the week we shared our meals with a wide range of interesting people. Waiter service and not a buffet. The waiting staff were simply excellent. Explaining the menu, making recommendations and knowing your preferences within a day.
Day 2 Kinderdijk – windmills
We sailed into Rotterdam very early in the morning. I was a keen bean, swathed in my complimentary bathrobe and on our stateroom balcony to see the illuminated Erasmus Bridge as we arrived just before 6am. Guests who had chosen the optional Dutch Cheesemaking tour disembarked at 7.30am. The rest of us enjoyed a leisurely breakfast with magnificent sunrise as we cruised to Kinderdijk.
Kinderdijk – UNESCO listed windmills
Kinderdijk has 19 beautifully preserved 18th century windmills, the whole site is UNESCO listed. That’s the most historic windmills together in one place in the world. Our tour was led by one of the volunteers at Kinderdijk. He told us all about the history of the Polders and the windmills before leading us inside a museum windmill where a miller, his wife and thirteen children once lived.
Afternoon Scenic Cruising
In the afternoon we set sail for Cologne. Mr CW and I watched as Dordrecht and the Biesbosch slipped by. We stayed in the Biesbosch on one family holiday, canoeing around the area in search of beavers is one of our best family holiday memories. We saw spectacular sunsets as we cruised past Nijmegen, then it was time for cocktails and dinner.
Day 3: Cologne
Next morning we woke up in Germany. As we breakfasted we tried to spot the Landschaftpark Duisburg Nord, a rather wonderful reinvented steelworks, that we had visited with our children a few years back, but failed. At 9am we arrived at the small village of Zons where we got off the Viking Gersemi and onto a coach bound for Cologne.
Walking Tour of Cologne
Back in the day, I used to change trains at Cologne. I would stash my bags in the left luggage and make a mad dash to visit the Cathedral. This was the first time that I had explored anywhere except the station and Cathedral. Our guide took us across the Hohenzollern Bridge a shared train and pedestrian crossing and festooned with many love locks. Cologne Cathedral was the tallest building in the world when it was built, the UNESCO listed Gothic masterpiece towers over the city. At the time of our visit the first of Cologne’s many Christmas markets were open adding a festive sparkle to one of Germany’s great party cities.
We visited one of the many Brauhauses in Cologne where Kölsch beer is brewed. Then the beer is served in very cold, small glasses. Waiters constantly circulate handing out new glasses, when you have had enough put a beer mat over the top of the glass to indicate that you are finished and pay.
You can spend all day in Cologne. We opted to explore the palaces of Brühl but could have spent a happy afternoon visiting the excellent Ludwig museum or exploring the Cathedral at greater length.
Afternoon: Optional Tour to the Rococo Palaces of Brühl
Back in the day, the Archbishop of Cologne was a Prince Bishop and one of the Elector’s of the Holy Roman Emperor … so a big deal. Brühl was where the Prince Bishops of Cologne had their summer palace. Not just one but two. One absolutely huge. The Augustusburg Palace is a Rococo confection built by Clemens August in the mid 18th century, after a visit to Versailles incited a spot of Palace-envy. The staircase is a masterclass in how to impress your guests. Each room gets progressively more magnificent. Make sure that you have time to view the house from the gardens with a splendid reflecting pond. Back in the days when the German capital was in Bonn, the Augustusburg Palace was used as a suitably grand place for official entertainment.
Falkenlust Hunting Lodge
Clemens August loved to hunt. Most especially he loved to hunt herons with falcons. Not a form of hunting that I had heard of before! Not content with the magnificent Augustusburg, he had a special lodge built for hunting. A perfect cube with extravagant embellishments. Everywhere is bedecked with blue and white, his family colours. Specially made Delft tiles depicting herons and falcons are everywhere.
Evening
On our return to Cologne we had a quick stroll through the Christmas markets that had begun to appear. We popped into a Brauhaus to sample Kölsch. Then we headed back to the ship, which was now moored in Cologne for the evening briefing and dinner.
Day 4: Koblenz and the Middle Rhine
One of the things I most loved about the Viking Rhine Getaway Cruise was flinging open the curtains of our stateroom each morning to see a new vista floating by. Today we were treated to an especially wonderful sunrise behind Marksburg Castle.
Morning – exploring Koblenz
Norwich, my home city, is twinned with Koblenz. For me it is a place of blurry teenage memories of exchange visits with my penfriend Antje. Turns out that it is a very handsome place. Our tour started with the Deutsches Eck, the point where the Rhine and Mosel meet. The Romans recognised the strategic importance of the site and founded Koblenz. Our tour took us through the city walls, through Baroque streets, past handsome churches and beautiful Art Nouveau embellishments.
Afternoon Cruising down the Middle Rhine
When people talk about the Romantic Rhine, the 68 kilometre stretch south from Koblenz is what they mean. Here the river enters a narrow gorge. 21 castles guard the banks. On one school trip we stayed in Stahleck Castle, now a youth hostel. Vineyards spill down the steep slopes. Sailing past the impressive Lorelei rock, on a hard to navigate bend, it is easy to see why there are myths of sirens luring sailors to their death swirling about the rock. Even on a day when snow loomed this was an incredible sight. On a sunny day, with a glass of something vinous in hand, it must be sublime.
Evening: Rüdesheim Christmas market
Snow was falling when we arrived at Rüdesheim. Always impossibly pretty at Christmas Rüdesheim becomes even more magical. Our visit coincided with the first day of the Christmas market. Small stalls selling tempting trinkets twinkled. We succumbed to a glass, well a mug, of Glühwein before heading back to the Viking Gersemi for dinner.
Day 5: Speyer
Morning – exploring Mannheim
Many years ago, immediately after graduation, I spent some time living and working in Mannheim and have not returned since. Excited to show Mr CW my old haunts we headed off to explore. Sadly our visit was on a Monday and the Kunsthalle was closed, so we were unable to see Edouard Manet’s “The Execution of Emperor Maximilian of Mexico”. One of the most fascinating things about Mannheim is that its central streets are a grid and have no names, just letters and numbers. On the way back we passed the Baroque palace, the largest in Europe and now home to Mannheim University.
Afternoon – Excursion to Speyer
After lunch we hopped on a coach heading for Speyer and another UNESCO listed Cathedral which stands high above the Rhine. Outside it is massive, inside surprisingly plain but beautiful. Speyer is a handsome town, with wide streets and impressive town gates. Just a short walk from the Cathedral is the Protestant Dreifaltigkeitkirche adorned with all manner of gilded balconies and cherubs. Outside the churches was another bustling Christmas market, we sampled the Glühwien and can report that it was as good as in Rüdesheim.
Day 6: Strasbourg
France today. Well we moored up in Kehl on the German bank of the Rhine and crossed over into France to visit Strasbourg a short coach ride away.
Morning: included excursion to Strasbourg
You don’t just look at a UNESCO heritage site in Strasbourg, you walk through it. The whole of the Grand Île, including the Cathedral, is UNESCO listed. Cute half timbered houses are reflected in the canal in Petit France. Narrow streets meander toward the Cathedral. Inside is an impressive astronomical clock that chimes and has a clockwork performance every quarter of an hour. We were very lucky to see the Strasbourg tapestries hanging in the nave. Commissioned by Cardinal Richelieu in the 17th century, they among the most important tapestries in France and are only on display during Advent.
Afternoon: Back to Strasbourg or stay on board
Back to the Viking Gersemi for lunch. We could have opted to stay in Strasbourg for lunch and explore at our leisure. Shuttle buses ran back and forth between Kehl and Strasbourg all afternoon. Instead we sat in the lounge reading and watched a demonstration of how to make Flammkuchen.
Day 7: Exploring the Black Forest
We moored up at Breisach on the German side of the Rhine but crossed over headed for Colmar
Morning optional tour to Colmar
Way back in the early 80s I visited Alsace with my parents. The one place that my mother wanted to visit was the Musee Unterlinden to see the Isenheim Altarpiece. Once I saw there was a tour to Colmar there was no way that I was going to turn down the chance of seeing the Altarpiece again. Colmar itself is extremely pretty, like Strasbourg but without the crowds. Half timbered with a river and canal running through it. Bartholdi, sculptor of the Statue of Liberty was born here, you can visit his house. Our tour took us through pretty streets bedecked for Christmas. In our free time we headed straight for the Musee Unterlinden. In the intervening decade the altarpiece has been cleaned and glows even more brightly than before.
Afternoon: Included Tour Black Forest
Coach ride winding roads through tree clad hills, that look to be straight out of the fairy tales. In the heart of the forest you have a choice of a walk in the woods, seeing how a cuckoo clock is made or constructing a Black Forest Gateau. So impressed was one of our fellow shipmates that they bought one to go home with. Happy in the knowledge that the hourly chiming can be turned off at night.
Evening: Farewell cocktail party
Cocktails in the lounge followed by dinner. An extra special German night with special blue and white table cloths and waiters circulating with trays of Kölsch beer.
Day 8: Basel
Final day. Day before you are told what time you need to be outside the ship ready to depart. Not the same for everyone, so pay attention. You are asked to vacate your cabin by 9am, but can stay on board in the lounge until it is time to depart.
Exploring Basel
We didn’t need to leave the ship until 1pm and so headed out to explore Basel. We visited the Cathedral (of course) and admired the red Rathaus before heading to the airport. I had hoped to see the Yayoi Kusama exhibition at Fondation Beyler but all the tickets had sold out.
Eating on a Viking Rhine River Cruise
First things first, you have a choice. At the front of the ship, at the end of the lounge, is the Aquavit Terrace with tables both outside and in a glazed area allowing for all round views. There are not many table here, so it is first come first served. Downstairs the main dining room has floor to ceiling windows, so the views are still great.
Breakfast
- 6.30am – 10am breakfast on the Aquavit Terrace
- 7am – 9.30am breakfast in the main dining room
As soon as you walk in, a waiter will ask if you prefer tea or coffee. By the second day they know your preference. So much choice. You can have a continental breakfast. Or make a selection from the cooked buffet and then ask for your favourite style of eggs to cooked in front of you. I tended either to opt for Bircher Museli with fresh fruit or to order from the menu. French Toast and Blueberry Pancakes were my choice. Mr CW opted either for the cooked buffet or Eggs Benedict from the menu.
Lunch
Generally at midday but sometimes different to fit in with tours. Choose from a daily changing menu, waiters will outline the menu.
Dinner
Doors open at 7pm. You have three choices of menu. Daily classics steak, salmon, burger and caesar salad are always on offer. Or a changing menu featuring regional dishes. Or another changing menu featuring seasonal, local ingredients. You can mix and match across the three options. All waiter served with free flowing wine, beer and soft drinks.
What to expect on a Viking Rhine Cruise Ship
Every Viking ship has the same on European rivers. I’ll start my tour at the top of the ship and work down (I’m sure there are technical nautical terms for the top and bottom of a boat). All the public areas are calm and light filled. Plenty of places to either sit and chat or be quiet and read. Original artwork hangs throughout the ship. I especially liked that the walls were decorated with traditional Norwegian embroidery. You can take a 360° virtual tour on the Viking website.
Sun deck
360° views. With reclining chairs in which to sit and take in the views. For those who want to be a bit more active there is a walking track. In warm weather I think this would be the place that I would head after a day of sightseeing. In November we used the walking track but didn’t sit out for too long.
Library
On the first indoor floor, you have the top of the lobby. One side is you will find the library with a carefully curated selection of books and some comfy chairs to sit in.
Coffee and tea station
At the entrance to the lounge are two speciality coffee machines offering you your choice of hot beverage available all the time. In baskets beside the machine are tempting cookies and pastries. I made good use of the hot chocolate option to warm up after tours.
Lounge
Opposite to the library is the lounge with floor to ceiling windows and comfy chairs. Perfect place to sit and watch the world go by. In the evening it transforms into the bar and is the place for live music, entertainment and enrichment lectures. Roberto the Viking Gersemi resident pianist kept us entertained every evening.
Aquavit Terrace
At the front of the lounge is the Aquavit Terrace. Glazed with folding doors to enable the most to be made of good weather. In November, even though we had gloriously sunny days, it was cold so the doors and outside seating remained unused. One of the many reasons that I will return to do another Viking river cruise.
Main deck
Main lobby where you enter and leave the cruise. Each time you leave scan your room card and again when you return. This way, the crew can see that everyone who left the ship has returned.
Concierge Desk
This is the place to book any additional tours that you would like to take, ask questions or pay your bill.
Main restaurant
Floor to ceiling windows make for a light filled room and excellent views of the ever changing scenery.
Viking Veranda Stateroom Review
We had a Veranda state room, with floor to ceiling windows and our own private balcony. It felt like a boutique hotel room. All soothing colours with the Queen size bed made up with crisp white linens. Our stateroom had ample hanging and drawer space. Once unpacked we stowed our suitcases under the bed. The ensuite shower room is extremely well planned with a really powerful shower and equipped with Viking’s own Freyja toiletries. A powerful hairdryer made for easy hairstyling. Also no need to pack a bathrobe as big white fluffy robes are provided.
On the wall is a big flat screen TV with news channels and a selection of on demand movies all free of charge. If you don’t want to go to the daily briefings in the lounge you can watch them from the comfort of your cabin on the TV.
Being on board a Viking River Cruise is like staying at an ultra friendly boutique hotel with constantly changing views. Staff and crew super friendly. Always a friendly greeting. Waiting staff among the best I have ever encountered. Suggestions of the best dishes of the day. After the first day knew that we drink coffee in the morning, black for me and with milk for Mr CW. That I would probably just go for Bircher muesli and fruit but could be tempted with a blueberry pancake.
On Board Viking Gersemi Experience
What is a day like on a Viking Rhine River Cruise
For me the day started when I woke up, before the alarm, flung open the curtains to see the new view, and retired back to bed to watch the world drift by.
- Breakfast – served from 6am – 11am in the Restaurant and the Aquavit Terrace
- Excursions – begin to leave from around 8.30am
- Lunch – served from 12.30pm in the Restaurant and the Aquavit Terrace
- Afternoon – either excursions, enrichment lectures or demonstrations in the lounge or simply relax on the sundeck or in your stateroom.
- Evening – People start to gather in the lounge from 5pm for pre-dinner drinks
- Port Talk – 6.30pm the Cruise Director outlines the next day’s destination, you can watch this live streamed from your cabin if you prefer
- Dinner – served from 7pm in the Restaurant and the Aquavit Terrace
- After Dinner – Music and quizzes take place in the lounge
When you arrive back in your stateroom after dinner it will have been made ready for sleep. On your bed you will find a copy of Viking daily and tickets for the next day’s outings. Viking Daily has all the information you need, timings for excursions, talks and meals. Interesting facts about the next day’s destinations.
What to Wear on a Viking River Cruise?
Dress code is relaxed, smart but not formal. One hardy soul wore shorts, in November with snow falling! I imagine that in the summer many people will wear shorts. We took formal clothes just in case but never wore them. Most important of all is to pack a comfortable pair of shoes Most of the tours involve walking around towns, often on cobbles. Given that most tours are outside and the Rhine is in Northern Europe also pack a waterproof coat. Umbrellas are available on board.
What is included on a Viking Rhine River Cruise?
For me one of the big draws to a Viking Cruise is that there are no nasty financial surprises waiting for you once you have booked. Tips, excursions, transfers and drinks are all included, you can add extras but you don’t need to.
Excursions
One excursion is included at every port stop along the way. Usually this is a walking tour, there maybe a coach connection. Tours usually last for a couple of hours with the first hour guided and then free time to explore on your own. Sometimes we headed for churches or museums, other times we headed to a cafe or simply strolled.
If you want more there is a comprehensive range of optional excursions, that will cost more. Wine tastings, food tours, cooking classes and visits to UNESCO heritage sites are all on offer. We opted for two optional tours. One to the UNESCO palaces of Brühl and the other to the medieval city of Colmar. We booked ours before we sailed but you can book on board at the concierge desk in the main lobby.
Drinks
Beer, wine and soft drinks with meals. Tea and coffee through out the day. If you fancy a cocktail before dinner or an aperitif afterwards or maybe fancier wine then there is an optional “Silver Spirits” package or you can pay as you go.
Food
All meals are included plus 24 hour tea, coffee and bottled water.
Gratuities
All standard onboard gratuities are included. That means you don’t have to budget and extra 10 per cent or so. Of course if someone goes above and beyond then you are free to tip if you wish. Guides and coach drivers on excursions are not included in this blanket tip coverage.
Transfers and flights
Flights and transfers are included if you book your flights with Viking. You can make your own travel arrangements if you wish.
Onboard essentials on a Viking River Cruise
Wifi
You can connect up to two devices per stateroom but you can switch from phone, to tablet to laptop with ease. Not speedy enough to stream movies but you have a TV stacked full of them.
Power
European style sockets that work on 110/220 volts and USB sockets for phone charging.
Quietvox boxes and earpieces
These are important. You will find them in your room. Take them with you when you head out for a guided tour and you will be able to hear the tour guide. A quietly brilliant piece of tech than means you get to hear every word the guide says without huddling in close. Place them in the charging dock overnight and they will be fully charged in the morning
What are your fellow passengers like?
Children are not allowed on Viking Cruises so that naturally skews the passengers to those in midlife and beyond. We met couples, who like us were celebrating big wedding anniversaries. Family groups with twenty somethings children, parents and grandparents and groups of friends. Sisters travelling together and solo female travellers.
UNESCO treasures along the Rhine River
Museums and UNESCO heritage sites are always top of my travel must see lists. We encountered six UNESCO heritage sites on our Viking Rhine Getaway cruise. Well seven if you count the Lower and Upper German Limes (which are technically two sites) which, of course, I am.
- Canals of Amsterdam – complex of three concentric canals constructed in the 18th century to drain the land on which Amsterdam stands
- Kinderdijk – 19 windmills built to drain the polder for farming
- Lower and Upper German Limes – essentially the border of the Roman Empire. Follows the line of Rhine and includes many Roman remains.
- Cologne Cathedral – Gothic cathedral, world’s tallest building when first constructed
- Brühl Rococo Palaces – fabulous summer Palaces of the Prince Bishop of Cologne
- Rhine River Gorge – 65 km stretch of the Rhine from Kolblenz to Rüdeshiem, in a narrow valley, dotted with castles
- Speyer Cathedral – work started on Speyer Cathedral in 1030, when the Emperor Conrad ordered the construction of the world’s largest church
- Strasbourg – all of the city centre on the Grand Île including the Cathedral
Christmas Markets with a Viking River Rhine Cruise
We sailed right at the end of November just as Christmas markets were beginning to appear. In Cologne, Rüdesheim, Speyer and Colmar they were in full swing. In December you can book a Viking Christmas on the Rhine cruise on which you get to visit 8 different markets. Every Christmas market is different. Some are super busy. Some stocked with local crafts. Some are low key. All twinkly merrily and have Glühwein on offer. I confess that I think this would be a fabulous thing to do, just bring an expanding suitcase to carry all the things home that you are bound to want to buy.
What did we think about our Viking Rhine River Cruise
It was the perfect way to celebrate our silver wedding anniversary. We were looked after so well from the second that arrived in Amsterdam. On board we loved the boutique hotel vibe. I especially liked the original artwork hanging on the boat. Every day we visit new places without having to pack and unpack. Beautiful scenery slid by as we relaxed at the end of the day. Every member of staff was superb and the food excellent. We will be back. You can find out full details of the Rhine Getaway cruise on the Viking website and book either via website or by ringing 0800 319 66 60.
