CHARLOTTE – Viking Cruises

Viking is the mainline river cruise company sailing Europe’s main rivers. They call the ship’s longboats because they are longer than most river cruise ships. Remember that River Cruise ships have to pass through “Locks” on the rivers that compensate for differences in water levels as the rivers meander downstream. There is only one way to have a river cruise boat hold more passengers, and that is to make it longer. One River Cruise line built a boat that is double wide, but it can only sail portions of the river between locks. Viking has a reputation for quality while catering to the mass market. At my last count Viking had 53 longships, plus several special ships in the Mekong, Asia, Egypt, and just now, one on the Mississippi. Without a doubt, Viking earns a reputation every day all over the world. Passengers enjoy all meals, snacks, some beverages, and many excursions, all included in the base price. Most ships are 3 decks above the waterline and smooth as silk. Motors are very quiet and the sights along the rivers is breathtaking. It is a constant rolling motion picture of villages, castles, vineyards, and people, all within arms reach of your seat on board. It is truly an amazing experience. Pick an itinerary with a passage through a lock, and experience one of the world’s oldest modes of transportation along Europe’s rivers. Viking pricing is mainline and they have advance purchase discounts available.

This concludes our series on Cruising is Back. Stay tuned for more exciting places to visit, or join Phil and Barbara on our next exciting group to Sicily in Italy in June, 2023.

Phil and Barbara own Leisure Travel Experts here in Mint Hill and are proud members of the Mint Hill Chamber of Commerce.