This past June, travel writer and photographer Karin Leperi cruised with Viking River Cruises on “The European Grand Tour.” Her journey on the Gefjon, courtesy of Viking, was a 15-day cruise that covered the best of Europe – from the stately elegance of Budapest to the windmills of Amsterdam.
The Viking Longship Gefjon was my traveling home for 15-days while I cruised the Danube, Rhine and Main rivers last year on Viking’s “Grand European Tour.” This is a bucket-list river cruise for any traveler wanting to see medieval castles, experience regional Germanic and Eastern European cuisine, and discover the classical musical delights of Vienna. Grand European Tour includes 12 guided tours and traverses 4 countries (Hungary, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands).
The Ship
Each Viking longship is named after a Viking God or Goddess, and Gefjon follows suit. Gefjon honors the Norse Goddess of the Plow. After transforming her four sons into beasts of burden, she created the Danish island of Zealand after the ruler of Sweden offered her all the land she and four oxen could plow in a day and night. Built in 2015, Viking’s Gefjon is a contemporary longship registered in Germany. Part of the award-winning longship class of vessels, there are 4 decks with a crew of 50 and guest capacity of 190. This translates into 95 outside staterooms (25 Standard Staterooms, 22 French Balcony Staterooms, 39 Veranda Staterooms, 7 Veranda Suites and 2 Explorer Suites.)
The hybrid engines reduce vibrations, ensuring a smoother ride for guests and more pleasurable cruising experience. I didn’t need my motion sickness pills or wristband as the journey was extremely calm.
The Room
My assigned Veranda stateroom was room #323. Convenient, quiet and airy with European-style comfort are words that best describe my reaction. The overall stateroom size measures in at 205 square feet. Notably, it featured a river view with a floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door that opened to a balcony.
The bathroom was spacious when compared to other cruising experiences I’ve had. The heated bathroom floor and glass-enclosed shower also added to the expansiveness. Premium Freyja™ toiletries are provided.
Roomy closets and storage space, mini-refrigerators, along with amenities like 40” flat-screen Sony LCD TVs and complimentary movies On Demand are a real treat. Luxuriant robes and slippers are available upon request. Free Wi-Fi is provided but know that the connection and speed may vary depending upon where you are cruising.
Though I tend to travel light and oftentimes solo, guests still appreciate knowing that you can store your suitcases under the bed. Bottled water is provided daily as well twice-daily housekeeping.
The Ship Decks
If you have ever cruised on a longship with Viking River Cruises before, you will be familiar with the ship layout as they are very similar from ship to ship.
The Restaurant, Reception Desk and Gift Shop are located on Deck 2. The restaurant is where you head for fine dining. Expect regional specialties and contemporary cuisine.
Deck 3 is where you find the Aquavit Terrace & Lounge, a place for casual al fresco dining with buffet-style grills. The Viking Lounge & Bar are also located here. Get to know it because this is where enrichments, cooking demos and gathering for shore excursions takes place. A small library is also centrally located on this deck.
Deck 4 is called the Sun Deck. This is where you go for panoramic views and shaded sitting areas. You can also find a putting green, walking track, organic herb garden and solar panels. Most importantly, this is where the ship’s wheelhouse can be found.
The Crew
If I can pass on just one piece of advice for river cruise guests, it would be to get to know your ship’s crew and staff. Look for the bulletin board about mid-deck on the 2nd level. Here you can acquaint yourself with the titles and photos of the Viking people who help make your cruise pleasurable, comfortable and memorable. Be sure to introduce yourself and greet them during your two weeks.
Captain Marcel Stephan proved to be a favorite with the ladies and was more than delighted to share the workings of the Wheelhouse with guests. (The group of singles I ended up socializing with during the trip easily voted him as Best-Looking River Captain on the Rhine by all the single ladies.) Check out his photo and you will see why.
The Hotel Manager is usually the first person I try to meet when on a cruise. For this journey, the extremely capable and effervescent Krisztina Bencze-Sandor proved indispensable for me in ways that were definitely outside her job description. An unexpected emergency condition required me to check in with ER at several stops in Germany. Each time Krisztina facilitated a taxi and directions for my untimely detour. She was professional, extremely helpful and very kind. I’m hoping our paths cross again. The Program Director is indispensable on any cruise, so it behooves you to get to know that person. On my Grand European itinerary, the knowledgeable Wesley Woodcock wore that title. This is an individual who has the apex of people skills, and I would say that Program Director Wes was an apex on that apex.
And since I love fine-dining and tasting regional specialties wherever I go in the world, it was a natural I wanted to meet Executive Chef Jan Blanar. His professional chef skill set is legendary: His dishes are flavorful, creative and artful.
Plus, he is the first chef I have met that is extremely funny. I should add that when German doctors restricted me to a bland diet, Chef Blanar went out of his way to whip me up customized dishes of mashed potatoes and whatever other limited choices I had, which were not too many. Kudos to Chef Blanar and his team for being so flexible even though they have a grueling schedule.
Though I have singled out Viking individuals above, it doesn’t negate the wonderful assistance and interactions I had with others. They notably are Housekeeper Paul Rusu, Maitre D’ Claudiu Pana and Guest Services Zuzana Uhliarova.
The takeaway from this review is that it is a combination of the ship, the crew and staff as well as the excursions that will guarantee your bucketlist trip is meaningful, experiential and unforgettable. Viking River Cruises is always up to the task. For my Grand European Tour, this was a Viking dream team.
Text and photos by Karin Leperi
Jim Cornwell says
Sailed on more than 7 cruise lines, many destinations, all cabin categories and, for the money, you can’t beat Viking. The amenities, food selection and quality, service is second to none. Looking forward to our Grand European Tour in 2022.
Rosemary says
My husband and I are looking at taking the Grand European Tour in 2022. My main concern is that cruises can be stopped and passengers put on buses due to water levels.
Are there months that are better bets than others? I know that there are spring floods and late summer low levels, but we’d like to go in May or June or September.
Any advice or insights?
Thanks!
kristen says
Wondering if the writer paid for this cruise or if it was provided free of charge for a VIP who received special treatment.
Ralph Grizzle says
Hi Kristen, The writer did not pay for the cruise (something we mention up top in the post). She was a guest of Viking. I don’t think she received VIP treatment. All guests, at least in my experience, are treated as VIPs. The cruise companies must treat them this way as it is their bread and butter.
Anne E Wenger says
Having sailed on both the river and ocean Viking cruises, I can attest that friendly and cheerful service is the hallmark of their creed. Also the food is excellent. They keep you as busy as you want to be but the included excursions are great! We’re scheduled for this trip next year and I can’t wait!
Ira Pollack says
I am sure the staff were very nice, but I would be more interested in the quality of the food, whether they get the orders correct, and whether you were nickel and dimed during the cruise. I have sailed with Viking twice and have found them to be lacking in these areas.
John Miano says
Been on 9 viking cruises,(Icean&River)never been nickel and dimed!NEVER!!! food has also always been EXCELLENT! If there was ever anything NOT to my liking the server bent over backwards to make me happy! ALWAYS VIKING!
Harriet Urgo says
Totally agree!
Anne E Wenger says
I have always found their fare to be very delicious. The menu has two sides, the things they make every day on the left and their daily specials with regional specialties on the right. You can buy a Silver Spirits package but there is complimentary wine with all dinners.
LidiaG says
My family stayed in the Explorer Suites on the Viking Braga on the same 15 day cruise in August 2016 and the noise and vibration were terrible as the 2 Explorer suites are directly over the engines, especially noisy when we entered the locks. Very disappointed.