Europe > Cruises > European Cruise Guide > Cruise lines > Viking (river)

Viking River Cruises

From: European Cruise Guide

ABOVE: Viking Lofn on the Rhine.

Viking River Cruises operates dozens of ships, with the majority catering to Americans, Canadians, and other English-speaking cruisers. Its modern vessels cruise in the Rhine, Main, Moselle, Danube, Elbe, Seine, Rhône/Saône, Douro, and Volga rivers.

The company is investing heavily in fleet expansion and refurbishment, with a dizzying number of new "Viking Longships" in service, in the shipyard, or on the drawing board. (A companion Viking Ocean Cruises brand was launched in 2015.)

Viking emphasizes "green" features in its newbuilds, with hybrid diesel-electric engines that reduce emissions, noise, and vibration.

The company's fares include most shore excursions, so a Viking river cruise is somewhat like a group tour where you unpack only once and travel by boat instead of bus.

Durant Imboden cruised with Viking a number of years ago (see our archived MS Maribelle cruise review), and the cruise offered a comfortable, informal first-class voyage through beautiful countryside with stops in interesting cities and towns.

Cruise line's Web site:

Viking River Cruises

Archived cruise review:

MS Maribelle: Southern France

Images copyright © Viking Cruises.