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MS Maribelle
ABOVE: The MS Maribelle arrives in
Macon, France, within walking distance of sights and shopping.
Overall value
Continued
from: Service
In 2005, a Burgundy
and Provence cruise with shore excursions will cost you US $1,399 to $3,099,
depending on cabin category and when you travel. Viking can also provide
transatlantic air fare at extra cost, with connections
from Paris to Lyon and Marseille to Paris on Air France.)
Viking's cruises on the Rhine, Danube, and other European rivers
offer similar fares and air/transfer packages. (Add-on land extensions are
available, or you can combine a river cruise with a do-it-yourself land
vacation.)
Doing the math: Crunch the
numbers, and you'll see that the "per diem" or daily cost ranges from about a
low-season, cruise-only minimum of $200 to a high-season maximum of $543 to $571
with air fare from the U.S. These fares include everything
except tips and drinks. For your money, you're getting the equivalent of a
deluxe group tour with meals in top-quality restaurants--plus time spent
cruising along some of Europe's most beautiful waterways.
Is the expense worth it? Most of the passengers on our MS Maribelle cruise seemed to think so. Also, river cruising attracts repeat
customers, particularly among older voyagers who
enjoy the "unpack once" convenience of river travel.
Bottom line: If you can
afford it, if you aren't a loner, and if you prefer sightseeing to sea days, a
river cruise can be a delightful way to tour the inland regions of
Europe--especially if you travel outside the hot, crowded summer months of July
and August.
Next page:
Viking River Cruises Web links
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