I had the wonderful opportunity to sail through Germany on the City of Lights cruise through Viking River Cruises (as a young person!). The cruise hits the Main river, the Rhine and the Moselle, and allows you time in Prague, Luxembourg and France (I added time at the end in London). I share my experiences and 11 tips on sailing Germany on a Viking River Cruise. 
Cruise Experience
You may be thinking that the river cruise experience is best saved for the later retirement years. The crowd is certainly older and were better able to relate to one another than to me (my guess is the mean age was 70 – I was going in my 30’s! You can read about my experience as a young person if you like!)
However, I learned a great deal and had a wonderful time, despite fighting for cell reception and WiFi (more on that). After my review of the destinations and accommodations I share my 11 tips for sailing Germany on a Viking River Cruise.
Accommodations on Viking River Cruise in Germany
The accommodations were high class; meals were excellent (albeit served a bit early) and the bar was open until a decent hour. The beds were remarkably comfortable, the bathroom had heated floors and the ship was well maintained. There was no desk in the room, which proved difficult for work reasons. I created a makeshift, uncomfortable desk out of an end table and the side of a couch.
When we first boarded the ship, we were in a standard room- absolutely terrible. It was one of the tiniest, claustrophobia-inducing rooms I had been in, no desk and two very tiny twin beds. I quickly went to the front desk to see what options we had. We had the benefit of being the first to check in, as we took a private car to the boarding area from Prague (rather than the bus). Great idea by the way. I didn’t mind the extra money spent at all and arranged it through the Hilton front desk in Prague. There was one suite left available.
After some negotiation, the manager allowed the front desk staff to discount the room a bit and I happily plunked down my American Express. We went from “absolutely not doable twin size beds in a tiny space” to “decent enough to handle for 12 days”. I was traveling with my friend (who is the mean age of the folks we traveled with) and not as picky about rooms as I am.
Service on the Viking River Cruise
Wow. Attention to detail is off the charts here. I got to know the staff quite well as I kept odd hours (and stood out just a little bit from the 70 something’s). They knew I didn’t sleep much and had to work late into the night. Each morning I would walk onto the deck, long after breakfast was over. They had kept my go-to meal (eggs benedict) warm and the newspaper ready on my favorite table. All I had to do was bring the Red Bull from the local gas station.
First Class Service
Our stay was riddled with wonderful stories of caring staff that understand what first-rate service is all about. Beyond the views from the boat, I would sail again primarily because of the team of people who make your stay wonderful. I enjoyed a few moments of downtime, curled up on the couch with corner floor to ceiling windows while the older folks were off on tours.
It was the small details that made the difference, from the housekeeper to the ship front desk folks. As an example: I asked them if I could buy a pillow from the room (it’s hard to find good small pillows!) and rather than allow it, they gave me two to take home. The concierge was excellent and the crew was friendly.
I made my way out one night with one of the deck hands to stroll through a beautiful city in Germany. As we walked from the plank onto the streets, we had older folks screaming and hollering from balconies and decks to “have fun kids” and singing love songs. The crew was in on it too! It was a good time and we shared laughs and explored the city.
Time of Year
I went in May and the weather was difficult to tolerate. It was not warm enough to be upstairs on the deck with the wind (although I did it anyway, in a big jacket). The wind ripped through the city streets. I would recommend June or July when it’s a bit warmer, or bring a warm coat and good sneakers.
Sailing Germany on a Viking River Cruise
The sites were beyond astounding. Most of the small towns you will visit in Germany are local towns where everyone knows one another’s name, attend church and the pub together and are very friendly to tourists. Walking the city streets was more fun to me than going on the tours on a four hour bus ride.
Luxembourg, Paris, Prague
The cruise excursion will begin in Germany, but you will start in Prague. Take time (add time if you can) to see this place. It is wonderful! If you stay at the arranged hotel, it’s about 3km walk to the city center. It’s worth doing every day for the sites, food and shopping. You will also transit through Luxembourg at the end of the sailing period with time to visit the Memorial and then catch the bus (see my tip below on the bus. Eek!)
You’ll end your time in Paris. I would recommend avoiding the hotel they book you in; it’s outdated and rundown with terrible service. Find another one! It’s part of my tips below, 11 tips on sailing Germany on a Viking River Cruise.
11 Tips on Sailing Germany on a Viking River Cruise
I will update this post with other tips as I think of them. But for now, here are my first 11 tips on sailing through Germany on a Viking River Cruise! They are:
- My first tip is to pick the time of year carefully. I would have gone when it was warmer, although it is more expensive. Sailing through Germany on a Viking River Cruise is largely about timing.
- Keep an open mind and talk to the folks around you. Don’t put it off just because you’re younger. I had a blast!
- Get caught up on work every time you get cell service or WiFi, because you don’t know when you’ll lose it again. Assume the worst because worst was my reality.
- Don’t be put off by the ship’s tight schedule. Create your own and ask the crew to help accommodate you. They’re happy to.
- Stock up on your favorite things when in port. Usually a fast way to do that is to go to a gas station.
- If you miss the boat, don’t worry! You can catch an uber or a cab to the next stopping point. If you didn’t keep a copy of the itinerary on you, just phone the ship’s front desk.
- Don’t take the bus. The dreaded bus. I made the mistake of not booking the $2000US car from Luxembourg to Paris and wish I had. The bus was 15 hours of misery.
- If you don’t want want to do the tours, don’t. There is ample opportunity to roam about the cities. I visited the top of wineries in the Rhine Valley, talked with locals to get a sense of their culture and went to Thai massage places every time I could!
- Avoid the Paris hotel they will book you in. It’s rundown and the service is terrible.
- Don’t skip the breakfast in Prague at the Hilton! It’s the best buffet breakfast I’ve had in. my. life. And I don’t even like breakfast buffet’s!
- Don’t book the standard cruise room. It is miserable! Pay the extra grand and upgrade to a suite with a living area separate from the bedroom.
