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Disclosure: I was invited by Viking Cruise for a media trip. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was our first river cruise so we didn’t know what to expect. The 1st thing you notice is this is not your regular cruise ship. Since you are cruising the Rhine River you need to be able to go under bridges and through locks so the size of the Viking Eir is just about as big as it can be. But let me tell you what the Viking Eir lacks in size it more than makes up for it in style and service!
From the comfortable couches in the lounge, to the amazing dining room and finally to your luxuriash stateroom, you are surrounded in luxury the moment you walk on the Viking Eir.
Before we hopped on our plane, we had to pack. I think this was the hardest part in planning our trip. What do you pack? It was a bit chilly for the destinations we chose so be brought lots of layers. Ladies, I like to pack several light sweaters for the dining room as well. I also want to stress packing comfortable shoes as there will be a ton of walking. No need to pack that swimsuit, there is no pool on board and honestly you will be having so much fun you won’t have time for it.
We packed everything in our ALEON Suitcase that ALEON sent us for our trip. It’s totally lightweight, strong and highly functional for these types of trips. ALEON cases boast square edges for maximum packing and ease of packing and unpacking. Interiors feature a Compression Packing System to reduce or eliminate wrinkled garments and exteriors sport an industrial chic ridged design accented by rivets. Each case shipped is encased in a protective luggage cover for safekeeping when stored and the price range for the collection is $379 to $850.
Our Stateroom:
We were greeted in our room by a fruit plate and some champagne. One of the most important things for me is a comfortable bed. There is nothing worse than being away from home on an amazing cruise and not being able to sleep because the bed isn’t comfortable. I didn’t have to worry about that on the Viking Eir. The bed, the pillows and even the blanket make relaxing extremely easy!
One of my favorite features in our stateroom was the heated floors in the bathroom. I didn’t think it would be that big of a deal… I was wrong! Getting up in the middle of night to go the bathroom was almost a treat!
I spent several afternoons on my balcony reading and enjoying the sights as we sailed down the river. It was so relaxing sitting outside watching Europe roll by.
The Ship:
The Viking Eir is an amazing ship run by an amazing crew. Every stop the Captain would meet you personally at the end of the gangplank and wish you a great day and most days he was there when we returned! By the end of the cruise the Captain knew most of our names!
Even though you are on vacation there may be a need to check your email or check in with the family on Facebook. Never fear because theViking Eir has you covered.
There is always coffee, tea or juice waiting for you. Even a cookie or pastry if you are good! Perfect for when you just need a little snack after walking all day.
Forget to bring a book to read? Don’t worry the Viking Eir has a wonderful library on board. Grab a cup of coffee and find yourself a little corner to relax and read.
On our “Castle Day” we went to the top of the ship and took pictures for awhile then to the front of the ship took pictures. There literally wasn’t a bad seat. When it got a little chilly you could even go to the lounge and watch the castle go by in the warmth of the lounge!
There is literally so many beautiful places to enjoy your trip aboard the Viking Eir. The hard part is where to go? You could also enjoy your meal in this awesome area if you didn’t want to eat in the main dining room!
THE FOOD:
You get a small sample of what the food is going to to be like the moment you walk onboard. They have lunch waiting for you and let me tell you…. IT IS AMAZING!!! There is literally something for everyone. I’m a picky eater and I never went hungry. 3 meals a day served by the most amazing wait staff. When I got home I was so disappointed that I had to cook my own food! And here is a tip: When you get home don’t just get up and leave the table. Your dishes won’t magically clean themselves! ( Thanks Lynn for the food photos)
THE PEOPLE:
The one thing that surprised me about this cruise was the other guests. I mean sure the staff has to be nice but the other guests? We met the most amazing people on this trip!
Since you don’t have assigned sitting at meals you get to know your fellow travelers. We met 4 other couples on this cruise that we just gelled with. I mean it felt like we were long lost friends. It was so cool because we were all literally from different parts of the U.S. We all ate together, went on excursions together, won a music trivia contest together and even…..
…Touched the walls of the lock together! We even formed a Facebook group and still keep in touch!
A European
Viking River Cruise has always been on our bucket list and it didn’t disappoint! The historic sights were only rivaled by the awesome people we formed friendships with. We created memories that we will have forever. Now when is the next one??? Stay tuned as we will be doing individual blog posts on some of the excursions we took. Check out our other
Travel Articles.
