River cruise through Europe – experiences on land and at sea is written by Cecilie Saustrup Kirk. RejsRejsRejs had VIVA Cruises as a partner on the trip. All positions are, as always, the editorial staff's own.
River cruise – an underrated form of travel
Would you like to be rocked to sleep by gentle waves and wake up in a new and exciting city every morning? Do you want to go on a trip where you don't have to stress about transport, lug around your luggage, and where guided tours to the best sights have already been arranged? Then you should consider taking a river cruise on Europe's historic waterways.
A cruise with VIVA Cruises has to be one of the easiest vacations to take with incredibly little inconvenience and hassle for yourself. All you need is a plane ticket, train ride or car to get to the departure point and the cruise line takes care of the rest; transport, excursions, tickets and meals en route.
VIVA Cruises operates over most of Europe, where there are navigable rivers for their large and beautiful river cruise ships. This means that they sail on the Danube, Elbe, Mosel, Rhine, Rhône, Seine and Main. And they even sail in the Baltic Sea. So you can go on adventures in a sea of countries, e.g Germany, France, The Netherlands, Poland, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia og Luxembourg.
The ships are built to sail on rivers that wind and meander through the European landscape, so they are significantly smaller than the cruise ships, we know from the great oceans. It just makes them more intimate and cosy, and VIVA really knows how to make full use of the space.
A river cruise with it all
One of the river cruise ships goes by the name Tiara, and the royal theme is indeed repeated in catering, service and decor.
VIVA Tiara is divided into four levels with rooms on the lower three and a sun deck on top of the ship. Up here you will find sunbeds and a pool where you can swim and enjoy the sun in the summer months. This is also where you will find the ship's absolute best view, with an unobstructed view of the shore, where you sail past both cozy villages and magnificent cities, beautiful forests and idyllic rivers that adjoin.
The level below the sun deck is called the Diamond Deck, and here you will find the ship's reception and shop, panoramic lounge, a smaller and more intimate bistro and bar and the first of the ship's cabins.
The cabins are not, as many might imagine, the typical cabin, with bunk beds, no floor space to put luggage on and a shared toilet. On the contrary, you enter inviting airy rooms, which are tastefully furnished with a double bed, wardrobe and plenty of floor space. And of course private bath and toilet.
Most importantly, the cabin offers a glass wall with an unobstructed view of the river and the bank. There's even a sliding door you can open so you can really feel the river and surroundings you're sailing past.
The panorama lounge has been given an appropriate name, because the walls in the cozy and nicely decorated lounge consist entirely of glass with small tables placed so that you can enjoy the landscape away from the wind and weather. VIVA Cruises also sails in the colder months, and a cruise is perfect as one weekend getaways on a winter holiday or Christmas trip. You can use the cruise to visit some of the many magnificent ones Christmas markets in, for example, Germany, France and Austria.
At the opposite end of the panoramic lounge is the bistro, which also functions as a bar. It is extremely intimate with just three or four tables, where you can book in for an evening or two.
Pure pleasure for the palate and the body
During the cruise, you have the opportunity to eat your fill in the restaurant located on the next level: the Ruby Deck. Apart from several cabins for the ship's guests, the restaurant is the only thing you will find on this deck. The ship's breakfast buffet, lunch and dinner are served here.
The breakfast is inviting - but relatively standard - and so is the lunch. On most days, many guests probably prefer to explore the delicacies of the town they have reached for lunch anyway.
What really sets VIVA Tiara's restaurant apart is their evening menu and the phenomenal service provided by the ship's staff. A menu is provided with a small but varied selection of dishes and several different wines. And here we are not just talking about a dish or a glass of wine; guests can expect a multi-course gourmet menu beautifully arranged and with tasty ingredients.
The wine, like all other drinks on the ship, is included in the price, and your glass is barely half empty before one of the many helpful – and not least fast – waiters has topped it up again.
If you fancy more wine, you can continue the evening upstairs in the lounge, which also functions as a bar and offers a wide selection of beer, wine and high-quality cocktails. Otherwise, you can make your way past the third deck, the Emerald Deck, and book an appointment in the ship's wellness area for one of the following days. Here you will find, among other things, a steam bath and a sauna, so it is the perfect cure after a day in which you have wandered one of Europe's classic cities of culture.
On Smaragddecket you will find several cabins that are just as airy and nicely decorated as their superiors, but since we are now at the water's surface, the large windows have now been replaced with portholes for reasons of safety, which of course must be top notch.
Visit Europe's historic and atmospheric cities along the way
One of the biggest draws of a river cruise is that you come right into the center of the many beautiful cities, large and small, which lie like pearls on a string along the rivers. On a cruise on the Rhine you can visit historic cities such as Cologne and Mainz, both famous for their carnival, and Strasbourg with the European Parliament and a beautiful medieval center.
You will also come to smaller – but equally historic – cities such as Speyer with an important Jewish history and Rüdesheim, which is especially known for its wine production.
Are you going on a river cruise on the Rhône in France, you can pay a French visit to, among other things, the gourmet city of Lyon, Roman Arles and the former seat of the popes in Avignon. So there is plenty to dive into, regardless of what interests you and your traveling companions.
Experiences on land and at water on a river cruise
During the journey, VIVA Tiara not only offers experiences on land, but there are also several events on the ship along the way. Participate, for example, in pleasant quiz nights, live music performances, high tea and not least the captain's traditional gala dinner.
The ship as a whole has a lot to offer, and since you as a guest will spend a significant part of your journey exploring the various cities you pass by, the ship is more than ample in size so that you in no way feel , that it is small or limited.
On most days, when the ship is in port, there will be an opportunity to go on guided tours, and otherwise you can explore the various cities on your own and visit the city's sights and taste the local delicacies.
The only important thing is that you are back on the ship by departure time, because there is no dear mother here if you are late. On many rivers in Europe, the ships use locks to get up and down the river, and if the ship misses its lock time, then the race is over and you have to lie still until the next open lock time.
As long as you make sure to return in good time, a river cruise is possibly one of the most relaxing and stress-free forms of travel available. And with superb waiting and beautiful and exciting experiences along the way. Can you wish for more?
Really good trip on Europe's waterways – really good river cruise!
Add comment