Fodor’s Expert Review

Ship Overview

Viking
Cruise StyleRiver
Ship Size

Insider Take

Overview

Viking Europe, Viking Neptune, Viking Pride and Viking Spirit are four sister ships that set the bar for river cruising in Europe when they were launched in 2001. They feature a beautifully designed layout of public areas and a wraparound deck that allows guests to enjoy scenery in the open air any time they wish, even during canal lock transiting or while sailing under low bridges; each ship accommodates just 150 guests in spacious staterooms, most with windows that open. See Europe on an elegant, versatile river cruise ship.Read More

Ship Overview

Deployed for the eight-day Paris & the Heart of Normandy cruise and 15-day France’s Finest: Paris-Avignon cruise, the 150-passenger Viking Pride is a popular river cruiser with 75 outside cabins, observation lounges, and panoramic decks. The ship also offers seasonal Christmas theme and holiday market excursions in late November and December.

In the luxury river cruising niche, Viking is an absolute winner, receiving praise from both the industry and demanding clientele. In 2013, Viking will operate 30 vessels. Nearly half of these were added in the last two years as the new Longship-class of next-generation vessels, inspired by ancient Norse longships and designed with sophisticated elegance by famed Norwegian maritime architects Yran and Storbraaten. All-inclusive fares, superb service, and sleek rooms with exceptional views are showcased. Apart from minor design flaws, river cruising doesn’t get any better than this.

Viking’s two smallest ships are the intimate 124-passenger Fontane and Schumann, both built with the shallow Elbe River in mind. Among Viking’s other ships, capacity ranges between 150 and 160 guests. These include the Danube, Europe, Neptune, Pride, Sky, and Spirit. With capacity for 198 guests, Helvetia and Sun are larger. The first “green” ship, built in 2009—the 189-passenger Legend—features diesel electric hybrid engines. The wow factor is high for newer green vessels Aegir, Embla, Freya, Idun, Njord, and Odin—all launched in 2012.

Cruises in Europe are offered on the Rhine, Main, Danube, Elbe, Saône, Seine, and Rhône rivers, as well as the canals of the Netherlands and Belgium. Viking also has five ships in Russia and Ukraine. Kirov, Pakhomov, Peterhof, and Surkov sail on the Volga, while Lomonosov meanders the Dnieper.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

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QUICK FACTS

SHIP STATS
Entered Service
Number of Cabins
Passenger Capacity
1
Crew Members
Passengers to Crew Ratio
1.00
Gross Tons
Width
Length
CRUISE LINE INFO
800/706–1483

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