Showing posts with label River Cruising. Show all posts
Showing posts with label River Cruising. Show all posts
Happy Tuesday friends! I am so excited to share about a new reel that I have created all about the incredible crew of the Viking Delling!
Since returning from our trip, I am often asked if I enjoyed our Rhône River cruise, France and its beauty. Emphatically I answer yes, a thousand times yes, and what made the trip even more incredible was a crew that went out of their way to serve guests in a way that is incomparable to anything I had seen before in 12+ years of travel blogging. Most of the crew didn’t even know I was a blogger and the beautiful thing was they accomplished something in minutes that many brands, groups, and organizations strive to master. Respect at the foundation and a care that incomparable to anything. I know that this video couldn’t include everyone, but please know each person was seen. Your work touched our hearts deeply. To the entire crew of the #vikingdelling thank you from thousands of guests that never get a chance to say thank you. Your kindness, care, and work do not go unnoticed and you have changed the lives of people in ways you will never know. Thank you for inviting us into a sacred space… the Delling.
You can watch, comment, and like it HERE!
This has been such a special time recapping on social media all about our trip with Viking on our Rhone River Cruise! Starting in the next couple of weeks I will be writing and sharing more in depth blog posts about our adventure. If you missed any of the posts so far on social media you can see them listed below:
Viking Story Highlight (Includes several Q & A that people asked)
Viking Delling Specific Posts and Reels:
Post: On the Balcony on the Delling / May 3
Intro Reel: Mornings Sailing on the Rhone River / May 7
Intro Reel: Early Morning Daylight... Dreaming of Going Back / May 12
Reel: Embarkation Day on the Viking Delling / May 15
Reel: Rhone River Cruise on the Viking Delling / May 19
Reel: Viking Delling Ship Review / May 21
Reel:Viking Delling Food & Dining Review / May 31
Reel: 9 Must Have Experiences on the Viking Delling / June 4
Reel: Stateroom 337 Review / June 17
Reel: Sunsets on the Viking Delling / June 25
Reel: All Your Viking Rhone River Money Questions Answered / July 28
Reel: Money Saving Tips for a Rhone River Cruise on the Viking Delling / August 8
Rhone River Cruise Experiences Posts and Reels:
Post: Arles, France / May 5
Post: Viviers, France / May 9
Post: Vienne, France / May 17
Post: Afternoon Walk through Arles, France / May 20
Post: Tiniest Details in Perouges, France / May 23
Reel: Palais Des Papes (Avignon Tour) / May 23
Post: Viviers, France / May 24
Reel: Viking Tours (Overview) / May 26
Reel: Arles Walking Tour / June 2
Post: A Walk Through Arles / June 2
Post: Arles, France / June 5
Reel: A Walk Through Arles / June 7
Post: Vienne Sunset / June 8
Reel: 13 Things I "Hated" on My Rhone River Cruise / June 8
Post: Avignon / June 13
Reel: Avignon Walking Tour / June 15
Post: Avignon / June 16
Post: Avignon / June 20
Reel: Viviers Walking Tour / June 22
Reel: Tournon Steam Engine Tour / June 30
Reel: Vienne Walking Night Tour / July 5
Reel: Panoramic Tour of Lyon / July 14
Posts While on the Cruise:
Embarkation First Day / April 23
A Beautiful Day in Arles Reel / April 24
Mom and I in Arles / April 25
Viviers Post/ April 26
Viviers Post 2 / April 26
Tournon Steam Engine / April 27
Vienne Post/ April 28
A Lasting Legacy / April 29
Let me know if you have any questions! Happy Tuesday friends!
Happy Saturday friends! Today I am excited to share all about our transfer from the Marseille airport to the Viking Delling in Avignon! As our river cruise on the Rhone River started in Avignon the airport that most of the guests traveled from was the Marseille airport.
If you were following along on Instagram then you saw some of our adventures in Marseille prior to our cruise. We arrived on Monday the 21st, and met the Viking Transfer services group at the Marseille airport on Wednesday, the 23rd (the day the cruise started). Our scheduled time of meeting was at 12:45pm and we arrived at the airport extremely excited for our adventure!
When we arrived we found out that some of the plane arrivals we were to meet were unfortunately delayed by several hours. The kind thing was that Viking quickly transferred us to another departing group and we were on our way!
We were greeted and helped with our luggage and the entire process was incredibly easy. We got onto the van and were offered waters and a warm welcome and we were all excited to start our adventure!
Our driver pointed out this van above- it looked exactly like the van we were on taking us to Avignon!
The ride to Avignon from Marseille airport was about an hour and at the time that our transfer took place there was very little traffic!
Even through the bus windows the glimpses of seeing more of France in this region were absolutely beautiful.
As we rode the bus I was so humbled and grateful. To be in France...as many of you know this was simply a gift beyond words.
Our driver pointed out that we were getting closer to Avignon and we were so excited!
A few minutes later our driver pointed out that if we looked to the left we were seeing some of our first glimpses of the Rhone River!
Approaching Avignon where the Viking Delling was docked!
Seeing the old district of Avignon as we approached our ship was so neat. For our cruise we were embarking at Avignon and then would travel down to Arles for a day before coming back to Avignon on the third day (Friday).
Our first glimpse of the Viking Delling out the window!
We were dropped off right in front of the ship! I snapped a quick picture out the window before we got off the van and while we knew it was going to be wonderful, I had no idea how incredible the week before us was about to be.
After we got off the van we were immediately greeted with crew who were kindly already taking our suitcases to our rooms. Honestly the entire transfer was so smooth and you felt like you were greeted like royalty. Everyone on our van was so excited to be there and hurried to the ship. Mom and I took a bit longer, just slowly walking (not just because she had just hurt her knee the day before), but truly just taking the entire experience in.
We saw the welcome mat, awning and boat and our little hearts were so excited!
We had to grab a quick picture! Our amazing adventure was truly about to begin!
A couple of quick notes if you are interested in doing a transfer from the airport to the ship:
1. If you purchase airfare through Viking, then transfers are included with Viking Air purchase and all of our extension packages. If you do a pre-cruise trip with them then this is also included. If you do not purchase your airfare through Viking then you will need to talk with them regarding how to get to the ship.
2. I will say that the direction we took our cruise (from Avignon to Lyon) a transfer was truly priceless and extremely wonderful. Could it have been done by train and taxi? Yes. But as two women with our luggage (and then mom hurting her knee in Marseille) I was truly thankful that we had the transfer booked. For our Rhine River Cruise in 2017- starting in Basel we did take a taxi and it was easy to do that due the location of the airport and the ship. For this specific trip and cruise I can't recommend the transfer enough.
3. A note that is important to understand for transfers with Viking River Cruises on the Rhone River (possibly all rivers - I am not sure). Viking contracts with a group for these transfers so it they are not part of the crew and staff specifically of the ship you take on the Rhone River. If you have trouble with something I would highly encourage talking with Viking - not the ship crew. I did hear a couple of people complaining about something that had happened on their transfer, but don't think they realized this separation. To be honest, I didn't either until a conversation on the cruise happened.
For us it was perfect and wonderful and I can't recommend it enough! I hope that you enjoy these pictures and a little glimpse of what the transfer is like! Please let me know if you have any questions and I will be happy to answer them!
Happy Saturday friends! I hope you have a wonderful day!
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Happy Monday friends! Today I am so excited to start sharing about the recent trip to France that I took with my mom through Viking River Cruises. I know I have already shared this before, but this trip was life-changing in deep and profound ways. Traveling on the Rhone River was absolutely breath-taking and I definitely have fallen in love with that area of the world. Experiencing it on Viking was something that I will never forget, and I would recommend everyone take this Rhone River Cruise at least once in their lifetime. It was just simply amazing.
In the next couple of weeks I am going to be sharing all about the cruise, including our stateroom, the cruise itself, the excursions, the people, the incredible crew, and so many fun things, including our entire Rhone River itinerary for those of you that may want to do this exact trip in the future. (And just a side note- right now through May 31st Viking is offering a special 2-for-1 deal on this and many of their cruises and some even include FREE airfare! You can check out this incredible deal HERE!)
To start things off I wanted to spend a little bit answering the most frequently asked questions that I received prior to the trip, during our cruise, and since I have returned. Some answers to questions I was asked you can find on Vikings Frequently Asked Questions Page (HERE) so I am not answering those but am trying to answer questions that aren't covered on their page. If you still have questions after this post please feel free to leave a question in the comment section below and I will answer it! So here we go...
1. I heard that Viking River Cruises are just for seniors or those who are 60+ in age- is this true?
This is probably the #1 question that I received across the board from so many people. I discussed this last time regarding our Rhine River Cruise with Viking, but I definitely got a lot of questions about this. On the Rhine River Cruise I made good friends and there were definitely a mixture of ages that attended. After going on this particular cruise I walked away thinking a couple of different things.
First, in general Viking River Cruises don't have a predominately young crowd but that doesn't mean that there isn't a lot of variety of ages on the cruises that they offer. On the Rhine River Cruise I would say that about 1/3 were over 60 years old, 1/3 was in their 40s through 60s, and a 1/3 were younger. I believe that the wide ranges of ages on that cruise was that it was over the holiday season. On this cruise it was not a holiday season (nor the height of summer season) and so one of the reasons that this didn't have as much of a mixture was simply due to work schedules, family commitments, and a variety of responsibilities that allows people to only travel at some specific times of the year. I think that if you are looking for a mix of ages that the holiday cruises would be the surest bet, but think you will find at least some age variety on each cruise. For this Rhone River Cruise there were maybe about 5 or 6 people my age and the rest fell into an older demographic- so more like 1/2 being 50s-60s and the other half being 60s and above.
Second, while Viking has not marketed themselves as a "college cruise ship" many people of all ages are starting to realize the wise investment that Viking actually is compared to some of the ship offerings of other cruise lines that appear to be cheaper. I will talk about this more in a minute!
Third, I think the real question is whether or not younger people will be bored on the cruise ship if it is for those that are older. That could not have been farther from the truth. Let me answer that question next...
2. Since it appears to be for those of an older generation will I be bored if I take this cruise?
My answer to this question is two-fold. First, I think that it depends on what you are looking for in a cruise. If you are looking for a party ship and want to just head to the Caribbean, lay out on the beach, and not think about anything than you may find this to be a bit overwhelming. Not boring- the exact opposite. Second, the days are so busy that if you are bored it is simply because you picked the wrong type of cruise to come on.
I think it is important to note going into a Viking Cruise that when they say it is a trip of a lifetime filled with amazing sites, amazing culture, and amazing learning they are not being flippant with that statement. This is definitely not the cruise to take if you don't want to be immersed in beauty, culture, inspiration, and see a ton of things.
The days are PACKED full of excursions and opportunities to really delve into the culture of where you are. I "studied abroad" (trip was cut short due to 9/11) in Europe when I was in college and spent only a few days in Paris. For our Rhine River Cruise we spent a day in both Colmar and Strausburg (which I adored), but other than that I would not even come close to claiming I know much about France. For this, I walked away feeling like I had truly seen an overview of the Rhone River area through this cruise and fell in love with it. I participated in nearly every single excursion that was included (plus an additional one that we purchased) and my day often started at 6 am to get ready for the day, then breakfast, then an excursion, then lunch, then an afternoon activity or excursion, then dinner and then there was the option for after dinner activities.
It was full.
It was non-stop.
It was just amazing.
It was full.
It was non-stop.
It was just amazing.
Now many people flexed the schedule and chose to relax or not join in on every excursion (choosing to see the town or village that we were near at their own pace) but either way bored was never a word that was whispered or said among anyone.
3. Viking Cruises look wonderful but they are so expensive that I could never afford one. Is it really worth the investment?
Yes. Yes. Yes.
Honestly as I started to do a comparative cost rate on Viking versus other cruises that I have been on I was shocked to realize how cost effective Viking actually is. On the Rhone River Cruise that we were on we had included excursions for every single day that we were on the boat. While there was the option to purchase additional excursions most people did not and those that did paid at most $289 (for a full day excursion of 9 hours). We chose to do an optional excursion which I will share about and the cost would have been $119 for each of us. Due to a media discount for this collaboration it was discounted 50%, but the excursion was so good I would recommend it completely.
Compared to other cruises that I have done where each excursion ranges from $100 to $500+ the fact that all of the excursions were included is a HUGE selling point to me immediately. In my opinion most people go on cruises to see different places and typically you have to purchase the things that you are doing on top of the cost of the cruise that you have purchased. That quickly adds up and pretty soon you are spending a lot of money simply to get off the boat. That is not the case at all in this situation since there are included excursions each day.
Another thing that is very cost effective about the Viking Cruises is the included alcohol and drinks. Now Viking does offer a package at a discount for day time alcohol/special alcohol or wine products but at every meal (and sometimes even when you got back from excursions!) you have the offering of the house wines and beer that are simply a part of the package. This includes soft drinks and juices for those who are not drinkers. And for those who love water like me there is an unlimited supply of bottled water in your stateroom. Absolutely wonderful!
I think one of the main things that is an amazing selling point also for Viking Cruises is the fact that there are so many deals that they constantly are offering (like their 2-for-1 sales that I mentioned above). On our last cruise there was a couple on their honeymoon and on this cruise there were several celebrating anniversaries and other special occasions. One of the ladies and I were talking and she said that she had compared all of the costs for where to go for their anniversary. After researching, she realized that they could fly to Europe for the cost of one person through Viking and get to see France together (something that they thought they would have to wait another 5 or 10 years to do) for under $4000! They said that they started saving for this trip and it was the best investment that they could have done for their marriage. They were so sweet and they truly made a good point.
4. Did you have access to the internet?
I am giggling a bit as I write this because yes, technically, you do have wi-fi, but it was a little slow sometimes. As this was a collaboration trip, I had planned on posting everyday, making reels, etc... and honestly I quickly realized that I wanted to immerse myself fully in the trip and was so thankful Viking was supportive of that. I personally found the wi-fi to be fine because my focus was on the trip itself, but depending on your needs and desires you may find it a little slow... which is common on any cruise that I have taken.
5. Are you fluent in French? Did you have to know French for this Rhone River Cruise?
The simple answer to this is no. Everything on Viking (including the local tour guides) uses English as the official language.
I am giggling again because if you know me well then you know that I have always wanted to be fluent in French and quietly work on it behind the scenes but I knew immediately that while I was able to understand somethings, I was out of my element. Here is what I found friends...as I took time to explore on my own and spoke with people they were more than exceptionally kind. Everyone that I ran into- even in the smaller villages spoke English fluently and was kind enough to speak that to me (despite the fact that I was in their country). We encountered some of the kindest people on this trip and I am grateful for their patience.
6. What are the other passengers like? Are the other passengers nice? Are the passengers all rich? Etc.
These questions (and a variety of versions of them) made me smile because there were a lot of them. I think that the Viking Marketing team has done an amazing job to show that you will be on a 5-star resort vacation on their cruises. With that comes so perhaps pre-conceived pre-judgment without truly any basis. On this trip I felt like I truly was able to talk with everyone and what was nice was that unlike the last trip, no one knew who I was or that I was a blogger on the trip. So yes, I do admit that there were a handful of people who were proud to just share all about their previous cruising experiences and where they had traveled to, BUT 99% of majority of people on board were sweet and kind people who were excited to have the experience with loved ones and friends.
At the end of the day I think that this is like any cruise or vacation experience- I think you choose who you hang out with and what you take away from any experience- the good and the bad. But if you are looking for the bad you will be hard pressed to find it as it was just amazing.
7. What were the crew on the Viking Delling like?
Incredible. Incomparable.
I do want to say as a disclaimer that this had nothing to do with the fact that I was doing a collaboration with Viking. With the exception of the senior staff no one on the crew really knew that I was doing a collaboration with Viking and it was incredible to watch. It wasn't just me - it was every single person who was treated with respect and kindness. I saw people kindly respond to guests who may have been a bit disrespectful and still were gracious. I saw crew go out of their way to try to bring happiness and kindness. I saw crew go the extra mile not only for the guests but for each other.
Captain Francois, First Officer Francisco, Hotel Manager Daniel, Program Director Nuno, Executive Chef Adam, Maitre D David, and the entire crew of the Viking Delling are nothing short of incredible. I will be sharing more in detail about different crew and roles in the weeks to come, but in the meantime I can't speak enough about this specific crew.
8. You have mentioned several times that the experience was life-changing. How So? Can you please share more?
As the weeks continue I will be sharing more, but for now, please know that both trips with Viking have been incredible... but this one... I have walked away deeply changed.
9. Did you have a favorite town/village/city you visited?
Honestly, this is so hard for me to choose. I loved the whole region and area... each place was so different in unique ways... maybe Viviers, Arles, and Peruges? Hmmm... it is to difficult to pick! *smiles*
10. Do you have some favorite memories from the trip?
There are so many to choose from.... but a few of my favorites were... spending time with my mom, falling in love with the Rhone River region, the charming towns and villages, the incredible crew, extended time on a boat, the unique opportunity to get to spend time with the senior staff, the opportunity to have conversations with the captain, sitting on our balcony cruising, walks in the villages, new friendships that were made, inspiration from so many things, and so many more things...
I hope that these answers helped! If you have any additional questions that I didn't answer please let me know in the comments and I will be happy to answer them for you! I can't wait to start sharing next week pictures and details from the cruise. It was amazing!!
Happy Monday friends!
If you are heading on a river cruise and worried about forgetting something- don't worry! This list below will help remind you of 5 things not to forget in your planning!
1. Local Currency
1. Local Currency
One of the most important things that you can do to prepare and bring on your trip is some of the local currency where you will be going. You can do this ahead of time at your bank or at a local vendor which will result in less fees than if you use a money exchange booth in an airport. While some people would prefer to use their credit cards - which is great, you will still need to have money for tips or for small shops that don't take credit cards so make sure to prepare for this ahead of time. (Also if you are going on a river cruise around the holiday season and plan to visit the European markets, like in Colmar, you will need to have local currency for this!)
Looking for a cute wallet to travel with to hold all of your different cards and some local currency? THIS ONE and I love because it contains a space for your passport also!
2. Passport Holder/Wallet
You will need to have your passport with you and I would definitely recommend carrying it with you at all times while you are on excursions. I use my wallet which is an older beautiful green Travel & Passport Wallet that is no longer available, but is very similar to THIS ONE (I mentioned above) and I love it!
2. Passport Holder/Wallet
You will need to have your passport with you and I would definitely recommend carrying it with you at all times while you are on excursions. I use my wallet which is an older beautiful green Travel & Passport Wallet that is no longer available, but is very similar to THIS ONE (I mentioned above) and I love it!
If you are looking just for a Passport Holder and don't want the entire wallet- there are so many different adorable passport holders that are available today! A favorite I found (for less than $10!) is THIS ONE (which has more than 21,000 amazing reviews and comes in TONS of different colors!!) The best thing is that many of the colors are currently are on sale!
3. OTC Medications
While it is true that you can purchase all different over the counter medication when you are off the ship- it can be more pricey and also be difficult to find depending on where you are traveling. Sometimes on river cruises there is not a doctor but there is a basic first aid kit available. You will want to think ahead and bring some of your own items.
Prone to seasickness when you travel? Definitely check out my post 4 Ways to Prevent Motion Sickness when Traveling by clicking HERE!
Even though river cruising is an excellent choice for those who are prone to seasickness, there were still some people who said the movement on our cruise was difficult to them. A lot of people use Dramamine (or the patch) for motion sickness on a cruise which is a wonderful option, but ginger can be a great natural resource to help with nausea. You can read more about ginger and its health benefits by clicking HERE. I have mentioned this in several posts but I swear by THIS ginger here. It is organic and for less than $13 you can save yourself a whole lot of sickness!
4. Comfortable Shoes/Sandals
I shared this in my post, 13 Must Pack Items for Your Caribbean Cruise, but it is a definite thing to remember. Pack comfortable shoes and sandals!! You definitely want to look cute and have fun, but you don't want your cruise ruined by blisters either so take the time to pick out cute and comfy shoes. On a river cruise you do TONS of walking and you will want to make sure your shoes are comfortable!
5. A Watch
I was surprised to hear this suggestion from those who had done a lot of river cruising but honestly, have now seen the value in having a watch. One of the best parts of a cruise is having the chance to take a break from the "real world" and simply enjoy the moment. But if you are wanting to make sure that you are ready to meet for excursions, meal times, etc. and want to put away the phone, you will want to know the time. I LOVE my fitbit versa and totally recommend it! You can find it HERE!
What about y'all? Any items that you wish that you had brought on your first European river cruise that you would recommend to a first-time cruiser?
Check out more cruise tips by clicking on the links below:
Check out more cruise tips by clicking on the links below:
Curious to find out more about our upcoming trip with Viking or the one that we took with Viking Cruises in 2017? Click on the posts below:
Viking River Cruise (2025): // A Beautiful Upcoming Blog Collaboration //
Viking River Cruise (2017-2018): // Viking River Cruises: Answers to Your Most FAQ's //
// Viking Eir Ship Review // Viking Eir Stateroom 203 Review // Viking Eir Food and Dining Review //
// A Brief History of Old Town Colmar // Saint Martin's Collegiate Church (Place de la Cathedrale)//
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