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you're about to discover everything you
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need to know about a Viking longship if
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you're planning on going on a European
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river cruise including what it has and a
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few surprising things that it doesn't
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have hi I'm Gary Babbage and this is
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another of my tips for Travis I'm just
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back from a river cruise on Viking
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cruising along the Danube and I thought
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it would be a great opportunity to share
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with you what I learned and experienced
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about a Viking longship first of all
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what's important to note is that the
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Viking longship is the ship that you
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they have right across their fleet and
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pretty much every single River that you
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go on in Europe will be on one of these
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Viking longships now there are a couple
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of rivers which are can take the
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full-sized long ship so like the dwara
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in Portugal and that has a slightly
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smaller version but pretty much any of
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the rivers the bigger rivers you'd like
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to be on one of these long ships and
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very important because they are the same
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the same look the same feel the same
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layout so that's hopefully why this will
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really help you understand what you can
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expect if you're cruising with Viking in
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Europe the Viking longships take 190
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passengers and they have around about 45
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crews a very good crew to passenger
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ratio you have a choice of four
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different types of accommodation on a
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long ship there's suites veranda
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staterooms French balcony staterooms and
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standard cabins within Suites as two
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types of Suites there's the Explorer
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suite at the rear of the ship these
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actually have a separate large separate
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bedroom and bathroom you then have
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veranda suites which have a seating area
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a balcony and bedroom area my favorite
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cabin type is actually the veranda
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stateroom so these have balconies which
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again she step out on slightly smaller
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cabin than the brand of Suites the
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French balconies these have
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floor-to-ceiling windows they don't have
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a separate balcony but you do have great
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views and of course you can open the
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windows get lots of fresh air in the
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most affordable of the four types of
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cabins onboard is a standard cabin which
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is on the lower deck and this doesn't
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have floor-to-ceiling windows because
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actually part of these cabins are
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underneath the water level so you just
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have a small window across the top there
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also a couple of cabins on board which
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are designed for people with access in a
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needs better mind on river cruise ships
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and this is to a Viking
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the cameras are pretty small because you
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don't have a huge amount of space what
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about the facilities that you're gonna
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find on a long ship let's start at the
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top deck so the top deck is the Sun deck
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this is a big wide-open space it's the
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whole length of the long ship and
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there's lots of seating up here there's
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a few little areas where you can play
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some games as a little crazy golf and
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some deck games and it is a really
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popular social place when the weather is
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great it's also a place where people
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will also come out if you're going
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through locks now as you pass through
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the rivers of Europe you're often going
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to go through a series of locks so
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you're fine if you go through one of
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these big locks on the day time people
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will head up out onto the deck and just
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enjoy and watch at the model of these
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phenomenal locks so the Sun Deck is a
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great place to hang out even if you're
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actually import a lot of people go and
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sit out there have a drink and just soak
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in the whole atmosphere of the port
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they're in the next level down is where
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you have the real social heart of the
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ship and this is in the lounge the
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lounge is where you have the bar it's
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also where all of your briefing takes
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place so the port briefing will take
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place here the captain's welcome and
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farewell party it's also where all the
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entertainment takes place so if there's
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some local entertainers being brought on
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board also you have an onboard pianist
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so they play often at lunchtime
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afternoon tea for and after dinner just
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before you come into the lounge is the
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24-hour tea and coffee making facilities
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at the front of the lounge right on the
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bow of the chef is what's known as
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serves breakfast lunch and dinner here
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at breakfast it has the early riser
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breakfast and has a lighter breakfast
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lunch it's the same as the lighter lunch
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in the evenings and has the same menu as
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the restaurant so it's a really popular
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place to eat believe the weather's great
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and you're selling through beautiful
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scenery people like to have meals up
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there what's on this level you have a
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small library and a small computer area
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where you have a couple of computers if
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people have brought their own laptops or
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tablets so the next level down is
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probably where one of the most important
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and popular parts of the ship are and
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that's the dining room dining was great
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open space it's open seated
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at all times and it's open for breakfast
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lunch and dinner breakfast it's a buffet
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you have a station where the eggs or
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omelets are made but you can also order
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things from the menus have pancakes eggs
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benedict lunch again it's also buffet
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often as a pasture station and then you
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can also order you know a starter main
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course and desserts from a menu for
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dinner the menu has three real
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components it has a local menu which is
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very specific to the very specific part
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of the river that you're on so they
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start our main course and a dessert
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you'll then have now a cob menu which
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changes every day and then you have the
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classic so things like Caesar salad
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steak chicken breasts that's available
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every day wine beer and soft drinks are
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included with lunch and with dinner the
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wine and the beer would normally be very
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specific to the part of the river or the
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country that you're cruising through
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also on this level you have the
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reception area with guest services
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there's a red small shop here which will
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then sell a whole wide range actually of
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Viking branded merchandise and other
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things related to Viking or the cruise
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or the country that you're sailing
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through that particular time let's talk
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about some of the things that you will
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not find onboard a Viking longship well
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first of all like all river cruising
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ships there is no medical center so
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unlike on ocean cruises there is no
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medical center and that's because party
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of space but also on a practical level
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these ships are always really close to
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land and very close to port so if there
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are any medical issues or needs they can
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connect you with a local clinic hospital
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or a medical practitioner on Viking that
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there is no fitness center
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there's no spa there's no hairdressers
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so some recruiting companies do have
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those facilities Viking longships don't
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have those there's also no guest laundry
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onboarding this is also true of other
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river cruising boats but if you do have
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laundry needs you can obviously send
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those away on board and they can do
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those for you Viking longships are
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consistent and have the same facilities
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across the entire fleet and they have
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that Scandinavian look and feel if you
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want to find out much more about Viking
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or river cruising in Europe
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watch my other tips of travelers videos
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because I have many videos packed full
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of tips advice to help you make the most
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of your precious travel time and money
