Considering taking a vacation with Viking River Cruises but aren’t sure what’s included in the fare? While Viking isn’t fully all-inclusive like some other luxury and river lines, it comes considerably close to including just about everything in the base price. In this article, we’re breaking down exactly what’s included on Viking River Cruises and what costs extra, so that you’ll know exactly what you’re getting for your money on this river cruise line.
Key Takeaways
- Accommodations: Stateroom accommodations are included with twice-daily housekeeping; suites are also available
- All Dining: Ships feature a main dining room called The Restaurant as well as a casual indoor/outdoor venue that functions as a buffet during the day and a sit-down restaurant in the evening
- Complimentary Beverages: Juice, milk, lemonade, iced tea, specialty coffees and teas, and bottled water included; soda and alcohol cost extra outside of meals (beer, wine, and soda is included at lunch and dinner)
- Activities & Entertainment: Walking track, putting green, shuffleboard, trivia, port talks, enrichment lectures, demonstrations, and live music entertainment all included
- Excursions: At least one excursion is included in each port, premium excursions cost extra
- WiFi: WiFi internet access is included for all guests with no limits
- Not Included: Alcoholic beverages and soda, premium shore excursions, gratuities ($20 per person/day), and laundry service
What’s Included on Viking River Cruises
Accommodations
Your cruise fare covers the cost of your accommodations for the length of the voyage. Included with your stateroom are the services of a room attendant who will make up your cabin twice a day.
There are no interior cabins on Viking River Cruises; all passengers have a window or balcony. Depending on your specific ship, there are French balcony and/or regular outdoor balcony staterooms to choose from. Suites are also available.
Staterooms include a queen-size Viking Explorer Bed (that can be divided into two twin beds upon request); a bathroom with shower, heated floor, and anti-fog mirror; a flat-screen TV, a safe, a mini fridge, European and American outlets, bottled water that’s replenished daily, premium Freyja toiletries, and the use of slippers and robes.
Food & Dining
Viking river vessels have two restaurants: the main dining room (called The Restaurant) and a casual indoor/outdoor venue (called the Aquavit Terrace on most ships). The Restaurant offers multi-course breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with both regional cuisine and always-available classic dishes on the menu. The Aquavit Terrace functions as a buffet at breakfast and lunch. At dinnertime, it offers sit-down service with a small menu of dishes to choose from.
Drinks
Most beverages are included in the fare on Viking River Cruises. Drinks like juice, milk, lemonade, iced tea, specialty coffees and teas, and bottled water are all included. During lunch and dinner, you can also enjoy soda and select beers and wines for free as well. Specialty coffee and tea are available 24 hours a day at self-service kiosks. Cocktails are always an additional fee.
Onboard Amenities & Activities
The destinations are the stars of a river cruise, so don’t expect lots of bells and whistles aboard Viking’s small river ships. While each vessel is different, on most you can expect an outdoor walking track, shuffleboard, a small putting green, and a library stocked with puzzles, board games, and books about travel and history. While most Viking river ships do not have any pools, a select few (including Viking Mississippi) do have a small plunge pool. For a bit of competition, guests can participate in organized trivia and quiz sessions.
Enrichment & Entertainment
River cruise vessels are small, and many daily activities and entertainment tend to revolve around the destinations the ship is visiting along the way. Because of that, don’t expect large-scale production shows and glitzy performances during your sailing. Throughout the day, enjoy relaxing live music around the ship, then more upbeat dance-worthy tunes in the evening. Viking also invites local musicians and vocalists on board to perform, so don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy these regional musical traditions.
There are also port talks so you can learn about the destinations you’re visiting, as well as lectures from guest speakers on topics such as art, music, architecture, the natural world, and geopolitics that are relevant to the region.
Throughout the sailing, live demonstrations will also take place. You can learn how to make regional cuisine and beverages or sit in on a presentation from local artisans such as shoemakers, glassblowers, and lace makers. Viking touts itself as being the “thinking person’s cruise,” and that philosophy carries through not only in the line’s curated shore excursions, but also the education-focused events that take place on board.
Select Shore Excursions
Viking offers at least one (sometimes a few) included shore excursion at each port of call. These are basic excursions; usually short and easy walking or bus tours that showcase highlights of the destination. If you’re brand-new to a port and just want the highlights and to get a general feel for the culture, these excursions are a great way to do that. If you want more unique or longer tours, Viking also has a selection of excursions that you can pay extra for.
You don’t have to do just one excursion per port, either. If there’s time, you can do multiple (such as the free short tour and a second for-fee specialized experience). Or, you can simply explore the charming port towns on your own.
WiFi Internet Access
Wireless internet access is included in the fare on all ships sailing in Europe, Egypt, and on the Mississippi River. Even better, the cruise line does not restrict its internet usage the way other lines do; you can download and upload large files if you need to, and even stream videos or audio. However, Viking does suggest limiting those activities as they take up a lot of bandwidth. Of course, you can also use the internet for things like sending and receiving emails, posting on social media, browsing the internet, messaging friends and family, and even working remotely.
As always, don’t expect the internet on a cruise ship (even a river ship that’s always close to land!) to be as good as the internet speeds you’re probably used to at home. Viking’s connection relies on a cellular or satellite terminal, which it says is the best possible solution for river cruising. Signals can be weakened or interrupted based on things like terrain and weather, so a solid connection is not guaranteed for the entire duration of the sailing.
Airport Transfers (When You Book With Viking)
When you book your flights through Viking (called Viking Air), your itinerary includes transfers to and from the airport. Upon arrival, a Viking representative meets you at the airport and takes care of getting you and your luggage to the ship. At the end of the cruise, you’ll be dropped off right where you need to be at the airport.
What Costs Extra on Viking River Cruises
Alcoholic Beverages & Soda (Most of the Time)
While beer, wine, and soda are included with lunch and dinner, you’ll have to pay if you want to enjoy those beverages in between meals. You’ll also have to pay extra for spirits and cocktails on board, no matter the time of day.
Viking does offer a drink package, called the Silver Spirits Beverage Package, which costs $27 per person, per day. It includes global beers, select wines and spirits, craft cocktails, mocktails, and soda, as well as a discount on premium beverages.
Premium Shore Excursions
While there is at least one included shore excursion in each port, you can pay extra for more immersive and specialized tours while ashore. These can include market visits and cooking lessons, winery tours and tastings, bicycling or hiking experiences, museum visits, and factory tours.
Of course, you don’t have to take an excursion through Viking in every (or any!) port. You can always book excursions through a third-party tour operator (if available) or head off the ship and explore a destination on your own.
Gratuities
Daily gratuities are not bundled into the cruise fare on Viking River Cruises. In most of the line’s sailing regions, guests are charged $20 (or €20) per person, per night. You can pre-pay these gratuities prior to sailing, or they will be added to your final bill at the end of the sailing. These automatic gratuities go towards crew members including (but not limited to) the onboard program director, waitstaff, stateroom stewards, galley staff, and nautical staff. You may want to bring some extra cash for tipping on shore excursions, as well.
Laundry Services
There are no self-service laundry rooms on Viking’s river vessels, except on Viking Mississippi. If you have clothing that needs to be laundered you can utilize the ship’s valet laundry service, which charges per-item. For those staying in suites, laundry service is free.
Shopping
Any shopping you do on board (there’s a very small gift shop area on each Viking river ship) and while in port is, of course, at your own expense.
Viking River Cruises: What’s Included vs. Additional Costs
| What’s Included on Viking River Cruises | What Costs Extra on Viking River Cruises |
| Stateroom accommodations | All spirits and cocktails, plus beer, wine, and soda when not served with lunch or dinner |
| All dining onboard (the main dining room and buffet) | Premium shore excursions (longer and/or more specialized) |
| Juice, milk, lemonade, iced tea, specialty coffees and teas, and bottled water | Daily gratuities |
| Beer, wine, and soda with lunch and dinner | Laundry services |
| Use of an outdoor walking track, shuffleboard, a putting green, and a library stocked with puzzles, board games, and books | Shopping |
| Trivia and quizzes | |
| Live music from in-house and local musicians | |
| Port talks, enrichment lectures, and demonstrations | |
| Select shore excursions (at least one in each port) | |
| WiFi internet access | |
| Airport transfers (when you book with Viking) |
Frequently Asked Questions: Viking River Cruise Inclusions
Are all meals included on Viking River Cruises?
Yes, all meals on board are included in the fare on Viking River Cruises. Most vessels feature a main dining room and the more casual Aquavit Terrace. Some classic menu items stay consistent throughout the voyage, while other dishes — including dishes based on the region where the ship is sailing — rotate daily.
Is room service available on Viking River Cruises?
Room service is not available on Viking river itineraries for most guests. Continental breakfast rooms service is available for those staying in Explorer Suites.
Is travel insurance included in the cruise fare?
No, travel insurance is not included in the cruise fare on Viking. You can purchase Viking’s “Travel Protection Plan” on top of the cruise fare, but we recommend buying third-party travel insurance instead. An aggregate website like tripinsurance.com is a great place to find, compare, and purchase plans.
Are gratuities included on Viking River Cruises?
No, daily gratuities (which are $20 per person, per night on most sailings) cost extra on top of the cruise fare. You can choose to pre-pay your gratuities prior to sailing, or wait and they will be charged to your final bill at the end of the cruise.
Can you bring your own soda or alcohol onboard?
Yes, you can bring your own beverages (soda, wine, beer, spirits, etc.) on board with no limits. Guests can also purchase bottled/packaged beverages while in port and bring them on board to enjoy during the cruise. As an added bonus, you can enjoy your alcohol in public spaces — including restaurants — with no corkage fees.
Is there a spa or gym on Viking river ships?
There are no spas on Viking river ships, and most vessels don’t include fitness centers, either. However, there is a walking track on the upper deck.
Are Viking river cruises just for old people?
Absolutely not! While Viking is an adults-only line, many middle-aged adults sail with Viking on a regular basis. With that being said, the majority of guests on board will be seniors. The line’s slower pace and focus on destination education tends to attract an older audience. That doesn’t mean that younger passengers won’t have just as incredible of a time, though! I (Sarah) took a Viking cruise back in 2018 when I was 24 and I’d say it was one of the best cruises I’ve taken even to this day. I also know others in their 20s and 30s who have sailed both Viking ocean and river voyages and had amazing trips that they’d do again in a heartbeat (myself included).
What’s the dress code on Viking River Cruises?
Most passengers dress casually during the day, wearing things like shorts, t-shirts, jeans, slacks, and sundresses. In the evening, Viking recommends “elegant casual” attire including a dress, skirt, or slacks with a sweater or nice top for women and trousers and a collared shirt for men. There are no official formal nights on board.
Keep in mind that, depending on your itinerary, some shore excursions visit religious sites that require certain modest attire. Viking recommends long pants and some kind of sleeved shirt for men and clothing that covers the knees and shoulders for women (no tank tops for men or women).
Comments
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