Viking Cruises: Exploring The World In Comfort

The Viking Sky in Eidfjord, Norway.

Since 1997, Viking cruises have given travelers the chance to explore the world by ocean, river, and land while enjoying the luxury expected on a modern, adults-only cruise ship.

Sailing rivers and oceans, exploring the land

With river, ocean, and expedition cruises available, Viking offers a huge array of options to explore the way you want. All Viking cruises are destination focused, which means guests can expect to spend plenty of time on land, experiencing each port of call with immersive excursions. Onboard enrichment programs and performances help the traveler feel a deeper connection to the places and people they’re visiting. No matter where you want to explore, Viking can get you there in style, with cruise itineraries on all seven continents!

Cruising through Europe like royalty

The Viking Hemming river ship on the Douro River near Porto, Portugal

For centuries, Europe’s rivers have shaped its history, connecting cultures, fueling trade, and inspiring explorers. Now, they serve as natural highways, guiding visitors through Europe’s most breathtaking cities and countrysides.

Whether you dream of sipping wine along the Rhine, exploring medieval castles on the Danube, or discovering the enchanting beauty of France’s Seine, a European river cruise is a journey like no other.

Recently, Brittney Hughes, Key to the World Travel’s Vice President of Supplier Relations, had the opportunity to experience live on board one of Viking’s river cruise vessels.

On board a Viking river cruise Longship

Brittney spent 4 nights on Viking Rinda, docked in Vienna, recently. This was her first stay with Viking, and upon boarding the Longship, she was immediately struck by the refined and mature styling onboard.

“Viking describes their aesthetic as “understated elegance” and I agree. The ship’s design is pretty simple, but comfortable and refined. You aren’t going to find loud colors, fabrics or materials like you might find on other cruise ships. “

Remember, Viking is an adults only cruise line, and they try to keep the focus of their sailings firmly on the places and people you’ll be visiting. Their ships reflect this philosophy  – these aren’t floating beach clubs. Another hallmark of their design philosophy is consistency.

All of the Viking River ships are sister ships and identical in layout and features. Viking wants their clients to feel immediately comfortable on board. So, when a Viking guest boards a new ship, it feels like home to them. They have the same cabin layouts (a French Balcony on the Viking Rinda is the same as a French Balcony on the Viking Hermod), the same dishes, etc. Instead of trying to get their bearings, guests immediately know where everything is.

This familliarity is why guests love to cruise with Viking over and over again, as their comfortable home at sea takes them to new destinations around the globe.

Brittney also appreciated that despite being in a small ship environment, the guest cabin doesn’t feel cramped. Instead, it has been thoughtfully designed with your comfort and convenience in mind

River cruise ships are cozy in general. However, I loved the storage space in my cabin. In addition to my closet, I had additional shelving and drawers scattered throughout the room. I could easily have spent 7-10 nights in this stateroom.

Dining and entertainment on Viking Rinda

Rather than decks full of restaurants, shopping, and entertainment that resemble the Vegas Strip, Viking’s Longships feature a more simple, centralized arrangement. This helps enhance the small ship, home-like feel of life onboard.

“The Restaurant” serves a hot breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. Hours are posted and will fit a variety of schedules. Breakfast and lunch had both buffet and a la carte options, while dinner was simply a la carte. Wine, beer, and sodas are included a lunch and dinner. While I enjoyed dinner in the dining room, I enjoyed eating my breakfast and lunch in the more casual Aquavit Terrace. This cafe served the same menu, but from the top deck with both indoor and outdoor seating offering pretty magnificent views.

This simplified approach applies to onboard entertainment. Rather than lavish stage shows and casinos, guests can enjoy live music, art and cooking demonstrations, and educational presentations that bring the culture of the places you visit onto the ship.

You aren’t going to find Broadway style productions on a river cruise, like you might an ocean cruise. On Viking River, you’ll get the chance to hear from a collection of local/ regional musicians each night in the lounge.

Whatever waters you want to explore, there’s a Viking cruise for you

Viking keeps their focus on refined comfort and immersive cultural experiences whether you’re interested in cruising oceans or rivers.

• European river cruises last 8-23 days, and include itineraries on the Rhine, Main, Danube, Seine, Rhône, Douro, Moselle, Elbe, Dordogne, Garonne and Gironde Rivers. For river cruisers who want to go somewhere a little further off the beaten path, there are also itineraries through Egypt on the Nile river, and on Southeast Asia’s Mekong.
• In 2022, Viking added the United States to its list of river cruise destinations. With itineraries of 8-15 days, you can sail the mighty Mississippi river on a Viking longship, making stops at iconic and historic spots between New Orleans and St. Paul, Minnesota.
• Viking’s ocean cruise ships bring their destination focused cruise philosophy global. Their itineraries are specially designed to allow guests maximum time in each port. These ships visit ports around the world, with special emphasis on Scandinavia and Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand, Asia, Alaska, North and South America and Africa.
• Expedition Cruising gives guests a unique opportunity to explore new frontiers with an industry leading scientific enrichment program onboard. Guests can visit Antarctica, the Arctic Circle, and America’s Great Lakes. Exclusive partnerships with the Scott Polar Research Institute at Cambridge University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)—as well as other prestigious scientific institutions—match leading researchers and educators with each expedition.

Key to the World Travel clients receive a special offer for one month only

Since Viking is our travel Partner of the Month for April 2025, Key to the World Travel is excited to offer a bonus onboard credit of $100 to any guests booking a new reservation this month.

Are you ready to explore the world the Viking way? Your Key to the World Travel advisor is standing by to get started planning your next river, ocean, or expedition cruise. We work hard to make sure you’re getting the best value and experience on your trip, so you can focus on what truly matters – making memories. With Key to the World Travel, vacation starts now! Click the button to get started with a no obligation quote.