Introduction

Viking Freya, Longship

SHIPS - Viking maintains up to date information on each ship in their Fleet.  They've been voted the Best River Cruise line by Cruise Critic for 2011.  For 2012, they are leading the river cruise market with 88% booking and 6 new longships on the way in 2012, 6 further longships in 2013 and 6 on order for 2014.  

The new 2012 Viking longships (Viking Freya, Viking Aegir, Viking Embla, Viking Idun, Viking Njord and Viking Odin) will have:

• Room for 189 passengers.  Due to constraints of lock sizes and river width, the fleet of longships in Europe won't be getting bigger in size.  This is refreshing to ocean cruisers who may be dismayed by the boom in mega ships there.
• Two Explorer Suites with 445 sq ft and separate livingr room, bedroom and wraparound veranda with 270 degree views.
• 7 two- room Veranda Suites.
• 39 Veranda Staterooms that are 205 sq ft.  These have been created by moving the hallway off center.  The units on the non-veranda side are 135 sq ft and have French balconies.
• New all-weather indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace with retractable floor-to-ceiling windows and views to both sides of the river.
• Heated bathroom floors and mirrors.
• Sloar panels and low vibration hybrid engines.

Viking fleets run the following itineraries.

Europe

• Rhine, Main, Danube + Netherlands
• Rhine, Main, Danube
• Danube
• Rhine
• Elbe
• Main, Elbe
• Saône and Rhône Rivers
• Seine

Russia & Ukraine

China & southeast Asia

Egypt

GUEST PROFILE:

• Age of 50+ with a median age of 61
• Close to retirement
• Usually dual income travelers
• Often own the book "1,000 Places To See Before You Die"
• Women traveling in groups without their partners
• Experienced ocean cruises looking more intimate and educational experiences

AMENITY SUMMARY

Included

• All meals (no specialty pricing)
• New for 2012: complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks are served with lunch and dinner on board.  Passengers can help themselves to tea, coffee and cappuccino at any time.
• Shore excursions for every destination
• Port charges
• Internet -  All Viking River Cruises have internet access.  Wi-fi is available in Europe & Russia.
• Lectures
• Hair dryers

Not Included

• Tips & Gratuities
• Laundry (available for a fee)

Not Available

• Room Service
• Fitness Center (gym and sauna aboard Viking Emerald, though)
• Children's Programs - Children under 12 are not permitted on Viking River Cruises.

POLICIES

Children - Children under 12 are not permitted on Viking River Cruises.

Alcohol - The minimum drinking age on all Viking River cruises is 21 years of age.  Wine, beer, soft drinks and specialty coffes will be complimentary in 2012

Smoking - All Viking ship interiors and staterooms are nonsmoking. Each ship has an outdoor smoking area.

Tipping - Tips are not included in your cruise price. You may tip onboard staff in cash or charge your tips to your credit card at the end of the cruise (except in Egypt and Southeast Asia). We suggest a gratuity of $10-$12 per guest, per day which is distributed among the ship’s staff, including your Program Director. Additional tipping is at the guest’s discretion. 

Viking Cancellation Policy - For any cruise/tour booking, whether under deposit, partially paid, or paid in full, or an air-inclusive package paid in full, the following Travel Agent requested situations are considered cancellations and penalties will apply as noted below: changes to departure date; substitutions of itinerary; substitution of another person for original booked passenger(s); or changing to a promotional fare. All cancellations must be in writing. For all airinclusive packages cancelled after issuance of an airline ticket, the air portion of the refund, if any, will be processed only after the return of airline ticket. The following cancellation charges will be assessed for all written cancellations received prior to departure up to the scheduled time of departure.

Cancellation received | Following charges will apply: (Broken out by days before departure)
121 days or more | $100 per person
120-90 days | 15% of full fare
89-60 days | 35% of full fare
59-30 days | 50% of full fare
29-0 days | 100% of full fare