Overview
About
Passengers: 190 | Crew: 53
Passengers to crew: 3.58:1
Launched: 2019
Decks
Deck 1 layout

Cabins
Deluxe Stateroom (F)
Deluxe Stateroom (E)
Activities & entertainment
Activities (8)
- Nightly Recaps
- Cooking Demonstrations
- Enrichment Lectures
- Internet
- Library
- Nightly Live Music
- Port Talks
- Wine Tasting
Entertainment (2)
- Local Onboard Performers
- Observation lounge
Dining (3)
- Bar - Panoramic Bar*
- Restaurant - International
- Aquavit Terrace - Casual
* May require additional fees
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+1
My Wife and I just completed the Viking Grand European River Cruise sailing from Budapest to Amsterdam. We scheduled two days prior to the cruise in Budapest as well as two days after the cruise in Amsterdam. This is the first cruise of any type we have taken and scheduled it to coincide with our 49th Anniversary. Overview: Viking arranged for us to stay at the 5 Star InterContinental Hotel in Budapest which sits directly across from the Castle in Pest and just down from the Chain Bridge. This was the perfect location; and while the block rooms have a view of the city, we received a room upgrade to a river view upon request. Our local guides were fantastic on our two scheduled tours sharing with us a full sense of the history and splendor which is Budapest. One of the locks just North of Budapest was under emergency repair, so Viking arranged for us to remain at the InterContinental where we had the opportunity to meet our fellow cruisers (33 total), our Cruise Director (Kane) and have a nice Dinner in the restaurant. They also arranged another tour including lunch on a river sightseeing boat prior to boarding our motor coach that would take us to Slovakia before boarding the Tir. This was a two-hour ride but again, the guide on board kept our heads on swivels with information during the transfer. When we arrived at the boat, our luggage was promptly taken to our respective cabins and we had an opportunity to meet the steward in charge of our room (Tyron). Great guy. We then got together for our first daily briefing and a heads up of the emergency procedure drill to be held the following day. It was then time for our first dinner on board which set the high standard for those to come. About the Tir. She is the youngest of the 52 Ship Viking Fleet christened in 2019. They will have 100 ships by the end of 2023 and plan to have over 140 by 2030. She is 440 feet long and 38 feet wide weighing in at 3,500 tons. Max speed is 13.5 knots and a draft of 5.7 – 7 feet depending on loading. Powered by two 1,200 hp motors and two 600 hp motors, each with two props that are fully rotatable to 360 degrees in the stern and two 560 hp thrusters in the bow fully rotational as well so no rudder is required. Our cabin was on the 3rd level and engine noise was minimal. As I said earlier, there were only 33 passengers on this cruise with a crew complement of 54. Private yacht territory. All 33 passengers were friendly and enjoyed each other’s company. Everyone knew each person’s name and where they were from. The crew did as well and greeted each passenger by name. As Kane mentioned, a truly unique experience. We made friends with fellow passengers and will remain in contact following the cruise. We have three couples that will schedule another cruise together in the coming years. Diverse group with one couple from Luxembourg, another from Calgary, and us from The Villages in Florida. We all did the “Zombie Walk” at 0700 each morning to deliver our saliva to the front desk for daily Covid testing. That was OK in that most morning excursions required us to be present and ready to go by 0845. Every excursion was as advertised with great guides that, for the most part, were locals and really knew their stuff. Being local, they could also interject stories around places of interest that would not be known to other guides. Everyone came back to the boat with similar stories of the professionalism of their guides and the extent of their individual excursions. Only one was semi-disappointing as the guide’s microphone was not working so it was hard to hear some of her comments. Likewise, that Nuremberg Museum tour suffered in that only a recording was available for the various exhibits. I left the museum and explored the surrounding area on my own and met up with the tour as they left the building. Met some nice people and had the opportunity to explore the area. While all the tours were very good, there is one that should not be overlooked. It is the “Top of Cologne” tour where you actually get to go to the roof of the Cologne Cathedral using the restoration crew elevator . Stopping along the way to look at the various workshops and detailed construction of the Cathedral. The view from the Bell Tower, being the highest observation point in Cologne, was spectacular. Our guide had spent her entire education and career studying the Cathedral and it’s history. It was just one of the highlights of our cruise, but one you would not want to miss. The Canal Tour in Amsterdam is another one not to miss. Other passengers had their favorites. There was some entertainment on the boat every night. Aldo, the piano player in the lounge was great. He has been with Viking for years and done tours all over the world. In addition, we had a 6:45 PM daily briefing of each next stop with an explanation of the available excursions and highlights of each. It was here that the Executive Chef, Rico, would inform us of the special cuisine for the evening, generally focused on the local cuisine of the region we were in at the time, (standard menu was always available) and the Maître D’, Marta, would preview the selected wines for the evening perfectly paired with the Chef’s specials. Then it was off to dinner in either the Aquavit Room (glass enclosed dining area) or the restaurant one floor down. Following dinner, there was entertainment in the lounge ranging from Aldo to a phenomenal duet of Operatic Soprano and French Horn accompaniment, an 8th generation glass blowing professional, Hans, and other presentations and lectures around the areas we would be visiting. Kane provide an evening of singing some of his favorite music. He was very good. Captain Bons gave a presentation on why he wanted to be a Captain (“it’s the girls”). Seriously, a great talk on the differences between Ocean and River Captains and why he opted for the latter. He also spoke about the three rivers we were traversing in detail and what to expect going forward. His expertise was evident in that a few of the locks we went through only provide 6” of clearance on either side of the boat. Think about that .. given the size of our boat and the effect of the wind / currents when attempting to enter and exit these locks. Starting with the Danube (climbing to 1,332 ft), there were 16 locks up, the MD Canal had 16 locks, The Main had 34 locks down and the Rhine had only one that we traversed. Most of these were traversed during the night but awe inspiring during the day when there were some that raised the boat over 30 feet and lowered the boat by the same amount. Leadership is another trait that separates a good from a great Captain. We really lucked out with good weather the entire voyage. There was only one day of rain, and it was hard for most of the day. The river levels were low so the gangplank off the ship was very steep and slippery at Cologne. For over two hours in the rain, Captain Bons was with his crew loading heavy barrels and other containers down the plank to the boat. The Crew really respected and appreciated his Capabilities and Leadership. I have been told that a cruise is only as good as the Cruise Director. If that is true, we were extremely fortunate to have Kane Davies as our Cruise Director. A consummate professional, he really jumped in and became “just one of the folks” with the passengers. Extremely well respected by the Crew. There were various delays on the boat due to river traffic, lock jams and other things that just happen. Between Captain Bons and Kane, we were never late for any planned excursion and any deviations necessary were handled seamlessly. From Manchester England, Kane’s accent provided a reassuring voice and fantastic announcer. He had intimate knowledge of these rivers, of every tour and town. You could always ask about “other things” to see or do and by taking the time to “know you”, he always made great suggestions. One of our group had a Grandfather that was killed in Auschwitz. Kane arranged private transportation for a visit. An extremely talented individual. Did I mention he sings well? The Tir is basically a 4 – 5 Star sailing hotel. As such, it really requires a professional and knowledgeable person at the top. Enter Claudia Gonzales, the Hotel Manager. Supported with her Team of Venelina Hristova (Housekeeping) and Mihaela Matel (Guest Services), she had the ship operating at the highest levels of service. All details were thoroughly addressed and the best part, it was seamless and behind the scenes. The river water levels were low .. a real headache for the Operations Crew. Headed up by Ciprian Stefanov (Chief Engineer), the boat performed magnificently through the shallow water even scraping bottom at times. Everything worked well throughout, operating at peak performance with no apparent maintenance issues. It was a bit melancholy when we pulled into Amsterdam. We knew this was our last night together as a full group and folks were exchanging their contact information. The Crew provided a wonderful send off celebration dinner and handed out our individual disembarking information. Again, timed perfectly to the minute. We had another evening of Aldo in the lounge, said our goodbyes and headed out to our cabins for the last time. The next morning, transportation was available for those heading to the airport and train station. For those of us staying over in Amsterdam, our tour vehicles were there to pick us up. Our luggage was transferred to the Movenpick Hotel and was there waiting in our rooms upon our arrival following the tours. We had a fantastic view of the rivers and canal system from our 25th floor room. Bushed, we had dinner with new Friends from the tour and went to bed. I planned to take photos of our view the next day. The next day, our view had changed. The Queen Elizabeth had docked just outside our hotel. What a BIG and Beautiful Ship! This was her first sailing since Covid and the first visit of any oceangoing passenger ship to Amsterdam in over 600 days. Like Tir, she was not fully loaded but the passengers were having a good time. I had the opportunity to chat with one of them on his balcony from the dock. We then went on our last tour, being transported by limousine to our meeting place. This was the Canal Tour of Amsterdam. Our guide, Paulina, was extraordinary. Beginning with an in-depth tour of the Rijksmuseum, followed by a 2-hour small boat canal tour (small boats can go into canals the larger tour boats cannot), a great lunch featuring Dutch cuisine and another walking tour of the 9 Avenues section of Amsterdam, she was fantastic. What a great way to wind up our Viking experience. Again, dinner with our new Friends and the promise we would see each other again. The next morning, we were greeted for our transportation to the airport (a Mercedes Van) at 0600. We were met at the airport by a Viking Representative who guided us through the check in procedures and escorted us to the Immigration Station. The Tour Brochure stated Viking will pamper and take care of you for your entire adventure. They kept their promise. Thank You Viking for a truly “Unique Experience”. Itinerary and highlights: Budapest Walking Tour Parliament Building Independence Square US Embassy Downtown Buda Pest Castle Cathedral Freedom Fighters Monuments Animal Monuments Live Eagle Demonstration Danube Lunch Tour Coach to Slovakia Vienna Castle Cathedral Oktoberfest Carnival Walking Tour Mozart History Subway Introduction Vienna Up Close Tour Vienna Center City Tour Dinner at 13th Generation Wine Producer Restaurant (Fantastic) with entertainment from Fiddle and Accordion (professionals and kept the group laughing the entire time) Hotel Manager, Claudia, Introduction to Germany Presentation with language practice and cheat sheet Melk Monastery (14 Rooms), Discussion on Importance of Symbology in all areas of our trip Passau Walking Tour Guide just finished the Bar Exam University Town (ratio M 40% / F 60%) Cathedral has 2nd largest pipe organ in the world and we stayed for a concert. Regensburg Walking Tour Oldest Sausage Restaurant in the World Fantastic City Center and historical buildings Great Guide Lots of good stories Easy Afternoon cruising on Boat Nuremburg Walking Tour of Hitler’s Coliseum and Grand Plan Site of Nuremburg Trials and the WW II War Museum Bamberg Walking Tour of City Center and surrounding area History Rich Great Guide Rothenberg Coach Ride (early enroute power windmills are really obnoxious in landscape) However, shortly there were none. This part of Northern Germany voted them down “not in my backyard” Walking Tour Great Guide Good Stories Largest Natural Fresco of the world (only 4 continents, no Australia) Torture Chambers and Equipment Lunch and Good Shopping All fountains had a secret chamber for fresh water (to prevent poisoning). Town was never bombed. Wurzburg Bishops Castle Gardens Wertheim Modern Aristocracy Tour Wertheim Castle Climb 16-mile bicycle ride chasing and leading the boat as it sails the Mein Koblenz Great Guide Floods, over 50’, were devastating over the past 1,000 years Castle was destroyed in 1700 but never repaired 44K German Troops stationed there (5K Residents) and as war wound down, locals flew the white flag on castle turret to surrender to Americans v the Russians. Town never bombed Nice Shopping Town, 8th Generation Glassblower’s shop among a number of other very nice shops here. Unique Toy Store. Middle Rhine Castle Run over 50 castles with history of each from Kane during this part of cruise Marksberg Marksberg Castle Tour Great Guide Explored the entire castle from stables to turrets including King’s Quarters, Torture Chambers, Kitchens, etc.. Complete Armament and Knight’s Amour from 600 through 1700s. Cologne Only real rainy day! Beautiful City Walking Tour Best Guide yet Cathedral and Top of Cologne Tour (must do!) Fortress Tour Gondola Ride to Fortress just outside boat On board Opera Soprano / French Horn duet in the evening Kinderdijk Windmill walking tour Exquisite technology from 1648 Windmills pump water (1,200 gallon per hour) to the upper holding pond where Archimedes Screws lift over 600,000 gallons per minute. Unbelievable! People train for 2 years to maintain the windmills and then live there for 300 Euros per month rent. Really quiet inside when operating due primarily to wood running gear. Rotterdam and The Hague Combination of Coach and Walking Tour plus a tour of the harbor in Rotterdam (# 1 port in EU) Modern Art Sculptures throughout City Famous Cube Houses Lots of food choices at the Market Peace Palace and Parliament Buildings in The Hague Dutch Masters Museum Amsterdam The best Guide of the entire cruise (Paulina was an expert on Amsterdam and the art at the various museums). Rijksmuseum Tour Extensive Canal Tour Lunch The Nine Avenues and Aristocracy Tour Truly a Bucket List Experience.…
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Helpful
My husband and I took the grand tour on the Viking Tir. It went from Amsterdam, to the Netherlands 8stops in Germany, Vienna for two days and Budapest for two days. It was the best vacation of our lives! We have been on many ocean cruises but this was our first river cruise. The staff is amazing! There were only 180 guests Onboard. I must say it was an older crowd. The food was excellent. The cruise excursions were fabulous and took into account every ability level as far as how fast and how well you could walk. We met people from all over the world! Fabulous vacation. Wonderful ports. I personally preferred the small towns such as Passau, Miltenberg in Germany. We were lucky enough to go to the Christmas markets in Vienna and Budapest. Do not hesitate to take this cruise!…
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2 Helpful votes
Helpful
Don’t hesitate to book this cruise. Viking has presented a first class experience with their cabins, service, tours and of course, their food! It is our first entry into river cruising, a very different experience than ocean cruising and we couldn’t be more satisfied.
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Helpful
We've been taking ocean cruises for many years now, but we had never taken a river cruise. We were absolutely astounded at how marvelous it is to be on a boat with such an outstanding crew. From the moment we boarded the ship, it was as if they had known us for years. It was the same after each tour we took - we would come back on board, and it was as if they actually missed us while we were gone. I've never felt so spoiled! The tours Viking set up were excellent. The guides were all knowledgeable, local, and so much fun. We learned so much about places we only knew from history books. We're still writing things down in our travel journal so we don't forget anything (although we have because there is SO much). We haven't taken an ocean cruise with Viking, but that's next on our list. I just don't know if it will compare to a river cruise though. This trip was truly the trip of a lifetime, and I'm glad we didn't miss it!…
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+1
If I could give this crew 10 stars I would. They made all of us feel so welcomed and cared for from the moment we got on this ship. We traveled from Budapest to Amsterdam. Viking arranged so many tours and optional activities. There was rarely downtime. But when there was the crew was more than willing to chat with you. Special shout out for Stein, our director, Claudia, our hotel manager, Harris and Stefan, our very entertaining bartenders, Frank and Maynard, friendly and attentive waitstaff and Danislov, our housekeeper. Truly, all these people made my experience what it was. Thank you so much. I'll never forget you all.…
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Upcoming itineraries
Itinerary
14 Night Cruise to Europe
Departure date
Thursday, 31/07/25
Itinerary
Prices are cruise only, per person, double occupancy, and are provided by our partners. Taxes, fees and port expenses are not included. Fuel supplements may apply. Availability of prices is subject to the supplier’s pricing availability.