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May 9, 2024

River Cruising is one of our favorite ways to travel. Viking makes sure we’ll enojoy every minute.

Let’s face it, Viking practically invented River Cruising. Its “Longboats” plying Europe’s rivers on PBS’ Masterpiece Theater proved irresistible to thousands of passengers. Once aboard these light-filled ships, everything from castles on the Rhine, vineyards and fortresses, tiny towns and world capitals came into reach. And passengers quickly made Viking the #1 River Cruise Line in the world.

VIKING LEAVES NOTHING TO CHANCE

If you follow any Cruise “Bulletin Board”, you know that the slogan “Getting there is half the fun” certainly doesn’t apply to flying to Europe. It’s an exhausting process. Somehow Viking made our air arrangements as seamless as they come. Our flights from New York landed us in Paris at midday. There, Viking’s ground crew whisked us to our waiting transportation, a big, comfortable minivan. Paris, in the throes of pre-Olympic preparations, isn’t easy to navigate. However, our driver pulled up next to Viking Radgrid in time for a late lunch and immediate access to our Veranda stateroom on Deck 2. The perfect start to a perfect adventure.

VIKING’S LONGSHIPS ARE A TRIBUTE TO SCANDINAVIA

Our longship, Viking Radgrid, like all Viking River Longships, is named for a legendary Norse figure. Radgrid was one of the handmaidens of Oden, the father the Gods. A long-haired, beautiful woman, she descended from the skies into battles to decide which soldiers lived or died. The name Radgrid translates into “truce of counsel” suggesting her great power in determining the fate of mortals. Fortunately, the fate of the passengers aboard this Paris to Normandy cruise was to enjoy every minute aboard this glorious Longship.

WHAT’S ON OFFER ABOARD VIKING LONGSHIPS

The moment you board a Viking Longship, you are immediately struck by how light-filled these Scandinavian-inspired vessels are. Light wood finishes and neutral palates are their hallmarks. The Staterooms range from standard rooms with almost water level windows all the way up to Explorer Suites, which Viking touts as the largest suites of any river cruise line. These two-room beauties overlook the stern of the ship from both their balconies and their spacious living rooms. Every stateroom aboard Viking’s Longships comes with supremely comfortable hotel beds, flat-screen TVs, in-room mini-fridges, and bathrooms with heated floors. The WiFi is free and, on the Seine, it’s remarkably reliable.

THE PUBLIC SPACES ARE GREAT FOR GET TOGETHERS

The comfortable furnishings and floor-to-ceiling windows make both the Lounge and the Dining Room perfect venues to enjoy drinks and meals and group get-togethers. Viking’s signature Aquavit Terrace is a wonderful open dining area at the bow of the ship. Unfortunately, late March weather in France is not the most conducive to outdoor dining. But the minute the sun came out, Aquavit came to life. Not to be missed, the entire top deck not only gives you a 360-degree view of the scenery, it’s also a mini-recreation center with a putting green and a walking track.

OH THE PEOPLE YOU’LL MEET

One of the great joys of a Viking Cruise is the people you’ll meet. On “Paris to The Heart of Normandy”, for example, you’ll find a high number of people with a personal connection to the United States Armed Forces. Asked to raise hands at a Daily Briefing before we went to Normandy’s D-Day Beaches, at least 70 percent of passengers had a parent who served in World War II. With this in common, conversation flowed easily. And Ragrid’s extraordinary Program Director, Mia Andrews Drihem, made frequent introductions. We made wonderful friends and had a terrifically fun time on top of everything else on offer.

AND HOW WAS THE FOOD?

The pleasures of good food served with wine at lunch and dinner (and Champagne at breakfast) can’t be underestimated. The emphasis here is quality not just quanity. What was special here too, was that, in addition to a menu designed to appeal to American palates, Viking strives to bring French food to the table on a daily basis. Breakfast is Buffet-style with every imaginable breakfast food and, need we tell you, croissants and breads that gave you a taste of France to start your day. Lunch too always had a French accent…Soupe a L’oignon anyone? But the piece de resistance of the entire trip was a dinner given over to the Food of Normandy. There, starting with local patés, it moved on to such Norman specialties like “Blanquette de Veau”, -veal in a white sauce-and “Poulet Vallée d’Auge “–a traditional stew made with chicken, cream, mushrooms and local cider. There was, of course, a cheese platter of Normandy’s famous Camembert, Pont-l’Évêque, and Livarot. If you had room for them, the meal was capped off with an extraordinary selection of desserts all with a regional origin and as a digestif, Normandy’s famous Apple Brandy, Calvados.

WHAT YOU’LL SEE ALONG THE WAY

One of the great draws of this itinerary is of course Paris itself. No matter how many times we visit, Paris never disappoints. In the throes of preparation for this summer’s Olympics, the city is a bit torn up. But out of the way of the construction zones, it’s still Paris. Viking Radgrid is your ship as a hotel for a day at the beginning of the trip and a day at the end. Viking offers “Panoramic Paris” to all passengers. Like virtually all Viking excursions, these use luxury buses to ferry passengers on their tours. We hopped aboard “Panoramic Paris” and left the group halfway through for some personal exploration. Optional excursions take guests to The Palace of Versailles, to Montmartre and the one we chose, “Flavors of Paris”. A food tour, this was a wonderful way for foodies, like us, to enjoy a dive into French food, wine and culture. Limited to groups of 10, we immediately found ourselves in delightful company.

LEAVING PARIS IN OUR WAKE, THE QUIET BEAUTY OF NORMANDY AWAITED

First stop, the tiny town of La Roche-Guyon with its impressive 12th Century Chateau. If you wish, on offer is a tour offering a glimpse of French Chateau life. Onboard, the day is given over to Painters. There’s a Painting Class for a minor fee and a free lecture about Painters along the Seine, a reminder that this is home to many Impressionists—Pissarro, Renoir, Monet and, at the end of his life, Vincent Van Gogh. That same afternoon, we sailed a short distance to Auvers-sur-Oise. This village was made famous as the home of Van Gogh for his last 70 days on earth. During that time, he painted 74 paintings. He is buried there alongside his devoted brother Theo. A leisurely morning on day three brought us to Rouen. If you have never visited this wonderful small city, the “Capital of Normandy, you are in for a treat! The two famous cathedrals beckon. The half-timbered houses amaze and delight. And Rouen is the place where Julia Child ate her first meal in France! This meal inspired all that came after that visit to “La Couronne”. Located in the Place Du Vieux Marche, the same town square where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake! Viking’s included walking tour ends directly in front of La Couronne. Although slightly past American lunchtimes, you can re-enact Julia’s lunch down to the last oyster for 65 Euros.

THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE TRIP FOR MANY, THE NORMANDY BEACHES COME NEXT.

This year marks the 80th Anniversary of World War II’s most significant European battle. On June 6, 1944, the allies –the United States, Britain and Canada—stormed the beaches of Normandy. At enormous loss of life, this battle was the beginning of the end of World War II. There is no way of not being overwhelmed with emotion at the sheer scale of the Battle. Viking goes out of its way to salute the heroes of June 6th. A Memorial Service presided over by passengers from America’s military is a moving tribute. For a generation of children of World War II veterans, it is a never-to-be-forgotten tribute. Amazingly, at this writing, there was still space available in July aboard the four longships that ply the Seine.

PEACEFUL PLEASURES ROUND OUT VIKING’S RETURN TO PARIS

A morning sail gives time for the daily Port Talk and today, sadly the disembarkation briefing. However, presided over by Program Director Mia Andrews Drihem, the latter turns out to be a very funny presentation of what’s been lost and found during our sailing. A cane? Really? We’re docked at Les Andelys, everyone’s picture-perfect idea of a village in France. Dominated by the Fortification of Richard the Lionhearted, it’s Sunday here though the shops remain open for last minute souvenirs. Monday, our last full day on Viking Radgrid, finds us in Le Pecq. About an hour from central Paris, this is the jumping off point for several tours. Ours took us to Chateau Malmaison, the home of Empress Josephine Bonaparte, wife of Napoleon. This is extraordinary visit peels back years of French history as you wander through rooms filled with the personal belongings of these two historical figures. For those who simply have not had enough Paris, a shuttle bus takes passengers back and forth to Le Petit Palais. Then at night, those of us who simply can never see enough of the City of Light, our voyage ended aboard another vessel. After a farewell Cocktail Party and an early dinner, we travelled into Paris, boarded a river cruiser and passing the Eiffel Tower during one of its evening “light shows”, reveled in how lucky we were to have cruised with Viking on “Paris and the Heart of Normandy”.

Don’t miss more updates, news and reviews about Viking Cruises on Cruising Journal.

Monte Mathews

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