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Health & Fitness

Viking River Cruise Review

I have customers from Birmingham that write some of the best reviews from their trips and I love to share them.  I just received this one from her trip on Viking River Cruises and had to share it.

Please feel free to contact me at 770-729-1881 or danny@cruisenationwide.com for details on Viking Rivers Cruises

Flight from Birmingham to Atlanta and Atlanta to Amsterdam was on Delta.  Our flight was delayed in Atlanta because of thunderstorms.  By the time we left Atlanta, we knew we had missed our connection in Amsterdam (to Bucharest) so we simply accepted that fact because we could do nothing about it at that time and said we’d face that problem when we arrived at the Amsterdam airport.  We were sure we’d have to find a KLM ticket counter and stand in line and hope to get out later that day.

When we got off the plane and walked into the gate area, were we pleasantly surprised! There stood 2 KLM reps – one holding a board with names printed on it and the other one with a bunch of tickets in hand.  The names on the board were those who had missed their flight.  We gave them our names and they simply handed us our boarding passes for our flight to Bucharest which was to take place about 3 hours later that afternoon.  WE WERE ALREADY CHECKED IN!  They gave us our gate number.  This was the best service we have ever seen – on any airline – in any country!

The only problem now was to contact the transfer company that was to pick us up at the airport upon our arrival in Bucharest.  Viking provided their phone number, along with their emergency number and we used our cell phone to contact them.  The transfer company had flights arriving throughout the day, so a rep was there all day.

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JUNE 19 – DAY 1 OF OUR PRE EXTENSION TOUR -  BUCHAREST, the capital of ROMANIA:  Other passengers who arrived on that same flight were transported to the RADISSON BLU HOTEL.  It was a beautiful hotel with great services, including free internet.  The hotel had a very good dinner menu and there were restaurants all around and within walking distance.  Just 2 blocks over on the main drag were lots of restaurants, including fast food restaurants (KFC, McDonald’s, Burger King, etc.)  This bustling area seemed safe to walk around and was very convenient.  (Dinner at your own expense.)

ROMANIA is cherished for its unchanged way of life with dramatic scenery, rustic villages and well-preserved historic monuments.  The city of BUCHAREST has been undergoing major modernization programs.   ROMANIA, population 2.2 million is located on the lower Danube and borders the Black Sea and is slightly larger than the state of Minnesota.  The Carpathian Mountains cover about one-third of the country.  BUCHAREST has been its capital since 1862. 

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Everyone was asked to leave large pieces of luggage in the Radisson Blu and pack a small overnight bag for our trip to Brasov the next day since we would be returning to the Radisson Blu on our third night.  This was handled very efficiently and safely.

JUNE 20 – DAY 2 OF OUR PRE EXTENSION TOUR:  Our three and a half hour motor coach ride to BRASOV went through Romania’s mysterious Transylvania region and we enjoyed the beautiful countryside.  Rich farmlands were plentiful.  The huge golden yellow sunflower fields were beautiful.  Sunflower seeds and sunflower oil are major items in Romania’s economy.  Our bus stopped at a huge department/grocery/etc. store that carried everything. Restrooms were plentiful and stopping here for a refreshment/restroom was a bonus.  NOTE:  If you have your purchase bagged, you pay a few cents for the bag, which seems to be a common practice in a lot of countries.

We visited Peles Castle which was located in beautiful SINAIA.  This Neo-Renaissance castle is actually a 170 room palace built between 1873 and 1883.  There was some free time to browse and shop around in Brasov.  Viking uses the Ramada in Brasov and it is not up to Viking’s usual standards.  No free internet, no free bottle of water, no special services.  This hotel is located outside of the main Brasov city area and there are no convenient restaurants or nearby entertainment.  The Viking guide arranges the shuttle bus to take you into Brasov for dinner at one particular restaurant and that is the only choice you have besides eating at the Ramada (unless you can locate a cab).  Dinner at the Ramada was a disappointment.  I would not want to stay here again.  Hotel staff lets you know the internet is free, but they fail to mention that it is available only in Romanian language.  (Lunch and dinner at your own expense.)

WHILE TOURING, WE SAW REAL STORK AND STORK NESTS!  THEY WERE HUGE!  SOMETIMES YOU WOULD SEE MAMA, PAPA, AND LITTLE HEADS STICKING UP.  THESE NESTS WERE HIGH UP ON POLES.  WHAT A SIGHT!

JUNE 21 - DAY 3 OF OUR PRE EXTENSION, which was the second day in BRASOV, we checked out of the Ramada and once again stopped again at the BRASOV City Center.  We had about two hours to kill before going on to BRAN CASTLE.   (With the stop here on the third day combined with the stop at this same place on the second day, this was entirely too much time to spend in area where there is not much to do.)    There was a beautiful old church to tour – at your own expense, of course, and Viking had no planned tour/site for Brasov.  After killing time in Brasov, we boarded the bus for our trip to BRAN CASTLE which is the home of the infamous Vlad Tepes, the man whose legend prompted Bram Stoker to create his most famous literary character, COUNT DRACULA!  After this tour, we went to a fantastic restaurant where we had pre chosen our meal and had a great dining experience – at our own expense.

We then returned to the Radisson Blu in Bucharest late afternoon and individuals made dinner plans on their own. 

(DAY 1 OF THE MAIN CRUISE TOUR STARTS ON JUNE 21 AND WILL BE OUR LAST DAY IN BUCHAREST.  An optional excursion to Constanta on the Black Sea coast was offered.  This was also the first day of the regularly scheduled itinerary for passengers arriving to begin their trip.)

 RECOMMENDATION:  Do take this excursion to CONSTANTA.  You will pass through some of the most beautiful country with farms galore.  CONSTANTA is the oldest living city in Romania and was founded around 600 B.C. by Greek settlers and is now a fashionable resort town.  We had an excellent city tour and the beach was beautiful.  We had lunch in a very nice restaurant on the beach.  (Lunch at your own expense.)

Day 2 of our main cruise tour (June 22):   Last day in BUCHAREST, which included a tour of the Victory Square, the beautiful 17th century Patriarchal Church, and National Theatre.  Also included was Ceausescu’s lavish and expansive “House of the People” which serves no purpose other than serving as a popular tourist site. An interesting stop was at the Village Museum, a Romanian village with authentic dwellings from all regions of the country, including rural cottages, farmhouses and water mills.  You could buy souvenirs here, most of which were by local artists.  Lunch was at a local restaurant which included a folkloric performance.  (A pre-arranged lunch was included.)  The name of the restaurant was PESCARUS and was located in the Village Museum Park.  They also entertained us with music from the region.

After lunch, we transferred by motor coach to our ship, the Viking Aegir, on the Danube River.  There were a total of three motor coaches and one broke down on the long ride to the ship which made that group about 2 hours late for dinner.  We were to board the Aegir in the river port of GIURGIU, but there was a lot of rain the week before we arrived and the Danube flooded and had problems and the ship had problems getting through the locks. In fact, the cruise tour that took place the week before ours had to get off the Aegir after the 2nd or 3rd night and finish the trip by motor coach. 

So, instead of boarding the ship in GIURGIU, we met the ship in SVISHTOVROMANIA.   The ship pulled in after two of our buses had unloaded and we picked up our room keys and went straight to dinner. As soon as the last bus arrived, we started sailing.  It was smooth sailing all along the river!

Day 3 (June 23) of our cruise tour:  ROUSSE, BULGARIA.   Included in today’s itinerary was an overview of ROUSSE and a drive through the beautiful countryside to the former Bulgarian capital of VELIKO TARNOVO.  From TSARAVETS HILL, you could view the ruins of the royal castle and view the picturesque hillsides around the town.  The included lunch was in a local restaurant in the suburb of ARBANASI, a lovely historic village, followed by a guided tour of the Nativity Church, known for its frescoes.  We rejoined our ship in SVISTOV for dinner.

Day 4 (June 24) of our cruise tour:  VIDIN, BULGARIA

BULGARIA is located on the western coast of the Black Sea and borders Romania, Servia, the Republic of Macedonia, Greece and Turkey.  Human habitation in the area dates back to the Hamangia and Vinca cultures during Neolithic times and spans more than 6,600 years.  The name BULGARIA comes from the Bulgar people who settled in the area in the 7th century, A.D.  After World War II, Bulgaria became a communist state and was part of the Eastern Bloc, but today it is a democratic republic and a member of both NATO and the European Union.  Of its 7.5 million inhabitants, more than 1.2 million live in the capital city, SOFIA.

Our motor coach tour took us from VIDIN to BELOGRADSHICK.  With its strange red-colored rock formations, this is one of the most scenic areas in Bulgaria.  The Rocks of BELOGRADSHICK were formed by millennia of weathering, river erosion, freezing, as well as many other natural factors that resulted in the formation of a multitude of fantastic figures resembling silhouettes of people, towers, ships, mushrooms, palaces and animals.  Walking around and looking at the rocks at your own pace was very nice while we enjoyed the refreshments that were set up for us.

INTERESTING FACT ON BULGARIA:  BULGARIA is a pretty small Balkan country; however, it is a world power regarding rose oil production.  Bulgarian pure rose oil contains the essence of the precious and beautiful Rosa Damascena flowers cultured in the valley of Roses around the Bulgarian town of KARLOVO.  Its’ perfect location and climate with gentle sunshine, ensures minimum release of the aromatic ingredients from the flowers.  To make a litre of rose oil, it takes e to 3.5 tons of red rose flowers or 5 to 6 tons of white rose flowers.  That is why at the world markets rose oil is often more expensive than gold.  It is also known as LIQUID GOLD.  Currently, a kilo of rose oil costs 4000 Euros.  Bulgarian rose oil is the most qualitative rose oil in the world and is preferred for the most expensive fine perfumery.  It is partly used in medicine as well as in lots of therapeutic programs and SPA procedures – massages, inhalations, aroma baths, etc.  You will find rose oil products in souvenir shops all over the country of Bulgaria.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR VIDIN:  Our tour guide, Christian, along with his wife, breed wolf dogs.  When our bus pulled back in to the dock, his wife was there with a female wolf dog named BODISEA and we were allowed to pet her.  Their wolf dogs were in the movie EXPENDIBLES 2.

Day 5 (June 25) of our cruise tour:  scenic cruising through the Lower Danube.  The Iron Gate is one of Europe’s most dramatic natural wonders, a spectacular narrow gorge with enormous white limestone cliffs.

Day 6 (June 26) of our cruise tour:  THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA.   This country is slightly smaller than the state of Kentucky and is divided into four different geographic zones.  The north has rich fertile plains; the east has limestone ranges and basins; the southeast has ancient mountains and hills; and the southwest has extremely high shorelines.

BELGRADE, SERBIA is an ancient capital set at the confluence of the Danube and Sava Rivers.  BELGRADE MEANS WHITE FORTRESS.  This is an old town with its medieval gates, orthodox churches and victory monument and the famous Kalemegdan Fortress.  This tour included a guided walk in the park around the fortress where there were many beautiful views.  You could spend the free afternoon at leisure, shopping or sightseeing or take an optional excursion to KOVACICA which was in the northern region of the VOVOIJDINA.  We did not do this tour but it seemed like an interesting tour for those who participated.  Our ship sailed just before midnight.

INTERESTING FACTS :  Average salary in and around Belgrade is $400 - $600 monthly and 40% tax comes out of that.  They have 25% unemployment and in 2012, inflation was 10%.  You cannot have 2 jobs – part-time jobs are illegal.  It is normal for 3 generations to live together under one roof.  Nikola Tesla, a great Serbian was a close friend of Woodrow Wilson.  Mother Teresa was born in Macedonia, Serbia; Albert Einstein lived here at one point with his family.  He and his wife got married and moved to Serbia.  They had 2 boys.  They divorced and Albert moved to the U.S. and married his cousin.

Day 7 (June 27) of our cruise tour:  VUKOVAR, CROATIA, arriving around noon.  This is a pivotal location during the Serb-Croatian War.  It is located near the junction of the Drava and Danube rivers.  This is a large and prosperous town which bore much of the brunt of the recent conflict in the 1990’s.  You can still see some scars from this war.   Tour included a journey to OSIJEK, the fourth largest city in CROATIA.  This town is known for its Baroque architecture, beautiful suspension bridge across the DRAVA RIVER and neo-Gothic styled Church of St. Peter and St. Paul

Day 8 (June 28) of our cruise tour:  KALOCSA HUNGARY, arriving around noon and disembarking for a visit to the city center.  Tour included the cathedral and Archbishop’s Palace, followed by a PUSZTA HORSEMANSHIP PERFORMANCE at the BAKODEPUSZTA EQUESTRIAN CENTER.  This was a very entertaining show.  Snacks and wine were served and souvenirs were sold here.

FAREWELL RECEPTION AND FAREWELL DINNER upon return to ship.

Day 9 (June 29) of our cruise tour:  BUDAPEST, HUNGARY:  Depart ship after breakfast and tour this capital city.  The Danube cuts through the heart of the city and separates the Buda Hills and the Old City from the elegant boulevards of modern PEST.  The tour starts in PEST with a ride along the Andra’ssy Ut  with views of the National Opera House and Heroes’ Square.  Other sights included the Parliament and crossing the river to the more traditional “BUDA side of the city and the massive hilltop castle complex with its famous Chain Bridge and Elizabeth Bridge, two of many that connect the two halves of this vibrant city.   The tour ended in BUDAPEST at the Le Meridien Budapest hotel.  This excellent hotel is located in a very convenient area of the city.  You can walk out of the hotel and go a short distance where you will find a great area for shopping and restaurants.  (Lunch and dinner are on your own.)  NO FREE INTERNET AT THIS HOTEL.

Day 10 (June 30 of our cruise tour:  BUDAPEST at leisure.  No more planned tours. The hotel serves a fabulous breakfast, which is included.  (Lunch and dinner are on your own.)

Day 11 (July 1) of our cruise tour:  Breakfast at hotel and check out for transfer to the BUDAPEST airport.

NOTES:  Free internet is included on the Aegir and you can even use one of their two laptop computers - for free - at any hour of the day or night. As you departed the ship for tours, a bottle of water was given to you.   (Hotels should duplicate this policy.)

Service on the Aegir was excellent!  The crew was very efficient and pleasant.  Food and the varied menus were also excellent.  You can have all the wine you want both at lunch and dinner.

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