River Cruising

Several friends have long recommended we take a river cruise. I’ve looked at the brochures for years with great interest and yearning but always concluded it was too expensive. Then I received an email from Viking River Cruises in late September 2016 with an offer that looked too good to be true. As we drove to a college football game, I told my husband and a friend about the offer and we decided I should at least check it out although I suspected it would still be too expensive once all the additional charges were added in. I called from the car and was stunned to learn the price in the offer was the total including taxes and port charges.

So what was the offer? This was an 8-day cruise on the Rhone River in the south of France through Provence from Avignon to Lyon beginning October 30. It included airfare from Minneapolis; transfers between the airport and the ship; a veranda cabin; excursions at each port of call; unlimited beer, wine, and soft drinks at lunch and dinner; and free onboard wifi. And if we paid with a debit card rather than a credit card, there was an additional discount. The total cost for Jim and me was $4800.

We booked it. My friend booked it. When a couple from our church heard about it, they booked it, too. And we’re all glad we did.

We flew out of Minneapolis to Amsterdam and then to Marseille where Viking staff met us and escorted us to our bus to transport us to Avignon and our ship, the Viking Buri.

Check back over the next several weeks as I review each port of call on my first river cruise.

Lori, Kathy, Jerry, and Jim awaiting our flight from Minneapolis

Our group arrives at the Viking Buri in Avignon, France

Our cabin

Our cabin with a view

Our veranda

Kathy and Jerry on their veranda

Our ship, the Buri, with Lori and Jim on their verandas

Lori and Jim on their verandas

Based on events from October 2016.