Modern Longships take passengers on river cruises to exotic locales

The Viking longboats of old were cold, utilitarian vessels where the dinner seating meant a fist full of salted fish — as long as the North Sea wasn’t coming over the side.

Not so the modern 
version of these explorer’s ships.

Viking River Cruises is offering experiences that traditional ocean-going cruise lines can’t offer.

The short story is this: If you’ve had enough midnight chocolate buffets, umbrella drinks on beaches and T-shirt shops where you can also buy jewelry, you may want to consider river cruising. Not that there’s anything wrong with those things — cruising the ocean is a wildly popular vacation choice. But when it’s time for a change, look inland.

Sailing rivers since 1997, Viking River Cruises offers an intimacy that comes from being in and among the people who live and work in the locations where the ships visit.

“River cruising allows you to get right down into cities and spend more time in ports themselves,” said Bill Walsh, of Cruise Travel Outlet in Salem, N.H. “If you want to really see the cities, this is the best way to do it.”

River cruising brings visitors to smaller ports of call. Where an ocean liner will stop at such major destinations as Barcelona, the Viking Longships visit smaller berths and navigate straight into the heart of these destinations.

“It’s a way to travel that’s exploded over the past few years,” Walsh said.

Why? It appeals to cruise enthusiasts who are looking for something different, and a little more cultural.

“It’s for people looking not so much for glitz and glitter, yet who still want a nice, relaxing vacation where they can see more,” Walsh said.

Viking’s river cruises are destination-oriented and destination-centric. The focus is on the site being visited, while on traditional cruise vessels, the focus is on the onboard activities. The ships glide through the waterways of Europe, Russia, the Ukraine, China, Egypt and Southeast Asia, spending time at each stop. These more exotic itineraries are led by guides who know each destination.

And there are dozens of itineraries to match any traveler’s wants and needs.

The Grand European Tour — a popular cruise sailing from Amsterdam to Budapest — spends 15 days along the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers. Each turn in the riverbend opens up to views of windmills, tulip fields, castles and vineyards. (This cruise in October starts at $4,912.)

The Portraits of Southern France cruise sails along the Saone and Rhone rivers for eight days, from Chalon to Avignon, through the French countryside. (Starts at $3,256 based on an October sailing.)

The Footsteps of the Cossacks sails for 12 days from Odessa to Kiev, offering 10 guided tours and taking travelers to monasteries, botanical gardens and demonstrating the influence of the Vikings and Tatars on the Ukraine. (Starts at $3,988 based on an October departure.)

Then there’s the fundamental difference — location.

“On an ocean cruise, you’re out in the middle of the ocean,” Walsh said. “And while that is very beautiful, you’re seeing the same thing all the time. On a river cruise you turn the corner and see castles and new scenery the whole trip.”

Of course, there are the ships themselves. A traditional cruise ship may sit tall on the seas, holding thousands of guests. Viking River Cruise Longships sit lower in the water, yet are still quite long and cater to smaller groups. The Viking ships are intimate — usually catering to just a few hundred guests — and are purpose-built to best navigate the rivers they sail.

“The rooms themselves are very similar to any cruise ship in terms of size,” Walsh said. “Most come with verandas. There was a time when there were no verandas, because they do have to watch the size of the ship. Navi­gating channels and bridges means the ships can only be so wide. Some are putting French bal­conies in because traditional balconies take some of the space of the room itself.”

Staterooms feature large beds, plenty of storage space, a flat-screen TV, a small refrigerator and a surprising amount of closet space. The bathrooms are large and bright, with top-notch fixtures. Guests can also choose from a standard stateroom and one with a French balcony — a slider with a railing that provides a balcony feel and fresh air without encroaching on the size of these large staterooms. Two-room veranda suites — there are seven of these on each ship — have a separate bedroom and a bathroom with two vanities, a sitting area and a wraparound deck. There are two even larger Explorer Suites on each Longship, the largest river cruise suites in Europe.

Viking has also introduced a new all-weather, indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace onto its ships, providing panoramic views with floor-to-ceiling retractable glass doors.

Smaller groups, a smaller setting and the ability to get to the heart of a nation is a formula that has proven successful for Viking — something illustrated by its recent growth. In 2012, Viking launched its newest Viking Longships, and a year later set a Guinness World Record by christening 10 of these vessels in a single day during a one-of-a-kind event in Amsterdam. This year, the expansion continues at an impressive rate. There are currently 35 ships in its fleet, and there are plans to launch 14 new Viking Longships in the coming months. By the end of 2014, Viking will have introduced 30 new ships over a three year period, the fastest fleet expansion program in the cruise industry.

To book, call 800-498-7245 or go to cruisetraveloutlet.com.