Viking Seine

River Discounts

Viking Seine

Dining
With no cabin service of any sort available, dining arrangements were somewhat regimented. Guests are allocated to fixed tables even at the daily breakfast buffet, which consists of a substantial array of cereals, bread, juices, cold meats, cheese, and boiled or scrambled eggs usually available only until 9 a.m. or, at the latest, 9.30 a.m.

Lunch was generally served promptly at 12.30 p.m. and dinner at 7 or 7:30 p.m. though Ana, our charming Portuguese waitress, was obliging about the occasional late arrival (within reason).

And tucking into four-course lunches and five-course dinners while watching the riverbanks roll by from Viking Seine's pretty, large-windowed dining room was certainly no hardship. Though most tables were for six or eight, some two-tops were available, and dining chairs -- high-backed and clad in dark blue material -- were well cushioned and comfortable.

And the food -- though not particularly French in style -- was lavish and consistently good. Cream soups, with crisp, warm-from-the-oven French bread to mop them up, were a daily treat, while with crisp salads, piquant coarse pates, delicious grilled fish, tasty pasta dishes and melt-in-the-mouth roast beef or lamb stew making regular appearances on menus, there was plenty of choice for both carnivores and vegetarians.

And the wine, of course, was French -- and very affordable, at 15 euros (approximately $20 or 10 GBP) for a bottle of soft, fruity Cote du Rhone.

Public Rooms
A French river cruise is a stylish holiday option, and the nearly new Viking Rhone lives up to her surroundings. Guests are welcomed aboard in a small but elegant entrance foyer with a pale wood reception desk and -- right opposite -- a machine serving hot tea and very good quality coffee (oddly, this is free during the day but covered up after dinner, when a coffee or tea at the bar will set you back 2 euros).

To the right of the reception desk is a small but very pretty, library with large windows offering board games and a good selection of books in English as well as German, French and other European languages. To the left is a small shop area, stocked rather inadequately with a few t-shirts and polos, scarves and hats and used mainly as a repository for destination information, updated daily.

Beyond the shop is the boat's main (and only) lounge which -- like the attractive peaches-and-cream colored dining room -- has large windows on three sides. Here the ceilings and curtains are cream, tables wood-effect, and seating grey and peach; tall yucca plants in maroon pots provide a touch of elegance, and there is a small parquet dance floor in front of an even smaller bandstand to the rear.

The lounge is surrounded by a narrow outside promenade with highly varnished wooden seating, so on sunny days guests can enjoy a drink with a view outside. Drinks are by and large affordably priced, at 2.50 euros for a Heineken beer, 4.40 euros for a Campari and soda and 4.90 euros for a gin and tonic.

Wine costs 3.50 euros a glass, but "mocktails" cost between 3.60 to 4.70 euros -- which seems a little steep considering they contain no alcohol. Mineral water is also expensive, at 4.50 euros for 1.5 litres (though cabin stewardesses will happily supply jugs of perfectly drinkable tap water on request, and these are also served in the dining room).

An outside staircase leads up from Main Deck to the Sun Deck at the top of the vessel, a roomy outdoor facility with plenty of comfortable seating and tables for pre-dinner drinks.

The brochure says Viking Rhone has a whirlpool on its top deck but it was covered over on my trip -- possibly because the Rhone's very low bridges necessitate frequent evacuation of the Sun Deck, which has a retractable wheelhouse. This sinks right down on some stretches of the ship, where there are literally only inches to spare between the top deck and overhead bridges -- so when staff say you have to clear the deck, they're not kidding!

Cabins
There are three categories of cabin; D-grade standard cabins have a small picture window, one fixed single bed and a pull-down berth. C grades are almost identical to Ds but have larger windows, and AB deluxe cabins are slightly more spacious, with two sofas that transform into single beds at night, and large, open-able (but usually locked) windows.

All cabins come equipped with hair dryer, safe, TV, radio, and small ensuite shower room with washbasin and WC. The triangular-floored shower areas take some getting used to, but are deep enough to use without drawing the rather clammy shower curtains across, as good drainage keeps water away from the main bathroom floor.

The cabins have good lighting and very efficient air conditioning, and are smartly decorated in shades of cream, blue and beige, with cherrywood trim (but rather tacky-looking Formica style wood-effect tabletops).

Wardrobe and drawer space is ample for a week's cruise but wardrobe rails are too low to accommodate even three-quarter-length dresses, which have to be hung on the back of the cabin door.

Entertainment
On my cruise, entertainment was minimal. Apart from daily briefings in German and English, and a couple of laboriously conducted bilingual quizzes, we were left pretty much to our own devices --- not a problem as most passengers were out on daily tours.

In the evenings, a lone musician performed Elvis Presley numbers and other middle-of-the-road selections in the lounge, accompanied by a synthesizer. This rather downbeat entertainment was supplemented one evening by an accordion-wielding local entertainer playing regional music. On another, we were treated to a rather tiresome cruise show, consisting mainly of slapstick routines performed by people dressed as babies.

During the boat's overnight stop in Lyon there was an organized walk ashore led by Sandra, the young German cruise director but, er, that was about it.

Best bet most evenings was to head back to the cabin around 10 p.m. to catch an English language video on TV. The range of these was limited but included some good choices, notably "The Full Monty" and "As Good as it Gets."

By day, though, the river provided entertainment enough: Gliding past the splendid ruins of Chateauneuf du Pape, we realized that stately castles are certainly not confined to the Rhone, and watching the boat going through the tortuous series of tight locks was fascinating.

Fitness & Recreation
With the top-deck whirlpool out of action, there was nothing else available in the way of health and fitness facilities. The boat has no gym, sauna or pool, so the only option for exercise is to take long walks ashore.

A range of shore excursions can be purchased in advance, but some of these are, frankly, more expensive than they're worth.

For example, a morning's walking tour of Avignon cost 32 euros, yet it was only a straightforward 15-minute walk from the boat to the city centre and its main attraction, the magnificent medieval Palace of the Popes. Entrance to this costs only 6 euros including an excellent pre-recorded commentary -- so by doing your own thing here you could save some cash and blow it on lunch in the lovely tree-lined main square instead.

And while the Steam Train Tour from Touron through the Doux Gorge showed us some spectacular scenery as we puffed passed finely wrought aqueducts, sugar-white beaches, sun-dappled forests and fantastical white, pink and blue-veined boulders littering the river bed, there was a lot of unnecessary hanging about before we even boarded the train and the price -- 69 euros a head -- seemed excessive.

My tip? Don't commit yourself to shore tours in advance; invest in a good guidebook, check out "les petit trains" -- the pretty white tourist trains ubiquitous in all France's major towns and cities, which offer 45-minute guided tours around the main attractions at minimal cost -- and play it by ear as you go. That way you'll get the best out of river cruising, the real pleasure of which lies simply in moseying ashore and exploring at your own pace, rather than being herded about on excursions.

Family
While there is nothing to stop travelers taking children aboard the Viking Rhone, there are no special provisions made for them in terms of facilities, children's staff or dedicated mealtimes and menus. Older children might enjoy the experience of visiting a range of fine European towns and cities but I would not recommend it for youngsters under 12.

Fellow Passengers
On my cruise, there were only seven other English speakers, four of whom were Norwegian. The vast majority of passengers were middle aged to elderly Germans who were friendly and very polite -- and given to singing along to ooompah tunes played on the accordion.

Dress Code
Casual but smart was the order of the day, with many passengers opting for jacket and tie over dinner. Though there are no formal nights as such, fairly smart clothes were brought out for the Captain's welcome and farewell gala dinners.

Gratuity
Tips are collected at the end of the cruise and shared equally among all staff on board. A level 10 euros per passenger per day is recommended, but there is no need to carry this in cash as you can put the final amount on your credit card.

-England-based Maria Harding is cruise correspondent for The Times of London and The Daily Telegraph.