Onboard With Viking: Experiencing a Danube River Ship
Have you ever wondered what it’s really like to sail on a Viking River Cruise Longship? On my very first Viking river cruise last October, I boarded the Viking Gullveig along the Danube, and in this post (and the video above) I’ll take you on a full walkthrough of life onboard. From the serene lounges to the elegant staterooms, this ship - like every Viking longship on the Danube, Main, and Rhine - offers a calm, immersive way to tour Europe’s inland waterways.
An Introduction to Viking River Cruises
Founded in 1997, Viking began on Europe’s rivers and today operates the largest river fleet in the region. With more than 80 ships sailing 21 rivers worldwide - from the Rhine to the Nile, the Mekong to the Mississippi - the company has become a multi award-winning leader in river cruising.
Its European vessels, known as Viking Longships, are modern river ships inspired by the sleek, streamlined design of the original Norse vessels. Purpose-built for the rivers they sail, they feature layouts that maximise space and light, including the signature Aquavit Terrace and a range of staterooms - private cabins with everything you need for comfort.
Viking’s ships navigate narrow locks, slip under low bridges and dock right in the heart of towns and cities. Onboard, serene Scandinavian-inspired interiors create a refined, understated elegance. With an adults-only policy and a maximum of 190 guests per ship, the atmosphere is intimate, calm and personal.
As the ship glides past terraced vineyards, castles and historic towns, passengers can relax with uninterrupted river views from their private verandas or the Sun Deck. Excursions at each port provide hands-on experiences - from art and history to local culture - making river cruising with Viking an immersive and peaceful way to explore Europe.
Life Onboard the Ship
What’s on Each Deck?
Let’s take a look around a typical Viking Danube River Ship. With four public decks, starting from the top, they are the Sun Deck, Upper Deck, Middle Deck and Main Deck.
Sun Deck
The Sun Deck offers 360° views and plenty of loungers and chairs, making it the ideal place to relax and watch the scenery drift by. You’ll also find a herb garden, solar panels, a walking track and even a putting green.
Sunny skies and river views from the Sun Deck on Viking Gullveig
Upper Deck
Staterooms
The Upper Deck hosts several staterooms, including Explorer Suites, Veranda Suites, and Veranda and French Balcony Staterooms. Our Veranda Stateroom, at 205 square feet, felt like a home away from home, with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors opening onto a full-size veranda.
Inside, the Queen-size bed can be arranged as twins. Amenities include a flat-screen TV, fridge, safe, telephone, under-bed suitcase storage, a spacious wardrobe with wooden hangers, individual climate control, USB ports, 110/220-volt outlets, QuietVox audio receivers and earpieces (for excursions), and complimentary Wi-Fi. Dedicated stateroom stewards refresh the room twice daily and replenish bottled water.
Side note: If you’re British, like me, and struggle to start your day without a cuppa, just head to the tea & coffee station on this deck, as this room type doesn’t include in-room facilities.
Looking out onto the stateroom’s veranda
The private bathroom features a spacious glass-enclosed shower, heated floor and mirror, complimentary toiletries and a hair dryer.
Public Areas
The Lounge and Bar
The Lounge and Bar are your daytime sanctuary and evening gathering place, perfect for morning coffee or a glass of wine at sunset. Here, the onboard programme comes alive with Port Talks, Enrichment Lectures like ‘The Danube - A Cultural History’, Cookery Demonstrations (we learnt how to make Apple Strudel), Presentations on Mozart’s life and Austrian coffeehouses, and evening activities such as a Music Quiz and Movie Quiz.
An evening highlight is the Destination Performances, designed to bring each region’s culture to life. On our cruise, we enjoyed a Viennese jazz trio and live performances from talented German singers and musicians.
The light-filled Lounge with its floor-to-ceiling glass windows
Aquavit Terrace
Adjoining the Lounge and Bar, the Aquavit Terrace is an indoor/outdoor area at the bow of the ship. With its panoramic views, it quickly became our favourite spot for al fresco dining,
The Library
Towards the middle of the ship, the Library is a quiet corner with a hand-picked selection of books. Across the way are two computers, handy if you’d like to go online.
Middle Deck
The Middle Deck is where you first come aboard and it’s also home to Guest Services, a small shop, and additional Veranda and French Balcony Staterooms. The Restaurant, shown in this accompanying video, shares this deck.
Main Deck
The Main Deck, which is the lowest public deck, houses Standard Staterooms and rounds out the ship’s accommodation.
Food & Drink
Viking Gullveig has two dining venues - the Restaurant and the Aquavit Terrace - both without reservations. Simply choose your preferred table when you arrive.
The Restaurant features panoramic windows and communal-style tables for six or more, creating natural opportunities to connect with fellow travellers. For a different atmosphere, the Aquavit Terrace provides indoor/outdoor dining with intimate tables for two or more guests.
Both venues serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. At lunch and dinner, multi-course meals featuring regional cuisine are available alongside classic dishes. And they’re accompanied by complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks. For those who’d like to enjoy unlimited beverages, Viking offers a Silver Spirits Beverage Package.
Meal times vary slightly depending on your itinerary, with typical daily schedules as follows:
Breakfast (Three Options)
6:00-11:00AM | Café Breakfast: Coffee and pastries at the tea & coffee station by the Lounge
6:00-10:00AM | Aquavit Breakfast: Beverages and breakfast selections on the Aquavit Terrace
7:00-9:30AM | Restaurant Breakfast: Full breakfast including dishes cooked to order
Breakfast buffet in the Restaurant
Lunch
12:30-2:00PM: Available in both the Restaurant and Aquavit Terrace
Dinner
7:00PM: Restaurant service begins, with the Aquavit Terrace opening 15 minutes later
Snacks
Freshly baked biscuits are available at the tea & coffee station for mid-morning and afternoon snacks.
On one afternoon during the cruise, we were invited to enjoy a traditional afternoon tea, featuring scones, pastries and sandwiches - a lovely addition to the week’s dining experiences.
Shore Excursions
Viking includes a complimentary shore excursion in every port of call, usually a panoramic or walking tour led by a knowledgeable local guide. These provide an excellent introduction to each destination’s landmarks, history and culture.
For those who’d like to explore further, optional excursions offer more in-depth experiences. These range from visiting the magnificent Schönbrunn Palace (the Habsburgs’ lavish summer residence) to cultural evenings such as Mozart & Strauss concerts performed by the Vienna Residence Orchestra. Viking also offers exclusive Privileged Access experiences at selected cultural treasures. At Göttweig Abbey, for example, you can tour the museum, admire the Imperial Staircase and sample the abbey’s famous apricot wine.
You’re free to join any of these excursions or simply explore on your own. Whether included or optional, every tour is carefully designed to help you make the most of your time ashore. And when you return to the ship, the crew are there with a small taste of the region for you to sample - a chocolate, canapé or a warming drink. Such a lovely touch.
When the Ship Sails
River cruising with Viking is designed to maximise your time in each destination. The ship usually sails at night, so you wake up each morning ready to explore a new port. A notable exception is the Wachau Valley, where the ship sailed in the afternoon, allowing us to enjoy uninterrupted views of the vineyards, castles and villages from the Sun Deck, Lounge or private Veranda.
Sharing the River
When in port, it’s common for Viking ships to moor side by side, known as rafting. It simply means you might step through the lobby of a neighbouring ship before heading ashore or coming back to your ship. This is standard practice on Europe’s rivers.
Service & Crew
From the moment the Programme Director greeted us on arrival, we experienced the warmth, professionalism and wonderful balance of friendliness, knowledge and humour that defines Viking’s hospitality. Our ever-attentive crew - from restaurant servers and bar staff to stateroom stewards and management - all went above and beyond to ensure our enjoyment of the voyage. They learnt our names, anticipated our needs and made every effort to create a truly exceptional experience.
When trying to book an optional afternoon excursion, we saw their dedication firsthand. That morning, we'd asked at Guest Services about the excursion’s availability and were told it was fully booked. Later, while enjoying lunch on the Aquavit Terrace after our morning excursion, the Maître D' approached our table to inform us that two places had become available. When we went to Guest Services to secure our spots, we discovered the team member had described us to the Maître D', who then tracked us down personally. That excursion to Schönbrunn Palace became our favourite of the entire voyage - a perfect example of Viking's exceptional, proactive service.
Dress Code
During the day, dress is casual - shorts in warm weather, trousers or jeans, and comfortable shoes for walking tours. Evenings are elegant casual, with dresses, skirts or trousers and blouses or jumpers for women. And collared shirts with trousers for men.
What’s Included on a Viking River Cruise
Viking’s fares are refreshingly straightforward. There are hidden extras and no surprise bills at the end of your trip. Here’s what you can look forward to as part of the experience:
Return scheduled flights from London and selected regional airports
Overseas transfers
All onboard meals featuring regional specialities and always-available classics
Wine, beer and soft drinks with onboard lunch and dinner
24-hour speciality coffees and teas
Free Wi-Fi on board
One complimentary shore excursion in every port of call led by a knowledgeable guide
Enrichment lectures and destination performances
Onboard gratuities
The Viking Difference
After our week onboard, it was clear to see why Viking has won so many awards. With just 190 guests, the ship felt intimate yet spacious, offering all the comforts of a boutique hotel: elegant staterooms, inviting public areas, sweeping views through floor-to-ceiling windows and delicious dining on the Aquavit Terrace and in the Restaurant. Calm and welcoming, it never felt crowded, and the adults-only atmosphere made it easy to really relax.
The Lounge quickly became one of our favourite spots. Its serene, light-filled spaces were perfect for unwinding after a day exploring onshore. Evenings spent there, sipping a glass of wine, catching up with fellow passengers and listening to the Port Talk about the next day’s adventures, were little highlights of the cruise.
I particularly appreciated how Viking brings each destination to life. Included shore excursions give you an immediate sense of local culture, while optional tours let you delve deeper. Back onboard, the crew were warm and attentive, making the entire experience feel effortless - a truly decision-free holiday filled with many memorable moments.
From the ship and itinerary to the impeccable organisation, delicious food and above all, the extraordinary crew, our Viking Danube River Cruise exceeded every expectation.
A huge thank you to Viking for hosting my husband and I on this eight-day ‘Romantic Danube’ river cruise from Budapest to Regensburg. Viking had no editorial control over my content - everything here reflects my own honest experience and opinion.
At a Glance: Viking Gullveig
Ship Details
- Guests: 190
- Crew: 53
- Passenger decks: 4
What I Loved
- Great for: First-time river cruisers, child-free travellers and anyone seeking an intimate, grown-up way to explore Europe’s inland waterways
- Best spot on the ship: The Aquavit Terrace - a serene setting for lingering over lunch with wraparound river views
- Value for money: All meals, free Wi-Fi, guided excursions in every port and wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner
- Design & comfort: Understated Scandinavian elegance, with light-filled lounges, spacious staterooms and cosy corners for quiet moments
- Service: Warm, friendly and professional - the kind of attentive care that makes you feel instantly at home
- Unexpected highlight: The sheer ease of unpacking once and waking each day in a new destination, without ever repacking your case
Explore More
If you’d like to virtually step onboard the Viking Gullveig, simply head over to my YouTube channel for a full walkthrough tour - it’s the perfect way to get a further look at the ship’s serene spaces and elegant staterooms.
Viking also offers a 360° Tour and the Deck Plan online, so you can explore the ship before you sail. And if you’re curious about the route we took, here’s the itinerary for our Romantic Danube voyage.
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(Photography | Rona Wheeldon)