Background

My wife and I were excited to be going on a Viking River cruise….called “Portraits of Southern France.” We had seen the fabulous TV commercials and wondered whether the ships really were as nice as they appeared to be. Our trip began as a mini reunion for some of my college classmates. We probably had 80 or so associated with my class as well as the regular Viking customers. Additionally, we invited two old friends who were avid travelers (and a lot of fun to be with.)

Planning for the cruise was very easy, thanks to Viking and my class committee. Basically I paid a flat fee, and that covered everything for the 8-day period of the cruise. Exceptions were travel to the departure port, extra shore excursions, and any meals bought on your own. We were extremely pleased with all of the included tours and excursions which were part of the flat fee for the cruise. They were all interesting, well planned time-wise, and included great local guides to explain the sites and answer your questions as well as provide transportation.

Since this was our very first trip to France, I decided we had to add Paris as a stop, and maybe even an upfront couple of days to help with jet lag while we enjoyed another city. I was buying our airline tickets (rather than using points), so my shopping for a good deal brought us to Barcelona. I did have Marriott Reward Points (now Bonvoy Points) to use, so we found a great hotel in a prime location - the Renaissance Barcelona Fira Hotel - to use as our base. (The clincher was learning they had a rooftop bar and pool.) After surfing Trip Advisor, I found a charming B&B in Avignon, France which was our departure point. I made arrangements for my wife and I to spend a night at this local B&B before heading out to our cruise ship. To get there I booked a high-speed train from Barcelona to Avignon. I was excited! Talk about a classy vacation; we were going to love this.

Off to a Bad Start

Our flight was good and uneventful. We were able to doze some, but we didn’t get any quality sleep. I booked coach seats on Norwegian Airlines on the new Dreamliner; I was saving my budget for our days in France. The Dreamliner advertised extra room, healthier cabin air, and a more comfortable ride, and for the most part, we agreed. Our plane landed close to midnight, and we made it through customs, etc. fairly quickly. On to a cab, our hotel, and some decent sleep.

We quickly learned that there was a Europe-wide taxi strike for only one day, and today happened to be that day. No wonder the taxi line was so small. We begged or conned a Marriott shuttle driver to help us out, even though his hotel was pretty far from ours. We had already wasted a lot of time on the ground, were exhausted, and desperate to get settled. This guy really helped us out, and I gave him a nice tip.

We finally got to our hotel, a beautiful, modern, and well-located building around 2 am. After a good night’s sleep we headed to the hotel dining room to get a meal. The menu had limited English, and we spoke no Spanish, so we needed a bit of luck. I made the mistake of ordering Beef Carpaccio, which I discovered was pretty similar to Beef Tartare (raw). I’m a little older and wiser now.

We spent three pleasant days in Barcelona exploring the city. Great little sidewalk restaurants everywhere. The Picasso Museum. My wife especially wanted to see the Gaudi exhibit, and we made time to visit the Sagrada Familia. That was fascinating, and a “must see,” if you are ever in Barcelona. As a civil engineer I marveled at the design and construction of this amazing structure. (A word of caution for Barcelona travelers: we heard multiple reports of tourists getting victimized by pickpockets in and around the subway system. The subway itself is excellent, and it’s an easy way to navigate the city. But be alert, and take prudent steps to avoid theft.)

We loved Barcelona, but it was time to move on, and I was excited to take the high-speed train to Avignon. We asked our hotel front desk for directions to the train station. What train strike? Are you serious? First taxis and then trains. It didn’t matter that my tickets were paid for in advance - nothing was moving. We were going to miss out on the romantic little French B&B, and it wasn’t at all certain we could even make our cruise ship on time. After a fruitless search for rental cars, buses, or even air travel to Avignon, we settled on the only available option to get us there in time - a “red eye” commercial bus to Avignon. The bus left downtown about 1 am, and it was packed. I was about 5 rows from the front, and my wife was about 8 rows back. She sat next to a woman who ended up talking all night long in Spanish to her new friend in the row ahead. I was surprised no one on the bus asked her to shut up after the first hour.

A Warm Welcome

We arrived at the Avignon bus station early in the morning more tired than before and really wanting a shower. But we needed to get our bearings, some coffee, and transportation to the port where we would meet our Viking river cruise. Coffee and pastry was fairly easy to find, and we asked for assistance getting a cab to the dock. By the time we got the cab and made it to our destination it was mid-to-late morning, and actually several hours before we were scheduled to board. We got dropped off right in front of the ship, and we placed our bags down and prepared to wait. Soon there were four young people decked out in Viking uniforms running to greet us and to get our bags. They apologized profusely, telling us that our cabin wasn’t available yet. As we walked onto the ship we were handed cool, moist face towels and a wonderful refreshing fruit drink. It was almost as good as a shower! We got ushered into a spacious lounge area to relax and wait for our cabin. We were offered tea, coffee, cold drinks, and some light snacks. They handled our early and unexpected arrival with class and professionalism. It was a fabulous welcome to the Viking Buri and the the world of Viking.

The Cruise Itself

We had never before been on a Viking cruise, and so everything was a new experience. The ship had (of course) a modern Scandinavian design – sleek, functional furniture and lots of open space with good views of the outdoors. Our cabin was the “base choice”, a French Balcony (D) – and it suited our needs completely. A king-size bed, private bathroom with shower, and large windows that were essentially your outer wall. Heavy curtains could be drawn at night for blocking light and noise. Room layouts have subtle differences and prices, so study your floorplan and ask questions when booking. For example, our “French Balcony” didn't have a balcony. But frankly, we didn't miss it at all.

Meals were a special treat. You normally had two choices, either the main dining room or the Aquavit Terrace, an informal buffet area. The Aquavit Terrace was perfect for those wanting coffee and some fruit or pastry for breakfast. At lunch they normally had soup and sandwich makings, possibly a hot dish, salads, fruit, dessert, and beverages. The dining room was a sit-down experience with a full menu and waiters, and the food was always delicious and plentiful. Tables varied in size from 2 to 8 persons, and part of the fun was meeting new people at mealtime. Since we were traveling with two friends, we normally paired up with them, and then sat at a large table with others.

Viking tells you that beer and wine are included for lunch and dinner. Skeptic that I am, I expected that the offerings would be cheaper no-name brands of beer and wine, so that you would steer towards the pay-as-you-go bar. I was wrong. We were offered wonderful local wines from France carefully picked for their quality. Not only did we completely enjoy drinking their choices, but we also learned a lot about wines unfamiliar to us.

There were a couple of special dinners during the week. One that was a stand-out was an International Night dinner. We were invited back into the kitchen where we could watch different meals being prepared, baked goods coming out of the oven, and see the smooth organization of the kitchen staff. In the main dining room they had set up food stations where you could try many different types of food. The dining room was decorated for the occasion and there was music appropriate to the event.

Evenings onboard were relaxed and casual with different entertainment each night. Some nights it was just a piano player in the lounge where folks meet over cocktails to talk about the day’s tours or tomorrow’s itinerary. Some nights they had a “lecturer” on a topic relevant to the cruise. My favorite was a woman who spoke about “French Life.” She explained about local culture, politics, food, habits, etc. The attendees kept her busy answering questions for quite awhile. Important stuff like, “how many baguettes do you eat every day?”

In general, when you woke up you were in your new town for the day. After breakfast you headed out to your excursion. Sometimes these excursions would last until late in the day, in which case lunch was provided along the way. These outings were nice diversions from the ship, and great learning experiences in themselves. We often ate in charming little local spots where we could “mingle” with the local residents. Our tour guides were with us, of course, and they were always ready to give guidance or answer questions. All of these tours were optional, and you might decide that an afternoon with a good book on the upper deck was more appealing. Viking also offers tours considered “non included”, which required additional payment. We did only one or two of these, since the “included” tours were so outstanding. One premium tour we took was a visit to the Chateauneuf-du-Pape Winery – a great stop for wine lovers.

(In Part 2 of this trip we will cover our excursions in the Portraits of Southern France Cruise, our Lessons Learned, as well as our additional time in Paris and the trip back home.)

Oct 13 Our First Viking River Cruise (Part 1)

Oct 21 Planning a Buddies Golf Trip

Oct 11 Our First Viking River Cruise (Part 2)

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