On Location: “Relaxing & easy”: River cruising through Lyon & Provence with Viking

How do you create a European vacation for a client that’s relaxing and easy – especially when Europe is buzzing with tourists?

Suggest a European river cruise that avoids frustrating traffic and, instead, puts them right at the riverbank of romantic villages that cast a spell and fascinating fairy tale-style towns steeped in history.

Viking River Cruises has more than 75 longships and is a leader in this market for affordable, all-inclusive voyages.

When your clients step aboard the four-deck, 190-passenger Hermod ship in Lyon, France for a Rhone River cruise, they’ll instantly feel the peaceful, slow-mo vibe and exhale.

PAX participated in Viking’s “Lyon and Provence” voyage in May. The brand’s calm Scandinavian interiors of pale woods and simple furnishings in beige and cream tones are soothing and serene.

About 50 attentive crew will make clients feel welcome, and with so few guests on board, newfound friendships will be made with worldly travellers aged 55-plus and retirees.

Cruises for the “thinking person”  

Viking designs their cruising style for the “thinking person” who has interests in history, science, culture and cuisine.

There are free daily excursions, as well as purchased tours that delve deeper or go farther. All are led by knowledgeable and friendly guides and guests use a handy speaker on a lanyard and earbud to hear the guide.

For this voyage, free tours include options such as city walks (day and night) and a steam train adventure. Some free tours may also include entry fees to a site at no cost to the guest.

Paid tours generally include exploring towns further away, vineyard tours with wine tastings, culinary tours with food tastings, canoeing and more.

Prices range from about $69 euros for a vineyard hike, to $269 euros for a Beaujolais and Truffles tour, per person.

Or clients can step off the ship anytime and explore on their own. There are no bicycles on board, but these are easily rented ashore from vending machine-type depots in larger towns.

Sometimes, the longship stays overnight in port so your clients don’t need to rush back to the ship after a tour and can also enjoy the lovely evening ambiance of a destination.

Life outdoors

Deck 4 features the popular Sun Deck. This is where most people spend their time in deck chairs and at tables under a shady canopy. It’s easy to spend hours here enjoying a beverage and watching the gorgeous passing scenery of massive castles, ornate churches, splendid mansions and extensive vineyards.

The Sun Deck also has a walking track, two golf putting greens, shuffleboard and an herb garden. Clients will also notice the solar panels at the aft as an alternative energy source for the ship’s diesel-electric hybrid engines. At the bow, they’ll see the Captain’s wheelhouse.

Cruising down the Rhone river is not only relaxing, it’s also fascinating from a navigation standpoint while watching the skills of the officers and crew, who manoeuvre the 135-metre-long vessel.

There are many low bridges on the Rhone – some are so incredibly low that the crew must close the Sun Deck to all guests, lay down the shade canopy, put away the furniture and lower the Captain’s wheelhouse into the floor. The Captain continues to navigate from a small window and open-air hatch.

There are also about 15 locks to go through – the deepest is about 23 metres. This is a slow but fascinating process and guests can usually stay on the Sun Deck to watch or get a front-row seat at the bow.

At some locks, there may only be about 20 centimetres clearance on each side of the ship, so advise clients to avoid their balcony during these transits because the concrete walls of the lock and steel lowering mechanisms are almost close enough to touch.

The ship also has a library of books, cards and board games and two computers. Wi-Fi is included, but doesn’t work well on the Sun Deck. There’s no spa, salon or gym.

Meals inspired by destinations

Meals are enjoyed in the dining room with many tables for four and eight to encourage socializing.

The Aquavit Terrace at the bow has indoor and outdoor seating at tables for two and four guests, as well as a buffet and barbecue for more casual dining.

Meal options are inspired by the destination and there are also many popular international options.

The meals on board the Hermod were generally good but didn’t quite meet the consistent high calibre of Viking’s ocean ships – in case your clients have cruised on these other larger Viking vessels.

Also, let clients know that there’s no room service, so dining times are important to attend.

There are coffee/tea machines and cookies available 24/7 outside the lounge.

The lounge and bar have comfortable seating, a dance floor and the resident pianist plays nightly.

There are also port talks and culture and history presentations, cooking classes, movies and local food and beverage tastings such as wine and cheese.

Outdoor seating can be enjoyed at the bow’s Aquavit Terrace.

Wine, beer, specialty coffee/tea and soft drinks are included with meals. However, suggest to clients that they purchase the alcohol package for many more options.

Staterooms & suites

The fleet of identical Viking longships offers 95 staterooms on three decks ranging from about 135 to 275 square feet.

This includes 25 standard staterooms, 22 with French balconies, 39 with verandahs, seven veranda suites and two 445-square-foot Explorer suites with wraparound balconies and 270-degree views.

Bathroom floors are heated and remind clients to request robes and slippers.

Book clients on Deck 2 if they like to take afternoon naps in their cabin because Deck 3 cabins are below the Sun Deck and can be noisy during the day when crew put away the furniture and canopy to go under the numerous low river bridges and set it back up.

Also inform clients that at some ports, river ships may have to dock side-by-side once or twice a week. This means their cabin balcony may be right up against the neighbouring ship’s balcony and therefore lack privacy.

To disembark in these situations, guests walk off their ship and go through the atrium of the other ship to go ashore. The Hermod also has a two-deck elevator.

River cruising is such an easy way to see a country and with Viking the journey is safe, slow and steady – just the right pace to savour the sights and sounds of France.

Travel Advisory Academy

Since 2020, Viking has welcomed 15 new ships to its fleet including eight new longships on the rivers of Europe, new purpose-built vessels on the Mekong, Nile and Mississippi rivers; along with ocean ships and Polar Class expedition vessels.

Viking has a Travel Advisor Academy here with a training program and opportunity to earn exclusive benefits.

The four-module academy includes information to sell their river, ocean and expedition voyages.

Viking has won more than 250 awards, including being the first cruise line to ever be named both the "#1 Ocean Line" and the "#1 River Line" in a single year in Travel + Leisure’s 2022 “World’s Best” Awards.

Diane Tierney has been on 86 ocean cruises (including three Viking ocean ships) and three river cruises along the Nile, Mississippi and Rhone rivers. She has 120,000 followers on Instagram @Cruiseguru.

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