Steel Magnolias on the Danube:  A Viking River Cruise with mothers, daughters & friends + 7 Fall Jackets from Zara

I took one of the most memorable trips of my lifetime in the Fall of 2018 when a group of mothers, daughters and friends from my hometown in Alabama traveled on a Viking River Cruise down the Danube River with stops in Hungary, Germany, and Austria.  

I don’t know what I expected a Viking cruise to be like, but it greatly surpassed my expectations – so much so that I am headed back for my second one in early November. This time in the south of France, plus a stop in Paris at the end of the trip.

Two factors led to the river cruise being the perfect experience for me:

1) I was with a group of 11 lifelong friends who could have fun inside of a paper sack and

2) Our weather was absolutely glorious:  chilly and sunny but not cold.  Early November was the perfect time to travel.

I highly recommend traveling with friends because that was the highlight of the trip – touring during the day and then discussing our excursions and tours over cocktails and dinner in the dining room in the evenings.  It really doesn’t get any better than that.

What I loved about the Viking River Cruise was that it wasn’t crowded, the ship was very clean and comfortable, and the meals were elegant and fun.

A note on packing: I took two coats on my last trip and given that you wear one every day, I wish I had packed a few more. Here are a few from Zara that would have worked well for sightseeing and dinners.

Zara Coats, Clockwise from top left:

1. Fitted Wool Blend Coat
2. Water Repellent Puffer Parka
3. Packable Satin Effect Jacket
4. Water Repellent Puffer Coat
5. Wool Coat Limited Edition
6. Pronounced Shoulder Textured Jacket
7. Crop Jacket with Gold Detail

A few tips based on my experience below:

NIGHTLY COCKTAIL HOUR

I strongly recommend purchasing the drink package if you like to have wine or cocktails in the evenings.  For less than $200 you can drink all the wine you like and not have to worry about a large bill or who owes what at the end of the trip. 

I loved the cocktail hour before dinner on the Viking cruise.  The setting on the ship is lovely, they often had live music, you usually receive a funny camp counselor-like update from your guide at night, and then you head down for dinner.  It is a great way to end the day.

MEALS

The food was excellent on the ship – menus changed nightly, often to reflect the local foods from the location of the stop. 

§  Breakfast – buffet style, delicious options including eggs, oatmeal, fresh fruit, omelets made to order, pastries

§  Lunch – buffet or menu options, also always a variety of choices including soups, salads, entrees

§  Dinners – changed nightly with a few constants for the less adventurous eaters

ACCOMMODATIONS

There are several options of rooms to choose from on the Viking cruise – all are nice and clean but some are more spacious than others.  I chose one of the rooms with a balcony and separate sitting area and was next door to my mom, which was perfect.  The decoration is simple but elegant — classic Scandinavian style.  A bonus with the pricier room type was the complimentary daily laundry service.

EXCURSIONS

o   My mom and her friends are professional cruisers so knew what they were doing on this front, but I was not prepared for how much thought and work goes into planning the excursions (tours) for each day.  You definitely need to study the options and think about your interests before booking; important to note that they can also sell out so you want to make your choices as early as possible.

o   There is a cost to most of them and it can be expensive but is the best way to see the sights.

o   Overall Viking did a nice job with their tour guides and the opportunities they offered, but some were better than others. 

o   I chose to skip part of the tour in Vienna and instead booked a spa day with a friend at a lovely hotel called Hotel Sacher Wien. Well worth it.  We also went into the towns where we stopped a few times either for lunch or dinner, including in Vienna, Austria, and it ended up being one of my favorite nights and meals of the entire trip.

o   By far my favorite excursion was bike riding in Germany.  We rode our electric bikes down a path for several miles past vineyards and farmhouses and countryside into a pedestrian only village where we shopped around and bought pastries and coffee.  It was the best day.

DAY ON THE DANUBE

One of my other favorite days on the ship was spent on the roof deck of the Viking ship sailing down the Danube. Our group of 13 friends took our glasses (ok, bottles) of rose up to the roof, sat together in chairs with blankets, and talked about life and childhood memories for hours. 

NOTES

I was in my early 40s when we took the trip and several of my friends were a few years younger.  We were by far the youngest on the trip.  That said, given that we traveled in a pack, it made no difference.  I wondered when we were traveling if I would have enjoyed it as much with just one person and I don’t think I would have.  Eight days is a long time to be together and I really enjoyed the variety of conversations and perspectives from our group.   

I am headed out on Viking Cruise #2 in a couple of weeks – fingers crossed that it is as much fun as the first one!