Some ships get imitated for a reason. Viking's Longship design has been so influential on European rivers that rival cruise lines have borrowed its layout, and Viking itself has stuck rigidly to the formula across a fleet of 69 near-identical vessels. A reviewer for Traveller recently sailed the 11-day Rhine & Main Explorer route between Basel and Nuremberg aboard two of them, Viking Skirnir and Viking Modi, and came away with four stars and a grudging respect for a formula that refuses to change.
A shallow stretch of Rhine forced a mid-cruise ship swap, but the coach transfer between the two vessels was handled so smoothly the itinerary barely blinked. That's the Viking promise in miniature: Swiss-Norwegian efficiency paired with relaxed, American-style service from a crew of 53 looking after just 190 passengers on a 135-metre ship.
Onboard, expect sleek Nordic minimalism, glass balustrades that flood interiors with light, and enough artwork to keep the subdued palette from feeling sterile. The lounge's U-shaped bar is the social heart, and it flows into the Aquavit Terrace at the bow, where informal dining comes with forward-facing views. Up top there's a Sun Deck with shuffleboard, a putting green and herb beds that feed the galley, though low bridges on the Main River make it off-limits for much of this route.
Cabin categories run from porthole-only Standard Staterooms to French Balcony and Veranda rooms, plus two larger Explorer Suites. The Veranda Suite reviewed here measures a generous 25.5 square metres with a separate lounge, queen bed, heated bathroom floors, an anti-fog mirror and even a pair of binoculars. Suites get complimentary laundry.
Food is à la carte at both lunch and dinner, heavy on regional German dishes: braised beef with onion sauce, sausages and sauerkraut, and bienenstich cake. The reviewer found it excellent but mainstream, and wished the cruise leaned harder into German cuisine given how much of the route is in Germany. Note a quirk: all restaurant tables are shared, and the few tables for two on the Aquavit Terrace are highly contested.
Two caveats worth knowing. There's no gym or spa, which the reviewer considers a plus, since every port offers riverside promenades and cycle paths. And entertainment is minimal: trivia nights, the occasional local music group and a lounge pianist, while the destination lectures that once defined Viking have mostly disappeared. During a heatwave, air-conditioning also faltered when ships switched to shore power in Basel and Strasbourg.
For anyone weighing up a first European river cruise, this is a useful data point: the Longship experience is dependable, well-staffed and comfortable rather than flashy or adventurous. The 11-day cruise runs from $7795 a person twin share in 2027, covering dining, drinks with meals, Wi-Fi, a shore excursion in every port and gratuities, with economy flights included on selected sailings booked before November 30, 2026.
Review by Traveller (Sydney Morning Herald).
