Keeleys, Wright, & Forster Viking River Cruise: Danube, Main, and Rhine : The Viking Ship, Idi, and Life Aboard a Viking Cruise

The Idi was built in Germany and launched in April 2014. It is their latest generation of river boat that brings together the best of the ships before it. It’s 445’ long x 38’ wide and needs just 5’ of water. (And it has a double hull in the event of an accident.) There are three floors of cabins, a spacious dining room, a lounge able to sit all guests around comfortable tables and small couches, an open air deck (Aquavit) at the bow and an open-air deck that runs the length of the ship.

The Idi can accommodate 200 guests that are well taken care of by a crew of 60. They hail from 13 countries, many are Eastern Europeans and some from as far away as the Philippines. Many work on a 6-week on and 2-week off schedule. While most staff speak 2 or more languages, with English being required, a young lady at the main desk speaks six.

The staterooms are very comfortable and modern. A large flat screen TV gives you the weather, daily trip information, a lounge cam so you can view the presentations in the lounge if you are in your room, a bow cam so you can get a captain’s view of the river 24/7, and options for free movies, TV, etc. All the amenities you need are in your room, including a refrigerator where you can keep your German beer and L'Occitane products! We opted for the lower deck rooms, which are the less expensive accommodations since the rooms do not have a balcony or suite, only a top window. We only used our rooms for sleeping. Why spend a lot of money on your room when there is so much to do and a top sun deck to hang out in or a comfy lounge?

The dining was definitely gourmet and the service was excellent. We got to know our server, Galina (from the Ukraine) quite well and found out she was engaged to the Idi ship manager, Gunther (from Austria)! The breakfast buffet had everything you could imagine- not only the typical breakfast fare, but fresh made smoothies, muesli, fruits, cheeses, salmon, sliced meats, grilled veggies, and a huge assortment of fresh breads and pastries, with a local specialty featured each morning. If one wanted lighter fare, one could eat on deck at the Aquavit lounge.

Lunch in the dining room always included an appetizer, soup, entrée, and dessert. If you couldn’t decide on the choices, you could have all three (but beware of the calories!). Sometimes we ordered an extra dish which we passed around so we could have a taste of something that sounded interesting. The center of the dining room had an amazing array of salads and fruits to choose from and a pasta station. Lighter fare was served on the deck off the lounge where you could sit outside and have sandwiches, salads, and occasionally they grilled hamburgers out on the deck.

Dinners always had three choices of appetizers, entrees, desserts, and a fruit/cheese plate of the local cheeses. Unlimited wine is included. Dinners often included a local specialty such as Hungarian Goulash or River Sturgeon (which we decided was too fishy!). The Captain’s dinner was an elegant affair we could get dressed up for. Jackie and Page had an excuse to wear their sparkles that night!

By the lounge there is a self-serve area where you can get coffee, tea, water, sparkling water, and fresh baked cookies throughout the day.

Before each dinner there is a local briefing in the lounge to explain what you will see the next day and the Concierge describes optional things you can do at each stop. The chef comes out and describes the dinner offerings.

Lazlo is the ship musician. He plays the piano in the lounge during the day and evenings and often sings. It was quite amusing to hear him sing songs we knew in his Eastern European accent. He was quite talented on the piano and could play anything.

Sometimes we just played cards, worked on our blog, or read books in the lounge. The floor to ceiling windows gave a great view of the passing scenery. Or we went up on the top deck when it was open where you could get a fresh air view of the passing scenery as well as walk the walking track. The top deck also had a putting green and an herb garden from which the chefs snipped their herbs. In the beginning it was fun and novel to watch how the ship entered and passed through the 70+ locks we encountered on the rivers. But after awhile, it became “just another lock”. For three days the top deck chairs and railing had to be taken down to flatten the ship so it could pass through low bridges.

Interesting lectures were offered in the lounge such as the History of the European Union or the Dutch Cheeses. There were also demos. Page got to be the volunteer for the Making Apple Strudel demo and there was also a demo by a local German glass blower. Special music performances were offered in the evening as well. There was a local opera group that sang opera pieces after our visit to Vienna and a very talented trio of a cellist, Clarinet player, and pianist who played classical pieces from composers of the countries we visited.

Each day included a walking tour, where we had silent boxes and earpieces to follow our local guides. You learned many interesting things from the guides that you would not know if you went out on your own. The other half of the day was spent on your own or you could sign up for optional tours.

There is a “community feel” on the ship. After a while, you get to know many people and recognize all the passengers, unlike being on a large ocean cruiser with over 1,000 people. You really get to know the staff, from the captain (well, not quite the captain as he did not speak English) right down to the crew and our cabin girl. The people who go on Viking cruises are mostly around our age, seem well-educated, and have an interest in the culture and history of the region. They are not there to sail on a "party boat". A Viking cruise is a relaxing vacation as well as a learning opportunity. But the best part- experiencing it together with family!