Viking River Cruises: Relaxing Common Spaces to Enjoy

Viking’s river cruise ships, called longboats, have comfortable common areas for dining and relaxing. The well-designed furnishings and Scandinavian decor are presented in calming, muted colors. These are spaces that are restful and perfect for enjoying the river views. This article delves into the common spaces aboard a Viking river cruise ship, and my complete guide to a Viking River Cruise explores the entire cruising experience, including details on the staterooms, excursions, entertainment, and dining. You may also be interested in the best sights to see on a Viking Grand European Tour cruise. My husband and I enjoy cruising on Viking ships because they offer top-notch guestrooms, shared spaces, excursion choices, and service.

Contents

Lounge and Bar Area

There’s ample comfortable seating here — upholstered chairs and sofas — with large windows to enjoy the views. There’s usually live music in the Lounge during lunch as well as before and after dinner. On the ships we were on, a duo included a vocalist and a pianist. A large bar is on one end of the lounge; there’s a wait service in the Lounge during lunch, late afternoon, and evening.

Upholstered sofas and chairs and a piano sit in a Viking river cruise lounge. — **The lounge** **offers comfortable seating. The Aquavit Terrace at the ship’s bow is seen beyond the lounge.**

Several chairs sit on the side of a large square bar aboard a Viking river cruise ship. — **The lounge bar**

Sun Deck

This is a relaxing area with chairs, tables, and lounge chairs. In addition, there’s a walking trail, shuffleboard, and a putting green. Plenty of covered space protects guests against the harsh summer sun. If we were sailing during the day, the program director narrated scenic highlights along the river as we continued our journey. Note that there are times when the sun deck is closed to guests. This happens when bridges are too low to pass safely with guests on the sun deck. When this happens, the crew collapses the awnings, chairs, and tables, and the ship’s bridge recedes into the ship to reduce its height.

**The sun deck is collapsed when approaching a low bridge. Here the ship is going through a lock**.

**A crew member helps to pilot the ship on the sun deck.**

Aquavit Terrace

On the longships, the Aquavit Terrace is just in front of the Lounge to the ship’s bow, and is a place to relax on warm days. It’s also a great place to enjoy a lunch buffet while progressing along the river. Dinner is also served on the Aquavit Terrace; dining service on the Aquavit Terrace begins 15 minutes after dinner service starts in the restaurant.

A lunch buffet has two long tables of food and beverages aboard a Viking river cruise ship. — **A lunch buffet awaits guests in the Aquavit Terrace.**

Dining Room

This is the main dining space for all three daily meals. The dining room has a variety of tables that can seat 6, 8, or 10 people. There are large windows on the port and starboard sides, so views are always available while dining.

Diners are finishing their meals in the restaurant aboard a Viking river cruise. — **Dining room**

Coffee Station

Are you looking for coffee, tea, and/or baked goods between meals? The coffee station is always available, although the baked goods tend to be gobbled up later in the evening. The good thing is … there are always tomorrow’s treats to look forward to!

A beverage station has coffee,, tea, and pastries aboard a Viking river cruise ship. — **The coffee station is well stocked with various coffees, teas, and baked goods.**

Library

Located off a main corridor, the library has books you may borrow while aboard and abridged newspapers prepared for Viking guests daily. Expect to see separate versions for Australia, Canada, and the U.S.A. Reading these newspapers is a quick way to catch up on national and international news and get financial market and sports updates without going online.

Internet Café

Opposite the library, located off a main corridor, the internetcafé has a couple of desktop computers that are always available for guest use.

Keeping the Ship Clean

The Viking ships are well-maintained and clean. We noticed the crew cleaning early in the morning, as soon as we left for excursions, and in guest rooms during dinner.

**Viking staff keep the ship clean. If you’re an early bird, you’ll probably see crew members spiffing up the ship**!

General Travel Planning Articles

Final Thoughts

Cruising with Viking has been a pleasure for my husband and me. One reason is the comforting common areas that Viking offers its guests. These well-designed spaces and decor in calming colors make the whole experience so relaxing. The sun deck and Aquavit Terrace rank as my favorite spaces. I enjoyed morning walks (laps) on the sun deck, taking in the views and watching the Viking crew go about their duties piloting the ship. After morning excursions, I once more favored the sun deck for reading and just plain relaxing. I enjoyed lunching on the Aquavit Terrace because the buffet offered so many delicious choices, and it was fun to be at the front of the ship for unobstructed views.

Comments?

Please share your suggestions or ideas for getting the most out of a Viking river cruise. Your thoughts can help fellow travelers. Thanks! 🙂