Are you ready to set sail with Viking River Cruises?
The Countdown Has Begun!
We're sure you're excited to set sail with Viking, but the journey starts well before you step onboard.
River cruising is wonderfully relaxed once you're underway, but there are still a few important things worth organising before you travel. From completing your Guest Information Form and choosing your shore excursions to downloading the Viking Voyager app, checking your embarkation location and understanding what's included onboard, we've answered the questions our guests ask most often below.
If there's anything you're still unsure about, our team is always here to help.
Your main Viking pre-departure portal is My Viking Journey.
You'll find your Viking booking number within your Paramount Cruises documentation. You can use this to create a My Viking Journey account and link your upcoming cruise.
My Viking Journey allows you to complete important pre-departure tasks, access your travel documents, view your itinerary, browse and book shore excursions, confirm cruise preferences and see information relating to your flights where applicable.
You can access My Viking Journey online.
Your Paramount Cruises booking details, payments and documentation can also be accessed through My Trip.
If you'd like to make a change to the holiday you've booked through Paramount Cruises, please contact our team rather than amending the booking directly with Viking.
Viking doesn't operate a separate app-based online check-in process like many larger ocean cruise lines.
Instead, make sure you've completed your Guest Information Form within My Viking Journey and carefully reviewed your final travel documentation.
Your physical check-in takes place when you arrive at your Viking river ship.
You'll need your passport and relevant travel documentation, and your final Viking Journey Summary will contain the important information about where and when to join your ship.
Yes. Viking's guest app is called Viking Voyager, and we'd recommend downloading it before you travel.
The app is available for Viking river cruises and becomes particularly useful during your voyage.
Depending on your sailing, you can use Viking Voyager to:
- View your personalised daily schedule
- Read the Viking Daily programme
- Check weather forecasts and port information
- View your booked shore excursions
- Browse and book available excursions
- Receive reminders and updates
- View deck plans
- Find useful information about the destinations you're visiting
You should still complete your main pre-cruise planning through My Viking Journey, as this remains Viking's primary booking portal before departure.
Viking currently issues electronic travel documents approximately 14 days before embarkation.
You'll normally receive these by email, and they can also be accessed through the Booking Summary section of My Viking Journey.
Your documents contain important information about your itinerary, transfers where applicable and where to join your river ship, so read them carefully before travelling.
Viking may also send luggage tags and transfer identification separately where applicable.
You'll need a valid passport for travel. It must have at least 6 months validity from your date of return to the UK.
Please check the entry requirements for the countries you’ll be visiting, some destinations do require a visa to be organised prior to departure. You can find the latest information at www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.
On European river cruises, Viking generally begins welcoming guests from around midday, although the time your stateroom becomes available can depend on your accommodation category.
If you arrive before your stateroom is ready, you may be able to leave your luggage with Viking and start exploring the embarkation destination.
Always follow the timing shown in your final Viking travel documents, as boarding arrangements can vary between ships, itineraries and destinations.
If you head ashore after dropping off your luggage, make sure you're back onboard well before the ship's scheduled departure time.
Your final travel documentation will contain the docking information available for your embarkation.
This is particularly important on a river cruise because ships don't always use a permanent cruise terminal or berth.
Local authorities control river docking positions and berths can occasionally change because of river conditions, port operations or the number of ships visiting a destination.
If you're making your own way to the ship, check your latest documentation before setting off rather than relying solely on a location you found online several weeks earlier.
This is completely normal on a river cruise.
Busy river ports have limited docking space, which means two or more ships can sometimes be moored alongside one another, often referred to as double berthing or rafting.
You may occasionally need to walk through another river ship to reach the shore, while guests from a neighbouring vessel may need to pass through yours.
This can also temporarily restrict the view from your stateroom or veranda.
The arrangement is controlled by the local port authorities rather than Viking and is a normal part of European river cruising.
One of the key benefits of Viking's river cruises is that one complimentary shore excursion is included in every port of call.
Your available excursions can be viewed through My Viking Journey once they've been released for your sailing.
Viking will normally contact you when excursion booking becomes available.
Alongside the included excursion, many destinations also offer additional optional experiences for an extra charge.
We'd recommend reserving any paid excursion you particularly don't want to miss before travelling, as group sizes can be limited.
Remaining availability can also be discussed with Guest Services once you're onboard.
Every port generally features an included Viking excursion, designed to introduce you to the destination's main sights, culture and history.
This might be a guided walking tour of a historic city, a visit to a UNESCO World Heritage Site or another experience showcasing the destination.
Viking also offers optional excursions for an additional charge.
These usually provide a more specialised or in-depth experience, such as food and wine tours, cultural performances, visits further afield or smaller-group experiences.
You don't have to purchase optional excursions to have a full programme of sightseeing during your holiday.
Viking keeps things relaxed. During the day, casual clothing is ideal. Shorts, jeans or trousers and comfortable walking shoes are all perfectly suitable depending on the weather.
For evenings, Viking describes its recommended style as elegant casual. For ladies, this might mean a dress, skirt or smart trousers with a blouse or jumper. For gentlemen, trousers and a collared shirt are ideal. Jackets and ties are optional.
Comfortable walking footwear is particularly important because river cruise excursions frequently involve cobbled streets, steps and uneven surfaces.
No. Viking specifically doesn't have traditional formal nights, so there's no need to pack black tie or an evening gown.
Evenings remain elegant but relaxed. Rather than large production shows or themed parties, Viking focuses on destination enrichment. Depending on your itinerary, evenings may feature local musicians, cultural performances, lectures, cooking demonstrations or presentations relating to the places you're visiting.
There may also be special dinners or regional events during the cruise, but these don't require traditional formalwear.
Yes. All guests travelling with Viking must currently be at least 18 years old on the day they're scheduled to embark. You therefore won't find children's clubs, family entertainment or facilities designed for younger guests onboard.
Viking's river cruises are designed specifically around adult guests interested in destinations, culture, history and enrichment. Remember that while the minimum cruising age is 18, Viking's minimum age for purchasing or consuming alcohol onboard is 21.
Yes, please ensure that you have adequate Travel Insurance in place for your holiday and that your insurance covers cruises and the countries you are travelling to. We’ve partnered with award-winning Travel Insurance Just Travel Cover to help you find the right insurance for your next cruise. At Just Travel Cover you can compare prices from multiple insurers; there’s no age limit and cover for pre-existing medical conditions.
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Travel Insurance is provided by Just Travel Cover, a trading style of Just Insurance Agents Limited, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (610022).
Terms, conditions and exclusions apply, and all quotes are subject to underwriting criteria.
To review Viking River Cruises' terms & conditions, please visit their website.
