VIKING is a brand that so many people have heard of and is synonymous with adventure, exploration, luxury, and elegance. Offering an adults-only experience, VIKING features river, ocean, and expedition cruises and continues to be the world’s leading ocean and river cruise line, voted by Conde Naste Traveler and Travel + Leisure— highly respected publications in the travel industry. These accolades are for good reason: they offer award winning service, dining, amenities, and more with their sailings, and nearly everything is included in the cruise fare, including meals, beer and wine, a complimentary port excursion each day, gratuities, and more. They don’t have an upcharge at every turn, there are no photographers waiting to sell you a photography package and popping up throughout your trip, and there are no specialty dining package or beverage packages waiting to be added onto your bill for the “real” experience. Travelers love being able to arrive to their VIKING ship, be welcomed on board, and know that for the next 7, 8, 10, or even 14 days, everything has been taken care of for them and they can watch the cities go by from their stateroom river views as they look forward to their next port stop during their sailing.

I’ve had the privilege of visiting Europe numerous times in my life— by train, plane, car, and cruise. I have to say, cruising Europe is one of my absolute favorite ways to tour the continent. One of the advantages of cruising in Europe is the ability to visit many different cities and port stops in a short amount of time— which is especially helpful if someone has limited vacation days or wants to maximize their time abroad and minimize the amount of time spent traveling between cities.