Cruise Line Comparisons

When I stepped onto a Viking Longship for the first time in Shanghai, I was not expecting the ship to feel that calm. I had sailed other cruise lines before, and there is always a buzz of activity when you board. People figuring out their cabins, lines forming at the bar, the inevitable crowd around the buffet. Viking was different. It was quiet, organized, and felt more like checking into a well run boutique hotel than boarding a cruise ship. That first impression stuck with

The question I get asked more than any other about river cruising goes like this: Viking or Tauck? And my answer never starts with "it depends." It starts with a few honest questions about how you actually want to spend your time on the water, what you value most in a vacation, and how you feel about paying for things separately versus having everything wrapped into one price from the beginning. I am one of a small number of travel agents who has sailed both lines and trained

The first thing that surprised me when I boarded the MS Joy for Tauck Academy was how quiet it felt. Not quiet in the way a small ship feels when it is half empty. Quiet in the way a very good hotel feels when everything is already done before you arrive. No one was trying to sell you a shore excursion at the gangway. No one handed you a laminated upsell menu at dinner. You boarded, and from that moment on, everything was simply handled. I spent several days aboard the MS Joy

Viking and AmaWaterways are two of the top river cruise lines in Europe, but they are built for different travelers. A travel agent who has sailed Viking compares inclusions, dining, excursions, and price to give you the honest answer.

Viking or Tauck? As a Certified Tauck Specialist who has sailed Viking, here is my straight comparison of what each line delivers, what is included, and who should book which.