Name: Viking Hervor
Brand: Viking River Cruises
Availability: InStock

At a glance

Viking Hervor is an intimate-size cruise ship operated by Viking River Cruises, in service since 2021. It carries 190 guests and 48 crew (4.0 guests per crew member) at 5,000 gross tons. It ties with 54 other ships as the 2nd largest of 73 Viking River Cruises ships by guest capacity. On Cruiseable's Bliss scale it scores highest for active, adventure & nature, cultural, romantic and staterooms (7/10) and lowest for entertainment, family friendly and party (5/10). It has 4 cruises on sale, with lead fares from $2,499 to $3,499. 7 of its upcoming sailings dropped in price since the previous weekly fare check.

Builder's plate

Specs

Guests: 190
Crew: 48
Gross tons: 5,000
Decks: 4
Length: 443 ft
Beam: 39 ft
Maiden voyage: 2021
Space ratio: 4.0; Gross tons per guest
Guests per crew: 4.0
Balcony cabins: 95

Bliss scores

What Viking Hervor is best at

Ten dimensions scored by our editors on a 10-point scale. The Cruiseable app ranks every cruise against the mix you care about.

Active 7.0
Adventure and nature 7.0
Cultural 7.0
Dining 6.0
Entertainment 5.0
Family friendly 5.0
Party 5.0
Romantic 7.0
Spa and fitness 6.0
Staterooms 7.0

Our review

Viking Hervor: Cruising to the land of castles & cathedrals

The 190-passenger Viking Hervor, one of the newest Longships from Viking River Cruises, debuted in early 2021 with two popular itineraries through the Middle Rhine of Germany and neighboring countries.

Some of the innovative spaces on this Viking Longship include the indoor-outdoor Aquavit Terrace at the bow of the ship, an expansive Sun Deck and interiors that represent spacious public spaces, lots of natural light and light blonde wood accents, all lending an understated elegance.

Viking Hervor is a "green ship" because of energy-efficient hybrid engines, solar panels and an organic herb garden. Longships transport guests in comfortable, understated elegance, with hotel-style beds and amenities like 40-inch flat-panel TVs and in-room refrigerators.

Since entering the river cruise market, Viking River Cruises has received numerous awards for its itineraries, innovative ship designs and onboard programming. River cruising is all about a slower pace and taking time to enjoy sailing through the scenery while enriching your time in distinct destinations around the globe. If you are looking for destination-focused river cruises, then sailing on Viking Hervor is an ideal option.

For a millennial's take on river cruising, see Don Bucolo's writeup about his first river cruise experience: 5 reasons why millennials will love river cruising.

Where Viking Hervor sails

Viking Hervor offers two main itineraries:

Rhine Getaway is a 7-night cruise starting in Amsterdam and filled with castles and cathedrals. Discover the turreted fortresses, grand cathedrals, historic cities, medieval towns and spectacular scenery of the Middle Rhine—a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Taste the region’s renowned white wines, the roots of its terraced vineyards reaching back to Roman times. Savor the various culinary traditions of Alsace. From Amsterdam and Cologne to Basel, this journey reveals a rich landscape of beauty and culture before ending in Basel, Switzerland (or starting there).
7 Night Christmas on the Rhine is a festive weeklong Christmas market cruise starting in Amsterdam.

Here's a quick primer on what to expect on a Viking Longship.

Read the full review

What’s included

Your base fare on Viking Hervor includes Internet (Wi-Fi), included excursions, ground transfers, live evening entertainment, daily lectures, food and wine tastings, 24-hour coffee/tea and replenished daily bottled water. Lunch and dinner are served with complimentary beer, wine and soft drinks. Most passengers take the daily shore excursions included in the cruise price, though you're free to book an independent tour.

A canal in a historic section of Strasbourg, France, seen during a Viking River Cruises walking tour. Don & Heidi Bucolo / Special to Cruiseable

River cruising: It's about destination immersion

River cruising is about the destination probably more so than the ship. The ports of call shadow the onboard amenities; however, Viking helps guests learn about the local culture, history and highlights of the places that they visit. On Viking Hervor you'll find locally sourced ingredients in meals at lunch and dinner as well as local entertainers sharing their music, dancing and stories.

Viking Hervor includes daily tours as part of your cruise fare, which makes the hassle of figuring out logistics less challenging. Most tours are completed around lunch and then you are free to do what you choose until the ship leaves port. You'll be given a nightly briefing in the evening before dinner to get updates on the next day’s call to discuss the upcoming day’s activities, tours and logistics. Plan to attend the session to discover highlights of the upcoming town's history, art, food, music and architecture.

Dining

Viking Hervor dining options include the main dining room and Aquavit Terrace with indoor and outdoor options at the ship's bow. Our travel writer Don Bucolo writes: "While the number of dining venues is more limited on a smaller ship, the menus feature locally sourced ingredients with chef specialties unique to the region. You'll also want to snag some of the line’s signature cookies and scones that are available at the onboard café. Dinner is a social matter. With no assigned seating, you're able to mix and mingle with other cruisers. This is a great time to meet new friends and to hear about their adventures of the day."

Entertainment & activities

River cruising is very mellow. You won't find any large production shows or comedy clubs. What you will enjoy is some light piano music played by the house musician and local entertainers who are brought onto the ship to sing, dance or tell stories from the local perspective. After dinner, cruise passengers can hang out in the lounge and have an after-dinner drink, or they can walk back into town if the ship is not leaving port until later in the evening.

You'll want to spend some time in the Observation Lounge, which features floor-to-ceiling glass doors for panoramic views. Activities and features on board include:

Sun Deck with 360-degree views & shaded sitting area; organic herb garden & solar panels; putting green & walking track
Viking Lounge & Bar with floor-to-ceiling glass doors
Library & onboard shop
Elevator from Middle to Upper Deck only; no elevator access for categories E & F
Free Wi-Fi (connection speed may vary)
Laundry service
40-inch flat-screen TV with infotainment system featuring Movies On Demand, plus CNBC, CNN, National Geographic & more

Capture and share precious moments during your European travels aboard a Viking Longship. Courtesy of Viking Cruises

Cabins

Viking Hervor sports the new Viking river cruise ship design that allows larger accommodations without the need to shrink public areas. The ship has 95 cabins in these categories:

Two Explorer Suites at 445 square feet featuring 270-degree scenery views and private wraparound balconies.
Seven Veranda Suites at 275 square feet with two separate rooms: a living room (with step-out balcony) and bedroom (with French balcony).
39 river-view Veranda Staterooms at 205 square feet with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door opening to a full-size veranda.
25 Standard Staterooms with non-opening windows in eight grades
22 river-view French Balcony Staterooms with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door to create a French balcony

Fun facts

Viking Longships are 443 feet long and 39 feet wide because those are the maximum dimensions possible for river ships navigating the locks on some of Europe's waterways. If they were even two inches longer or wider, they wouldn't fit in some locks.
Viking names its ships after Norse mythology. Hervor is named after a Valkyrie who was spinning flax by a lake when the blacksmith Volund came along and took the fair-haired woman as his wife. After they were married for seven years, Hervor was called to battle and never returned.

Your take

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For pricing, itinerary information and to reserve your spot on Viking Hervor, contact a Cruiseable travel consultant by email or by calling 1-877-322-3773.

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