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

At a glance

Viking Vali is an intimate-size cruise ship operated by Viking River Cruises, in service since 2019. It carries 190 guests and 50 crew (3.8 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, cultural, dining, romantic, spa & fitness and staterooms (7/10) and lowest for adventure & nature and family friendly (5/10). It has 9 cruises on sale, with lead fares from $2,499 to $5,499. 1 of its upcoming sailings dropped in price since the previous weekly fare check.

Builder's plate

Specs

Guests: 190
Crew: 50
Gross tons: 5,000
Decks: 4
Length: 443 ft
Beam: 95 ft
Maiden voyage: 2019
Space ratio: 3.8; Gross tons per guest
Guests per crew: 3.8
Speed (mph): 17

Bliss scores

What Viking Vali 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 5.0
Cultural 7.0
Dining 7.0
Entertainment 6.0
Family friendly 5.0
Party 6.0
Romantic 7.0
Spa and fitness 7.0
Staterooms 7.0

Our review

Viking Vali: Waltz along the Danube or Rhine rivers

The 190-passenger Viking Vali offers cruises through the heart of Europe, calling on charming river towns along both the Danube and Rhine rivers.

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. Viking Vali is a "green ship" because of energy-efficient hybrid engines, solar panels and an organic herb garden. Longships can transport 190 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 Vali is an ideal option.

Viking Vali is one of six next-generation Viking Longships that launched in 2019; its sister ships are Viking Sigrun, Einar, Tir, Ullur and Sigyn. See Don Bucolo's writeup about his first river cruise experience aboard sister ship Viking Einar: 5 reasons why millennials will love river cruising.

Where Viking Vali sails

Viking Vali currently offers these itineraries:

7 Night Danube Waltz starting in Budapest and taking in such charming riverside ports as Bratislava, Vienna, Krems and Linz before ending in Passau, Germany (or starting there).
14 Night Grand European Tour starting in Amsterdam with stops in Kinderdijk, Cologne, Koblenz, Marksburg, Braubach, Rhine Gorge, Wertheim, Wurzburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Regensburg, Passau, Vienna and ending in Budapest (or starting there).

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 Vali 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.

Upper Belvedere Palace in Vienna, Austria. Kurt Bauschardt / Creative Commons BY-SA

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 Vali, you'll find locally sourced ingredients in meals at lunch and dinner as well as local entertainers sharing their music, dancing and stories.

Viking Vali includes daily tours as part of your cruise fare, which makes the hassle of figuring out logistics less challenging. Most tours are done 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 Valli 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 of this Longship class: "While the number of dining venues are 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."

Cologne's two large churches are visible from the Rhine River. Michael Rastetter / Creative Commons BY

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

Cabins

Viking Vali 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 fact

The son of Odin and the giantess Rind, Vali was conceived strictly to avenge the death of Baldur, another of Odin’s children. To achieve this, Vali grows into manhood in just one day, developing courage and perfecting his marksmanship with the bow and arrow.

Your take

Have you cruised on Viking Vali? What was it like? We'd love to hear about your own experience.

Interested in a cruise on this ship?

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

SEE ALL VIKING VALI SAILINGS

Photos