Viking Hervor

27 March, 2025

We enjoyed a nice breakfast and discussed the best options for our transfer to the pier. Brent was up and about early and took the tram to the pier and scouted out the situation. We decided that a taxi would be much more civilized than wrestling luggage down the sidewalk and on the tram, and the front desk quickly arranged for a suitable van to pick us up at noon, which happened to be check-out time for the hotel and the beginning of check-in for our cruise. Our cab arrived at the appointed time, our luggage was loaded (a bit of a challenge thanks to a bit of shopping) and we were off to the St Johann pier.

Upon our arrival we were greeted by Elizabeth, our Program Director. She checked our names off her list and corralled our luggage to be transferred from curbside to our cabins. We were directed down a small set of steps, then down the gangway and to the left when we entered the reception lobby, where we would be given our stateroom keys.

All Aboard!

After a brief stop for photos we were on the boat, and the check-in process consisted of checking our passports and handing over our keys. We were informed that our cabins were ready and our luggage should be delivered momentarily. In just over thirty minutes time we were completely unpacked, suitcases stowed, and off to explore our home for the next week.

Brent and I made our way to the bar while the ladies dealt with some finer organizational details. We surveyed the available spirits and developed a strategy before opting to start things off with a nice glass of beer. Iro (ee-roh) the bartender introduced himself, we introduced ourselves in turn, and our cruise vacation began in earnest. Take note that you don't get your beer in just any glass, it is presented to you in a proper glass. We took a couple of sips and proceeded to the bow to continue our exploration. Given the mild temperatures the Aquavit Terrace was open to the outside, which creates an enticing space. We went up to survey the top deck and then claimed a seat at one of the tables on the bow to sip our beer and simply relax.

Cheers!

Those who booked the Viking pre-cruise extension were touring Basel, as were many who had just arrived. We opted for a relaxing afternoon after our previous day in the city, so we stayed on the boat.

Our wives joined us about the time we finished our first beers, and we sat in the fresh air enjoying the anticipation of all the experiences before us in the coming days. Although nothing was spoken, I think this is about the time we came to realize that this couples vacation "thing" was going to be quite different than previous trips, but in a wonderful way. We had another beer (maybe two?) and migrated inside as the shadows began to grow longer and groups began returning from their excursions.

Brent and I shifted gears from beer to scotch for a pre-dinner libation and we returned to our cabins to freshen up a little before dinner. I will say that as much as we loved our Viking experience, dinner in the main dining room was our least favorite aspect of the trip. The gentleman serving wine was keen to push the "house pours" and we were more interested in selecting a wine that paired with our meals. We practically had to wrestle a wine list from him, and then it was equally difficult to order a bottle. After the second night in the main dining room we avoided it the rest of the trip if at all possible and had amazing service from our waiter Sylva on the Aquavit Terrace.

Farewell, Basel

In the early evening the lines were cast off and our longboat pivoted in the channel to head north (downriver) to our first stop. We passed through three sets of locks on the first night, and not altogether cleanly! I think our arrival in the second lock was the boat-wobbling event that startled me from a sound sleep. As someone who grew up on the water my initial thought was that we had run aground, but fortunately that wasn't the case.