Many of us have seen Viking’s television ads, most often on PBS that show the beautiful ship cruising the beautiful river along the beautiful European countryside, beautifully narrated by no doubt a beautiful European.  Not a fan of the typical large ocean-going cruises that hold thousands of vacationers I fell for the accent, finding the idea of a river cruise very appealing. So I joined three similarly-minded Denver friends for what promised to be a more leisurely, less crowded 8-day trip down the Rhine River from Basel, Switzerland to Amsterdam aboard the brand new Viking Longship Jarl.

This post will not begin to describe or illustrate everything you would want to know about the ship or the entire trip, but it should give you a glimpse of the places we toured along the way and life on board. For more information on Viking and the Jarl, check out Viking Longship Jarl.

The Viking Longship Jarl                                                           
The Jarl is one of Viking’s newest longships, and in 2013 it cruised back and forth between Basel, Switzerland and Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. We boarded the Jarl in Basel for the trip down the Rhine to Amsterdam. As a new vessel, the Jarl is a great way to travel, whether you are in one of the more expensive suites with outdoor balconies, or in “the basement” where I was, with only several small windows at water level. The rooms are spacious, well-appointed, and very contemporary in decor, sort of like a high quality floating IKEA!

And the food on board was excellent! I admit that I am one who enjoys airplane food, so pleasing me was not too difficult. But even my companions, who are excellent cooks and used to the finer restaurants thought that the Chef did an excellent job. And the service was equally as good, with dedicated waiters making sure we had everything we needed throughout the meal.

On the pages that follow you can get glimpses of places we visited as we cruised down the Rhine River  – certainly not a full photographic description of the trip, but it will give you an idea of what to expect should you decide to take a Viking Riverboat cruise.