Viking Alruna

Sailing the Rhine on Viking Alruna

Viking Alruna was launched in 2016 and carries 190 guests in 95 cabins, attended by a crew of 53 — a ratio that keeps service attentive without feeling formal. She was built to the standard Viking river longship profile: 135 metres long and narrow enough to thread the Rhine’s locks and pass beneath its famously low bridges. That geometry shapes daily life aboard: the Sun Deck is the social heart of the ship when the route allows, though access is restricted during canal passages and under low bridges for safety reasons, and the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Lounge bring the riverbank inside when it is not. Viking River Cruises designed her around the idea that the river is the destination — the ship moves while you sleep and ties up in a new city each morning.

On board: spaces and atmosphere

The public rooms are few and well-chosen. The Lounge runs the width of the ship and frames the passing landscape through floor-to-ceiling windows; it doubles as a bar in the evenings, with beverages charged individually unless you have booked a package. The Aquavit Terrace® extends the dining experience outdoors, with al fresco breakfast and lunch served while the riverbank slides by — it is included in the fare and is one of the ship’s most distinctive features. The culinary team grows herbs in the on-board Herb Garden, a small but telling detail: fresh regional flavours make it onto the plate daily, and the garden is open to all guests throughout the voyage. For quieter moments, the Library holds a curated collection of books suited to the journey, and the Walking Track and Sun Deck at the top of the ship offer open-air exercise and 360-degree views when conditions permit.

Cabins on Viking Alruna

Eight cabin grades spread across three families: four outside grades, two balcony grades and two suites. Outside cabins include river-view windows and, in most grades, a floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door that opens directly to the river — private outdoor access without stepping onto a shared deck. The two suite grades step up to a full-size private veranda behind sliding glass doors. The Viking Alruna cabins and deck plans page has every grade laid out in full, with dimensions and deck positions, and is the right place to compare and choose.

What the fare covers

Every sailing on Viking Alruna is booked under the Viking River Fare, which bundles a meaningful set of inclusions into the base price: a complimentary shore excursion at every port, full onboard dining with regional specialities, beer, wine and soft drinks at lunch and dinner, round-the-clock coffees, teas and bottled water, free Wi-Fi throughout the ship, and UNESCO site visits. For a river cruise where every day brings a new city, having the excursions already covered removes the mental arithmetic from each morning’s planning.

The Rhine itineraries

All sailings currently on sale run for seven nights and travel one-way along the Rhine. The two directions offer a slightly different experience of the same river:

• Amsterdam to Basel — departing in late November 2026 and March 2027, these sailings head south from the Dutch port, calling at cities including Dordrecht, Cologne, Koblenz, Rüdesheim, Mannheim, Speyer, Strasbourg and Breisach before arriving in Basel. Fares from A$4,995pp*. If you are flying in from Australia, sailings from Amsterdam are easy to combine with a few nights in the city beforehand — Cruise1st packages the flights, the hotel and the transfers alongside the cruise.
• Basel to Amsterdam — running from late March to December 2027, these sailings travel the same stretch northward, with the same portfolio of calls: Breisach, Strasbourg, Mannheim, Speyer, Rüdesheim, Koblenz, Cologne and Dordrecht. Fares from A$5,195pp*.

These two routes account for most of Viking Alruna’s current programme; one further sailing on the Danube, departing from Budapest, rounds out the schedule.

Viking River Cruises’ wider fleet

Viking River Cruises operates 30 ships on sale through Cruise1st, grouped by the waterways they sail. Viking Alruna sails the Rhine; other ships in the fleet are assigned to their own rivers:

Ships that sail the Rhine River, Europe
Viking Gefjon, Viking Rota, Viking Gersemi, Viking Hervor, Viking Annar, Viking Honir, Viking Dagur, Viking Haki, Viking Sigrun, Viking Sigyn, Viking Herja, Viking Egdir, Viking Hild, Viking Hlin

Ships that sail the Danube River, Europe
Viking Eldir, Viking Vali, Viking Lif, Viking Vidar, Viking Aegir, Viking Gullveig, Viking Baldur, Viking Embla

Ships that sail the Moselle River, Europe
Viking Idi, Viking Alsvin

Ships that sail the Maas
Viking Mimir

Ships that sail the United States
Viking Mississippi

Ships that sail the Transatlantic
Viking Vela, Viking Astrea, Viking Lyra

Ships that sail the Western Mediterranean
Viking Libra

The full Viking River Cruises page lists the fleet and their current availability.

Booking Viking Alruna with Cruise1st

All sailings depart from European ports — Amsterdam, Basel or Budapest — so for Australian travellers the cruise is the centrepiece of a longer trip. Cruise1st books the flights, hotel nights either side and the transfers as one holiday alongside the cruise itself, so there is a single point of contact from home to the river and back. Our Cruise1st Packages are built exactly for this, and our Australian cruise experts are on the phone seven days a week to help plan it. We also back every booking with our Best Price Guarantee.

Questions about sailing the Rhine on Viking Alruna

Does the Viking River Fare include shore excursions?

Yes. The Viking River Fare includes one complimentary shore excursion at every port of call, so the daily programme of guided visits is covered in the fare you book. Additional excursions can be added, but the included one at each stop means you are never arriving in Cologne or Strasbourg without a plan.

Is Wi-Fi included, and does it reach the cabins?

Wi-Fi is included in the Viking River Fare and is available throughout the ship. The venue descriptions confirm it is covered as part of the cruise fare, with no separate charge.

Can I access the Sun Deck for the whole voyage?

The Sun Deck is open to all guests and is the best vantage point for watching the Rhine’s gorges and towns pass by — but access is restricted during canal passages and when the ship passes under low bridges, for safety reasons. These restrictions are brief and are a normal part of river cruising on the Rhine.

Which direction is better — Amsterdam to Basel, or Basel to Amsterdam?

Both cover the same Rhine stretch and call at the same portfolio of cities; the difference is in the season and the direction of travel. The Amsterdam-to-Basel sailings run in late November and March, which suits travellers who want the Christmas-market atmosphere of the Rhine valley. The Basel-to-Amsterdam sailings run from late March through to December, covering spring, summer and autumn departures. Neither direction has a material advantage in terms of scenery — the river looks different from each bank, and both offer the same included excursions and fare.

What cabin type suits a couple wanting outdoor river access?

The outside cabin grades include a floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door that opens directly to the river, giving private outdoor access without using the shared Sun Deck — useful for early mornings or late evenings when the deck is busy or restricted. The suite grades go further, with a full-size private veranda. The cabins and deck plans page shows every grade and its position on the ship, and is the right starting point for choosing.