Viking Sigyn

Sailing the Rhine on Viking Sigyn

Launched in 2019, Viking Sigyn carries 190 guests and a crew of 53 along 135 metres of river-ready hull — a scale that lets her berth in town centres that larger vessels cannot reach. She sails for Viking River Cruises, whose Rhine programme is one of the most established on the river, and every sailing is a one-way passage between Basel in Switzerland and Amsterdam in the Netherlands, following the river as it changes character from the Alpine foothills of Alsace to the flat waterways of the Dutch delta.

The Rhine itineraries are seven nights end to end. Northbound sailings start in Basel and work down through Breisach, Strasbourg, Mannheim, Speyer, Heidelberg, Rüdesheim, Koblenz, Cologne and Dordrecht before finishing in Amsterdam. Southbound sailings reverse the journey, departing Amsterdam and finishing in Basel, with most of the same ports along the way. Both directions run in March and December — shoulder season on the Rhine, when Christmas markets fill the city squares in December and spring tulip fields open the landscape in March. Because both departure cities are well served by international airports, the cruise fits naturally into a wider European trip; Cruise1st books the flights from Australia, the hotels either side and the transfers as one joined-up holiday.

Beyond those four Rhine sailings, Viking Sigyn also takes on Maas itineraries — two further sailings, departing from Antwerp — which account for the rest of her current programme. For everything currently on sale from Amsterdam or from Antwerp, those pages list every available departure.

What the Viking River Fare includes

Every sailing aboard Viking Sigyn is sold under the Viking River Fare, a bundled tariff that removes most of the decisions you would otherwise make on board. It covers a complimentary shore excursion at every port of call, full onboard dining with regional specialities throughout, and beer, wine and soft drinks served at lunch and dinner — along with coffees, teas and bottled water around the clock. Wi-Fi is included, and UNESCO site visits are part of the programme. The fare is the same structure across all Viking River Cruises sailings, so there are no tier choices to weigh up: what you see is what the cruise includes.

On board Viking Sigyn

The public spaces on Viking Sigyn are arranged to keep the river at the centre of the experience. The Aquavit Terrace® is the ship’s signature al fresco dining spot — an open-air deck where breakfast and lunch are served while the riverbank slides past, included for all guests. When the weather turns, the Lounge does the same job indoors, with floor-to-ceiling windows framing the same views; drinks at the bar carry an individual charge unless a beverage package has been added to the booking.

The Sun Deck runs the full width of the ship and gives 360-degree views — useful for watching the landscape open up on the flat Dutch stretches and for spotting the Loreley cliffs on the gorge section. A Walking Track circles the deck for anyone who wants to stay active without leaving the ship. Access to the Sun Deck is restricted during canal passages and under low bridges for safety, so the ship’s programme will tell you when those moments occur. For a quieter hour, the Library holds a curated book collection — a good place to read up on the next day’s port between sailings. The Herb Garden is a working garden on board; the culinary team harvest from it daily to supply the regional dishes served in the dining spaces.

Cabins on Viking Sigyn

Viking Sigyn offers 95 cabins across eight grades, divided between three families. The two outside grades give river-view staterooms with half-height picture windows — direct natural light and scenery without a balcony. The two balcony grades step up to private outdoor access. The four suite grades are found on both Decks 2 and 3 and share French balconies with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors as standard, with the higher grades adding a full-size veranda. Full grade details, dimensions and deck plans live on the Viking Sigyn cabins and deck plans page.

Viking River Cruises on the Rhine

Viking Sigyn is one of fourteen Viking River Cruises ships currently sailing the Rhine. The others in that group include Viking Gefjon, Viking Rota, Viking Gersemi, Viking Hervor, Viking Annar, Viking Honir, Viking Dagur, Viking Haki, Viking Sigrun, Viking Herja, Viking Egdir, Viking Hild and Viking Hlin.

The wider Viking River Cruises fleet also covers the Danube, the Moselle, the Maas, the Mississippi and beyond. Ships sailing the Danube include Viking Vali, Viking Eldir and others. Viking Mississippi sails the United States. The Maas is covered by Viking Mimir, among others. For the full picture of what Viking offers, the Viking Cruises page brings together the river and ocean fleets.

Booking Viking Sigyn with Cruise1st

Cruise1st offers a Best Price Guarantee on Viking Sigyn sailings. Because both Basel and Amsterdam require a flight from Australia, the cruise is the middle of a longer trip — we book the flights, the hotel either side and the transfers, as one holiday, so there is nothing to piece together separately. Our Australian cruise experts are on the phone seven days a week before you book, and Cruise1st Packages bring the cruise, flights, hotels and transfers together on a single booking.

Questions about sailing the Rhine on Viking Sigyn

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

Neither direction misses a port: the calling pattern is essentially the same in both directions, so the choice usually comes down to which city you want to fly into and which you want to fly home from. Basel is a compact city well placed for a night before or after the cruise; Amsterdam has more to see if you want two or three nights on either end. Cruise1st can build either option into the same booking.

When do these sailings run?

The Rhine sailings currently on sale depart in March 2027 and December 2027. March is early spring on the Rhine — the tulip fields are opening in the Netherlands and the river towns are quiet. December is Christmas-market season, when Cologne, Strasbourg and Rüdesheim are among the most atmospheric stops on the river. Both are distinct travel experiences rather than a compromise.

What is included in the fare and what costs extra?

The Viking River Fare covers onboard dining throughout, beer, wine and soft drinks at lunch and dinner, coffees, teas and bottled water all day, Wi-Fi, and a shore excursion at every port. Drinks at the Lounge bar beyond meals are charged individually unless a beverage package is added. Any private or upgraded shore experiences beyond the included excursion carry their own cost.

Is Viking Sigyn suitable for a first river cruise?

The Rhine is one of the most accessible introductions to European river cruising: the itinerary is a single river from start to finish, the ports are well-known and easy to explore independently after the included excursion, and the ship’s 190-guest scale keeps the experience unhurried. The all-inclusive fare structure also removes most of the on-board spending decisions, which makes budgeting straightforward for a first trip.

Does the Sun Deck stay open the whole voyage?

The Sun Deck is open for the majority of the sailing, but access is restricted during canal passages and when passing under low bridges — which is a practical feature of Rhine navigation rather than a limitation of this ship in particular. The ship’s programme will note when these moments occur; they are brief, and the views from the Lounge windows are uninterrupted throughout.