Home > Compare River Cruise Companies > Scenic River Cruises vs Viking River Cruises
Scenic River Cruises vs Viking River Cruises
Compare the travel styles, pricing, destinations and popularity of Scenic River Cruises and Viking River Cruises.The Low Down
Scenic's 5 star luxury river cruises are well known and popular in Australia. Scenic were the first river cruise line to introduce balconies on their Scenic Space-Ships, which many clients love, but this does come at a cost to interior cabin space. Like many of the other luxury river cruise operators, look out for their great Fly Free offers, and Earlybird Savings. Every itinerary is all inclusive, with Freechoice activities that allow you to choose what you want to do in each port. Scenic also offer a range of luxury additions (like your own butler) depending on the cabin type selected. 
Cruising down the rivers of Europe you are sure to pass a Viking Longship on your travels. Viking boasts the most extensive fleet of river cruises vessels in Europe, and while their core market is the US, there are many clients from Australia that choose to cruise with them each year. In 2017 Viking launched their range of mid-sized ocean cruises - with just 930 guests this gives their ships greater maneuverability, allowing them to dock where the mega-liners cannot. Stats
No. of Trips
189
No. of Departures
1,169
Avg. Trip Length
17 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$589
Fleet Size
14 Ships
Known For
Luxury Cruising
Ship Styles River Cruises
No. of Trips
74
No. of Departures
6,566
Avg. Trip Length
11 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$362
Fleet Size
82 Ships
Known For
Scandinavian Design
Ship Styles River Cruises
In Their Own Words We asked the travel companies themselves why you should travel with them
With Scenic, it’s more than a 5-star river cruise...it’s a seamless journey from start to finish that places you, our guest, at the heart of everything we do. It’s taking you to extraordinary regions and immersing you in meaningful and enriching experiences. It’s exquisite cuisine, indulgent wellness, and a world-class team who will anticipate your every need. You'll find the difference is in the details with Scenic: the innovative ship design, expertly trained crew, immersive journey, and an unrivalled focus on health and safety protocols.
A Viking river cruise is the discerning traveller’s dream. Whether you choose to visit Egypt, Asia, Europe or the Mississippi, our itineraries are designed to immerse you in the history and culture of each destination. With us, you could be exploring a local food market with our head chef one day and experiencing an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of a world-famous museum the next.
Our state-of-the-art ships take you right into the heart of each destination, and you won’t find any kids or ‘nickel and diming’ on board. In fact, our fares include everything you need - from meals, beverages and Wi-Fi to a culturally enriching shore excursion at every port of call. This unique combination of features has become affectionately known as ‘the Viking difference’.
Viking has 70 award-winning river ships sailing all over the world, and we can’t wait to welcome you on board to discover the Viking difference for yourself.
Recent Reviews
4.4
Wow, what an amazing river cruise! Scenic have again exceeded all expectations. Every crew member on board Scenic Crystal had a smile and a 'Good morning' every day. No request was too much trouble. Also of course was the amazing food, drinks, fantastic entertainment, stunning scenery and a vast choice of optional tours at every port, all of which ...read more are included in the price! This was my second river cruise with Scenic this year and I have another booked to Northern France in April 2026 and I cannot wait! I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to Hannah Campbell of Global Journeys for organising these trips. Her unwavering assistance has been invaluable. Despite the time difference between our States, Hannah has always answered my queries promptly. I would highly recommend both Global Journeys and Scenic to anyone considering river cruising.
From the first day the river cruise was first class. Everything was taken care of and the cost of all meals, drinks and excursions etc were included. The staff were all polite and nothing was too much trouble for them including room service if you didn’t want to go to the lounge or dining room. The meals were extensive with multiple choices and all ...read more were delicious. I couldn’t fault Scenic for the accomodation, food or service. As a solo traveller I did find the lounge/dining room difficult at times as these cruises are obviously designed for couples or groups of friends and I probably spent more time in my cabin than I had planned. It would have been more enjoyable if there was a smaller quieter lounge and dining area rather than one large one of each but I do appreciate that with the size of the ship the options are limited. The excursions were all well planned and catered to the needs of different interests and fitness levels. Overall the trip was very enjoyable.
We've done quite a few river cruises and this was probably the most picturesque. Unlike many river cruises which travel between destinations at night, this cruise does quite a lot of daytime cruising to enjoy the scenery of the Moselle and Rhine rivers. The cruise was well run and the ship was very comfortable and in good condition. The service was ...read more very good but the dinner service was a bit slow, particularly the drinks service which led us to wonder if they were understaffed. The food was OK but nothing exceptional. We feel this is an area where Scenic has cut back especially in comparison with other river cruise lines we have travelled with. If you are looking for a short river cruise (8 days) which takes in some of the best scenery on the European rivers and some very nice destinations, this is the cruise for you.
This river cruise far exceeded our expectations. The service was unbelievable, we received consistent, excellent service throughout the cruise. Scenic are more expensive than other companies but it is truly all inclusive from food and drinks (not just at meal times) to all of you excursions. I can’t recommend this cruise highly enough.
Absolutely loved this whole trip. The service, food, staff, amenities 5 star. Each shore excursion was interesting and had to choose one each stop. Made friends easily and had dinner each night with them. Highly recommend Scenic river cruised - total luxury and everything paid for.
This was our second Scenic river cruise and it did not disappoint. The staff, the food and the itinerary were a high standard as usual. River cruising is a great way to experience the essence of a country as you sail right through the heart of the towns. Scenic are a very professional and experienced company and go out of their way to make you feel ...read more special. I would recommend this trip to anyone wanting to explore the best of Germany with spectacular scenery and be spoilt by the Scenic crew.
4.6
Firstly, I would like to commend Hannah on her outstanding support before, during and after my booking. She was very responsive, very informative and addressed every question I had, even making suggestions for some of my queries. I would be looking for her to handle any of my future tours again.
Having sailed on an Avalon river cruise before, it ...read more was difficult not to compare that experience with this European Christmas markets river cruise with Viking. Overall, I would prefer Avalon over Viking with the caveat that I sailed Avalon just before Covid and I don't know what their standard is like today. I will know soon as I'm already booked for another Avalon river cruise next Aug.
We found the Viking crew not as proactive in engaging with passengers, especially when there is an expectation that we be well informed of pertinent details to do with docking and departure times for each day of sailing. While most of what we needed to know was available somewhere, it took effort on our part to hunt down information. A number of passengers also mentioned the same observation.
Our cabin was also smaller than the Avalon equivalent making movement quite restrictive. Certainly the in-room TV channels were inferior in terms of variety with mainly news channels dominating. As far as meals go, again they were lacking in standard and variety with very few standout dishes compared to what we remember getting from Avalon. Another area of disappointment for us was the absence of two-seater dining tables for occasions when we wanted a quiet dinner by ourselves, in contrast with what Avalon offered, though not sure if this ship's dining room was configured differently to other Viking ships.
When it came to shore excursions, the crew was mostly disorganised and caused confusion among the travellers as to which group or bus they should be on. This happened a lot during our journey. That aside, the holiday was great outside the ship and I managed to tick this cruise off my bucket list. If you've never experienced an European Christmas markets tour, this itinerary could be the one.
Having sailed on an Avalon river cruise before, it ...read more was difficult not to compare that experience with this European Christmas markets river cruise with Viking. Overall, I would prefer Avalon over Viking with the caveat that I sailed Avalon just before Covid and I don't know what their standard is like today. I will know soon as I'm already booked for another Avalon river cruise next Aug.
We found the Viking crew not as proactive in engaging with passengers, especially when there is an expectation that we be well informed of pertinent details to do with docking and departure times for each day of sailing. While most of what we needed to know was available somewhere, it took effort on our part to hunt down information. A number of passengers also mentioned the same observation.
Our cabin was also smaller than the Avalon equivalent making movement quite restrictive. Certainly the in-room TV channels were inferior in terms of variety with mainly news channels dominating. As far as meals go, again they were lacking in standard and variety with very few standout dishes compared to what we remember getting from Avalon. Another area of disappointment for us was the absence of two-seater dining tables for occasions when we wanted a quiet dinner by ourselves, in contrast with what Avalon offered, though not sure if this ship's dining room was configured differently to other Viking ships.
When it came to shore excursions, the crew was mostly disorganised and caused confusion among the travellers as to which group or bus they should be on. This happened a lot during our journey. That aside, the holiday was great outside the ship and I managed to tick this cruise off my bucket list. If you've never experienced an European Christmas markets tour, this itinerary could be the one.
Eastern Europe Viking River Cruise on Viking Ullur in October. First time on a Viking River cruise and we were disappointed. Good ship layout and cabin, however food was average. The Viking Ullur is a 'silent ship' which means there are no commentaries while you are sailing and no announcements of anything at all. The 7-day cruise was at times a ...read more little boring as there was not much to see. Years earlier we sailed on a Scenic River Cruise which we enjoyed much more. Personally, we would not sail on a Viking River Cruise again. We have used Global Journeys services for several trips and Hannah has been excellent. We would highly recommend Global Journeys.
We loved the land and river cruise portions of the trip. 5 star accommodation and excellent ship. Crew and Tour Directors were all fantastic. And the food was great too.
Having previously sailed with Viking Cruises we were looking forward to this very much. The service on Viking ships is wonderful, the staff excellent and the food just much too good to resist but that’s okay you are on holiday after all! This was a lovely relaxing cruise down the Danube and the onboard entertainment was very nice especially the two ...read more young dancers who taught us how to waltz!
Compared to our previous Rhine and Rhone cruises we did find the optional tours seemed to take precedence over the included tours which in the main where mostly walking tours near the ship and the post extension in Budapest while being a lovely two days, included a tour that was basically a half hour walk round the hotel. We were also disappointed with the airport transfer as the Viking host did not turn up at the airport and even after being paged didn’t show so we checked in ourselves not a big deal except we were both unwell with a virus and this didn’t help.
All in all this cruise was very enjoyable and we met some lovely people and couldn’t fault the staff on the Viking Tor but would still put the Rhine and Rhone cruises first.
Compared to our previous Rhine and Rhone cruises we did find the optional tours seemed to take precedence over the included tours which in the main where mostly walking tours near the ship and the post extension in Budapest while being a lovely two days, included a tour that was basically a half hour walk round the hotel. We were also disappointed with the airport transfer as the Viking host did not turn up at the airport and even after being paged didn’t show so we checked in ourselves not a big deal except we were both unwell with a virus and this didn’t help.
All in all this cruise was very enjoyable and we met some lovely people and couldn’t fault the staff on the Viking Tor but would still put the Rhine and Rhone cruises first.
Had an amazing time on our river cruise. We were apprehensive as southern Germany had floods and a lot of ships were stranded or even cancelled. Viking were very good explaining to us the options and even though we had to change ships at Nuremburg it was relatively stress free. The crew on both ships were fantastic. You certainly won't go hungry as ...read more the food is amazing. We visited some amazing towns and cities and wish we had more free time to explore. I suggest skipping some tours and explore on your own, eat as a local and drink the local beer or sample the wine. We met a lot of wonderful people from other countries and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.
Didn't select the drinks package as we didn't think we would meet the price they charge and we made the right decision as you get beer and wine with lunch and dinner. Only let down is the lack of laundry facilities on a cruise this long. We spent over 300 euro getting laundry done and ironed over the 15 days. Apart from that we wouldn't hesitate doing another Viking river cruise.
Didn't select the drinks package as we didn't think we would meet the price they charge and we made the right decision as you get beer and wine with lunch and dinner. Only let down is the lack of laundry facilities on a cruise this long. We spent over 300 euro getting laundry done and ironed over the 15 days. Apart from that we wouldn't hesitate doing another Viking river cruise.
The organisation from our travel adviser and Viking was clear and timely; the boat was as good as the pictures, the catering was a highlight; the city excursions were interesting and well organised; all the staff were top class in their work, especially our stateroom attendant, the tours organiser and the chef, cooks and waiters, (and no doubt the ...read more crew and engineers, etc). We were delighted with the holiday, especially as the weather was good for May.
Two points. Our embarkation place in Amsterdam was not clearly enough described. Our taxi took us to the Viking Office; we had a km walk with cases to the actual docking points. More advice about finding the right spot would help.
Secondly, the staff would not provide any assistance in obtaining some extra pain relief medicines that became necessary - quoting company policies. We received kind help from some American fellow passengers who were much better prepared, (until we reached a port on a week day where we could find an apothotek.) More explicit advice to bring your own range of medicine supplies to address all eventualities would be helpful. Some European countries are quite restricted in what can be sold over the counter.
Two points. Our embarkation place in Amsterdam was not clearly enough described. Our taxi took us to the Viking Office; we had a km walk with cases to the actual docking points. More advice about finding the right spot would help.
Secondly, the staff would not provide any assistance in obtaining some extra pain relief medicines that became necessary - quoting company policies. We received kind help from some American fellow passengers who were much better prepared, (until we reached a port on a week day where we could find an apothotek.) More explicit advice to bring your own range of medicine supplies to address all eventualities would be helpful. Some European countries are quite restricted in what can be sold over the counter.
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