Viking River Cruises - Food and Dining Guide
(Disclaimer: I travelled with Viking as part of a press trip, however, all opinions are my own)
Here’s my full guide to dining onboard a Viking river cruise.
There’s so much to love about Viking River Cruises, and the food is definitely one of them.
I first sailed on a Viking river ship in 2024 for a Christmas cruise along the Seine that began and ended in Paris. There were so many things that I enjoyed about this trip, and the onboard dining was definitely a highlight.
Unlike the large ocean ships, Viking’s river vessels are much more compact with just the one main dining venue: The Restaurant.
For keen cruisers, choosing where to eat each night is often part of the fun. So it would be easy to assume that dining in the same venue for an entire voyage could get very boring very quickly.
Fortunately, that wasn’t my experience at all onboard the Viking Skaga. I found the catering staff to be fantastic - efficient, friendly and with a great sense of humour. It was lovely getting to know each of them over the course of the week; nothing was too much trouble, and I actually felt sad saying goodbye when we disembarked!
How does dining work onboard a Viking River Cruise?
Dining is typically all inclusive on all Viking voyages. On a river cruise, this means that all of your food is included in the base far, as well as beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner.
The main dining venue onboard Viking River Cruises, The Restaurant, can be found at the bow (front) of their river ships.
During good weather, diners also have the option of eating in the Aquavit Terrace, which is a lovely outside venue that generally serves the same food as the main restaurant. A small number of inside tables are available in the Aquavit Terrace, but they tend to be very limited.
Seating in both areas is unreserved, and guests are invited to arrive for dinner whenever they like within the set dining hours.
The space itself is bright with large windows - although bear in mind that I did take the photos above in December. I’d recommend arriving promptly at meal times so that you can snag your preferred table with a good view.
The menus themselves are destination focused, and have a good balance of regular favourites and new options inspired by the itinerary. The themed nights are particularly fun, and on the Seine cruise we had a French night that felt like a fun celebration of the region’s cuisine.
As a bit of a fussy eater (I don’t eat meat or cheese), I was really impressed by how well the catering staff did in providing delicious options for me to eat each day.
Every morning the friendly catering manager met with me during breakfast to go through the menu for the day. If there wasn’t an option that I liked for lunch or dinner, the kitchen were happy to either adapt a meal or create something new especially for me.
Breakfast itself was both a buffet and a la carte, with lots of choice to suit all tastes. I particularly loved the omelettes, which were prepared to order by a friendly chef. In fact, I frequently ate so much for breakfast that I didn’t need any lunch and went for a midday nap instead!
For a lighter breakfast, guests can head to the Aquavit Terrace for tea/coffee and pastries.
I enjoyed so many delicious meals onboard the Viking Skaga, with lots of fresh vegetables, plenty of variety and good sized portions. The desserts were also delicious!
It’s worth remembering that room service isn’t typically available on a Viking river cruise.
If you do get hungry between meals, I recommend you head over to one of the drink and snack stations found outside the doors to the lounge. There you’ll find a selection of sweet treats and hot drinks - ideal for sipping in your cabin during scenic sailing.
There’s definitely something comforting about dining on a Viking river cruise. With familiar surroundings to return to each day, delicious food and top notch service, this is one place that you won’t be left hungry.
To find out more about Viking River Cruises, take a look at their website here.
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Viking Skaga Ship Tour and Review