Viking Hild Review

Sleek wood and natural colors? Check. Glass-covered atrium and Aquavit Terrace? Check. Well-designed lounge, a homey atmosphere and plentiful pours of complimentary wine and beer at lunch and dinner? Check, check, check.

Look a little closer, though, and you see ways that Viking Hild and the entire Viking experience has improved over the years. Passengers can plan much of their trip ahead of time, now that the line has imported the My Viking Journey computer interface from its ocean cruise line to the rivers. While passengers are still guaranteed at least one included shore excursion every day -- usually a walking tour -- Viking now offers a host of optional for-fee ones as well -- and some of them are really fabulous (we particularly enjoyed the Taste of Alsace walking tour through Strasbourg).

Dining, too, has received an upgrade, as some of the Viking Ocean chefs import favorite dishes to the river menus. Poached salmon with dill sauce, a favorite of Viking's Chairman Torstein Hagen, is now available anytime, and other items from Manfredi's and Mamsen's on Viking's ocean ships will also start showing up during the 2017 season. The Aquavit Terrace, which has always offered light alternative meals, now has more choices beyond soup, salad and sandwiches, and Viking is looking to improve alternative dining in 2018. Overall, we found more choice and more flavor on Viking Hild's menus than we did on a similar Longship cruise five years earlier.

The cabins on Viking do have some kinks. If the beds are configured as twins, for example, one person accidentally turns the lights on and off when they lean back. Cabins below suite level can feel cramped; we'd like to see the extra chair stuck in the veranda stateroom removed entirely (we put ours out on our balcony to get a little more room).

That being said, Viking Hild has plenty of electrical outlets, both European and American, including two by the bed on each side -- much appreciated in these technology-based times -- and a 40- or 42-inch flat-screen TV with movies on demand. We also appreciated ample drawer and closet space, as well as Viking's much-praised heated floors and no-fog mirrors in the bathroom. Passengers who are looking for suites will find that Viking honors their word: Both the Veranda Suite and Explorer Suite have two separate rooms (as well as a host of perks).

All in all, Viking Hild shows that even an industry leader finds room for improvement; although Longships may all look alike, Viking has continued to iterate and respond to its passengers, making them one of the better values in river cruising.