Viking Sineus
Viking Sineus: Exploring the Black Sea
Snapshot
The venerable Viking Sineus began featuring sailings from Kiev, Ukraine, to the Black Sea starting in 2016. It's now a key part of the Viking River Cruises fleet in Russia and Eastern Europe. Viking Sineus offers exemplary itineraries and and onboard programming. Passengers will get the opportunity to explore Kiev's Cave Monasteries and visit onion-domed churches.
Who will like sailing on Viking Sineus
Viking River Cruises attracts an older demographic that is surprisingly getter young and younger. If you have an interest in exploring art, culture or history, then sailing on Viking will be a great option.
Where Viking Sineus sails
The Kiev to the Black Sea sailing cruises the Dnieper River to the Black Sea on an 11-day itinerary through Ukraine. The list of visited ports includes Zaporozhye and Kherson (on the river Dnieper), and also Sevastopol and Yalta (Black Sea ports). Featured port activities take place at Kiev, Zaporozhye (Cossacks, the Khortitsa Island), Kherson (St. Catherine Cathedral), Sevastopol (St. Vladimir Cathedral, Admiral Nakhimov Square, Bakhchisarai/Khan Palace tour), Yalta and Odessa.
River cruising: It's about destination immersion
River cruising is about the destination more than the ship. On Viking itineraries, guests learn about the local culture, history and highlights of the places that they visit. Don't be surprised to see local dishes on the menu or local entertainers sharing their music, dancing and stories.
Viking Sineus includes daily tours included with the cruise fare, which makes the hassle of figuring out logistics less challenging. Most tours are done around lunch and then you are free to do what you choose until the ship leaves port. You'll be given a nightly briefing in the evening before dinner to get updates on the upcoming day’s activities, tours and logistics. Plan to attend the session to discover highlights of the upcoming town's history, art, food, music and architecture.
Dining
Viking Sineus has one restaurant called, fittingly, The Restaurant. The atmosphere is casual yet elegant. Dinner is at a set time, and you are welcome to sit with whomever you wish. When Sineus is not scheduled to leave port until later in the evening, treat yourself to a night on the town and sample cuisine at a nearby restaurant (at your own expense, but a nice way to experience the local culture). Passengers can also enjoy a glass of wine and take in the scenery in the Panorama Bar.
Activities
Regional cuisine workshops. A Bulgarian folklore presentation. A classic opera or ballet performance. These in-depth experiences are included as an essential part of discovering more about the places through which you cruise, and each activity is planned specifically to illuminate each itinerary. Viking offers a series of onboard multimedia talks to shed light on the history and culture of the places you visit. Topics may include Romanian and Bulgarian history, the Orthodox Church, the Vikings in Europe, and key words and phrases in local languages. These presentations provide a context for your own observations, enhancing your travel experience.
Staterooms
From spacious Deluxe Staterooms and Veranda Staterooms with a private veranda to Junior Veranda Suites, each offers understated elegance and sweeping river views. The suites boast separate living rooms and private verandas with gorgeous river views.
Source: Overview from Viking Cruises
Your take
Have you cruised on Viking Sineus? What was it like? We'd love to hear about your own experience.
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Top highlights on this ship
- Onboard programming that highlights the local culture
- Daily tours included in the cruise fare
Top dining options on board
