Eastern European River Cruise

I am certain I could never work for Viking Cruise Line. Why, you ask? First, I couldn’t be that nice to so many people for so long. Viking staff greet every guest with a warm smile, a genuine welcome, and somehow keep that going day after day. That’s… not me.

Second, I simply don’t have the energy. These folks are up at least an hour before the restaurant opens, and Yuri and Teo rotate their shifts so one sets up early and the other jumps in an hour later. Then they switch. Breakfast to lunch to afternoon service — it never stops. Once they finish busing and setting up for one meal, they get a small break and then do it all over again. Like I said… I don’t work this hard.

And yet, they do all of it with a smile — every single time. By 10 PM they’re in bed so they can do it all again the next day.

I watch them. Their eyes move left to right across the restaurant like the red light on “KITT,” the car from the old show Knight Rider. A woman struggles to cut a piece of bread — and from across the room one of them swoops in to help before she even asks. They see everything.

Yuri, Fred, and Teo are constantly in motion, clearing tables, topping off coffee or wine, anticipating needs before we even think of them. Donna and I genuinely enjoy meeting these new friends. Yes, they are doing their jobs — but ask a couple of questions, slow down for just a moment, and a very real human being emerges from behind the coffee pot.

Yuri:
Yuri was the first person we met on the ship, and he welcomed us with a bottle of Tomasi Pinot Grigio — our favorite wine. In that moment we knew we were home.
He’s from the Philippines, has been with Viking for 10 years, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Hotel & Restaurant Management. He’s single — and honestly would be a great catch for the right gal.
What really surprised me is that he’s an investor. A thoughtful one. He takes his market gains and rolls them into real estate. Smart. Disciplined. You can’t help but be drawn to his enthusiasm for life — and that smile.

Fred:
Okay, we have a secret signal at dinnertime when dessert arrives. Fred taps his wrist like he’s checking a watch… I give a slight nod or wink… and moments later a double Baileys on the rocks materializes right in front of me.
Fred is also from the Philippines, married with two children, and has a degree in Computer Science. He’s been with Viking for 10 years. When he’s home, he loves driving — I imagine a lot of joyful family outings when Dad is back from a segment.

Teo:
Teo is the Energizer Bunny on steroids. She’s from Romania, educated in tourism, and previously worked on another cruise line. She’s been with Viking for about a year — and if she seems to smile even more than usual, it might be because she’s newly married… one month! She met her true love on another ship, and now they both work aboard the Rinda.
When she’s not gracefully taking care of us, she’s outdoors adventuring, traveling, and even bungee jumping. That tracks.

Those of us who have traveled with Viking before know this: a large part of what we pay for is the feeling of being welcomed into the Viking family. You feel cared for. You feel seen. It’s a kind of graciousness that goes far beyond service.

Like I said at the beginning of this post — I could never do their jobs. They would absolutely fire me. But Donna and I deeply appreciate the care we receive on our floating home. Getting to know members of the staff reminds us just how small our world truly is… and how precious each of us really are.

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