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Marin Dimow, 36, lives in his hometown of Hanover, Germany. He is the program director of Viking River Cruises, whose European headquarters are in Germany and Switzerland. Viking operates cruises on waterways in Europe, Russia, Egypt and China.
Q. Americans think of Mark Twain and “Proud Mary” and all that when it comes to riverboat tourism – but isn't that corner of the cruising industry a bigger deal in Europe?
When it comes to big, oceangoing ships, America is years ahead of Europe. With river cruises, it's the other way around.
There are 135 passenger ships operating on the Danube between Passau (in southeastern Germany) and Budapest (Hungary) – the most frequented river trip. Our company has 21 ships in its fleet, and about five sailing from Amsterdam to Budapest and the other way around.
Viking basically started in Russia with five ships; that was 11 years ago. The chairman and founder is a Norwegian who operated cruises between Moscow and St. Petersburg. Then he went to Germany with four ships on the Rhine, the Main and the Danube – the second-longest river in Europe after the Volga.
Q. What are the specs for a European riverboat?
It has to be no longer than 443 feet, no wider than 37.5 feet and no taller than 18 feet – because of low bridges. We need to be able to pass under a total of 524 bridges and through 68 nautical locks. The Rhine-Main-Danube Canal is 106 miles long and has 16 locks.
Our rooms are 4 meters by 3.5 meters (155.7 square feet). On a Grand European tour, the maximum number of passengers is 189.
There are no inside cabins on the Viking Legend, our new ship. The only difference is that cabins on the second and third floors have French balconies; first-floor rooms have big windows, but you can't open them because they're so close to the river level.
Q. What's the draft on these boats? How deep can they be in the water?
The draft is about 1.5 meters up to 2 meters (about 5 to 6.5 feet). The average depth of the rivers is 6 to 12 feet. There are parts where the water is low and – like in the middle Rhine, around the Lorelei, where it's up to 80. Lorelei is a high rock at the Rhine's narrowest point – a gorge only 300 feet wide. The Rhine is two or three times wider in other places.
There are strong currents and whirlpools at this rock that “lured” old-time sailors to their doom. For this reason, the legend of Lorelei arose – about a lady with golden hair on top of the Lorelei rock who chants to sailors.
It's a very famous place, and there are songs and legends and stories for each of the castles along the river.
Q. How do shore trips work?
We have excursions every day. Often they're walking tours when you dock downtown in a city or village. They last one or two hours and are done with local guides. The result is slower, more enjoyable travel. From Passau to Budapest is about 360 miles – but the trip takes from one Sunday to the next.
We can vary the stops. At the moment, we have four ships running the Grand European tour – 1,100 miles over 15 days, from Budapest to Amsterdam. Five countries and four capitals. Of course, they all stop at Budapest and Vienna.
Q. What does that trip run?
For 2010, prices start at $3,162 per person, including food and excursions, on the Viking Legend. That's with our two-for-one early booking discount.
Q. The Rhine and Danube both go through European Union countries; that has to make customs easier.
You just use your passport to get ID'd on board, against the passenger list. And that's it. Also, except in Hungary, there's a single currency – the euro – from Slovakia to the Netherlands. They're also all in the same time zone.
Q. What's your favorite village to stop at?
Wertheim (southeast of Frankfurt, Germany), at the confluence of the Main and Taber, is beautifully situated. It has about 20,000 inhabitants and a castle on top of a hill. It's famous for glassblowing artists. We have one come aboard and perform on stage. Like Pisa in Italy, it has a leaning tower – but nobody knows about this one. You'll also see real old-style German bakeries with 25 kinds of bread and rolls. There are all these different sausages. And the beer is not to be missed.
Q. Your favorite big-city stop?
Vienna – a place where you have everything at once. We dock at the modern port and cross the Danube by buses into the First District, where all those art buildings from the 17th and 18th century are. It's a city of music. Visiting concert halls are optional, but almost everyone wants to go where Strauss used to perform. There are also optional trips to the Hofburg and Schönbrunn palaces and other places that offer art and history.
Q. America's historic riverboats had riverboat gamblers. Is there gambling on your boats?
Casinos are not allowed because the river is always within the boundaries of various countries. But there are casinos on land in each of the countries, and you'll find casinos at various stops.
