Thank you to everyone who entered our Memorable Moments competition – it was a real pleasure to read your stories. Choosing just one was really hard, and so we have two runners-up who will each receive a bottle of champagne. Huge congratulations to Richard Ward for his romantic story which scooped the prize of our river cruise through Russia. Happy reading…

Winner: Richard Ward

On Viking Hemming, sailing along the River Rhône, we stopped at Avignon for an interesting tour of the town. Before returning to the ship, we walked back via the Pont d’Avignon. It was a gorgeous day with a wide blue sky. Our guide in the morning had informed us when we were on the bridge that any dancing that occurred in the olden days would have happened under the bridge, rather than on it, so the famous song “Sur le Pont d’Avignon” was inaccurate. We seized the opportunity to have a quick dance under the bridge, just for fun and all alone – quite magical!

 

Runner Up: Wendy Scates

In November 2016, I took my first solo cruise since being widowed in August 2016, on the wonderful Viking Sea, on Cities of Antiquity & the Holy Land. Early in the cruise, whilst taking tea in the Wintergarden, I met an American lady, travelling on her own because her husband couldn’t come. We arranged to have dinner that night and many others. She was so kind and thoughtful at a time I needed it most, even messaging my son and sending photos.

 

Runner Up: Heather du Plessis

The dawn broke silently over an unforgettable moment in time along the beautiful winter wonderland that greeted us. Cormorant and wild ducks took to the air, disturbed by the ship’s moment as it glided through the still water.

The pure blue morning silhouetted the pristine formation of iced sentinels that lined the river, each displaying their own glorious formation of nature as the sun hit their foliage and lit up the sky.

Only a few had stirred from their beds or breakfast table in the Longship below to experience this rare glimpse of nature’s beauty as we glided into Regensburg. Magic can be discovered at any time and in the most unexpected places during your Viking experience.