Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1112674
v i k i n g c r u i s e s . c o m . a u 39 When ambling around Europe it's typical for my magic moments to come when sightseeing the settlements that pack out an itinerary. But on this trip I'm cruising France's south-east corner on Viking Buri – savouring a river sojourn called Lyon & Provence that takes eight days to navigate the RhÔne from the country's third-largest city to Avignon – and the wow encounters start as soon as I board my fabulous floating hotel. is Viking longship, named after the first god of Norse mythology, is more than just transport and is so impressive I often stay on board to savour shipboard life rather than stepping off to study the streets stretching from each port. Here are just three of the Viking signatures that blow me away while I'm one of Viking Buri's guests. CONCIERGE CARE My first wow moment comes seconds after arrival – only metres from the gangplank, and before I have time to drop my carry-on bag – when I'm welcomed by the expert concierges who staff the vessel's guest services desk right around the clock. Concierges wearing crossed keys on their collar are familiar in fancy five-star hotels, but this is the first time I've come across people filling the role on a riverboat, and I quickly discover Despina and her team are the heartbeat of this boat fixing problems and creating extraordinary moments for every traveller. e trio locate luggage lost by an airline, make reservations for a couple keen to celebrate an occasion at a significant restaurant in one of the towns we pass, organise for last-day transfers to trains and planes, attend to a guest who embarks with an injury, and arrange for one passenger to visit a special beret shop in Avignon. Pont Saint-Bénézet, Avignon