Viking River Cruise's "Danube Waltz" 8-day cruise from Passau to Budapest, August 18 through 25. Party of three; one single & one 2nd-deck double stateroom.
We flew ourselves JFK-Prague three days ahead of the Passau departure and rented a flat 1.5 blocks from Wensceslas Square. And we did it, all-in, for less than 2/3 of what Viking wanted for their pre-cruise extension (w/o airfare) - including all transfers, a large 2-BR flat, meals, a local tour and in-flat groceries. Prague was a pleasant place to recover from jet lag & adjust to central/eastern Europe. Hired a private Mercedes van to take us from Prague to Passau on departure day, and enjoyed the drive through farmlands to the port. The boat was easy to locate in Passau, the Viking staff made embarkation incredibly easy, and we were in our staterooms by 1:30pm AFTER we enjoyed a leisurely buffet lunch in the 3rd deck lounge.
Passau suffered mightily during the June 2013 flooding; flood stage was in the vicinity of 39' above normal river level - the highest flood levels in recorded history (check the rathaus for flood marks). Most of the first floor shops/stores, etc. had been destroyed, and very little has been rebuilt. However, the entire port area was SPOTLESS; everything had been cleaned up and was more presentable than a lot of other cities we've visited. Well done.
Rooms 226 & 227 were both far enough aft to be away from any public noise (not that there was any), and were great choices. Note that ANY STATEROOM on the 2nd deck of Viking Legend might be blocked if/when boats nest in any port. We nested with two long boats twice, and both visibility and ventilation were greatly reduced.