I have already encouraged friends and family to consider a Viking River Cruise. We will be taking another one. The questions are where and when.The staff was truly amazing. The ship is fantastic. The docking locations were exceptional, except for Nuremberg. I am grateful that our journey began in Budapest. The photos and even the videos do not do justice to this enchanting city. The disembarkation location is so odious it would have led to an ugly beginning, The food on board was better than we expected, it was a wondrous treat at each meal. The French Balcony room was more than enough for us. The steward work was better than in any hotel we have ever visited. The excursion to Schonbrunn was mush too rushed. The excursion to the Bavarian village was undermined by a poorly prepared local guide. The Danube Narrows and the incredible abbey will always remain a major highlight of our great trip. On the afternoon of our arrival in Budapest we were blessed to have an unexpected brief tour of Pest. That was so valuable for us on our forays on free time. All of the planned city tours were superb. Our two favorites were the planned tours of Regensburg and Nuremberg. From the moment we landed in Budapest until our flight departed from Albrecht Durer we felt that Viking was always looking out for us and our best interests. This is testament to superior management in hiring, training, and nurturing the best possible on board staff.
Even when the TV broke down it was fixed quickly. The heated floor in the bathroom was so welcome. The shower a little tight. The bed was very good. The views outside our sliding doors were incredible. There was more than enough storage. We only heard walkers/joggers once. We loved coming back one night and finding a towel turned into a dog with my baseball cap on its head. The staff always seemed to know when we needed more towels. How did they do that?
This is a history teachers dream. I could live here. The local guide was passionate and well prepared. The excursion to the Danube Narrows and the incredible abbey will always be major highlights of our great trip.
Storming the Imperial Castle was fun. Our local guide was the best of the trip. The docking location was horrible.