If our experience is typical, Viking is slipping in quality. We cruised the Rhine with them five years ago and were very impressed. This time we cruised the Danube, on a nearly identical ship, and were sorry to find that the experience was not as good.

The plan looked good:  visit several interesting places along the legendary Danube. The lavishly illustrated brochure made it seem this trip would offer the same high level of service as before. The reality was somewhat less than we expected. 

For example, the breakfast and lunch buffets were not as extensive as we recalled, and didn't have much variety from day to day. Breakfast included such mistakes as burnt pancakes, watery oatmeal and a flat, tasteless omelette. Lunch one day in the land of great sausages featured plain American hot dogs. While dinner held to the former high standards, the portion size had shrunk. Of course, inactive people on a cruise boat don't need to eat very much, but putting us all on a diet seemed less than generous.  Read more