We chose this cruise because of our wonderful experience with Scenic Tours. The ship (the Jasper) was beautiful. Our butler Harry was perfect! The dining, service staff was mostly excellent. A couple of the servers couldn't locate the wines we requested from the list offered and poured us wine we didn't want, saying "Trust me, you'll love it." On the last day one of our table mates suggested we ask our butler to find the wines and of course Harry brought the right ones right away. The food was excellent and beautifully presented. The excursions were excellent. The only reason I rated them only "Good" was not Scenic's fault. A couple of ships belonging to other cruise lines damaged a loch and we had to leave our ship and take buses here and there for a couple of days. We missed a day in Vienna which was a big deal for me. However Scenic Cruises and our Tour Director really worked hard to make sure we still had a wonderful time. We were a little disappointed in that we thought this would be a more active cruise. We like to get in at least several miles of walking a day, but do to logistics, cuing up for Bathroom Breaks and escorted tours, we never met that goal. When you reach the days destination, you can go off on your own but my husband wanted to take the tours. So again this was not Scenic's fault. The Entertainment was first class. On board or at special locations (palace and castle) we were treated to music and dance that was second to none. We are already planning our next river cruise and hope to see Harry again! Read Less

We had attended a couple of promotional sessions prior to making our booking. We booked two back to back river cruises expecting them to be much fun and very relaxing. They turned out to be quite tiring with early mornings and late nights and extended bus trips. The entertainment on board is very average in quality and presentation. Just be aware that if anything does go wrong Scenic is quick to distance themselves from any liability. Its is not all bad. The staff are wonderful and there are copious amounts of food and drink. If you are a person who usually travels independently then you may wish to think carefully before embarking on a river cruise. The balcony suite on the third floor was roomy and comfortable. We did hear about the engine noise from passengers who were at the rear of the ship. We did see some wonderful sites. Read Less

We have just returned from a 14 day cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam on the Scenic Jasper. This was our first river cruise and the cruise surpassed our highest expectations. There was no question that Scenic is a 5 star cruise line as there was nothing they wouldn’t do to try and make the cruise the best experience possible. Most of the passengers were from Australia with a few from New Zealand, Canada and the US. The crew were mostly from eastern European countries but were friendly and very well trained. We had a choice of two to three excursions almost every day and the guides were all excellent and all spoke very good english. Scenic’s Taylor made devices work very well in comparison to others we have used and were very easy to use and provided more functions than simply a device to hear the guides narrative. While on this cruise the Danube was closed for about three days due to an incident that happened in the Gabcikovo Canal near Bratislava and caused all boat traffic to have to stop and tie up in the river. We were kept very well informed by our cruise Director Sylvia and Scenic made plans to deliver as many of the excursions as possible. Although we had to endure some long bus rides from where the ship was tied up to our planned excursion I strongly believe Scenic and Cruise Director Sylvia did everything within their power to deliver a first class experience during this delay on the river. They even went as far as to provide one nights hotel rooms in a 5 star hotel in Salzburg for those of us who chose to take that excursion. While the rooms on Jasper were fairly small they were very well appointed and the bathroom were very nice with a large shower by cruise ship standards. The public spaces were very comfortable and the service by the waiters and bartenders was excellent. The daily selection of primarily regional wines were excellent and if by chance you didn’t like one of them there were always several alternatives. While the menu for dinner was a little limited the food was very well prepared and beautifully presented. As I previously mentioned Sylvia, our cruise director, was one of the best we have ever had. Everything that happened was very well explained and everything was run exactly on time. The passengers were also very good about getting back to the busses after shore excursions on time so that fellow passengers didn't have to wait for a late person. Scenic’s enrichment experiences were fantastic and all of them were very good but the one we liked the most was the Sound of Music event held in the Alps overlooking Salzburg. The food, music and entertainment were excellent and it was a pure joy to be there. Scenic advertises as an all inclusive cruise and they really deliver on that. Once we got to the airport in Budapest we never spent a cent except for some small touristy things we bought to bring home. They even had a representative at the airport in Amsterdam to guide to to the proper check in area. All in we will probably go on another Scenic cruise in Europe and whole recommend it highly to our friends and relatives as we believe is an excellent value for the money! Read Less

First ever river cruise, so based on reviews we chose AMA. The ship was very nice and checkin was very easy. We were surprised at age of clientele quite geriatric, we are in mid 60's but quite active. The cruise had some challenges we were delayed through no fault of AMA because of an accident which put us about 3 days behind on a 14 day cruise, we caught up about day 12. So for the first number of days I felt like it was a bus tour, and we barely saw Vienna and had a very long bus trip to see Salzburg and had to return spending over 7 hrs on bus. I think they should have cancelled one of these and played catch up (may have been difficult because of number of locks)any way for a number of days we were being rushed through everything including meals. Oh and almost everyone got sick and they said nothing even having to call Drs on board to help people, they should have made announcement perhaps warning and asking people to be respectful of there rather than coughing in buses for numerous hrs. The food is quite good , wine not so much they must have a deal with an Austrian winery which is what they serve overall I would give them a 2 for their wine. Dress code forget it people wear worn out jeans and hats for dinner. The staff were well trained and excellent, all of them. In summary may take another cruise never for 14 days.Last but not least most excursions had very good guides but they were very quick. Read Less

We were so impressed with the quality of service, dining and cabin accommodations on this trip. We decided this was the best way for us to see the best of Europe so we chose Ama for their cuisine and overall service recommendation. We were not disappointed. We started in Budapest, Hungary then sailed through Slovakia, Austria, Germany, and ended in the Netherlands with the final destination Amsterdam. What is so nice about river cruising is you unpack once and just enjoy when all your food, entertainment and hotel goes with you through Europe. We did have a pretty huge issue when we were on this journey. Another barge hit one of the locks and we had to stay longer than anticipated on the river. Then the European Union had a summit meeting in Bratislava and they closed the river for an additional 8 hours. All in all we were delayed 51 hours on our trip. The Ama captain, cruise director and entire staff were incredible in making this horrific delay palatable to us. The true value of a company is when unexpected issues happen and how they treat their customers. We were so happy to be on Ama with this unfortunate issue because they treated us with "world class service". They went over and above to bus us to our destinations and even giving us extra Euro's when we were unable to come back to the ship for lunch. I don't believe any other cruise line would have extended themselves to the level that Ama did. We had a trip of a lifetime even with the unfortunate situation. Our room was a French balcony and regular balcony room on the upper deck. It was so nice to have a lovely room with a bigger than average bathroom. We also liked having in room free wi-fi for e-mail and in room movies. The cuisine on the ship was excellent. I would compare it to the quality of the specialty restaurants on the nicer cruise ships. Everything was prepared to our liking with free flowing wine or beer at lunch and dinner. The nice part about river cruising is the entertainment is about 1 hr to 1 1/2 hours after dinner. It usually gave a local flare to the entertainment and it was quite varied from an acappella group, Hungarian folk dancers and even a rocking duo who sang contemporary songs. The bar stayed open for those individuals that wanted to continue to party after the rest of us went back to our rooms. The excursions were also included in the price of the cruise and they had very active bicycle tours, active walking or slower to regular walking tours. Each tour had a local tour guide that made the history come alive for us. Overall we loved our trip even with all the issues that had to be overcome and we hope to journey again very soon on another Ama waterways cruise. Read Less

This cruise was a disaster from the moment we stepped on the ship till we stepped off. We had been planning this cruise for year with two other couples that we would be traveling with. My husband and myself were very excited because we had never done a river cruise before, and heard how beautiful it is as you travel down the river. This trip needless to say has been the worst vacation that we have ever been on. This trip also cost us many thousands of dollars. We embarked the ship on Sunday afternoon spending the afternoon settling into our room. On Monday morning we spent the day in Budapest and at night took The sites traveling down the river banks of Budapest. The next day we were to arrive in Bratislava Slovakia that did not happen. We ended up in a town in Slovakia that was not on our itinerary and we were told the night before that a ship had rammed into the side of the first set of locks that we were supposed to go through and that we would have to stay at this town until the locks were repaired. Well come to find out they knew about these locks before we set sail from Budapest and never informed us until after. They gave us the option to get on a bus the following morning and drive to Bratislava Slovakia, but unfortunately I Get motion sickness and have a really hard time riding in a bus. So that day we chose to stay back. They had nothing for us to do on the ship so we walked into town. They informed us again that night that we would have to stay there again because the locks were not repaired and that they had no idea when they would be. The following day they were going to Vienna again on a bus and let me tell you these bus rides were 2 1/2 to 3 hours each way. We did not want to sit on the ship another day so we decided to take a chance and see how I did on the bus ride. It was hell! It took us three hours to get there we were rushed to try to see things and then another three hours back, we were supposed to have a special dinner on the ship that night and we ended up being late. That night they informed us that the locks have been fixed and that once they were filled up with water we would be able to go through them. So sometime in the night we set sail and the next morning we woke up sitting in front of the locks. We were informed that we would not be able to get off the ship that day because as soon as the locks were filled we would be able to travel. Well that did not happen. That night which is Thursday we were told that we would have to disembark the very next morning at 8:30 AM. We were furious! We spent thousands and thousands of dollars on a trip that the only thing was taking a bus ride to Vienna. We demanded for them to get us private cars to take us to our last destination of our vacation which was Prague. They told us that night that our options were to take a bus back to Vienna spend the night there take another bus to the Passua Germany and then move on to our extension in Prague. This was unexceptable. To try and make a long story short even though the damage that happened to the locks was not Uniworlds fault they could've told us before we left Budapest that the damage had been done to the locks and that we could've had an option to cancel the trip and book it at another time. They did not do that they continued on and we had no river cruise. And the many days that we spent on the cruise ship they had no extra activities, they had only one massage therapist, so we sat there. Uniworld should've communicated much better with us and had given us a choice. Out of $23,000 Uniworld has only given us back $7200 and 50% off of another cruise, they refuse to reimburse us for anything else. I think it's a disgrace! And you can bet that I will never be on another river cruise again even if they gave it to me. When you take a river cruise there's no guarantees that you will get to any of your destinations, because anything can happen. My suggestion if you want to take a cruise do it on the open water. Read Less

We chose to cruise the Beatrice because it had a great reputation and cruising down the Danube was supposed to be spectacular.Upon boarding the ship we were shown to our beautiful suite.We were not disappointed.The room and service were first class.The first day and a half were terrific.We were then informed that a lock in the river was broken and there was no way to cruise down the Danube.The answer the cruise ship had was to bus us to our dastinations.We did that one day[a three and a half hour ride each way]After that experience we decided to go to our final destination-Prague.Both Prague and Budapest were terrific and wonderful places to visit.Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.I would recommend it to everyone.Upon returning home we learned that Uniworld gave us half our river cruise money back I felt this was unfair since we did not cruise down the Danube.I tried to contact Uniworld to no avail and our travel agent got a run around.We are now trying to fight it thru American Express.Although it is a beautiful ship and the help on the ship were terrific the company itself is not very professional Read Less

Our party of 6 adults did a Viking River Cruise on the Danube in September. There was an unexpected lock closure on the river which caused an interruption in our scheduled itinerary. Of course, Viking was not responsible for the lock closure; but, the choices they made in response to the closure resulted in providing a much more marginal vacation experience than it could have been. Viking could (should) have transferred us by motor coach to Vienna and put us up in a hotel for a night or two. This would have allowed us to spend time in one of the "highlight" places on our itinerary -- a place with many things to see and do. Instead, we spent two days in small towns none of us had ever heard of and with minimal activities of interest. We had just 4 hours in Vienna, while some of our "trip-highlight" activities were cancelled entirely. A great deal of time was spent on motor coaches and tours were very crowded. We were docked alongside other ships in several locations -- sometimes 4-deep. This prevented the opening of stateroom curtains as the view would be into the stateroom of the adjacent ship. We actually saw very little of the river, between the closed curtains and night-time sailing. The final disappointment was Viking's customer service response. Their sole attempt at appeasement was to offer us 15%-20% off of a future Viking cruise, to be used within one year. Really? We will not be sailing with Viking again. If you are considering it, I suggest you have a high-tolerance for changing plans that could result in a very different trip (perhaps inferior) from the one you anticipate. Read Less

We were informed our first night of embarkation that a lock was damaged on the river, which meant our original trip and itinerary may be slightly altered. Much time was spent on the border of Hungary and Slovakia, not moving by ship at all. After missing most of Vienna, including the Mozart concert, missing a highlight of the trip, Cesky Krumlov , after being bused hours to destinations, including places the staff on board had not even heard of, being docked next to other ships, destroying our third floor French balcony view and solitude, we quickly realized Viking was not giving us the experience we had hoped and paid for. Upon our return , we were offered a 15% to 20% voucher for future trips on Viking. We have since received multiple e mails , mass flyers, and magazines advertising for Viking, including discounted trips. Mass marketing seems to be what they do best. Viking needs to focus on their customers and dealing with unexpected situations that can still make it a good experience, including proper reimbursement. What an expensive and disheartening lesson. Why would we choose to go on a Viking river cruise again? Read Less

It was a great choice from my friend who was turning 60. I would have never chosen the Romantic Danube. But I am so glad he did. We used a travel agent who took care of everything. From the flights to Budapest to the return trip home. It was all taken care of. The River Cruise ship was amazing. We had upgraded our room to a two room suite. It was just beautiful. Personalized service for the room. The accommodations were impeccable. The staff were fantastic. The meals were like 5 star dining. All of the excursions were well planned, very interesting and worth the money. My only complaint was there was too much walking to get off the boat and get to the busses. The tour guides in every excursion were very informative and made us very comfortable. If I could I would go again in a New York minute. I can't say enough!! Read Less

We just returned from Viking's Romantic Danube Cruise from Budapest to Nuremburg and had a wonderful time! We chose this tour because I really wanted to see these cities and our extension to Prague. And we chose Viking because of the cost, it's reputation and the number of years they have sailed and ships that they have. From the very start we were treated like Royalty. Being picked up at the airport without any worries and wisked off to our ship. Food and drinks awaited us. Our rooms were ready even though it was still morning. Yes, the rooms are small, it's a ship, remember? But it was fine! In fact we were not in the room that much. My biggest concern in booking this trip was that I was sure I wanted a room with either a balcony or the picture windows. Well they were all sold out. So we took a room on the lower level with smaller windows. We were VERY happy that we didnot spend all that extra money on the other rooms. We were seldom in our rooms. AND when we were cruising we wanted to be on the upper deck where we could see BOTH sides of the shore. Plus we were with friends. We could not have gathered in our room, way too crowded for that. The crew was exceptional, especially our Program Director, Suzanna and our Conciere, Edit. Edit arranged bikes for us at one port and gave us countless other ideas of things to do in port and how to get from one place to another. Suzanna was on top of everything and both always had a smile on their face. I'm not sure when they ever slept because they were everywhere. Food was plentiful and delicious. The staff was right there to serve and were very happy accommodate any special requests. Our room was spotless! Our maid was in there cleaning and turning down beds, etc, countless times a day. Superb! There is not a lot of entertainment on the ship but I knew that ahead and didn't expect it. After dinner we were usually very tired from a busy day and getting ready for the next. We are very active 60 year olds and loved the busy days. If you have trouble walking around or just like relaxing, you may want to consider another tour. The potrts were marvelous. Budapest was so pretty. Be sure to go to the thermal baths! They were divine! We did not do the extention in Budapest and that would have been a good idea, especially because we were there on a Sunday and there was a marathon going on. Several places were closed for the day so we missed seeing them. We went on an excursion to Salzburg and I would not recommend it. Too far to go by bus, too crowded, not enough free time. I would stay in Passau. LOVED Regensburg! Such a sweet old town, untouched by the war. So glad we did the extention to Prague. Just magnificent! And Viking did a great job of getting us a great hotel right in the middle of the city. Plus we got a great city tour through Viking. Vikingt handled a few problems very professionally. No one can predict the river water levels and yes we did have to go by bus to our last 2 ports. Disappointing but I would not blame Viking. Also, that same week we were there Viking was dealing with the boat crash. The staff again handled themselves very professionally. Overall, we loved our trip! And highly recommend Viking! I will do another river cruise some day, I hope, and I will stay with Viking. Thanks, Njord staff and crew! Read Less

Before we booked this cruise, we had booked to do the same with Avalon but changes to our other tours and commitments saw us book with Scenic river cruises. We have used Scenic prior to this and had enjoyed their offerings but this was some time ago. Armed with all the hype after watching the advertising, we were expecting something really special. We arrived in Prague for the three day extension. This is really a con because one of the days is spent tightly crammed into a coach for the long day of driving to the ship in Budapest. For what we paid for this, I would never recommend it. Just do Prague on your own, you will not miss anything and will save heaps. We enjoyed Budapest but that is where it ended. While beyond Scenic's control at the outset, it is what followed that beggars belief. A lock on the river had been slightly damaged and ships we not able to proceed. Essentially what Scenic decided to do was to bus people to each of the destinations further on. This involved almost four hours on a crammed coach for 1hr 40 mins in Bratislava. But the next was a doozy, an almost 17hr day of coaching culminating in a show in Vienna! We and some others opted out for various reasons relating to physical capacity. Scenic did not offer us a viable alternative. When the lock finally opened, we simply sped past every port along the river just so the last couple of days might be on schedule! Go figure? A river cruise spent on a Coach! Of course, there could have been a better compromise but Scenic has the attitude that one size fits all. This is in spite of their claims that they offer "tailor made" experiences. In recognition of our loss of enjoyment, they have offered a paltry $1500 credit off a future river cruise. This represents around 10% of a single with flights and pre and post accommodation. Frequent travellers paying earlybird get this. I am not sure that many Aussies could even afford to do this trip,a second time. I am guessing the European passengers will find the discount a lot more attractive! I liaised with Scenic pointing out that they were the cause of much of our disappointment to absolutely no effect. For us, the premium paid for this experience is not justified. The butler service is nothing, the minibar means nothing, all drinks are included anyway. A small bag of washing is allowed for the two weeks and everything was returned shrunken. The food offerings were nothing exceptional at all. Our times on other cruises have been at least as enjoyable. Even the room design for our upgraded top level cabin was not as efficient as we have had and it suffered noise from the lobby area. The true measure of a company is what they do when things go wrong. Scenic failed us dismally. We will not be able to recommend them. Read Less

We checked out several cruise options and decided on this one, we like the ports and shore excursions offered and the Viking line has a good reputation. I like to do lots of research before choosing our next holiday. Our room had a "French" balcony, which is a patio type door with a bar across the middle, so you get lots of daylight, and you can open it to take pictures or just enjoy the fresh air. I would recommend this over the balcony as we were often docked up against another ship and the balconies were not usable. Lovely fresh linens and comfy queen size bed, not too much more room but it was fine. The bathroom had a heated floor, very nice addition and a nice sized shower. The dinning room was large and airy with windows everywhere. The staff were awesome and the food great too. Lots of choice at all meals and wine, beer and sodas were included. If you are looking to be entertained in the evenings with big shows this is not for you but several nights we had local groups into play music or do a demonstration of local art. The included tours were well run and very interesting, extra tours were also offered for those interested. We meet so many interesting people from all walks of life, there was lots of time to just sit and enjoy the scenery, read a book or chat with new friends. We would certainly do another river cruise, just have to decide where to next. One note: we did have a big problem with our air line tickets, Viking booked them through Air France and we could not get preassigned seating or print boarding passes due to a computer problem. Very annoying and frustrating. We tried for five days and finally our travel agent was able to obtain our boarding passes. This did not spoil the actual cruise but it was not a good way to start a holiday. Good thing the ship was wonderful. Hope this helps someone to decide. Read Less

Great trip with many stops through Europe. Ship was in wonderful shape, almost new condition. Crew from the Captain on down were fantastic, all were excellent personnel. Made friends with several of them. Food and beverages were first rate with something different most any day. Other passengers seemed to also enjoy their experience. We made several friends on the voyage. Sleeping Cabin was a little tight, however comfortable. Housekeeping seemed to go out of their to maintain everything. During the trip the wife and I Celebrate our 43rd Anniversary. Both the Housekeeping and Dining Crew made it Special Occasion. The main topic of the Vacation was the sightseeing of the Danude River and it's associate water ways. This to include the many stops at cities and landmarks. Excursions at all included plus other at additional charge. The ones we took were really something special in both the viewing and the tour guide's shared knowledge and stories associated with the location site. Note a whole lot of fantastic churches, war artifacts and wine related items. Read Less

Great overall experience and very educational. Budapest is a wonderful city with many great outdoor cafes and restaurants. We visited many great cities along the Danube to include Vienna, Passau,Nurenberg and finally the October fest in Munich which did not disappoint. This was our 2nd Viking river cruise with the 1st being the Rhine river cruise from Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland. We find September a great time of year to be traveling the waterways of Europe due to local wine festivals ongoing at each port of call. A great overall experience! The ship Atla and it`s crew were very accommodating and we received wonderful service with accomodations being very appropriate .The ship was very well maintained and extremely clean which we hold to high standards. Our tour guides were all very well versed and extremely knowledgeable making our travel an everlasting memory. We are anticipating another river cruise in the near future and certainly will have Viking in our forseeable future plans.Thank You! Read Less

We did get a very good discount and very nice upgrade. Crew very good. Only ione thing next cruise will be when it is warmer. We were very glad to get the free up grade. We had our bfriends join us on this cruise. Boat was smooth sailing and views were very nice except for the rain it was outstanding. Looking foward to the next discount and cruise. The ports we stopped at were very nice and planning on your part very good. Are friend and us are looking for another cruise in Viking. Room thank you for the upgrade. Hope next cruise we will also get a upgrade. Food uas very good service was outstanding. Wish we could have spent time in Amsterdam but mis read the schedule. Not sure of the dates but they are close. This was our 2nd cruise on Viking and we will be taking another one soon. Read Less

We chose this cruise because my grandparents were Hungarian immigrants, so this was an opportunity to come to Hungary. My husband and I took the cruise from Budapest to Bucharest, then returned to Budapest after which we spent a few days visiting the towns from which my ancestors came. The cruise was magnificent and was way more than I had anticipated. It was worth every cent we spent on it. Everything about the ship, the itinerary, the places we stayed when on shore, the excursions each time we landed in a new port, and the food was first class. I was most impressed by the emphasis on educating us guests about the countries we visited and the opportunities we had to engage in cultural experiences- all included in our cruise. The leaders of the excursions were usually local people who were knowledgeable and enthusiastic to share their countries with us. The crew on the ship also were enthusiastic, friendly, engaging, knowledgeable, and they obviously loved their jobs. Food and service were outstanding. We had a wonderful time, and we really learned a lot about the people, their history, and their cultures. We are motivated to learn more. I definitely recommend this kind of a cultural experience, and we plan on going on more Viking cruises in the future. Read Less

We've done river cruising before and wanted to experience the Balkans by Danube. Our travel company recommended Avalon, new for us. Everything about the cruise was excellent: ship (new ship Passion), cabin, staff, service, dining, excursions -: a first class experience all around. The dedication and expertise of the captain and crew was evidenced in what occurred during one of the excursions. On a trip to an archeological excavation in Serbia, I fell down a flight of stairs leading back to the bus. I was injured all over my body; miraculously, no broken bones. After receiving first aid in the town close to the site of my fall, I was driven by ambulance, through the hills, to a hospital in a larger town an hour and a half away. There I was treated: abrasions and cuts bandaged, and stitches in my leg and head. I also had two x-rays, a CAT scan, an ultra sound, an EKG and blood work. Excellent, professional care. Then our Avalon guide, who had stayed with us the entire time, drove us another two hours to meet the Passion at an unscheduled stop on the Danube. After conducting us back to the ship, we were given dinner in our stateroom - and the laundry personnel even washed my bloody clothing for me! The captain had monitored my progress the entire day, talking with our Avalon guide, and making it possible for us to meet the ship and continue for the rest of the Balkan cruise; we didn't miss anything! An extraordinary effort to help us as well as to ensure that the rest of the Avalon passengers were able to enjoy their trip through the Iron Gates, and that everything went on as scheduled. I'm not sure this same level of service would have happened with any other cruise company. Kudos and thanks to the entire crew and staff for their caring manner and for an unforgettable, wonderful cruise. Read Less

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My husband got sea sick on an Ocean Cruise we took for our honeymoon but the river cruise was not a problem at all. It took ten years for him to have the courage to try another cruise...but he loved the river cruise. For a senior with some health problems, the river cruise was relaxing and fun....a perfect balance of sight seeing and relaxing. He will definitely be up for another river cruise! This is a great trip for a photographer as my husband enjoyed taking photos of the sunsets and the lights at night in Budapest. The trip can accommodate any level of physical activity...they had special tours without much walking for those who had limitations due to bad knees and hips etc. There is no reason to stop traveling with a river cruise. The scenery and the sights come to you and it can be as relaxed or as strenuous as you desire. This is a perfect stress free way to travel. Read Less

Looked like interesting places, and the only place we'd been to before was Amsterdam. Everything about the cruise was fabulous--the ship, cabin, staff, food, cleanliness, service. From the moment we got to the ship (we had added on 4 nights in Prague on our own), we were taken care of like royalty. The meals were superb, the staff very nice. I fell on my face in Wurzburg, and everyone was so helpful back on the ship, bringing me special food when I couldn't chew much, making sure I was okay, etc. We loved the shore excursions--the local guides were all great. We were amazed at how well-designed the cabins were. Plenty of storage space. We also booked the 4 nights after we got off the ship, 2 in Amsterdam and 2 in Ghent, w/ a day trip to Bruges, which was magical! I want to go again--maybe next year. Oh, and we were on the Magni, because of the Baldur getting delayed by a lock (?), and fortunately, we didn't have to switch. We loved the staff on the Magni! Read Less

We were on an Avalon Cruise on the Rhine and Moselle from Amsterdam to Luxembourg in 2014. We then took a train to Paris as part of the package. We loved the boat and crew. The boats are the best available, and the food and service were excellent. This year, we decided to take another cruise on the Danube from Budapest to Prague, and again had a wonderful experience. The included tours were enjoyable, and allowed us plenty of time to explore on our own. We never felt rushed. The available optional excursions gave us plenty of options to make the cruise even better. The hotels were both nice, and in great locations. They were both within walking distance to most of the best areas of interest. The boats have plenty of room to roam around, and the coffee room in the rear of the boat was always available to have a quiet place to relax for awhile. Read Less

This was our first river cruise and first time to Europe and we did not want to travel on our own. A river cruise was very appealing as we aren't ocean cruise fans. The itinerary was wonderful and we planned for a year! We felt "looked after" from the minute we arrived at the baggage claim area, actually in Prague where we did a wonderful pre-extension. Transfer to the hotel, then from Prague to Budapest was seamless. The speediest check-in ever experienced was a joy. All the tours along the way were narrated by experienced local guides and very well done. We loved the size of the ship, the accommodations, the common rooms. Tasteful. The dining experience was top-notch, beautiful to look at as well as to eat. Our chef, Gabor, was wonderful and entertaining. The wait staff remembered your name from the first introduction - no small feat when we moved around to different tables. Our program director, Marek Snelly was the BEST. Entertaining, witty, knowledgeable, a most wonderful man who made the trip extra special. The evening entertainment was spot-on for the locations. The service from everyone was impeccable, always smiling faces, anticipating every need or desire. All the ports held their own magic from tiny towns to the larger ones. WE POSITIVELY LOVED THIS CRUISE!! Read Less

I figured I may only get this one chance to see Europe so I chose the Grand European river cruise! I totally enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere on board ship. The scenery along the rivers was most beautiful. The excursions kept us moving every day--enjoying the many cities and towns along the way! The meals on board were extraordinary! Often including local fare. The staff was magnificent. They were warm and friendly and ever so helpful. THe first few days were a little overwhelming. THe excursions were wonderful, but I felt like I had no chance to really relax and enjoy the city or town we were in--you know, like sit in a cafe and enjoy a cafe latte and people watch. After a few days things settled down and got better. I loved the guides, they were knowledgable and informative. Totally love not having to pack up and move luggage every few days. The cruise is the way to go! Read Less

We thoroughly enjoyed this cruise. The staff, cabin, dining and excursions were all excellent. What we really liked is that in most cases we were able to disembark in or close to the town or city we were to visit. If an unexpected problem arose with an excursion or port, the staff worked quickly to rectify or reorganize so we would not miss our visit. The staff in the dining room was friendly, helpful and very efficient.. The food was delicious, and a good variety was offered over the 2 weeks, including many regional dishes. The cabin crew made sure that our cabin was cleaned in a timely manner every day. The excursions for the most part were interesting and well organized. The tour guides were knowledgeable and some better than others in the way they presented their town or city to us. The on board entertainment was very good, presenting a wide variety of acts, meeting a variety of interests and tastes. Read Less