I should start this review out with a word regarding my rating. It would have to be OUTSTANDING for me to give a 5, so in most cases my "4" should be considered very good. Now to our trip: " Melodies of the Danube" (Wine themed cruise) Our cruise itinerary was slightly modified from the standard since it included 2 tours not generally available on the regular " Melodies of the Danube" cruise. Our Itinerary: Budapest VIENNA plus Viennese Heuriger Tavern Evening KREMS plus evening at Schloss Gobelsburg Wine Tasting WEISSENKIRCHEN GREIN plus Exclusive Clem Castle Visit with Private Wine Reception LINZ PASSAU VILSHOFEN Our embarcation was at Mahart-Garam1 which at first seemed odd and a bit inconvenient since this pier is located up river in north Budapest and really doesn't provide very good views and isn't really near many of the hotels or sites. However, once on board it became clear why this pier was selected. Earlier in the year an accident during an "illumination cruise" resulted in all such cruises to be suspended for safety.( this cruise provided beautiful views of the lighted parliament, bridges and other government buildings). AMAWATERWAYS found that after our embarkation that our ship needed to be moved to the usual International pier (directly across from the Parliament building) and this move "needed" to be made in the evening to allow everyone to board. The result was a fantastic view of lighted Budapest at at night (clever). The tour stops were all interesting and provided multiple levels of tour depending on your ability. I injured my knee before the cruise and keeping up with the tours was a concern. The "level 1" tours were just right and maybe even a bit slow paced at times ( this did allow for easy setup of pictures along the tour though). For the most part the tours covered the same routes just at a slower pace with the exception of areas with many steps, where the slower tour would deviate. Being this was a "special wine themed" version of the cruise our it included wine activities on board and extra stops as noted in our itinerary. Most of the days tours started at 9:30am which made the morning a bit less hectic however,(here's a negative). The first 2 added excursions took place AFTER dinner starting at (8:00PM or 8:30PM) so with the bus rides and event we didn't get back to the ship until about 11:00. The next days tours started at 9:00 (half hour earlier than most) which resulted in not much sleep and barely time for breakfast. I think a bit better planning by AMA can correct this issue. This wan't our first river cruise , but it was our first with AMA , and overall everything was "VERY GOOD" and we hope to take another cruise with AMAWATERWAYS in the future. Read Less

We had previously taken a cruise with Avalon of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers. We loved travelling through the Rhine gorge, so we took the Basel to Amsterdam cruise. This not only gave use a portion of the Rhine and cities in Switzerland, France and Germany we hade not visited before, but also took us again through the beautiful Rhine gorge with its magnificent scenery. We were not disappointed. The ship is amazing, with its French Balcony suite rooms, with the beds all facing the glass walls of the room, which slide open when the weather is permitting. The food and service were better than what we had on former cruises, which I thought would be impossible to match. The shore excursions were very interesting, informative and were worth the time. The extra excursions that we paid for were extraordinary and worth every penny spent. I would highly recommend this cruise to anyone interested in a magnificent experience of the Rhine River. Read Less

We went with family, No children. Children would be board but it was great for adults. Our travel agent was amazing and helped us with the booking. Scenic looked after everything else. Hotel/airport transfers were done with high end buses and professionals. We stayed at the hotels recommended by scenic and were not disappointed. The meals were amazing. It sucks to be home and try to figure out what to cook after having everything done for us. The quality was fantastic. The entertainment was great. Our cruise director was fantastic. After cruising many times before it was nice doing a small boat. If you worry about getting sea sick, dont. The rivers are very calm. We live in a city with locks so it was a different experience being in a ship going through the locks. Overall an amazing trip. I would recommend Scenic to anyone. I would defiitely go again. I would only suggest not the last cruise of the season. Read Less

We choose because of going with VBT bike tours. We were treated well by the cruise staff and VBT leaders. Layout of cabin perfect. Beautiful room and panoramic picture window. Great location new to us. Weather surprisingly perfect. Coffee excellent. Appreciate free water bottles in room and on leaving ship. Spacious storage of cabin. Best layout of a cabin on a cruise we have ever had. Good food. 24 locks on the Danube and the canal were interesting. The Vienna special excursion to the music museum to see the group of seven musicians was excellent and entertaining as well as a beautiful location. The VBT trips each day were under 22 miles. Good bikes. The bike trips were rated as easy and basically were. Recommend being used to a bike before you get on. Hotel room for the pre- in Prague and the post trip in Budapest were excellent. Recommend highly. Read Less

We saw it advertised on tv. The river cruise was our first, but not our last it was everything and more then we expected. Starting with the unexpected free hand luggage and going on to be one of the best journeys of our life. Trips and the Concert were all outstanding, we visited the wonderful city of Budapest with its great culture. Then Vienna a lively and lovely city, where we watched an excellent concert. After we visited Durnstein and sampled the taste of the local Brandy and Wine. Next was Melk and a trip to the 900 year old Abby which was awesome. Following this was Linz where we visited the castle with it’s amazing views. The cruise down the Danube with the views and wonderful scenery were often watched while dining making it even more special. But what made the whole experience special was the outstanding staff. The facilities and food were all brilliant. Thank you. Read Less

We chose this cruise for the tour down the Danube. Our first river cruiswe and we were thrilled. We met wonderful people and the staff was amazing. Very friendly and helpful. The food was delicious. The cruise itself was so fun and picturesque. We really enjoyed the tours and learned so much about the history and culture of the cities and tours. We started 2 days ahead in Prague and then went to Passau, Germany to start our cruise. So many places to see! The ship was clean and the cabin, although small was very organized and you had room to unpack and put your suitcase under the bed. The ports were fun and the excursions we chose were enjoyed! Panoramic tours of the cities: a wine tasting in Austria, bread making at a farm in Linz, A market tour with our chef in Vienna, A Mozart/Strauss concert in Vienna. We would have loved to stay in Brataslava to enjoy the Slovakian food but sadly we were there just a half day. Such beautiful cities and towns. We loved them all - Budapest is very interesting and beautiful.We arrived at night and saw the beautiful parliament building all lit up looking gold with a full moon shining also. Very impressive. I think people with mobility issues would find this trip a challenge. Lots of walking and cobblestone streets in these centuries old cities. The food was delicious with many choices and fare from the areas we toured, The piano player at night was great. Someone complained in a previous comment - we enjoyed him. Read Less

I very much enjoyed this cruise because of the ship and it’s excellent crew. The cabin was clean and neat with great housekeeping staff. Food choices were often a bit overwhelming during dinner. Breakfast and lunch were very good also. The wait staff in the lounge was very efficient and friendly. The staff often remembered my preference of beverage. My only dislike were the size of crowds at various venues that we visited. The alternative choice of smaller groups with less famous attractions would be nice. Maybe not famous, but still interesting. More wineries, night time pub crawls, even old artisanry professions. Leather working, wood working. Even boat building. More bike touring. I will cruise with Viking again. The cabin was much nicer than the Corinthians hotel in Prague. That hotel had poor service and terribly prepared breakfast entrees. Poor facilities in the hotel room....eg. Only one luggage easel for four suitcases. No drawers for clothing. Bathtub was a waiting lawsuit for safety. Handicap bars in wrong positions and bathtub bottom was different elevation than the floor. Poorly designed room facilities wound up injuring one of my toes to the extent that I could not participate in walking tours for the remainder of the trip because shoes with closed toes would not be possible to wear. Lucky to have brought a pair of Hawaiian flip flops to hobble around in. Bare skin on long haul aircraft for return flight to my home in Hawaii. Thanks for spoiling me on the boat. I will never go to that hotel in Prague again. I mean never!. Read Less

This one-week cruise was excellent. The Sigrun was first put into service in March 2019. We booked this as a once in a lifetime trip and now we can’t wait to book another one. Viking sets the standard for river cruising in Europe. The staff, food, staterooms, and daily shore excursion exceeded all of our high expectations. It starts with the staff. They are extremely friendly and very responsive. They pleasantly greet every passenger every time they pass one around the ship. The restaurant and bar staff learned our names and preferred beverages within a day. There are many four- and five-star hotels in the U.S. and Europe that could learn the “Viking method” for treatment and accommodation of guests. We felt pampered every day aboard the ship. The staterooms may seem small, but they are marvels of design and functionality. The food was simply sensational. Each day’s menu included one page of regional entrees and another page of standard food. The head chef stopped by our table most evenings to chat and answer questions. The program director was very accommodating and informative. The lounge had different post-dinner activities most evenings. Every evening, we found a four-page newsletter in our room discussing the included and optional shore excursions for the next day. Viking has high standards for the local guides that lead the shore excursions and every one of these met or exceeded expectations. They all provided local insights and had great senses of humor. A highlight was visit to the ship’s bridge with the captain. There may be other river cruises in Europe, but none are better than Viking. Read Less

It was part of our ski trip summer trips. This is a fantastic cruise for people who love scenery,wine vineyards especially port wines, olives and churches. It also is an area that tells you about cork and cork trees. The entertainment was okay...it is a small ship maximum 113 guests and is very fun. The ship is 2 years old and Emerald has made this small ship seem larger with mirrors everywhere. It is bright and gleaming and the rooms are adequate for cruising. We were on the lowest deck of 3 floors and it even has a large window at the water level. Service was superb and so was the food. Great variety and very tasty and colorful. The breakfast and lunch menu was full of variety and choices. Dinner menu was elegant and 3 to 4 courses with just enough to satisfy the palate. Wine and drinks with every meal was included.The shore excursions led by the Emerald tour leaders and they were very knowledgeable. We saw churches, wine tastings ,food market, city tours , historical bridges and got free time to shop and try out the local foods. Overall, this was one of the best river tours we have done. Read Less

The experience was first class.when there was an issue the team made it disappear as best the could, like low water level. The service was second to none from the time we first met the team until the end. Food was fantastic and wine options great. The crew people made the difference and we have already booked our second cruise. The rooms were very good and well thought out as for the best usage of the space. The ship facilities were all there, pool, spa, gym, etc. Nightly entertainment was great with special presentations on some occasions. All the excursion options were good and well planned out. Again, the service of sf the boat was second to none and the cruise director JJ was excellent. The excursions ere great and options very well presented each and every day. The dining options ere good and the food falntastic. Recommend this to anyone. Read Less

After having experienced the middle deck room in Uniworld’s Venice Cruise, the next year my husband and I were ready to sail the Danube from Passau to Budapest, but on the lower level. For the most part, I was happy with the room, food and staff. The excursions could have been better described. Most guides but the one in Passau were quite knowledgeable about their subjects. The organization of passengers onto busses and back again was streamlined and easy. I’d highly recommend all the tours except Schönbrunn Palace. It was too warm with too many people and not particularly interesting. I was quite tired after that and skipped the Mozart concert, which everyone said was fantastic. The bathroom had a heated marble floor and towel rack, which was great. The beds and pillows are sooo comfortable, although the AC wouldn’t cool quite enough for me at night. An article of clothing “disappeared” from my room’s closet. I wish I had thought to lock my clothes in my suitcase and then slide the suitcase in the space provided under the bed. Read Less

Excellent cruise line, The ship was small with 97 passengers. Average age in the 60s from various countries. mostly Canada. The ship was well designed and comfortable. The cabin #217 was well planned. The bathroom and shower were bigger than expected for a small ship. The balcony was small but room enough for 2 small chairs and table. Coffee, tea and snack was down the hall (2nd deck) No coffee maker in the cabin. The service was excellent in every category. The staff was polite and informative. Best cruise director we have ever had - Luis Ribeiro. The Douro river was very scenic with mostly vineyards So, the emphasis is on wine. 1st week in Sept was best time to go, no rain and 75 for 15 days. Breakfast, lunch and dinner was served in the dining area. A later buffet is also available. The quality was excellent. The ports were all good. All the excursions were worth going on. (One required a 2 hr bus trip there and back. The excursions had 3 levels from easy to more difficult. Read Less

This was our first, but not out last, river cruise. My husband and I loved everything about cruising with Avalon. It's interesting to hear people talk about other lines. We would choose Avalon again without hesitating. The service was GREAT. We might go for an upper cabin next time. It's true that you don't spend so much time in your room, but I did not realize that the room would be below the site line of the window. Next time... :)) I want to give a shout out the chef and his team. We had a special meal and they simply could not have been more accommodating. I don't know about the other special requests, but the vegan meals prepared for us were spectacular. The first night we got white rice and they asked how we liked the dinner. We said it was great but we preferred brown rice and whole grain. Done! They were fabulous. Thanks again to the chef and his gang! The sporty excursions did not disappoint. The biking, hiking, and canoeing were better than we expected. Thank you Avalon. See you again. Read Less

Dates fitted - I wanted to do a river cruise in Europe- friends had a conference in Vienna so it seemed like a good idea to combine work and pleasure. I had completed a Nile river cruise in egypt and loved it so thought a chance to see some of the areas in Europe that I hadn’t visited would be good. The staff and crew have been excellent- especially the captain and butlers. Cabins are good except that the very small shower is difficult for taller people. Entertainment was exceptional - all activity alternatives were great - I enjoyed all of the ones I chose - particularly enjoyed the bike rides - especially the ride through Vienna. Musical entertainment was outstanding - loved string quartet, palais Lichtenstein, piano recital etc. also liked being able to walk each morning on the upper deck track. I found the gym fairly limiting as it was too small and very airless. A defibrillator should be mandatory and a trained medical staff member present. Overall I loved my cruise and would consider joining another scenic cruise. The most impressive thing is that you are exceedingly well looked after and that you don’t pay for anything once you are on board. Food is amazing and all food and beverages are provided with great generosity. Thank you Team Scenic. Read Less

We chose the Scenic line for the features of the ship and for the all inclusive vacation they offered. The "leave your wallet at home" line resonated as did the itinerary. We were not disappointed. The ship and the service was absolutely five-star and the on shore excursions were well planned and interesting, and many times very educational. The idea of a private concert by wonderful ensemble in an amazing venue was unbelievable. And then, because dinner was a little earlier that evening, that they then gave us another light meal when we got back was pure pampering! It seemed that we had gourmet dining three meals a day, every day. And when, after only a few days, the chief butler asked me by name what he could do for me, blew me away! The personal attention of the Cruise Director was above and beyond. At disembarkation he offered to arrange a taxi to the apartment we had rented for a further five days, and after establishing a time, he said, "Just go and relax in the lounge. I'll come find you when your ride arrives." If this is typical Scenic cruising, why would I choose anything else? Read Less

It was our 50th anniversary and wanted to do something special. From the moment I called Viking's travel agent, Esteban,things went smoothly. He patiently answered all my questions and set up the trip. The flights went well and we were picked up and taken to the ship, where we were warmly welcomed.There was a delicious lunch waiting for us and we nearly instantly started getting acquainted with both staff and passengers. Our cabin was very clean and comfortable. Our dining options were delicious and well presented and served. Evening activities often consisted of an excellent piano player as well as local entertainment and an very entertaining bar tender!. The cruise director, Victoria, was wonderful. She was a wealth of knowledge and so helpful answering questions. The food was great and the staff was very attentive. The included as well as our two extra excursions were wonderful...very well organized but also with some flexibility. We really liked the small boat experience and the relaxed pace. We had the opportunity to make many friends on the trip and are looking forward to our next Viking adventure soon! Read Less

Essentially took this tour with another couple who where wanting to celebrate their 30th Wedding Anniversary. Despite the fact our airplane arrived well over an hour late in Prague the very approachable Scenic representative was their to greet us and take us to the local hotel. Likewise for the balance of the trip all the services from presentations by the Cruise Director, departure for excursions to opening of the restaurants were completely on time and very timely. The Chef on our cruise provided an excellent array of culinary delights both on the buffet and a la carte services. The cut on everything from slices meats to vegetables and dessert items was flawless. I inquired with the Chef who frequently made table checks about the "secrets" about a "Clear Tomato" that was being served for lunch. Chef Broccoli was most generous and provided a recipe for this exceptional soup. The effort put in by the entire staff of our trip was 110%. They worked well as a team and professional ignored the occasional unthinking and too casual guest. My only concern would be that the dining room was a slight bit noisy and congested and that for "older" folks (70 +) might find it tiring after more than a week. Likewise the rooms will be a tad small for those on the "heavier or tall" side. The Tailormade Scenic software very innovative and highly effective. I only recently have been using a smart phone but found it enhanced the trip. The system was occasionally nonfunctional when listening to the tour guides in large congested areas. However the information and pictures while sailing down the picturesque Danube River very complementary. Did find the survey questionare at the end of the tour rather long and time consuming. I thought it might take 20 minutes to complete but it had so many questions that I ran out of time and had to omit the last quarter of the survey. Cabin balcony excellent. Really liked the size, the glass, even the comfortable chairs. Read Less

Have been ocean cruising for a few years now and thought we would give river cruising a try. We saw Jane Mcdonald on a Danube river cruise, liked the itinery, so started looking around. Viking seemed to get a lot of excellent reviews, nothing negative that we could find, so we booked with them. First off, they posted a nice personalised brochure to us. I logged onto their website and reserved our trips-don't worry if you forget this, you are automatically reserved on each of the included excursions and can change these at anytime, even on board. The meet up with the Viking rep at the airport and coach trip to the ship is very smooth.Once on the coach you won't touch your luggage again until its delivered to your cabin. On arrival we were shown around the ship and our cabin, and (depending on the time you arrive) were directed to a wine and cheese tasting event to get things going. The cabin was bigger than I expected, at least the same as on ocean cruises. Spotlessly clean and nicely decorated. Bottled water every day. Food was very good. Great choices with local variations at each port. Wine and beer included with every lunch and dinner. Waiters are mainly Philippino, very cheerful and clearly enjoy working for Viking. Nothing is too much trouble. Entertainment is obviously different to on an ocean cruise but the singers, musicians, and Tim our entertainment Director, are of very good quality and perfect for a ship of this size. Be prepared to join in, it makes for a great evening. Tim must eat Duracell batteries for breakfast, he's a human dynamo. The excursions are excellent, they run so smoothly and are fabulous. Water bottles are handed out as you leave the ship, so no getting dehydrated. No photographer on board (hooray! ), no sales pitches,no gym, a small onboard shop for those who collect memorabilia. Basically, what you pay for the cruise is virtually all you need to budget for, no nasty surprises. And no children on board! We are definitely using Viking again, we only need to decide where to go! Read Less

Jewish Heritage Cruise was way above our expectations. Two excursions included everyday. Way more than was advertised. Lecturers/Speakers on board were excellent. Chef and Cruise Director modified things to meet the special topic cruisers. Incredible state room opened Completely so we cruised in bed with the room open to river sounds and smells. Great food beautifully presented. Class A hotels at both Budapest and Prague with perfect locations and excellent views. Very high level buses for tours. Almost all guides had excellent English. Broke groups into small like 20 people so big buses half empty. Whole ship only about 120 people. Great sound speaker system on all tours. A few optional tours were good and not high priced. Wait staff very friendly and efficient. In trying to find something negative to say: Marketing materials said there would be nightly 10:30 food that didn’t happen. Also, tea time was almost always taken down before tours returned to ship. Bar wait staff was not really interested in selling drinks - didn’t work the room during happy hour or during lectures, didn’t know what liquor they had, etc. Marketing materials and even signs on ship said they had a beauty salon but crew said that was closed years ago. None of the negatives hurt the trip which was fantastic and we are veterans of 20+ cruises. Read Less

This trip was for our anniversary that we were not sure we would make as my husband has cancer. This was also our first River Cruises. We so happy with not only the service and the accommodation but more than anything the Crew. The Program Director Candi and her team were fantastic everything from the organization of the excursion to the entertainment. The shore excursions, we great and the knowledge that was shared by the local guides was so helpful in understanding the local culture. The entertainment on board was also perfect. This was truly a trip of a lifetime. They truly made us feel welcome and like were part of the family. We are already thinking about another trip, I can only hope that it will be just as wonderful. Thank you, Viking, for a wonderful vacation. Thank you again for a wonderful trip and we hope to see you again. Read Less

It sounded like a great idea to Cruise the Rhine and we added 3 nights in Zurich to the end. Our room was excellent but the true stars were the staff. There was not one who didn’t go out of they’re way to provide us with a great experience. With only 168 guests we had a chance to meet just about all of them. The food was fantastic with a lot of choices. We had to skip some of the excursions as they were mostly walking and with bad knees and COPD we couldn’t enjoy. Others we were able to go along and enjoy even though we couldn’t keep up with the group. Headsets provided allowed us to hear our guide from a reasonable distance. Avalon handled all of our travel arrangements as well as before and after hotel arrangements and transfers to and from airport. All went smoothly. Unfortunately we did not realize that Amsterdam was such a huge airport with hardly any accommodations for folks needing assistance walking. Perhaps if we had made requests ahead of time something could have been provided. Read Less

We choose this cruise to be able to see as much as possible while in Europe. Everyone on the ship was very accommodating to all types of passengers. I think we all would agree that we were very fortunate to have an awesome cruise director, Danielle. But it doesn’t stop there, from housekeeping to dining room staff to bartenders I mean everyone was great. The ship is in tiptop shape and the rooms are roomy enough with fantastic views. As we did cruise three different rivers we had an opportunity to see other cruise lines along the way and personally we are super glad that we chose Avalon not only from the ships appearance but also from the number of people on board seemed to be less than others. Onboard entertainment was varied and our cruise director did a great job of bringing in special guest. The on shore excursions were mostly good sometimes tour guides would spend a little bit too much time with history but that is to be expected. Oh and did I mention the castles! Read Less

We chose Scenic as we had travelled with them once before. We were not disappointed. The whole time we felt cared for and nurtured. The cabin was beautifully appointed with an airy balcony and plenty of space. Dining options were numerous and all food and drink was fantastic quality. Entertainment included an onboard pianist, in addition to performers being brought aboard from various ports. We were even treated to a recital by a classical quartet in a Château, where Scenic docked just for the evening performance, then sailed on. Very special! Most of all, the staff were welcoming, attentive, competent and caring, which always makes a trip. There was always a personal touch. The cruise director was amazing - a French national who was full of wonderful insights into her native country. Hotel Manager ensured all F&B ran seamlessly. Food and drink choices were incredibly varied and top quality. Highly recommend! Read Less

I chose this cruise because of the interactive events, Bike Riding, hiking, wine tasting in a cave, wine tasting and hiking, wine tasting and bike riding, helicopter ride over the South of France visiting the enchanting port cities along the Rhone River. Also because of the ship size there was an intimate # of guests on the cruise. I met some really incredible people I know call friends. The off ship excursions were wonderful. Experiencing activities that I would not have access to with out being on this marvelous cruise. Bike Riding to the Salt Marshes and viewing the Birds in the Sanctuary there. Bike riding to Pont du Gard then wine tasting, Kayaking and canoeing was so refreshing! Visiting the Chateau Montmfia, taking a tour of their facilities and seeing the surrounding countryside was magical. Hiking up Le Hermitage and more wine tasting, Chateau Pont de nuef and more wine tasting, Hiking into an underground cave and more wine tasting!! Having the opportunity to paint in the Van Gogh style in a studio in Arles was as if i was channeling my inner child. Traveling through the locks on the Rhone with our Captain was a remarkable feat! The food on the ship was delicious and there was always a varied selection. The service was outstanding, the staff would not let you lift a finger. They say to our every need. They were all very friendly and genuine. Our cabin was very comfortable and had full sliding windows so we could enjoy the view while sailing. Our room was always put in order and the beds turned down when we wished to retire. For these reasons and many more I would go again and highly recommend Avalon Cruises. Thank you for such a memorable visit!! Read Less

This was our first river cruise so we asked friends for their recommendation. They had no hesitation in recommending Viking and particularly the river Douro. We departed Manchester on a KLM flight, changing at Amsterdam then onward to Lisbon. The flights were comfortable and kept to the scheduled times. On arrival in Lisbon we were welcomed at the airport by the Viking representative who escorted us to the Viking coach for transfer to our hotel. We stayed 2 nights at the sumptuous Tivoli Hotel and , during our stay enjoyed a most informative conducted coach tour of Lisbon and the surrounding area. Following our stay in Lisbon, we traveled by coach to Porto where we were welcomed on board the "Osfrid" and ushered to our individual staterooms. The whole process of embarkation and disembarkation was handled with great care, Viking staff helping and guiding at every point. Our Journey took us up the river Douro, calling at vineyards, castles, places of worship, places of learning and all within a very informative and interesting environment. The guides were very experienced and knowledgeable. In addition to the inclusive excursions it was also possible to book additional ones to other places of interest, however, we never felt the need as the inclusive coach excursions proved to be more than enough to keep us occupied during the entire holiday. Our cruise took us toward the border with spain. We boarded our coach which crossed into spain to the stunning city of Salamanca. A city steeped in culture, history and with lots of interesting places to explore. A real gem. This being our first cruise, we weren't quite sure what to expect of the ship itself and were very pleasantly surprised to find that the ship glided so quietly and gently when underway and the docking/undocking at the various "ports" was so smooth that one was completely unaware that we had cast off! Travelling through the enormous locks was awe inspiring to say the least, such magnificent structures that raised the ship some 30metres on the larger locks. Life on board was idylic, the food was plentiful, the menus varied with lots of choice and the friendly staff were most helpful in every way. We enjoyed on board entertainment ranging from a demonstration of cork artwork to spectacular flamenco dancing. On our final day, after leaving for Porto airport one of our party suffered an injury just prior to boarding our aircraft which meant that we weren't allowed to fly. We rang the "Osfrid" explained our predicament and the staff arranged for a taxi to bring us back to the ship where we were welcomed back on board. As we relaxed over dinner the very caring staff (one of our tour excursion guides) spent the whole evening arranging for hotel accommodation in Porto, flights back to the UK and all transfers back to Manchester. I cannot speak too highly of the trouble taken to smooth our return journey. Would we go again? Most certainly, we really would love to repeat the same "River of Gold" cruise as there is still so much that we did not get to see that a repeat visit would solve. However, we decided to "expand our horizons" next year and have already booked a Viking river cruise to Eastern Europe. Read Less