We chose this cruise because it visited five countries. The experiences in each country was unique and very educational. The tour guides gave personal stories, many about coming to freedom from Communism. Over and over again, I realized how blessed we are to live in a free country. The ship's crew were always very attentive. Small perks were given that we didn't expect which made the cruise more enjoyable. Upon returning from one of Passau's tours, the crew offered hot cider when we boarded ship. This was very welcome because the day was very cold and raining. We liked the open seating for dining. We met many new people and enjoyed their stories. The onboard entertainment was lively and fun. It was hard to pace myself during meals because everything was delicious, and I wanted to experience the local food based on the port we were in. Ports and shore excursions were very educational and fun. We liked having a lot of time in port so we could explore on our own after the excursion if we wanted to. This is quite a contrast to the previous ocean cruise we took. We have another cruise booked for this year and another booked for 2019. Can't wait to see more new countries, experience the culture and the warmth of the people. We definitely want to try a Viking Ocean cruise as well. Having 150 (river) to 930 (ocean) people on board is much more pleasant than fighting 5,000. Read Less

We had the pre-cruise in Budapest and had 3 days to wonder on our own. Great fun . My husband is retired Navy so he is used to being on the water and I hold on to the edge in the bath tub but the ship was wonderful. Very memorable. This was to celebrate our 50th anniversary. 10 days we will never forget. The food was so good, got to sample food from the areas we were sailing through. We really enjoyed the trip without having to deal with little kids. (had enough of them on the plane getting there) Would love to go again. The crew was so helpful and friendly. and the entertainment on board was very nice. The tours in each port were wonderful. If you need a tour for handicap or if you cant keep up with the main tour they provided us with a private tour that we could take at a slower pace. Very knowledgeable tour guides, Read Less

Very pleased with overall performance . The included shore excursions were well planned & executed . The most outstanding comment each day was HOW HARD & DILIGENT the program director was. I saw him from morning to evening at every event - observing, directing & controlling the entire program. His onboard & general knowledge of the entire trip was a amazing. ( without any notes). I only know of him as JOE. He is certainly an asset to this company. I would like to know of any other Viking cruises he is on , as i would definitely consider booking it. Everyone i talked with were completely satisfied with all aspects of the cruise. I will definitely consider another Viking cruise. River cruising has a distinct advantage over ocean cruising in the ability to view more of the country side as you are underway and very important -- the lack of "sea sick "movement of the ship. Read Less

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Chose this cruise as it was a week long and perhaps a little less expensive due to time of the year. We had done one ocean cruise prior but it (right at the end). Very quiet and extremely clean all week. Staff were very friendly and I think genuine. We put our credit towards tipping instead of full package drinks. We were told after that these tips are shared amongst everyone - even the captain. We began to tip individuals as well as some were so darn sweet. Needless to say - I would opt out of the tipping thing next time and just do on our own. Food was wonderfully prepared and even for a health conscious person I always had lots to choose from. Not a meat eater but there was always fish or vegetarian option. The only thing they need to improve on is the COFFEE ! By the end of the week I couldn’t stand the stuff. Even making my own latte didn’t cut it. We would probably (if and when we do another) not choose a cruise hat hits two ports in one day - time is just to short to see much in 2 or 3 hours. We embarked the ship in Budapest - we had already done 3 days there on our own so the day and a half we spend docked there seemed like a waste of precious time - this was totally OUR FAULT ! Hint: don’t spend too much time in Budapest before embarking the ship... We would do another river cruise but probably not for another five years. Still like to see and do stuff on our own... if you like really being pampered and taken care of this is for you! Read Less

Four college friends from 50+ years ago decided to celebrate their 70th birthdays by taking a "bucket list" cruise. We chose this cruise for the seven day duration, the span of interesting cities and sights, and more intimate surroundings for our time together. We had a fabulous time. The excursions were well planned and carried out. There was time for sightseeing and time to just relax, enjoy the ride and view and visit. Our staterooms were very nice and incredibly attended by the staff. I especially enjoyed sitting on my balcony with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and watching the beautiful country pass by. Each dining experience was excellent! The chef, assistants and the wait staff were a joy to be with as well as meeting our every need. The food was fantastic. My only other cruise experience was a Caribbean cruise on another major cruise line. The difference in the embarking and disembarking experience on that trip and on Viking was incredible. Granted there were 4200 more guests, but the Vilhjalm crew were perfectly organized. They have got it together. Read Less

Friends and neighbors have all recommended trying a river cruise instead of ocean cruise. We have sailed before (5+) and enjoyed all our trips. We prefer ships with 2,500 or less and 7-8 day trips with a short stay pre or post trip. It seemed most of our recommendations were with Viking and a short run for the first time - we took that advice. They were dead on with the recommendations. Our agent (Diana Randall) with Avoya made our selection and arrangements pain free - as usual! From pricing to selection of cabin, activities and post stay in Budapest were excellent. What we enjoyed the most; amazing-friendly and accommodating crew; excellent dinning and on board activities; enjoyed meeting new friends and not feeling like a cabin number, but a name and person; top notch excursions and plenty to select from - especially liked our own listening device for the trip which made it easy to hear and keep up with the tour; each crew member from cabin server to Concierge knew my name and made me feel as a "VIP"; attention to little details as: warm towel and drink upon returning for a day ashore, snacks and tea/coffee always available, fresh water always in the cabin, quiet places to relax - I can go on and on. In a nut shell - we are planning another Viking trip in September 2018 and trying an Ocean cruise on their new small ships in April 2019. Thank you Viking for the "VIP" treatment! Bob and Kathy Byrnes Read Less

Terrific cruise from Passau to Budapest First cruise of any kind. We started in Prague and then joined a couple of friends from college at the ship in Passau. Ship and crew exceeded expectations and went above and beyond to accommodate us esp in terms of food and drink. We stayed in very basic state room, 112. Snug bug but very functional and fine for our needs. We purposely spent as little time in our room as possible. The second level rooms seem to sell out first. Strongly recommend the Silver Drink package but also recommend some of the optional tours, as they are popular for a reason. We also extended at the end i Budapest. Support there was not as strong as in Prague but the city and tours were still excellent. we and our companion travel couple bought discount coupons and will use them for a cruise in 2019. Read Less

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The Danube cruise with Viking was wonderful--modern ship, comfortable cabin, excellent food, great tours, and--best of all--crew members who were pleasant and efficient. On some moorings, we had to walk through other cruise lines' ships--that made us really pleased with Viking--our ship was tastefully, cleanly decorated with lots of light; the others were dark and overly furnished (one with gilded mirrors covering the walls)! Viking's itinerary was interesting, informative, and not overly tiring. We added five days on our own at the beginning of our trip in Vienna--loved it; then we had three days with Viking in Budapest--learned a lot; at the end of our cruise, we had three days with Viking in Prague--fascinating; and then we went on our own to Barcelona--have to return because we couldn't get tickets to enter Sacred Family (had we been with Viking, I'm sure that problem would have been anticipated and solved for us!). And yes, we've signed up for two in France for September 2018! Read Less