This cruise covered the traditional Christmas markets in Europe. This was not only a fantastic way to spend the holidays with family, but was a great introduction to a region of Europe I had not been to. We were afforded the opportunity to visit more sites and cities than I previously thought. The crew were outstanding. If you seek the ultimate in comfort and luxury, Viking is the cruise line to employ. Their staff are amazing! I have to say, that a flight was delayed from Heathrow airport for my sister and her husband, they subsequent missed the shuttle from Munich to the ship's docking point in Passau. John the night manager from Viking made it so my sister and her husband were able to get to the ship! He was ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING !!! I would book another cruise with Viking just to work with John again. The attention to detail on every aspect of this ship and the crew were beyond words. Everyone was so helpful and friendly. The ship had a variety of activities. I did wish there was a small gym on the ship as the food was so amazing that I gained several pounds, but there is a walking path on the top deck and I was able to keep track of the distance I walked, and with the surrounding view, the top deck walking was incredible. This was the first cruise I have ever taken and I will continue to be a Viking customer as I continue to travel through Europe. Read Less

We chose this cruise to return to some of the places of my youth and to share them with my wife. I had spent a summer in the area and this cruise included all but Praha. We had a wonderful time especially in Vienna. It was great to see the Grand city once again and share some highlights with my wife. We were very pleased with how well Viking managed the logistics of the entire experience and we intend to use them again. The onshore excursions were well planned and the guides were knowledgable and personable. We enjoyed them all very much, the time was adequate and not overly taxing. The options were flexible and well chosen for each ability level. Each also provided more than a glimpse of the culture and traditions of the people and places we visited. Free time was also provided on each of the excursions and this allowed shopping and dinning which was enjoyed greatly. All in all, a very grand experience. Read Less

We chose this cruise for the Christmas Markets. I did find the cabin small. Dining was delicious and the staff are wonderful. Very attentive. All excursions are handled with every detail considered and taken care of. The ship is beautiful and well maintained. We were always greeted when leaving and returning to the ship. There was always water bottles available to take, and sometimes we were greeted with a treat! Everyday was filled with an excursion, whether it be by bus or walking tour. Tours were small groups and each group had its own guide. All guides were local and very knowledgeable. . My first experience on a river cruise. Would definitely sail with Viking again! Our only complaint is with the air schedule for return flights. A later return flight would have allowed us to enjoy the final night/farewell with the staff and other guests. Having to awake at 2:30 am did not allow us the time to join in. Read Less

My wife and I have always wanted to take a river cruise with Viking. Their commercials are enticing and we thought we would have a wonderful trip. We agreed with Viking’s CEO, Torstein Hagen, that travel was broadening and time was short. This cruise was expensive and we saved a long time to take it. Unfortunately, reality did not meet expectations. We we were forced to take long bus rides to destinations that we could not sail to because of the low river levels (Bratislava and Budapest). The bus rides were tedious and exhausting and because we used buses, which took time away from the excursions, one of the optional trips we booked was canceled. In addition, my wife got very sick and was unable to enjoy the rest of the cruise because of the long rides. If we wanted to ride buses we would have booked a guided tour. They did send two emails, one three months and another one two days in advance of the cruise, but the lead time was too short to cancel without full penalty. It does mention in the Terms and Conditions that “Itineraries are subject to change and may need to be altered or canceled specifically because of water levels or wind or other factors.” but some kind of compensation should have been offered. Other river cruise companies did offer partial refunds. A company with Viking’s reputation should have been more caring toward their customers. Because of this we will never book another Viking Cruise, river or ocean. Read Less

We were fortunate the Danube water levels rose enough that we could sail most of the trip. Excellent crew in dining, housekeeping and cruise director kept us informed throughout cruise. Breakfast was best meal for our group of six. Excellent made to order omelette or fried eggs, numerous warm dishes, cheese, cold meats, best oatmeal with assortment of toppings, wonderful pastries and homemade jams. When we cruised through Wachau Valley, delightful afternoon tea spread on Aquavit with mulled wine, hot cocoa, assortment of teas and coffee. Included excursions were all very good and tour guides excellent in Cesky Krumlov, Prague, Kutna Hora, Vienna. Passau also delightful. We also purchased Schonbrunn Palace evening excursion and Mozart concert in Vienna. Wonderful and recommend. What could have been improved? Our Viking Air flight arrived too late in Budapest to do much on first evening. Morning Budapest tour was rushed and the afternoon excursions cancelled because we had to be bused 3 hours Vienna. We missed the Great Market in Budapest. Since Viking not able to sail out of Budapest, recommend Viking book an evening river cruise for passengers on the smaller river boats that do night cruises. I think we would have rather seen Melk or Dürnstein rather than Bratislava for itinerary. Our Prague post cruise extension also excellent. Palace Hotel was a bit dated but in very good central location. Overall, we had memorable trip on a well kept ship with great crew and staff. Read Less

My friend and I chose this cruise because we had never experienced a river cruise nor had we seen some of the places offered on this itinerary. I had heard nothing but wonderful things about Viking so I was truly looking forward to a wonderful trip. I was not disappointed. The ship was clean and offered everything we needed, but in a very small cabin. I've been on ocean cruises so I was expecting a little more space but river boats aren't as large as ocean ships so it stands to reason the space is more cramped. But the dining areas were lovely and the food was great. As for entertainment, we had a wonderful singer/piano player who really got everyone in a party mood! Staff aboard the ship were very helpful and friendly. The ports and excursions were wonderful. There was only one that I wouldn't do again and that was the night tour of Prague. Perhaps I was just too tired from our very long walk all around Prague during the day. And that brings up the subject of walking. I was warned there would be a lot of it and my sources were not wrong! My Fitbit recorded an AVERAGE of 5 miles a day. I'm not used to that so I was challenged but made it through and saw fabulous locations along with getting good exercise. I suppose my only complaint would be the air transportation portion of the trip and there's really no particular place to put the blame. It was frustrating to not be able to get seat assignments ahead of time on all flights. My return home was an absolutely grueling schedule of flights and I was more exhausted than I've ever been when I got home. I would go again but I'll get myself in better physical condition before the trip!:) Read Less

We were so excited to visit Munich & Salzburg prior to boarding our ship in Passau... what a way to begin our trip.. our Tour Director, Fred Wellenhofer, was amazing and gave us the most informative experience in Munich & Salzburg... visiting Salzburg has always been a dream of mine and it was perfect! The cruise was amazing ... the cities we visited during our shore excursions were beautiful and our local guides brought them to life for us and the stories they shared were both informative and memorable. There were so many optional tours per port visit that there was something for everyone. The staff aboard The Viking Vilhjalm were both friendly and very accommodating and we enjoyed the outstanding service provided by all... The ship was beautiful, the food was fantastic and we have memories to last a lifetime...we are planning our next cruise ... Well done Viking ... we will cruise with you again Read Less

We have just returned from the Viking Danube Waltz River cruise from Passau to Budapest with a pre cruise extension in Prague. We were very disappointed. We are not new to touring having done 6 cruises and 11 land tours so feel we can compare travel products fairly well. Viking river cruising did not compare well. We had only 2 half days of daytime cruising the whole time mso what was the point? We had paid for a full balcony and most of the time we were double or tripple moored so we couldn't use it. To make matters worse we were parked in Vienna due to low water and bussed to Bratislava and Budapest from Vienna. Whilst I understand low water was the issue Viking should have stayed with the itinerary using the bus and taken us on from Bratislava to Budapest on the same day as would have occurred on the cruise. Instead they bussed us from Vienna to Bratislava and back to Vienna, then the next day Vienna to Budapest. Why was this an issue? Because we missed out seeing Budest properly and had to endue a long trip in a very ordinary comfort tour bus and only have a half day in Budapest instead of the 2 nights, one full day as per itinerary. The tour we were given was only of Pest and we had to view Buda from further down on the otherside of the river. Whilst we could see the castle from afar whatever was also up on the hill was not viewable. All optional tours had to be cancelled. In Budapest one bus group stayed at the Sofitel hotel right at the Chain bridge so they could see the famous river lights at night as we would have on the boat. However we were put in a hotel far from the river, despite the fact we had paid a lot more than many, for a full verandah stateroom on the top deck. At the Budapest airport we met people from another river cruise company who told us they had been bussed into Budapest as per itinerary for 2 nights and HAD BEEN COMPENSATED for the unconvince of the low water/ bus transfers etc. The other River cruise company had also advised them much earlier about the low water and given the option of full refund if they didn't want to go. We were given nothing but excuses. Viking kept pretending they were waiting to see what would happen re river height all the way to Vienna when they knew we were not going further. Finally we had transfers booked but no one came for us from the airport in Prague. Afer a super anxious hour a Viking rep turned up for someone else and told us they didn't have our time of arrival. They had our phone number and email plus we had rung them 3 times previously so why couldn't they have been proactive and found out. At the Prague hotel we were given twin beds despite requesting a king and one of the twin beds had a broken leg. In Budapest we got another twin bed of course, at least it wasn't broken. On a plus the stateroom on the boat was nice and was kept immaculate by the great stewardess. The waiters and bar people were brilliant. Not so a person on the front desk who was abrupt and unhelpful. The food was quite good especially the good breakfast range and quality. Overall couldn't recommend Viking. Read Less

We've heard from our friends about their great experience with Viking River Cruises. And so we went last Aug. 15-22, 2018 with 2 other couples. We were very impressed with the staff - very organized, friendly & courteous. Everybody was so nice. The ship is nice. The cabin was very clean. Just a little bit tight to move around. We enjoyed the good food & the wines. It was nice that they prepared local dishes of the cities we traveled to. The service was impeccable. I thought I was going to miss the big entertainment & activities of the ocean cruise; I did not. We were happy listening & dancing to the music of the piano player in the lounge area. And chat with the other guests. We enjoyed all the shore excursions we did. We had good tour guides. Saw a lot & learned a lot. Overall, our first river cruise experience was amazing!!! Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the wonderful experience that my niece had on this same cruise last year. My sister and I thoroughly enjoyed the cruise. Our room was superb and the young lady that took care of the room was very friendly and did a wonderful job. The ship was very modern and spotless and our room was only a short walk to the dining areas. The food was excellent and the service was too. It was very enjoyable to sit on the veranda and enjoy a glass of wine while watching the scenery go by. Our shore trips were very well planned and the guides were excellent. We took the added trip to Prague and the hotel we stayed in was first class in every respect. The tour of Prague and the tour of Kutna Hora and the “Bone Church” were all very well done and very interesting. We both highly recommend Viking River Cruises and will be going on trips with Viking in the future. Read Less