Riviera Cruises ( a UK cruise line) just began to market in the United States and their ships and itineraries looked very nice. A few days before our cruise we heard the water level on the Danube was low and river boats were unable to sail. ( Some cruise lines cancelled their cruises.) We called Riviera and were told there was no problem. When changing planes in Philadelphia, we heard from other passengers that all the cruises out of Budapest were disrupted. We attempted to reach Riviera on their "24 hour hotline" but could only leave a recorded message. Upon landing in Budapest 9 hours later, there was still no response from Riviera. We finally heard from them around 3 pm Budapest time - approximately 24 hours before our ship was to sail. We were told we needed to take a bus to another city ( their bus) for embarkation and that this would be the only inconvenience. Much more could be said concerning the non-existent cruise ( majority of the "cruise" was on a bus) but there are more issues to share. Upon arrival to the ship, we found it to be very modern and seemed quite new. The décor was lovely. The dining area was spacious and the dinner menus were varied. The foods were fresh and service was good. Entertainment was space - a quartet one night and a few talks other nights about the places we were to visit. The ports we visited were what you would find on a Blue Danube cruise - Vienna, Salzburg, Budapest, etc. Tours were fine - compromised though, due to the water level and subsequent bus transportation. Each cruise guest was told on the last night that there would be compensation for the "cruise" and that it would be equal. Upon arriving home, we were told that the American cruise passengers ( or at least us) needed to sign a non-disclosure agreement ( UNLIKE the UK passengers). Our new UK friends shared their reimbursement amount which was much greater than we were offered. We refused to sign the non-disclosure agreement which would have prohibited our ability to share this review on Cruise Critic. As a result, Riviera has refused to reimburse us. So, be forewarned. Choose your cruise line carefully. Read Less

The Robert Burns is a new ship, not too big, beautifully appointed and spotlessly clean. Cabins are obviously not large, but comfortable and have everything you need. The bathroom was quite elegant and the shower a pleasant surprise - better than the ones we have found in many hotels. The food was excellent and there was the option of dining in the bistro rather than the main dining room if you wanted to. The crew were all charming and couldn't do enough to help. Entertainment was sparse - one quiz night, one visit by a string quartet who were excellent, and one evening of Hungarian folk dances, which was fun. Each day there was an included shore excursion - mostly close to the Danube - with a local guide. Bratislava in Slovakia was a particular surprise - it's a delightful place. We also visited other towns and villages, including Salzburg (which did require a two hour coach journey, but we could have chosen to stay and take a guided tour of Linz instead), Vienna and Budapest, which was a fascinating mix of new and old and probably my favourite. My only criticism was that the cost could have included wine or beer with meals. The drinks package available was quite expensive, especially given that drinks costs from the bar were reasonable. This was our first European river cruise, and admittedly we were lucky with the weather - blue skies and sunshine all week. All in all a very enjoyable holiday. Read Less

This was our first river cruise and we were not disappointed in the least. Robert Burns is a beautiful brand new ship and it could not be faulted. The staff had all come from other ships so were excellent at their jobs,all of them. As there are only 44 staff, they all have to multitask, especially when supplies are being loaded. They never seemed to get any rest at all. Food and drinks were to a 5 star standard, could not be faulted in any way, always something to take your fancy at every meal. Entertainment is low key, as you would expect although sometimes they did try to beef it up with games nights and they could get a bit hectic. Captains farewell dinner dress code was a bit mixed, some made the effort, some did not but it was an excellent last night before embarkation. The ports of call on this Budapest to the Black Sea and back again were OK, some like Bucharest were interesting but some of the old Soviet towns had not much to offer and some of the trips entailed 2 to 3 hour bus journeys to see a very insignificant place or venue. Overall, Riviera Travel put on a great show and we will definitely be back, Read Less