Our family decided to take a Christmas Market cruise but wanted to spend time in London. We selected ARosa because of their selection of 4-day itineraries and their moderate pricing . We had no doubts about the ports of call but were somewhat concerned about the communication and food offerings on a german-based cruise line. Once on-board what we found was a beautiful, spotless boat, an amazing crew and a surprising variety of food offerings. There were only a few Americans on board but the crew went out of our their way to make us feel welcome. From the welcome talk to the pre port presentations, all were givenfirst in German and then in English despite only a few Americans on board. All US booking are all-inclusive with a full drink package. The only thing not offered are guided tours in English but we did not find that a problem as good information was offer for each stop. We booked a Jr Suite which proved to be a good value as among other perks, free laundry service and a stocked mini bar was included. The dress was casual and the atmosphere was relaxed at all times. We opted to upgrade our final nights dinner to wine pairing dining event, which proved to be a fun and elegant evening. Everyone in our party agreed that we would recommend Arosa to anyone. Read Less

Went on the cruise because it fit our timeframe and part of group had free cruise because last years cruise couldn't move because of high water and they were given another cruise for free. Only two groups of Americans on the cruise 11 people--they are not prepared for English speakers very well at all. We had to ask for all news and daily stops and maps in English. They were not automatically given to us til the week was half over. We received no info prior to the cruise. No info on excursions, no luggage tags, absolutely nothing! Food just average or less. But plenty of it at meal time. Lounge/bar musical entertainer very good--spoke no English but could sing American songs. Wait staff was all EXCELLENT. One staff person assigned to help Americans and she got some info when we asked, but wasn't prepared for us and didn't know the answers herself. She was very nice though. Just don't think they are ready for non-German speaking customers. No excursions with English guide unless all 11 would sign up for the tour. No time to look at excursions to decide if we wanted to take them. Had to sign up with no detailed info about the excursion also. This is my fifth river cruise and this one was not up to par. Read Less

This was our first river cruise and did not know what to expect, especially given the fact that I had never heard of Arosa cruises. However, the room (a suite) was bright, very clean, quiet, and spacious. The food was very good and we are picky. We were the only Americans on the boat, with the remainder of the passengers German. Every member of the crew spoke some English, but of course, some were better than others. My only complaint is that it was not made clear to us what services were provided with our suite. I am sure I read about when booking, but it would have been nice if a crew member had reminded us. On our last day I asked about the remaining credit and was told that we had 218 Euros left to spend. Glad I asked. I am not sure if this is true for every river boat line, but we had our own table in a quieter section of the dining room, which was very nice. Overall, we were very pleased and will most likely return to Arosa. Read Less

This was our first time on a River Cruise and I did enjoy the overall experience of river cruising but would choose another company next time, in regard to some reasons listed below. This cruise was along the Danube from Passau to Budapest and back over 8 days. When we arrived in the train station in Passau we were surprised that there was no representative from Arosa to offer passengers any information on when and/or where our prearranged bus transportation to the vessel would be available. Our luggage was taken from all the arriving passengers but that was it with assistance. We were travelling with another couple and after all of us were wandering around for quite awhile trying to get some help and being unsuccessful, we decided to just take a taxi to the vessels location. Have no idea how long the other train passengers had to wait for their transportation but do know that we were well settled in on the vessel when they finally did arrive. This needs to be improved. The ship itself was in good condition with the exception of one problem that was apparent with a sewage smell that would appear at times in the lounge area and nearby stairway to the outer upper deck and unfortunately there were also some issues with our companions cabin and this smell as well. When we inquired about it we were told they were aware of the situation but were told from head office that it would be addressed later on in the season. This is not acceptable. Our cabin ( French Balcony ) on Deck 3 was comfortable and well serviced by the attendants throughout the cruise. Actually the crew overall were very friendly and offered good service and spoke enough English for any english speaking guests which were very limited ( think I was the only one ) but they did leave a daily activities leaflet in both English and German in our cabin, as they knew I was only English speaking while my spouse and our travelling companions are fluent in German. This was a nice touch. Wifi was very inconsistent the entire trip whether we were moving or not, so if one needs to rely on consistent daily computer contact, this is something to consider with Arosa. Not sure about other companies out there. Something to consider also is that for any people with physical challenges, there are no elevators onboard. We did see a number of people really struggling at times especially on stairwells to the outer deck... I think that with the overall older clientele cruising nowadays, all vessels should be fitted with elevators. As previously mentioned meals on board were buffet style and although food was quite plentiful, we found that a lot of dishes were too greasy and food would often look like it was sitting in a lot of oil. Seemed to be popular with the German clientele but not really appetizing for our particular tastes. Would also have been nice if the evening meal at least could have been a sit-down dinner. We also opted for the all inclusive beverage package and would enjoy a pre dinner cocktail each evening and on occasion, one afterwards. Did enjoy the ports of call along the Danube and did a combination of ship excursions and touring on our own along the way. The ships excursions were all done in German so not the best for me but I did enjoy the sights. Vienna was lovely as was Budapest with it's architecture and also the much smaller Bratislava. In conclusion, with the issues that did arise on our cruise and for our particular tastes regarding food and meals, we would not do another cruise with Arosa. Read Less