We just returned from a one week cruise on the Viking Atla. The cruise and destinations are beautiful and interesting; however I want to talk more about the ship and the staff. The ship was built in 2013 and is beginning to show its age; however it is meticulously maintained. We have done river cruises with other companies and we found the layout of the Viking longships to be the best we have experienced. We particularly liked the rooftop and the Aquavit Terrace as they were perfect for cruising down the river, Despite varying water levels on the Danube, the captain and his crew managed to sail from Budapest to Nurembreg with only minor schedule changes. Michael, the program director, worked with the captain and cruise staff to minimize interruptions and to keep us informed. His cruise staff kept everything in order and the shore side guides were excellent. The food was varied and of excellent quality. Our thanks to the head chef and his team. The hotel department was also excellent and our room was always clean and prepared with no interruption to ourselves. The front desk was always helpful. The entire staff was always friendly and warmly met us everywhere went. Kudos to Viking. Read Less

We were not told that there was a broken lock preventing us from leaving the ugly canal filled with factories in Nuremberg until the second day of the cruise. The staff was nice but made it clear that they had absolutely no power to help us. They were vague and noncommittal and made it seem as if we were crazy to be upset about being bussed for several hours to see the sites. The Viking Atla stayed parked in the dismal canal for four days. Each night we were given a vague update. At these meetings the waiters offered drinks. We assumed that Viking would pick up the tab considering the information they were imparting to us, but we were told the drinks would be charged to our room. Eventually, we were taken on a 4 1/2 hour bus trip from Nuremberg to Austria to meet our new boat, the Viking Jarl. The bus we were on was not a Viking bus. The seats were tiny, cramped and uncomfortable . The bus made a stop at McDonald’s for 45 minutes because we are told drivers are not allowed to drive for 4 hours without stopping for 4 hours. Vienna was lovely and things went smoothly there. The next mishap occurred the morning we were to arrive near Budapest. We were told that over night we spent too much time waiting to go through the locks, so we would all need to stay on the boat directly to Budapest . Although this resulted in beautiful scenery, our sightseeing in Budapest was cut down to 4 hours and all of our excursions had to be cancelled. At this point even the staff agreed this was pathetic! Viking was no help on the phone while this is happening and has not reached out at all. Their customer service is horrible!’ Read Less

Just finished Viking Romantic Danube cruise. First time this Viking ship sailed, without interruption, from Nuremberg to Budapest. Only, maybe, the second week that any Viking ship made the cruise end-to-end without a ship swap. The low water levels on both the Rhine and Danube will likely continue into 2019 season (begins in March). The cruise, when uninterrupted like ours, was great. Crew was great, very good customer service. Ship was in great shape. However, crew members did say it has been a very tough season - with all the ship swaps and motor coach substitutions, most of the "cruises" were filled with very disgruntled customers. This cruise and crew would entice me to take another Viking cruise. However, I plan to do even more due diligence before the next cruise. Viking management appears to be passing the buck to the crews, not informing cruisers of the "real situation" on the rivers, leaving the crews to inform the cruisers - who proceed to shoot the messenger. I'd be very leery of a future river cruise, given Viking's terms and conditions, which pretty much state that one you've paid, they can change anything. Bus you the whole way, etc. The silver beverage package should be closely evaluated - we considered, being that I like my high end spirits. Glad we chose to go "by the glass", because our ship was either out of stock, or very low, on many of the best spirits. Having to settle for a lesser beverage didn't sting quite so much, because I hadn't pre-paid. Also, the Viking air travel arrangement simply sucked. Very long layovers, early boarding calls, etc. All for Viking's convenience, with no concern for the customer. Next time, I do my own flight selections. Not getting up at 2 am again, just so Viking can save a bus trip. Or getting home 20 hrs later, just because the Viking scheduler bot saved $2 on the long layover. I'll pay more for better service, but Viking never offered. Read Less

I could go on and on about this trip and how Viking was misleading and didn’t come close to delivering what they originally promised. I am going to touch on a few of the lowlights. First with something positive, the crew was been put in a tough situation and tried to make the best of it; however, I can’t give the cruise director a pass. Having seen this happen over and over, he is a willing accomplice to this train wreck; feigning surprise at every new disaster along the way. The first sign of the impending doom were the two emails I received within days of our departure stating the river was low and we might have to take a bus between ports. Once I received the letter, I immediately called Viking and asked for a refund. They assured me this was “very unusual and not to worry.” I encouraged them to do the right thing and give me a refund, but when push came to shove they said no cancellation or refund would be allowed and that this was “in my contract.” So my family and I hoped for the best and got ready for the trip. We have been on many cruises with nearly every cruise line. I mean how bad could it be, right? I kept thinking Viking wouldn’t have all these people spend all that money only to be put us on buses; that could kill their reputation. Passau, Germany. The wheels start coming off the train. Boat never made it to Passau. Instead we docked around Straubing in the middle of nowhere. Took a 3-hour, roundtrip bus ride from the boat to Passau. When we finally arrived in Passau, our day, of course, was cut short due to the drive. The bus pulled up to the dock right at the edge of town where the ship should have been. My wife and a bunch of other passengers paid a lot extra for the Salzburg excursion. This drive was an extra 1 ½ hours, which left very little extra time to explore. You have seen the commercials. They advertise that you will be cruising leisurely through the captivating Wachau Valley, laughing with drink in hand as the incredible scenery passes before you. No such luck. Instead, we awoke at 8 am to pack our bags and leave them in the hall. Then boarded a bus for a 3 ½ hour trip, including an hour long stop at a truck stop in the middle of nowhere. My wife and I did manage to get a romantic stroll through the parking lot and they did give us all tokens to use the bathroom. That’s right, you read that correctly. PACKED BAGS, TRUCK STOP AND 3 ½ HOUR DRIVE. Didn’t board the new ship till after 12pm for lunch and delivery of our luggage. But, the show must go on. A few brave souls that refused to be denied, walked to another bus for another 45 minute drive to the Gottweig Abbey tour. We were now so far behind schedule it was late, completely dark and foggy. Needless to say, we could not see anything. However, the abbey really looked beautiful from the pictures I have seen. On to Budapest! Up at 6am to pack our bags and put them at the door by 7:15am. By now we know the drill. Less like a vacation and more like the military. Bus departed at 8:21am for Budapest. Another 3 ½ hour drive, including an hour long stop at a (you guessed it) TRUCK STOP. Have you ever seen four packed tour busses unload at a small truck stop? If not, you should. It is quite the treat. No, I am not making this up. We arrived at Budapest exhausted and were shuffled off to the tour, already way behind scheduled and ending again IN THE DARK. None of the promised time to “explore the city.” No night time scenic cruise of the city. There was a lot more that happened, but you get the idea. There were bed bugs, torn sheets, boats stacked 3 deep on docks, no toilet paper on busses, only one on ship lecture, etc, etc. Viking pretty much gave up. By the time we boarded the third boat and with a completely different crew, they had completely given up. Bottomline, this is an expensive, bad bus tour between boat docks where they use their stationary boats as floating hotels. I still can’t believe they are getting away with this. Viking’s staff issued talking points are to try and tell you how unusual this is, but we spoke to vendors that work with Viking (think bus drivers, tour guides, taxi drivers) along the way and they all said this has been going on with Viking for some time now. It is a known issue (that is, the low river levels). Final story, as we were leaving for the airport, the next group of passengers were boarding the boat. I overheard a crew person trying to explain to the new guests how the boat would not be leaving and they would need to board a bus in the morning for their next destination. Needless to say the passenger was upset. Wow, good job Viking! Read Less

We purchased the very over-priced Viking Romantic Danube cruise, departing from Nuremberg and "sailing" to Budapest on Nov. 18, 2018. During the weeks and months prior to our first river cruise date, members of our foursome contacted Viking to confirm conditions were still good for our cruise. We were told that if we hadn't received any notifications indicating otherwise, all was well. On Nov. 14, 2 days before our long flights from YYC, Viking sent notice that low water levels meant we would travel on a similar longship "with all the comfort and style" of the Atla and that " on the morning of Day 7, we will likely need to disembark the ship in Vienna and travel by motorcoach to Budapest (150 miles)". Our river cruise and upgraded flights were all paid for, so we moved forward - hopeful that we wouldn't have to trade the most beautiful and anticipated part of our river cruise - the Wachau Valley - for a tedious 4 hour bus tour. But, of course we did - and not only did we miss the Wachau Valley because we reached it in the evening, but we endured another 4 hour bus ride on the busy Autoban while being shuffled around 3 different ships! Every few nights we had to pack up our rooms and set our bags outside for transfer to our next Longship We are frequent ocean cruisers and realise river cruising is different, but neither our ships nor our "French Balcony" stateroom could be described as comfortable or stylish. Our French Balcony was an expensive security risk - usually we were docked with another longship wedged up beside us - curtains had to be kept closed and balcony door locked - it was claustrophobic in the tiny room. Since there are no exercise facilities on the Viking Longboats, I took along water-weights, hoping to work out in our room, but that was impossible, since bags had to be packed up frequently and the room was far too small to allow any movement. All optional tours in Budapest were cancelled, due to our late arrival. The highlight of our trip was the days before and after the Viking cruise that we spent on our own in Nuremberg and Budapest. Our meals were good - nowhere near what we're used to on Ocean cruises (for a far less price). The rooms were clean. The staff were hardworking and friendly (so we paid the full recommended tips). The included shore excursions were good, however we only had opportunity to go on one optional excursion and that was very expensive but good, as well. Our upgraded liquor packages were not worth it, since they had run out of most of the wines we were told would be available to us, by the time we reached our last ship and they certainly weren't serving anything up on our bus hauls! The worse is yet to come!...our follow up. Viking offered us a future cruise credit "because we believe your overall cruise experience may have been affected by an unexpected situation". In other words, purchase another Viking cruise and they would be willing to pay for a small part of it - provided you did it within a year. When I said "thanks but no thanks" I was contacted by phone by a very unprofessional Viking agent. Our call consisted of so many long, pregnant pauses that I finally had to ask why she had called. She said she didn't want to insult me but wanted to make a deal. She offered a slightly larger cruise credit. When I asked how many times she thought we had changed ships, she gave it some thought and said "Oh, on this trip - maybe 3 or 4". Obviously, she hadn't even read my written complaint, but so much for the "unexpected situation"! When I told her that our travelling companions and other guests had been offered more, she told me that we were "entitled to nothing" and that we "can't make a deal" and proceeded to hang up. I can't imagine ever doing business with Viking again. Only their greed and confidence that they wouldn't be held liable could have allowed them to sell such a cruise (known low-water conditions) to unsuspecting fools like us. They were careful to keep the on-going situation hidden from us until the last days prior to sailing, and even more careful to include all kinds of self-serving protection in the fine print regarding "the carrier's rights". Read Less

My husband wanted to go back to the Motherland of Hungary. We heard that Prague was a very beautiful city and we were not disappointed. With Germany and Austria in-between it was a Cruise perfect for what we were looking for. Season was perfect with many of the tourists back to work and the weather cooperated whereas it was not to hot. The Staff on the ship was sensational and could not do enough to make the trip an exceptional experience. The food was perfect not overboard, but plentiful. Our room was very cozy and warm but everyone should get the full size sliding door to get the full effect of the beautiful scenery seen along the way. All shore trip excursions were well planned and organized to get the most out of the cities that were visited. Night time was for relaxing and making new friendships with a cocktail or two! The cruise was priced right. We are currently trying to plan our next Viking Trip! Read Less

We had never taken a river cruise before. However after this trip we hope to do many more! We went on both the pre and post cruise extensions. Both Budapest and Prague were wonderful. The architecture was magnificent. The hotels were well appointed and close to everything. The on shore excursions were well organized. We learnt a lot of very interesting history and had very informative guides. We had to change ships mid way and things went extremely smoothly. In fact if I had left a toothbrush in one bathroom I bet it would be in the exact same place on the next ship! The meals were very good with a lot of variety and something for everyone's taste. The staterooms were well appointed with a place for all your items. The crew were very friendly, very helpful and always willing to make sure you were happy. I highly recommend Viking! Read Less

Where we were going, have done Viking before and liked it. We did explore Budapest a bit before departure. The ship is spacious and very friendly staff. We had to switch boats and the staff recommended who we should look up after switching. Shore excursions are fantastic. Informative and fun with very friendly tour guides. I would and will definitely go again. Once back on the boat there was time to relax a bit before cocktails, dinner and evening entertainment. When changing boats, the transition was as smooth as it could possibly have been. The food on board was all very good. There were plenty of options so everyone could have just what the wanted. We did purchase the silver drink package and it was definitely worth the money. I woill plan another Viking riverboat cruise and ocean cruise in the future. Thank you for making it such a great experience. Read Less

I have to preface this review by saying that I have cruised every brand: from the super cheap to Seabourn and have been on 20+ cruises all over the world - usually crusing with the top-end: Seabourn, Silversea, Crystal, etc. We sailed on the Danube River from Budapest to Nuremberg and had to change ships due to low water levels like a few others had mentioned. There were many things that made me irritated about this cruise. I will delineate them: 1. The Viking Company: Viking knew we had to change ships but did not notify the guests until days before our sailing - just like one of the other reviews mentioned just recently. I was told by the crew on the ship that this had been going on for months! Really, Viking?! We are in a world where we can forecast rain well in advance (this affects the water levels, right?!), and they are in the River business and clearly can predict water levels and could have notified guests well in advance so that we could cancel and reschedule. Stop the games and fraudulent activity by not letting customers know in advance that they have to change ships in the middle of the cruise! And as an experienced cruiser, I don’t like having to pack and unpack and leave bags out in the middle of the night in the middle of my cruise! I especially didn’t appreciate the long bus ride to the next port instead of seeing part of the Danube by ship! The Tour Director said in one of his cruise briefings: “Be happy that you were not on the other bus going the other way, as they had to spend 3 1/2 hours on a bus!” Yes, spending 3 hours total (not 3 1/2) on a bus did make us happier... more about our Cruise Director later. 2. The staff: Most of them were very UNaccommodating! I was traveling with a group, and we all shared the same consensus about the horrific level of service independent of one another. You think I was asking for a million dollars when I asked a few staff members over the course of the cruise a few basic things that I neeeded. The attitude was just plain disgusting. My comment to Viking: If your staff members hate their jobs, get rid of them. There were so many who clearly hated working on the ship and were forgetting that they were hired to provide great service to their guests - novel concept for a “high-end” ship. The staff needs and overhaul! Basically, I never asked for anything again after a couple of days since I didn’t want to “inconvenience” your staff. The suite: Now seriously, what does it take to clean the balcony and the furniture on it? There were so many spider webs and spiders that I did not want to spend any time on the balcony! I paid a premium for the balcony but deemed it “unusable.” Inside the stateroom, there were bug splatters on the ceilings and walls where people have taken insect control in their own hands - it was just simply gross! Viking: Just clean your staterooms from the ground up - literally! How much effort does this take? The food: I’ve had better and more creative meals at Denny’s. I understand that feeding 180+ passengers is a lot of work and expensive, so stop trying to “save money by going “cheap” and fast with your meals. My poor husband’s ribeye steak was gray (yes, as it was “old”) and 1/2 inch thick. I get it: If you want to feed two people one ribeye steak, then cut it in half - lengthwise! What a great way to save money and fool your guest that they are getting a real ribeye! Most of the dinners were “edible,” but heaven forbid if you asked for anything outside of each passengers’ quota for an appetizer, entree, and dessert. Don’t get me started on this one: I lost weight on this cruise (not by choice) - yes, that’s a first! The Cruise Director (Anthony): He was very funny when he was entertaining the guests but, one-on-one, he was not so accommodating. Again, the bad attitude - and appeared to be annoyed if you asked him anything. I saw enough of his interactions with other passengers (and me) to come up with this suggestion. It is clear that I will never sail with Viking again. Don’t waste your money or valuable vacation time. What a huge disappointment! Read Less

I have been to several countries since 1992, but never to Hungary, Austria and Germany. The cruise was wonderful traveling along the Danube River. It was wonderful not having to always leave the ship to see so many interesting sights. We had an outside balcony so we could sit and enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way. We really liked the optional tours we took by bus. I had a bi-lateral knee operation two years ago and the walking tour was excellent, as I was in the leisure strollers group and I used my cane. The guides were so well versed and ready to answer any questions we had. The food was excellent and we had many dining choices such as buffet, sit down dinners and snacks and we got to choose from standard choices like hamburgs and sandwiches and ethnic foods, like Hungarian Goulash. I taught a Foods class and attended the Culinary Institute in Hyde park, N.Y., so i know what a good chef we had. I love classical music and the concert by the residence Orchestra at a castle in Vienna was wonderful. I also taught History at one time and the trip to the courtroom where the Nazis were on trial was spell binding. The guide was such an excellent speaker and during the hour we were there, the guide was spell binding. The service was excellent and if we wanted anything, such as more sauce for a meat, it arrived immediately after it was requested. I certainly would go again. I haven't been to Sweden and my Paternal Grand-Mother was born in Stockholm, so Id like go go there. Read Less

I wanted to try a river cruise as I don't want to sail the ocean. It looked like so much fun. I wanted to see Europe from the water. In most of the commercials we would see the huge building in Budapest with the red roofs. I wanted to go there and see that. We saw it from a bus ride through Buda and Pest. We slept on a boat docked on the Danube near the Chain bridge. It was beautiful and magical. The next morning we took a bus tour around Budapest and then took a 3+ hour bus ride to Vienna. This would be wonderful trip turned out to be a huge disappointment. We met lots of new people who all felt like we did. This is not what we were sold, not what we expected or what we paid for. The water level was low on the Danube but it had been all summer. Viking didn't let us know until days before we were to embark that levels were low. They did not give us the option to cancel our trip. We were on 3 ships in 7 days and traveled half the river by bus and the other half at night with the exception of one afternoon and one late evening. We upgraded to a Veranda room so we could enjoy the river from there but that was a waste of money. What a major disappointment. It wasn't relaxing. We couldn't unpack and kick back. We were on the go all the time. We had to get up early and put our bags in the hallway to be ready for the next ship change.. Not much of a vacation. The food was ok. The ships were clean. We saw some beautiful and interesting sites. The staff did their best to make the trip pleasant. They seemed understaffed on the last ship and not as attentive however. We'd get our disappointing news in the evening about what the next day would bring. I cannot recommend Viking. They have not tried to make this right. They offered 25% off a future cruise....to be taken within a year. That does nothing for the unsatisfactory trip we just had. Viking is the only winner in that scenario. We wasted a lot of money and don't want to see others do the same thing. Read Less

Viking Cruises now has a loyal customer for life! Not only was the cruise AMAZING! But I feel like you learn a lot about a company based off of how they deal with obscacles. Four days before our cruise started, we were informed that the water was low and we would be aboard Ship Jarl (not original ship) instead of Ship Atla (orginal ship) and that there was a possibilty that if the water didn't rise, we would have to swap from the Jarl to the Atla.  How fabulous is it that the moment they knew of the issue, they informed us! When we got on the Jarl, our WONDERFUL Cruise Director, Mario, told us what he knew, what we could expect if we had to switch ships, and when he'd give us our next update. They were honest and kept us informed as they promised. Where we did have to switch ships, because mother nature wasn't in our favor, they did EVERYTHING they could to make the change comfortable. Mario worked countless hours with other individuals behind the scenes to get us to the Atla with as much ease as they could provide. All inconveniences were minimal. We had to pack and unpack an additional time. And if you can even call it an inconvenience, we were able to take the most beautiful country side drive through Germany for 3 hours. We saw farms, villages on the hill side, and gorgeous churches and their different architecture. AND a tour that they thought they'd have to cancel, Mario worked it out so we'd be able to do the tour at a later time after we reached the Atla. We were so impressed by how they handled the issue. And it's worth noting that there was another cruise line (that I can't remember the name of) that wasn't able to fulfill on their itinerary because of the low water issue as there isn’t much you can do when it’s a Mother Nature issue. Viking did everything in their power to keep us on track and they did a phenomenal job. The water level was out of their control, but they took control of the issue and provided solution after solution to keep us happy and comfortable. Now, that I've gushed a bit about how they handled that issue (and I could gush more!), I want to gush about the boat, food, staff, and tours. Boat - Easy to navigate. Even the smallest room felt open and roomy. The upper deck was perfect way to end the day. We’d watch the country side as we talked and had our evening tea. THE FOOD!! We were so fat and happy after our trip. The dinners were especially delicious and we loved that it was local cusiune!! So nummy!! Our waiters would give us their recommendations and they never steered us wrong. There were times when all the desserts looked so scrumptious, we got them all!! And had our bellies not been so happily extended, we would have had more!! Staff - Oh, the staff. It didn't matter if we were on the Jarl or Atla, the people were fabulous. Attentive. Funny. Sweet. Caring. Personable. Informative. They made life on the boat a home. We loved how quickly we were able to make jokes with them. They always remembered our drink preferences for meals and would cater their recommendations based off of what we said we’d liked from previous meals. When we’d retire to bed, a blanket that I brought from home was always folded in a new way. My favorite was when Alexander made it into a bow tie! It was a wonderful environment to be in. A huge thanks to Dragan, Connie, Jayson, Radu, Alexander, Skiffy, Emanuel, and Nikolas. They’re who we were able to personally get to know during our trip. And where we were able to get to know them, every person on those ships deserve recognition for how hard they worked to give other guests the same attention and care our little boat family gave us! Tours - Viking picked the BEST people to give tours. They were local to the area and they where very knowledgable and passionate about what we did. It was great to talk to them as they had multiple generations of family that lived in the area and were able to tell us about their own history. No book or class will ever provoke feelings or thoughts like walking around the cities with people who know not only the history stories, but their family’s history as well. You appreciate it so much more. Having that opportunity gave the cities a whole new life and meaning to me. And whether it was the included or optional tours, you can't go wrong. You learn history on such a personal level. Read Less

The Good: The boat is kept in pristine condition. Stateroom adequate and comfortable. Great service from the crew. They really try. Some of the tour guides were excellent and interesting; a few not so. The Not So Good and Inadequate: The wi-fi is advertised but was almost non-existent. Very false advertising. Two of our devices never connected, yet did easily in hotels. Other devices were extremely slow and not available often. No excuses Viking: wi-fi is available these days everywhere, on buses, planes, etc. Wi-fi calling was not available at all on boat, yet available easily at all hotels. If Viking is reading this, you should reimburse us about 15 dollars for needed cell calling. Advertised TV is almost worthless, as there is really nothing to see, The "news" channels CNN and BBC International mostly run 2 or 3 day old feature stories over and over. No local TV including no soccer/football during World Cup. Unforgivable in Europe. Paid-for balcony (or even window) useless as 2 or 3 boats tied up in port and balcony touches other boat. Total waste of money and close to fraudulent as a room upgrade. Best I can say about the food is that it is plentiful but "plain." Some of the local specialties in Austria and Hungary raised the average a bit. Good breakfasts. Program Director was mostly annoying as he was primarily a sales-person for optional tours and $100 certificates for future cruises. Voice blasted at high volume during the sales pitches. Had to listen to sales talk in lounge before dinners as it was mixed with some needed information. Gratuities in literature spoken of as Viking gratuity "policy." A I see it the gratuity "policy" is mine and yours, not Viking's. Viking would not fly us USA to Florence, which was our first choice. Viking would not book us on the only non-stop from Rome to Nuremberg; wanted to route us through Paris or elsewhere at high cost and much wasted time. Therefore would not provide transfer from Nuremberg, though we met Viking rep at airport. Wanted Euro 60 for transfer. Took a cab for Euro 29. Viking transfer bus had 50-60 (?) empty seats. Viking changed our return flight while we were on the boat, because of a strike, but did not notify us. Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the featured sites along the way. The Atla was pristine in cleanliness and comfort with excellent service. We enjoyed meeting new people and finding a group of friends for the voyage. The excursions were fantastic--especially enjoyed the Privileged Access tour at the Lobkowicz Palace at Prague Castle as well as the Apricot Dumpling demonstration at the monastery along the Danube. Don't miss the oldest sausage fast-food ship in Passau--it was good eating at a place that has been serving food for hundreds of years. Budapest was breathtaking as we cruised in one morning; and even more wonderful when the ship sailed after dark so we could see the illuminated skyline of this beautiful city. Our tour director was most amazing as were all the staff on board. We only went to the lounge for entertainment two nights but our acquaintances raved over the pianist and the theme entertaining. Food was healthy, delicious and plentiful. Loved the salad station with a wide selection of fresh fruits and vegetables. Several nights had special regional tasting menus which were superb--in addition regular menu choices were always available. We loved it so much that we have booked the Budapest to Bucharest Passages to Easter tn Europe next year. I loved our wionderful Veranda Suite. Another plus was the ship's library stocked with new books and games for our free time. Read Less

Our family, my two sisters, my brother and his wife, took our Mom on this cruise, as she had been begging for several years, slipping cruise brochures in our mail slots for many years! Our Dad passed away from Alzheimers, the previous summer, so we decide to surprise her with the cruise. Our favorite part of the cruise was Nikolai, our server who thankfully we met on the first day!!! He was absolutely incredible, speaking in several different languages to our family as we speak Russian, as well as English and conversing with our Mother, who speaks Spanish also. We felt as if he were part of our family by the end of the cruise! He was super funny, extremely attentive and perfect at his job! We also loved Zoran, Adam, Sorin and Ivaylo, they all went out of their way to make it a perfect experience for all of us!!! It was clearly evident that all of the staff, from the Captain on down to our housekeeper, took pride in all that they did for all of us! Four of us had the smaller rooms and my Mother and older sister had the larger suite, all of which were beautiful and luxurious! The best all around Customer Service and cruising Experience ever! Read Less

We selected this cruise after taking advice that the Danube was a great first time river cruise and had heard good things from other Viking customers. The cruise began the day of my 65th birthday and we spent a night in Nuremberg before the cruise embarkation. Everything went smoothly. The Cabin was good and the Crew very friendly and helfpul. The initial briefing was good and afterward we had a superb dinner. The Chef was Carlito and he and his staff did a fine job all week. Meals were served at the table and I much preferred this to the Buffet service you often find on cruises where there is a temptation to eat too much. Waiters and waitresses were prompt and efficient. There was a regular menu, special menus for the day and a regional menu which we opted for most of the time. Beer and wine were free at Lunch and Dinner. The cooking was of a high standard. About 70% of the passengers were from the US with perhaps 15% from the UK and another 10% from Canada. We were in a very select group from Europe. Everyone was friendly. Most people seemed to fall into the 55 - 75 age group and mostly couples. Entertainment was provided in the lounge in the evening, but we are not lounge sorts of people. I heard that the entertainment was good. Not any fitness facilities, but the daily walks provided exercise. The boat went from Nuremberg to Regensburg, Passau, Krems, Vienna and Budapest. A tour was included at each stop and there were optional tours at various prices. The tour director was Mario and he did a very good job with a briefing and often a talk on a particular topic before dinner each evening. The tour guides were good and you had a radio with an earphone for the tours. Mobility within this age group can vary a lot and after the first day we had different designated groups: easy, regular and enhanced for the tours. Stops on the walking tours usually had seating which was appreciated. You only had to walk about 15 minutes before a stop and comfort breaks were arranged. We visited Nuremberg, Regensburg, Krems, Vienna and Budapest. For us the best days were at Nuremberg and Budapest and the tour of Gottweig Abbey in Austria although all were good. On the evening in Budapest we had a special cruise to see Budapest at night. Beautiful We took the 2 night extension in Budapest and it was well worth it. We stayed at the Hilton on Castle Hill. The room was superb with a fantastic view of Pest. We visited several museums, the Great Synagogue and the Parliament buildings. When booking places make sure that the staff know you are an EU citizen as they will assume your are American and not entitled to EU discounts. All in all a great holiday. The Viking experience and attention to detail is fantastic. We would take a Viking River Cruise again, but next year we will head for a Viking Ocean Cruise. We particularly liked the inclusive nature of the holiday with a tour included each day as well as beer and wine at lunch and dinner. At the end of the trip the only extras we had to pay were the gratuities for the crew and a few euros for laundry. Highly Recommended. Read Less

We chose this cruise because it was the right length and covered all of the highlights we wanted. I was expecting a lot and was absolutely not disappointed. Amazing service and from the cruise director, to maids, to bartender to guides they were all incredibly friendly and helpful. We ate great, stayed in a comfortable cabin and loved the amenities. The excursions we very well thought out. Guides were all energetic and entertaining. Learned so much about Europe. Busses were always comfortable. Our only item we would have enjoyed would have been more free time. Seems like always on such a tight schedule and if we got behind the free time was sacrificed. Our bartender was amazing. He was always friendly and helpful. Taught me the glory of some new drinks. I liked that once he got to no me, I never had to give him my card and drink pass again., wuitefrankly made me feel special. I thought Viking worked very hard to find entertainment that was fun yet appropriate for our age group.. The piano player was wonderful. To me, my best days was the two afternoons we traveled through some of the most beautiful parts of the river. We sat on top in a lounge chair, had a drink or two, read and took lots of pictures. Lastly I liked the daily get together, where we had a drink and our cruise director gave us a briefing on the next day’s activity. Another opportunity to visit and enjoy. Read Less

We planned a girls trip which was a first time for a river cruise for each of us. Lovely itinerary, vessel, cuisine and a fantastic staff and service!! We selected a perfect time of year for weather. Not too hot and no rain! Great value too. I liked the excursions offered, both complimentary and upgraded ones. The food offerings, both from the menu and buffet was abundant and nicely presented. I wish there was food you could order late in the evening. Sometimes you get hungry and there’s no options. I would also like to see savory snacks at the coffee station along with sweets. I would have like to have played more games in the evening earlier in the cruise. We didnt do this until the end. It was so much fun and helped making quick friends amongst the other guests. I did not use the Viking Air travel offered. We used FF miles FC travel. The only downside to this is that you still need to make your own transportation arrangements once you arrive in the embarkation port to get you to the vessel or hotel. I will definitely go on another Viking River Cruise again in the near future! Read Less

Wanted to try a river cruise based on TV advertisements. This was my first river cruise and probably my last river cruise because of the cabin space. I enjoyed all the excursions which were very educational despite even though it was a holiday so some places were not available to tour, the meals was great, and staff was friendly and went above and beyond to make it an enjoyable experience and I met lots of people but was disappointed in the size of the cabins and lack of an opportunity to exercise. Because of the small size and limited spaced to move about the cabin my sciatic pain flared up and I got no relief even with the walking excursions because of the cobblestone streets and slow pace of the tours. I tried 3 times to go on deck to walk but the crew was always cleaning it early in the mornings. My next cruises will be on a larger ocean cruise ship. Read Less

We had never been on a cruise before and we were so fortunate to have hit a bullseye on our first try. We added a 3 day extension at the start of our trip to be able to explore Transylvania. It was fabulous. I would recommend folks sign up for EVERY shore excursion offered---they are so enriching! The veranda stateroom we had was great! There was more room than anticipated and we made use of the veranda daily! We had a slight problem the first day when there was a strange odor, but our stateroom attendant was vigilant and solved the problem right away. We found ALL staff on the ship to be most responsive and friendly! Cannot say enough about the service or the food. We certainly never went hungry and were able to sample all sorts of foods---enjoying both familiar and new. We also very much enjoyed meeting fellow cruisers. We already have a second cruise planned! Read Less

My wife and I sailed on the Viking Romantic Danube cruise April/May 2018. We did the pre-cruise excursion in Budapest and the post-cruise excursion in Prague. It was mostly good, but with a few issues. Here are the pros and cons: Pros: 1. Friendly and attentive staff. 2. Cabins were small but very well appointed. Storage space was more than adequate. 3. Food was uniformly good. I would not call it gourmet food, but always good quality and plentiful. 4. Cleanliness. I believe the captain mentioned that Atla was built in 2013. After five years, she still looks great and the crew kept the ship spotless. 5. Marco, our activities director, was excellent. We appreciated his sense of humor and he always kept us informed. Also, unlike with other ships, he seemed to be everywhere and also gave the impression he really enjoyed his job and passengers. 6. Enjoyed the ports. Budapest and Prague were favorites but we enjoyed all the stops. Especially enjoyed the abbey tours in Krems and Regensburg. 7. Service and logistics. Viking did a really good job of herding the cats (passengers) and kept things running smoothly and on-time. Reception desk service was usually prompt and efficient. 8, Post-cruise hotel (Art Nouveau) in Prague was truly excellent. Great location, beautiful rooms, fantastic breakfasts and friendly and professional staff. And now the cons: 1. Internet service. Having experienced the problems with expensive online access on ocean cruises, we were drawn to Viking’s promise of free Wi-fi service. However, access was extremely limited, slow, and not available for long perids of time. We could not send a single photo home while on the ship – had to wait to find decent Wi-fi in the ports. My advice to travelers who need reliable online access is to skip this ship and/or itinerary. 2. Tours. We liked the fact that there was a free tour included every day and some of them were great (e.g. the Budapest and Passau walking tours). However, the quality of the guides varied quite a bit in knowledge, enthusiasm and English speaking skills. 3. Crowding. One of the reasons we chose Viking was to have a calmer and less-crowded experience than with the large ships. Yet with a full ship of 190 passengers, there were times it was difficult to find a seat in the lounge or on the sun deck. This was not as big of a problem as with ocean ships but still a bit irritating. 4. Entertainment. The piano player (Peter?) was good and his Tom Jones concert was superb, but the variety and quality of the entertainment was just okay. We certainly didn’t expect as much as what you get on an ocean cruise but I believe Viking can do a bit better. 5. Fitness. There is no fitness facility onboard, other than a small walking/jogging track on the upper deck. This was not a major issue for us due to all the walking we did while on tours, but could be an issue for others. 6. Pre-excursion hotel (Sofitel) in Budapest was disappointing. The room was small and the staff not particularly friendly. They seemed bewildered that an American traveler would require an adapter to use 110v current. My mistake for not bringing this but instead of loaning us the adapter (as they did at our Prague hotel), the gentleman at the business services office tried to sell one (which he wrongly claimed was a converter) for 22 Euros, about three times the cost of such an item on Amazon.com. Overall, we would rate the Viking experience as good, but not great. It met our expectations in most areas, but didn’t truly “wow” us. We are certainly open to cruising with Viking again, but they really need to fix the internet access issue. Read Less

We lived in Germany several years ago and had traveled to many places, but we had not traveled to Eastern European locations. Budapest was wonderful, so pretty, all lit up at night. We stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel until we boarded our Ship on Sunday. Viking had an overall tour of the city and we also had free time to explore. Right here I have to say that Viking does a great job with advertising. But when the rubber meets the road, you are being herded into buses on all your little side trips with 44 other people. That part of the trip got old very quickly for me and was just a reminder of the sardine-can airline trip over to Budapest that we endured. I don't know what I was expecting, but I guess I was thinking we'd be all going in different directions in small vans and that it would be a bit more personal. The food and the staff were both excellent. The service and the room were wonderful. Even the internet connections were pretty good. No complaints. A small Ship allows people more opportunities to get to know each other and that part of it we loved. We met some great folks. Viking has staff all over Europe and you get met at your airport, you get delivered to your hotel...wonderful. They take care of all of it for you. The Budapest to Bucharest tour was "more evocative" as Rick Steves would say. We weren't seeing the Vatican or the Parthenon. We were exploring the mood of former communist countries and how they were doing. A lot of our sites were relatively unknown to us. All were interesting and well prepared. In Croatia we even got to visit with locals and see how they live and what they have done with their lives and their homes since all the wars. Budapest's beautiful buildings and chain bridge were lovely. Bucharest's Parliament was beautiful and to learn of the brutal Ceausescu regime under communism was interesting. Viking brought lecturers on board the ship and also folk dancers. So nice. So, in summary, I loved the trip. My only objection was the sardine-can daily tours. I just wish there was a nicer way to get folks around for these tours. Read Less

We love Viking and this trip was no exception. We were previously on the Jarl for the Romantic Danube from Nuremberg to Budapest with extensions in Prague and Budapest. This trip was different in that it was more educational and less site seeing. The Passage to Eastern Europe on the Atla and the tours did site seeing, but we were also provided a more in depth view into how Communism, the Serbian-Croatian War (& Yugoslavia), affected Eastern Europe and how it still affects it today. Some of it is sobering, but I learned a lot! Countryside is beautiful! The only downside was that some of the ports were not on cities so you could not simply walk off the ship and browse around town. Some excursions were an hour+ away. The ship, as on our previous cruise, was nice and clean. The staff go out of their way to know you by name and your preferences for everything from how you like your room to what you prefer to drink with a meal. And, as for meals! Well, if you walk away hungry it is your fault. The staff always makes sure to take care of you. If you order something and want something different they are always accommodating. This is no different with the rest of the staff - everyone will do their best to accommodate you if you just ask. We are in our 40s and were concerned the first cruise that we would be outcasts. We should not have worried a bit! We have managed to make friends of all ages (40 & up, that is) onboard. We are already booked for another Viking trip, but next time it will be on one of their cruise ships. i can't wait! Read Less

I chose this cruise because it was a great itinerary at a good time of year. I was told there is an elevator on the boat because I cannot walk stairs. There is indeed an elevator but it does not go to the top deck which was how many times one had to go to to get off the ship, consequently I was not able to go on any of the included tours. To be fair in my revue, the boat itself was lovely, the food very good and the staff could not be better. They even put a chair for me in the shower. My wife who was able to go on the included tours told me they were very good and comprehensive. We spent two nights in Budapest which is a lovely city with a very interesting history. We were put up at a very fine hotel and a tour of Budapest was included but again on the tour no seat was held for me on the bus so I was not able to go. I think the staff was not totally aware of how to deal with the handicapped. I took a private tour thru the hotel which I enjoyed very much. In conclusion this is a great trip and a very fine cruise line so long as you are in good shape Read Less

We took our first Viking Cruise on the Rhine '15; it was terrific, so we decided to go again and selected the Danube. Both were over American Thanksgiving. The plus of that is there are not a whole lot of tourists in the multiple cities and towns we visit; makes for a very nice experience. The minor downside is the lack of warmth and sunshine; simply packed accordingly! We had another wonderful trip and took advantage of an advanced discount on our next cruise, which we will select as soon as we can find the time. Why Viking? They provide a superior experience from booking to return home. Their cruise program is very well-planned as to timing and what is included. Staff is awesome, food is great and as locally sourced as possible, which is really wonderful; staterooms are great; everything about cruising with Viking is great! Having been in the tourism business for many years, I am pretty "picky" when it comes to having everything go perfectly. With Viking, everything goes perfectly and is great fun! Read Less