Getting there and home - We flew from JFK to Nuremberg, connecting through Paris, just two weeks after the new ban on liquids and gels in carryon luggage. We were on a 747 (Air France)to Paris, then a 50 passenger jet to Nuremberg. The flight on the 747 was very uncomfortable. There is a black box with electrical wires under every middle seat. My husband couldn't sleep, because he couldn't stretch his legs. We were pleasantly surprised that the Nuremberg airport had signs in both English and German. The security in the Budapest airport for the flight home was even stricter than JFK. All signs in that airport were in Hungarian, English, and German. The Budapest airport accepts not only Hungarian forints, but also euros and US dollars in their cafes and shops. Pickup and dropoff by Viking was very smooth on both ends.

The Ship - The Viking Europe holds only 150 passengers, so is nothing like an ocean-going cruise ship, or even an American riverboat. There are the dining room, the main lounge, the sun deck, and a couple of very small nooks that serve as a "library" and "game room". The staterooms are very well designed. There is plenty of room for clothing, suitcases, etc. There were plenty of plugs, but they are european voltage - so you must bring a converter and an adaptor. They told us this ahead of time, so we were prepared. There is a blow-dryer in the room, so no need to bring one, but if you want to plug in your digital camera - bring those adaptors!

Service - The stateroom steward was the best we've ever had in 12 cruises! The service in the dining room and lounge were good, too. Read more