Like many other reviewers, we were experienced ocean cruisers but first time river cruisers, and we loved it. The small boat meant getting to know people and having time to talk. I worried I would be bored---not at all. We're planning our next trip now.
We did our own air reservations for two reasons: extra cost to get to one of Viking's east coast departure cities, and the extra charge for any variation from their normal air arrangements, since we would spend two days in Plzen before the trip. Our travels from New Mexico were gruelling as expected but we had no issues. Czech train service from Plzen to Prague was easy and cheap, and the station is under a mile from the hotel. If we had known how cheap it was, we would have sprung the bit extra for first class. Dealing with luggage on the train, hoisting it from the platform and to the shelf over the seats--strong argument for packing light. At the Prague train station's tourist information office, we got 24 hr. transit passes.
We connected with Viking at their desk in the hotel's lower level lobby. Though we had the so-brief half day bus tour, we wished we had gotten to Prague a couple days sooner to explore more. Old Town is a long walk from the hotel; the transit passes were welcome and easy to use.