Viking Freya Review
Rating by category
Additional details
Viking cannot change the weather or the rain. Like many cruisers before us we got the note, just a couple of days before (shame on you, Viking--you have known that for a long time), that the cruise might involve bus rides because of low water on the Danube.
But we got lucky. Recent rains meant we had to bus only once, and that because the water in a troublesome section of the river was too HIGH and the current swift. Crazy!
As always, most of the guides were good, if a bit talkative, and we saw fascinating places. As an historian I was, for instance, mesmerized when standing in Nuremberg where Hitler had his 1930s rallies. (I should add: NOT in the sense of identification with that awful era but with actually BEING where I had read about and watched videos so many times before.)
Cabin Review
French Balcony
Personal spaces: the cabins were quite nice and, surprisingly, fitted with several 110-volt outlets--unknown on older boats. Thanks for that, Viking. There were also several "Schuko" 220-volt plug-ins. Adapters are cheap and we suggest other travelers buy a couple.
The shower was a hoot. The walls were glass and there was a switch where you could make the glass translucent or transparent. I don't know WHY they included such a feature--maybe to make the stall a bit larger. I'll bet lots of people objected to the glass shower walls but we didn't mind. The little balconies would have been great in better weather. We could only use them to step out and take a snap or two.
Port Reviews
Nuremberg
A gorgeous city. We had the choice of a "WW II" tour or a "City" tour. As an historian I naturally chose the former, my wife the latter. I wish we had time to do both. A quick drive through the old city showed us there was much to see.
The WW II sites were stark and shocking. The museum was good, and an attempt at atonement and remembrance of the Nazi era. Don't miss it.
Vienna
Biggest problem: not enough time. Vienna is a beautiful city and we plan to return. A single afternoon afforded us way too little time to see this magnificent city. After a longer visit we will write a much more extensive review. Coffee shops: outstanding.
Budapest
A nice walking tour with many interesting shops and coffee shops. Battlements in the district afford a magnificent view of the city and, in particular, the gorgeous parliament buildings across the Danube.
A Hilton hotel, apparently commissioned through Zsa Zsa Gabor pulling strings and ultra modern, sits next to a hundreds-of-years old church and is an abomination--a glaring eyesore.