As beginners with Viking River cruises, we thought the Danube experience would give us the opportunity to see several European countries and cities, especially Vienna and Budapest in a safe and convenient way. We thought that in our fiftieth year of marriage the trip would be a good way to celebrate ourselves. We took full advantage of the included tours and added the Vienna Mozart and Strauss music event as well as the Vienna chef's tour to the Noshmarkt. Our cabin was lovely, the evening entertainment shipboard was festive, the food always top-notch.

I did minimal research on our cities of call, but learned much more with our time ashore. Staff members were more than cordial--began to feel like old friends. In a word, we felt "pampered" by the Viking experience.

From the very beginning, we were met by staff upon arrival, escorted to our ship, welcomed warmly, and with each additional adventure, we learned about the history, culture, and people. Each guide in each city was informative but never "lecture--y." We enjoyed meeting other travelers, those from other U.S. states as well as Canada and Scotland. Wonderful trip. Read more