Itinerary-Cruising the Danube from Budapest to Bucharest

First time taking a trip of any kind with Tauck and we were very happy with the overall experience. This was an inclusive trip with two pre-cruise nights in Budapest at the Ritz Carlton Hotel and two nights post-cruise at the JW Marriott Bucharest. Tours and welcome dinner/farewell dinner events were also included during both segments of the journey. We have done many traditional cruises with smaller ship cruise lines such as Windstar and SilverSea and only one previous river cruise with Aqua Cruises on the Amazon. After this trip we are excited to try river cruising again. Tauck is extremely professional and detail oriented. This particularly itinerary required quite a few bus trips from the ports along the way so that might bother some cruisers but we were so anxious to do this itinerary that we were willing to do that. We loved seeing this part of the world-it was incredibly eye-opening and educational and the special experiences like the private tour of Ceausescu's Palatial Parliament Building followed by a special dinner accompanied by a string trio was unique and exciting. We had a 300 square foot suite which was super comfy and well appointed. Loved the walk-in closet and the bathroom although we did not use the bathtub except for drying hand washables. The french balconies were lovely-floating along the Danube with doors open while reading, relaxing or doing yoga was such a treat. Food was good and we especially enjoyed the yummy breakfasts. The crew was outstanding, from the front desk people, bar servers and wait staff, to the excellent masseuse on board. Carlos our cruise director was wonderful. We had three excellent Tauck guides, two of whom were from countries we visited on this cruise. The guides rotated busses so it was a treat to get to know all of them. There were cultural activities on board which enhanced the overall experience and contributed to our knowledge of the region. These included documentary films, folk dancing and classical music. On our "sea day" cruising the Iron Gates of the Danube, the guides took turns narrating the sights and this was played over the ships PA system. Overall, I highly recommend cruising Budapest to the Black Sea with Tauck and we would be happy to go with them again.