We wanted to visit Budapest, Vienna and Prague, and our cruise itinerary gave us the perfect chance to do so. We spent three days before the cruise exploring Budapest, and three days after the cruise exploring Prague. The Austrian and German towns we stopped at along the way exceeded expectations, as did our time aboard the Egil. Shore excursion guides ranged from average to excellent. Our one day on the river traveling down the Wachau valley was gorgeous and relaxing. A positive aspect of river cruising is having your "hotel" travel with you, obviating the necessity of packing, checking in and unpacking at each new city. On the other hand, the requirement to return to the ship by dinnertime most days precluded experiencing city nightlife.

Breakfasts and dinners on board were well-prepared and well-served, but unfortunately room service was not available. Nightly ship-wide meetings consisted of informative presentations of then next-day's ports and schedules, as well as various musical performances. Bar service during and afterwards was fast and unlimited. Last but not least, the staff were friendly, knowledgeable, helpful and all around amazing. They worked very hard to make sure our stay went smoothly, and all our needs were met, both on and off the ship. This was our first river cruise and we definitely will be back for more!