A European river cruise was on my bucket list for a long time. My ancestors are from The Netherlands so I loved that I could start in Amsterdam (where I spent a couple extra days before the ship departed). Most of the trip was through Germany, where I've never been, and it was a great way to sample several small towns and a couple larger ones. And it was a sampling--I often wished we could spend more time in each place, but I knew ahead of time that it would be a smorgasbord trip and that maybe I could return someday to my favorite spots.
It was luxurious to be in a floating hotel with an amazing restaurant that kept us full and happy. Not having to find lodging and restaurants while covering that much distance was a definite perk. I splurged for a stateroom with balcony doors and absolutely loved lying on my bed at times looking out at the banks and passing ships. I'm not big on shipboard entertainment, preferring quiet time to read, but my fellow passengers raved about the events on board.
The service on the ship was excellent--very friendly and efficient staff. Our cruise director took some time to warm up but was available for the most part (he always seemed a bit flustered and busy). Some of his jokes were insensitive. The captain was aloof and he became annoyed at some of the passengers when we boarded at the time we were told to (and the sign stated), claiming that we were 15 minutes late. (The communication between cruise director, who informed the passengers, and the captain may have been less than perfect.)
Very comfortable stateroom with fancy bathroom. Good use of small space. Comfortable bed. Small closet. Nice to have small fridge. Could use a way to hang hand washed clothing to dry it faster. (I didn't want to hang my underwear out the window, but some passengers did!) Curtains kept the room dark. The TV showed the view from the ship's camera at the front and ran a picture of a fireplace in the evening following turn down service.