My sister and I chose this cruise because we wanted to go down the Rhine. We were in Amsterdam for two days before and Lucerne for two days after. As always the ship and cabin were immaculate. Dining was fantastic-always great food. We had a wonderful program director and had a lot of fun on our excursions. We have previously cruised on the Danube and wanted to do something a little different. We definitely would do a river cruise again. So relaxing-you can be busy if you want or not. I especially appreciate that the tour guides for the excursions are locals and they really give personal information. We enjoy learning about history that we might not have previously known. In Amsterdam we were able to go to the Anne Frank House which was a very humbling experience. We liked being able to have time to explore the city. In Lucerne we had a wonderful time being able to walk around the city as well as the use of all public transportation.