We chose this cruise because we love to be active. We have been on many ocean cruises and wanted to try a river cruise. My expectations were high as I have known others who have cruised the Danube and had a great time. I have to say this river cruise wildly exceeded my expectations. The key was the active aspect of the cruise. We rode around Budapest on a bike tour. Hiked thru a vineyard to a wine tavern. Hiked up to a castle with a great view of the Danube. Took a bike tour of Vienna. Took an early morning walking tour of Vienna, had coffee in a little cafe, strolled around a little more and had a private tour thru a museum before it opened to the public. Hiked to a hilltop to watch our boat round a bend in the river. Plus, they had bikes available so we could just ride along the Danube at our leisure to just ride. Beautiful! We met wonderful people, too. Most of the other passengers were likeminded active people. You don't have to be an athlete to participate either. Avalon had incredible local guides who broke the group up into small groups so we had fast, medium, and casual hikes/bikes. The ship, cabin, dining, and crew were all top notch. Most of the excursions were included (!) and we had a variety of excursions every day. The only thing I might change was with the Prague extension. We spent a day in Linz and bussed up to Prague. Linz wasn't worth the time. I'd rather have moved on up to Prague or had a longer river cruise and went to Prague on my own. Prague is spectacular and well worth it. If you do take this cruise, and I highly encourage you to do so, sign up for your excursions before you get to the boat. It helps Avalon know how to engage their local guides. Avalon was taken by surprise by how many people wanted to hike and bike. They had to scramble to increase capacity but they did. You will have peace of mind knowing that your river cruise will exceed your expectations, too.