We did a cruise that combined daily biking via the Backroads company and we all thought we would have been too inactive had we not included that activity. The fitness room was only able to allow 2 persons on a treadmill and 2 on stationary bikes at a time. The free weight set was lacking. Many of the fitness classes were not able to be held on the top deck due to weather and it was very small hosting them on the general activities floor.
Wine flowed freely and I think it altered the tastebuds of most guests as the food was beautiful but really unremarkable in taste. The creme soups all tasted the same and the cookies were terrible. Seasoning was lacking but perhaps they try and downplay the salt because of heath. Serving size was small which was smart for the various courses. They did accommodate food allergies, gluten free, etc.
my only negative comment was the bathroom became foggy after showers and there was no way to leave it open unless I propped it with a trash can.
Really did not use the baloney at all except to dry clothes! If we left the baloney door open at nite, it would get very noisy when we went thru a lock. The views were equally beautiful from other locations aboard.
We were on the 2nd floor and it was just as nice as the 3rds view. In actuality, we only used the balcony for drying our clothes and also ended up closing the door at night as the lock&dams were noisy. Most of the time you are parked next to another riverboat at port and you wouldnt want to sit outside and look at the boat anyway so dont feel bad if you cant spend the $ for a full sliding balcony.