This was our first river cruise and we chose it because of our interest in the Lower Danube and countries that were once behind the iron curtain. The River Duchess was apparently refitted in 2020 for the 2021 season which was cut short due to COVID. It appears to us that carpets, mattresses, paint, laundry facilities, etc. were all new. The staff was excellent. Restaurant seating was assigned as follows: we were assigned the table that you chose on our first night for the entire week with the table mates we chose to dine with that first nigh so choose carefully. We had absolutely great table mates and had no issues. We did not get to see Budapest since they stopped issuing quarantine waivers about a week before we sailed. Two days after we arrived that policy was rescinded. Be sure to check on this before booking the Lower Danube cruise. We were very please with the stops. The Belgrade Castle was a favorite as was Lepenski Vir. Traveling during COVID was hard since we had to be vaccinated before traveling and be COVID tested along the way including before, during, and after this trip. Further, we had to fill out forms on the way home in Amsterdam. Many Euro restaurants require proof of vaccination before allowing entry so be aware. All in all this was a wonderful trip. 68 passengers on a 130 passenger trip. We traveled at half price as they were trying to train their crew rebuild traffic for next year. Crew was mostly Romanian. Best cities: Belgrade and Bucharest.