This was our first riverboat cruise. We had checked out some others cruises casually but couldn't get excited about any. We went to a presentation put on by Expedia Cruise in Courtenay, BC, regarding Scenic and the guy with the funny accent caught our excitement regarding the boat, the service onboard, and what we would see on the tour. We immediately started planning our cruise that we just got back from. I'm an old fart and my body shows it. The only part of the whole experience that was terrible had to do with the airlines and Amsterdam airport. I know you have to put up with the 9.5 hour flight from Vancouver, BC, to Amsterdam but I could hardly walk afterwards and it is actually kilometers between the international arrivals to the local carrier section. KLM nor the airport staff would assist me in getting transport over to the other side because I had not prebooked it. Coming back I prebooked assistance and that part went smoothly. Since I had already been up for approximately 30 hours, when we arrived in Prague, I immediately crashed (fell asleep on the lovely, soft bed) while me wife did the short orientation tour. My wife enjoyed Prague while I recuperated. I did go out once and enjoyed a little of the wonder of the city. I was a little concerned with everyone telling us to be careful of pickpockets! Breakfast buffet at our Marriott Hotel was excellent with lots of variety. Yumm! (I'm a foody addict) We got on the Scenic Amber in Nuremberg and I was impressed from the word go. The welcome seemed real and everyone was courteous and, for me, this is where the pleasureable adventure really began. I'm rambling a bit here so I'll try and condense the actual cruise.. I've been on big ship cruises before but not at the level of complete service as we got here. The things I especially like were: Cabin - the soft head and knee raising bed; the cozy balcony; the small fridge for cod drinks, replenished daily; Dining - exception meals with additional selections that you can order. They do cater to special food needs. For those of you that drink, there was a different red and white wine presented each day. You never had to worry about running out of wine, coffee, water. Room service always available; Onboard activities - were fun and relaxed.Richard (Otto?) was very personable and gave pertinent information on what was going on the next day or for that night. The cruise wouldn't have been as great without him. The evening lounge entertainment was fun to watch with local groups coming on board at each port; Ports and excursions - I commend the people that picked out the ports we visited, not too many and not too few. All the tour guides were not just informative but also very passionate about their city and country, nice to see and hear; Service - I have nothing to negatively say about the service. Everyone treated us with courtesy and as a person. We had our own butler who was ours 24/7 If we wanted. He actually complained to us that we weren't using him enough! I watch how staff interact with each other and all that I could see was friendly support and comradery between all levels of staff. They even all chipped in to take out the garbage! That's about all I have to say for now except that we didn't pay an additional penny for anything else except for gifts. So eat, drink as much as you want; go on the tours, see the concerts... all included! Read Less

Was recommended by a friend, and we were not disappointed. The staff were always welcoming and friendly and Always helpful. It was nice to come back from one of their excellent tours to be greeted with friendly faces, a nice warm cloth to freshen up and a hot beverage after being out in the cold. It was a real treat. The tours offered were excellent. The bussing to and from the airport, or tours, was well organized. The tour director was funny, welcoming, and knowledgeable. Each evening, when not out on tour there was wonderful entertainment with local talent. The meals were varied and delicious. The wait staff were second to none. The cabin was clean and had everything you could want. It was nice to have a hairdresser and spa services available on board. I cannot think of any detail that was overlooked. I look forward to being able to cruise with Scenic again. Read Less

We had done another Scenic cruise (Bordeaux) and decided to book an area in Europe we hadn’t seen. We chose to travel during the Christmas market season. I have some mobility issues, so feeling safe and secure is important. The wonderful staff and personnel on the Amber were amazingly attentive. If I even hesitated, there was someone at my elbow for buses, gangplanks, stairs, etc. No one hovered or was overly solicitous, but they always seemed to be there when I needed them. We plan to retake this trip in the spring/summer time to be able to see the gardens. The cruise director was a hoot! He was on top of everything. The entertainment was high quality. Service was extraordinary. Our shipmates included families with adult children, siblings, gay/lesbian, and couples from Canada, Australia, USA, and UK. Most had previous cruise experience. All in all, we find river cruising to be relaxing and one of the best ways to see Europe. Read Less

We wanted to experience the magic of Christmas through the Christmas markets and this cruise did not disappoint.The entire crew was welcoming, always at our service and always looking for ways to make our trip spectacular. From the moment we arrived until our departure, we were made to feel at home and our every need was fully met and more. The Christmas markets were delightful and while my husband did a WWII TOUR, I was able to shop the markets for lovely, original gifts. The itinerary has enough things to do for everyone... or nothing at all if you just want to relax. Food was excellent and so was the staff. They took care of all our special dietary needs so we never had to worry about what to eat. Would recommend this trip for anyone who is looking to bring back a little magic to their holidays. A Merry Christmas indeed! Read Less

We chose this River Cruise on the recommendation of our Travel Agent and because it was "all inclusive". That included EVERYTHING and all was fantastic. This ship is only 3 years old and beautiful, really nice cabin arrangement (we were on the Diamond deck). We especially noticed the difference when compared to other ships on the river. Fantastic service from all personnel from top to bottom. Our butler brought coffee precisely on time each morning and immediate service for everything from ice to extra supplies for the mini fridge. Once the service people knew what we liked, the mini was "custom" stocked to our requirements. We can't say enough about the food, there were two special meals for each passenger during the voyage and they were way above anything we would do on our own. One was a full 5 course meal with a different and special wine for each course. Entertainment was great every night with our on board performer (Mark) and 4 nights there were additional local demonstrations. We also were treated to two performances just for our group during shore excursions. We are already looking into our next trip with Scenic!! Read Less

Essentially took this tour with another couple who where wanting to celebrate their 30th Wedding Anniversary. Despite the fact our airplane arrived well over an hour late in Prague the very approachable Scenic representative was their to greet us and take us to the local hotel. Likewise for the balance of the trip all the services from presentations by the Cruise Director, departure for excursions to opening of the restaurants were completely on time and very timely. The Chef on our cruise provided an excellent array of culinary delights both on the buffet and a la carte services. The cut on everything from slices meats to vegetables and dessert items was flawless. I inquired with the Chef who frequently made table checks about the "secrets" about a "Clear Tomato" that was being served for lunch. Chef Broccoli was most generous and provided a recipe for this exceptional soup. The effort put in by the entire staff of our trip was 110%. They worked well as a team and professional ignored the occasional unthinking and too casual guest. My only concern would be that the dining room was a slight bit noisy and congested and that for "older" folks (70 +) might find it tiring after more than a week. Likewise the rooms will be a tad small for those on the "heavier or tall" side. The Tailormade Scenic software very innovative and highly effective. I only recently have been using a smart phone but found it enhanced the trip. The system was occasionally nonfunctional when listening to the tour guides in large congested areas. However the information and pictures while sailing down the picturesque Danube River very complementary. Did find the survey questionare at the end of the tour rather long and time consuming. I thought it might take 20 minutes to complete but it had so many questions that I ran out of time and had to omit the last quarter of the survey. Cabin balcony excellent. Really liked the size, the glass, even the comfortable chairs. Read Less

I have waited to write this review, because I am really loathe to write a bad review without hearing from the service provider. There was a problem with sewage on the ship for the first 3 or 4 days and there was a penetrating and sickening odour on the ship - especially in the main entrance and at the end of the dining room. One staff person acknowledged that there was an issue but our comments and questions were left unanswered. We filled in our feedback forms in some detail and have still heard nothing - not an apology and not an explanation. Our cruise was in June. There were issues with the ship. In the last few days the upper cabins suffered terrible flooding. One guest described waking up to "inches" of water on the floor. Those guests appear to have been taken care of but this, combined with the odour, suggests that the systems on the ship were not yet in ship shape. Uniworld is also very difficult to communicate with in advance of the trip. My husband and I and the couple we were travelling with payment demand notices from Uniworld for the balance of our fares, but none of us had not received invoices and we were unaware that we were overdue to make our final payment. The staff is excellent and the food was very good. The public rooms were well appointed but large and a bit noisy for a quiet drink and conversation. There was a room at the stern but the service there was infrequent and there were only dining tables and chairs. If you wanted to read the paper, there was nowhere to go but your room. The destinations were wonderful and the scenery memorable, so we consider our trip a success. I would not recommend Uniworld. Read Less

We are reasonably experienced cruisers (Silversea, Regent, Oceania, Princess) but this was our first river cruise. We chose Scenic based on their all inclusive 5 star claim and the advice of friends who had sailed with Scenic before. The Danube itinerary suited our interest in visiting both Budapest and Prague and the Scenic Amber was reported to have the kind of amenities we were looking for. We were quite looking forward to this cruise but unfortunately Scenic seemed intent on failing to meet even the most basic expectations. First the Ship. Sadly we never got to experience the Amber. A couple of days before our departure for Budapest we were advised by Scenic that we would be traveling on the Pearl not the Amber. No explanation or apology offered. Had the Pearl been the same class of ship as the Amber it would have been a non issue but as the Pearl does not have a pool, which my wife was looking forward to using for daily exercise it was a major disappointment. We understand the vagaries of river travel but this switch did not seem to be justified other than as a scheduling error by Scenic as the Amber was in the same stretch of the Danube as we were and indeed we actually met her heading for Budapest on our way to Vienna. As we had no prior experience with Scenic or river cruises we were not aware of some of the other amenity losses; including no separate dining room for the Table Rive and (hearsay) some people were very upset that the class of cabin they had booked on the Amber was not available on the Pearl. The lack of prior notification of the change did not leave them an opportunity to change plans. Cabin: We were booked on the Diamond deck with butler service and while small the room was more or less as expected. The Pearl is designed with a "separate" balcony area with a window that can be lowered if you wish the outdoor experience or raised in inclement weather. It provided me with an opportunity to get out of my wife's way but being separated from the rest of the cabin reduced the flexibility that the additional space could have afforded. We noticed that some of the other lines incorporated the balcony area into the cabin proper allowing some space for sitting. Service; We cannot fault the staff aboard. Hotel staff worked their butts off trying to keep up but the Pearl is so grossly understaffed (Pax/crew ratio 3.3) that is impossible for the staff to meet the advertised 5 star standard. Our butler was doing double duty as a dining room waiter (on call it would seem). It may seem like a small thing to some but the bean counters at Scenic seem to require the servers to limit a pour of wine to no more than 3 ounces (champagne 1 oz). This would be ok if you could find a waiter to top up your glass but they were usually too busy. At a table of four where we were all drinking the same wine they refused to leave the bottle implying this was against policy. Food: It is hard to find words. First impressions are important and for our first dinner I ordered the Sea Bass. When it arrived, it looked like a sardine on the plate. I have never seen such a small portion. I'm not a big eater and don't tell me I could have ordered more, I know! But as this is a five star ship I shouldn’t have to order two meals to get one! The quality of food was poor to average. Anyone who wishes a balanced meal is out of luck. I ordered extra vegetables every meal. My specific request resulted in a second broccoli floret being added to my dinner. Given the huge amount of wonderful vegetables available in the local markets the lack of vegetables was very disappointing. My wife has an allergy to asparagus and this was made known to the manager. In one instance she wished to order a wrap and asked if there was any asparagus in it. The waiter acknowledged the request but brought the wrap anyway without comment. a close call! Interestingly the quality of the food improved a bit a few days into the cruise after a re-provisioning. Makes one wonder why they didn't start that way. Again, the staffing issue was a problem. Dinners were rushed events, more typical of chain restaurants than a five star dining experience. Due to river level issues were not able to sail to Nuremberg as planned but had to turn around at Regensburg and return to Passau. The extension visit to Prague was a highlight. Great hotel, tour director that was the best ever. All in all we were quite disappointed both with Scenic, the Pearl and river cruising in general. River cruising has too many uncertainties if our experience is typical. I've seen it written that river cruising is like a package bus tour without the unpacking. this is certainly true so if that style of travel is not your preference stay away. Read Less

As with Highfler's review (we must have been on the same cruise), we were disappointed with the 2 ship swaps and corresponding bus rides - in particular the 3 1/2 hours on the bus to Cologne was annoying. As noted by Highfler, our bus ride was along the Rhine where we saw the Scenic Opal going upstream in the area where the Scenic Jade wouldn't sail through - puzzling and annoying to say the least. Scenic Amber was great - staff took an interest in us, food and drink was super After the ship sway, we went to Scenic Jade. The thing that most stood out for not only my wife and I but our other cruise mates, was the staff. They didn't seem to be as interested in our needs as the Amber crew. Service was average. Then another ship sway onto the Scenic Ruby. The crew here was super just like the Amber crew. But the annoying and disappointing issue with the 15 day cruise is the ship swaps - we wanted a cruise where we could unpack, leave our stuff in closets for 14 days and then pack to go home. During these ship swaps, I forgot my converter in my cabin. The bus ride to Cologne was a disappoint as well - we get to Cologne and we have to carry our hand luggage around for the "short" guided tour of the outside of cathedral. Our bus got to Cologne after 11:30am and the tour was finished at noon. Then we had 1 hour of free time to browse (while lugging our hand luggage around). We get back to the bus to take us back and then we were informed that our luggage wasn't at the ship, and we could spend more time in Cologne - at this point, I was frustrated as were all on the bus - just take us to the ship! Read Less

Cruise was advertised as unpack once. We had 3 different ships, Scenic Amber for 6 days, Scenic Ruby for 5 days and Scenic Opal for 3 days. This proved to be frustrating, disruptive and exhausting over a 14 day cruise. We decided on the Scenic Jasper as it had a pool onboard and it was one of the latest ships. Scenic Ruby which we were on for 5 days had no pool and was an older model of ship with training staff from Indonesia. It also did not have an updated bathroom or adjustable bed or flyscreens on balcony window and had a small TV. In other words all the luxury items that you would expect from a balcony suite on a luxury ship were missing. The changing from ship to ship made us miss some of the excursions as we were wiped out. The food was certainly not 5 star, no fresh pastries, poor quality fruit. Certainly no mouth-watering feasts or diverse and delicious food experiences, as advertised. We had expected that we would get cordon bleu food on this luxury cruise. No effort appeared to have been made to serve special or extraordinary food. A review talked about lobster not being cooked properly.... we did not even see one. We enjoyed the easy-walk excursions as we were able to take photos and enjoy the sights at a leisurely pace. The best night was the evening at Melk Castle where the food and entertainment was excellent. I didn’t go on the tour as I was rather tired after the steep walk up to the castle. The waiters on Scenic Amber were experienced and professional as were those on Scenic Opal. I think the staff were over-worked and expected to multi-task as food waiters, bar staff and personal butlers. Read Less

Prague to Budapest, including flight arrangements--land portion, onboard experience, tours, flights and transfers all absolutely top notch. We had an unbelievable onboard tour director (Richard Grey), staff and their service were excellent, food and beverage terrific. Tours were really well planned, and with Scenic having its own bus fleet following the ship, logistics always worked. Some unique experiences (e.g., concert in Vienna, piano virtuoso in Budapest) made the tours all the more enjoyable. Tour guides were knowledgeable, well spoken, and personable. With food and beverage all inclusive, it was very refreshing not to have to sign for each drink, etc. Our shipboard account was less than $100, all related to laundry. Food, both in the main dining room and in the specialty restaurants, was consistently excellent, as was the waitstaff. For the land portions in Prague and Budapest, the hotels selected were centrally located, and rooms were well appointed. A wonderful experience all around--wish we had had another week onboard. Our first experience with Scenic--will not be our last. Read Less

When thinking about our Viking cruise up the Elbe I will always remember Guntar...he looked and talked like Arnold. Which made the trip extra entertaining. The crew was so warm and embracing. Every single one was there to help make our trip as enjoyable as could be. The wait staff was above and beyond. After one meal they knew what your drink preferences were and had them immediately ready. Food was plenty and most often very delicious. The breads were absolutely heavenly. Found myself enjoying seed bread and Brie at every meal, and sometimes for my meal. Just superb. The Malbec wine that was served was also perfect for our taste. The daily excursions were easy going, but very interesting, informative and entertaining. Trip to the beer pub stands out, as does the castle where we sampled the best struddle. The little town that became the concentration camp all Though sad was a must see, for history sake. Really shook me up though. Treats like warm cookies or schnapps waiting for us upon return from an excursion were a special from the captain. He seemed like he really enjoyed having us all on his beautiful ship. Yes the Beyla is a must take river cruise. Read Less

My husband and I just returned (Sept. 2016) from one of Uniworld's European Boutique River Cruises on The River Princess. We were on the Delightful Danube & Prague 10-day cruise. What a wonderful and memorable experience. Previously we had been on 4 ocean cruises. River cruising is a different experience...more personal and intimate. The ship's public and private rooms all are decorated lovely and both were kept very clean. The dining room service and food was top-notch! Breakfast and lunch were buffet style with wonderful presentations and a very wide-range of delicious choices - something for everyone. Dinner was sit-down and equally as delicious. The land tours were very well organized and the tour guides were excellent. If you go on this cruise, skip the Regensburg City Walking Tour - it was uninteresting. Instead, perhaps take the BMW Factory Tour. Most of the entertainment, including the Captain's presentation about the ship and guest lecturers were interesting, information and entertaining. There was only one night in Vienna (Von Trapp singer) that we did not care for. We were thrilled with this cruise experience and highly recommend it. You won't be disappointed! Read Less

This was our first river cruise and it was a great choice. From the time we arrived at the airport in Prague until we left Budapest, Scenic and its staff went out of the way to assure satisfaction and hit the mark. The scenic tour guides await you at the hotel and give you the keys, having already handled the check in for us. The initial stay in Prague came with a quick guided tour the first evening after the orientation meeting and then a fuller tour the next morning. The tour guides also gave a small tour of the Charles Bridge and surrounding area early on the 3rd day when you could see the sites without the crowds. After leaving Prague, we took a bust to Nuremberg to board the boat. The tour guide accompanied us on the bus and gave us some nice historical information about the Czech republic. The boarding of the boat was simple and smooth. We went through a quick informational session and were escorted to our cabin.The cabin was immaculate and nicely appointed. The food was mostly good through the trip, depending on your tastes of course. There were enough options to keep most people pleasantly fed. There was plenty of staff and they were all eager to please. I can't say enough about how they would handle all requests with a smile and handle things very promptly. It definitely seems that they put customer satisfaction above all else. We look forward to sailing with them again. The cabin was very roomy and comfortable. Plus it came with unlimited laundry, which is very nice to have for a long trip. The only negative to the cabin is that it has a very narrow bathroom, as the tub takes up space that could be better used. The next level of cabin had a more functional bathroom, with room for 2 people to move and a larger shower. Read Less

Where to start? My family and I booked a cruise with amawaterways entitled "romantic Danube" a offering of ports from Prague to Budapest in about 10 days(though 7 day cruise). Sailing in November through middle and eastern Europe is really taking a chance on weather so be advised. You could have rain and fog the whole time with temps never climbing out of the 40s. We had a stroke of good luck, weather wise. Temps stayed in the 50s and low 60s during the day and most of those days were sunny. Good for travel bad for an already low river. More on that later. The ship: The amasonata. Almost nothing to complain about, its brand new. It's very clean, well appointed and has a lot of ammenties that large cruise ships have;pool, gym, hair salon, massage, running deck, lounge, bar. Rooms tend to be on the smaller side, but honestly with a 160 person capacity, they do wonders with space. Apple monitors in every cabin but honestly those were awful. The internet was shoddy at best. I know you don't go on a cruise to surf the net but if you offer such a cool high tech thing in your room, it should work better. Stairs to bottom level of the boat are extremely steep. I'm a young guy and I was afraid to walk down at night. Staff: All the staff were friendly and always corurteous. Everyone knows English well. Most are from middle/Eastern Europe. Everyone says hi all the time, which can get a little over done on such a small ship but I think that's my introvert speaking. Food/Drink: Everything is excellent. They fed you really well but not like a large cruise ship does. Larger ships stuff you with empty sugar and burgers and that's not to say they didn't have junk food but it wasn't in your face. If you had all three meals on the ship, you would never go hungry again. Basic wine and beer is complimentary with meals. They do change up the wine but the beer, which is standard imo, stays the same,which can get boring. Cocktails in the bar are additional. If you didn't have formal breakfast or lunch in the main dining room there would always be a "light fare" in the lounge that would suffice. Two main places to eat, the dining room and the "captain's table" which like most cruises is the "fine dining" option aboard and you need reservations. But like I said, food was quality with moderate portions, especially if you ate everything. Onboard entertainment: Lets be honest. These cruises are marketed towards an older crowd. You're not going to get silly antics of Broadway rip offs and hack comedy routines here. That's totally good though. I felt onboard entertainment was on the lighter side of things. They have a pianist that does karaoke and some lounge type music and a couple nights of the tour we had some great musicians play for about an hour. They should try and introduce more port talent at each stop. Though I was happy the entertainment was a little more adult. I'm 32 and rather watch a great guitarist and violinist play folk music rather than some cruise bimbo sing show tunes. Ports of call/tours: Major bias here. I do not like tours. I despise walking around with the little earbuds listening to a tour guide ramble on about centuries of info that you will never retain. It's tiring even for a young person. Also, churches.Gosh I know Europe has a lot of churches but seriously... One or two during an entire trip is enough. They are all the same and all have too much money that should go to help the poor. With that said! Amawaterways does a better job than most companies at coming up with variations and different tour offerings like, hikes, bicycles, food prep,concerts.Some are additional so be aware. Personal opinion, they should forgo small towns , mainly in Germany and Austria as they are tourist traps and all the same small town squares, and focused on the larger gems like Prague and Budapest. Also, we were in the same town as a historic bmw factory. Why not offer a tour there? They do conduct them. Get on that Ama! One thing to conclude on the port tours. I do appreciate the different walking paces they offer. My father has some trouble walking long distances and it was nice to know there was an option but I stress he took the regular walking tours and was fine. Walking sticks, umbrellas, walkers are always available to people. My biggest issues: A river can cause many issues that are out of your control. We never made it to Budapest via ship because the water level was too low. They bussed us in but it totally ruined the experience of such a beautiful city and gave us no free time there. This is a constant issue with all cruises. All they want to do is hold your hand and not let you experience things by yourself. No different with Ama. Also, we were notified that we had to back track from our port to a previous port because of more river related issues and were told last minute. This compounded issues related to our flight because of the ongoing Lufthansa strike as we now had to be bussed three hours into Budapest again to get out flight. Now I say this with much reservation. We booked our flights through amawaterways as well as getting their insurance so this is my experience. Our flights back to the states were cancelled due to the strike. Amawaterways did rectify the situation in a appropriate time and put us on a comparable flight schedule back to the states. I am unclear whether more hassel would have come about if we had not booked through them. So get trip insurance people! The end of our trip was just not good. All I can say is that you take a chance if water levels are low. It's out of their control but what is in control is when they tell us this information. You pay a steep price for these vacations and I'm still not convinced they do everything in their power to keep communication constant. Read Less

We took the "Cities of Light" river cruise on the Idun from Prague to Paris with an extension in Paris. We enjoyed every minute of our cruise. Bussed from Prague to Nurnberg and caught the ship at Bamberg. Went to many small towns in Germany which were outstanding. Tours were amazing, local tour guides were consistently exceptional. Very knowledgeable and personable and easy to understand. Food was excellent and the rooms were very well appointed (not huge but large enough). No room service but coffee, juice, and light snacks available at all times in a common area. No fitness center on board but typically we were getting enough exercise from all the walking tours. Stayed at a Hilton in Prague and the Pullman Eiffel Tower in Paris. I HIGHLY recommend getting the extension in Paris. Barely enough time to see the minimum "must-sees" even with the extension. Viking provides a three hour bus tour the first morning in Paris - don't miss it! Excellent way to see a lot of Paris in a short time and gives you ideas for what to go back to see with your free time. Viking doesn't charge extra for MOST excursions; I think on our trip there were three activities you could add on. We did the Rothenberg tour. My husband and I felt it was outstanding. Many of the other guests called it their favorite stop of the entire cruise. Not sure there was anything that we could be critical of! Really fabulous trip in every way! Read Less

I took my first ever overseas trip with Scenic Crystal in October 2015 and I can say it was the best experience I could have ever have hoped for, it was truly a dream come true. From the moment I arrived in Prague and met tour director Grabriella who was so knowledgeable, helpful and friendly to finishing the trip in Paris with Bernard, also a wonderful tour guide I experienced nothing but pure luxury, friendliness, kindness and dedication to detail. The cruise part of the trip on the Scenic Crystal was amazing and the cruise staff so fantastic, every detail and daily tours so professionally organised I knew I had chosen the best trip I possibly could have. The cruise director Daniella was amazing and knew ever passengers name by the first day and nothing was too much trouble, the allocated butler Vanya was friendly and very organised and efficient. The cabin staff couldn't do enough and the wait staff and chefs were always efficient and so well mannered and eager to please and the food was absolutely perfect. Erica the waitress was an absolute breath of fresh air and engaged with every passenger, I felt I had known these wonderful people forever. The Captain was also fantastic and mingled with the passengers and crew at every opportunity. Your staff and crew are an absolute credit to you Scenic, thankyou for making my first overseas trip a dream come true, I will recommend you to everyone and if I should have the opportunity to travel overseas again then Scenic will be my first choice. Kind Regards:Wendy Read Less

For a purported "river cruise" there was way to much riding on buses. Two days were spent getting to the boat and then going to our departure city, Paris. Plus during the cruise there were long bus rides to Heidelberg, Rothenberg, and one other city whose name I forget. The boat itself was well laid out. Our cabin was more than adequate, with nice touches such as a heated floor in the bath/shower area. The crew also worked very hard to make everyone happy. Food quality was OK, but nothing special. Because we were in Germany there was a lot of emphasis on "heavy" foods, i. e. sausages. The local guides were of inconsistent quality. Two were outstanding, one was just awful, and the rest were average. Since we had heard the the guides were special on Viking cruises, this was a disappointment . If I were to do another Viking cruise I would focus carefully on how much bus riding was involved. Read Less

My husband and I were very pleased with the Viking Cruise. We liked the small ship, the food and service was excellent. We visited 4 countries and went on excursions most days. Some of the excursions were a bit much for people of our age (74 and 75) but then they started an easier walking tour which avoided steps and walked slower. We saw the same things as the faster walking tour but it was at a better pace. We loved it. The food was excellent and exceeded my expectations and I can't say enough about the crew, they were fantastic and catered to our every need. I really enjoyed the entertainment in the lounge. The piano player/singer was good and kept us entertained. Our Cruise Director, Boris made every evening special, from the games we played to the local entertainment that was brought on board. I have been looking forward to a Viking River Cruise and this one exceeded our expectations. Read Less

This was our first experience with Viking River Cruises. We were to set sail from Melink on the Viking Astrild. Unfortunatley we were notified that we would not be sailing at all as the River Elbe was to low. We were notified of this on August 25, 2015 at 4PM. The reason I mention this, is we had left at 1125 AM for our Pre-Cruise trip to Krakow. We received this message after we had landed in Frankfurt. Imagine our surprise when we were informed that we would not be sailing. When we arrived in Krakow, there was not one Viking Representative to meet us. Two hours and several phone calls later, someone finally picked us up. Now, we could have taken and paid for a cab, but ALL transfers were to be included in our paid trip. Once we got to hotel in Krakow, we contacted our travel agent back in Iowa and she assured us that although we would not be sailing on the first half of our trip, we would be sailing on the 2nd half aboard the Viking Astrild. Needless to say, that was not true. On August 30, we boarded the dry docked Viking Beyla. The Crew and Staff were the most pleasant people we could ask for. They made the stay pleasant for us. We did ask how long they had been dry docked and we were informed 6 weeks! REALLY, and Viking lets you know the day you are flying over that you could Cancel? Then to really slap you in the face they offer you a $1,000 per person Voucher to be used within a year. We are not your average people that can shell out thousands of dollars to do this. We need to save up. We did not sign up for a land tour. We have done these and did not like that you need to be up by a certain time to board a bus and travel. If this had been a land tour, at least we would have seen different scenery each day instead of the same thing. The majority of our tours were in the morning, so you would need to get up, eat breakfast, board a bus, tour, back on the bus, back to the ship for lunch, and then NOTHING. I can sit at home and watch TV. At least when we were in Dresden, you were within walking distance of the square, but when we were dry docked in Wittenberg, the only thing close was a beer garden and grocery store. You could take a cab to the market, but trying to find a cab was ridiculous. This was a joke of a trip. If anyone is considering taking a Viking River Boat Cruise, I would think twice.... Now, our pre-cruise in Krakow was great. Krakow is a beautiful quaint town. People are friendly tons of things to do day and night. Visited the Salt Mines and Auschwitz. We are glad we had booked this. Prague was beautiful also. Only thing is that the hotel that Viking put us up in was in the middle of nowhere. Was a 10-15 minute walk to get anywhere. Berlin was great also. We hired a private guide to take us around and was very impressed with him. Read Less

My first cruise ever. We were treated wonderful for the most part on the Oden. The food was great! The cabin was more than adiquite and the boat was wonderful. Going down the rivers were great. We did encounter a problem in the service the last evening we were there by the servers. They were usually servicing a group of ladies at thier table and another couple came and sat there, we joined them. We were one of the first in the dining room and the last served, feeling somewhat snubbed . The main problem was the shore excursions with many groups of people and lots of tours around us. I like going to a place, taking time to learn and absorb. The hotels were fine, although far away from elevators and such. I think it is just what my needs are. I am an artist and would have liked to just sit and sketch more and take time to learn more about the people and the envirament. We did have some time at one of the German towns. I did a little sketching while waiting for the bus. My husband did not like being withen crowds of people all the time. Read Less

We were notified 2 days before the cruise that the Elbe was low and the ship could not cruise. We had cruised with Viking before and loved it. The Prague Hilton was a luxurious hotel in a poor location. It was a 30 minute walk to the Charles Bridge and the Old town. Our walking tour did not show the attractions well at all. Frankly we spent too much time on buses. The stops and tour guides were fine but the bus rides were tiring. The Beyla and Astrild crews were friendly and helpful. Our room was probably the cheapest available and was certainly adequate. We were fortunate and had a room with a view. The offer of $1000 per passenger is great for us because we are doing another cruise in the spring but our friends and many others cannot so they receive nothing. Our cruise director, Danayle Egbert, was wonderful. She was with passengers at all times. She tried to satisfy every request. She is a 5 star plus. Pros: great crew, nice ship, good food, excellent company Cons: Viking did not notify us when they knew at least a month before that we would not cruise, bus rides, little free time on tours, offer inadequate By the way we cruised one day. Loved the hotel in Berlin and the beer garden. Read Less

We just completed a 10 day Danube River cruise on the Avalon Expression (7 nights on board) and were very disappointed with having to travel by bus for a good part of the trip. We arrived in Prague for a scheduled three night stay there and were told the first night that the river cruise would begin in Passau instead of Nuremberg due to the Danube water levels. Our cruise director deceptively indicated at that time that the change was quite minor and that we were not missing much in terms of interest on the river. In fact, we travelled by bus to three of the eight ports and missed about one third of the cruise. What we could see of the river from the bus looked quite beautiful and the Avalon brochure invites us to "Bask in the vibrant atmosphere and take in the remarkable views along the river" when it refers to this part of the trip. What made the experience much more negative was the response to my question concerning the possibility of seeing a part of the river we missed since we arrived three days early in Passau on a seven day cruise, the heavy rain in the three days since his first advice had brought the water levels up to a much higher level and there were large river boats travelling the river by that time. He advised me in a loud and angry voice, almost shouting, in front of dozens of passengers that he was the boss, he would be telling us where the ship was going and not the other way around and that he would not discuss it further. This from a person who was to be the ship's passenger representative! In fairness, I should add that another officer of the ship was prepared to have a civil conversation about the navigational challenges resulting from differing water levels and that the balance of the crew was professional and courteous for the entire trip. All in all, a disappointing cruise with a bizarre reaction. Read Less

We booked a cruise from Prague to Vienna on Danube River never even thinking about river levels. We got reports that the river was low so I called the cruise line several days before our trip to see if there would be any change in our trip. They said it was to early to tell and that they were sure that our itinerary would go as scheduled, what they failed to tell us was that the river levels had been low for some time and that many cruises had to be taken by motor coach from one port to another to board a different ship to continue our journey or even on occasion cancelled all together. It wasn't like the river fell over night. Our cruise was a 10 day package from Prague to Vienna. My fault for not reading closer, it was 2 nights in Prague and then a 4 hours, thats right 4 hour motor coach ride to Nuremberg to board the ship. The ride was to say the very least horrible. It was long, boring and a guide that talked way to much about nothing but the highway system. We spent a night on the ship & the next day toured Nuremberg with several hours on our own. 30 minutes would have been sufficient time to see all it had to offer. Cruised the river at night arriving late for a stop overnight in Regensburg which was an interesting town. That night at dinner the captain informed us we needed to re-pack and we would be bussed the next day to Passau to board the River Duchess. Another long day on motor coach and having to re-packing was not in our original plans. Although the River Duchess was an upgrade from the River Ambassador it was still a disappointment that the time wasn't spent cursing and that we had to pack and un-pack once more. Oh I might add the country side from Nuremburg to Regnesburg is mostly industrial and certainly not what I would call scenic. From Passau to Vienna was much prettier but some of that time was cruising at night when you couldn't see anything. We arrived in Vienna at 9:30 at night (leaving us with 1 day in Vienna) after spending 4 hours in a small town with nothing more than a church, winery and one grocery store which was hard to find. Wold have rather spent the afternoon in Vienna. We just felt overall that we didn't spend as much time cursing as we did on motor coaches and offshore excursions with poor choices of what to see and less than average guides. IF we were to do another river cruise, which is highly unlikely, we would do Prague on our own and then join the cruise in Passau and then onto Budapest. I just thought when we booked a 10 day cruise it would be just that cursing for at least 8 of those days, my mistake. Saying all that…Uniworld was a first class ship with beautiful decore, nice staterooms, food and service were good. I would choose this line over some of the others. Be sure and check water levels in time you can cancel or re-book your trip. The above is just my opinion as I know there were other passengers who loved the trip. Maybe we have just traveled to much and expect to much. Read Less

Our amazing trip through Europe (Prague to Paris), with Viking River Cruises, exceeded our expectations. We cruised on the Viking Longship 'Idun.' The Viking site says: "Idun is the Norse goddess of spring, rejuvenation, and eternal youth. She is the custodian of the golden apples of immortality which the gods must eat to preserve their youth. In one Viking tale, Idun is tricked by Loki, god of mischief, and she and her apples are seized by the giant Thiasse and locked in his tower. The gods quickly began to grow old, and they force Loki to rescue Idun. This he does by disguising himself as a bird and flying into the tower where he changes Idun and her apples into a small nut which he grasps with his claws, and carries her back to the gods. Idun is married to Bragi, god of poetry and theirs is an idyllic union." Our trip, the ship, the amazing staff, and the delicious foods were outstanding. The very first day we boarded the ship, we were greeted by the Hotel Manager, Leonie. We went to our cabin to unpack and freshen up before dinner. Later, as we headed up to the dining room for dinner, we saw Leonie standing at the top of the stairs. As we passed her, she said "Mr. and Mrs. Murphy I hope everything is satisfactory. Please enjoy your dinner." We were stunned, without a list in her hand, she had remembered our names on the very first day. We jokingly wondered if we had been micro-chipped when we weren't looking. Our ship had approximately 200 guests, so it was peaceful, relaxing, and intimate. Each meal Captain Ruud, Hotel manager Leonie, Chef Oliver, Program Director Boris, and Maitre d'Nebojsa sat at different tables and got to know their guests. We loved our waiters, Georgi and Jordan, who were friendly, funny, and extremely attentive. While we didn't sit in their section for every meal, we certainly tried to as often as we could. Our bartender, Krista, was delightful and very knowledgeable. With her vast lnowledge of wine and beer, she always made sure we had the right beverage to pair with our meal. Our cabin, as you would expect, was small, but so well organized. Every square inch of space was used to perfection and the mattress was wonderful. We loved the 'Viking Daily' which outlined the days itinerary, where we are, and the highlights of the area. When all is said and done, we LOVED our trip and would sail with Viking again in a heartbeat. Thanks for the memories, Viking Idun. Read Less