I was a reluctant river cruiser, but timing was right so we booked the Christmas cruise to give it a try. I can't say enough good things about the ship or the experience. My first surprise was on boarding - I couldn't get over the elegance of this ship. The public rooms are well designed and maintained. Check-in was a breeze, took about 5 minutes - enough time to begin to sip on the welcoming drink they provided while the process was completed. We had one of the "smaller" suites, and it too was elegant and more than adequate space for the amount of time spent in the room. The quality and variety of the meals was perfect - not a lot of options at dinner, but what was served was consistently very good to excellent. We also liked being able to show up whenever within dining hours and sit where we wanted. Entertainment was limited - naturally - but good nonetheless with our entertainment director/piano player. The private concert in Strasbourg Cathedral was special. The staff was amazing. Too many people to thank, but special mention to Peter the bartender, Juris who oversaw the restaurant with incredible attention to detail, and Milo who was on the restaurant staff and took good care of us. Read Less

This was supposed to be the Trip of a Lifetime but it turned sour pretty quickly because of a broken heater in the Monarch Countess Cabin #327. I got sick the first night because it shut off and started blowing cold air in the cabin. I subsequently caught a cold and was not at my best for the remainder of the 8 day cruise. The ship was nice, the dining service was EXCELLENT, the cruise director was nice, the cabin service was just adequate. We had to ASK for our sheets to be changed the third day. What was great about the cruise was the AWESOME cruise director, Loren, who helped me get back my cell phone I had left at the hotel in Munich. He worked to get it delivered to me on Day #3. The food was good, very tasty some nights and interesting others. The wait staff was STELLAR, second-to-none, which made for a very enjoyable dining experience every night. Read Less

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

We chose this cruise on the river Danube as we wanted a relaxing break but especially wanted to see the Christmas Markets in Budapest, Bratislava and Vienna and we weren’t disappointed, (Vienna especially is a must). Everything went smoothly from the booking to landing back in Bristol airport. The Robert Burns is definitely a 5 star ship and was decorated beautifully throughout for the festive season and kept in pristine condition for the entire trip The food was top class and the crew were amazing! They were friendly, helpful and also very professional. We also loved that there was tea/coffee/hot chocolate/biscuits on tap in the reception area 24/7 We loved this trip so much that we will definitely be booking another one in the very near future. Thank you to Riviera Travel and all the staff who helped to make our pre Christmas break everything we’d hoped for and more xx Read Less

Out travel agent recommended this cruise and AMA waterways. Best pick ever. Our crew was fantastic and the highlight was our cruise director Edward. He was truly a outstanding and caring person who made sure everyone was having fun and fixed everything before it could go wrong. It rained and was cold but we had a ball! The crowd was older 60-70’s but there’s plenty to do and each stop was well organized and fun. The Christmas markets are pretty much all the same stuff but the sight seeing was fun. I would definitely recommend AMA although I never heard of them before this trip. Others had been on Viking and said it’s far better on AMA and I would have every reason to give them my business in the future. All the crew were kind and helpful really looking out for the guests. I can’t think of anything they could improve. 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

This was our second cruise with Scenic. Our first was on Scenic Jewel for 8 days, and we had a blast, so we went with Scenic once again. I had been to Christmas markets before but my wife had not, so I told her our next cruise would be the Christmas market cruise. We started out with the Prague extension first, and the hotel, The Art Deco Imperial Hotel, was outstanding. I had never been in a hotel room that offered 1 1/2 baths with heated flooring. We were met at the airport by a Scenic representative and transferred to the hotel within 15 minutes of getting through customs. Our tour guide, Tomas, was very helpful and very knowledgeable. One of the best I have ever seen. We went by coach from Prague to Budapest and boarded the Scenic Opal. The rest of the cruise was what I expected from Scenic, which was nothing short of outstanding. The only hiccup we had was when there was some low water concerns at one of the locks upstream. We ended up docked at Vilshofen for a little over a day. Every one on board was offered 3 choices, to stay on board the ship, to discontinue the trip and fly home, or to board motor coaches and continue by land. Each was offered with a monetary benefit. Not one person decided to opt to leave the ship. The captain worked his magic and we were able to continue up river. The man was simply amazing. The cruise director, Alex, kept everyone informed and spirits on board high. The rest of the cruise went on without too many more problems, other then a barge who decided to poke along and slow us up for a while. My only complaint about anything is that they serve a five star meal at dinner. I am and always have been the type of person who doesn't see a good meal unless the plate is covered with food. Also I like good German wines, and there were not enough of them on board. One of biggest benefits of Scenic, is that once you are on board, you do not put your hand in to your pocket for anything unless you buy something from the gift shop. All the drinks are free on board. They do not have "sprit packages" that you need to buy. Alex briefed us on debarkation the day before we were to leave the ship. We were told when we were to have our bags out and when we were scheduled to leave the ship. This made everything go smoothly the next day. We had a chance to say good bye to Alex and to thank the Captain for everything before we were put in a car and transported to the airport. Getting off both of our Scenic cruises have been hard. We were treated well both times. My wife is wondering where we will go on our next vacation, but she did not have to ask which cruise line we would use. It will be Scenic. Read Less

My husband (33) and I (29) were looking for a unique and different honeymoon than the typical beach vacation. We found river cruising from our travel agent and felt it was the perfect option for us. We stayed 3 days before in Budapest and absolutely fell in love with the city. We got on the boat right at check in on Sunday and found the ship in absolutely beautiful condition. Our room was spotless and so welcoming. We were surprised with an upgrade from AmaWaterways to a bigger stateroom. We felt so comfortable in the space. At every turn, the ship was spotless and so inviting. The grand reception area was stunning, especially when decorated for the holidays. The dining was incredible; breakfast was a large buffet everyday with made to order omelets and several other options you could order from the kitchen. Lunch was something new and unique every day with a combination of served dishes, carved dishes and several options on the buffet. Dinner was a beautiful 4 course meal every single night. The service in the dining room was top notch. Every option was elevated yet approachable. There were several options that were offered at every meal including chicken breast, steak and salmon if you were looking for something simper. There was no shortage of snacks/food on the ship. There was a simple breakfast put out before and after the main breakfast hours for those that got up earlier/later. Where were small bites after lunch and again before dinner. Unlimited beer and wine was included with lunch and diner and sparkling wine with breakfast. There was also a sip and sail cocktail hour that included several cocktails including a specialty cocktail of the day. For a week straight, I felt like my wine glass was never empty. There are dedicated beverage servers in the dining room that generously fill your glass from the second you walk in to the moment you leave. One of the parts I enjoyed the most was to have a glass of wine poured right before we were leaving dinner and take the glass up to the sundeck or our balcony to enjoy. We thought the price of beer/wine/cocktails was fair outside of lunch and dinner. We found several activities that were perfect for us that included active hikes and bike rides through the cities. There were several types of tours offered throughout the cruise that included gentle or easy walking, a moderate and a fast/active walking pace. We never felt bored or held back on the tours. There was local entertainment at least 3 nights of the cruise that was so enjoyable. Local singers and performers we both enjoyed. We did experience low water levels on the 2nd to last day of our trip and ended up having to turn the boat around and sail away from our disembarkation place (Nuremburg). Our cruise manager, Camille, did a wonderful job explaining what was going on and I swear, she worked for 30 hours straight to ensure a smooth disembarkation for everyone. Overall, we were spoiled from the moment we arrived and felt like royalty for the week we were on board. The staff actually takes the time to get to know you and learn about you. All week, we had staff members come up to us and wish us a happy honeymoon and get to know us more. We were surprised one night with a special dinner set just for us complete with champagne and a beautiful cake to celebrate. Being on the younger end of the age spectrum of the ship, people kept asking if we were bored and we both can confidently say absolutely not. There was so much to do to keep us busy and exploring the entire time. We're already looking forward to our next river cruise with AmaWaterways! Read Less

My first River Cruise and while I always thought this was for the old, not with AMA Waterways. I have cruised many ocean voyages but thought I would try this. I was so happy I did that I cannot wait to see where I want AMA to take me again. No lines, no pushing or waiting. When we arrived at the time requested, we were the only people there, they took our luggage and walked us from the dock right to our room. Our room was beautiful we did have a balcony and even in the month of November we used it multiple times a day. What I loved was you had a choice of excursions, this was included in the price, wine/beer choices with all meals, included. The service and meals were amazing. No one trying to sell you something, or loud announcements . The stops were great, we chose the walking tours, you could bike through Europe if you choose or even hike through the Black Forest. The tours ran smooth and it was wonderful, you were greeted when you cam back with some beverages and warm towels. I know many want to know about night life, well there was some, you were able to talk with your fellow cruisers and they had music. While there is no casino, water slides or skating rinks on board. The social time with people was great. The ship was absolutely beautiful. The service , I even had 2 massages and my hair done with very reasonable pricing (much more affordable than the large cruise lines) I know that some River Cruise Companies are not the same, do not compare this with some of the other companies that may Market themselves. AMA Waterways is the best river cruise company out there. You will not regret it. I cannot wait to book again. Thank You AMA!!!! Read Less

We arrived at the Zurich airport after visiting friends in Zurich and the connection was perfect. We were sent to the bus to await the rest of the guests arriving that morning. The bus was clean and very comfortable (wish plane seats were that comfortable). Once we arrived at the ship, we were escorted to the lounge where there were refreshments and a comfortable place to just relax. We were able to meet some of the passengers that would be traveling with us and had the opportunity to explore Basel if we wanted. I also love their new system of check in - check out. Great way to do it and it was quite efficient. Thank you for coming up with a better plan for this process. Our room was well appointed and easy to store all our belongings - plenty of storage for us. I love the large glass window and the bed facing outward - came in very handy during the week while we were cruising to be able to just sit on the bed and enjoy the scenery - GREAT concept. Food was very good and wait staff was enjoyable - always engaging no matter where we sat (we usually try to move around the dining room to experience different wait staff and they did not disappoint). Even with a gluten allergy, the staff and head waiter were always VERY attentive and made sure there were special gluten free extras. One especially enjoyable delight was the gluten free croissant that was made fresh and available for breakfast. Perfect! We were on the north bound tour which does allow for a few "extra" ports because of the current. The excursions were great and very informative. Tour guides were very knowledgeable and I am always amazed with the information they have in their heads - no notecards or cheat sheets - I couldn't do that. We also took the Jewish Heritage tour in Cologne and it was fabulous! If you have already been to Cologne, I would definitely do this tour (if you have never been there, do the Cologne city tour). This was a fabulous trip - the castles were amazing (we have done the Rhine southbound as well and I think the view of the castles was a little better northbound). I would definitely recommend this trip to anyone who wants to know more about this area of .Europe and to see the castles and villages. Although there is also its share of industrial - the northbound trip you were sailing through those areas more in the evenings so didn't ruin your views. Read Less

I happened upon a great sale on Crystal River Cruises and my husband and I had never sailed the Danube, so I thought, why not? This wasn't even meant to be our big vacation for the year - we went to Australia last May. I arranged our own airfare on American in Premium Economy (nice and roomy for the flights both ways although the seats don't lay flat, they are at least more comfortable and the food is better). We always fly in at least 1 day prior to the cruise to insure that no travel delay affects our ability to board the ship. We stayed in Vienna at Hotel Das Tyrol which was an excellent location and lovely boutique hotel with all the sights of Vienna in close walking distance and many nearby restaurants. We had Weiner Schnitzel for lunch and then headed to the Imperial Palace to take the Sisi tour. Much of Sisi's story reminded me of Princess Diana, including her tragic and early death. It was very interesting seeing reproductions of her gowns and jewels as well as seeing where she lived, her fitness equipment and learning her story. The next day we boarded the Crystal Ravel. It is important to know that there are 2 places that Crystal docks in Vienna. One location is near the Hilton Vienna Danube hotel and the other is further away, so prior to leaving for this cruise I asked the onshore butler for the addresses of both locations and the phone number for the Ravel and from Hotel das Tyrol, we called the ship and asked where they were docked that morning so we would know where to direct our taxi driver. That morning they were at the dock further away (really about a 15 minute cab ride and no problem whatsoever.) As soon as we arrived at the ship, the crew took our luggage and we were taken to our suite to check in. We were in suite 226 which is a Deluxe Suite with Panoramic Balcony Window S2. The cabin included a bathroom with a large walk in shower and 2 sinks, walk-in closet with safe and there was plenty of space for all of our stuff. The cabin felt too warm to us so the butler had a word with the ship's engineer and they were able to make the room much cooler and more comfortable in no time. They were also able to provide me with the right foam pillows as I am allergic to down pillows. The food in the Ravel's Waterside Restaurant was excellent. We had a light lunch and then a fabulous dinner and the included wines were extremely good. The next day we took the Estergom and Danube Bend tour - it was wonderful and we met the ship in Budapest. Budapest is stunningly beautiful - especially at night. We definitely want to go back for a land vacation. The ship was docked near the Market Hall and about a mile walk to the Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial. It is a very touching memorial - so simple and poignant, it really drove the message home that even the youngest and most innocent among us were not safe. That evening we went to see The Princesses of Violin for a private show for Crystal Ravel guests. It was a great show. Many guests mistakenly expected an all classical music show and were surprised to hear both classical music and modern music. The next day we took the tour of Parliament and the Market Hall where I bought cherries enrobed in chocolate and cognac, paprika and AIKA crystal cut to clear glasses. They don't ship these glasses, however, I was prepared with a universal sized carry on roll-aboard so that I can bring back fragile items safely. The next day, we were in Bratislava and went on a tour and then beer tasting experience and some more shopping. Bratislava has a very charming historic town center and it was fun walking among these buildings, looking in the shop windows and enjoying the sights. In Krems we went to the Schloss Gobelsburg Wine Tasting - this tour was only taken by 10 passengers and included a cellar tour and wine and appetizers in the beautiful castle. In Melk, we walked into the charming town and did more shopping and in Linz, we took the day long tour to the Cesky Krumlov. It was a cold day but luckily the shops and restaurants were open. We had a great lunch and then walked around the town, going into many of the shops. I looked at some Czech crystal - 4 goblets and a decanter and the store clerk quoted me the craziest price ever - $2,500. I collect cut-to-clear crystal and know what the prices should be (glasses are usually less than $50 per stem and the regular decanters should be well under $300 and the larger ones under $500) so I just laughed and told him no. He reduced the price twice more and offered $1,800 for the set - still way too high (should have been no more than $1000 and probably more like $700), his explanation for the high price was the color I chose (not true - all colors are priced the same, the pricing is based the number of cuts) so I left the crystal behind at that shop. If you are interested in cut to clear crystal or hand cut crystal, before you go on a Danube cruise, get on Ebay and look at the prices and brands and designs to figure out what you like. AJKA is one of the best brands. Their crystal is exported to the US as Wedgwood, Tiffany's, Rosenthal, Waterford Crystal, Polo Ralph Lauren, Christian Dior, Moser and other high end French Crystal Manufacturers. If you buy your crystal in Budapest at the Market Hall, you will get your crystal at a fraction of the price charged in retail stores in the US. This video is helpful in learning about AJKA Crystal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQFyOmw12oQ. and this video is helpful for learning about the Romanov collection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FxtRrQlbh4. For our final day. in Vienna, we went to the Schonbrunn Palace - it was super cold that day. and the guide was determined to walk us around the garden, so I headed for the tea room and had some hot fruit tea! My husband joined me after an attempt at taking a few photos in the garden. After 45 minutes it was time to meet to enter the palace and we had a very nice tour inside. That evening, we went to Michelin-star dining at Edvaard. My husband didn't like the faux garlic, faux oyster or sardine courses and I began to recall the disastrous Omakase dinner on "Odd Mom Out". It hadn't occurred to me that there would be several courses in a tasting menu he would not like as we regularly have tasting menus. LOL!. Fortunately he loved the pork and venison courses and the pumpkin and white chocolate dessert. I liked all the courses but found the wait between courses to be a bit long compared to other restaurants where I have experienced tasting menus. All of the wines served were extremely good. Meanwhile back on the ship throughout the cruise, we had a lot of great food, great wine and there was a young couple who were the entertainers - they were very talented. There were also two enrichment lectures and a couple of different local entertainers who put on good shows. If I had any criticism of this cruise at all, I would say it was too short. Every single day I woke up thinking how great the previous day had been and every single day I enjoyed all the new things we did, the food and everything on the ship. Other than some rain and a very cold day on our return to Vienna the weather was actually very good. On disembarkation day, you are allowed to stay in your cabin until 10am, so we had a leisurely breakfast and then headed out for our post cruise hotel - the Ritz Carlton. This proved to be another great hotel choice and we walked down the street to Cafe Swartzenberg for another lunch of Weiner schnitzel and a mixed vegetable salad followed by a chocolate dessert and hot tea. Although most things in Vienna are closed on Sunday, the local mall had been taken over by an antique sale, so we walked through that and looked at the various items on offer. If you are considering a cruise on the Crystal Ravel, my advice is to go. Read Less

Background Information: This was my 68 cruise cruising on 13 different cruise lines that include Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Holland America, Disney, Costa, Cunard, Viking, MSC, and Celebrity. This was my first cruise on Viking. I am 48 years old. We cruised on Viking Gullveig doing the Romantic Danube Itinerary the beginning of November starting in Nurnberg, Germany and ending in Budapest, Hungary for 7 nights. Air: We booked our air through Viking and paid the extra money to pick our seats. I was glad we did because after we booked our cruise, we moved so we needed to change our airport and Viking allowed us to without penalty because it was before final payment. Hotel Info: We decided to fly to Europe early and spend 3 nights in Prague, Czech Republic. Viking put us up in Corinthia Hotel Prague. If I was to go back again, I would pick their other hotel option that was located in old downtown (even though it was more money) because this area was amazing and I loved walking around. Viking offered free shuttle service to and from downtown from the hotel. Prague: We did the Panoramic Prague tour that was complimentary with Viking and purchased the Privileged Access: Lobkowicz Palace tour. The Palace Tour was similar to touring a museum; however, it also included an amazing private classical concert for our group and a nice lunch in the Palace. Ship Info: The average age on Viking Gullveig was around 70 years old. The ship was extremely clean and the staff was friendly. Our cabin was a French Balcony. Our cabin location was at the very back of the ship, and I found it to be loud when we went through the locks (around 26 locks). I was impressed to find out that our bathroom floors were heated. Viking is a “well-oiled machine” especially when it comes to their excursions. Their tours show you the best of the best with excellent tour guides, and I love how they give you headsets so you can hear the guide. The guests on the cruise were very friendly and about 98% of them were from the US. I found there was less food variety in their dining room vs. a larger cruise line (probably because there are a lot less people). The one thing I really missed not having was a fitness center. You do not need to go through metal detectors when you walk on the ship (like other cruise lines); it is just like walking in and out of a hotel. Tours: I did all the included Viking tours and purchased two other optional tours. We did the Mozart & Strauss Concert in Vienna and the Schonbrunn Palace. I HIGHLY recommend both of those tours. My favorite tour was the Schonbrunn Palace Dress Code: The dress was casual (slacks or jeans). There were no formal nights. Most people dressed business causal during the dinners. Read Less

I chose Emerald as i always wanted to visit Portugal and heard great things about Emerald Waterways. This cruise did not disappoint. The ship was beautiful, the staff was incredible and the cruise was sensational..I enjoyed my time sailing. The room was amazing and the food was great, I loved the excursions. We met the nicest people on board as well. THe food on the ship was so good and the coffee machine which is opened 24 hours was unbelievable. I loved the service especially Cornel who is the Food and Beverage director. He really made the trip very enjoyable. The ports of call were great, although we wish we had more time in each city to walk around. We did have some time, but I think I would have enjoyed more. The cruise was a mix of old and young and we were on the younger side, but it didn't bother us as the people we met were so gracious and welcomed us into their groups.What a fantastic cruse. Read Less

I can't think of anything Viking could have done to make this cruise any better. I have cruised many times but this was my first Viking cruise and first river cruise. The food was outstanding in every way. Quality and presentation every meal. We had a Veranda A cabin. Yes it is quite small but well designed for storage. Quality bath products are used. All tours went out on time and every guide we had was very knowledgeable and personable. The entertainment was exceptional as well. Excellent piano player who played at lunch as well as in the evening. One night there was a husband and wife singer and piano player as well as a night of classical music. Of course it is not like the entertainment on a larger luxury liner but I didn't expect that so I wasn't disappointed. We did the Rhine river from Basel to Amsterdam. Wonderful little towns and cities. Great docking location. The cruise director Renee was superb at his job as was the staff. We had a great waiter Ivan. He made suggestions on what to order and took good care of us. I would highly recommend Viking and would like to go on the Danube next. Read Less

This was our fourth river cruise with Uniworld over the past couple of years. We like Uniworld because they always deliver on their promise of beautifully decorated rooms, great food, delicious wines and topped off with consistent exceptional on board service and first class pampering fit for a king and queen on every trip. The staff have always been 5 star plus, but on the Maria Theresa they were 5 star 3x plus. Uniworld cruises attract an educated class of travelers we have enjoyed meeting and sharing experiences. Meeting fellow Uniworld travelers on these journeys has always been the icing on the cake for me. Many are well traveled professionals and business people, whom I have enjoyed not just good conversation but even better life experiences. We have meet politicians to even Olympic Gold Medal winners on these trips, which always makes for good dinner conversation. We flew into Munich, Germany two days early just so we could do a full day private bus trip through Viator to see Neuschwanstein Castle, Linderhof Palace and the Shirley Temple of Bavarian villages, Oberammergan. I was surprised to discover that Linderhof Palace interior has almost as many gold decorations, furnishings and beautiful chandeliers as Versailles, France. The gold organ is stunning and worth the price of admission. Checking off that bucket list places to see was already worth the trip so the voyage on the Maria Theresa was just icing on the cake. Since we had arrived a couple of days early, Uniworld was unable to help us with the two hour transportation to Passau. My Pravlus travel agent Kymm was kind enough to get us scheduled with Blacklane transportation to the Maria Theresa from Munich. They picked us up on time, and delivered us to the ship. Our ride in that comfortable black Mercedes was so good, we feel asleep. All the Uniworld ships are all different, but the Maria Theresa is like a floating museum of baroque beauty. It’s a floating palace fit for a king & queen! Lots of gold and mirrors to make you feel like royalty. Its pure luxury on the Danube. We were in 412, which is a balcony room. The balcony is not an outdoor balcony and may not be worth the extra price but made a great place to store and hide luggage (so did under the beds). Our first day began with a walking tour of Passau, the City of Three Rivers. It was a cold and cloudy day, but our tour guide was so interesting that is was easy to ignore the weather. She took us to visit St. Stephan’s Cathedral, which was absolutely beautiful on the inside. The organ is the largest in Europe and we listened to 30 minutes of beautiful organ music. My wife found numerous shops to buy souvenirs so we were late returning for lunch. All the seats were almost taken in the dining area so we decided to sit at the table with a brass bell on it. No one was sitting there so we sat down. It was funny to see the reaction of the service staff when we made that decision. The server, who was in a black tux with tails bent over and whispered in my ear, “Sir, this is the Captains table, and only the captain and crew are allowed to sit here, however they have already had lunch so if no one says anything, you can continue to sit here”. Let me tell you, the service at the Captains table is the best on the ship and I highly recommend it if you can get away with it! It was the only time my wife and I were able to dine alone and we really enjoyed it, especially the wine. Certainly understand why the captain of this this ship is always smiling and happy. We really enjoyed our excursion in Mondsee, Austria to see St. Michaels Basilica where Maria and Capt. Von Trapp were married in the movie, The Sound of Music. The church is absolutely beautiful. It was fun getting our pictures taken at the entrance of the row of trees the children were climbing in, though I was disappointed the trees had grown too tall for me to climb. We decided on taking the full day excursion to Salzburg, Austria and were lucky enough to have Trudy as our tour guide. She was a beautiful voice and had everyone on the bus singing along with her various tunes to The Sound of Music. Again, it was a cold and cloudy day, but she made the trip so enjoyable that we did not even notice. We loved the Mirabell Gardens and enjoyed a quick tour of the Sound of Music Museum that we did during our spare time. The sun came out, so we were able to get some good pictures on the famous Sound of Music Steps and Pegasus Fountain. Seeing the home Mozart was born at was really neat. Our stop and excursion in Melk was amazing. The Melk Abby, is decorated like a palace and has numerous beautiful and ornate rooms that reminded me of Versailles, France. The library is absolutely beautiful, and the open books are so precise and colorful, it’s hard to believe they didn’t use a printing press. Some of those texts took the monks a life time to complete and are truly works of art. One of our excursions was a wine tasting in the Wachau Valley at Nikolaihof organic wines where they still use an old wooden wine press. This was one of the most informative and enjoyable wine tastings my wife and I have ever experienced in our travels. Highly recommend just for the wine! In Vienna, Austria out favorite was not the beautiful St. Stephens Cathedral with the roof covered in beautiful tiles or all the historical buildings, but the Kunsthistorisches Museum! It was full of beautiful art by the masters, marble statues and solid gold treasures like the famous Benevenuto Cellini’s salt cellar. The tower of Bable by Pieter Brueghel was something to behold. The large Theseus Clubbing the Centaur at the entrance was my favorite statue. I needed two days to see everything this museum had to offer. The Hungarian Parliament building was absolutely something to behold. It was decorated more like a palace than an assembly hall. Budapest is full of beautiful building and architecture. My wife really liked the shopping there because things were about 30% cheaper than Munich. Lots of beautiful places for pictures, especially at Buda Hill and the Liberty Statue of Freedom where you can overlook the city. We took the time to visit the House of Terror Museum that was full atrocities by the fascist and communist regimes that once controlled Hungary. Budapest looked to be booming since its left the control of the Soviet Union. Twenty five years into their young democracy, the Hungarians I meet were extremely optimistic and happy to be free. Capitalism is really working for the Hungarians who are willing to work hard to get ahead. Beautiful city full of beautiful people. Read Less

We chose this cruise because it was what we could afford. But we got so much more than what we paid for. The cruise director Patricia looked out for all of us, making sure whatever we needed was taken care of. Not just us, everyone. There were people with special challenges, other normal (like me) and very active people who all had their needs met. The activities director Charlotte is a fun person to be around and very talented. The staff was always around taking care the ship was clean and ship shape. it is a well run ship. We never expected the food to be of the quality and quantity that was shared with us. It is exceptional. The care the chef and his staff to give us something special that they were proud of was very, very evident. Each meal was as much, or as little (not me) as you could choose. As special surprise was the chateaubriand captains dinner. The wines were varied throughout the trip and no glass was left empty by exemplary servers such as Milomar and Dragona. Special people make for special trips and these are special people. We learned more than we could absorb about European history. But we learned a lot. The Danube starting in Budapest, up to the Main and down the Rhine to Amsterdam. Little villages to large cities, it was like a buffet of European sights and culture. Like to food, it never stopped. It was the trip of a lifetime and a dream come true for my wife and I. Read Less

The most beautiful lifetime expirience! First time on a river cruiser and we had a lovely time on board and on excursions. Everything went perfect from beginning till the end, we have met wonderful people for all over the world. Very pleasent and friendly crew, always with a smile on their faces. Excursions were organised perfectly and everything went smooth. We enjoyed every single guided tour, specially e-bike tour Durnstein - Melk, highly recomended. Cruise director Richard was just amazing and helpful for every question that was asked, the man really knows his job! Mario the Hotel manager was amazing and really we felt like home. Our batler Ratko was so lovely and he has been there for everything that we requested. Restoran waitress Ruzica put a lot of magic in her service, so professional and just perfect! We are very thankful to all the crew, great service, wonderful and tasty food and most important to mention THANK YOU SCENIC - WE'LL BE BACK! Read Less

Previous experience with gate one was excellent!This was our third trip.We were not dissapointed excellent food amazing service!Great guides with a super itenery all came together for an excellent cruise.Saw many wonderful sights and very diverse shore excursions.Gate one did not dissapoint as always great value.The crew were so helpful and attentive you could not ask for any better treatment than we received.The land hotels were also first rate.Lake cumo was particularly beautiful as was mount Pilatus.Also our time in Amsterdam was very lovely with so much to see and do!Highly recommend this cruise.Of particular note was the food on this vessel the Chef and his team treated us to an amazing array of local cuisine always served up piping hot and in a very timely manner,was very impressed by the servers who remembered us by name and our likes and dislikes!Great job cusps to the whole staff on this cruise. Read Less

Cruise on the Rhine was average at best. Nothing bad but nothing outstanding either. Very disappointed that Viking does not believe in having bikes on board for guests to use. We have used these on other cruise lines and it was one of the highlights of our trips. No fitness facilities on board either. Also Viking seemed to dock at a facilities in a lot of the ports that required taking a shuttle into town which was a major disappointment. One of the nice things about a river cruise is being able to walk right off the ship and into town. This was possible in Koblenz and Cologne but for the majority of ports we were outside of town. On the plus side the staff and service were excellent. Food was very good. Wine was excellent. All public areas very clean. Coffee and cookie area was a nice bonus. Morning spent viewing castles while cruising the river was superb. Cruise director was entertaining. Free access to Wifi/Internet was appreciated compared to an ocean cruise where it is an extra cost. Excursions were well organized. Read Less

We had previously taken a cruise with Avalon of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers. We loved travelling through the Rhine gorge, so we took the Basel to Amsterdam cruise. This not only gave use a portion of the Rhine and cities in Switzerland, France and Germany we hade not visited before, but also took us again through the beautiful Rhine gorge with its magnificent scenery. We were not disappointed. The ship is amazing, with its French Balcony suite rooms, with the beds all facing the glass walls of the room, which slide open when the weather is permitting. The food and service were better than what we had on former cruises, which I thought would be impossible to match. The shore excursions were very interesting, informative and were worth the time. The extra excursions that we paid for were extraordinary and worth every penny spent. I would highly recommend this cruise to anyone interested in a magnificent experience of the Rhine River. Read Less

I have been wanting to cruise the Danube and Rhine rivers so when this reasonably priced 9 day CroisiEurope cruise came up I booked it for me and my husband. This cruise line is not one of the more popular ones so I did not know what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised to find a spacious and very clean cabin on the main deck. The window was so wide offering panoramic views of the passing river banks and villages. There was plenty of storage so you can stow your luggage under the bed. Breakfast was buffet and it was pretty much the same thing everyday but substantial enough. Lunch and dinner were sit down meals. On the first day we were asked to choose if we wanted to sit in 4 seater, 6 seater or 8 seater tables for all the lunches and dinners. We sat with 2 other couples who thankfully spoke English. The menu was published a day before. I would rate the meals an 8 out of a perfect 10 although lunches and dinners took quite a while since there were not that many wait staff. The professional tour guides who were hired to conduct the shore excursions were excellent! They provided a lot of interesting facts and anecdotes. However, the cruise hosts who conducted the town tours were not as accommodating to the non French speaking groups, preferring to speak in French only. There were 150 passengers (mostly seniors), 75 % were French speaking from France and Canada, 15% were from Spain and 10% were from the UK, Australia and America. There were some games at the parlor but nothing else much to do. I want to give a shout out to the dining room staff (Flora, Akos, Gabor and their manager) who went out of their way to get me the sweet wine that they normally do not have on their wine list. Another pleasant surprise! Would I go again? Without a doubt - yes! Read Less

We chose this cruise to celebrate my retirement following 30 years in the London Fire Service. The previous reviews, itinerary and price was the main factor in choosing this particular river cruise.The service we received from start to finish was first class all the way. We chose a standard cabin with the small full width window this being as a result of reviews commenting on the large floor to ceiling windows allowing full vision into the cabin when parked alongside other river cruise boats , which did occur on 4 port stops . We figured a full large window was not required as we would be out of the cabin most of the time on the sun deck or in the lounge which we were !! All of the staff on board were excellent this made the cruise a 5 star floating hotel . The food was outstanding , with the menu reflecting the ports of call . All the excursions were included in the price which were accompanied by a qualified tour guide. The high light for us was the Vienna Orchestral music evening located at the Vienna school of music , absolutely beautiful evening with two opera singers during the event , a “must” excursion don’t miss it ! . Last port of call was Budapest , the tour being split via coach and walking a beautiful city , the boat moored opposite there Houses of Parliament, illuminated at night directly across the river, amazing photo opportunity puts the UK houses of parliament to shame . A truly great river cruise on the river Danube with a great cruise company, well done Emerald waterways we will be back . Read Less

We choose because of going with VBT bike tours. We were treated well by the cruise staff and VBT leaders. Layout of cabin perfect. Beautiful room and panoramic picture window. Great location new to us. Weather surprisingly perfect. Coffee excellent. Appreciate free water bottles in room and on leaving ship. Spacious storage of cabin. Best layout of a cabin on a cruise we have ever had. Good food. 24 locks on the Danube and the canal were interesting. The Vienna special excursion to the music museum to see the group of seven musicians was excellent and entertaining as well as a beautiful location. The VBT trips each day were under 22 miles. Good bikes. The bike trips were rated as easy and basically were. Recommend being used to a bike before you get on. Hotel room for the pre- in Prague and the post trip in Budapest were excellent. Recommend highly. Read Less

We chose this cruise for our honeymoon and I was quite pleased with my husband's choice to take this amazing trip. It was nice to come back to the same room every evening as we progressed thru various cities. Members of the crew were always friendly and helpful! All meals were fantastic. I enjoyed the tour guides that we had along the way - friendly as well as passionate about their local area's history and culture. If you get Karen in Amsterdam, or Otto in Cologne as your tour guide, consider yourself fortunate - they were terrific! I also really appreciated that there was a "gentle walkers" group for those who could not keep a faster pace or climb a lot of stairs. I would only recommend a slight improvement with excursions - allow for more time at the points (Example: city of Heidelberg) and perhaps a somewhat better value for excursions (example: food tasting excursion in Strasbourg, France). Read Less

We saw it advertised on tv. The river cruise was our first, but not our last it was everything and more then we expected. Starting with the unexpected free hand luggage and going on to be one of the best journeys of our life. Trips and the Concert were all outstanding, we visited the wonderful city of Budapest with its great culture. Then Vienna a lively and lovely city, where we watched an excellent concert. After we visited Durnstein and sampled the taste of the local Brandy and Wine. Next was Melk and a trip to the 900 year old Abby which was awesome. Following this was Linz where we visited the castle with it’s amazing views. The cruise down the Danube with the views and wonderful scenery were often watched while dining making it even more special. But what made the whole experience special was the outstanding staff. The facilities and food were all brilliant. Thank you. Read Less