I loved this cruise--Nuremberg to Budapest on the Danube. Natalijia the cruise director and the crew were great. Solo female Traveller here (millennial too) so wasn't sure what it would be like. It's my first river cruise and was thoroughly impressed. Excellent excursions and tour guides, time to myself, great food and wine, and the onboard shop was lovely too! Highly recommend. Will do another Christmas market tour in 2020 but on the Rhine next time. The Danube was a bit low so the Captain had to maneuver around slower locks and we did get into Budapest a bit later than anticipated. But the tour guides styaed flexible and we still had plenty of Budapest time in the markets and on our own. Had dinner on the Danube at a great restaurant (Dunbarry restaurant) and got several Krampus dolls. The daily wellness program was great too--Alex was thoughtful and expert with strength training and cardio on board and off. AmaWaterways will be an annual trip for sure!!! Read Less

People were generally friendly and staff was first rate.. service and hospitality! I met many international travelers! Interesting discussions and interactions! Guided tours were exceptional... choices allowed for interests as well as level of activity. Sometimes exiting and returning to boat were challenging as double parked boats made exiting long; lus sometimes ramps etc were a bit slippery. Just be mindful of what you are doing. Staff is nearby just in case. Dining allowed for various tastes, choices, and drinks for dinner and lunch! Choice of "light lunch" in another area is worthwhile after you get inundated with too much food! The "invited" dinners at Portabello and Table la Rive were very good... especially the wine pairings. But I think one per cruise is ok, Two seemed redundant. Would prefer Table la Rive. Meals seemed too similar. And make sure you get a massage on board! She is fantastic! And anyone with sinus issues... use the Salt Room!! 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

This was my first river cruise and a solos cruise with 64 singles, although some friends booked together. The boat was stunning and lower cabin was very comfortable and quiet. L'Ocitane toiletries, towelling robe and slippers, satellite tv and double bed to myself. Of course, no time spent in the cabin because fellow travellers and the rest of the ship is so inviting. Big windows, lovely lounge and well stocked bar made the communal areas easy to spend time in. It rained all week but didn't stop the fun. The cruise goes through many locks which are staggering and the river meanders through picturesque scenery. Sun deck has a small pool and about 3 of us managed a dip in November! There is also a small exercise room with treadmill, weights and a bike. Spa was virtually fully booked with amazing massages. Highlights were definitely the excursions, very different visits and the spectacular visit to Salamanca. Always enough time to see things with very well organised and friendly tour guides and free time to wander. Joined the cruise at Oporto which is a fascinating place to see. Of course, lots of Port wine and tastings. The food on board was delicious, varied and to a very high standard. Too many good dishes to mention and wine and drinks very reasonable. I'm glad I didn't book the drinks package because from what I understood, it was only available at meal times and not in the bar. Lighter lunch is served in the lounge and tea and coffee available from the hot drinks station all day. Water bottles provided and fountain to top up. I was so relaxed the minute I got on board. The crew were brilliant and the advice and information from the cruise director was just enough and not boring. This was one of the best holidays I've had and other passengers, some elderly were up and dancing most nights, no shortage of good company. It was my birthday on the trip and a bottle of Prosseco in my cabin with a card made it special. Can't fault this cruise and I am very fussy. I took a book to read and never opened it. If I had one minor suggestion, it would be that the gift shop on the ship is very limited to fairly expensive buys rather than useful things. Take comfortable walking shoes and in autumn, raincoat and don't forget the swimsuit! 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

We always wanted to cruise the Danube and this cruise didn’t disappoint! Perfect from start to finish! Sailing was perfect in October, sunny and warm the whole time-of course that is not always guaranteed. All the stops were fun and informative. The food and staff were excellent, and the scenery was exceptional. The excursion’s were all top-notch. They provided awesome guides and really delved into the history of the region and the various historical events that led the the country to were it is now. The food on board was awesome. They tried to bring regional cuisine into each menu so that you could truly experience the particular food of each location, and since we were visiting five different countries, this was no small task! The evening entertainment was also regionally inspired, trying to bring a bit of the local culture on board each night. Can’t wait for our next cruise which is already booked for next October! Read Less

Cruised the Rhine, Maine, Danube with excellent Cruise Director Gunther Caliebauf and the service by crew was second to none!! Would recommend to all ! We had good trips organised by APT were very good and included in the fare. Maybe too many churches but you always had the option to do your own thing. There was also some added visits that were an extra cost if you so desired, some were very good, visiting Salzburg home too the Sound of Music. Dining was great with a choice of buffet or served in the restraint which had 4 courses served all with Beer and Wine that was included in the price. Crew were brilliant all round service to all was probably the best I have had, they all had a laugh and joke with you.. Entertainment for such a small number was difficult but they tried hard to please all with quizzes and music , plus a couple of talks and local dancers that entertained us. Read Less

I did not select this cruise but joined a friend and discovered this excellent cruise line. We travelled up the Rhône River from Arles to Lyon in Provence and saw storybook views and villages. The tour guides in each location were the best I have ever seen and heard - we got in depth information delivered with delightful humor. My favorites were visiting the Provençal olive grower and his family run processing “plant”, the truffle farmer, Amy, the truffle dog, and the family, and Dominique, the winemaker and his vineyard. There were lots of options for excursions, all inclusive, and for whatever activity level we desired. Best of all was Heloise, the Cruise Manager, but everyone on the ship provided top quality service! Spotlessly clean, many personal touches like flowers in our room upon arrival from our AmaWaterways booking agent in the states, Louise. I was very pleased and I WILL join them again! Read Less

After 6 cruises on the big ships we decided for our anniversary to try a river cruise with Viking (we’ve done already 2 Viking cruises on the ocean). The cruise from Bucharest to Budapest sounded very interesting and we decided to try despite the fact that our friends from Atlanta got a better quote for the same cruise and the same cabin. The ship was Viking LIF and the entire experience made us to started to look more in to river cruise for our future holidays. Here are some suggestion and impression from our trip in eastern Europe Bucharest – a beautiful city where the communism left plenty of marks. We loved the food and the architecture and, as a suggestion, maybe in the future Viking will organise a stay longer than one night. Excellent hotel and very well organised transfers. Ruse – despite the fact that the journey to Arbanassii was quite long the excursion was amazing giving as the chance to learn about the history of this country (we didn’t have any idea about how old Bulgaria is). Great lunch and fantastic place to visit. Maybe the guides can be less ridged and less “primary school teacher”-like Vidin – a very poor city but the trip to the mountains was amazing. Was great that the cruise director “forced” us to go and ignore the information about difficulty of the excursion. Was worth it and you don’t miss the breath-taking views with plenty of things to do if you don’t climb the rocks. Sailing day – the landscape is fantastic, and the information offered by the cruise director made us feel like in a Discovery documentary. We loved the new excursions introduced by Viking in a local village, an areological site and a fortress. The children invited on board were amazing despite the fact that the moderator of the conversation was trying hard to take over the entire conversation. Belgrade – we would love to stay longer. What an amazing city! We strongly recommend the visit to the opera and a lunch on your own to a restaurant close to the ship with no name …just “?” (our Cruise Director was so right to recommend this place) Vukovar – the visit to a Croatian family was fantastic and a real eye-opener. Maybe Viking can do something about the “rush feeling” of that day…we would like to explore more. Kalocsa – the horse farm was an interesting and authentic experience. If you want to buy paprika do it here is far much cheaper and better quality than the one in Budapest. The small shop close to the ship has excellent prices and they all speak English. Budapest – we’ve been to Budapest before but was a pleasure to visit it again. The hotel was a nice decent one, the tours were interesting but for us, Budapest was the end of our cruise so we were sad to leave Viking LIF. The staff on Viking LIF was absolutely amazing and nothing was too much for them. Joy our room stewardess was a real “JOY” smiling, helpful and very well organised making our cabin impeccable every day. In the restaurant the manager Kristian was very helpful and friendly providing an excellent service with a lot of care and attention. Alin in the bar, great and very professional, learned in the first day our favourite G&T and we enjoyed every moment spent in the lounge. We fall in love with the reception team especially with Susanna very friendly and always ready to help. But the top of this extraordinary team was our Cruise Director Leonard. He was working around the clock, almost 24 hours daily with the same passion, enthusiasm and professionalism. Was obvious that he is in love with his job and every meeting before dinner was a mixture of practical information, facts traditions and stories put together with a unique charisma and sense of humour. After the first day, was hard to find a place for his presentation in the lounge. Every night after dinner Leonard had a surprise for the passengers: lectures (the one about Dracula was as good as a real History Channel documentary and his story about Ceausescu time was heart-breaking), games (so much fun in the music quiz) and an amazing Disco party with music and dance until early hours in the morning. With brilliant organisational skills everything planned by him went perfect even if sometimes you can see the struggle behind. Honestly if Viking will tell me that Leonard will be our next cruise director I will book a cruise even on the river behind our house! After on week on Viking LIF I understand why Viking is the best and the only option to travel in comfort. Thank you Viking, thank you Lif, thank you Leonard! See you soon! Read Less

For our 5th cruise with Viking (2 river cruises + 2 ocean cruises) we decided to take the 3 weeks trip from Amsterdam to Budapest on Viking Lif. We absolutely love the ship and we were lucky enough to don’t have any problems with the water levels. Viking is for sure the best choice if you like river cruises: the level of hospitality, attention to details, organisation and the wide range of options are only couple of reason why Viking is always our first choice. In Budapest some of the crew change, and this is the main reason why I decided to post this review. Maybe Viking should pay more attention to consistency, especially when you think about the staff on board. After 3 weeks on board Viking LIF and 2 different staff we had the feeling that we travelled with two different companies. And that was more obvious at the level of the “key players” on board. And here are couple of reasons why we had this feeling Hotel director From Amsterdam we had Johnny a young Romanian with a lot of passion and dedication for his job. Nothing was to much for him and he was always there to assist passengers and his own colleagues. Always smiling and knowledgeable Johnny was a very pleasant presence for our first two weeks on board. Unfortunately for us in Budapest his place was taken by Joseph who, maybe because he is working in this business for too long (and he didn’t miss the opportunity to remind us every time) he was pretty bored, not at all approachable and quite arrogant. We missed Johnny so much in the last week of our cruise. Capitan For the first two weeks we hand a young Capitan and I must apologise for not remembering his name. The only time when we saw him was late in the evening, in the bar when he was drinking with one of his colleagues or a younger female passenger. We never had the chance to speak with him, which surprise us a lot thinking about our previous experience with Viking. In Budapest an amazing Dutch Skipper, Anna, join the ship and the story was completely different: he was always very polite and ready to answer all our questions. His presentation about the ship with the Cruise Director was very interesting and entertaining at the same time. When we had the chance to visit the bridge for the second time it was a completely different experience than in the previous week as he made us feeling welcome and accommodating all our questions and requests. Restaurant manager Martina was our first restaurant manager and she was very sweet despite the fact that she wasn’t very efficient. She was trying hard but couple of times she confused our diets and she was getting very stressed time to time. But we loved her. In Budapest her place was taken by Christian who was obviously that had more experience than Martina. His manners were at the level of a 5* restaurant, his solving problems abilities were amazing, and he always seemed to be calm and in control. Even if the restaurant was busy he always found time for a little chat. Cruise Director This was, maybe, the biggest surprise. For the first two weeks we had as a Cruise Director Sonya, a very pleasant girl from Serbia who was trying her best to be in line with our expectations. The only issue was her big personality, her inability to listen and her quite messy organizational skills. Especially in days with a lot of excursions and tours she got very agitated, getting in a very defensive mood with everybody around. We stopped asking her question after couple of abrupt answers! Sonya seemed to know her job but she always gave us the feeling that she just wanted to tick a box and run “behind the scenes” away from passengers and questions. In Budapest Leonard took over…literally took over. His personality, his knowledge, his energy and passion and his ability to be everywhere, anytime with the same smile and willingness to help made up for the entire trip. We never meet such an approachable, kind, genuine and hard-working Cruise Director in any of our cruises, both on the river and on the ocean. We wished to have Leonard for the entire 3 weeks: he created in 7 days memories for an entire lifetime. Maybe Viking will look for the future in to how different personalities fit the job profile and try to eliminate this differences which can impact the entire experience of a cruise. For sure we will be back. But can we have Anna, Christian, Johnny and Leonard with us? Read Less

I had previously (last year) done a cruise with Scenic and was very satisfied. I originally chose this line because they were one of the few who offered a single cabin with a balcony. As it turned out I was lucky enough to upgrade to a double cabin on my first cruise, and a deluxe double cabin on this cruise, which was wonderful. The extra space makes quite a difference - as a single I probably spent more time in my cabin than some couples would. I arrived in Budapest a couple of days prior to the cruise and stayed at the Marriott Hotel, along with a number of other Scenic guests. I had plenty of time to explore the city which remains one of my favourites. There was one hiccup on embarkation day, when my luggage didn't make it from the hotel to the ship. This may have been in part because I had done my own hotel booking and didn't let Scenic do it. (I got a cheaper and I think a lot nicer room than my fellow Scenic guests.) I was on their shuttle, but I received no instructions for the transfer of my luggage, and the hotel clerk apparently didn't understand the process. My cases were finally tracked down by Scenic many hours later, for which I was very grateful. Other than that, embarkation and disembarkation processes were excellent, and all exits and entries on the ship during the cruise were most efficient due to our identity tags. Tip - take a lanyard to avoid having to clip the tag on. They ran out of lanyards on this cruise. The staff were always polite and friendly and couldn't do enough for you. My butler made sure I had my early morning coffee every day. When there was a moth infestation through my open window one evening, he was there in a flash to help me get them out of my cabin. One thing I noticed this time was that the butlers were also on the serving staff in the dining room, which had not noticed on my first cruise. Staff cutbacks? Read Less

I chose to cruise as I haven't had a holiday for over 25 years and thought that I needed one after a rather stressful divorce. After researching the various options available I chose to book an eleven day trip with Saga sailing down the Danube from Budapest for eight days with three days in transylvania. I know what you are all thinking, "SAGA"!!!!! Now I just qualify as I am 51 and thought that it would ease me into the holiday "thing" I was collect from home and driven to the airport, this I found to be an excellent service. The ship was waiting in Budapest and my luggage was taken and delivered to my cabin whilst I booked in and offered refreshments. The reception staff were nothing but wonderful and were very helpful and knowledgeable making the embarkation painless. After settling in my cabin, which was a reasonable size considering the size of the ship and let's face it, we were on a river I was pleasantly surprised to be seated in the restaurant with a very good four course meal. The waiting staff were excellent and very friendly. The following days were more of the same food and I found the staff so friendly and willing to help in any way possible. I have to say that the cruise director, a young lady by the name of Adina to be the most helpful, patient and knowledgeable person I have had the pleasure of meeting. Even joining the crew and passengers in the end of cruise open mic event. Upon reaching our destination our luggage was collected and transferred to the awaiting coaches for the next part of the holiday. My overall experience onboard was one of overwhelming enjoyment and certainly placed my anxieties about solo travel to the back of my head, in fact they left. Overall I would highly recommend this ship and if I could sail with the highly professional Adina again, I would. Read Less

Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. This cruise was very interesting and informative. The crew could not have been better. To say they were wonderful would be an understatement. Our waiters were amazing and attentive. The front desk was helpful and informative. Our cruise director was very genuine and knowledgeable, and always made an effort to talk to everyone. The ship is beautiful. There is a lovely pool and in the evening the floor goes over it and it is turned into a cinema! Our rooms were always kept neat and it was truly refreshing coming back to the room after a full day of activities! After dinner, it was always a joy coming back to a pillow chocolate! We even had adorable towel bunnies which were quite impressive! The activities were great for people of all ages, children to the elderly, and I could rave about the service forever, but I am about to go sit atop the lovely sun deck on the ship!:) (We are on the Emerald Star traveling from Bucharest to Budapest. It wouldn’t allow me to properly click which destination or date! We boarded 07/13/19 and disembark 07/21/19! We are on the Danube additionally not the Rhine, this website wouldn’t allow me to properly click my cruise but I just had to fill this out because my experience was unforgettable.) Read Less

As travel agent, we wanted to try out the Emerald service, and we are convinced, that the service is fabulous and excellent. We sailed from Nuremberg to Amsterdam, in July 2019. After arriving from the airport we got on board in minutes. The staff is extremely polite, and nice at the reception, in the restaurant, in the bar etc.. The pool has a relaxing atmosphere. The city tours have been well organized with professional guides, comfortable couches. We had great opportunity to visit the most important places, monuments, castles and churches. During our free time we have been good advised to explore the cities in an independent way. Every evening we had various entertaining programs with a lot of fun and laughing moments. The whole crew made our trip enjoyable, comfortable and memorable. We enjoyed our breakfast buffet every morning and 4 courses dinner each evening as well as our lunch combining buffet and menu. Additionally we had joyful teatime and late night snack. All food was fresh and well prepared. Read Less

The ship it was built in 2012 and it still looked brand new, our cabin was spacious and well equipped. We arrived on 12 July 2019 and checked into the Movenpick Hotel, Amsterdam City Center, the next morning to Breakfast and finally closed up all our bags ready to board the Avalon Vista to get settled. We had breakfast and prep for our Amsterdam Canal Cruse plus a walking tour, every day there was tours to a lot of the sights. The meals that were provided were very delicious, for those that didn't want a large meal there was a small were served in the Panorama Lounge, it was also the location for all the briefings for the next day’s activities and music/dancing. Each day was filled with tours provided by the cruise lines or optional fee. There were never wants for service because what you might want it was provided. The ports and shore excursions were very well arranged and informative. We know that it takes a lot of planning but the only disappointment was the day of disembarkment from the ship would we would like a mini tour of Basel. This was our first trip on a long ship but it won't be our last because we truly enjoyed it. Read Less

Chose this cruise for (1) all inclusive and no nickel and diming us; (2) biking excursions to offset the awesome French food, and (3) size of ship with 174 passengers. A+ on all 3 reasons for going with CroisiEurope, and specifically the biking excursion alternative. Cabin and services were good, finding more room than I anticipated. Also appreciated that our window fully opened to watch as we traveled the rivers. Food was divine for lunch and dinner - 3 and 4 courses for each of these meals. Their ability to adapt and provide alternatives to dislikes was immediate! We got to really know almost all the servers! Breakfast croissants and pain au chocolat were deadly good! French eggs and bacon would be considered uncooked, but asked them for "well done". Biking excursions with Dig N Go was the only way to see this region. We were biking through quintessential French country roads and in between vineyards!!! Bikes accommodated us short people, which was a worry. Started out too fast-paced for what we expected, but the group pace slowed down significantly toward the end, accommodating our desire for photos of everything. Our guides Martin, Sam and Philippe were very helpful and knowledgeable about where we were. Highlight for us - St. Emilion and Arcachon/Cap Ferrat rides! Everything was included! Apero as we waited for dinner to start! Wine and oyster tasting - all included. I absolutely loved that fact! Would pick a CroisiEurope trip again! I can't find enough superlatives! Read Less

This was our 5th cruise with Viking (2 river and 2 ocean cruises) and made us realised once again why we like cruising so much with them. Was the ideal way to celebrate our 50th anniversary and Grand European Tour on Viking LIF was the perfect option. Based on our previous experience with Viking we saw how they started to cut corners especially with the quality of the food. But Chef Michael was a magician and every breakfast, lunch and dinner were kind of gastronomic events. And the service in the restaurant was simply sublime: Christian our server was very attentive, taking care of my wife medical requests, suggesting all the time the best from the menu and smiling every moment when serving our meals. What I would love to see on our next cruise is that Viking ban shorts and t-shirt during the dinner. It is a cruise ship not a fast food restaurant! I always thought that the lounge is a little bit small, especially when all the events (presentation, demonstration or shows) were very good and attracted a lot of people. On Lif one of the TV screen didn’t work and the sound was terrible sometimes which made quite hard to follow all the interesting information presented during the evening. The musicians were not our cup of tea, repeating every night the same songs and in a very amateurish style but all the other artists invited by the cruise director on board were excellent. A special mention to the bartender Ivan; we loved his knowledge and cynical sense of humour. Capitan Ana was the best we ever had. A gentle giant always talking with the passengers and keen to answer to all type of questions. His nautical presentation was a real treat, a fantastic double act with the cruise director. We never saw a captain so close to the passengers on board ever! The reception was another strong point of Viking Lif. Suzanna and Peter were knowledgeable, polite and efficient despite the fact that sometimes the place was very busy. We were impressed with the fact that if they didn’t have an answer the were asking the cruise director and come back to us in no time! A staff manning the reception night time was a little bit out of his league, forgetting couple of times our wakeup calls (we missed the wall on the Main) and spending to much time listening to his music than solving passengers issues. What a asset the Hotel Director Ionuts was for our trip! Very polite with excellent manners and extremely professional, Ionuts had always a genuine smile, being almost everywhere and leading the entire staff in a very efficient manner. He knows how to balance his skills with his age (he was 20 something). And my wife loved his hair! Viking excursions are always amazing but, this time was more than that. The guides were very informative without going over the top with historical information, mixing always personal stories with facts. Our top favourites: Rothenburg, War tour in Nuremberg, Jewish excursion in Wertheim and the cooking class in Regensburg. I save the best for last! If Lif is the crown of Viking, our cruise director Leo was the Hope Diamond. What a personality, what a passion and what a pleasure to have him. Leo was working non stop for 2 weeks at least 20 hours a day: coordinating and supervising the excursion in the morning, helping the reception during the busy lunch, answering questions in the afternoon, giving excellent briefings before dinner and organising parties or giving presentations in the evening. Somebody was joking about the possibility of having at least 3 clones of Leo on-board because he was everywhere when needed, always smiling and ready to help 24 hours a day for 2 weeks. His presentation during the sailing days were amazing: history, culture, legends everything mixed with an excellent narrative style, a war voice and a fantastic sense of humour. Leo had an answer for almost any questions, knowing all the cities as his own pocket and, at least for us, his recommendations were 100% perfect. He was a real one man show with a fantastic personality, a genuine care for the others (passengers and staff) and an encyclopaedic amount of knowledge. What can I say, and I heard other passengers saying the same, without Leo the trip will be very good but not excellent. It will be a privilege to have him as a cruise director on our next Viking cruise! Viking rules the river’s waves, Lif rules Viking and Leo ruled the excellence in our cruise in Europe. What an amazing experience. Thank you all! Read Less

After a not very pleasant experience last year on the Rhine with Viking we decided to take this time Lif on a cruise between Bucharest to Budapest. What a massive difference! Everything was far above all expectations. The food was amazing, and we had the chance to visit Chef’s Michael kitchen were all our lovely meals were prepared daily. The cabin steward Raduh was the most friendly and efficient we ever meet on cruise ships. In the restaurant our server Martina was always smiling with excellent manners and coping perfectly with my husband’s complicated diet. We spend a lot of time in the bar chatting with chief barman Christian for Bulgaria; his stories was as great as his cocktails! Johnny and Susan were extremely attentive, with a lot of knowledge about the cities we visited and always having a suggestion for our free time. Being so approachable they manage to balance the arrogance and “I know all” attitude of the hotel manager Joseph, a personality a little bit to big for his shoes. The excursions were fantastic opportunities to discover a new world and the new stop in Iron Gate was a pleasant surprise from Viking. Sometimes the guides in Bulgaria and Romania were a little bit annoying talking too much, like reading a script but to one in Belgrade were fantastic! The only failure of this trip was a lecture about Serbian war incredible balanced and the lecturer manage to upset everybody, blaming Western Countries. for the horrible war from 1990. I save the best for last: our Cruise Director Leonard. He really made our trip: extended knowledge, dedication, sense of humour, a talent to mix historic facts with legends and traditions and a 24 hours genuine smile and passion made him the best cruise director we’ve meet in more than 12 cruises we took. The stories when sailing the Iron Gate were at the level of Discovery Chanel documentaries, his lecture about European Union and Dracula perfect mix between facts and sense of humour and the evening with memories from Ceauseschu time was overwhelming. No wonder why he got tears and standing ovations for more than 10 minutes. What a great personality. We are thinking very seriously to repeat our cruise on the Rhine but only is Lenard will be on board. Viking Cruises – you are a great way to travel and that’s 95% because of the crew and people like Leonard. tell us when Leonhard is again on board and we will be there! Read Less

We chose this cruise as my wife and I always wanted to see Austria. This has nothing against the Ve, but Vienna is a large city. One day in the city is not enough time. We enjoyed Wassau Valley as words can’t describe his beautiful it is. Food was good. The only negative is that we felt our room was cramped. On the plus side, there are lot of extra amenities in the room such as a Flat screen TV, a small refrigerator, and a comfortable bed. The room service was excellent. I have a hearings disability. They have an excellent sound system for both tours and on ships. They were very accommodating to ensure my hearing aid and cochlear device works well with their sound system. I observed that the Ve personnel were very accommodating to limited mobility passengers. On a tour to Czech Republic, a passenger got tired while touring and the Ve proceeded to get him a cab and returned him to the ship 2 hours away. I was very impressed with Ve attending to all passengers. The shore excursions were good. Our favorite was the tour of Gotthiem Abbey. All service personnel were very good. If we have another opportunity, we will tour again with Viking. Read Less

After more than 10 cruises with Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean me and my husband we decided to try something different. “Cruising the Eastern Europe” on board Viking LIF was our first river cruise and our first Viking cruise at the same time. What can I say about the entire experience? I already booked another 2 cruises with Viking. Everything was above exceptional: the service, the ship, the excursions and the staff on board. The staff on board Viking Lif was exceptional. Martina and Bart in the restaurant and lounge were perfect, always smiling and with great manners. Our room attendant Maya was a very nice girl with a lovely positive attitude and our cabin was always impeccable. We fall in love with the reception staff (Suzy and Johnny) always helpful and smiling and Capitan Anna was incredible: charming and always available to answer to any questions. Joseph the Hotel Director was one of the best we ever meet, solving any problems or requests we hand, nothing was too much for him. But the most impressive was our Cruise Director Leonard. His encyclopaedical knowledge, sense of humour and dedication made this trip unforgettable. Leonard was everywhere and sometimes we thought that he had 3 or 4 clones on board to be always smiling and ready to assist from 5AM to 1PM, every day. I wish I could record his commentary during the Iron Gate sea day when the amount of historical, geographical and social information mixed with a lot of legends and local traditions plus a fantastic sense of humour reminded me of a National Geographic documentary. He really made this trip unforgettable for us! Can’t wait for our next cruise with Viking Read Less

I'm a solo traveler, and would definitely take this tour again. It's my favorite Viking cruise to date! The Bordeaux region is fabulous - I'd recommend it whether or not you love wine! I'd highly recommend the pre-cruise tour of the Loire Valley. All of the towns and villages throughout the cruise were so enjoyable - picking up a baguette from the local boulangerie and fresh cheeses at the fromagerie, picking out treats at the master chocolatiers, buying tulips for my room at the farmers market, and, of course, visiting wineries and top notch wine shops with a full range of France's finest beverage. That's not to diminish the cognac tour! Blending our own cognac was delightful. Also made some new friends who I've enjoyed connecting with since returning home. Also: * Embarking and disembarking was a breeze. * The ship's updated cabin was comfortable and efficient. * The crew was exceptionally energetic and fun! * The food did not disappoint - good variety and options, as usual! Read Less

Sailed with AMA before, loved it! Their attention to detail is superb. This time we experienced a drought that altered our course and experience. AMA took us to 2 extra countries not on our original itinerary, made everything pleasant and seamless, remained positive and upbeat, and gave us a 100% credit for a future cruise of our choosing! We were on two ships, identical accommodations. Cabins great, ships great, dining excellent, service great, entertainment and activities great, excursions fabulous, staff attentive and wonderful, embarkation, disembarkation and ship transfer went smoothly and perfectly! AMA is an outstanding company, a class act, and I will most certainly travel with them again! They outperform all of the others and are far superior! The Captain gives each lady a rose upon arrival, and by the time you get back from dinner, the rose is in a vase. The crew knows your food likes and dislikes, allergies, and every detail to make you feel comfortable. They make special occasions unforgettable and treat you with the utmost respect! Read Less

Recommended by a travel agent. Never do a river cruise in the past and want to experience the river cruise, especially Rhine River since it is very famous. We did have time to tour Amerstedram since we were able to dropn off our luggages earlier on the ship. The included excuriosns are great since most of them are city tours with experienced/knowledgale guides to tell the history and explaint the architecture of buildings. The Black Forest trip of cuckoo clock shop was great, except the bus ride was too long and the length of time in the shop was too short. Could have left ealier for the trip and no need for rest stop. Or have people have watched the cucook clock shop history while enjoy black forest cake. Servie is very great and staff are very helpful. Really enjoy different variety of foods in the restaurant. Suggestions: should have hot water/tea service at lounge all the time. Not everyone does alcohol drinks. Read Less

My 6th cruise with AmaWaterways. My previous cruises on other ships in their fleet were spectacular. I either had French or walkout balconies. There were many times I would sit out and watch the world go by while sipping a glass of wine.A perfect way to see the castles on the Rhein. Being a solo passenger, they would always wave the single supplement so I could enjoy a room on the Cello or Violin deck. This trip was different. Rooms on these decks were no longer made available for waving single supplements. Only the lower class cabins were offered now. To some, this may not have been a problem, but to a person as myself who is just over 5 feet tall, looking out the porthole was difficult as you would need to stand on a chair to accomplish this task. The next problem was the narrow staircase . My first attempt at climbing up to dinner, I somehow trip on a step. I wasn't hurt....just embarrassed. Staff was still excellent, but this lost its appeal to travel with this cruise line. Take heart though...excellent for just starting out with river cruising, but definitely a disaster for seasoned travelors Read Less

We had a great time with Avalon in China in 2017. We wanted to see the Danube and thought Avalon would be good again. They did not disappoint. The service was magnificent, the food very good, the tours were great. We enjoyed every minute of it. We had plenty of time to explore Budapest and were able to store our luggage on board on embarkation day. The staff was so accommodating. One evening, we didn't not realize that Vienna closed so completely and early. We made our way back to the ship knowing we had missed dinner. We did not even ask, the crew said "you have missed dinner, can we get you something?" We will be taking other Avalon cruises because they have not disappointed at all. We needed to make alternative arrangements at the end of the cruise and the staff was very accommodating and helped us get to the train station in Regensburg to catch the train to Munich. Read Less