This was our first cruise ever and we chose a river cruise because of the smaller number of people on the cruise. Unfortunately, the water was too low for the cruise to occur. However the staff did their best to take us by bus to all of our destinations. Also added several additional experiences to make up for the loss of cruising. All in all, the experience was good but my average rating is based ...
The drought affected the Elbe river so the ship did not move. The crew was excellent, though. The food was very good, way above average. The tours including Worliz & Fredrich the Great, Wittenberg & Martin Luther’s history ( although guide Stephanie was poorly engaged and lacked enthusiasm), Meissen and the porcelain factory, and Dresden’s various museums and churches were outstanding. Prague was ...
We have taken many Viking river cruises. Unfortunately this was the non cruise cruise as the Elbe did not have enough water to allow the ships to navigate the river. Therefore we were bussed everywhere and there was zero cruising. If you take this route ask what months are best to give the chance of water in the river as apparently this happens quite a bit around the time we took the cruise. ...
Arrived in Berlin and spent 2 nights at the Intercontinental. Lovely hotel, although the bathroom was interesting, there was a huge window above the bathtub so you couldn't leave the light on for a nightlight and there was no nightlight for a very dark room. Also the temp seemed to be set for freezing, thermostat would not work for us. The breakfast buffet was wonderful and plentiful. I was ...
Dear Dawn G.,
We appreciate your thoughtful recount of your recent Elegant Elbe cruise and are delighted to learn you found your voyage so wonderful that you would book another!
Although we...
This fall my wife and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary by taking our first ever cruise on the Elbe river from Berlin to Prague. We booked 18 months in advance and secured one of two Voyager Suites on the ship to celebrate in style. We also extended our trip 2 days on both ends to enjoy two cities that have long been on my bucket list.
In large part our Viking experience was ...
We chose this itinerary because I was interested in the recent history of the area covered by the cruise---World War II, the Iron Curtain, Glasnost. I was reminded of the profound effect that the Soviet occupation had. Along the way the tours, usually lead by locals, were relevant and engaging. We were given enough free time at each stop to wander on our own. Adding the two days in Prague and ...
We were notified by Viking a week and a half before we were to leave for our Cruise from Berlin to Prague. Gave us plenty of time to decided whether to go or not. We decided, as our grandson tells us, Go It will be an Adventure! We decided to go and were glad we did and disappointed at the same time. Berlin was amazing and our hotel was excellent. The hotel staff and our Viking representative ...
For future travelers - check the water level of the Elbe before you sail. If Viking offers you the opportunity to cancel your trip because the water is too low (or sometimes too high), cancel you trip. Otherwise you will be spending most of your time on a tour bus. I enjoyed the places we visited but did not enjoy the bus travel or the fact that we had to switch boats mid-trip. Viking did give ...
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 ...
We were on the Viking Beyla and Viking Astrild in July on the Elbe.....although scheduled to be 7 nights on the Astrild. We were informed that the boat(s) would be stationary on the day we left for Berlin. This trip was NOT what we expected nor paid for. I maintain that Viking knew of the situation long before we were notified and specifically waited to inform us so that we could not cancel. ...