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Viking too have one CD (the call them Programme Managers), they don't lead tours but use local guides who have the advantage of no only knowing the vicinity but speak the language and as the listening devices are efficient you don't have to cluster around the guide to hear what they are saying but can wander off and still hear. Similar to @Daisi though I'm a Viking fan, we just love how everything is just right for what we like. Casual, but still first class.

I was taken back by the picture used in this CC advertisement

Was it a Viking optional excursion, or did you do it on your own? I'm assuming a Viking organised excursion since they loaned you the bag of essentials.

You've discovered a truth. If someone's happy with their first river cruise then they usually book the same cruise line for future cruises. It's a known quantity and it supplies what they want. And those that post here tend to be passionate about that line. Again, I suggest you decide what you want.

I have taken several cruises on the Danube with Viking but none with the other two you mention ( have also cruised with Scenic). Viking's website lists seven Danube cruises form 8 to 23 days in duration, plus two Christmas cruises. I have no hesitation in recommending Viking. However, you should think about what you want - is it to see a particular place, are drinks an important factor, on-board bikes for loan, entertainments, do you want flights included, how about cost? I normally suggest drawing up a table (or spreadsheet) of the various lines and what they offer and deciding from that what meets your requirements best, but s you are using a travel agent tell them your priorities and ask them which matches your priorities best. Bear in mind most people on this board are from the USA; offerings differ in different markets. Viking has offices in the USA, UK and Australia. Offers differ between the USA and UK and no doubt Australia too. In the UK Tauck prices don't include travel from UK. Viking, Scenic and others do. So check - or ask your TA to- what the price includes. The Danube is very popular and there are many cruise lines with routes on it so competition is fierce.

In Tain? I cannot see a Viking cruise that stops at Tain.

There have been many threads on this forum asking about doing self-tours while on a river cruise, and they have received the same answers as have been posted here. Not impossible but difficult making advance plans as when & where (or indeed whether) the boat moors in a place won't be known before the boat nears the place. You mention Longships. That is the name of the Viking boats. One cruise I can find that calls at Bratislava on the Danube is the Capitals of Eastern Europe. A good cruise; I did it in 2019. Problem is there's only half a day scheduled for Bratislava, not long enough for you to tour the surrounding villages. The other cruise Treasures of the Danube is a better bet as the boat spends 2 days in Vienna, definitely one night, maybe two as there's a optional dinner excursion on the second day. Bratislava is 1 hours drive from Vienna so renting a car on the second day sounds good, but you must check on board what time the boat leaves Vienna. You will get timings the previous day on the news sheet Viking Daily but check again before leaving the boat. It seems the nearest cruising river to Neuschwanstein Castle is the Rhine and Google Maps tells me the nearest river stops are 3.5 hour drives to the castle. It seems to me that the best way is what others have suggested; come early and do the visits in your own time. If you choose for your first cruise Capitals of Eastern Europe starting in Vienna come some days early, if in the other direction stay on after couple of days. After you first cruise experience you'll have a better idea of life on the river.

I don't disagree (how could I argue with a fellow wine lover) that there has been a huge increase of river cruise ships in the 12 years I have been cruising, but I doubt seriously that Viking triple rafts in Tain. It doesn't moor there, nearest stop is a brief time in Tournon where two boats cross (the up-river and down-river) and passengers are taken to and ride on the Tournon steam railway I was on the Mosel as recently as last August and it was very quiet. I don't recall seeing another cruise boat.

Since I've not been on an ocean cruise I can't comment. I was staying in Paihia, a small seaside town on the Bay of Islands, New Zealand and one day saw what looked like a block of flats out in the bay. It was a cruise ship and the tenders went back and forth and the town was jammed for the day. The main street was packed from one side to the other, then they went back to the tenders and the town resumed it's sleepy existence till the same day the next week when it happened again. But there's thousands on some cruise ships, whereas river boats have under 200 people.

Another reason river ships start/end in Amsterdam is its proximity to an airport with excellent international connections. So the airport benefits from airline fees, Amsterdam gets mooring fees, and perhaps licence fees from tour guides. On our river cruise beginning and ending in Amsterdam last month we bought an evening meal in a restaurant, paid for visits to two museums, bought coffees and shopped. The included canal boat cruise provided employment for the canal boat crew and money to the canal boat company which of course was taxed. I don't know if anyone bought things at the diamond factory visited at the end but enough river cruisers must so to make it worthwhile to the factory. Then there are the coaches and taxis the river cruise companies use. And the hotels used for pre & post extensions, and consequential meals and museum entry fees. I reckon Amsterdam and the Netherland government do all right out of river cruisers

Your post said 'fashion police' should know and that's how you easily recognise them, so it figures that you do know the difference. As you have only been with Scenic these people must be on Scenic so I will look out for 'fashion police' on my cruise next month

As per @Kristelle's comment. I have never seen 'guards' outside the dining room on a Viking River cruise. I have never seen anyone turned away or not served because of what they are wearing. I don't know Armani from Gucci, unless

If it's a single cabin then it must be there on all cruises. I don't think single cabins are that common; however many lines offer discounts , or scrap them entirely, on cabins for certain cruises at certain times, usually at short notice when they have unsold cabins. Regarding Viking - their FAQs say "On occasion, Viking will make special solo traveler fares available." But I'd suggest @Nippy Sweetie's friend looks first at Saga because he won't be the only solo traveller on the cruise, and because Saga include car transport between home and airport

Agree with comments about jet-lag and about possibility of flight being delayed, but this cruise has two nights moored in Budapest.

I don't think you need have any concern about noise coming from crew cabins. With the long hours they work I should imagine they want nothing more than to sleep through to their next shift.

I agree that you write to Scenic HQ with a plain statement of the facts. If there is a design fault with the boats (and there seems to be) then only Scenic HQ are able to do something about it. The accident you suffered could also be happening on other boats in the fleet. They're unlikely to be reported by staff on the boat, so it's important Scenic centrally know.

Hi @Nippy Sweetie A good place to start is Riviera & Saga "We’ve waived the single supplement on middle and upper deck cabins and suites across a large selection of our August and October classic river cruise departures in 2024." No solo supplements on select river cruises in 2024 (rivieratravel.co.uk) "Our solo travellers can enjoy the privacy of their own single cabin with 12 dedicated singles cabins on every Spirit of the Rhine and Spirit of the Danube cruise." Solo River Cruises | Find your cruise | Saga Cruises

The sentence make sense without the starred out word, but in case anyone is puzzled by it CC software has starred out what the National Socialist German Workers' Party (In German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP) was commonly known as. It was known by the four letters ANIZ but not in that order, and that was what was starred out. (I was similarly censored in my trip report on a Bordeaux cruise when talking about a visit to wartime submarine pens)

We didn't book that optional excursion but intended to visit the Vinothek on our own. Unfortunately it was closed as it doesn't open till 11:00 and we had to be back on board by 11:15 for departure to Trier I presume Viking have arranged a private early opening, although I didn't see anyone inside the cellar. Viking's website gives the tour duration as 2.5 hours, though the Viking Daily for our cruise in 2023 had only two hours, from 09:00 - 11:00. As that includes a walking tour of Bernkastel and a visit to the castle ruins and ends with a tour of the wine cellar before the tasting, I wonder how much time was left for the tasting - certainly not long enough to taste all 140 wines on show!

Well, there's very little Dutch and Belgian wines produced and I'd imagine not enough volume or at low enough prices to stock on cruise ships. When I worked in these countries I had to make a real effort to find a bottle. And to be frank when I did they weren't worth finding. 🙂 No doubt quality has improved since then

I'm interested to read your account of the cruise and to see Viking Daily front pages as I've just booked this cruise for 2025 on (I think) the same ship but it's named Kadlin. We did the cruise Passage to Eastern Europe in 2019 from Budapest to Bucharest which covers much of the same route so I am keen to find out what to expect on this.

Well, unless one has been a crew member one wouldn't know for sure but it seems a good bet as the water level windows continue all the way along.

Too many variables - especially as we don't know what your priorities, like/dislikes are. The actual cruise runs between Trier on the Mosel in Germany and Basel on the Rhine in Switzerland. We did this cruise last year from Basel to Trier and the majority of the passengers were North American doing the holiday that you are considering, i.e. the pre-extension in Zermatt and the post- extension in Paris. They were accompanied all the way from the start by the Viking Programme Director. Personally I liked the direction of travel as the Rhine is a wide busy river while the Mosel is a narrow quiet river and you sail through idyllic country side and charming villages. I think once such a long holiday is over you want to get home with as little fuss as possible, so for me, a direct flight home (which you say you can get from Paris) is a mighty good reason for ending in Paris. You also have the attraction of Paris to look forward to all through your holiday. Would you be yearning for Zermatt is the same way? What month? Do you prefer warm weather and sitting on the sundeck or cooler weather? I think what month is a question only you can answer. What is certain is that it's a terrific cruise. We went in April; you may like to read my cruise report

Viking will book flights that get you to your ship on time. Flights from USA to Europe are mostly over nighters so you should have no problem in getting to your ship during the day even if you have to fly via some European gateway. Budapest airport to the boat is about 30 minutes. What puzzles me is that I cannot find any cruises that match a 14 night cruise with an overnight stay in a hotel. Grand European Tour is shown as 15 days and starts with an overnight on the boat in Budapest; is that the one you are one?

By 'lady' I think you mean Tom Gilbey. 😁 Should've gone to Specsavers. Tom Gilbey, nicknamed “the wine guy”, sampled 25 glasses of wine during the race, stopping to guess the drink’s grape variety, country of origin and vintage at each mile. London Marathon ‘wine guy’ on how he sampled 25 wines during race | London Marathon | The Guardian