Passage to Eastern Europe - We arrived!

[franski]

Fran, did you have to have a reservation for Cafe Kor? Could you walk from the ship or did you need a taxi to get there? Can you give me an idea of prices there?

 

Thanks,

Sharon

 

Hi Sharon -

 

No, we did not have a reservation, which was why we did not get in on Saturday night. We took our chances that Monday night would be quieter, and arrived just before 6:30 pm.

 

We were staying at Le Meridian, and Sas Utca (the street where Cafe Kor is) was just the other side of the park across from the hotel. It is just around the corner from St. Stephen's Cathedral on the Pest side.

 

For prices - we found everything quite reasonable. This is the website for the restaurant - http://www.cafekor.com - and you can look at the menus. There is a choice of English or Hungarian on the main page. They have a fairly extensive daily menu as well.

 

Fran

[Abe]

Hi Fran - Welcome back home. We've so enjoyed reading about your journey and thank you for taking the time to post.

 

Question about foreign currencies: Now that you've completed your trip through 5 countries with 5 different currencies could you please tell me - which currencies and how much (if any) would you buy in the U.S. before leaving. Your posts mentioned using mostly Euros and Forints.

 

Also, can you tell me how much the ATM fees were and if there was one bank or company's ATM machines that you would recommend. Our bank does not have a partner in Eastern Europe.

 

Thanks again for your posts.

 

Kathy

[id est]

If you're interested here is our experience from this cruise as we did it back in November 2012. We just used cash in all 5 countries. There are plenty of exchange kiosks almost everywhere; the rate is pretty much the same as in the bank and no need to pay 3% ATM surcharge. Also make sure there is no commission before changing money in Budapest.

[franski]

Hi Fran - Welcome back home. We've so enjoyed reading about your journey and thank you for taking the time to post.

 

Question about foreign currencies: Now that you've completed your trip through 5 countries with 5 different currencies could you please tell me - which currencies and how much (if any) would you buy in the U.S. before leaving. Your posts mentioned using mostly Euros and Forints.

 

Also, can you tell me how much the ATM fees were and if there was one bank or company's ATM machines that you would recommend. Our bank does not have a partner in Eastern Europe.

 

Thanks again for your posts.

 

Kathy

 

Hi Kathy -

 

The ATM fees for my bank are $5/transaction. Figured I could live with that. I took local currency out of ATMs in Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary. None of the countries will take currency from another country - so we had Romanian Ron left over (about $12 worth....) - we left it for our housekeeper on the boat as over and above the crew gratuity as she was amazing.

 

I usually deal with a Currency Exchange at our local mall, and they were unable to get any currency other than Euros and Forints. They did say that some of the currencies are more available in the summer months - and perhaps if I had given them more time (I went in a week ahead) they may have been able to get others for me.

 

I thought I would try at the airport, as they have a currency exchange there. BAD MOVE!!! I was able to get Romanian and Croatian money, but they charged me $8 handling fee for EACH currency. So, getting money out of an ATM would have been cheaper. Won't do that again....

 

The only place that would NOT take Euros was the pedestrian area in Belgrade. But, there were ATMs in that area. Everywhere else would take Euros - and one of the small stalls by the docking area in Belgrade would take Euros.... Go figure.

 

The guides can tell you where ATMs and currency exchanges are - and which areas will take Euros and/or US dollars instead of local currency. Both of our transfers (Bucharest and Budapest) were paid with Euros.

 

I took out extra Forints as we are back to Hungary in September.

 

Fran

[Abe]

Hi Fran and id est:

 

Thank you both for the info on foreign currencies and ATM's. I always end up buying way too much foreign currency from our bank before we leave. Then I get hit with high exchange rates including fees both when I buy it and when I turn it back in. We've never wanted to have to take the time while we're traveling to find ATM's or exchange kiosks but I think with this trip and 5 currencies - this would be the way to go.

 

Thanks again for your help.

 

Kathy

[Osnab]

Hi Kathy -

 

The ATM fees for my bank are $5/transaction. Figured I could live with that. I took local currency out of ATMs in Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary. None of the countries will take currency from another country - so we had Romanian Ron left over (about $12 worth....) - we left it for our housekeeper on the boat as over and above the crew gratuity as she was amazing.

 

I usually deal with a Currency Exchange at our local mall, and they were unable to get any currency other than Euros and Forints. They did say that some of the currencies are more available in the summer months - and perhaps if I had given them more time (I went in a week ahead) they may have been able to get others for me.

 

I thought I would try at the airport, as they have a currency exchange there. BAD MOVE!!! I was able to get Romanian and Croatian money, but they charged me $8 handling fee for EACH currency. So, getting money out of an ATM would have been cheaper. Won't do that again....

 

The only place that would NOT take Euros was the pedestrian area in Belgrade. But, there were ATMs in that area. Everywhere else would take Euros - and one of the small stalls by the docking area in Belgrade would take Euros.... Go figure.

 

The guides can tell you where ATMs and currency exchanges are - and which areas will take Euros and/or US dollars instead of local currency. Both of our transfers (Bucharest and Budapest) were paid with Euros.

 

I took out extra Forints as we are back to Hungary in September.

 

Fran

 

Fran:

Thank you for your wonderfully detailed post about your Viking trip. I was in Budapest a very long time ago (right when the Berlin Wall came down), so they were not a tourist-rich city. I look forward to going again and seeing how they have changed. And from reading your post, it sounds like they have indeed changed - for the better!

 

I do have some questions. Is the Central Market like a flea market, or does it also have fruits, vegs, etc. You said it was 75 mins only. How long would you have stayed if you'd had all the time you needed?

 

How long was the walking tour, distance-wise or time?

 

Would you consider the Pilvax Restaurant to be Hungarian? I want to eat Hungarian food.

 

What is a chimney cake? Sounds unusual.

 

Can we expect more from you in the other places you went? I hope so!

Oh and you mentioned returning in Sept. Are you taking a Viking cruise then as well? Because we may be on the same one, as I'm going at the end of Sept.

 

Thank you again.

Felicia

[franski]

Fran:

Thank you for your wonderfully detailed post about your Viking trip. I was in Budapest a very long time ago (right when the Berlin Wall came down), so they were not a tourist-rich city. I look forward to going again and seeing how they have changed. And from reading your post, it sounds like they have indeed changed - for the better!

 

I do have some questions. Is the Central Market like a flea market, or does it also have fruits, vegs, etc. You said it was 75 mins only. How long would you have stayed if you'd had all the time you needed?

 

How long was the walking tour, distance-wise or time?

 

Would you consider the Pilvax Restaurant to be Hungarian? I want to eat Hungarian food.

 

What is a chimney cake? Sounds unusual.

 

Can we expect more from you in the other places you went? I hope so!

Oh and you mentioned returning in Sept. Are you taking a Viking cruise then as well? Because we may be on the same one, as I'm going at the end of Sept.

 

Thank you again.

Felicia

 

HI Felicia - Still trying to get back into this time zone, so have just been mostly posting responses. Hopefully will do more of a review over the weekend.

 

The Central Market is truly a market - and the locals shop there. It opens at 6 am Mon-Sat --> closed on Sundays. The basement is fish and pickled items, the main floor is meat, fruits, vegetables etc. There are lots of stalls that sell paprika on the main floor.... I found that the best prices were in stalls on the outer wall instead of in the "dedicated" paprika stalls. The upper floor is market items (lots of leather and textiles) as well as sort of a food court. There are washrooms on both the main and the 2nd floor... and you need to pay for both. The ones on the 2nd floor are cheaper (100 forints vs 120 forints). There is an ATM machine there - but I prefer to use the ones associated with banks.

 

The time there at the end of our walking tour was limited, but we went back on our own 2 days later. We also took the time to walk over to the Cave Church from there - as it is just across the Liberty Bridge.

 

The walking tour started at 8:45, and we ended up at the Market just after 12. Please bear in mind that we also used a tram, the funicular, and a local bus in this tour. Mostly flat areas where we walked - although there are cobblestones.

 

We noticed that things had really changed since we were there about 4 years ago. When we were there before, I felt that the prices along the Vaci Utca were better towards the market ---> but didn't feel that during this visit. They get a bit better in the middle (around the area under the road by the Elizabeth Bridge) but raise again closer to the market. And, I was not impressed with the number of restaurants that offer a "tourist" menu. Also, there were a number of people hawking knives down by the market --> pesky people that won't leave you alone. This is new.

 

Chimney cakes are amazing. Basically, they wind strips of dough around a wooden rolling-pin - and roast over heat. Many places use open coals, but some (as in the store in Budapest) use an oven. When the cake is cooked, they roll it in sugar, or cinnamon, or nuts. We discovered it in Prague - where you bought a piece of one. In Bucharest, in the village museum, there was a stall selling them. They reminded me of the European "donuts" we can get at a European supermarket in the area. The ones in Budapest were more bread like. You bought the entire cake in both Bucharest and Budapest. Can't remember how much they were in Bucharest - but they were 900 forints in Budapest.

 

The Pilvax Restaurant is Hungarian... and the food is very good. The Cafe Kor also offers some traditional Hungarian dishes.

 

Our trip in September is with Scenic - Budapest to Nuremberg. We are leaving the tour in Nuremberg and staying a couple of extra days there (we were there before on a Sunday, and many things we wanted to see were closed....)

 

Hope this helps.

 

Fran

[Osnab]

HI Felicia - Still trying to get back into this time zone, so have just been mostly posting responses. Hopefully will do more of a review over the weekend.

 

The Central Market is truly a market - and the locals shop there. It opens at 6 am Mon-Sat --> closed on Sundays. The basement is fish and pickled items, the main floor is meat, fruits, vegetables etc. There are lots of stalls that sell paprika on the main floor.... I found that the best prices were in stalls on the outer wall instead of in the "dedicated" paprika stalls. The upper floor is market items (lots of leather and textiles) as well as sort of a food court. There are washrooms on both the main and the 2nd floor... and you need to pay for both. The ones on the 2nd floor are cheaper (100 forints vs 120 forints). There is an ATM machine there - but I prefer to use the ones associated with banks.

 

The time there at the end of our walking tour was limited, but we went back on our own 2 days later. We also took the time to walk over to the Cave Church from there - as it is just across the Liberty Bridge.

 

The walking tour started at 8:45, and we ended up at the Market just after 12. Please bear in mind that we also used a tram, the funicular, and a local bus in this tour. Mostly flat areas where we walked - although there are cobblestones.

 

We noticed that things had really changed since we were there about 4 years ago. When we were there before, I felt that the prices along the Vaci Utca were better towards the market ---> but didn't feel that during this visit. They get a bit better in the middle (around the area under the road by the Elizabeth Bridge) but raise again closer to the market. And, I was not impressed with the number of restaurants that offer a "tourist" menu. Also, there were a number of people hawking knives down by the market --> pesky people that won't leave you alone. This is new.

 

Chimney cakes are amazing. Basically, they wind strips of dough around a wooden rolling-pin - and roast over heat. Many places use open coals, but some (as in the store in Budapest) use an oven. When the cake is cooked, they roll it in sugar, or cinnamon, or nuts. We discovered it in Prague - where you bought a piece of one. In Bucharest, in the village museum, there was a stall selling them. They reminded me of the European "donuts" we can get at a European supermarket in the area. The ones in Budapest were more bread like. You bought the entire cake in both Bucharest and Budapest. Can't remember how much they were in Bucharest - but they were 900 forints in Budapest.

 

The Pilvax Restaurant is Hungarian... and the food is very good. The Cafe Kor also offers some traditional Hungarian dishes.

 

Our trip in September is with Scenic - Budapest to Nuremberg. We are leaving the tour in Nuremberg and staying a couple of extra days there (we were there before on a Sunday, and many things we wanted to see were closed....)

 

Hope this helps.

 

Fran

 

Yes, very helpful indeed! I've got to get more questions together. Thank you so much!

Felicia

[Train Riders]

We stayed in Budapest for 10 days last year in between cruises with APT. We had a lovely boutique hotel about 50 meters from the Central Markets & observed these street hawkers plying their trade to any tourist that walked past trying to seel mobile phones, I pads , knife sets etc etc.

 

 

DO NOT even think of looking at any of their sale items let alone pulling your wallet out to buy any, we saw tourists being fleeced by these Romanian Gypsies with these dud items, the Mobile phones & I pads will only work for about 1/2 hour & have only the minimum components in them to look real, the knife sets do not keep their edge sharpness & will break easily, LET THE BUYER BEWARE.

 

We struck up a friendship with 2 shop traders near our hotel who told us that these Gypsies were very dangerous if a buyer took back any item & demanded a refund for faulty goods. They also mentioned that the gypsy sellers were becoming prolific all over Europe & were a total rip off.

 

Regards , Train Riders in Oz.

[franski]

Hi - I think I have finally turned my internal time clock around, so thought I would try to give a synopsis of the cruise... I am going to list by day - and then my impressions - along with any "tips" that might be of help. Hopefully this won't be too long!!

Day 1- embarkation (Romania): We got to the boat later than planned (full day of sightseeing - including lunch - in Bucharest) . The brochure indicated in the afternoon - but it was after 4 by the time we arrived. Lunch was late - so we weren't really hungry for dinner. Check in was *very* organized. The room is quite compact, so it didn't take long to unpack. We did meet the crew that night - and we were notified about the Safety Drill the next day. We weren't docked long in Giurgiu - we left during dinner to cruise to Russe (pronounced "roo-see") - across the river. We did venture out into the main square after dinner - but really not much to see there.

 

Day 2 - Bulgaria: The excursion today was an all-day affair. The buses left for Veliko Tarnovo and Arbanasi. Veliko Tarnovo was OK - a WR stop and some refreshments. A history of the area provided by our guide - with a stop in the downtown area and an opportunity to visit an old street with some artisans. I did buy a bowl, made in the area surrounding the city. We went to Arbanasi for lunch - and then had a tour of the grounds. It is a restored village.... the church is lovely with ++ painting on the walls inside. A local guide explained the paintings in the church. We met back up with the boat in Nikopol, Bulgaria. We had the Safety Drill before dinner - and set sail just after dinner started. During the Safety drill, it was discovered that my life jacket was missing the whistle. I left it with one of the crew from the front desk, and an "intact" one was in my cabin by the time dinner was over. In the morning, when I went to get my off shore pass - the crew staff member asked me if I found the life jacket .... I was impressed that she remembered me from my room number!!!

 

Day 3 - Bulgaria: We arrived in Vidin around breakfast. The excursion in the morning was to the Belograschick rocks and fortress. Be prepared to climb if you want to see the view from the top. I made it up to the 2nd stage - but didn't tackle the final climb. There is a metal staircase - and those who climbed up said it was worth the view... but my knees and feet just couldn't take it (especially in the heat...). There were a few souvenir tables by the entrance to the fortress - and a number of people bought t-shirts as they were a reasonable price. In the afternoon, the chef took a group of people to the Farmer's market. DH and I walked over there on our own - but did not stay long. It was REALLY hot (over 32C/90F) so I wanted to get back into the air conditioning and top up my fluids. The boat docks very close to the pedestrian area.

Day 4: Cruising: A beautiful day... enjoyed the time to sleep in, have a leisurely breakfast and then sit up top as we traversed 2 locks and then travelled through the beautiful Iron Gates. We signed up to do the tours of the both the wheelhouse and the kitchen - and finished in time to see the Apple Strudel demonstration. There is great seating both on the top deck, and in the Aquavit lounge. The beauty of the Aquavit Lounge is that there are plexiglas panels in the front - so you have some buffering from the wind (making it an ideal place to read, or do a cross word puzzle). There are large awnings that come out over part of this area - so you can sit even if it is raining. Great design!!

 

Day 5 - Croatia: Another leisurely morning - we arrived in Vukovar Croatia before lunch. We did have a Croatian group perform before lunch - and I really enjoyed them. There were 5 young men - playing instruments and singing. Their "coordinator" turned out to be one of the guides for the afternoon excursion to Osijek (pronounced o- zhi- ek). In Osijek, we travelled just outside the city to see a small village. We stopped at a B&B (run by the father of our guide - who was the coordinator of the group from the morning....) saw a small movie about the area, had a glass of Croation wine, and some sausage - and had an opportunity to purchase some liqueurs. We also went to a cathedral - and the gift shop attached took US$/Euros as well as Croation money. They sell "Vegeta" in Croatia (as well as in Hungary) which is a local seasoning mixture. Cheap to buy - so brought some home. Don't know yet how good it is. Sailing time was 9 pm - so, people could have stayed on shore (we were docked fairly close to the downtown) and had dinner if they wished.

 

Day 6 - Hungary: We had a "face check" this am... which resulted in the local police coming on board, and checking every person against their passport. We were warned it would start early, and it did. The first group called up was Aquarium class cabins (ie: 100 series rooms) - and we were called up a little before 7 am. In the afternoon, we went by bus to Kalocsa (pronounced ka-lo-cha) so see a Puszta (horse) show.This was amazing.... There were a couple of people taking pictures of the visitors to the show - and then they were selling them after. There was an opportunity to take a wagon ride after the show (no charge) or to visit the barns. Everyone agreed it was a great day.

 

Day 7 - Disembarkation: We arrived in Budapest this am. Viking has their own berths on the Pest side - close to the Chain Bridge. BUT - the World Jewish Congress was in town - and they shut off some the roads (and boat docks) close to the hotel, so we were docked closer to the Liberty Bridge/Central Market. They offered a walking tour or a bus tour... we opted for the walking tour, and were very glad we did. I did post about this earlier. We were at the Le Meridien (Viking also uses the Hilton on the Buda side) and this was a great location.

 

I think that this is all for now.... I am sure that this will be a VERY long post when I submit and review.

 

I will do a final summation (good, bad, options for improvement) in another post...

 

Hope this helps.

 

Fran

[rjscott]

Thanks, Fran. Great info.

 

Becki

[Cruzin Terri]

Thanks so much for taking the time to post. I enjoyed reading about your adventures. Very nice summary.

Terri

[Sparky333]

Thank you for all of the great information, Fran! I'm really looking forward to our trip in the fall. :)

 

Did you speak to any passengers who had done the extension in Romania? We're staying post-cruise (we go in the opposite direction) and going up into Transylvania. Wonder if anyone mentioned how they liked that.

 

Leslie

[franski]

Thank you for all of the great information, Fran! I'm really looking forward to our trip in the fall. :)

 

Did you speak to any passengers who had done the extension in Romania? We're staying post-cruise (we go in the opposite direction) and going up into Transylvania. Wonder if anyone mentioned how they liked that.

 

Leslie

 

Hi - there were a number of people who did the pre-tour, and seemed to enjoy it (at least they seemed enthusiastic when our CD asked them if they did...). Apparently there was an issue with the air conditioning on one of the buses for people that did an optional during the pre-cruise stay, and the people were informed that they would be credited for 50% of what they paid. I thought this was good, as the bus is not under Viking's control.

 

Fran

[Sparky333]

Re: Transylvania extension

Good to know they said they enjoyed it. Thanks again!

[Osnab]

We stayed in Budapest for 10 days last year in between cruises with APT. We had a lovely boutique hotel about 50 meters from the Central Markets & observed these street hawkers plying their trade to any tourist that walked past trying to seel mobile phones, I pads , knife sets etc etc.

 

 

DO NOT even think of looking at any of their sale items let alone pulling your wallet out to buy any, we saw tourists being fleeced by these Romanian Gypsies with these dud items, the Mobile phones & I pads will only work for about 1/2 hour & have only the minimum components in them to look real, the knife sets do not keep their edge sharpness & will break easily, LET THE BUYER BEWARE.

 

We struck up a friendship with 2 shop traders near our hotel who told us that these Gypsies were very dangerous if a buyer took back any item & demanded a refund for faulty goods. They also mentioned that the gypsy sellers were becoming prolific all over Europe & were a total rip off.

 

Regards , Train Riders in Oz.

 

I can't even imagine purchasing something like a phone or iPad from anyone on the street like that. I am always a little leery of diverting my attention from my money anyway, but you pretty much know you're going to get ripped off when you buy something normally expensive for $10!

[Osnab]

Hi - I think I have finally turned my internal time clock around, so thought I would try to give a synopsis of the cruise... I am going to list by day - and then my impressions - along with any "tips" that might be of help. Hopefully this won't be too long!!

 

 

Fran

 

No such thing. Your posts have been quite informative and very helpful! I'm really enjoying reading them.

 

The only problem thus far is you make me wish I was leaving tomorrow, and I don't leave until the end of Sept!

Felicia

[franski]

Hi everyone -

 

I always find the cruise experience a bit overwhelming with so many new experiences along the way. It is usually not until we are home a week (or so) that I can look back and "analyze" things in greater detail. So - here are some final thoughts.

 

First of all - I do want to say that this was not our 1st river cruise - although it was our first with Viking. I must say, I do not know of another line that elicits such a variety of responses when you say you are booked with them. There are a number of solid Viking cheerleaders, and some that will not consider travelling with them because of the "2 for 1" pricing that never ends... and the fact that they want all of the money up front. I know a couple that travel quite extensively - and their only river cruise was on Viking - and they were very pleased. So - I was very excited to be taking this trip. The itinerary was on my bucket list.

 

Before we even left, we received e-mails from Viking... They were warm and welcoming - telling us that they looked forward to having us sail with them. There were little snippets of info - such as a short video on the itinerary, or a recipe for Hungarian goulash, or a short lesson on some common Hungarian phrases. Although we were (I am sure) just one of a large number of passengers booked with them, these e-mails really made me feel that Viking was glad we chose to travel with them.

 

We booked our own air - so transfers were on our own. However, there were 2 very eager young women at the airport in Bucharest who were more than willing to help us get to our hotel if we hadn't already arranged for our own transfer. And, more helpful people at the hotel when we arrived.

 

The boat: The new longships are beautiful. Sailing on the newest and/or most up-to-date boat is not important for me.... but I was impressed with the Aegir. The staircases were wide, and the rise/run of the steps easy to manage. The staircase down to Aquarium class was as easy to navigate as the one up to the lounge level. And, this is not always the case with other boats (some have curved staircases, or steep steps....) I never felt as if we were descending into "something less" when we went down to our cabin. I appreciated the fact that the railings were wrapped with leather (or something that closely resembled it). The railings were narrow enough that I could grip them easily - and the covering made it comfortable for me.

 

The Aquavit lounge is great. As mentioned in another post (in another thread) the front of the lounge has large plexiglass panels in place, making the lounge area a bit more "protected" while we were sailing. No issues with reading or doing a crossword puzzle. And, the awning extended out quite a bit - offering some protection from the sun and/or rain.

 

The walking track on the top deck was used quite a bit. Some people did comment that there was some noise early in the morning when people were using it - but not sure if they mentioned it to any of the crew, as there was never an announcement (after the 1st day) about time restrictions out of courtesy for the people in the cabins below. The lounge chairs up top were very comfortable - and the awning over them provided a good amount of shade. There were some tables and chairs - and it might have been nice to have a few more tables up top - but there was always the Aquavit lounge. I did enjoy the herb garden up top - nice to see some fresh greenery on board.

 

I did post quite a review about the cabin earlier in this thread - so won't go into that any further... Other than to suggest that perhaps Viking might consider purchasing some battery operated alarm clocks for the rooms.

 

The lounge was lovely. I enjoyed the swiveling of the tub chairs. But - there wasn't enough room for all of the passengers for the port talk each evening. This isn't unique to the Viking Longships - but thought that they might have considered this when they were designing the ships. Some people sat out in the Aquavit Lounge - not sure how well they could here. One option might be to look at attaching audio to the Lounge Cam - so that people could turn on their TV in the cabin and see the port talk from there. On the subject of TVs, the TV system was very temperamental. We did not get all of the channels listed, and I did hear some people comment that their TV did not work at all for part of the trip. Rather annoying for a new boat, I must admit. But - we weren't in our cabin very much - so not an issue for us personally.

 

George (our CM) had some challenges with the projector system in the lounge during lectures. They have 2 screens that descend when they are doing a talk with slides/power point --> but the 2nd projector was very temperamental. There were some great lectures, but not everyone could get into the lounge to attend - and not everyone who attended could see what was on the screens.

 

One thing that Viking did do that was great, was to put some padding on the edge of the hull when you had to step down to board. The area is low - and more that 1 person bumped their head - so they put a red padded mat on the edge to bring your attention to the reduced head room, and protect your head a bit if you missed the warning and bumped into it anyway.

 

Anyway - I think that this will be a long post - so will stop now, and continue on in Part 2....

 

Fran

[franski]

The boat (cont'd) : The dining room... what can I say that hasn't already been commented on by others... The dining room is noisy. This is worst at dinner - and I believe that Viking has added some buffering in the ceiling - but it is still loud. The dining room is large, and there were enough seats for all... But the extra passengers do affect the final noise level. However, I never did feel physically crowded when we were in there (ie: the tables had enough space for the people who were sitting at them....)

 

The air conditioning, as you know if you have been reading this thread, cut out 2 days before we hit Budapest. Until that time, the cooling system worked well. Just as a heads up - the air conditioning cuts off when you open the doors to the balcony/french balcony.

 

Apparently the floors in the bathroom are heated - but I never turned the switch on.

 

The food: Certainly adequate, but not amazing on a consistent basis. The breakfast buffet was great - and the lunch menu (if we ate on board) was quite extensive. Dinner was, IMHO, hit and miss. I had a pork dish with creamy polenta one evening that was AMAZING. On some other nights, the main course was a bit blase. I am surprised, however, at what they can produce given the small area of the kitchen...

 

The wine was free flowing. I am not a connoisseur, but it was drinkable to me. The beer was also widely available - and not just what was on tap. You could have a bottle of anything they kept in the fridge at the bar. There was lots of fresh fruit out at breakfast, and there were always apples by the Concierge's desk. There were *2* coffee/tea stations (one by each doorway into the lounge) that were well stocked - with great mini-muffins and/or cookies at each station.

 

The Crew: They shone... no other way to put it. The only weak link (IMHO) was the Hotel Manager... he was pretty invisible. Everyone else was visible, hard-working and seemed very happy to be there. Our CM - George Siderov - was absolutely top-notch.... Always visible, always taking the time to chat with the passengers. He worked very closely with Radi - the concierge... who was also top-notch. We loved the addition of a concierge to the crew - and Radi was a delight to get to know. One suggestion would be to put a small flag on each staff member's name tag - indicating their home country. Such a diverse crew... it would be nice to know where they came from, without having to ask.

 

The excursions/guides: The excursions on this trip seemed a bit more regimented than what we have experienced on other cruises. There was ALWAYS a bathroom break built in, and usually the opportunity to have some refreshments. Viking did try to stagger the sightseeing (ie: 3 stops, and the buses rotated the order that they visited them) so that all passengers didn't descend on the same place at the same time - but this did result in more of a "cattle herding" mentality at times. Not sure if/how this can be changed... just an observation. There were also lots of "souvenir" stops... yet - limited time at the one place I *really* wanted to shop - the Central Market in Budapest.

 

Viking did a great job at keeping us hydrated. With temperatures in excess of 30C/90F - fluids were very important. There were always bottles of water by the door as you left the boat--> just help yourself on the way out. And, as mentioned above, there was usually a refreshment stop along with the WC stop.

 

WARNING: This is NOT an itinerary for people with mobility issues. Although many areas are flat to walk on, the roadways and walkways are not in great repair. I was constantly looking down to make sure that I didn't trip, or step into a hole. The walkways were better maintained the closer we got to Hungary. Some of our guides were very good at warning us about stairs (ie: if you can't do stairs, you might not want to go into the House of the People in Bucharest...+++ staircases there) - but apparently not all were as diligent --> meaning that some people started on tours that perhaps they should have avoided. But, once you started, you were committed (in most cases).

 

Ok - another long post... will finish up with the next post.

 

Fran

[franski]

Ok - so I may have bored a number of you with the long posts. I apologize for that if that is the case. But - these are my thoughts and observations - and I will finish with one last comment/observation....

 

There has been lots written on these boards about "the best" river cruise, or the "most luxurious", or the best for food etc. How do people choose - especially if they are used to travelling with "x" line that is known for luxury, or excursions, or uniqueness. And, where do each of the lines fit in....

 

My thoughts on Viking are as follows... (Viking - I know you read these boards, so please feel free to step in if I have completely missed the boat here... no pun intended....:D )

 

Viking is not the most luxurious, or all inclusive. I think they are trying to offer a product that is of reasonable quality without costing an arm and a leg. I think Viking does a great job at this. I think their marketing strategy is: If you can get them on a cruise, you can get them hooked. Many people struggle with the apparent cost difference between river cruising and "big ship" cruising. I have had people ask how I can afford to river cruise when it costs so much. I can't tell you the number of times that I discuss included excursions, wine with dinner, small passenger list etc. But, to experience it is better than an anecdotal report.

 

Their new ships are beautiful, and the crew (if the one I travelled with is any indication....) is helpful, and pleasant, and hard working. I am not a fan of the larger number of passengers (this really results in an extra bus full of people....) but this would still seem more intimate if you have not experienced river cruising before.

 

They have a great passenger mix, and this cruise did have a greater number of people that at least *seemed* to be in the same decade of life as DH and I.

 

We had a serious "hiccough" when the air con conked out... and I feel that there could have been more timely communication and greater transparency about this situation. But, Viking did communicate with us immediately upon our return, offered us a travel credit if we choose to use it - and made someone in their Customer Service department available if we wished to speak with someone over the phone. I did call, and was able to speak with Meredith... who seemed very lovely.

 

Was I happy that the AC broke? Not at all... Was this Viking's fault? No. Was the offer of a travel credit with them fair? I think it was... although there will be many who will disagree with me on this.

 

Is Viking a luxury line? No, but I do believe they offer good value for money. And I do think they are trying hard to be competitive in a highly competitive market.

 

Would I travel with them again? If I could find an itinerary that interests me, with the date/price that works for me.

 

In spite of the AC issue, we had a great trip. We met (once again) some wonderful people - and are thankful for the days that the AC did work. AND, we are VERY thankful that the weather was hot enough that we actually needed the AC!!! We wouldn't have needed it if it was cold or rainy....I would take hot/sunny/no AC over cold/damp/working AC any day.

 

Again - sorry for the long post. Hope some have found this interesting and/or helpful. If you have questions - please ask away!!

 

Fran

[bobalink]

Love the detailed information in your review. Thanks for sharing, it is very helpful!

[cruisingmad]

Fran, thanks for your detailed and informative reviews. I'll be following a similar itinerary in a couple of weeks on a cruise with AMA, so I appreciate your comments and observations on the various towns and excursions.

 

Thanks again for taking the time,

 

 

Sergio

[Familygoboston]

Never boring!!! As a matter of fact I was a little disappointed that they were labeled "final" thoughts;)

Thanks for sharing your review, it's very helpful to newbies like me!!

[Sparky333]

Fran, no such thing as a post that is too long as far as I'm concerned! Thank you so much for the detailed, helpful comments.

 

I've only been on one river cruise - Viking's Yangtze. I'll be interested to see how it compares to be with them in Europe and also am looking forward to experiencing a new longship (ours in China was rather old but still we loved it).

 

Your posts have really whetted my appetite and I'm counting the days until we depart in October. Thanks again!

[SeaTheWorldBySea]

Never boring!!! As a matter of fact I was a little disappointed that they were labeled "final" thoughts;)

Thanks for sharing your review, it's very helpful to newbies like me!!

 

DITTO! Thank you Fran for allowing us to travel along. Even though we will be doing a different itinerary, I enjoyed traveling along with yours. All of your observations and thoughts about Viking are also appreciated. We look forward to our cruise in the aquarium.