Viking Grand European Rivers 6/25/06

[Venturagirl]

Viking passed out a sheet containing information about the River Main and the 34 locks we would be going through. The sheet gave the name of the lock, its depth in meters and feet and the kilometer marker number. When we went to the sun deck after lunch we saw that the crew had taken down all the chaise lounge chairs and fencing from the upper deck and had lowered the roof behind the wheelhouse on the lower level. From that point on, until we hit the Danube, we were not allowed on the upper sundeck. There was still plenty of seating on the lower sundeck, as well as benches on the outdoor portions of the deck below. Our progress through the locks was of interest to everyone, so most spent the afternoon watching the captain navigate through locks with barely inches between the sides of our boat and the lock walls. We would eventually go through 34 locks on the Main. The ship is clearly built to be just wide enough to go through the locks. The captain comes out of the wheelhouse when approaching one and navigates from a position at the rail. Sometimes another small craft or a barge came into the lock behind us. It is very dark, because the walls are high above the ship if we are to be raised up. Finally the gates behind the last craft are closed and water begins rushing into the lock and lifts the ship between 8 and 24 feet, depending on the lock on the Main. Some of the Main-Danube Canal locks were enormous -- 80 feet high. You felt like you were in a big wet sarcophagous at the beginning of those. Then the gates open in front of us and we sail out. It is really something to see. Altogether, the ship went through 68 locks during the two weeks. At night going through the locks occasionally would wake us up because we were at the front of the ship and could hear the bow thrusters. We must have become used to the sound, however, as after the second night I don't remember waking again.

 

Between 3:30 - 4:15 pm tea, coffee and cakes were offered in the lounge. Don't be late! When they say a meal or food offering ends at a certain time, the food is picked up and taken away exactly at that time. Stragglers are out of luck.

 

The afternoon of lock-watching was followed by the cocktail hour from 5:00 - 6:45 pm, the daily briefing at 6:45 and dinner at 7:00. At 9:00 the evening's entertainment was a game of Liar's Club in the lounge where the passengers called the bluff of the participating crew members. After the game, Jerry played his soft music.

 

On Friday the ship arrived in Wertheim at 8:00 am. We were again docked right in front of the town, which could be seen across a busy street. We were warned to not cross the street but instead to use an underground garage beneath the street when walking to town. The guides for our walking tour arrived shortly before 9:00 am and we were again counted off into 4 groups as we left the ship. Wertheim is charming and our guide was wonderful, introducing us to various town residents as we passed them and telling charming stories for our one hour tour. The town glassblower has a deal with Viking and was going to sail with us in the afternoon, so he offered clean restrooms, free soft drinks and internet access to passengers after the tour, which is where most people went. I browsed the glass shop while DH checked email and then we walked up the steep roads and stairways to the castle ruin above the town. We spent the rest of our 1 1/2 hours of free time up at the castle, even climbing the highest tower. It takes only 15 minutes to walk back to the ship from the castle if you walk fast, and we were back at exactly 11:30. At noon, the ship set sail.

 

After lunch, Karl Uttig, the glassblower, began setting up his demonstration and his wares in the lounge. He offers many beautiful and interesting things, and the ladies pounced. They were buying up so much of his wares that he was running late getting set up, so he gave each one a bag to put their choices in so they could pay him and settle up after the demo. At 2:00 the demo began. I have seen lots of glassblowers but he was by far the most interesting and informative, as he has made glass for scientific as well as artistic purposes. His personal story is interesting, too. I won't spoil it by giving details, but suggest you go even if you won't buy anything. One hint -- if you volunteer to help with his demonstration, you will get to blow a christmas tree ornament that you can take home with you. It was also fun watching him get off the ship with all of his equipment at one of the locks. He had to be quick to jump off just as the deck was even with the pathway by the lock.

 

One of the soccer games with Germany playing was on, so the crew put down a big screen in the lounge and we watched the game until dinner. After dinner Annabell entertained us with a German lesson at 9:00 followed by Jerry's soft music.

[BJS]

Venturagirl another wonderful post! DH and I look forward to each of your posts!

 

I have already volunteered DH to help Karl with his glassblowing demo. :D

[Venturagirl]

There had been some discussion on this board between me and Steamboats about why the Pride was stopping at Gerlachshausen or Volkach rather than in Wurzburg for our day in Wurzburg and Rothenburg. Steamboats concluded it was because of time -- to get the ship to its next destination more quickly since the Main River winds its way around the countryside quite a bit. I think that was indeed the case, as well as avoiding all traffic during the boarding process.

 

At abut 7:15 am the ship went through a lock called Gerlachshausen and immediately stopped in the canal following the the lock. There was nothing around in that area -- no town and nothing to see, except bushes and a small road beside the lock canal. So, it was easy for the three buses to pull up beside the ship and for us all to load onto the buses by 8:30 to begin our day trip. While we were touring, the Pride sailed to Schweinfurt, another lock about 35 km away. Anyone who opted to stay onboard rather than go on an all-day tour was asked to sign up with reception so that lunch could be provided for them.

 

The buses drove through Wurzberg up to the Bishop's Residenz, which we toured with our guide. At the end of the inside tour, we had about 30 minutes to see the gift shop or walk in the beautiful garden. I saw three wedding parties in various parts of the garden -- it really was beautiful. We met up with our guide again who walked us off the property and to the buses waiting on a side street. To our surprise, there was a huge parade being readied for a Saint's Day celebration, and local marching bands, adult and children's groups, all in costume, were lining up and practicing along the road where our buses were waiting. There were horse drawn beer and wine wagons, and all sorts of colorful groups to see. Needless to say we all lingered among them, taking pictures and enjoying their obvious excitement at getting ready for their big parade.

 

The bus took us out of Wruzburg and through a very scenic route, including part of the Romantic Road, to Rothenburg. The route wasn't quick -- we were on the bus for an hour and a half or more -- but it wound through picturesque towns and scenic countryside and was really worth the time, I thought. However, if you are prone to motion sickness, you might want to sit toward the front of the bus and keep a window open. It seemed like each bus had at least one person on it who didn't enjoy the windy road trip.

 

We got off the buses just outside the city wall of Rothenburg and walked in with our guides to a restaurant for a sausage, sauerkraut and mashed potato lunch with cream pudding topped by raspberry jam for lunch. After lunch, each guide took his/her group on a short walking tour - maybe 20 minutes - which ended at the market square. We were then on our own for the rest of the afternoon, armed with maps and directions, if we wanted them, from our guide or Annabell and Anna who were there, too. We did our internet cafe thing, and then walked through several streets to enjoy the architecture. We had one of the town pastries -- snowballen -- which are everywhere, and are very dry, so be sure to order a drink with them. Then we spent an hour in the Museum of Torture. I had been to Rothenburg before, in 2001, and this was the place I had not seen, so I was glad to be able to spend some time there. After that, we wandered around some more, did a little shopping for the grandkids, and met up with our group back at the main square at 4:00. We walked to the buses and had an hour ride back to the ship just past the Schweinfurt lock via the autobahn. The Pride set sail for Nuremberg at 5:30. There was no special entertainment that night, other than Jerry's soft music, but at 9:30 pm the movie channel began showing Judgement at Nuremberg, which I highly recommend watching as it has some wonderful shots of Spencer Tracy seeing the Nuremberg sights you will see yourself the following day.

[Venturagirl]

On Sunday we slept in until about 8 because we had no morning stop and breakfast was scheduled to be served until 9:00 am. At 10:00 Annabell gave an information briefing about the tours for Vienna and Budapest in the Lounge. So, I will take this opportunity to list the optional tours.

 

There was one optional excursion going out this day in Nuremburg, and people had been given a written description and a sign-up sheet earlier in the week. It was a tour focusing on World War II in Nuremberg costing 41 euros per person and would replace the included tour for anyone who signed up. Where the included tour would begin at 12:45 and return at 4:30, the optional one would begin at 12:30 and end at 5:00. While the included tour takes you by bus past and around the buildings of the **** Party Rally Grounds, the optional tour takes you for an inside visit to the Documentation Centre. Both tours take you to the Zeppelinfield and the parade road, where you can get out to take pictures. Both tours take you to the Palace of Justice where the Nuremberg Trials took place, but the included tour is just a photo stop outside and the optional tour is an extended visit inside the courtroom. The optional tour takes you on a ride through Nuremberg on the way to the Kaiserberg offering a “marvelous view over the old town. The view reveals details referring to the so-called understanding of the ‘First & Third Reich’.” The included tour spent much more time on a walking tour of the castle and the medieval city of Nuremberg, while the optional tour spent less time there. We didn’t sign up for the optional tour, and although the few I talked to who took the optional tour enjoyed it, I didn’t get any more details about their tour than I have given here.

 

In Vienna, two included tours were offered that would take place at the same time, from 9:00 – 12:30, so we were asked to sign up for which one we wanted in the next day couple of days. Both would cover the same ground by bus to show the main sights in Vienna, both would include a walking tour of the St. Stephanplatz and the nearby Mozart House, but one would end at the Albertina for an inside visit to the special Mozart exhibit going on there and the other would end at the Belvedere for an inside tour of that museum. After both you could return to the ship for lunch by the tour bus or stay in Vienna for an afternoon on your own and get back to the ship yourself. Then from 2:00 – 5:00 an optional excursion with a guide to the Schonbrunn Palace at 39 euro per passenger was offered. From 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm another optional excursion to a Mozart and Strauss Concert at a palace where Mozart performed once as a child was offered at 49 euros per person.

 

In Budapest, an included tour of the city would be given in the morning. In the afternoon from 2:00 – 5:30 pm an optional excursion to a Hungarian Horse show was offered costing 39 euros per person. It is described as a tour to discover the heritage of the legendary Hungarian cowboys. “You’ll be greeted by these fearless horsemen and enjoy local snacks and Hungarian schnapps. Then you’ll be treated to an exhibition of the horsemanship of these young riders who control their horses only with bridles (without bits) and the cracking of six-foot whips that never touch the animals. They use no saddles or stirrups – the horse and rider are as one in a display based on trust between the two. You’ll be able to visit the stables or try a carriage ride.”

 

Also in the afternoon a “complementary” excursion to a diamond factory in the nearby town of Szentendre was offered by the diamond factory. There you would see the charming town as you were driven through it, but most of your time would be spent at the diamond factory, which of course is hoping you will buy some jewelry. I noticed a few people went on that tour, but I never did ask them how they liked it. There was no cost associated with this excursion.

 

The optional excursions could be added to your room charges and paid at the end of the cruise. At least 20 passengers had to sign up for the various excursions in order for them to be run. Interestingly, only 15 signed up for the included tour ending at the Belvedere, so that one was not given; Annabell announced that fact the night before we got to Vienna, and she was ready with directions to the Belvedere if anyone wanted to go there on their own. All the other tours had enough passengers and were given.

 

We signed up for the included tour ending at the Albertina and the optional tour to the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna.

[Venturagirl]

I'm going to have to speed up this report if I am ever going to finish it.

 

At 11:00 am, we arrived in Nuremberg, and lunch also began at 11:00 am so we could begin our tours at 12:30 and 12:45. We loaded onto the buses for the included tour 15 minutes after the bus for the optional tour departed. The tour of the WWII sites were fascinating, and we did stop twice as planned for the photo ops mentioned in the last post. Then the bus toured the outside of the Nuremberg city walls, and then entered them, gave us a quick tour of the main streets and let us off near the castle. We spent a good amount of the time at the castle and then were guided through the town to the main square where the tour ended. Because it was Sunday, most shops were closed, but cafes were open as were the museums. Some went to the toy museum, but DH and I opted to eat -- as if we had not had enough food on the cruise already! At any event, we had cappucino at a cafe in the pedestrian area and then went to a stand in the central square and tried the famous Nurnberger Rostbratwurste, tiny grilled sausages inside a roll with mustard, that were without question the best sausages we had the whole trip. We finished up at a bakery where we bought gingerbread and pfeffernesse that we took back to the ship and ate during the following days. I loved Nuremberg. It is one of the places I would like to return to for an extended stay. It is charming and yet big enough that there are many museums and sites to see. And besides, the sausages were terrific!

 

By 4:30 we were back on the ship which sailed around 5:30. The evening entertainment was Bingo in the Lounge at 9:00, but most of us were up on deck watching us go through the three deepest locks on the Main-Danube Canal. Three in a row were 80.9 feet deep, so when we sailed into them, the walls stretched up high above us, giving the feeling of a huge tomb. The water had to pour in at a great rate for the lock to fill up until we were at a high enough level to sail on. We went through 16 locks on the 106 miles of the Main-Danube Canal.

 

On Monday we were scheduled to arrive in Regensberg at 1:00 pm, but the ship made such good time through the locks during the night that we arrived at 9:00 am during breakfast. Since the excursion was not scheduled until 2:00 pm, and we were docked right in the middle of town, most left the ship and wandered around the town on their own. We did, too, looking first, of course, for an internet cafe, and then enjoying the narrow cobblestone streets, the many small squares with different markets setting up for the day, the cathedral of St. Peter and the 12th Century Stone Bridge. By 11:30 we had seen most of the town and found the "oldest restaurant" and sausage kitchen by the bridge, so we stayed there for lunch and ordered plates of 6 sausages each with sauerkraut and sweet mustard and beer. We thought the sauerkraut and mustard were the best but that the Nuremberg sausages still had the edge. Anyway, it was fun to sit outside and eat our sausage and watch the tourists and school children who were beginning to fill up the town. After our lunch we went back to the ship, where DH was done with touring the town so opted out of the afternoon walking tour. I went on the tour anyway, just to see what we had missed by not having any commentary, and noticed that quite a few of the passengers were without their partners. There isn't a lot to see in Regensberg, so the tour was only about an hour, with a half-hour on your own, from 2:00 - 3:30. After the inside tour of the cathedral, I walked back to the ship and relaxed with DH who had taken a long nap. The ship set sail at 7:00.

 

After dinner we were entertained by a man named Hans who was crazy and a lot of fun. He pretended to speak only German and yet got the audience involved in his performance by doing silly dances and playing silly instruments. He himself played Bavarian music on the accordian, on woodwinds and ended with a really beautiful clarinet piece. It was a very entertaining show, and everyone loved it.

[pacmom]

Your reports are soooooooogood! I can see (in my mind) all those wonderful places and experiences again thru your words. Thanks Pat

[travelsfun]

Hi Venturagirl...We just returned from a similar trip with GCT Amsterdam to Vienna. It looks like we all did pretty much the same things. Had to laugh at your remarks about Hans, the German entertainer...we had him too and all agreed he really could speak English and just didn't to add to the fun. Also, we went to Karl's glass blowing studios to watch him and, again, agreed he was the best we had seen. His shop is right next door to his studio and was very busy after the demonstration! It was a great trip...tho pretty hot for all the walking tours, especially for all the senior citizens in the group (us included). Thanks for your report.

Dorothy

[Venturagirl]

Pat, Thanks! I'm hoping to get the same feeling when later travelers report on their trips!

 

Travelsfun, I am interested in how GCT compares to Viking and other companies, since their prices are always so much lower. All the negative things about their customer service when things don't go right have kept me away, but I've also wondered how they can offer a similar product at such discounted prices. Any thoughts you might have on the differences between our trips would be welcome! Did you buy anything from Karl? I bought 3 ornaments and a necklace -- a pink cross made by his daughter-in-law that people commented on the whole rest of the trip whenever I wore it.

[Venturagirl]

On Tuesday, the Fourth of July, we arrived in Passau at 7:00 am. We were docked once again close to the city center, and some went out early to check things out. There were river boats docked everywhere, as this city on the Danube is a very popular stop. We stayed onboard in the morning and had a leisurely breakfast before the walking tour which began at 10:00 am. The tour took us through the town, into St. Stephen's Church for an extended visit and then down to the Inn River, I think. Maybe it was the Ilz -- I didn't make a notation. Anyway, the town was interesting architecturally, but steep in parts, with stairs and alleyways that lead to the river, so we had some members who dropped out of the tour before it ended and met us back at the church for the concert. This reminds me that in the daily briefing Annabell always described any parts of the upcoming tour that required walking up lots of stairs or steep hills, so that those who had trouble walking would know how much they could do and where they should stop.

 

There was no free time in Passau. The walking tour ended at 11:30 am at the steps of St. Stephen's Cathedral. Annabell met us there and gave each person their ticket for the pipe organ concert, and we went in and sat down, trying to get into the central section as recommended by the guide. The concert did not begin until noon, but even by 11:30 the cathedral was filled with people waiting for the concert. We had been warned to bring a jacket, as it would be cold inside for the hour we would sit, but it was so unseasonably warm outside, we didn't need jackets. The concert began with an explanation about the Cathedral in German, followed by a few sentences in English, and then the sounds of the pipe organ which played three long pieces. I enjoyed the more tradtional pieces, and not as much the last piece, which was variations on "Praise to the Lod, the Almighty, the King of Creation" in a more modern, discordant style. Still, the sound was all around you and very stirring in that beautiful baroque church.

 

After the concert we were instructed to walk directly back to the ship which left Passau at 1:30 pm.

[Venturagirl]

While we were in Passau the crew had decorated the restaurant and lounge for 4th of July with flags and banners and steamers. The wait staff was also dressed in red, white and blue. They served hot dogs for lunch as one of the buffet hot items and had a special cake displayed during dinner and served along with dessert.

 

At 3:30 we were invited to the lounge for a "Wiener Kaffeehaus". They served coffee and the pastry chef showed us how to make an Austrian Applestrudel, which was served with vanilla sauce after the demo.

 

We docked in Linz beside a park at 7:00 pm. The buildings in the park and along the river walk were very modern, which was a nice change from all the medieval buildings we had been seeing. We left the ship after dinner and followed written directions into the heart of the old town, about a 10 minute walk. We found the street where Mozart stayed once for 2 weeks but couldn't find the exact house. No matter, everything was closed along that street, so we walked back to the main street where there were cafes and lots of young people out for the night walking and window shopping. It was very busy, with electric streetcars running down the center, and was a combination of modern stores like Hugo Boss and Sworoski Crystal in renaissance style buildings. We had deliberately skipped dessert at dinner, and after walking a ways we stopped at a small cafe and had a Linz torte at an outside table with coffee and water. We were disappointed in the dry taste of the torte, but enjoyed watching the streetlife parade before us. The only adults we saw out for the nightlife in Linz were clearly tourists. Everyone else appeared to be high school and college students. I saw one older man having coffee and 2 business people walking quickly by, but no children, no families, no 20 or 30 somethings on dates. Very strange. After 1 1/2 hours or so, we walked back to the ship and watched the soccer game that was on in the lounge until Italy won its way over Germany and into the Finals.

[BJS]

Our Viking cruise has a full day trip to Munich with lunch included for the day we dock in Passau. Thank you for the details. I'd wondered exactly what we'd miss in Passau and it sounds like that except for hearing the organ concert we will not be missing much.

 

Linz is not mentioned on the itinerary so will have to see when we get the more detailed information just prior to us leaving.

 

..

[Venturagirl]

Oh, I think I'd definitely opt for a full day in Munich over Passau. Passau was much like the other German towns we toured, so other than the organ music, you won't miss much. Anyway, I stumbled into a pipe organ concert in a tiny church in Vienna the night we were there -- don't even know what little church it was -- and found the sound just as stirring.

[travelsfun]

Venturagirl...This was the 4th trip we had taken with Grand Circle and have had no problems. There were about 25 "Inner Circle" members aboard (meaning at least 4 trips with GCT) which I think speaks to the question of service, etc. I, too, have read the negative comments on this board but have not seen or heard of any problems myself. As to price, we had 6 optional tours on the trip: Marksburg Castle, Rudesheim dinner outing, Heidelberg (full day), Rothenberg, Weltenburg Monestary & Danube Gorge and Musical Vienna. I don't know if Viking included these or not. The food and the service on the ship were excellent. We did not buy anything from Karl but his things were lovely. If you have any further questions, fire away!

Dorothy

[Twice_a_year]

After waiting these many months for our first river cruise, I must say that your accounts have further whetted our appetite. I just hope that you are getting as much pleasure out of reliving this trip in doing your writings as those of us who are still awaiting our adventure are relishing in your commentary. Keep it up.

 

Thanks,

[Venturagirl]

Thanks, Twice a Year. It is fun to go back over the trip. I'm looking forward to your report in September, too!

 

On Wednesday morning passengers played a sock game, guessing what the cruise staff had hidden in 12 socks tied to the railings along the library. Prizes would be given out to those who guessed the most correctly that evening.

 

At 11:00 am, an hour earlier than scheduled, we arrived in Melk at a location about a 10 minute walk from town. It was beginning to get warm, and cottonwood seeds were blowing everywhere, but we walked along the river, down a long path through cottonwood trees and over a bridge into town. Melk is comprised of 2 main shopping streets, cobblestoned and narrow, of course, and we found a general store and bought some sundries and a pair of sunglasses since I had stepped on mine the day before. Then we found an internet store and a little deli for lunch, where we sat at an outdoor table with our sandwiches and waved to our fellow passengers as they passed by. After lunch we went back to the ship and at 2:00 pm took the tour of the Melk Abbey, which was really a beautiful and fascinating place. Viking provides buses to take passengers up to the abbey, not because there is a city tour, but because the abbey is perched high on a hill and would not be a comfortable walk. Even with the buses there were some stairs to climb and a short uphill walk, so the few passengers who didn't think they could manage even that were offered a minivan ride that got them closer to the beginning of the abbey tour. After the abbey tour, passengers could either walk down to town or return to the ship on the buses. It was very hot by this time, and since we had already seen the town, we opted to return to the ship at 3:30.

 

The ship left Melk at 5:00 pm and arrived in Durnstein at 6:00 pm. After dinner, we walked the short distance along the river to Durnstein, which is a REALLY tiny town below the ruins of the castle where Richard the Lion Hearted had been imprisoned. We were disappointed that every store in the tiny main street was closed and only the hotel restaurant was open. Since we weren't hungry, we walked as far as we could -- about 10 minutes total -- several time ending in dead end streets, and then strolled back down to the river. We walked along a river path away from the ship, rounded a corner and looked up to see the church on the bluff above us, which was striking because of its blue steeple offset by white statues and decoration. The clock tower began to chime the 9:00 pm hour, and we turned back to the river to see the sun setting behind the mountains turning the green Danube gold. It was a beautiful moment, and we walked back to the ship very glad we had not been inside some shop or building but had been outside to enjoy such a lovely sight.

 

We got back to the ship in time to enjoy the crew show, which started out with a serious musical performance by our second captain followed by a series of silly sketches by some of the crew, notably the Head Chef who turned out to have quite a flair for the ridiculous. It was a fun evening that capped off a great day.

[Venturagirl]

The ship left Durnstein at 10:00 on Wednesday and arrived in Vienna on Thursday at 6:00 am. I went up to the Sun Deck to see in person the area I had been looking at via webcam for so many months. Surprise -- what had looked like an eye painted on one of the tall buildings wasn't an eye at all, but a blue oval with the letters PV in white with a white border. Otherwise, everything looked the same only bigger. The river boats in this area are generally stacked 3 abreast, and we were between a Costa ship and the Viking Europe. There were at least 12 ships docked in that area.

 

After breakfast the "Mozart City Tour" began by bus at 9:00 am. It was a bus ride around the ring and through the streets of old Vienna, ending near Stephanplatz, where we left the bus, walked to the Cathedral, went inside without the guide and then walked to the courtyard of the Mozart House where he lived and performed for a few months prior to deciding to move permanently to Vienna. One peeks through a large open window to see a room where 20 people might be able to sit on chairs facing a small area with 2 music stands and a piano. We then walked to a square that commemorates no more socialism and across a busy street to the Albertina for a guided tour of the Mozart exhibit. Afterward we had about an hour of free time in which you could stay at the Albertina to see the permanent modern art exhibits or walk around the area. DH didn't want to stay, so we walked back toward Stephanplatz, stumbled across a Starbucks (somehow that doesn't seem right in Vienna) and had a Frapaccino, which was refreshing because the weather was HOT. Then we walked, noticing that some of our fellow passengers were at cafes opting to stay in Vienna for lunch. The bus left for the ship at 12:00, and we had lunch on the ship at 12:30 pm. Our optional excursion to Schonbrunn Palace was scheduled for 2:00 pm, but DH's phone began to ring at 1:00 pm with a crisis at work that he needed to be available to handle that afternoon. Annabell generously said he could opt out of the tour without charge, so I went without him -- and had a very nice time. We had left Germany's soccer fever behind, but now we found that the entire front grounds of the Schonbrunn was taken up by a huge stage with an elaborate Greek facade, two jumbo-trons, thousands of chairs, lighting grids and power generation trucks, hundreds of road crew workers and musicians wearing breeches, red coats and wigs. Signs along the temporary fencing that kept us out announced a two day concert beginning that night with violinist Andres Reiu. We were led on an inside tour of the Palace by our guide for about an hour, and then we had another hour on our own to wander the gardens, which are immense and clearly being used by Vienna residents as a public park, before heading back to the ship on the bus.

 

The daily briefing was early, at 5:45 pm, so that those passengers going to the optional Mozart concert could eat dinner at 6:00 and leave by 7:00. Those who were going really dressed up and looked quite glamorous, which was nice to see since people rarely dress for the theatre in Los Angeles any more. We had decided not to go as I had attended a similar event in 2001 while touring eastern Europe with my daughter and son-in-law. For those who weren't going to the concert, dinner was scheduled to begin at 7:15. However, DH and I decided to have dinner in Vienna instead, so we walked down the river, over the bridge to the subway station following Viking's written instructions and took the U-Bahn four stops to Stephanplatz. Just like Steamboats had promised in her posts, the subway system and its ticket machines were very easy to use. The machines have instructions in English. You select 1 trip within Vienna, the screen flashes 1.50 euro and you drop in the coins. You walk up to the subway entrance and slip your ticket into the slot to get it punched with date and time, and then walk through the open entrance onto the track. You must hold onto your ticket in case a monitor comes by to check, but we didn't encounter monitors on either trip. I gather the fine is high if you try to use the system without buying a ticket, but you could easily walk onto a train without a ticket.

 

We spent an hour or so walking the pedestrian area at Stephanplatz, enjoying the crowds and the lovely warm evening. We finally turned down a side alley and came upon a small restaurant that had roasted chicken on their menu. We had had so much food with sauces on the ship, we were craving a simple meal with roasted or grilled chicken and veggies, and that's what we found. Unfortunately, I didn't even notice the name of the place, but we had a nice table outside and watched nearby merchants closing their shops and then walking a door away to enter thier apartments. We live in a place where work is an hour drive away!

 

Since we hadn't had a typical Viennese meal, I was determined to have a Viennese dessert, so we set off toward the Hofburg to find Cafe Demel, where I had eaten on my previous trip. But when we got there, it was closed! How could it be closed! It was only a little after 9:00 pm. That was a disappointment. We walked some more both within and outside of the pedestrian area and did not find any pastry cafes open at that hour. Back on the pedestrian area, I stumbled across a little church where I could hear a pipe organ playing. DH was back on the phone again managing his work crisis, so I went in and enjoyed the music with about 10 other people. Then we walked some more, had some ice cream -- everyone walking seemed to have an ice cream cone in hand -- and took the subway back to the ship, getting back by 11:00.

[Venturagirl]

At 3:00 am the ship left Vienna and at 7:00 docked in Bratislava, Slovakia. The docking area was very unattractive, as we were in front of an official building where our passports might be screened, and across the street the buildings were gray and tired looking. They reminded me of the communist style buildings of the former East Berlin.

 

Viking had two times scheduled for the excursion -- groups 2 and 3 were to leave at 8:00 am and group 1, ours, was to leave at 8:20. We were instructed to pick up our passports before leaving the ship, as we were required to pass through the official passport control building and we MIGHT have to show them. However, it turned out there was nobody in the building at that early hour, so we all just walked through it and over to a waiting mini-train. Our city guide met us on the train, which unloaded a few minutes later in a central square where our walking tour began. I found Bratislava to be more charming than I initially thought, even whimsical in parts, especially in its statuary. Our guide was excellent at story-telling, which was important as frankly there aren't many exciting sights in Bratislava.

 

The tour ended a block away from a picturesque square, surrounded by foreign embassies and cafes, and we returned there for some coffee and pastry. Our guide had told a story about the local red wines, which were purported to have healed Queen Maria Teresa of ailments that no other treatments had cured. Bratislavan wine is not exported because they drink everything they make, so wanting to be as healthy as Maria Teresa, we went off in search of the local wine. We walked through the square in front of the town hall and found it filled by black limos and Secret Service types. We heard later that a dignitary from a nearby country was inside. Up another block we found a wine shop where some passengers from our ship had just completed their wine purchase. We were warned that we could use Euros to purchase the wine but that change would be given in Slovakian koruna. We hadn't planned to buy anything in Bratislava, and we hadn't sought out an ATM for such a short morning visit. We had been able to charge our refreshments on our credit card. But we were determined to get our wine, so we told the shopkeeper we wanted to spend approximately 10 euros and he found us two bottles of wine that came close. So now we had 70 koruna and a half-hour before it was time to be back on the ship. I remembered seeing some craft booths at the square by the embassies, so we went back there to see what we could find for that amount. Not much! Many of the crafts were charming and seemed well-priced, but 70 koruna is pocket change. I finally found a little doll made out of straw dressed in a peasant costume and holding a broom that I thought might make a cute Christmas tree ornament so bought that and then hustled back to the ship. Again, we had to walk through the passport control building, but even though there seemed to be more workers in the offices and in the souvenier stands we were not asked for our passports. We had spent a total of 3 hours in Bratislava.

 

At noon our ship left Bratislava. At 2:00 pm Annabell held our daily briefing and our disembarkation briefing in preparation for Sunday. Annabell had a list of all the passengers who had purchased Viking transfers and their flight or land arrangements, so she handed out a chart listing cabin numbers, their flight numbers or hotels destinations, the time they should have luggage outside their doors, and the time they would depart from the ship. Each group was assigned a different color of ribbon to attach to their luggage. The first group would depart at 5:00 am, and their luggage had to be outside their cabin door at 4:30 am. The second group would depart at 6:30 am, and their luggage had to be outside their cabin door at 6:00 am. And so on, the list went. The last departure was scheduled for 11:30 am, but the luggage had to be out no later than 9:00 am so the housekeeping staff could begin preparing the rooms for passengers that would board that afternoon. Those of us who needed taxis could sign up at the reception desk and Viking would arrange for the taxis to come at whatever time we requested; we didn't have ribbons for our luggage, but the luggage also had to be outside our cabin door by 9:00 am. All luggage would be carried off the ship by the crew and placed in the appropriate waiting vehicle.

 

We would receive draft invoices for our onship purchases that evening (Friday) so we had time to review them and clear up any problems. The reception desk would be open from 4:30 am to 9:00 am on Sunday morning for us to settle our accounts before departure. Tips of 10 euro per day per passenger were recommended and they could either be left in cash in an envelope at the reception desk or charged to the ship bill. Annabell stressed that tips were pooled among the entire ship staff, including some for those people we never saw, like the kitchen staff. She said we could additionally tip specific staff directly, if we wanted to, but the way she said it gave the clear impression they prefer to have just the one tip to share.

 

An early bird breakfast would be offered from 4:00 - 6:00 am in the lounge, and breakfast in the restaurant would be held from 6:00 - 9:00 am. We found the departure to be organized well and it ran like clockwork.

[Venturagirl]

The disembarkation briefing was followed by teatime from 3:30 - 4:15, then everyone dressed for the Farewell Dinner. Cocktail Hour was well attended that evening, and at 6:30 the Captain and Hotel Manager made little speeches and everyone participated in a Farewell toast. Annabell explained that all the farewell formalities were occuring on Friday rather than Saturday evening because passengers sometimes choose to eat off the ship in Budpest.

 

A special dinner was prepared -- a surf and turf entree of filet and prawns -- without the usual choices between entrees. It was very good; even DH liked it. After dinner everyone got a sweater or jacket and settled up on the Sun Deck to wait for our arrival into Budapest, which was promised to be spectacular. And it was.

 

Close to 10:00 pm we saw a lighted sky around the bend and heard rowdy music and laughter from restaurants along the shore. Within 10 minutes, we were sailing past the lighted buildings of Budapest accompanied by commentary from Annabell. It was indeed a sight I will long remember. Budapest at night as seen from the river is truly breathtaking.

 

Annabell had explained that we would dock by the customs building where customs officials would board the ship. The officials would review the passports of all passengers and might decide to, as she put it, see the faces that matched the passports. Therefore, we were asked to stay on the Sun Deck or in the Lounge, stay clear of the reception and library areas where the officials would be working, and stand ready in case our names were called. She warned us that this process might take up to 2 hours. Only after customs had cleared the ship could passengers get ready for bed while the ship moved to the dock of the Harbor Master who would direct it to its docking place. Luckily for us, the officials were not in the mood to see our faces. At 11:00 we were told that customs would clear the ship if all passengers would vacate the Sun Deck and retire to either the Lounge or their rooms. That was fine with us. As we went to bed, the Pride was moving toward our final dock of the trip.

[Venturagirl]

When we awoke on Saturday we found that we were docked just south of the Freedom Bridge (Szabadsag hid). We went up to the Sun Deck to survey the city, and then down to breakfast. At 9:00 am our city bus tour began, and we were once again in buses according to our badge numbers. The tour took us through the wonderful boulevards on the Pest side first, and the highlight was supposed to be a stop at Hero's Square. As we approached the square, the bus was waved away by police, and our guide jumped out to see what was happening and where we could park. When she reboarded she said that the square was being used for a military parade that morning. but if we didn't mind walking she and the driver would get us to the edge of the square. The bus driver parked a few blocks away and we walked as a group over to the square. It was completely roped off and people were standing outside the ropes listening to speeches by dignitaries on a platform in the center of the square. Just as our guide began to point to and explain about the various monuments in the square, a rifle salute was fired and a military band began its march into the square followed by a military parade. The guide couldn't compete, and she chuckled as we all raced away with our cameras to catch the band members as they marched around the square, passed by us very close to the ropes and then finished their piece as they surrounded the platform. Following them, closely, was the military in full uniform carrying weapons. Watching them was much more fun than hearing about the monuments, especially for me as I had been at Hero's Square in 2001.

 

When the speeches began again, we walked back to our bus and continued our tour to the Buda side. There many passengers were disappointed because the tour walked us through the castle area and up to Fisherman's Bastian, but did not include an inside visit to the palace or the Matthias Church. Instead, the guide pointed out the various buildings and gave us an hour to wander around on our own before getting back to the bus for the ride back to the ship. I had already seen the sites on Castle Hill and by this point in the trip DH was "castle and cathedraled out" as he called it, plus it was VERY VERY hot up there. So we found a nice table with a view of the River and Pest at the arcade of Fisherman's Bastian cafe, had a delicious iced coffee drink and enjoyed the view. We then walked over to the Hilton to check it out in case we ever return and walked the narrow Castle Hill streets to do some window shopping.

 

By 12:30 pm we were back on the ship. We cooled down for about 15 minutes and then walked out again the few blocks to the Central Indoor Market thinking we might find something for lunch there. Because the market closes on Saturdays at 2:00 pm, the food vendors had already begun to put away their wares. After a quick stroll around the bottom floor, we walked up to the craft floor and purchased some gifts for our grandkids. It was stifling hot in the market, especially on the second floor, so we stayed no more than a half-hour and returned to the ship for lunch.

 

At 2:00 pm, those who had signed up for the Hungarian Horse Show loaded onto their bus and weren't expected back until 5:30 pm. Another small group left for the complementary excursion to the diamond factory in Szentendre and would return at 6:00 pm.

 

While we were at lunch, it had rained a bit, so when we left the ship again at 2:30 pm it had cooled down. We walked back to the Central Market and then across the street to the Vaci utca. We wandered in and out of shops all along that pedestrian street to its end, then found our way to Andrassy Ut, and spent the afternoon walking through the streets of Budapest, enjoying the architecture and the bustle of the city. When it became hot again, we walked back down to the Danube and along the river, checking out menus of restaurants trying to decide if we would spend our last night eating in town or on the ship. By the time we got back to the ship it was close to 5:00 pm and we had decided to stay aboard.

 

At 6:45 Annabell gave her goodbye presentation in the Lounge, and at 7:00 we had a fun and festive Hungarian dinner, accompanied by lively music from a three piece Gypsy Band. DH and I were seated close to where the band was set up, and the fiddler spent quite a bit of time playing at our table, which was fun as he played well. Many of the dining and bar staff came to each table to chat, say goodbye and wish us a good trip home. It was a really nice evening, and we were glad we had spent it on the ship.

 

By 10:00 we were in our cabin packing for the long trip home.

 

The next morning we got up about 7:00 am, packed up our last things, ate breakfast at 8:00 and put our suitcases out by 9:00. At 9:15, our taxi arrived, Viking loaded our luggage into it and waved goodby as we left for the airport.

 

And that, my Cruise Critic friends, is the story of our river cruise. I hope you have enjoyed reading about it and that I gave you a good enough flavor for what life is like on a Viking cruise to help you prepare for your own adventure. The report seemed to go on forever, I know. The trip itself went by very quickly.

 

As I close, I am aware that there is concern about the low river levels for those of you who are traveling later this summer and fall. Unless all the rivers dry up uniformly, which is highly unlikely, I think Viking will give you a good experience. Because they have identical ships traveling in opposite directions at the same time, they are used to swapping passengers between the ships when river conditions prevent ships from passing through troublesome areas. I was impressed by what good care Viking took of passengers with special needs to be sure they were able to visit all the sights, including offers of taxis and vans for those who couldn't walk to a sight included in the city tours. There is a post elsewhere on this board from someone who experienced the passenger swap from Viking Spirit to Viking Pride in late May of this year when the rivers were too high for the ships to get through their normal itineraries, and it seemed like a very organized and well-thought out process.

 

Happy travels to you all! I look forward to your reports when you return.:)

[TataTom]

Venturagirl, I am adding you to my short list of admirable people. Thank you so much for your report of your tour. My wife and I will make our first river cruise this fall, mid october, on the Amadagio from Budapest to Amsterdam. Everything that you have written about your Viking tour has been devoured eagerly and was very much appreciated! Thank you!

[BJS]

You have greatly enhanced our anticipation of our October cruise in the opposite direction.

 

Thank you for all of the time and effort put into your posts. Both DH and I will miss your daily report.:)

[lobsterlover]

Thank you so much for your excellent and thorough review. Looking forward to my trip in Oct. Budapest to the Black Sea. Not on Viking, but I'm easy to please and sure it will be great. Thanks for taking the time to share with us.

 

L.L.

[Judyumcer@aol.com]

Venturagirl, Your reports are wonderful! Thank you so much for taking the time to write. We are taking almost the same itinerary; only on Vantage. We leave 9/11/06 for a week's pre-cruise in Budapest (on our own). My only concern is the water levels. Hopefully by then; they will have had enough rain. I am so excited reading your posts. It will be our first river cruise. We have done 5 Med. cruises on different lines. From as far as Barcelona to Istanbul, Even the Baltics with a 4 night pre-cruise in Moscow. Absolutely wonderful!!!! I know a river cruise will be different but am really looking forward to it.

[Venturagirl]

I just wish I could go with you all! You are going to have such a good time, I'll bet, whether its Vantage or Viking or Avalon. Please report back so those of us who are landlocked can have some vicarious fun. Anyway, this may have been my first river cruise, but it won't be my last. It will be interesting to compare our experience with yours before planning our next trip.

[daryleann]

Taking our first river cruise next spring so we've been enjoying your posts. (We are doing Holland/Belgium)

 

You mentioned that people 'dressed' for dinner. Our travel agent was very quick to say that the cruise was casual so not to take the 'usual cruise formal stuff' and I was hoping the same pair of dress slacks could do all week. Hubby was looking forward to no sportcoat, etc. We are heading to an apt in France and London after, so don't want to haul more than one suitcase apiece.

 

So those of you that have some additional comments from your experiences, please make them... we have lots of time :rolleyes:.