Danube river cruise from Budapest to Vienna
Our party flew from Gatwick and we were met by a Riviera representative at the airport and our transfer to the ship took about 45 minutes. The ship was launched in December 2012 and it is a 5 star ship and the decor is stunning. The colour scheme is Royal blue and gold with dark wood and brass fittings. We had a warm welcome on board and staff took us to our cabins which were on Ruby deck (middle deck). They were double cabins again with a blue and gold theme décor. They had Juliette balconies and were a good size with flat screen TVs, plenty of wardrobe space and tea/coffee facilities plus a mini bar. There was a mini safe and umbrella in the wardrobe and dressing gowns are provided at reception, should you need one. The bathroom was fully tiled with a glass door shower and granite worktops. The bed was extremely comfortable and the bedding high quality cotton.
As we arrived late at 10pm, a delicious hot buffet was laid out with salads and desserts. A full buffet breakfast is served every morning in the beautifully furnished dining room between 7-9am with a light option in the Lido Bar on the top deck from 7-7.30. Lunch is served in the dining room between 12.30-1400 with either a hot buffet or waiter service and there is a light pasta option in the Lido deck from 12.30 to 13.30. A la carte dinner is served from 19.00-21.00 in the main restaurant and you can also have a set meal in the Lido bar. The food was of a high standard with plenty of choice.
There is a spacious bar where a pianist plays on an evening and in Vienna a string quartet came on-board to entertain us in the bar. The drinks are reasonably priced and they had a happy hour in the bar from 18.00-19.00. The prices are in euros and wine was from about 17 euros per bottle, gin and tonic 6.50 euros, liquors 4.30 euros, cocktails from 6 euros, sparkling wine 3.50 euros a glass. Afternoon tea and cakes are also served in the bar between 16.00-16.30. The dress code is casual but people tend to dress smart casual on the Captains Cocktail party night however dinner jackets are not required and ties are not essential.
There is a sauna and steam room on board and also a hairdressers, which was excellent value at 15 euros for a wash and blow dry.
The standard of the tours, which are included, was excellent. We had very interesting and amusing guides in both Budapest and Vienna. We had a 3 hour tour of Buda and Pest including some free time for shopping or coffee. We also had a 3 hour tour of Vienna including free time. The tours were mostly by coach but there was some walking but people with walking difficulties could stay on the coach.
I found the river cruise very relaxing and it is an excellent way to see various cities. On the last day we explored Vienna on our own and found it a very beautiful, interesting and clean city. We had tea in the Sacher Hotel cafe which was very good.
I think river cruises appeal to the older market, 55+ and are not suitable for children as the ships are not geared up to them. It is suitable for couples or singles wanting a quiet, relaxing holiday with excellent service on-board, combined with wonderful scenery and city tours. Gratuities are not included but at clients discretion. An envelope was left in the cabin to put the gratuities in. I would certainly recommend this ship and river cruising. It is very good value for money.