Should You Consider A River Cruise?

My husband calls me a serial cruiser.  With eleven ocean cruises under my belt, three more planned within the next year, and at least 30 more on my bucket list… I love to cruise!   Now that I’ve returned from my first river cruise, I have some clear thoughts on which of my ocean cruising clients would enjoy a river cruise, and which of my non-cruise clients would find a river cruise a wonderful vacation choice.  

Here are some things to consider:

Age:  Are you in an older demographic; or appreciate this well-traveled, experienced segment of the population?   If you answered yes to either, consider a river cruise!   With no youth activities onboard, and no staterooms that would accommodate a family, the average age of river cruisers is between 55 and 65 years old.  In my experience, my fellow travelers were friendly individuals who enjoyed participating in the onboard social activities, and were quick to share stories of their past trips.  All in all, an interesting group to spend days with.

Tour style: Do you enjoy touring with a group of passengers and a knowledgeable guide?  If you answered yes, consider a river cruise!    Organized tours are a part of the package.   There is also free time built into the schedule.   Our tour guides were very knowledgeable, which added much value to the overall experience.   When visiting churches, monuments, historical sights or event for a quick city overview, there is truly no comparison between having a guide and going it alone.

Getting from here to there: Do you enjoy traveling to new cities without packing/unpacking and changing hotels?  If you answered yes, consider a river cruise!  Not only does traveling along the rivers save you the time and hassle of moving to a new location, there is always something to see along the way as you pass small towns, other river-going vessels and beautiful scenic landscapes.

Motion: Do you avoid ocean cruising because you are concerned about the motion of the water?  If you answered yes, consider a river cruise!  With no waves, no large swells, and land close by on both sides, there is no need to be concerned about the water’s motion.  I speak as someone whose motion sickness is easily set in motion (pun intended).

Organization/Logistics: Do you like your travel days to be very organized?  If you answered yes, consider a river cruise!  The river cruise staff has everything figured out to a T.  Both embarkation and disembarkation were a breeze, and daily schedules are set in place to the wire (when we arrived onboard literally two minutes past due, we found they had already made an announcement to locate us – and I believe a search party was just about to set out).  Even the passengers onboard took their responsibility seriously…. everyone was punctual, tours set off on time, and no stragglers.

Yes, river cruising is one of the hottest new trends in travel; and yes, river cruising is a fabulous experience for many; however it is not right for everyone!

Perhaps Not:  Do you prefer dining with only your own travel companions?  Do you prefer complete travel independence?   Do you enjoy only private tours?  Do you value a daily schedule that allows the greatest amount of personal freedom?  Do you enjoy a city-center hotel experience throughout your vacation?   Do you dislike riding on a large motor coach, if even only for a short while?  If you answered yes to most of these questions, or if any one is a deal-breaker, than a river cruise should not be a consideration for you.

Personally, I enjoyed the mix of having pre/post-cruise independent stays along with our river cruise experience.  Will I cruise by river again?  Definitely!   With so many great rivers and regions to sail, choosing which river to cruise next will be a fun decision!

Budapest: Final Day

On our last full day in Budapest, we were up early; and we had a full day planned!  We started with a two hour private Segway Tour, followed by lunch and then a six-hour private walking tour.  During our total time in Budapest, we had a total of four guides, each with different information and perspective to share.  I particularly enjoyed the guides we had this last day!

Peter, who had a great sense of humor and a twinkle in his eye,  was our guide for the Segway tour.  We zipped along the streets, up and down curbs, zigging around the pedestrians on the street.  I was sure the word "slow" was not in Peter's vocabulary! Peter stopped at many stops along the way to share some historical or cultural stories, including the Opera House, the Dohány Street Synagogue (details to follow), Fashion Street, a panoramic view of Buda, the Parliament (just a photo stop since we had already taken the official tour), and a square with special significance - a statue of Ronald Reagan, the American embassy, and the last remaining soviet communist monument.   It was particularly interesting, as both the Reagan statue and Soviet monument are purposely situated between the Parliament and Embassy. 

Our tour ran a bit longer than planned, so we rushed off to lunch.  Our walking tour was in just an hour, and our guide, Gabriella, was picking us up at our hotel.  Here is the beauty of having a private guide…. the first thing we did was tell Gabriella about all the tours we had done and the places we had already seen; we also told her of the three remaining spots we still wanted to get to.  On the spot, Gabriella came up with the perfect route based on not only locations but closing times for each as well.  

By this time we had been traveling/touring for twelve days and the natives were getting squirrelly (especially the three men).  Gabriella, who is also a secondary school teacher, did a great job of keeping everyone focused.  Not only did she inform us on history, and point out unique architectural elements, but also painted a picture of growing up in communist times and how it differs from life in Budapest today.

Our first stop was the Gerbeaud Cafe to see the "best" chocolate cakes that the tourists go gaga for; followed by a stop at the bakery were the locals actually buy their cakes from.  We sat and had a treat, then proceeded to the square with the Reagan statue, as one person in our group chose not to do the Segway tour that morning and we wanted to show her the special sights, as well as the fountain along the way.   Gabriella added to what we had learned from Peter, telling us more about Cardinal Mindszenty who spent 15 years of political asylum in the American embassy.

Next up was St. Stephan's Cathedral.  We had definitely seen our share of cathedrals during our trip, and each was beautiful in its own way.  Much of our time here was actually spent outside, up top.  As we climbed stairs and rode the elevator up, we at one point could see a "dome inside of a dome" (we were in between the inside dome (ceiling seen from inside the church) and the outside dome.  It was a really cool! Once we reached the highest point outside, we had an incredible 360 degree view of the entire city!  We could easily spot the landmarks, while Gabriella pointed out the neighborhoods, including those in the former communists housing projects where families live in a 400 square foot space.  Hard to imagine and a reminder of just how fortunate my family is. 

Next stop on our walk was the Dohány Street Synagoguethe largest in all of Europe.  With Peter we stopped on our Segways to see the outside... this time we went inside.   Gabriella introduced us to an 83 year old holocaust survivor who runs a gift shop inside, then we made our way into the synagogue.   Two especially unique facts: this synagogue was built by a Christian, so it resembles a church in many ways, and it has a cemetery on the property (which is traditionally forbidden by Jewish law).  We viewed the tree of life, commemorating victims of the holocaust; and visited the museum, where Gabriella shared her perspective and knowledge of the horrific times of the past. 

The final part of our tour consisted of a ride on the subway to the Széchenyi Thermal Bath, Budapest's most famous mineral spa.  Gabriella helped us purchase changing rooms (one per couple), and gave us other important instructions, like where to schedule massages and how to get back on the subway (should be a no-brainier, but really isn't).   We said goodbye to Gabriella, scheduled our massages, then went to find our private changing rooms. Two people could barely fit inside!  After our massages, we spent a short bit of time in the pool. By this time it was about 9:15, we hadn't had dinner yet, and we needed to pack and be up at 5:30 in the morning.   My impression.... I hoped the mineral water was truly magical, because otherwise I had just gone swimming at an old-school YMCA!   In all honesty, though we were hungry and tired, we were all relaxed and rejuvenated as well.

We kept saying all through the trip, "we'll sleep when we're dead".... back on the subway and off to search for a dinner spot!  Mission accomplished, we found a great place on Andrássy Avenue,   So after dinner, drinks, laughs, and a walk back to the hotel... we started packing at 12:30 a.m.   We took one last look at the illuminated sights along the river from our hotel room, and finally got to sleep at 1:00 a.m., hoping for a good, solid 4 1/2 hours before saying goodbye to Budapest the next morning.  

Budapest: Day Two

Once again we had an early rise.  As we prepared to say our goodbyes to Viking Njord, our luggage needed to be packed and ready for the ship staff by 8:30.   The hotel we were transferring to, the Sofitel Chain Bridge, was located directly across the street. Before we left on our trip, we thought we would easily walk our bags across the street to check-in.  However, once we arrived, and I saw that the street was tricky to cross and contained train tracks to roll our bags over, I knew I had to adjust the plan.  I arranged for a staff member from the Sofitel Chain Bridge to pick up our luggage at 9:00. The Sofitel's bellman loaded our luggage onto a cart and maneuvered his way back to the Sofitel with our luggage in tow.  Not an easy feat and I'm glad it wasn't me!  What great service!

After breakfast we said goodbye to our favorites staff members onboard.  Ray, was the best cruise director I've had on any ship - he had the perfect personality for the job, and seemed very sincere in his enthusiasm;  Igor, the maitre d', handled my tricky dietary needs promptly and with a warm smile each night; and Bojan, the concierge, who made special arrangements for us throughout the week.

Disembarking from Viking Njord was a breeze!  The prior evening, all of the guests who had made post-cruise arrangements on their own (us) were asked to let Bojan know the time they would be leaving the ship.  Everyone was asked to vacate their staterooms by 9:00 a.m., but then were welcome to stay onboard in the lounges and could even remain through lunch.  It was far more relaxing of a process then disembarking from an ocean cruise ship. 

Once our luggage was off to the Sofitel, we walked across the Chain Bridge to ride the funicular up to the castle district.   With no specific location in mind, we wandered around and came across the President's house just in time for a quick guard ceremony. We also found a display of medieval weapons and several of us tested out the equipment.  I shot a crossbow and, believe it or not, actually hit the target!

We walked to our hotel, registered in the executive lounge, had lunch, then met the guide for our private Alternative Budapest Tour.  Antonia was a twenty-five year old singer-songwriter who took us on a tour far different than any other we had had.   This walking tour focused on Budapest's "street art", bar and music scene.   Along with pointing out the stories behind the graffiti throughout the 7th district, some stops along the way were a shop that sells graffiti supplies, a ruin bar, and A38 (a boat that's now the cool, hip music club).

As we viewed the graffiti around the city,  I couldn't help but think that Antontia was attempting to give us an appreciation for the destruction of property. It was still quite interesting to get a sense of Budapest's youth culture and the 25-year old's perspective.

The ruin bar was in a building that was un-renovated on the outside, yet brought to life with re-purposed items throughout the inside.   We stopped for a drink, what a cool place!

My favorite spot of the tour was A38, a short tram ride across the bridge.  This old Ukrainian boat housed a state of the art club venue and we got to view both the stage and back-stage (former engine room) during a sound check.  Of course I thought of my boys at home!  They would have gotten a kick out of this place!

After drinks and appetizers in our hotel's club lounge, and a short visit to the attached casino, we enjoyed a fabulous Greek dinner at Taverna Dionysos.  I think we must have walked at least 10 miles throughout the day.  Our feet hurt, we were all exhausted, and this was the perfect night to unwind!

Next: Our last full day in Budapest

Budapest: Day One

We finally had our first completely sunny day!  Perfect weather to watch our beautiful, early morning sail in!  I had heard it was a view not to be missed, and was so excited, that I beat my alarm clock by 20 minutes.   That was a good thing because the river was high, which meant the ship went faster... by 7:30 a.m. we were surrounded by magnificent buildings on both sides.  

After our ship docked, we had an overview tour of the city... driving around the Pest side and walking around Fisherman's Bastion on the Buda side.    We got a glimpse of many of the key sights, including: Andrashy Ave, St Stephen's Cathedral, Hero's Square, Doheny Synagogue, and drove across the Chain Bridge, which was the first permanent bridge (built mid 19th century).    We also went into Matthias Church in Buda.  I really enjoyed this one!  The moorish influence was obvious (it was used as a mosque under Turkish rule in 1541), the colors were very warm, and it was very different from any of the other churches we had seen; as was the pyrogranite tiled roof. 

On our own, we had pre-purchased tickets for a Parliament tour.  This was our only "non-Viking" group tour (all others were private).   As the guide first spoke, I couldn't hear a thing and realized I needed to remain in the front through the rest of the building.   I really missed Viking's Quietvox system!

The Parliament tour was unique for two reasons: it was the only building we toured that was a currently operating facility; and it was the only palace type building that seemed to appreciate the common people, as evidenced by the statues of pages amongst the nobility.  

With our tours finished, we stopped at the Four Seasons for cocktails, and purchased tickets to an evening river cruise from the concierge.   Then, we decided to walk across the Chain Bridge to a wine shop our morning guide had mentioned.  We purchased two Hungarian wines, and headed back to sit on the top deck of our ship.  There we sat under the historic bridge, with a nice bottle of wine and friends, surrounded by incredible sights.  It was very surreal and one of my favorite memories! 

After dinner we enjoyed our evening cruise and another special moment of the day.  If I didn't know I was in Budapest, I could have bet I was on a Disney ride along the river.  That's just how perfect the illuminated buildings popped!  Unfortunately, all my night photos came out blurry...too difficult to keep the camera steady enough on a moving boat.

We headed back to the ship to get some sleep.... surprise!  The ship was missing!  It threw us for a moment until we realized the Njord had moved to a difference dock location a bit further down the way, on the other side of the bridge.  They had announced the move at dinner, but we had gone to a restaurant in the city and missed the news.  As we found, the ships move in and out of spaces easily and quickly, at a moments notice... another difference between an ocean cruise and river cruise.  

Interesting tidbits from today: Budapest has a baroque atmosphere; Buda is hilly, Pest is flat (Buda and Pest are split by the Danube River); Buda is generally residential, Pest is generally commercial; the first free elections were in 1990; the Vishla is a Hungarian hunting dog (we saw one!);  lard, onion, paprika and sour cream are the most commonly used ingredients (I was definitely needing a really good salad when I got home!); and, Budapest is hoping to become the "Queen of the Danube" once again someday. 

Tomorrow:  More Budapest

Vienna, Austria

Our day in Vienna started with another early morning tour, with an 8:45 call time.  We began with the Viking bus tour, and then once it came time for the walking portion, our group of six broke off to go to the famous Spanish Riding School to watch the schooling of the beautiful snowy white Lipizzaner stallions.  To make a long story short, our tickets were purchased through the ship's concierge and there was some misunderstandings and misdirections along the way, causing us to miss a portion of our time there.   The city outside the school building was calling to Jeff and I, so we chose to watch for only a short while.

There was SO much to see, and we had SUCH a short time, we decided to kick back and view some of the sights from a carriage ride.   As we passed palace after palace and one amazing building after another, we knew instantly that we must return to Vienna for a longer visit someday!! 

Before taking a taxi back to the ship, we enjoyed a schnitzel lunch in a Viennese cafe.

We arrived just in time for the optional tour we signed up for - Schönbrunn Palace (which translates to "castle of the beautiful fountain").  This palace was built on the imperial family's hunting ground, and was intended to rival Versailles in France.

Habsburg empress Maria Thersea had 16 children (including Marie Antoinette) and each had the right to 5 rooms... in total there are 1441 rooms in the entire palace!  For a while, the royal family would move their entire belongings for their summer stay.  Can you imagine moving a whole house's contents and three months later moving it back... every year!?!  Finally it was furnished with permanent furniture, which remains today. The palace became Napoleon's headquarters when he occupied Vienna. 

Some of the sights we saw in Vienna: St. Stephen's Cathedral, Johann Strauss' house ( the king of the waltz), the Opera House (there's a 3 year wait for tickets to the famous New Years concert - 200 to 2000 euro per ticket on the black market - closed during July & August), Ringstrasse (a famous street from the middle of the 19th century), and the most AMAZING city hall building that I've ever seen!

Some interesting tidbits:  It was once forbidden to dance the waltz because it was too sexy as ladies and gents were too close together; 60 % of Vienna was destroyed in last two weeks of World War II; and, 50% of the area is covered in parks.

Our day ended with cocktails, disembarkation instructions (already? Time flies!), the Captain's Farewell Dinner, and the completion of our Yahtzee game (Triple Yahtzee with six people really does take a while!)

Tomorrow:  Budapest

Melk & Vienna

As we sailed through the night, we said goodbye to Germany and hello to Austria.  It was an early morning in Melk.   At 6:00 in the morning, it was 46 degrees, and all I had left to wear was t-shirts and tanks.   It had been cool and rainy pretty much every day of the trip thus far, and I really wasn't prepared for this weather!  Quite a difference from the 90 degree temps we left at home. 

The morning's main attraction, the Melk Abbey, was a 7 1/2 minute bus ride from the ship.  The busses were leaving at 8:15, and that was the only way to get there, so everyone was at breakfast early.   A river cruise is more similar to a land tour than an ocean cruise in the way that everyone follows the tour plan.   There was some free time as well in each town, but always after the included tour.

Our guide at Melk Abbey was Christine, who had previously been a student at the abbey's school.  Presently, the Benedictine abbey is home to 30 monks, and educates 900 secondary students .  The cost to attend the school (which we were told provides a very good education)  is 85 euro per month.  Classes are taught by 85 lay teachers and 2 monks.

Upon entering the abbey, we were inside the Imperial Corridor, which was the area that overnight guests lived in during earlier times.  The abbey's very first guests were Maria Theresa and her husband, who were honored by paintings on the wall.

As we proceeded through Melk Abbey, we learned about Saint Benedict, and the prescribed tenants of this particular religious order - Location (being present), Obedience, and Morals.  Interesting fact of the day: the literal translation of the word gift in German is poison.

Paintings and scenes inside, such as the Passion of Christ and the ceilings from 1700, took the place of the bible for the poor, illiterate.   The monks have access to an incredibly impressive library housed within 12 rooms - I was disappointed to find that photos are no longer allowed (as of only two years ago).

The baroque church  was the most ornate we had seen up to this point.  It's unbelievable to think about how so many exquisite architectural masterpieces were constructed so many hundreds of years ago!

After a schnitzel lunch in town, we arrived back at the ship two minutes late.  Oh no! Believe it or not, they had already made an announcement over the PA system looking for us. Our ship's staff ran a tight schedule!  

Sailing through the Wachau Valley, on the way to Vienna, we saw many quaint, small towns, as well as castles and vineyards.  This hour and a half portion of the journey  is said to be the most beautiful to sail through.  Schonbuhel Castle and Durnstein were definite highlights!

Once we arrived in Vienna, we headed out to the optional tour we purchased: a concert consisting of Mozart, Strauss, opera, and dancers.  Unfortunately, I arrived motion sick from the bus ride.  I only lasted for the first half, then needed to step out for some fresh air and 7-up.  

We arrived back to the ship at about 10:30 p.m.  A late night snack was in order, since the chef was serving goulash to welcome us all to Vienna.   It was another late night, with another early morning ahead. 

Tomorrow: more time in Vienna

Passau, Germany

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Note:  When I first set out to write a blog, my intention was to post every day while traveling.  Our days became super busy, and internet service was super spotty so things didn't work quite as planned.   We had a fabulous time, and now my remaining blog posts are more of a post-trip review.   Here goes!

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All the guides provided by Viking Cruises have been great so far. Our guide in Passau today, Bridgette, was fabulous!  She was knowledgeable, had a great sense of timing (always got our group into great position among the others), and was also an enchanting storyteller!

The city of Passau, with it's population of 50,000, has 50 churches and 5 breweries. As we toured this 7000 year old medieval city, our first stop was St Stephan Cathedral, the biggest baroque cathedral north of the Alps.

Built in the 1600s, this cathedral took less than 30 years to build.   As evidence of its baroque style, there were copper domes on the outside and the higher you looked inside this church, the more beautiful it was. Bridgette explained the intention was to bring heaven towards earth, enticing the parishioners with what was waiting there.  St Stephan's Cathedral was filled with frescoes, and also a spectacular organ (made up actually of five)... with a total of over 17,000 pipes. 

Next, we went inside a very elegant Rococo Palace. In the exquisite library, filled with centuries old books, she told us the story that led to the expression "the walls have ears".  Proof positive that gossip has always been a pastime.

As we walked through the old town, and listened on our headsets, Bridgette told us how several other expressions were born during the time of the plague… for example,  "wouldn't touch it with a ten fool pole" - passing food through a door opening on a ten foot long pole, as to keep distance and not get sick.   Others were "ring around the rosy", "god bless you", and "saved by the bell".

When our tour with Bridgette was complete, we returned to St. Stephen's Cathedral to listened to an organ concert.   I should say, some of us listened.... some fell asleep (cough…cough…Jeff…cough…cough).  The concert consisted of 3 pieces and lasted 30 minutes, during which time I never ran out of things to look at in the very ornate church. My favorite memory was when the sound began, and at that exact moment, the sun broke through causing the light to pour in through the high glass windows.  Incredible timing!

We found a little cafe for lunch, then paid a visit to the Glass Museum. With over 14,000 pieces, there was a lot too see!  After a while we were on visual overload, so we took the shuttle bus to the Oberhaus Museum, which is housed in an old fortress.  Not only were the displays quite interesting, the building itself was a sight to be seen; and the location provided amazing views from above. 

The day ended back onboard with cocktails, sailing through more locks,  dinner and a game of Yahtzee (1/2 a game, actually).   Another early day was to follow!  

Next up:  Melk & Vienna

Regensburg, Germany

This morning we slept in a bit, since our morning walking tour was at 10:00 a.m. As soon as I woke, I pulled back the drape and saw the most charming town right outside my window - Regensburg.

The tables in the dining room sit either six people or eight people. This is a plus if you enjoy dining with strangers, but if not, this could make dining uncomfortable. There are cruise lines that provide a few tables for two. But river cruising overall is set up for socializing. Since we are a group of six, we haven't dined with others.... until this morning. Since two of our group were a bit behind schedule, a lovely couple from Scotland joined us for breakfast. We heard about their recent experience cruising along the Ivory Coast, and how their ship was chased by Somalian Pirates. Wow!

After breakfast it was time for our morning walking tour. This time, the passengers were split into groups of about 35. The Viking-provided tours are a huge difference from what happens on an ocean cruise. On the ocean, a wide variety of excursions are offered, and most of the time they cost extra. Some people zip-line, some tour museums, some go on walking tours, ...you get the idea. On a river cruise, there is one tour each day (included in the cost), so all the passengers are doing the same thing. There are some variations though. For example, there was a group for slow walkers; and a couple groups for those wanting an extended walking tour which added on some Jewish history. We chose the extended tour. 

Our tour guide was a super sweet girl who grew up in Austria and was now living in Regensburg. She did a wonderful job explaining the town's 2,000 year old Roman Empire history, and even entertained us with a love story and legends of the past. Along the way, we saw an original bridge from the Roman Empire, an arch & tower, plus an original Roman gate that had led to a Roman fortress that once housed 6,000 Roman soldiers.  We learned that Regensburg was once a very rich city because of it's location on the Danube. The bridge was at one point the only way to get across the river - so it was a major trade route.

Interestingly, early Jewish history was key in Regensberg losing it's wealth. Basically, the Jews who lived in this town were only allowed to be grave diggers or bankers. During the Middle Ages, the town people blamed the Jews for the plague. They thought the Jews were trying to poison everyone (it didn't matter that Jews were dying too). So, the townspeople expelled the Jews and as a result, the Jews' ability to finance their trading was lost and the economy crumbled.

The Jews returned at some point, but then were expelled once again during the World War II period by the Nazis. Regensburg keeps it's connection to Jewish history visible as a reminder to all, as evidenced by the sign we passed outside the house where Schindler lived for six months out of the year.

As part of the extended Jewish portion of our tour, we learned that a Jewish Quarter no longer exists, but again as a memory of past occurrences, you can now see gold blocks in the street where Jewish houses once stood.

Afterward, we saw the Cathedral of St. Peter, a very ornate gothic cathedral with beautiful stained glass windows. This amazing Catholic Church took 600 years to build.

After our walking tour, window shopping, lunch & beer at the Sausage Factory, and a quick stop in the apothecary (a couple people traveling with us have colds), we attended a Cookoo clock demo. The clocks we saw were all handmade in Germany's Black Forest, and we learned how they're made and the stories behind the different scenes. Sounds pretty hokey, but it was actually kind of cool. 

Our ship wasn't leaving until 10:00 p.m., so we were able to have dinner in town. We really enjoyed that because no one has been impressed with the meals so far. We just so happened to pick an Italian restaurant with the biggest pizzas! Delicious!

A couple interesting observations: the cobblestone streets in Regensburg had no lanes for cars. The cars would just drive through completely where they pleased. And people in the towns we've seen so far aren't constantly connected to cell phones. Very refreshing. 

Tomorrow: Passau, Germany

Nuremberg, Germany

The wake-up call rang at 6:00 a.m..... and since there was only a phone in the front room of our suite, I couldn't even hit snooze - but there was a city to see! Our early breakfast was a nice spread with omelette bar, fruits, breads, meats, and a hot cereal station.

At 8:15 the bus was leaving to take all the passengers to historic Nuremberg for a driving/walking tour. It was an interesting process to leave the ship. On an ocean cruise ship, your room key is scanned as you get off and back on. On this river cruise, you go to the front desk, tell them your room number, and they hand you a boarding pass. When you return, you give the pass back and then they know you made it back on-board. 

The 183 people on-board were split into 4 groups, about 45 passengers in each group. This was quite an opposite from all the private touring we did prior. Viking provides a Quietvox headphone system to listen to the guide, which helps a lot. On the negative side, you still have the big group/bathroom stop waiting problem. On the positive side, if you wander off to look around during this time, you're still able to hear the guide and will know when it's time to move on.

Our tour guide this morning was Ralph. Ralph was knowledgeable and funny, a great combination for a guide. As we rode to Nuremberg's city center, Ralph told us many stories of the Nazi influence and how the different generations view the past. For example, the older educators felt that Nazi history was to be forgotten, hidden away, swept under the rug.... they were embarrassed by it. The younger educators felt it important to teach this history in the schools.... to ensure that there was no repeat. 

Our first stop was the former Nazi marching grounds. We saw the stands that Nazi sympathizers filled during rallies, and the podium that Hitler watched from. As Ralph described this period of history, I could only think of my own father's history and how I was actually standing in the same city he had been in, when he was a World War II POW. 

As we continued our drive, we passed by the Court of Justice, where the Nuremberg Trials were held; and the attached prison where the Nazi's found guilty were hanged. Both the court and prison are still in use today.

After, we arrived in the medieval Aldstadt (old town), we walked through the castle wall and down the cobblestone path to the market square. This square is famous for it's Christmas market, but today was all about finding great sausage! 

We arrived back at the ship just before noon, and immediately began our journey on the river. The first section is sailing through the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal, which is over 100 miles long. This canal connects the Main River at Bamberg with the Danube River at Kelheim.

During this stretch, we traveled through 10 locks. Going through each lock was very cool! When the ship is in the lock, all you can see on each side is a concrete wall, just a few inches away. Then the ship rises, like in an elevator, and when it reaches the proper level, it sails to exit the lock.

Along the canal, the scenery was so beautiful! It's just an amazing, relaxing feeling to be sailing through the countryside. Life on-board is very quiet - no casinos, shops, or bingo; but there's always something to see outside!

Tonight was the Captain's Reception, where we were introduced to the ships officers, followed by a briefing on tomorrow's schedule for touring. 

After four days of being in Europe, I finally feel like I've adjusted to the time change. 

Tomorrow: Regensburg, Germany

Boarding Day

After my best night of sleep so far, and an early breakfast, we started on our three hour drive to Nuremberg.  Nina was our guide again for this journey (her husband David happened to be our driver).  Along with Nina and David, the six of us, and all our luggage, loaded into a Mercedes van.  To break up the drive, we planned to stop in Plzen along the way.

Plzen is an old medieval town, though at first sight it looked very industrial.  Of course since we were stopping in Plzen, we just had to schedule a private tour of the Pilsen Urquell brewery....with tasting....at 9:30 a.m.   This was a great tour, and being the only ones there made it even better!

First we saw the brewing process, learning how the hops, barley and water are combined and fermented; then we tasted (I'm not a fan of beer, but had to admit it tasted pretty good); then we viewed the packing facility where they process 120,000 bottles per hour.

After lunch, we took the underground tour where we got a glimpse of the original underground corridors below Plzen's houses from the Middle Ages.  This underground area was a labyrinth that protected the people and their food from the town's enemies.   Even though the tour was guided by a docent from this museum, Nina came along too giving the entire group of about 20 some added value, as she effortlessly filled the space between lines. 

Next, we were on our way to Nuremberg to board our ship. Along the way, Nina told us stories of Nazi/Czech history and how it related to Plzen; the history of marionette puppetry that took place in the market square during the 18th century; Czech  life under communist rule; and the student-led Velvet Revolution. We got quite an education in that short period of time!

The road to Nuremberg consisted of rolling hills, forests, and small towns.  By the time we drove into Germany, our beautiful day turned into a beautiful, rainy day.  As we approached the dock, the rain slowed to a drizzle, and my excitement to begin our river cruise built. 

Our ship was docked in an industrial area, and the process was night and day from boarding an ocean cruise ship.  There was no line to board.  Perhaps this was because we arrived later than most (3:45 p.m.).  However, I'm sure even earlier would have been a breeze.   We were immediately greeted by a few very helpful staff members.  We were directed to the Guest Service desk just inside, while our luggage was taken to our rooms.   The check in process took only one minute. We showed our passports, they handed us our keys, and then a staff member escorted us to our rooms. 

As we arrived in our room, I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed.   The drawer and closet space was lacking, and it was SO much smaller than our suite at the hotel.  However, once we unpacked, and found space for all our belongings, I felt much better.

Service onboard Viking Njord is excellent.  Every staff member is warm, friendly, and quick to accommodate special requests.  Just after boarding, we took a mini-tour of the ship.  Mini for two reasons... first, the ship is very small and intimate... and second, because our first stop was the lounge where we met bartender, Stefan.  As we debated whether or not to purchase the beverage package, Stefan poured us several tastes, so that we could check out some of the available wines.  We decided against the package since the house wines, complimentary with lunch and dinner, were quite fine. 

I've heard that river cruises appeal to an older demographic, and as we watched the other passengers arrive in the Viking Lounge for the afternoon briefing, it became clear that we are indeed the youngest onboard.  Not a problem as far as we're concerned, just an observation.   Our Program Director, Ray, gave an orientation briefing which was very informative, and (thankfully) not at all a sales pitch.  We learned that there are 183 passengers onboard plus 50 service staff members, a very nice ratio.  

The dinner menu included three regional options, plus a few always available items.   We all enjoyed our meals -- more thoughts on the dining to come as the week progresses.  

Coming next: Nuremberg and out transit through the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal.