saga danube cruise reviews

Spirit of Danube

• Dining Guide
• Activities Guide

Cabin Guide

The Spirit of Danube, a distinguished riverboat within the Saga Cruises fleet, offers a captivating array of cabin configurations to accommodate the preferences and needs of discerning travelers. Unlike its seafaring counterparts, this boutique river cruiser focuses on creating intimate and memorable experiences through its accommodation options. It stands out for its mainly French Balcony cabins, which are designed to fuse the enchanting vistas of the Danube's banks with the comfort of upscale lodging. The ship's emphasis on cabins with slide-opening window doors that lead to a railing provides guests a seamless connection to the natural beauty traversed on their journey. Distinguished further by its selection across five distinct cabin categories, Spirit of Danube ensures personalized comfort while maintaining a harmonious balance with the river's serene landscapes. Each category, tailored to host up to two guests, reflects a commitment to luxury and convenience, incorporating thoughtful amenities that cater to both relaxation and engagement with the surrounding environs.

Standard French Balcony Cabin Balcony

A haven of serene luxury, the Standard French Balcony Cabin enchants with its elegant layout and breathtaking river views. Equipped with all the comforts of upscale accommodation, including a hotel-type Queen bed and luxury bedding, these cabins provide the perfect setting for relaxation after a day of exploration. The blend of charm and modern amenities, such as LED lighting, air conditioning, and a smart HDTV, complement the natural beauty that greets you from the balcony. Ideal for those seeking a tranquil retreat, these cabins offer a unique vantage point to witness the Danube's splendor up close.

• Hotel type Queen bed
• Luxury bedding
• Ample wardrobe
• LED ceiling lights
• Air-conditioning
• 220V/110V outlets
• Private bathroom
• Glass-door shower stall
• Premium bath amenities

Deluxe French Balcony Cabin Balcony

Elevating the river cruise experience, the Deluxe French Balcony Cabin welcomes guests with refined elegance and unparalleled comfort. Each detail, from the plush bedding to the sophisticated seating area, is thoughtfully curated to enhance your stay. Enjoy the convenience of a mini-bar and the indulgence of luxury toiletries, all while being surrounded by the stunning scenery of the Danube. Perfect for those who appreciate the finer things, these cabins not only offer a cozy sanctuary but also serve as a gateway to the river's ever-changing vistas, thanks to the expansive French balcony.

• Convertible Queen bed
• Plush bedding
• Spacious wardrobe
• Seating area
• Magnifying mirror
• En-suite bathroom
• Luxury toiletries
• Complimentary bottled water

Superior French Balcony Cabin Balcony

For those who dream of cruising in sophisticated style, the Superior French Balcony Cabin offers a sublime blend of luxury and comfort. Wake up to the soothing flow of the Danube, with natural light flooding the space through the French balcony. The cabin boasts a king-size bed, a selection of pillows for your perfect night's sleep, and a vanity area for added convenience. With thoughtful touches like a mini-bar stocked with refreshments and a spacious bathroom stocked with premium amenities, this cabin epitomizes the elegance and personalized service that the Spirit of Danube is renowned for.

• King-size bed
• Choice of pillows
• Expansive wardrobe
• Individual climate control
• Coffee table
• Vanity area
• Spacious bathroom
• Complimentary bottled water and fruits

Single French Balcony Cabin Balcony

Designed with the solo traveler in mind, the Single French Balcony Cabin merges refined comfort with breathtaking views. This cabin offers a sanctuary where you can unwind in elegance, from the tastefully appointed bedding to the seating area that invites relaxation. The French balcony provides a personal vantage point to the picturesque scenery of the Danube, making every moment onboard an intimate experience with nature. Complete with modern amenities, including a smart HDTV and complimentary WiFi, this cabin ensures a seamless blend of exploration and relaxation, catering to the desires of the discerning solo adventurer.

• Elegant bedding
• Shower stall
• Complimentary WiFi

Lower Deck Cabin Window

Nestled in the tranquility of the Lower Deck, these cabins offer a cozy escape with all the essentials for a memorable journey along the Danube. Though more intimate in size, these cabins do not compromise on comfort or style, featuring luxurious bedding, a private bathroom stocked with bath amenities, and LED lighting to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. The high window bathes the cabin in natural light, offering views of the river’s peaceful currents. Ideal for guests seeking comfort and value without sacrificing the luxury of river cruising, the Lower Deck Cabin is your private oasis amid the enchanting landscapes of the Danube.

• Luxurious bedding
• LED lighting
• Individual air-conditioning
• Bath amenities
• Bottled water

• Things to Do
• Restaurants
• Holiday Rentals
• Travel Stories
• Add a Place
• Travel Forum
• Travellers' Choice
• Help Centre

Saga Vienna and Blue Danube River Cruise - Danube River

• Europe    
• Hungary    
• Central Hungary    
• Budapest    
• Budapest - Things to Do    
• Danube River

Saga Vienna and Blue Danube River Cruise

We have just returned from this 10 day cruise with Saga on the Filia Rheni 11 and overall - and this was our first ever river cruise - we had a very enjoyable time. We cannot speak highly enough of the staff and crew: they worked so hard and even when I went on deck at 7.00AM there were staff working on cleaning for the new day. Our cabin was larger than we expected and OK the TV didn't work, but we're on holiday and don't want to sit in a cabin watching! The food was excellent and more than adequate: in fact, far too much. We stuck to the light lunch rather than the served lunch of four courses! And having the three days in Vienna before the cruise meant that you had a chance to explore the city, something that no other cruise company give you. So, some points to bear in mind when booking. A river cruise ship is not an ocean liner: there is only one lounge, a very small pool and indoor exercise room. So don't expect the 'entertainment' and 'activities' you might get on an ocean cruise. My wife is 'dairy-free' and we had told our travel agent this and it had been passed on to Saga with our booking. However, there was some issue with this because it was assumed at first that 'lactose-free' is the same as 'dairy-free' so initially for breakfast my wife was given 'lactose-free' milk. Saga need to point out to the kitchen staff on these trips that 'dairy-free' means soya and that means non-diary spreads as well on the sandwiches and when they make cakes! More importantly, we were lucky on our trip. Walking through other ships when yours is berthed is no great problem, but what they don't point out in the brochures, is that if the river level is too low or too high, either the ship can't get through the locks or it can't get under the bridges and tourists get bused to sights as the ship can't sail. We were only delayed once by four hours at a lock at night so that our tour of Passau was curtailed because the boat as to keep to its schedule. And don't bother with the pre-booked excursions. They are expensive and not value for money. We paid £90 for our excursion to the Schonbrunn Palace. By the time the coach had got through the Vienna traffic, the guide had queued to buy the group ticket and explained meeting places and timings, we had about 20 minutes to see the gardens before our 45 minute tour and then 15 minutes afterwards, too little time to sample the 'best strudel in Vienna' that we had been told about ad nauseam on the coach by the guide! More experienced travellers in our party did the Schonbrunn on their own using the underground to get there: and they were able to spend many hours exploring at vastly reduced cost! The Kalosca City Walk was cancelled through lack of interest. This cost us £74 to pre-book. Instead a coach was arranged into Kalosca at 5 euros per person. It was a pleasant enough little town with a paprika museum: the folk museum was closed on the day we visited and the church would not allow any but pre-booked parties in. So how Saga can justify £74 for two people for a tour of this little town was beyond us. The Bratislava tour (£54) you can do far cheaper yourself. The only tour it was worth pre-booking was the Melk Abbey tour because you need transport to get up to the Abbey from the river. Saga need to realise perhaps that we might be pensioners, but we are active and many of the people we met on the cruise very experienced travellers. They are quite happy to be left to explore on their own, but also have come on a river cruise to relax on board rather than spend hours in a coach being taken to 'touristy' sights like an 'artists village'. But having said this, overall the actual cruise is good value for money, the only extras being (a) alcoholic drinks other than at meal times - being tea-total this was not a problem as water and tea/coffee is on tap and included - and (b) gratuities and quite honestly all the staff on board earned the 6 euros per person per day that we were asked to leave.

This was one of the best holidays we have had. We flew to Budapest where we were met by Riviera Rep and transferred by coach to MS Robert Burns. This was the boats first cruise so it was immaculate. A few little problems with WiFi and tv Our cabin was very nice with patio window and we were given a late lunch followed by cake and afternoon tea then dinner before we departed Budapest. There is plenty of good food on this cruise and the cakes are so tempting. Before dinner I walked along the river bank to see the holocaust shoes. This is well worth doing even though it was a good walk from our berth. This is not a cheap cruise but well worth the money and all excursions are included in the price. We were well looked after by our two Riviera Reps and it was a happy and friendly atmosphere on board. All excursions were well organised the high light being Vienna Excellent holiday and plan another river cruise in the future with Riviera

We sailed from Nuremberg to Budapest,stopping at Vienna and Bratislava. Superb cruise and food excellent and staff very attentive. Everything included. Would definitely do a river cruise again

The so-called Blue Danube River in Budapest is fast flowing and murky. Both banks are steep stone flood walls and there is traffic rushing by. Walking across the famous Chain Bridge is a good way to see the city’s sights even though it’s very crowded with no places to stop and reflect. Many visitors these days come to Budapest via large tourist river boats that dock adjacent to city center. You can take the obligatory photos of the famous Parliament building by simply walking along the sidewalk on the opposite bank of the river.

We did a sunset boat tour & it was really lovely to see the city coming alive at night. The sites are stunning, Parliament building, castle, the bridges, the relatively new theatre.. definitely worth a river trip

River cruise on Danube is the best way to explore Budapest sightseeing in one day ...during cruise you will see the house of Parliament, the chain bridge, Buddah castle and the fisherman Bastion. You can visit Margaret island by the cruise in certain trips as the schedule doesn't include the island in every trip.

• Meet The Blondes

Saga is doubling its river cruise fleet with a new ship, Spirit of the Danube , set to launch next year.

Carrying just 190 guests, the ship joins Saga’s first river cruise ship, Spirit of the Rhine , which is preparing for its inaugural cruise in May this year.

The official keel laying ceremony took place in Vahali’s shipyard in Serbia on Wednesday. A ‘lucky’ penny was embedded into the first piece of hull, as per tradition, to mark the start of construction. 

Saga Holidays CEO Chris Simmonds said: ‘Over the past few years, we’ve been focused on redefining river cruise range to provide a Saga designed experience for our guests.

‘Guests will be able to enjoy a range of first-class facilities and we cannot wait to show everything our latest ship has to offer.’

‘ Spirit of the Danube joining the fleet marks an exciting milestone in this journey and we cannot wait until she joins her sister ship Spirit of the Rhine next year. Guests will be able to enjoy a range of first-class facilities and we cannot wait to show everything our latest ship has to offer.’

With a design inspired by the nature found along the Danube, the new ship will depart from Amsterdam on its inaugural cruise in 2022 and destinations will include Budapest, Vienna, Tulcea and Rousse.

On board passengers will find a lounge, library, bar, sundeck with hot tub and two restaurants – including an intimate a la carte restaurant created in partnership with Michelin-star chef Mark Sargeant.

He was head chef at Claridge’s for Gordon Ramsey before opening his own restaurants, including Rocksalt in Folkestone, the hometown of Saga.

The celebrity chef will also be on board on select cruises – but he’s not the only star or special guest planning to join Spirit of the Danube once she’s in service.

John Suchet, TV presenter and natural historian Miranda Krestovnikoff, BBC’s Antiques Roadshow regular Eric Knowles and horticulturalist Sir Roddy Llewellynwill be among those giving talks, classes and Q&A sessions.

Boutique design

Releasing images of what the ship will look like, the interiors are luxurious, with touches of wood, gold, burnished metal, cloudy greys and dusky greens reminiscent of a boutique hotel and designed to enhance of the tree-lined banks of the river

Cabins on the main and upper decks have private French balconies and floor-to-ceiling views while lower deck cabins are light and airy thanks to the large picture windows.

Sign Up To Our Newsletter

Keep up-to-date with our latest articles by subscribing to our newsletter.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Pin it on pinterest.

Saga River Cruise – Review and Guide (Food, Entertainment, Ships, and More)

Wondering if a Saga river cruise is right for you? I took one and had an amazing time exploring the Danube. 

I’d definitely recommend a cruise with Saga but I wouldn’t recommend it to all.

The following 7 points will help you to make an informed decision about if a Saga river cruise is right for you.

Saga Cruises Are Aimed At a British Market

Without a doubt, Saga river cruises are aimed primarily at the British market. I recently returned from a Danube river cruise with Saga where almost all passengers were British. Having said that, Saga cruise are not exclusively for brits .

Saga don’t advertise in the USA/Canada/Australia so this explains the majority of passengers being British.

Saga Cruises Include British Touches

British favorites are regularly on the menu of Saga cruises. I had the most amazing fish and chips during my Saga river cruise. You’ll find more about the food later in this post.

Tea features heavily in the daily schedule. Afternoon tea happens each and every day and offers passengers a variety of sandwiches, cakes and teas to choose from.

Onboard there was a choice of Yorkshire tea, PG tips, and about 15 other tea choices. Tea/Coffee making facilities are available in the main lounge 24 hours a day and tea/coffee is also served at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Saga Don’t Own/Build Their Own Ships

Saga don’t own their own river cruise ships, they charter them from other river cruise companies.

This means that there is a lot of variety in regards to onboard ship amenities within the Saga fleet. The ships are chartered exclusively for Saga meaning that no other cruise lines/companies are able to use the ships while they are chartered to Saga.

Other river cruise lines that build their own ships will usually have little or no variation in their fleet.

The ships chartered by Saga are generally speaking older than ships that you may find on other river cruise lines like Emerald Waterways and Avalon.

Filia Rheni River Cruise Ship Review

I cruised on the Filia Rheni which was built in 1999. She was a very comfortable ship and although not really showing her age you could still tell that she isn’t a modern river ship.

The design of river ships has changed in recent years and certain features onboard give away the ship’s age.

That said, all of the furnishings onboard appeared relatively new and there wasn’t ever anything that was broken or scruffy onboard. The Filia Rheni provides a traditional river cruise experience.

She has one big dining room, one lounge and a swimming pool on the top deck. The ship is a good size for the number of passengers that she holds, we certainly never struggled to find a seat or a sunlounger!

At one point I had 8 sun loungers, a giant chessboard and a swimming pool all to myself.

Filia Rheni Cabin Review

We stayed in a balcony cabin and it was a decent size. The cabin had everything that we needed and we were very comfortable there.

That said, there wasn’t anything in the cabin that particularly wowed me but I did enjoy leaning out of the balcony as we sailed along.

The cabin was cleaned every day to a high standard and my only complaint was that the bed wasn’t very comfortable because I could feel the springs digging into my arm when I lay down.

I fixed this by using the bed cover as a mattress topper and from this point onwards it was fine.

Saga Cruises Include Transfers

During my Saga cruise, I spoke to many other guests and asked them about why they liked cruising with Saga.

The most common reason I heard was that Saga looks after their guests and they include transfers in their cruise fare.

Saga seems to be pretty flexible when it comes to travel arrangements. Some passengers had caught trains instead of taxis and a few even have hotel stays included because they lived so far from the airport.

Transfer Distance

Saga includes a transfer if you live within 250 miles of the cruise port or airport which I think is amazing. I was picked up for my Saga cruise at 4 am and taken to the airport. The taxi alone would have cost over £100 and we had the same thing on the way home too!

This service is a private chauffeur for distances up to 75 miles each way, and a shared chauffeur service from 76-250 miles each way. Don’t want to chauffeur? No problem. We’ll also be happy to arrange complimentary car parking near the port, or can provide included rail/coach tickets, or even free flights from your local airport, subject to availability. – source .

Thie service operates only in the UK.

The Saga Team Will Look After You

Saga charter their ships so, as far as I can work out, most members of crew onboard will below to the ship rather than to Saga.

On my Saga cruise, the bar team, housekeeping team, and kitchen team were all incredible and made sure that every guest had everything that they needed.

On a Saga river cruise, there will be a few members of staff from Saga and I was lucky enough to have Charlie, Loraine, and Debbie. Charlie was our Cruise Host with Loraine second in command. Debbie was our entertainment for the week, she sang, she hosted games and she ran the Zumba! A lady with many talents.

During our cruise, they were always available for the guests and were constantly friendly and patient which made the atmosphere onboard very homely and welcoming.

If anything went wrong or anybody onboard ever had any questions we all knew that we could go to Charlie, Loraine or Debbie and they’d help sort it out.

I spoke to many other guests onboard all of whom loved the trio. Many praised Charlies ability to explain things, Loraines ability to organise everything (and everybody), and Debbies ability to make everybody laugh.

Saga Have Fixed Dining Times and Table Sharing

Saga has fixed dining times on their river cruises and table sharing is common. On most river cruises you will have fixed dining times because the majority of river cruise ships only have one main dining room.

There are a few new ships with multiple restaurant options but generally speaking, river cruise ships have one main dining room.

Saga River Cruise Breakfast

Saga offers a buffet breakfast in the main dining room. This usually is open for a couple of hours and when you arrive you will be seated with other guests.

You are able to arrive at any time when breakfast is open. Tea/Coffee is offered and there are a variety of juices and water available.

The buffet contained everything from a full English breakfast to continental favorites. Bread, cereals, and fruits were plentiful and always of really high quality. I’d find it very difficult to find any fault with anything in the buffet.

Saga River Cruise Lunch Options

There are two options for lunch. Guests can either have a 3-course meal in the main dining room or can have a ‘light lunch’ in the lounge. I tried both and they were great.

Main Dining Room Lunch

The sit-down lunch in the main dining room was very similar to dinner, the only difference is that during lunch guests are seated on a first come first serve basis. I quite liked this as it meant we got to chat with new people each lunchtime.

The options on the menu were varied and I never had a bad dish during the entire cruise. In fact, I never heard anybody say anything bad about any item of food for the entire cruise. Wow!

Light Lunch

I really enjoyed the light lunch. It was usually a collection of sandwiches/salads and things like pasta or soups.

Don’t be fooled by the ‘light lunch’ title, it definitely is possible to overeat. We were actually planning on leaving the ship one lunchtime when the smell of spare ribs wafted from the lounge… we decided, of course, to have lunch and then venture out.

Saga River Cruise Dinner

Saga has fixed tables for dining which will be given to you on the first night of your cruise. We were sharing with 4 other ladies all of whom were lovely. It’s always a relief to have nice table mates.

The dinner onboard is usually 4 courses, a starter, soup, main, and dessert. On occasion, other courses would appear such as a sorbet.

Our waiter would often give us another dish to share if he thought we should try a certain dish. We never really wanted the extra dessert but somehow always managed to eat it… funny that!

Saga River Cruise Food Quality

I’ve been on 23 cruises to date and I have to say that, in my opinion, the food served on Saga ships is up there with the best.

During my 6 night cruise, I didn’t hear a single complaint from any passenger about the quality of the food.

Saga River Cruises Include Some Excursions, Drinks with Meals, and WiFi

In addition to the transfers mentioned earlier, Saga includes a lot in their base cruise fare.

Are Excursions Included on a Saga River Cruise?

On our 6 night cruise, we had two excursions included. Plus a very strange bonus excursion on the first day which we didn’t expect. To read more about that, check out this post: Saga Danube River Cruise Daily Diary & Review. 

The excursions are mostly coach based. During our excursions we were given some time to walk around and those who were less able were given an option of waiting in a coffee shop.

Saga river cruises do not include daily excursions and the number of excursions offered does vary by cruise.

Having said this, cruise director Charlie was always available to do a ‘walk into town’ for the passengers who weren’t on an excursion. I thought that this was a lovely gesture as it helped the passengers to feel safer when exploring new places and meant that they knew where they were going when doing their own exploring.

Are Drinks Included on a Saga River Cruises?

Saga river cruises include drinks with meals. This includes beer, wine and soft drinks such as soda.

The ‘free’ drinks aren’t only available in the main dining room but they are also available in the main lounge when lunch is being served. Beer/wine isn’t served with breakfast.

Wine is Included on a Saga River Cruise

The wine servings were HUGE and most nights I didn’t have more than one other drink in the evening.

We actually only spent £42 on drinks during our cruise! Dinner is quite an event on Saga cruises and we often sat for quite a long time just chatting and getting our money worth out of the free drinks. There is only one seating of dinner you don’t have to be rushed out of the restaurant so can take as much time as you need.

A red, white and rose are available every night. This didn’t change during the cruise but I wouldn’t have wanted it too. I liked the rose. Check out those wine servings below!

WiFi is Included on a Saga River Cruise 

WiFi is included on Saga river cruises. The quality of the WiFi depends on where you are cruising at the time. Sometimes the WiFi was pretty good and other times it was awful. To use the WiFi you’ll need to get a password from reception and use this to log in.

Travel Insurance is Included on a Saga River Cruise 

Saga river cruises include travel insurance. This is a big benefit for a lot of their passengers who may find it expensive to buy travel insurance.

If you don’t want to take the travel insurance Saga will usually offer you a small discount on the cruise fare.

Saga Are a 50+ Cruise Line

Saga are a 50+ cruise line. The only exception to this rule is that guests 40+ may travel if they are cruising with somebody who is 50+. Having said this, I don’t think I saw anybody in their 40s on my Saga cruise, most were in their 60s or 70s.

You may have noticed that I am not 50! I’m 25.

Saga invited me on the cruise so that I could learn about it and report back here on this website and on YouTube , I also updated Instagram , Facebook and Twitter daily during the cruise. When the cruise was booked for me I went onto Saga’s website to try and order a brochure and it wouldn’t let me until I pretended I was 50, haha…

Despite the cruise definitely not being targeted at me I had a really great time and I’ll remember the cruise forever.

To read more about the cruise I took with Saga, check out this post: Saga Danube River Cruise Daily Diary & Review. 

To learn more about cruising with Saga, visit Saga’s website here .

If you are considering a river cruise but are not over 50 it may be worth checking out Emerald Waterways. I took a cruise with them along the Rhone and it was brilliant. To learn more read my daily cruise diary here: Emerald Waterways, Daily Cruise Diary, and Review. 

Free Insiders Cruise Line Guide

Enter your email address below:

• CruiseMapper

Spirit of the Danube cabins and suites

Spirit of the danube staterooms review, floor plans, photos.

Spirit of the Danube cabins and suites review at CruiseMapper provides detailed information on cruise accommodations , including floor plans, photos, room types and categories, cabin sizes, furniture details and included by Saga River Cruises (Saga Cruises) en-suite amenities and services.

The Spirit of the Danube cruise ship cabins page is conveniently interlinked with its deck plans showing deck layouts combined with a legend and review of all onboard venues.

French Balcony Cabin

Layout (floor plan).

Window Cabin

Spirit of the Danube cabins review

Saga Spirit of the Danube ship has mainly French Balcony cabins (with floor-ceiling, slide-opening window doors opening to a railing). The number of cabin categories is 9 (max capacity is 2 guests per cabin). Only Lower Deck cabins are with non-opening windows (located at water level and near the ceiling).

A total of 12 cabins are "Single" and can be booked without a single supplement (subject to availability). These rooms are in the category "Single Deluxe" with French Balcony (IS-Middle Deck, GS-Upper Deck) and "Single Standard" (KS-Lower Deck).

The Saga river cruise ship Spirit of the Danube offers as standard cabin amenities (provided complimentary to all staterooms regardless of cabin category) a hotel type Queen bed (convertible to two twin beds) sized 200 x 160 cm, with luxury bedding sets and pillows, ample wardrobe storage space, bedside tables, wall-mounted reading lamps, LED ceiling lights, individual air-conditioning (thermostat controlled), 220V / 110V voltage outlets. The seating area is furnished with two armchairs, a coffee/dining table, a mirrored vanity table (writing desk) with a chair, wall-mounted magnifying mirror.

All accommodations have private/en-suite bathroom (with glass-door shower stall, single-sink vanity, WC, hairdryer, premium bath amenities, plush robes), electronic safe box (in the closet), direct-dial phone (for shipboard use only), mini-bar (fridge), complimentary bottled water (supplied daily), smart HDTV (satellite reception, Infotainment system / Internet, movies-on-demand, real-time bridge cam views), free of charge WiFi Internet (shipwide coverage).

Complimentary alcohol (beer and wine by the glass) and soft beverages are provided during lunch and dinner. On MS Spirit of the Danube, Saga Cruises includes (as standard) in the fares gratuities (onboard tipping), beverages (beer, wine, soft drinks) and VIP travel transfers (from homes/hotels).

Spirit of the Danube cabin and suite plans are property of Saga River Cruises (Saga Cruises) . All floor plans are for informational purposes only and CruiseMapper is not responsible for their accuracy.

• Things to Do
• Restaurants
• Vacation Rentals
• Travel Stories
• Rental Cars
• Add a Place
• Travel Forum
• Travelers' Choice
• Help Center

Saga Vienna and Blue Danube River Cruise - Danube River

• Europe    
• Hungary    
• Central Hungary    
• Budapest    
• Budapest - Things to Do    
• Danube River

Saga Vienna and Blue Danube River Cruise

We have just returned from this 10 day cruise with Saga on the Filia Rheni 11 and overall - and this was our first ever river cruise - we had a very enjoyable time. We cannot speak highly enough of the staff and crew: they worked so hard and even when I went on deck at 7.00AM there were staff working on cleaning for the new day. Our cabin was larger than we expected and OK the TV didn't work, but we're on holiday and don't want to sit in a cabin watching! The food was excellent and more than adequate: in fact, far too much. We stuck to the light lunch rather than the served lunch of four courses! And having the three days in Vienna before the cruise meant that you had a chance to explore the city, something that no other cruise company give you. So, some points to bear in mind when booking. A river cruise ship is not an ocean liner: there is only one lounge, a very small pool and indoor exercise room. So don't expect the 'entertainment' and 'activities' you might get on an ocean cruise. My wife is 'dairy-free' and we had told our travel agent this and it had been passed on to Saga with our booking. However, there was some issue with this because it was assumed at first that 'lactose-free' is the same as 'dairy-free' so initially for breakfast my wife was given 'lactose-free' milk. Saga need to point out to the kitchen staff on these trips that 'dairy-free' means soya and that means non-diary spreads as well on the sandwiches and when they make cakes! More importantly, we were lucky on our trip. Walking through other ships when yours is berthed is no great problem, but what they don't point out in the brochures, is that if the river level is too low or too high, either the ship can't get through the locks or it can't get under the bridges and tourists get bused to sights as the ship can't sail. We were only delayed once by four hours at a lock at night so that our tour of Passau was curtailed because the boat as to keep to its schedule. And don't bother with the pre-booked excursions. They are expensive and not value for money. We paid £90 for our excursion to the Schonbrunn Palace. By the time the coach had got through the Vienna traffic, the guide had queued to buy the group ticket and explained meeting places and timings, we had about 20 minutes to see the gardens before our 45 minute tour and then 15 minutes afterwards, too little time to sample the 'best strudel in Vienna' that we had been told about ad nauseam on the coach by the guide! More experienced travellers in our party did the Schonbrunn on their own using the underground to get there: and they were able to spend many hours exploring at vastly reduced cost! The Kalosca City Walk was cancelled through lack of interest. This cost us £74 to pre-book. Instead a coach was arranged into Kalosca at 5 euros per person. It was a pleasant enough little town with a paprika museum: the folk museum was closed on the day we visited and the church would not allow any but pre-booked parties in. So how Saga can justify £74 for two people for a tour of this little town was beyond us. The Bratislava tour (£54) you can do far cheaper yourself. The only tour it was worth pre-booking was the Melk Abbey tour because you need transport to get up to the Abbey from the river. Saga need to realise perhaps that we might be pensioners, but we are active and many of the people we met on the cruise very experienced travellers. They are quite happy to be left to explore on their own, but also have come on a river cruise to relax on board rather than spend hours in a coach being taken to 'touristy' sights like an 'artists village'. But having said this, overall the actual cruise is good value for money, the only extras being (a) alcoholic drinks other than at meal times - being tea-total this was not a problem as water and tea/coffee is on tap and included - and (b) gratuities and quite honestly all the staff on board earned the 6 euros per person per day that we were asked to leave.

This was one of the best holidays we have had. We flew to Budapest where we were met by Riviera Rep and transferred by coach to MS Robert Burns. This was the boats first cruise so it was immaculate. A few little problems with WiFi and tv Our cabin was very nice with patio window and we were given a late lunch followed by cake and afternoon tea then dinner before we departed Budapest. There is plenty of good food on this cruise and the cakes are so tempting. Before dinner I walked along the river bank to see the holocaust shoes. This is well worth doing even though it was a good walk from our berth. This is not a cheap cruise but well worth the money and all excursions are included in the price. We were well looked after by our two Riviera Reps and it was a happy and friendly atmosphere on board. All excursions were well organised the high light being Vienna Excellent holiday and plan another river cruise in the future with Riviera

We sailed from Nuremberg to Budapest,stopping at Vienna and Bratislava. Superb cruise and food excellent and staff very attentive. Everything included. Would definitely do a river cruise again

The so-called Blue Danube River in Budapest is fast flowing and murky. Both banks are steep stone flood walls and there is traffic rushing by. Walking across the famous Chain Bridge is a good way to see the city’s sights even though it’s very crowded with no places to stop and reflect. Many visitors these days come to Budapest via large tourist river boats that dock adjacent to city center. You can take the obligatory photos of the famous Parliament building by simply walking along the sidewalk on the opposite bank of the river.

We did a sunset boat tour & it was really lovely to see the city coming alive at night. The sites are stunning, Parliament building, castle, the bridges, the relatively new theatre.. definitely worth a river trip

River cruise on Danube is the best way to explore Budapest sightseeing in one day ...during cruise you will see the house of Parliament, the chain bridge, Buddah castle and the fisherman Bastion. You can visit Margaret island by the cruise in certain trips as the schedule doesn't include the island in every trip.

Freckle and Curl

TUI Danube River Cruise Review

We completed our 7 Day Tui ‘East Danube Explorer’ river cruise in July 2022. In this article we will look to give you a better idea on what to expect if you were to book a TUI river cruise or similar. We will provide you with insight into both the good and bad.

We booked our cruise only a few weeks before the cruise itself. As a result, we got ourselves a great deal. This appears to be usually the case with Tui packages. As you get closer to the time and if there is available space, the price will dramatically decrease. In our case it was around a 50% price reduction. At the time of writing, if you were to book the same river cruise 1 year out, you would expect to pay £1449 per person (excluding any sort of room upgrade). We paid £798 per person, and paid an additional £364 as a room upgrade. We did not opt to have the all inclusive drinks package which was £20pp per night (£280 for a couple for the week).

The price includes:

• Full Board  – breakfast, lunch and dinner at two restaurants and a range of drinks are included; standard tea, coffee and juices with breakfast, as well as soft drinks, beer and wine with lunch and dinner.
• £120 per person as credit towards daily excursions (eg: tours)
• Transfers to and from the airport

2. The Ship

Our tour was on the TUI Skyla. This ship features:

• 2 Restaurants (one formal, one buffet)
• Spa (spa pool, loungers, sauna)

We found the ship to be great and challenge the other cruise companies that target a more luxury market. All rooms and facilities appeared to be new and modern. Most importnatly when travelling it is quiet, and all you could hear when moving was the sound of the water.

Free WiFI is onboard but we found it to be fairly patchy and non-existent in our room. As a result, we had to rely on mobile data.

see here for more specifics

We paid an additional £364 for the room (cabin) upgrade and we are thankful we did. If you do not opt for an upgrade you will be placed in a standard room at the deck 1 level.. Whilst the room itself is much like the others available, what you lose is the view. You’re effectively below the water level and have two port windows to peak out of at the top.

We selected the ‘Deck 2 French Balcony Cabin’ the great benefit of this option is the sliding doors that open up. You can relax in the comfort of your own room looking out at an unencumbered view as the world passes by.

The room featured a large double bed that was very comfortable along with equally high grade pillows. A TV with a few English channels (BBC, Euronews, Comedy Central – some shows in english and some not). Unfortunately the casting feature on the TV did not work in our room, I think because of the poor WiFi. Mini fridge was a great feature that allowed you to pickup your own drinks/foods from the towns and store these away. We purchased beer, coca-cola and a bottle of bourbon on day one which allowed us to sit nicely with a drink at our french balcony.

Plenty of storage spaces to unpack you’re personal items and clothes. The bathroom was fairly standard with a sink, toilet (like on an airplane), and comfortable sized shower. Pressure on the shower was not a problem at all. All tap water on the boat was filtered which allowed you to drink from the tap without buying any sort of plastic bottle alternatives.

All three meals are inclusive every day and in many occasions have the opportunity to decide whether to eat at the port location or onboard. Spotted around the ship were also Coffee machines with treats such as biscuits.

Breakfast time is between 7am-9am. There is a buffet option where standard breakfast foods are available. This includes full english breakfast items (beans, bacon, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, hashbrown etc), cereals, yoghurt, continental breakfast, and pastries. In addition to the buffet you have the option to order from the Chef. Through the Chef you can order eggs cooked to your preference, eggs benedict, and omelettes. For drinks you will be served standard coffee, tea or you can grab yourself a juice. We aren’t the biggest breakfast eaters and usually don’t bother eating breakfast, however on the cruise we did every single day in order to fill up before the activities shortly following. One downside we found with the breakfast was there was a lack of fruit options. We are fairly healthy eaters and between the meals we felt we were missing some of the standard nutrients we expect in our daily diets. Therefore when the option for fruit was there, we stocked up when we ordered. For snacks, we also grabbed a couple pastries at breakfast to take with us in our bags during the excursions.

Lunch/Dinner

Both Lunch and Dinner and three course meals with an appetiser, main, and desert. For each part of the meal you were usually presented with 3-4 various options including at least one vegetarian option. In terms of taste we were pleasantly surprised for most of the options we selected. There was always a standard chicken or salmon option but we tried our best to try the more unique options when they were available.

One of the nights had a special ‘Indonesian’ menu that was considered experimental. This was by far the best meal we had aboard the ship. So much so that we ordered two mains each (staff were more than happy to oblige!). This makes sense as much of the cooks are Indonesian or from other Southern Asian countries, allowing them to flex their traditional dishes. What we were disappointed to see was the turnout for this option from the other passengers. What we noted was that a majority of passengers aren’t the most adventurous when it comes to their meals. We certainly hope this continues in the future and hope TUI really push this option to passengers as I think they could have done a better job to recommend it.

For drinks the Beer and Wine was flowing. It was unlimited and in most cases your waitress/waiter could not wait to supply you with an more drinks (very handy when you didn’t pay for the unlimited drinks package). There were a few different Beer options with a light and dark beer variation. For Wine you had both White and Red with each night having a different bottle from a new region. The quality was very good, and much better than what we expected (we expected the cheap stuff – it was not).

During the long cruise day where we were moving from Belgrade to Budapest, we had to be onboard for more than 24horus. As a result, they planned a gala night to make things a bit more interesting. This included a 6 course meal where you only had to make one decision regarding the main. This felt quite fancy with the little beautifully presented dishes. Bon appetite (I think staff are told they have to say this, and you will hear it so often it will become quite funny).

Our criticisms of the food are limited to a few different areas. The meat options usually didn’t hit the spot in portion size and the vegetarian options (like pasta) sometimes felt like it was a bit bland and missing ingredients. We would have also hoped for a bit more international flavour to mix things up. However, you can still eat off ship when you’re at the ports if you’re a very picky eater.

5. Port Time and Excursions

One thing that this cruise does is organise optional excursions for you to pick. Included in your ticket price we were given £120 each to use towards excursions. This paid for around 4 excursions. If you wanted more, then it was pretty reasonable priced at around £10-40 depending on how much is involved. There was usually 1 or 2 different excursion options available each day, one in the morning and then one afternoon/evening based excursion.

In all ports a historical walking tour was an option. The guided were local and would provide a wealth of knowledge and answer any questions that you may have. In our rooms we were provided with ‘Vox boxes’ which were little frequency radios with earpieces which allows you to hear the guide from a good distance away.

Each excursion had a rating on how hard the physical activity was (ie Walking). This allowed an individual to decide what they could and could not do. We are young (30) and fit so none of the walking was difficult for us, but for some of the older folk, they did struggle. So it’s best to fully understand the amount of walking that is involved.

If you’re not wanting to do an excursion and instead want to do your own thing that you can do that. That’s what we did in a number of ports. Maps are provided at the front desk which does highlight some key sights which was helpful, but in most cases we just opted for google maps and trip advisory to plan our day. When leaving the boat pay attention to the time you must be back onboard, otherwise you might be left behind.

We did 3 TUI excursions on our cruise:

Wine & History In And Around Novi Sad – Novi Sad, Serbia

Overview: Fortresses, ancient cities and wine houses are all part and parcel of a sightseeing tour in Serbia. This four-hour tour starts in Novi Sad, Serbia’s second largest city. Follow your guide on foot to the mighty Petrovaradin Fortress, perched right on the banks of the Danube. You’ll have an hour to explore and find out how this stronghold became a centre for art and music. Then you’ll hop on a coach and drive to the ancient city of Sremski Karlovci. Take a 30-minute guided walk through its pretty streets before arriving at a wine house – a winery. This city has a rich history of wine production, and you’ll have an hour-long tasting session to find out more about it before heading back to your ship at Novi Sad.

Bohemian Belgrade – Belgrade Serbia

Overview: You can see Belgrade’s bohemian side on this tour. For starters, you’ll be taken to one of the city’s music halls for a folklore performance. This hour-long show gives you a taste of Serbia’s mish-mash past, with songs played using traditional Slavic instruments and dancers kitted out in authentic outfits. After, you’ll be dropped in Skadarlija, AKA the Bohemian Quarter. This place is more of a street than a quarter, but its cobblestone lane is brimming with some of the city’s oldest restaurants and bars. There’s the option of snapping up a traditional snack at one of the eateries – like grilled Serbian sausages or meat skewers, washed down with wine. Then you’ll hop on the bus back to the ship.

Lepenski Vir Archaeological Site and Golubac Fortress – Donji Milanovac, Serbia

Overview: This tour ticks off a pair of Serbia’s must-see antique attractions. After a 15-minute drive from the port, you’ll arrive at Lepenski Vir – an 8,000-year-old archaeological site that’s been dubbed ‘the first city of Europe’. In the museum here, you’ll watch a video presentation about the history of the area. Then you’ll head into the main hall to see what’s left of the old settlement. These remains were discovered in 1960, and historians believe they date as far back as 6500 BC. You’ll see where the old huts used to stand, as well as artefacts like carved stone heads and tools. When you’re finished, you’ll travel to the town of Golubac’s waterfront fortress. This giant stronghold was built in the 14th century, and sits on the shore of the Danube. During a riverside stroll, your guide will tell you about the battles that took place here between Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. And before you start the journey back to the port, you’ll have some free time to explore the castle on your own.

6. Onboard Entertainment

An itinerary is set for each day with a number of different hosted and self hosted events throughout the day. Generally each evening the onboard musicians will provide a few hours of music whether it be a DJ set of 80’s classic hits or cranking out a ballad. On the first night in Budapest there was traditional dancers who put on a show for the guests in the main function room. During the day there was the odd Yoga session and some small games on the top deck (shuffleboard and a homemade mini golf course). Throughout the ship there was various board games, card games, and chess/checkers boards. We honestly didn’t do much of this, and rather entertained ourselves on top deck or in our own room, however people certainly did enjoy all of these.

What we did enjoy was the first night when we left Budapest, the tour manager Tony gave a fact session as we first left the port along the Danube river in front of the beautiful lit up buildings including the parliamentary building. The same was also done when we were passing through the ‘Iron Gates’ which was absolutely stunning first thing after breakfast.

7. Demographics

If I asked you to imagine the type of people on a river cruise what do you imagine?…. well you’re probably spot on. River cruises in general do market and attract an older crowd and because TUI is British company you will end up with 95% of White British people above the age of 60. We are a 30 year old couple and we did stand out as a very strange sight to the rest of the passengers. Some other passengers would jokingly ask what us young people are doing and were very interested to get our thoughts on the trip, as we were an anomaly. Honestly we did expect to be much younger than the others but did expect to see maybe one or two couples of similar age (or below 45) but that certainly was not the case. It did not ruin the trip, but it did detract from the social side of things as it was always going to be a bit harder to fit in. Whilst we do live in the UK we are also still not British so that did add another component to feeling a bit like outsiders. Regardless we did not go into this trip expecting to meet a bunch of new friends or party it up. It was planned to be relaxing and fairly calm which it most certainly was. The crowd are fairly calm and level headed, so if you are used to a trip to Benidorm where you drink and party yourself into a coma, then look elsewhere, you won’t get what you’re looking for here. Same with if you’re under 55 and looking to make a bunch of mates on the trip, it’s going to be unlikely unless you do get along with much older people (eg: there was a lovely deaf couple celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary onboard). We must say though, that everyone we did talk to were really nice and certainly went out of their way to say hello. Our boat only had about 70 people onboard (max ~150) so you will see the same people and you will be on excursions with them (which has some forced mingling). Because of this, if you’re used to a normal big ocean cruiser where you can hide in the crowd, you won’t get that here. Many passengers are elderly and have mobility issues, so when on excursions or doing anything as a group just be prepared that it will be slower than what you’re used to.

8. Conclusion

Overall, the river cruise was a great value for money. It also ticked off a number of new places we had never been to before. There are a lot of different river cruise options, so definitely pick one where you prioritise the ports that sound interesting to you. TUI has done a fantastic job to have a more entry level cost to river cruising. In comparison to other companies running, TUI has undercut them by a hefty margin and I can’t see how others could really rationalise the extra cost. Would we do it again?…. at this stage probably not. It does feel like a one time thing for now (a once and done). However, that is not TUI’s fault, i think that’s more to do with the target demographic that this industry caters to. So until a river cruise company goes after working age people, we will give it a miss for now….. unless financially it makes more sense to do a river cruise to see new spots we want to get to. Are we glad we did it? certainly, definitely a novelty experience.

Similar Posts

48 Hours in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a wonderful European city that has so many things to offer, I have been 5 times now and there are still things on my to do list! Day 1 When you land at Schiphol Airport, the city, Amsterdam Centraal is a very quick and easy train ride away taking 20 minutes on a…

Our Experience in Fiji

Fiji – June 2016 We awoke at 3am quickly getting ready and looking out the window to see if the taxi had arrived. We jumped in and headed to the Christchurch Airport. To start was an hour twenty flight to Auckland, then an hour wait at Auckland airport for our flight to Nadi, Fiji. The…

Manchester Weekend Away

Manchester is one of the UKs major cities, and is known for being a party city. You can get there in just over 2 hours from London and it is a great way to spend a weekend or long weekend away from London. Things to do while in Manchester, Walking tour, if you have read…

How not to get scammed in Europe

The reality of the world is that if someone has money another person will be willing to cheat that person out of it for their own benefit. Being scammed really puts a damper on your trip and in many circumstances ruin your view on the country as a whole. The way scams work is that…

A Weekend in London

London is a great city, there are so many things to do and see, my to do list is forever growing and I have now lived here for 5 years! Here is a great way to spend your weekend in London! If you are arriving to London from an airport, look here for tips on…

Guide to Christchurch, New Zealand

Christchurch (Māori: Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island’s east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / Ōtākaro flows through the centre of the city, with an urban park along its banks. The city’s territorial authority population is 389,300 people, and includes a…

• Pingback: Are TUI Trips for 20s and 30s - Freckle and Curl
• Pingback: Unique ways to Travel - Freckle and Curl

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.