Blog du Wren

Recap of Danube Cruise

To some people, "cruise" is 4 letter word. I often find myself evangelizing to often bewildered people, as I'm not the type. And while I do understand many of the downsides of cruises that the nay-sayers say, I typically find the positives outweigh the downsides. But there's a whole other post in that. There's probably another complete post weighing the difference of ocean cruises to river cruises too, but that's not why we're here. We're here to recap my Christmas cruise on the Danube River.

The itinerary was simple, 7 days basically going from to Budapest and back with a few stops along the way, notably and less notably Melk, , and * In between "ports", there were maybe two 3/4 days of sailing where we could watch the shore go by. Mostly, though, they did a good job of motoring along while we were sleeping so time in the cities were optimized.

You've heard me rave about cruises before and I'm afraid that won't be the case here. It's not that there was anything bad about this trip, but it had a few strikes against it that weren't its fault. But before we get into the downsides, let's highlight the good!

The Good

I loved docking right in the middle of the cities. I was out walking around the cities' main squares within 10 minutes of leaving breakfast (vs. on an ocean cruise, the port is often logisticially difficult to get to and from.) Also, since our destinations were so close together, we'd leave a town in the morning and be to a new one after lunch.
The crew was really really great. They were almost all Ukrainian and they were just the right mix of respectfully distant and engaging*.
My room had a view(!) albeit a small one. But having natural light makes a huge difference vs. the closet you sometimes feel like you're in on an ocean cruise ship.
The food will fall into both the good and the bad categories. On the good side, the meals were really top notch, with fancy plating, WAY too much silverware, and 3 options for every meal (in addition to soup, salad, and dessert). Rack of lamb, borscht, seafood pasta, roast duck, pasta bolognese—not a bad selection at all. Plus the portion sizes were pretty small (or, as I like to call them, normal person sized) so it kept me from overeating too much. Also, the breakfast buffet was quite nice.
The crew, again, did a great job making Christmas feel special, with extra little touches like origami napkins in the shape of Santa's boot, christmas cookie decorating class, and a free drink with Christmas dinner.
The itinerary was really great. Being able to see Vienna, Budapest, and Bratislava without having to pack and move hotels was great. The three little cathedral towns were a great counterpoint to the big cities, too. And the shores along the Danube were very pleasant to watch drift by.

Let it be said that I don't hold the "bads" against Crucemundo, the crew of the MS Fidelio, or anything. It's more just an observation on my experience that I want to share and also capture for the next time I'm thinking of cruising.

The Bad

Cruising alone isn't very much fun, at least for me. Traveling alone in general doesn't suit me, but cruising esp. feels like being at a couples dance stag. There were 4 of us solo English speakers (2 Brits, one Australian) that they stuck at a table together and we made the best of it: checking in about people's plans, building a repport, etc. But for me, I'd rather be non-solo. Or maybe it just really made me miss Della.
The amenities on a river cruise are necessarily less than its bigger ocean partner. No performance halls, mini-golf, pools, cafes tucked everywhere, spas, nor multiple eating options (notably no buffet).
The cost (more of a breakdown later) was roughly twice per day the most expensive ocean cruise Della and I ever took. Again, this is merely an economy of scale issue and you'd be hard pressed to find a river cruise for what I paid for this. But when looked at it side-by-side, it feels worth noting.
While the food was great, it definitely lacked a lot of the flexibility I have experienced on previous cruises. Dinner was at a specific time as opposed to an open buffet. There were just 3 options, always one fish, one meat, and one veg. And if something was good, you couldn't get more. And you couldn't not get something you knew you wouldn't eat (I'm looking at you, brussel sprouts.) And there was nothing except tea and coffee for between meals and late night snacking.

The cost breakdown is this: I came across this as a "Black Friday Deal", at more than 50% off. The original advertised price was $450 which, in terms of river cruises, is very good. After taxes, port fees, single supplement, and tips, it came to more like $835(!). Additionally throughout the week, I spent maybe $20 on public transportation, museum entry, and maybe a postcard or two. Again, while good for a river cruise, much better per day rates can be found on ocean cruises.

Overall, I'm glad I went. While not something I would necessarily glowingly recommend to someone, I had a good time and it was a pleasant way to spend my Christmas. It also gave me an idea of what river cruises are like, so if the occasion arises again, I will have a basis for comparison. It definitely added to the texture of my Europe 2022/23 trip and for that I'm grateful.

Sunday January 1 2023

File under: travel, cruise

Toggle Comments (1)

comment?

on Thu 05th Jan, 2023 10:45 pm CST Richard said:
Hi Wren,
A nice surprise to receive your post card from Poland. Also a bit surprised about the "cruising" you have been doing. guess I forgot that you and Della had been on big boats before. I know what you mean about solo travel. I have done it, but usually feel lonelier than when I left. Kind of like when you see a lovely sunset, you want to share it with someone. From your last paragraph, it sounds like you are now home. thank you for thinking of me when so far away. My Christmas was rather boring, so you had the better deal. Though I still have my $850. Happy New Year!
Richard
************************

<<Biking Vienna to Budapest

Twas the Night 2022>>

Name:
URL: (optional)
Comment:
speak yer peace