Overall a very good tour. Although our flight was on time, our late afternoon arrival in Budapest meant resulted in a drive through heavy rush hour traffic to the boat, leaving us no time to freshen up before the Captain's welcome party and dinner.
Cabins although small even by river cruise standards were comfortable and clean, with plenty of hanging and storage space. The advertised balconies on the top deck did not exist, although the windows did open as did those of the cabins on the deck below. The ship sat very low in the water, so the bottom of the window frames on the bottom deck were just above water level. Something for future travellers to consider, and maybe for JY to include this information for future cruisers. The ship is French owned and caters mainly to French quests. Besides our group of thirteen plus tour manager, there were only three other English passengers. All the staff spoke good English and were always friendly and helpful. All announcements and information were made in English.
Food was generally very good. Breakfast was buffet style, lunch and dinner were fixed menus, with waiter service. Lunch and dinner menus were published the night before, and alternatives could be requested if something didn't appeal or meet dietary requirements. A wide range of drinks was included in the price. Only premium spirits and wines were charged. Large bottles of water were always available at the bars. Of the twenty four set meals we ate on board, no dish was served twice!
A wide range of excursions was offered. I took the prepaid package, but it would have been easy to them book on board. The excursions covered so much. A taste of Budapest before we sailed gave us a flavour of this lovely city. Note to editor, could Budapest please be a city break? We had more time in Vienna, free time allowed some of us to indulge in the famous sachertorte.
After Vienna, we cruised through Germany, until we arrived at our final destination in Strasburg. Each of the German towns we visited had it's own character. Apart from one excursion, the English speakers travelled on a separate coach with our own English speaking guides. To describe all we saw in the towns and villages we visited would take a mini guide book! From mediaeval cathedrals and churches, the best reserved mediaeval town in Southern Germany, the amazing skyline of modern Frankfurt, and so much more. It was a real joy not to be continually packing and unpacking as we travelled.
Our only real problem was the cancellation of our return flight from Basle. However this was sorted and we were booked onto the next flight with the exception of the Scottish passengers who would have arrived too late for connecting flights and were given hotels rooms for the night and flights home the next day. Hope you've all now arrived home safely. Unfortunately, our rebooked flight was delayed leaving Heathrow so it was a very tired band who touched down five hours later than planned.
Problems with BA apart, it was a very enjoyable tour. One I would thoroughly recommend. Please can we have some more longer cruises in the not too distant future.
