Cultural delights along the extraordinary Danube

“Anyone who loves classical music, art, history or the iconic 'Sound of Music' would really enjoy cruising the Danube,’ states Joanne, from our Westbourne shop, “But also anyone who just wants to relax onboard a beautiful ship and watch the world float by whilst enjoying great service would also love it…. and who doesn’t like the sound of that?!” Connecting 10 countries on the route from its source in Germany, the Danube flows past four national capital cities - Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade – before finally joining the Black Sea in Romania. Music is everywhere on its shores, from Mozart in Salzburg to Beethoven, Brahms, and Strauss in Vienna, and centuries of history are reflected in the stunning art, architecture and landscapes. Joanne stepped onboard Riviera Radiance for a 7-night cruise down this incredible waterway, and enjoyed every minute….

“Riveira made the whole process of joining the ship very easy, with clear instructions and reps at every stage to meet you, making for very smooth transfers. For anyone nervous about catching flights and worrying about travelling to the ship, it was very easy with lots of help along the way if you needed it. Once I was on the ship, we were warmly greeted and given a lovely light lunch before being shown to our cabins where our bags were already waiting for us. This made the whole process totally stress free.

Riveira Radiance is a beautiful new ship, and this was only her third voyage, so I felt very lucky to be onboard. The décor is modern and light, in shades of grey and heather with subtle textural and floral hints and crystal elements, which made it feel very luxurious. My cabin was on the top deck and had a mountain of comfy pillows. The floor to ceiling window opened fully and was perfect for watching the gorgeous river views drift by. There was plenty of storage space and the rain shower was simply amazing. Toiletries were of good quality and there was a kettle and coffee machine in my cabin, although I didn’t use this much as tea coffee and hot chocolate were readily available 24hrs a day and came with a constant supply of cookies. My cabin was cleaned twice a day, and I received a newsletter for the following day’s activities, a chocolate on my pillow and a couple of times a small gift, which was a lovely touch that I wasn’t expecting.

There are 3 restaurants onboard, all serving a variety of amazing dishes, The main restaurant changed its menu every evening, Mosaic had a set menu for the week and Riverside had a more casual burger / pizza / fish and chip menu at lunch and changed to a la carte in the evening. There really were enough options to suit all tastes, however the staff were more than happy to make you something different if you didn’t like the menu choices. The mushroom wellington at the Captain’s Dinner was my absolute favourite. There were free drinks onboard with lunch and from 6 to midnight, which I thought was a great extra.

There was plenty of room onboard and although the ship was full it didn’t feel crowded. We often chose to sit in the bar area at the front of the ship of an evening, but the lounge was popular with so many windows overlooking the river, and the roof deck with many sun loungers, hammocks and a plunge pool was lovely too, considering the glorious weather we had. Most evenings we were provided entertainment of sorts, often a piano player, but we also had a quiz night, Hungarian dances and a classical concert in Vienna which was really nice.  

Riviera include experiences as part of your fare, and I took part in all the included city tours, also enjoying some free time in Salzburg, Vienna and Budapest to have my own look around. The tour guides were all very knowledgeable and were very interesting, some of the places were a bit hilly and cobbled, and a few passengers struggled walking in the heat, so this is a consideration for those with mobility issues.

The Danube has so many beautiful and historic buildings, and the decoration in the cathedrals and churches blew me away.  It was good to see some of the “Sound of Music” locations in Salzburg too. I got to tick some artwork off my bucket list and took myself off to the Belvedere Palace in Vienna, where I saw the famous Kiss by Klimpt, as well as may other paintings. I would definitely recommend this to anyone with an interest in art.

At some locations there was a choice of tour, and some further optional excursions for a small charge, such as wine tasting, however there was more than enough included and with a busy itinerary like this it was sometimes great to just relax onboard the ship. I would recommend all of the tours I did, it’s very hard to single out a single city or sight as there were so many beautiful places. Esztergom Basilica surprised me the most, with so much gold and beauty, especially considering the area’s history of war and communism. Julia the guide was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic, I didn’t know much about the place before and she really brought it to life. A choir was singing in Vienna’s cathedral which gave me goosebumps. The lovely medieval, cobbled streets and vineyards of Durnstein were a stunning contrast to the bigger cities too.

The main age onboard the ship was around 60+ however there were some younger passengers, and I would happily advise any clients that want to see several locations without the stress of constantly moving and unpacking that this is a great option. Everyone on board, both passengers and crew were all so friendly, enjoying amazing service, great food and being treated to a bit of luxury. It really was the most relaxing trip.”

You can find Joanne at Westbourne, or to find you local shop click here.

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