We didn't know what to expect for October 19-27 on the Danube but we lucked out and the fall colors were at their peak and absolutely stunning! The weather was in the 60s all week, too. I know no one has control of the weather but the good weather sure added to the enjoyment. The Vista is just a year old and very nice. The staff was always cheerful and helpful. There were only 145 out of a possible 165 passengers and I'm sure that also helped.
Our tour director was Mark and he was the Dutch epitome of Alistair in As Life Goes On, a PBS TV show. He seemed to be able to solve any problem. One elderly couple had an accident in Prague and the lady had to be hospitalized for a day or two. Mark arranged transportation, etc., for them to resume the trip. They could not say enough good things about Mark. Embarking and disembarking were effortless and went off without a hitch.
The excursions were good. There was a daily one included at each stop and the guides, especially our guides in Bratislava and Budapest, were excellent. The exception being our guide in Vienna, who was just average. The two extra excursions we paid for were night ones - concert in Vienna and the night tour of the lights of Budapest. Both were well worth going on.
Our cabin was on the bottom of the ship - without a full wall of windows. Our windows were neck level so we could see out a bit. The cabin was adequate. Could have used a bit more lighting as finding things in the cabinets was by touch only. More movie choices on the TV would have been nice.