This was my first river cruise and it was a delightful experience. I loved the small and intimate number of passengers and the resultant personalised service the wonderful crew members provided. There was no sense of rush or commercialisation or lack of patience, but there were sufficient numbers of people to keep my interest and provide variety for the meals we took together.

I didn't expect the Elbe to be so varied in its scenery and in its history. I also imagined it to be a smaller river than it is. So all was surprising. I was particularly taken by the sights around Saxony Switzerland, Dresden (despite the rain) and Wittenberg. Every place we stopped at was a milestone in European, world and Jewish history. So much of it was new to me. The crowning jewels of Potsdam and Berlin were the final icing on the cake. Fascinating places, with Berlin a real success story of a phoenix-like revival , but with an underlying heaviness of guilt, horror, sadness and still-to-this-day puzzlement at the brutality and inhumanity of some of the most cultured people in the world.

I think the entire package -- itinerary, fantastic crew, very intelligent and personable local guides, excellent food from a surprisingly young chef (26!) was terrific value for money and highly recommended.