We went with a group of friends and booked well in advance. It was our first river cruise, so we weren't sure what to expect. We spend one night in Budapest before boarding the boat. We would highly recommend the Hilton Budapest on the Buda side. The view is magnificent. We loved the Viking level of service and the fact that is is all inclusive, unlike ocean cruises where they continually try to up-sale you. The food was delicious and the service was excellent. We liked being one of 180 passengers rather than one of thousands. The city tours were all top notch. We loved the "quiet boxes" that you keep charged in your room. You take them on your tours and can easily listen to your guide without having to huddle around to hear. You have to be prepared for unscheduled changes due to the river. In our case, the German government shut down the last lock for maintenance, so Viking bused us to a hotel in Nuremberg for our last night. The buses were Mercedes and very comfortable. We felt like Viking did everything they could to keep everyone happy. One of our optional tours was cut short and they are supposed to refund half of the cost - we are still waiting for that. We would definitely travel with Viking again.
Our cabin was very well thought out with maximum use of a small space. There was plenty of storage and the shower was a big plus over ocean cruise cabins. We had the French balcony and loved the view. It was a bit chilly to sit on a balcony, so the sliding door was just right.
We had a walking tour of the old town, unfortunately, our guide here was not up to par. He went to fast and mumbled.
The lock was closed, so Viking bused us to the Le Meridien Grand Hotel. The hotel was very dated and the food was mediocre, but you could tell Viking was doing their best to keep us happy. Loved Nuremberg. Would recommend the WWII tour. The guide was very knowledgeable. Unfortunately, the tour was cut short.