When I retired from teaching after 40 years of service, I wanted to celebrate my new life with a European river cruise. We chose the Grand European Tour for 2 reasons. The first reason was that it was highly recommended by friends and family and the second reason was that a close friend had already booked on this particular cruise. As my husband is an amputee, it seemed like a good idea to travel with someone we knew, just in case there were difficulties. However, we needn't have worried about that, as from the moment we arrived in Budapest until the time we departed the cruise in Amsterdam, we received amazing support and guidance from the whole Viking crew. Embarkation and disembarkation went smoothly because all the crew was involved.

The food and wine were delicious and plentiful, prepared and served by attentive and friendly crew members. The focus on food and wine specialties of the regions we were visiting increased our enjoyment and added to our cultural knowledge and understanding of those areas; but there was also a wide variety of alternatives to satisfy everyone's food tastes and requirements. I can't live without fruit and salad and they were available with every meal!

The ship's facilities, such as the walking track (which I personally loved - fresh air, exercise and beautiful scenery), the sun lounge and the indoor bar and lounge, provided ample opportunity for travelers to relax alone or to meet up with others in a comfortable central location. The entertainment presentations and daily briefing by the Tour Director in these areas were fun and informative and the advice regarding tours suitable for my husband was always appropriate. Read more