The start and the end of the vacation is the horror story, the middle of the vacation was very good. I'll start with the bad part. After departing our first airport a little late due to plane issues, we missed our international connecting flight. After multiple rebookings due to weather and spending 2 nights at Atlanta and one night at JFK we finally arrived late in the day on day 3 of our cruise with no luggage. Luggage didn't arrive until day 7 of the cruise. Due to the late arrival we missed all of Budapest and all the activities of Vienna. Now here's where the horror story really got ugly. When we returned Delta apologized for the flight delays and said they would refund our ticket price but since Viking bought the ticket they would get the refund and we should contact the purchasing agent. When Viking was contacted they refused any refund and said that the cruise included free air so we were not entitled to any compensation. Therefore I will not cruise with Viking again ever.

Once we were on the cruise, the scenery and stops were beautiful. River cruising is so different from ocean cruising due to the constant scenery while underway. We encountered low water at the continental divide so we were bussed passed the low water area and transferred to another ship that was cruising from Amsterdam. The ships were identical and the transfer was not a big hassle. I did want to see the river around Regensburg and the continental divide but river conditions dictate that decision. Due to the low clearance of the overhead obstructions at the locks, the upper deck was closed for a few days starting around Nuremberg. I believe this would happen even if the river levels had been different. The castles, cathedrals and palaces are all very interesting in their own ways. The cathedrals are amazingly beautiful.

The Danube-Main-Rhine rivers are a great venue for a cruise. I just regret the way I was treated after the difficulty of getting to Budapest. One other thought, don't think that because you have trip insurance your losses will be covered. This is where the fine print comes into play and the insurance company is the policy interpreter.