AMSTERDAM TO BUDAPEST, PLUS PRAGUE
I recently embarked on an all-inclusive luxury river cruise with Scenic River Cruises, and had a wonderful time, experiencing so many magical places from iconic sites to hidden gems. The cruise was titled Jewels of Europe, starting from Amsterdam in The Netherlands, all the way to Budapest in Hungary, cruising the waterways of the Rhine River, Main River and Danube River. Then, to cap it all off, a few days in Prague afterwards, seamlessly organised by Scenic.
This cruise was taken in Autumn/Fall, from late October to mid November. We visited scenic landscapes, picturesque farms and vineyards, medieval towns and historic castles, romantic canals and ancient bridges.
The cruise also navigated through many river locks on the waterways which raise and lower ships through different water levels along the way, an interesting element of the trip I found fascinating to watch.
FEATURES OF THE SCENIC CRUISE SHIP
Cuisine & Beverages
Arguably the most important features on any cruises is the cuisine and beverages, and the Scenic River Cruise didn’t disappoint. The meals were delicious and varied each day, with buffet and a-la-carte menus, and fine-dining, reflecting regional cultures. The gourmet dishes were top-quality, with larger portions if you so desired.
A great selection of cocktails and top-shelf spirits were offered, along with wine pairings at meals, all included.
Coffee and tea machines were available for self serve around the clock, and room service at any time.
Staff & Butler
The friendly cruise ship Director and staff saw to all our needs and more. Everything handled with efficiency and nothing was too much. All the ship’s crew were very professional and attentive, they could not have done more for us. Anything we asked for was attended to immediately by the wonderful cruise ship personnel.
Each cabin was assigned a personal butler who assisted with anything we required in our suite, including laundry, ironing, early morning cuppa.
Suite
Our Junior Balcony Suite was on the Sapphire Deck close to the stairs, with easy access to reception, lounge and dining. The room was a reasonable size, with a balcony, sliding door and an external sliding window on the balcony aswell. The cabin was well-appointed, clean and spacious enough for everything, with ample storage for clothing and suitcases under the bed.
My favourite part of the cabin was the balcony. I loved waking up each morning to see what wonderful city or town we had docked in, and admiring the scenery whilst cruising.
The bed was comfortable and bathroom amenities were more than satisfactory with everything you could need.
The room was made up twice per day, bar fridge replenished and chocolates on the bed.
In the suite we were supplied with all things necessary for tours – drink bottles, speaker boxes and umbrellas.
The daily program of events was shown on our TV, detailing tour times, talks, activities, performances, departure time, etc.
Pre-dinner treats in our room each day were a lovely surprise too. Special invitations were also left on our bed inviting us to particular functions.
Entertainment
Entertainment and activities were provided onboard for passengers to participate in, from local musicians, dancers, and glass blowing, to trivia and games nights.
There was plenty of opportunity to socialise with other passengers on and off the ship and we met lots of lovely people of various ages, some older, some younger. Many were Australian, as well as Canadians, British, New Zealanders and Americans. Everyone was very friendly.
SCENIC RIVER CRUISE ITINERARY
The following is an outline of our Scenic river cruise itinerary, with the tours and excursions we selected in each port where the Scenic ship docked, and a brief description of each day’s activities.
For every port of call we had a choice of several tours and excursions, all included, and organised with local guides and buses. Our selections were usually made in advance, some we were able to swap. I would have liked to do more of the tours, but only one was possible each day due to overlapping times and limited numbers for each group.
We also appreciated having free time in the towns and cities to wander on our own, shop, dine and visit other sites, before having to re-board the ship at the allotted time. If we were docked overnight, it was possible to venture out to the town on our own in the evening.
DAY 1 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
We boarded the Scenic ship at lunchtime and were immediately offered a light lunch whilst docked at IJ Haven cruise terminal awaiting all passengers to embark.
We then checked into our suite, home for the next 15 days, met our butler and suite attendant, and proceeded to unpack everything and settle in.
We met some of the other passengers and staff, and explored the ship. I soon discovered the Salt Therapy Room, Bar and Top Deck which offered the best views of the panorama, both sides of the waterways.
Our Scenic River Cruise officially commenced with drinks and dinner in the huge dining room, and later, a welcome talk by our lovely Cruise Director and Enrichment Manager.
We stayed docked in Amsterdam for our first night.
DAY 2 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
To kick off our tours we chose to visit the village of Schermerhorn and the small city of Alkmaar, outside of Amsterdam. We were escorted by coach through picturesque countryside of canals and farms to visit the iconic windmills in Schermerhorn and its Museum, a uniquely Dutch experience. Going inside a windmill where people once lived was fascinating.
Then we were taken on a guided walking tour of nearby Alkmaar, a gorgeous city of canals and traditional dutch-style buildings. The city is famous for its cheeses and the popular cheese market. The most eye-catching of buildings is the Waag in Alkmaar’s central square, adorned with murals, statues and gold detailing.
DAY 3 - Cologne, Germany
We cruised on the Rhine River crossing the boarder from The Netherlands to Germany, through the city of Düsseldorf, and docked in the city of Cologne.
We took a walking tour of the old town, then some free time to wander around the historic streets on our own. The Cathedral of Cologne is the most visited monument in Germany and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its Gothic style and for taking more than 600 years to build.
In the evening we were fortunate enough to experience a fabulous cultural event at the exquisite La Redoute Hall in Bonn. Arriving by coach, we enjoyed an elegant dinner in the Beethoven Room with a musical performance by a 4 piece string ensemble playing classical pieces by Beethoven and Mozart. This room is named after Beethoven, as it is where he was discovered. Many dignitaries have graced these premises, including the Queen and Princess Diana.
DAY 4 - Rhine Gorge and Rüdesheim, Germany
The picturesque Rhine Gorge, between Koblenz and Rudesheim, is peppered with 40+ historic castles/fortreses on the hills, both sides of the river. The ideal spot to view these beauties is from the sundeck on top of the ship, where we spent several hours taking in the stunning sights.
The town of Rüdesheim was a captivatingly beautiful part of the country, filled with adorable streets and buildings. We had a short tourist train ride up the hill to visit the unique Siegrieds Music Museum in a historical building called Brömserhof from the 1400’s. The mechanical musical instruments were something I had never seen before.
Afterwards we had the opportunity to take a cablecar ride up to the hilltop park and national monument, where we enjoyed spectacular panoramic scenery of the Rhine River, vineyards and towns on both riverbanks.
DAY 5 - Main River, Miltenberg & Wertheim, Germany
Leaving the Rhine River, we then cruised the picturesque Main River through the region known as the wine capital of Germany, and arrived in Miltenberg, which has one of the most charming Old Towns I’ve seen.
We had a tour guide show us around Wertheim and the Old Town and then were escorted by coach to tour a local winery nearby where we met the winemaker and sampled some of the produce, whilst learning about wine production in the area, of course. This lovely German winery is Weingut Alte Grafschaft in Kreuzwertheim. A certain someone may have made a purchase and held up the group.
DAY 6 - Würzburg, Germany
A fabulous day spent in this gorgeous Baroque city, surrounded by vineyards, with a splendid palace and fortress. We enjoyed a walking tour of the city and a visit inside the stunning palace called the Würzburg Residence, a World Heritage site. Marienberg Fortress sits on the hill, an energetic hike, but it was closed for renovations.
DAY 7 - Bamberg, Germany
We docked along the Regnitz River, off the Main River, in the beautiful city of Bamberg in Bavaria, which features a medieval Old Town, Bamberg Cathedral and the stunning palace called Neue Residenz Bamberg, including a famous rose garden and the State Library.
We enjoyed a walking tour with a local guide and spent free time wandering the Old Town and walking the river promenade, admiring canals, muralled walls and historic landmarks.
Bamberg is also famous for rauchbier, a smoky lager that tastes like bacon, in my opinion. It wasn’t to my liking, but be sure to try it for yourself. We sampled it at Schlenkerla Brewery.
DAY 8 - Nuremberg, Germany
A wonderful day was spent visiting the Imperial Castle of Nuremberg and the delightful Old Town and its medieval architecture with a local tour guide.
A highlight was the intricately adorned historic fountain, Schöner Brunnen, in the main square and the Church of Our Lady, Frauenkirche. The city’s small islands and bridges in the Pegnitz River are charming which we explored a little after the tour.
Nuremberg was also the location of former Nazi party rallies and war trials, where you can visit the memorial site commemorating victims.
DAY 9 - Regensburg, Germany
Another historic town in Bavaria with a well-preserved medieval centre, including the oldest monastic brewery in the world since the year 1050. Regensburg sits on the Danube River, one of the most famous rivers of Europe and has one of the oldest bridges in Germany, from 12th century.
We chose a tour to visit the Castle of Thurn and Taxis, a German noble family, who operated a large part of the postal system in Europe for centuries and were granted Princely titles.
DAY 10 - Passau, Germany to Schögen, Austria
Crossing the border from Germany to Austria, we left the ship in Passau and chose a full day excursion to visit the beautiful city of Salzburg, Austria, across the border, by coach.
All Day Trip to Salzburg, Austria
The delightful city of Salzburg is famous for being the birthplace of Mozart, and perhaps more notably, the location of the famous movie, The Sound of Music, which I enjoyed visiting.
These are ‘a few of my favourite things’ (see what I did there?) in the city of Salzburg, other than the home of the aforementioned musical – the Hohensalzburg Fortress perched above Mirabell Palace, the gorgeous Old Town, the picturesque Salzach River, and the oldest operating restaurant in Europe called St Peter Stiftskulinarium at St Peter’s Abbey, which we had the pleasure of dining at with our tour group.
We then boarded the ship in the town of Schögen.
DAY 11 - Dürnstein and Krems, Austria
A small medieval town, Dürnstein is a charming part of Austria on the Danube River. A stroll along the Danube was a highlight of the town, admiring vineyards, Dürnstein Castle ruins and other historic buildings, most notably the baroque Dürnstein Abbey with the blue tower.
Our excursion today was to the Göttweig Abbey sprawled on a large mountaintop setting near Krems, with panoramic views of the Wachau Valley. This Benedictine Abbey has had working monks for 900 years. You can even book a tranquil retreat here and stay in one of the guest rooms.
DAY 12 - Vienna, Austria
One of my favourite cities and a highlight of the trip was the delightful city of Vienna, capital of Austria, which is famous for the Habsburg Monarchy. I could have spent days in Vienna exploring sites including the Hofburg Imperial Palace, Maria-Theresa Square, Austrian Parliament Building, St Stephen’s Cathedral, the beautiful Plague Column monument, St Francis of Assisi Church and more. Today we took a guided city tour and had a little free time for lunch with fellow cruisers.
In the evening, we were all taken by coaches for a special event at the prestigious Palais Liechtenstein in Vienna, and treated to an exclusive private classical concert with renowned orchestra playing Strauss and Mozart, accompanied by opera singers and ballet dancers. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience and seeing the grand palace belonging to the Princely family of Liechtenstein.
DAY 13 - Vienna, Austria & Bratislava, Slovakia
Today we had the option of either enjoying more of the splendour that is Vienna, or taking a special day tour to neighbouring Bratislava, capital of Slovenia. These two cities are the closest capitals in Europe.
As much as I wanted to see more of Vienna, I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity of going to another country, one that I probably won’t see on my own. So off we went to Bratislava by coach on a tour with a local Slovakian.
Bratislava was surprisingly quite charming, with a delightful Old Town, Blue Church, a historic hilltop castle and the UFO Bridge. Our guide lead us through the Old Town centre, introducing us to this interesting city.
Afterwards, during our free time, we discovered a unique coffee shop called Konditorei Kormuth that was more of a museum/art gallery, and the Golden Compass showing distances to other cities in the world.
Then, back to Vienna where our cruise ship awaited us for the next and final port of call.
DAY 14 - Budapest, Hungary
This is the last official stop of the cruise, the capital city of Hungary, another highlight of the journey. Budapest is made up of 2 districts, Buda and Pest, divided by the Danube River. As we sailed through in the morning whilst having breakfast, we passed by the most impressive building I’ve ever seen, the Hungarian Parliament. What a stupendous site to behold!
There were 5 different tours to choose from today and we chose Budapest in Depth, a coach ride and walk through Buda and Pest. We were shown Garden of Philosophers with marvellous views of the city, including Buda Castle, St Stephen’s Basilica, Heroes’ Square. We then chose to walk across Liberty Bridge, to Great Market Hall, Cave Church and wander on own. I then found the fascinating Cave Church and the St Gerard Sagredo colonnade in Gellért Hill. I would happily have spent more time in Budapest.
In the evening a very special treat, not on the official itinerary, the captain took the ship for a nighttime cruise up and down the Danube to see the spectacular city lights, best viewed from the top deck. A wonderful way to finish our Scenic River Cruise.
POST-CRUISE EXTENSION
DAY 15 to DAY 18 - Prague, The Czech Republic (Czechia)
Scenic offer a post-cruise extension which we selected in advance, a 3 night stay in Prague, capital city of The Czech Republic.
After disembarking the cruise ship in Budapest and saying our goodbyes, a group of us travelled by coach from Budapest to the capital city of Czechia, Prague. It was however, a long journey of 8 hours (approx. 500km), with various stops along the way, including a luncheon. Luckily the ride was comfortable and I managed to get some shuteye.
I’d been wanting to visit Prague for some time and it certainly didn’t disappoint. We arrived in the evening and immediately went on a short walk with the group and our lovely guide, then off exploring to find a place for dinner on our own.
We stayed 3 nights at the lovely NH Collection Prague Carlo IV Hotel, walking distance to the centre of Prague and the enchanting Old Town. This was one of the most captivating historic towns I’ve seen, with mesmerising sites such as the beautiful Charles Bridge, the splendid Medieval Old Town, the enchanting Prague Castle, St Henry’s Tower, Wenceslas Square and the Rotating Head.
We selected 2 tours, a walking tour of the Old Town and Bridge, and a visit to Prague Castle up the hill by coach. Both were wonderfully enriching experiences.
We were fortunate to also have plenty of spare time to explore further by ourselves and got to know more of this exciting capital known as the “city of a hundred spires”. I didn’t count them all.
I was very pleased to have selected this extension to our Scenic River Cruise.
Cruise Summary
The European cruise was a wonderful and enriching experience and a fabulous way to visit so many places with ease and no stress. It was a floating boutique hotel that moves to new destinations without the need to pack and unpack, arrange connecting modes of transport and associated logistics.
Everything was well organised and cruise staff and crew very professional.
The small towns were beautiful and serene with no crowds. The larger iconic cities were stupendous and left me wanting to experience more. Local guides were all very knowledgable and friendly.
I look forward to my next river cruise in the future.
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