This was our second Viking cruise and it was wonderful in some very unexpected ways. Five days before our cruise started we got an email from Viking that the itinerary had changed due to extremely low water levels in the Elbe river. Since the Beyla was built specifically for this river, the water must have been VERY low (it was). We later found out that about 20 people canceled when told of the change in itinerary and I'm very glad they did because it gave the wonderful crew more time for those of us that made the cruise. Both Viking and the crew did a great job of handling the situation and making the cruise a memorable one, especially the Program Director, Radim. They made sure that we saw all of the sites we were scheduled for and then added in some new ones at their cost. Viking did not create the low water problem but they did an outstanding job of handling the situation. The Chef (Bobby) and his staff made every meal memorable and the wait staff (Roy, Darwin and Will) was efficient, friendly and fun. Vivi did a great job of taking care of our stateroom and Georgi and Milena did a super job of taking care of everyone in the lounge.

While we only "cruised" one day from Wittenberg to Dresden, the crew did such a great job that we could not have had a better time if we'd cruise every day. The river was so low that the Beyla was actually sitting on the bottom at its berth in Dresden.

We did the 3-day extension in Krakow and thoroughly enjoyed that beautiful city and its sites. The only down side was getting to Krakow on a bus, which took 9 hours! Much of the delay was due to accidents on the highway causing traffic jams, but it was a tough ride. Krakow was worth it. The excursions included a walking tour (including the Castle and the largest market square in Europe), the Salt Mine, Schindler's Factory, the Old Jewish Quarter, and Auschwitz-Birkenau. All were well worth the time, and it still left enough free time to enjoy the city.