My wife and I (and another couple) just finished a Danube River cruise on the Scenic Amber from Budapest to Nuremberg plus a three-day extension in Prague. We all had a terrific time. I can highly recommend Scenic Cruise Lines. We particularly liked the all-inclusive aspect of the cruise. No worries about a separate bar bill, or separate charges for side excursions, or tipping. Truly all inclusive.
The staff was outstanding. Whether early in the morning or late at night, they were always friendly and cheerful. We often remarked among ourselves how the staff could stay so cheerful given how busy they were all the time. Our cruise director, Szilvia, was a gem. She was friendly, helpful, knowledgeable, and very well organized. We were also impressed with the local contract guides for the various side excursions. Scenic did a very good job of vetting them. Several of them interspersed anecdotes from their own personal experiences as they guided us around the various sights.
We enjoyed all the excursions that we picked, but there were three particular highlights for me. (1) A special concert at the Palais Lichtenstein in Vienna ; (2) the cruise up the Wachau Valley (we stayed aboard the ship); and (3) the excursion to Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic. Our guide on the Cesky Krumlov trip, Rudolf, was particularly informative.
We had a balcony suite. Very nice cabin. Not huge but plenty big enough for us. Since it was a river cruise ship, I had expected a tiny shower, but I was pleasantly surprised at how roomy the shower was. Again, not huge, but it did not feel cramped.
Took a smaller riverboat up the Danube gorge to the Weltenberg Benedictine Abbey for a beer-tasting. The Abbey brewery has been operating for a thousand years!
Very interesting (and somewhat chilling) to hear about the early history of the Nazi regime. Startling and spooky to see the reviewing stand where Hitler watched all those big rallies that one sees in old newsreels from that era. But satisfying to see the reviewing stand and parade area filled with weeds.