seawob

I couldn't view it from the link here so I went on the website.  Great April Fools trick plus a good flash sale (not April Fools).

Bravo!  So happy the crew made their way home and that the organization worked so hard to make it so.  

My husband was an officer on the Windsurf and I'm sure he would have agreed with Strenz that the crossings are different than the port intensive cruises.  For one thing, they're much more laid back. Although there were activities (shipboard golf was one), guests entertained themselves and relaxed more.  He told me there were some cruisers who only liked crossings and who would return every year, meeting up with fellow travelers to continue their card games, knitting circles, reading groups.  

Thank you 2Lovetotravel.  That's good information to have.  How did you find it?

I've sailed on the Surf many times with very fond memories.  Sadly, I couldn't bring up the video of the lounge.  Are there any other pictures of interior changes - the rooms, the Compass Rose, etc?  

In September of 2017 we were told as we boarded a Viking ship at Nuremberg for a Danube cruise to Budapest we were told that the river was too low and we might have to swap ships mid cruise.  Then it rained.  We did have to swap ships but it was because the river was too high.  

Very well done!  Planning is one thing and you can but try to get it right.  On our Viking Danube cruise (early September in 2017) we were told after we boarded that the river was  low and we might have to swap ships mid cruise.  Then a few days later it rained and the river was too high so we still had to swap ships mid cruise.   

I posted earlier on the Danube water levels topic about a cruise I took early in September 2017. When we boarded we were told the water level would probably be too low and if so, we would be switching boats. It rained (and not a whole lot) after we started the cruise, and the water level became too high so, guess what - we had to switch boats.

I agree with the Student Bus Agency recommendation. You get the bus at the train station in Prague and it drops you off at the train station in Nuremberg where you can get a taxi to your boat.

Just realize that levels on the Danube can change quickly.

So true. We were on a Danube cruise the first week of September. After we boarded the boat at Nuremberg we were told we might have to swap boats mid cruise because the water level might be too low. Then it rained (and not a lot, but then again, I'm from Seattle) and on the 5th day of the cruise we had to swap boats at Linz because the water level was too high and the boat couldn't get under a certain bridge.

We cruised on the Danube with Viking the end of August to first week in September. I had visions of being able to get off the boat when it docked and wander through historic and lovely (maybe even quaint) towns at the river's edge. However, we had to switch boats mid cruise because the river was too high (or the bridges too low) in one spot. This may have caused the boat to not be able to dock in towns at their usual spots. We had a half hour bus ride from the boat to get to Regensburg and an hour plus bus ride back to where they had moved the boat. The next day we had an hour and a half bus ride from the boat to Passau. I think they moved the boat again but I can't remember how long it took us to return to it. I just know it was not near any town. The next day if you chose, you could go on a tour to Salzberg ( five hours total on the bus going and coming) and be returned to the second boat. I opted to bus to the second boat which was at Linz (a three hour bus ride). Altogether too much busing for me.

I think that the boat switch doesn't happen often, but it would be worth your while to research it. Pick a good time of year (I thought we had, but at the beginning of the cruise we were told we would probably have to switch boats because the Danube was too low, only to have to switch because it rained and became too high). Because of the switch and busing, Viking comped the passengers with some nice in-town lunches, an organ concert, the tour to Salzberg and a night time river cruise at Budapest.

The boat docked outside of Passau (an hour and a half bus ride to town). After we rejoined the boat from the Passau tour we packed our bags. The next day we could choose to either take the bus tour to Salzberg and be taken to the new boat, or bus directly to the new boat.

There were some impacts because of the swap. Repacking was not fun. I understand the portion of the river affected is quite lovely and so we missed that but since night cruising seemed to be the order of the day, I wonder how much we would have been able to see. The countryside as viewed by bus is quite nice, but they probably frown on passengers sipping German or Austrian beer and propping up feet as you would have been able to do on the boat. Viking provided extras such as the Salzberg tour. Some lines may do more, some less. In the end, we just viewed it just as something we couldn't control and made peace with that.

Everything happened on our boat swap as Gnome12 said. The second boat was identical to the first (except it had more bathroom supplies). Viking comped passengers to a Salzberg tour on swap day but as the bus ride was about 5 hours total I opted for a shorter (but over 2 hour) ride to the 2nd boat.

On our recent Viking Romantic Danube river cruise (9/1 to 9/8) from Nuremberg to Budapest we were advised before we boarded the boat that the river was low and we would probably have to swap boats mid cruise. When we got on the boat we were told that because of the rain there was a possibility of not having to swap boats. The next day we were told because of the rain we probably would not have to swap boats. The next day we were told because of the rain (now high river level) we would have to swap boats because mid cruise the boats could not get under the bridges. So we swapped boats. Go figure....

Well said, Real Property. So true!