Viking house wine & Marriott pre/post

[Bob7]

Just got off the Var/Tor after the Romantic Danube, ppl were asking what the Viking house wine was ... it's Austrian, and the label for the red reads Morwald - Blauer Zweigelt. We found it kind of peppery, bit of spice, more than fruity. Don't have any reviews of it. We and several others were ok with it, a few ppl were not. Free at lunch and dinner, along with beer, which was quite light, sort of like a Coors light.

Now we're at the after-cruise Marriott, lovely hotel, right on the river, all rooms face the river. We upgraded to the Exec Lounge, free food and booze till 9:30pm, top floor, view to die for, outdoor patio if you want, for 75 euros per room per night. If you are Marriott rewards above the basic level it is cheaper. If you want that, tell the Viking rep when you are transferred to the hotel and they will talk to the desk and set it up. Free wifi and some other perks too. The Vaci pedestrian shopping street is right behind the hotel, and the boardwalk in front is a scene at night, cafes, music, lights across the river, lovely.

-Bob

[aquilegia]

I don't quite understand this post. When we were on Viking last year, the wines served free with dinner were different each day.

[remydiva]

I don't quite understand this post. When we were on Viking last year, the wines served free with dinner were different each day.

 

Not when we did the last two Viking cruises...same two wines each and every day. The Dec 2012 Danube the wine was swill.

But this April Rhine cruise the white was a Reisling and the red a Pinot Noir and both were superb.

 

 

[3red7s]

Hello Bob7

We are headed to Budapest/Marriott on 8/17 prior to our Viking Budapest>Nuremburg river cruise. Happy to hear you were pleased with the hotel. Do most folks speak English? We are planning to do the Parliament Bldg & the Baths. Are there any other suggestions that you may have? thx

[franski]

Hello Bob7

We are headed to Budapest/Marriott on 8/17 prior to our Viking Budapest>Nuremburg river cruise. Happy to hear you were pleased with the hotel. Do most folks speak English? We are planning to do the Parliament Bldg & the Baths. Are there any other suggestions that you may have? thx

 

You will be quite central at the Marriott.

 

We have never had any challenges with language when we have been there. There is usually someone around that speaks English - especially when you are in the heart of the tourist area - as you will be.

 

Lots to see in Budpest - and very easy to get to from the Marriott. If you like to walk, you can easily walk to the Central Market - well worth a visit (and a great source for Paprika if you are interested). Across the river from the Market is the Church in the Cave.

 

If you walk over the Chain Bridge to the Buda side, you can take the funicular up to the Castle district. Fisherman's Bastion is up there - but you may get to see that in an included tour. St. Stephen's cathedral is also up there... (the first of many St. Stephen's cathedrals - if you cruise the Danube!!) The Hospital in the Rock is also on the Buda side.

 

The Shoes on the Danube memorial is just past the Chain bridge - on the Pest side. There is the House of Terror Museum. There is also the Synagogue on the Pest side.

 

Memento/Statue Park is a bit further out --> but an interesting place to visit. We booked a private ride/drive with a guide in a Trabant - my husband loved that.

 

Not sure how you are getting to the hotel from the airport, but I can recommend a private transfer if you are interested. We have used the service twice - and found his rates reasonable.

 

I am sure you will enjoy your time in Budapest. It is one of our favourite cities in Europe.

 

Fran

Edited August 8, 2015 by franski

[nancyevans]

It's Matthias Church that is by the Fisherman's Bastion. St. Stephen's Cathedral is on the other side of the river.

[pontac]

I think Viking have expanded so fast that the winery that supplied their house wines an no longet meet demand on all ships.

 

The first two cruises I did had the same house wines, both from the same winery (Morwald) in Austria which Viking claims is 'their' winery*.

 

Austrian wines are not cheap, the white was the fashionable Groovy, aka GV, Gruner Veltliner and the red is Zweigelt.

 

Douro had local Poruiguese wines which changed day by day, also good from named wineries.

 

Bordeaux, which is a wine featuring trip, had different wines every day relating to the appellation the boat was in.

 

Rhone - despite travelling through some great winelands had a non specific, non vintage branded basic table wine, Merlot & Chardonnay, neither of which were good. Often the Merlot was unpleasant, I think because the bottles had cork closures and they'd opened them in advance, and some maybe at the back of the serving table had been opened far to long by the time they finally got served.

 

(they didn'thave this problem in Bordeaix or Douro because the wines changed each day, and the Austrian wines were closed with a screwcap so were opened as requested.

 

 

*It's not clear if they own the winery, or more likely just buy the output and have their own label stuck on it.

 

 

Above refers only to red & white wines served at meals. Sparkling is mostly own labelled semi-sweet German Sekt which waitstaff insist on calling Champagne, which it's not in any sense, and pink wines seem to vary by boat..

[3red7s]

Fran....thanks for all the great travel suggestions.....It seems like we will have more than enough to see. Since this is our 1st time in Europe, we paid Viking to handle everything, so they will be transferring us from the airport to the Hotel....thanks again

[franski]

It's Matthias Church that is by the Fisherman's Bastion. St. Stephen's Cathedral is on the other side of the river.

 

Thanks for reminding me - St. Stephen's is close to Cafe Kor (one of our favourite restaurants....)

 

DH and I laughed as we travelled the Danube - there was a St. Stephen's in almost every city we visited!!!

 

Fran

[Bob7]

Hello Bob7

We are headed to Budapest/Marriott on 8/17 prior to our Viking Budapest>Nuremburg river cruise. Happy to hear you were pleased with the hotel. Do most folks speak English? We are planning to do the Parliament Bldg & the Baths. Are there any other suggestions that you may have? thx

All I can add to the others is about shopping. Take the #2 tram outside the hotel, the closest stop is just north of the hotel going north not south, right to the end of the line, and walk a few blocks to the huge West End Mall, it will show up on Google maps. And for the Arena mall take the underground metro #2 or 4 to the Naglieri P (sp?) stop and walk a few blocks. The mall also shows up on Google maps. The huge covered Market is near the hotel, take #2 tram south a couple stops, the a 1 block walk, also on Google maps. Gift shop in the hotel sells tram/metro tickets, which work on all transport, 350 HF, no transfers except metro, so about a buck and a half each, very cheap. Validate them when you enter the vehicle, big fine if the inspectors catch you with a non-stamped ticket. Everyone in the shops speaks enough English to make a sale, very friendly.

[Bob7]

I don't quite understand this post. When we were on Viking last year, the wines served free with dinner were different each day.

The others are right, same wine every day. The liquor package is about $150 pp times how many are in the cabin, hard to drink that much.

[Capt_BJ]

recently off a Viking on the Danube (ALTA)

 

the wine was NOT the same every day ... the menus at dinner pointed out the days selection

 

I'm not gonna claim it was GREAT but there IS a wine list to buy better

 

there is also a FREE beer, or the option to buy better/different (matter of opinion)

 

as wine/beer sluts we were happy with both as they met our primary decision factor . . . INCLUDED

 

we could have bought a booze package to cover better (daily the desk reminded us we were NOT using our large OBC) but we were 'happy'

 

actually the waite staff got to know us and b4 we left the dining room nightly, they came and topped off our glasses with the dregs they might have otherwise thrown away.

[janecambridge]

There are two Marriotts in Budapest.One by the river and the other is more central but not in a very nice area..

If you can,make a booking for the restaurant Robinsins on the lake at heroes square. The tour buses stop there so easy to get to..On a hot day book to sit outside.beautiful setting and wonderful food.

Also try a Ruin Inn.New bars in Budapest,mainly in the Jewish quarter.The most popular one being Szimpla...Quite unique places set up amongst old ruins of houses,outside courtyards.Very quirky..

Other places to visit have been mentioned already.

We loved Budaoest and will definitely be back.

[cwog]

Last year wine on the Viking Douro trip was varied, local and good we also had Port at the end of each dinner.

 

This year wine on the Viking Prague to Berlin coach tour was an anonymous Euro wine made from a blend of European wines/grapes - the type of wine you expect at a BBQ. They did have an expensive booze package as well. The white wine was OK but was not kept cold during the meal, they should supply on table wine coolers and leave the bottles on the tables instead of having the staff walking around and serving it.

Edited August 11, 2015 by cwog