Last week 9 of my colleagues and I attended the CLIA River Cruise conference in Vienna. We are now known as The Vienna 10. This was the first time I had flown from Heathrow! It was very easy and not as stressful as I imagined. We stayed at The Thistle hotel at terminal 5 the night before. The next morning, we took a pod to the airport, it was a great way to get there. The view over London was also amazing! Spotting the famous London landmarks.
While we were in Vienna, we got to visit 6 river cruise ships as well as stay on 2 of them. I was very impressed by the whole experience. It has left me wanting to do a river cruise! What better way to have multiple city breaks in one trip while sailing in luxury along some of the world's beautiful rivers? Vienna is situated on the Danube River.
Our group was very lucky! We were told at the conference that we didn't have a coach transfer to our river ship like the other agents. Instead, our ship was outside the Hilton hotel waiting to sail us down the river to meet the other ships. It is a memory I will never forget! All the excited agents walked outside the hotel to find our ship waiting for us. It looked beautiful all lit up. We were greeted by a member of staff who took our cases on board. We checked in and then made our way to our cabin. Wow!! It was stunning, we had a twin, balcony cabin facing the backdrop of some of Vienna's amazing buildings.
We had bath robes and slippers, plus lots of different toiletries to use. There was an iron and an ironing board, a safe, umbrellas, bottles of water and a fridge in our cabin. We had a quick look around the cabin and then headed up onto the top deck so we could enjoy the trip down the river.
It was stunning! By this time, it was dark so all the buildings in Vienna were lit up as was the pool on board. We sailed down the river and the captain played the Viennese waltz; we all had a little dance. As we approached the other ships, I was amazed at how different they all looked. Some were bigger than others, but they all looked very elegant, lit up with the lights reflecting on the river. I hadn't seen a river ship before so it was lovely to see lots together. Our river ship can hold 156 guests and 50 crew, they offer luxury river cruises mainly on the majestic Danube. Louise and I went back to our cabin to get ready for our evening on board. Everyone looked gorgeous, it was a great chance to get dressed up.
My colleagues all enjoyed a pre-dinner cocktail with some light entertainment from the piano player in the lounge. We then headed to the restaurant, all the ladies on the ship were given a red rose, and we were then greeted by our waiter for the evening. He pulled out our chairs and placed our napkins on our laps. We were asked if we would like white or red wine with our dinner. I enjoyed rather a lot of the white wine; you can have as much as you like.
We were able to choose from a 5-course menu! I enjoyed some dishes I have never tried before. I had baked coconut shrimp cake as an appetiser, cream of King Oyster mushroom soup, lemon sorbet, slow braised Irish short ribs in a red wine sauce as my main course and poppy seed raspberry parfait for dessert. The food and the service were outstanding. After dinner, we were taken to the sister ship next door for a guided tour! Our group were lucky as we got to see an extra ship.
We had to walk up the stairs, across both sun decks and back down the steps on the other ship. This is something some of us were not aware of when ships are docked next to each other. The ship was much bigger than the one we were staying on. It had a bigger lounge area and it also had an on-board cinema. It was good to have a look around to compare them against each other. We then went back to our own ship to enjoy the rest of the evening. The piano player turned into a DJ! He played lots of well-known songs into the early hours, and we all enjoyed dancing the night away.
The next morning everyone enjoyed breakfast in the restaurant. It was table service. They had a great choice on offer! From eggs benedict, minute steak, smoked salmon, freshly baked waffles and lots more. The freshly made omelettes cooked to order, in front of us were delicious. We then walked along the riverside to our trade fair at the Hilton hotel.
Here we got to learn more about all the different river ships. Afterwards, we got to have lunch on the Avalon Envision! One thing I loved about this ship is they have a range of reading glasses just in case you have forgotten your own. The staff were so friendly on this ship. Nothing was too much trouble. We had a buffet lunch with waiter service for drinks. There was a great selection to choose from, I particularly liked the cold coconut soup, mushroom stroganoff and mango sorbet.
On our first ship visit, we were greeted with welcome drinks and canapes. I was blown away by the interior, it was the ultimate luxury. It has four decks and is 77 feet wide, which is double the width of mainstream river ships. They had an indoor heated pool and a hot tub, with spa facilities fit for a queen. They even have a hair salon. They have 81 cabins which come in 5 different categories, all of which have butler service. It has multiple dining options, there is also 24-hour room service. I would love to take a trip along the Danube on this ship.
The next ship we visited was the Tui Maya. Some of our colleagues stayed on this ship. They said they even had a quiz after dinner. I particularly liked the French balcony suite! It was very spacious with a double bed facing the river. It also had a very large bathroom, with modern decor. It has 2 bars and 2 restaurants and a lovely wellness centre with a hot tub. This ship would be a lovely introduction to river cruising with more of a causal feel to it.
Our last ship visit for the day was the one we stayed on. We were able to see more of the ship! They have a fitness centre on the bottom deck with a hair salon and a small gift shop. On the top deck, they have a pool with a swim-up bar. You can also enjoy some games with a full-sized chess set or borrow a bike and head off and explore the city you are visiting. After our ship visits, we took a trip on the Big Bus Vienna, hop on hop off bus tour. We had a whistle-stop tour of some of Vienna's beautiful architecture. We had headphones which narrated our journey.
We spent about 45 minutes in central Vienna where we visited a quaint little chocolate shop, a favourite for all of us. We also had a quick drink! I couldn't go to Vienna without sampling a cider, being from Somerset, it is one of my favourite drinks. On our trip back we got to see the famous Wiener Riesenrad, the oldest still operating Ferris wheel in the world. If I am ever lucky enough to return to Vienna, I would definitely take a ride on the Ferris wheel.
That evening we stayed on our second river cruise ship, again we were greeted by crew members who took our cases on board and escorted us to our cabins. This time our cabin had a French balcony and was facing another ship. If you open the doors, you can reach out and touch the other ship. This is only while you are docked so it doesn't really matter, just don't forget to close the curtains.
This evening was more casual but some of us still dressed up. The beauty of a river cruise is you can wear what you feel comfortable in as long as you are smart/casual. We got the lift down to the restaurant as we were on the 3rd floor. The staff were all fantastic, so friendly and helpful. Nothing was too much trouble and they all looked like they were enjoying their job. The table was set up with our napkins looking like tuxedoes, which was a lovely touch. The waiters served all our food in unison with each other.
This time we had a set menu but we would choose our main course! We all chose the slow-roasted black Angus beef tenderloin. I have never tasted anything so delicious in my life and I would go back again just for the steak. All of my colleagues agreed it was the best they had eaten too. This was an all-inclusive river cruise so again we could have unlimited drinks. Branded spirit came with a little charge. We sampled a few different cocktails. We enjoyed the lounge area after dinner for a more relaxed evening but there was music if you did want to get up and have a dance.
Our breakfast in the morning was buffet style, they had plenty on offer from fresh pastries, cereal, toast, yoghurts, cooked breakfast and more. We all particularly enjoyed the bacon. My highlight of breakfast was sitting next to the window with the view of the river.
Today we had a further 3 ship visits! First, was the ship we stayed on. On the top deck, they had a small pool and a mini golf course. They have the main restaurant, plus a grill at the end of the ship that has doors which open in the summer for alfresco dining. They also have a Manhattan restaurant on the lower deck. We also saw the gym and a variety of cabins. We were impressed with the lower deck cabins with the smaller window! I have always imagined these to be up high, I am quite short but I could see out of them. I would be happy to stay in a lower deck cabin now after seeing them.
Our next visit was on the Scenic Jasper! The cabins were very spacious and the Royal balcony suite had a full-sized bathroom with a bath and minibar. They also have a lift that takes you to each deck except the sun deck, this is because they cannot collapse to get underneath the bridges. The Scenic Jasper is very elegant. It is also the first river cruise ship to have a salt therapy lounge. Finally, was the Avalon Envision, on this ship all the beds with French balconies face the river, this would appeal to a lot of us. Waking up and watching the world go by from the luxury of your own bed. On this ship, I noticed an interactive computer near the reception. You can find out things like the weather forecast, dining menus, daily schedule etc.
We were treated to drinks and nibbles in a welcome reception from the team. All ships offer included and optional excursions and most of them offer the use of bikes with e-bikes on the Scenic Jasper. One thing that was said at the conference is "There is a river cruise for everyone" and I totally agree.
I had a fantastic time in Vienna, I feel very privileged to have experienced the CLIA conference. I have come away with a newfound knowledge of river cruising. If you are thinking of a river cruise, please feel free to pop into the Wells shop and see me. I have lots of photos and videos of all the ships and would be happy to help you find the perfect ship for you.
