Myself and 3 others were very lucky to have been given the opportunity to sail the Danube on board the Viking Ingvi. We were all excited to board the plane and get to Munich. On arrival, we were met by the Viking reps who directed us to our driver who took us from the airport to Passau where we got our first glimpse of the Viking Ingvi. The ship was beautiful the longship casts an impressive vista on the river.
Check-in was smooth and the staff were lovely, every customer is personally taken to their cabin by one of the crew members who happily show you around your cabin and explain all the features which is a lovely touch and makes you feel like your holiday has started.
We were then invited to the lounge to enjoy a welcome meeting where we were greeted by Anton the programme director who explained the safety features of the ship and the itinerary of the cruise to come. Service in the lounge was quick and efficient drinks were ordered and brought to your table. The next step was the muster drill where we all had to grab our life jackets and join our group for the safety drill we all donned our life jackets and looked very fetching.
Dinner was served from 7pm, the menu always features local influences for the passengers to experience along with a traditional menu that will be available every day that features firm favourites like steak and crème brûlée. After dinner, we headed to the lounge for a couple of drinks before bed after a long day to get some sleep ready for exploring Passau the next morning.
Day 2 - Passau
Waking up in Passau to a warm morning we headed to breakfast where the buffet selection was filled with fresh fruit and pastries and cooked selection or you could order from the menu like omelettes, pancakes and eggs benedict.
We then set out on our walking tour of Passau, remembering to take our vox headsets so we could hear the guide this meant that you take your time viewing the sites without having to be at the front of the pack. We strolled through the cobbled streets of the art district being given information about the area and being shown the water levels that are etched into the walls of the buildings showing flood levels. As we continued through Passau we saw the government building and then continued on to see the river Linz which is on the other side of Passau and has 3 rivers surrounding the town.
The local menu was again a delicious menu of locally sourced food. We then had a bit of free time before getting ready for the port talk and then met the team in the lounge before getting ready to sail to our next destination of Linz.
As we left Passau, we travelled along the Danube and entered our first Lock, the walls were massive and while sitting on the sun deck it made you feel like you were going through an open tunnel. Dinner again was a delight the menu selects the finest ingredients from the local area along with the wines. Tonight, was quiz night and Anton was our host, we had a great time trying to guess the answers especially when we named the Superman theme as Star Wars I blame the Aperol spritz’s that everyone was drinking. Then off to bed ready to wake up in Linz.
Day 3 – Linz
I woke up after another very comfortable night in my double bed in the new destination of Linz where I headed up for breakfast can you see the theme here “FOOD” they do like to make sure you’re fed and ready for the day. After grabbing my vox headset again we headed out to meet our guide for our included walking tour of Linz after a 5-minute stroll along the river we reached the centre of the town where we began our tour.
Walking the streets listening to our guide talking us through the history of the town noticeably straight away Linz was a lot bigger than Passau more shops, restaurants and bars. We explored most of the old town going into an archway where Mozarts bust was on display as this is where he composed some of his symphonies. Continuing on, we came to a couple of churches where the interiors were ornate, also saw one of the older churches where outside used to be a graveyard but has now all been covered as it’s smack bang in the centre of the town.
Afternoon Austrian tea was next, on offer was a selection of mini sandwiches and cakes that were bite size mouthfuls of heaven, one pink cake even being described as “candlelight romantic“ tea and coffee included and we enjoyed some leisurely time before dinner. Once we all had dinner again was local flavours inspired, we went to the lounge to listen to a local Austrian couple who played the violin and piano a very low-key evening and then off to bed as all that walking and fresh air takes it out of you.
Day 4 - Krems
Waking up again this time we were sailing through the Danube through the Wachau valley sailing past quaint villages and beautiful vistas filled with vineyards before arriving in Krems. Lunch was early today as the included tour set off at 12:15 or 12:45.
Today on our included tour was a visit to Gottweig Abbey a Benedictine monastery founded in 1083, the abbey sits majestically overlooking the town so after a short drive to the abbey we were greeted by our guides who took us into the building where we were offered a sample of their locally produced apricot drinks in the abbey. We then watch a short film on the Abbey and the daily routine of the monks.
We had a tour around the apricot trees which had already started to blossom ready for producing their fruit to make the wine and the juice the monks produce from the abbey. Moving on we explored the outside walls before looking down to the smaller church and graveyard of the local parish. As you looked up you were met by baroque-inspired decor and a painted ceiling of Greek mythology the colours and detail has stood the test of time.
Dinner tonight was an Austrian tasting menu with a buffet style them the dining room was decorated in traditional Austrian colours and Anton came in dressed in lederhosen a little touch that made us smile. The food available was local meats and cheeses along with sauerkraut the desserts tonight were sweet and mouthwatering.
Tonight was another quiz this time majority rules now again I’m not sure if the cocktails had anything to do with our answers but our table definitely had the best laugh, we didn’t win but we definitely enjoyed taking part.
Day 5 - Vienna
I woke up to a new view of the skyline of Vienna, I finished packing my case ready for our afternoon departure to head back to the airport before flying back to Heathrow. Breakfast was my first port of call blueberry pancakes were my choice for today light and fluffy and delicious.
Then we walked off the ship to board our coach for the first part of the included tour of Vienna, we traversed the roads with our guide explaining our journey through the outskirts of Vienna seeing the wheel that can be seen peaking up high over the buildings. Once we stopped, we got off the coach and made our way past monuments and building that were striking and impressive structures of the design of the city.
We even got to see the famous white horses of the Spanish riding school seeing them in their stables. The end of our tour finished in front of the cathedrals a massive structure that drew a big crowd from all the passing tourists. We then had some free time to explore where some of the group wanted to get some Sachertorte the famous Viennese dessert. We left Vienna and returned to the ship for our last lunch before our transfer.
The cabins on board were comfortable and spacious even in the lower levels which we were in but for a more enjoyable experience to relax and have the best trip the balcony cabins are a must to be able to sit on your balcony and sail along the river would make the holiday.
The attention to detail and the cleanliness of the ship were second to none and the staff were so friendly, if you're looking for a relaxed way of doing a city break I would definitely recommend Viking to take you there.
