The Danube: What to expect on your first river cruise

The Danube. Photo / Getty Images

Grant Bradley and Estelle Sarney share insights from their debut river cruise with Avalon Waterways.

If you book early you're going to have a choice of date and room. There are some good deals on the lower deck, just remember you can't open your window. There are also good deals with last-minute bookings but these are aimed more at British passengers who can easily get to Europe to take advantage of them. Kiwis will pay more for airfares booked at the last minute.

Swot up before you go and choose the right itinerary: there are Avalon cruises catering to all types of special interests — active, food, wine, history — although there is a mix of everything in all itineraries. If you choose the Active Cruise, you should ideally be up for a bit of hiking and biking to make the most of it.

You're well connected. Although our Belgian cruise director, Katy Huyskens, warned that Wi-Fi was spotty in places we had no problems with it. Summaries from papers around the world are available in news sheet form every day.

There will be surprises — pleasant ones. The grand cities of Vienna and Budapest have big attractions and experiences but equally memorable are the small towns and villages further up the river where a short guided walk and talk on the history of the place is easily absorbed. The "small" experiences such as visiting a family farm or apricot orchard were surprise hits. The local guides are great, entertaining and often surprisingly candid.

Be prepared to relax... really relax. The cruising experience is quite joyful; we slept with our doors open with warm August wind wafting in as we glided down the Danube (at an average speed of 18kp/h). During the day the view is constantly changing and the locks (which have been on the Danube for close to 150 years) are fascinating. We went through locks 12 times and during the day the 15-minute process always attracted a crowd on deck.

You pretty much don't have to lift a finger if you don't want to. Your room is cleaned to a spotless state twice a day and crew members (mainly East European) will absolutely insist on fetching for you, this may feel unnatural but it's easier to go with it. You will feel pampered in your room too. High-end French toiletries are in the bathroom, the shower has mains pressure-like flow and the robes are luxurious. There is plenty of wardrobe space (and, as we were reminded a few times, more hangers available).

You can pre-pay gratuities but anything extra is appreciated by the hard-working crew you have contact with. It is not awkward, even for Kiwis.

You don't need to pack much but being able to unpack what you have brought is wonderful. There is plenty of storage in ingeniously designed rooms. Do take something smart to wear at night, or to a concert. While laundry is pricey to have done on the ship, it's an option if you run short of clothes.

Don't be late. When the scheduled departure time comes, the ship leaves. A 10-minute departure delay can cause several hours' delay further along the river if a vessel misses lock bookings and docking opportunities. The all-aboard time is very clear and easy to meet. Just two people missed it on our seven-night cruise and fortunately for them it was a short hop to the next port. further down the river.

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DETAILS
Avalon Waterway's eight-day 'Danube Symphony' cruise from Passau to Vienna takes in charming small towns and exciting cities. Prices start from $4320pp.