Buzz’s
comments on his River cruise from Vienna to Prague on the River Princess August
2023
This was my first River Cruise. It was significantly different than the ocean cruises I have taken. It was pleasant but since it was a much smaller ship there was significantly less
activities on board. I was updated from cabin 103 (classic) to 301 (Deluxe). Cabin 301 has an excellent location. There was no refrigerator
in cabin – fortunately on this trip I did not have to bring any medication
requiring one. Wi-Fi only worked
in public areas. This is a major
pain. The Cruise Manager provided an excellent introduction to the excursions. The room and bathroom were very small but
adequate.
Aug 18 PHL-YYZ Air Canada 8933 4:15 PM 5:54
PM AC flight was 1.5 hours late and Toronto airport is very overcrowded and had
very poor signage to direct me to my next flight.
YYZ-WAW Polish Airlines 46 10:35 PM to 1:00
PM Aug 19
Aug 19 WAW-VIE Austrian Airlines 624 3:05 PM
4:20 PM
AUG 19: Vienna (Embark) RIVER PRINCESS
Transfer arranged by UniWorld
from Vienna International Airport to your ship arrived 45 minutes after I
cleared customs. Fortunately, they was a
UniWorld representative at the airport to ease my
concerns. The ship had 78 passengers (capacity 124 6
cabins had solo travelers). This ship
was one of the smallest docked in the port.
AUG 20: Vienna
I took the shuttle bus into the center of the
city in the morning. The trip was about
a 45 minute guided tour of the city highlights. Since it was Sunday almost
everything was closed.
In the afternoon, I went on the Schonbrunn Palace tour.
Unfortunately, taking pictures inside the palace was
forbidden. In the evening, I went
to the Mozart and Strauss Concert at Klosterneburg
(about a 30-minute drive from the ship).
Today there was a ship stacked next to ours requiring passage through
our ship.
AUG 21: Weissenkirchen,
Melk
In the morning, I went to the Melk Abbey with library visit. The Melk Abbey is a baroque monastery and
sits atop a rocky formation overlooking the Danube. Originally, it was a summer
palace for the royal family. Pictures were not permitted
in the museum or the church. In the
afternoon, I attended a lecture about the Blue Bloods along the Danube –
Nobility in Austria. In the evening, a special Captain’s Welcome Reception and
Dinner was held followed by a 70s party..
AUG 22: Engelhartszell,
Passau, Vilshofen
We entered Germany and passed through the
“City of Three Rivers”, Passau, where the Danube, Inn and Ilz
rivers join together. When we docked
we are stacked against another ship and had to walk through it to get to
shore. In the afternoon, I went on the
Passau walking tour.
AUG 23: Deggendorf, Straubing
Nestled between Regensburg and Passau sits a
town surrounded by the foothills of the Bavarian Forest, Deggendorf. I traveled by bus for 1.5 hours deep into the
alluring Bavarian Forest
National Park, Germany’s first national park and viewed glass blowing and
schnapps tasting. We returned to Staubing for lunch before returning to the ship. In the evening, I attended a concert by the
Regensburg Cathedral Choir.
AUG 24: Regensburg
The nearly 2,000-year-old history of
Regensburg begins with a Roman fort in 90 AD, from which Regensburg grew into
the large and prosperous trade center that it became in the last few centuries
of the Medieval period. This long history has been
excellently preserved through Regensburg’s iconic architecture—particularly its
many Gothic and Romanesque churches and Patrician houses. I went on a Regensburg walking tour. After diner, I enjoyed Andreas Spranger playing the guitar while he sang many popular
songs.
AUG 25: Nuremberg
Early in the morning, the ship crossed the
continental divide and started down river.
We docked in Roth due to low water isses
adding about 20 minutes to the bus ride downtown Nuremberg. The archetypal medieval German city,
Nuremberg was once the unofficial capital of the Holy Roman Empire, housing
many German kings in the Kaiserburg
castle complex. Later, this city became the epicenter of the Nazi party.
When the end of WWII left Nuremberg almost completely leveled, it was chosen to
be the site of the war crimes tribunal—the Nuremberg Trials. Now, most of the
city has been restored, including the old castle. I
went on the Nuremberg city tour with WWII Rally Grounds
and Documentation Center visit. In
the evening, there was the Captain’s Farewell Reception and Dinner.
AUG 26: Nuremberg to Prague
I disembarked the ship and transferred by bus
for a 4 hour trip from Nuremberg to Hotel Art Imperial Deco Prague. Lunch Dinner and drinks were not included in
the trip price. After lunch and before
check in I explored the old city and discovered a free folk dancing performance
consisting of many groups outfitted in traditional costumes. After the orientation and check in at the
hotel, I continued to explore the old city.
AUG 27: Prague
Our first rainy day. Prague has been a magnet for artists,
writers, scientists and composers for centuries. It also boasts great beer, a
lively art scene, stunning castles and up-and-coming fashion designers, making
it a fun as well as a beautiful place to visit.
In the morning, I went on the Hradčany
Castle visit. In the afternoon, I
walked to the Charles Bridge and bak from the hotel.
AUG 28: Prague (Depart) Another rainy
day. Airport transfer provided by UniWorld was at 4:45 PM.
UniWorld arranged for a later check out from
my hotel room until 2 PM. PRG — LIS
19:30 TO 22:05 TP 1243
I stayed overnight at MOXY
LISBOA ORIENTE Avenida Aquilino
Ribeiro Machado, 10, Lisboa - Parque
Das Nacoes Lisbon 1800-399 Portugal instead of
spending a night on a plane.
29 AUG LIS-BOS 11:45 TO 14:10 TP 0217
BOS-PHL 16:30 TO 18:12 TP 4357
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