Review Vienna to Nuremberg Nov.29-Dec.6 Danube Xmas Market River Cruise

This was our 8th time over to the Christmas Markets - it was our 5th Danube Xmas Market River Cruise (we've done one with Uniworld, one with Viking, one with AMA, and this was our 2nd Xmas Danube Cruise with Tauck). We have done the Rhine once and we have it booked again Dec.2023 -- the itineraries have changed each time. We have also gone to Europe twice on our own in December and done the markets and different towns by train.

The last time we did the Danube for the Xmas Markets was in 2018. Overall, our trip was great. We went with our friends who had never been to Europe or traveled with Tauck - they loved it. I have 100s of amazing photos, but I took them with an iPhone oriented vertically which means they will load sideways onto this site - so I will not be posting photos.

I did get to meet MaryFrancis from this forum - she was on the same trip - so that was fun. She went on to do the YuleTide Cruise to follow, so I'm hoping she'll post a review of that trip.

We flew Delta/AirFrance to CDG to Vienna with no issues. We did use the Apple AirTags - all bags arrived as scheduled.

We did 3 PreNights in Vienna at the Tauck hotel, Hotel Imperial -- which was fantastic. The location was very good. Walkable to everything we wanted as far as the OldTown area and the main Xmas Markets. It is VERY close to the "LOCALS" favorite Xmas Market - it is basically a couple blocks behind the hotel - it is an Arts/Crafts market, very good items and in front of a gorgeous church (Karlskirche) -- it's the Resselpark area and we highly recommend this market and cathedral (Karlskirche) to visit.

We spent lots of time in the Old Town area - the lights are gorgeous - we didn't notice any cut-backs on the lights like we had read about due to the energy crisis and war. We walked to the other Xmas Market at MariaTheresien Platz - another smaller market, but worth seeing with great photo ops. Then we walked across the street to see the Holfburg/Habsburg Palace/Museum - more amazing photo ops and a great way to enter the OldTown a different way. Turning down the road by the Opera House near the hotel is the main way to get to the OldTown - but if you have time, def enter both ways. The hotel will give you a map and mark all the markets for you.

Def spend time at St. Stephan's Cathedral - pay the 6 euros to take the elevator to the top for spectacular views. There is also a small, but nice Xmas Market around St. Stephan's.

Seems we met the Tauck TGs in the Lobby at the hotel at 3pm for transfer to the boat. We usually get the Cat 1 room as we'd rather spend our money on a longer stay in Europe, but this time we upgraded to the Cat 3 LOFT cabins and we LOVED them. We have them booked for December 2023 also. It did get dark by 4pm, so we weren't in the rooms to enjoy the window, but the larger shower and bathroom area was very nice. That evening, after a buffet dinner, they took us to the CityHall Xmas Market which has amazing lights and is also a very good market. We didn't have much time there, but enough to see the lights and get some photos. In retrospect, I wish we had gone there during the day on one of our PreDays in Vienna so we would have had time to see all the stalls. Our time there with Tauck was very short and not enough time to see everything at all.

On our 1st full day in Vienna with Tauck, we went to Schonbrunn Palace - this was our 2nd time there. They do have a private Xmas Market which is one of the best on the tour - but you only get about an hour to see the private market after a tour of the palace. We did get thru all the stalls, but we had to rush through it.

Then we boarded the motorcoach and went into the OldTown for lunch in a palace - this was a disappointment and many people agreed.
We had rather have had more time at the Private Market at Schonbrunn and had lunch there at one of the Market Stalls.
The food was buffet and it was very average at best. They also had a 'corny' family singing some very 'American-ized' songs. I wish they would have at least had a more European group there as performers - we could have seen the 'family act' anywhere here in America. I would have much preferred European Xmas music or a string quartet, etc. The food wasn't good either. If this is still offered next year, I would skip it for sure. I do hope they at least get different performers - they were cute, but silly, and not what we expected in a palace and from Tauck.

Another thing that was new since our last Tauck River Cruise were these HUGE TVs all in the lounge covering most of the windows displaying a FAKE fire making 'crackling' noises. It irritated most of us all week long. They are at every window, blocking the view, and making fake fire noises. I begged them many times to take them down (they are able to 'sink' them into the window sills and hide them) - but they never did. I paid lots of money to look out the windows and they were mostly blocked by fake fires. They even kept that crackling noise going during the two performances that Tauck brought onboard (a violinist & pianist and an acapella quartet)- I could hear the crackling more than the music and it was disrespectful to them. One of the men in the quartet even made a comment about them.

I will finish the rest of my review later. To end on a positive note - the TGs, TD, staff, and town guides were outstanding. More to follow later this week.

«1

Comments

  • edited December 2022

    Terrilynn-it was great meeting you on this trip. I agree with everything in your review. We just returned from Yuletide last night, it was great - I’ll post a review soon. Interesting that on The Grace they only had the crackling fires on the back walls, not on the windows.

  • Cat 3 Loft- Yup!!! :D Did you have Gilli? We've had her before, and this time on the Rhine, we had her good friend Heidi who we had years ago on Ultimate Alps, so I exchanged emails with both before our tour.

    They didn't have the TV's (w/faux fire) up all the time on the Inspire, and I don't remember hearing crackling- I did feel the warmth! :D The staff would lower the TV if we asked.

  • Excellent review TerriLynn. I also felt the same way about the meals in palaces. This sub par meals have happened in different tours I’ve taken. Yes, the palaces are magnificent but the meals should be skipped.

  • Always informative posts, Terrlynn. I look forward to your second installment.

  • edited December 2022

    Terrilynn, you are a go getter, my friend. Loved your review. I took Tauck's Danube Xmas Markets riverboat cruise o/a 2017 and the Rhine one the following year (2018). Quite interesting, but I was never as energetic as you folks. LOL. :-) I agree with everyone's comments re the food being less than satisfactory. This time around (2022) how was the food on Tauck's boat? Just curious.

  • Great review, Terrilynn. Nice to relive memories from our last trip. And I agree: the Vienna Christmas Market is one of the most festive I have ever seen! I also agree about the Schonbrunn Palace. Last time we left the tour early (since we had seen it before) and just enjoyed the market. Wonderful handmade crafts and a warm spiced wine (juice, for me) was the perfect way to start the trip and get in the spirit. I guess we were lucky on our Palace lunch because we got to meet "himself" the count! To me, a unique pre-covid experience. And I agree with you about the fake fireplaces. It reminded my wife and I of WPIX in New York and how they would show the fireplace on TV on Christmas Eve. Living in an apartment in the mid fifties, it was part of the thing city dwellers did...even though the TV was black and white.
    Looking forward to hearing about the rest of the journey.

  • I wonder if those TVs and fake fireplaces on the boat(s) were something new that Tauck wanted done for 2022 or it was the boat owners Idea to spruce up their boats with a "holiday season theme?"

  • Great commentary Terrilynn.

  • terrilynn,

    Please clarify...there was no option to be taken to a market area in lieu of lunches at other venues? I agree that I would much rather stay within the markets and eat there. Perhaps with enough feedback, Tauck will offer more options in the future.

    Again, thanks for sharing your experiences.

  • edited December 2022

    Terrilynn, I totally agree with you about the cumulative amount of time spent on these lunches. Like you, I would rather meander and enjoy the sights after traveling halfway around the world to see and experience Europe. Most of the time, I happen to skip most lunches while on Tauck’s vacations because the quantity of food is simply too much and the sights are more interesting to me. I take some protein snacks along to hold me over until dinner. There were people so surprised that I would rather walk, shop, and look around rather than having a 2 hour unsatisfying lunch. I agree that a choice would accommodate those who prefer not to sit for two long hours.
    I also remember more than one tour director saying Tauck is all about feeding you. There was another time that people at a long table during a long lunch just got up to leave to the bus while the tour director ordered a second cup of coffee. We were all ready to explore more, but the TD wasn’t.

  • It's too bad that with the waste of time the food wasn't better. Our Danube cruise in 2019 (not a Christmas one) had an evening at a Palace where the food and the entertainment were excellent. I'm not going on a Christmas cruise for fancy lunches. I want to see the sights and the markets. Glad to know you can blow off the Schonbrunn tour and see the markets. I've seen that palace and honestly can't remember anything about it that was all that different from loads of others I've seen on Tauck tours.

    An organ concert in Salzburg? Yes. I'm noting all this down for our trip next year.

  • edited December 2022

    Yes, agreed. I would just let the tour director(s) know that I am skipping their planned lunch. I wouldn't even expect to be given a few euros for a regional snack at the markets. Thanks for the clarification.

  • terrilyn - I'm curious why you would go on any of the local tours since it sounds like you've been to these places multiple times. Seems like you could add hours of time for the markets by skipping the tours, especially since you've been saying you haven't had enough time in the markets.

  • tomh - I had been on 42 different tours with Tauck (land and river boat tours) to date

    When you say different, does that mean no repeats?

    Does anyone know how many different tours Tauck offers? I know in a decade, like tomh references that some tours may have disappeared and new ones have been added.

    tomh - that may be the extent of my travels, both domestic and international.

    Hang in there, perhaps you can get to the 100 mark over the next decade. :D

  • terrilyn - You are truly a good friend and I'm glad you're still enjoying yourself. Being with your friends completely explains why you would do all the repeat stuff at the expense of time doing stuff you might enjoy more.

    I understand that you're just pointing out where you think things could be improved. I believe that's a good thing, especially if you add similar comments to your comment card at the end of the tour that you provide to the TD.

    Continued fun, good weather, and safe travels home.

  • terrilynn - thanks for taking the time to post! I'm so excited for this cruise next year. I look forward to the gingerbread demo as gingerbread is a staple in our house at xmas time. I can't wait to see the markets and will be adding your notes to my word doc.

    I also hope Tauck listens to what you and others have said about the lunches and focus more time on the markets.

    Thanks again!!

  • @terrilynn - THANK YOU for your detailed review. The tips you provide are very helpful and I am taking notes.

  • I enjoyed your very comprehensive narrative of your experiences, terrilynn. Thanks for sharing. Enjoy your holidays.

  • I would like to make one additional comment re the food on Tauck's riverboats. When I met and chatted with Arthur Tauck, Jr., during one of Tauck's "special events" in New York City a few years ago, I asked Arthur about the chefs and food on those riverboats being not necessarily up to highest standards. Arthur responded that Tauck, like the other river boat companies in Europe, were constantly competing for the "best" chefs, etc, over there. So, it pretty much was the same for all of them. As I noted above, Arthur was definitely an interesting guy to talk with at that "special event." :-)

  • Terrilynn, We will be on Danube Christmas market river cruise in December 2023. When we visited Belgium and Holland this past spring, most of the places that we shopped or ate at only accepted credit cards instead of euros. Was this the case when you were on the river cruise this past December 2022?

  • most of the vendors at the markets wanted Euros. The hotels and restaurants took CC. The smaller towns you stop in don't have many ATMs, so be sure and get LOTS of Euros either at an ATM in the airport - or both Vienna and Nuremberg have MANY ATMs.

Leave a Comment

BoldItalicStrikethroughOrdered listUnordered list
Emoji
Image
Align leftAlign centerAlign rightToggle HTML viewToggle full pageToggle lights
Drop image/file