Experiencing four countries in just one week is what awaited me as I boarded my first river cruise as an editor for Travel Weekly. The sailing aboard the Emerald Luna was put together exclusively for attendees of the ASTA River Cruise Expo in Vienna earlier this year. It gave advisors -- and me -- the chance to see, taste and experience what will be in store for clients who are considering sailing with Emerald.
The seven-night sailing on the Luna, which debuted in summer 2022, was longer than is normally offered for post-Expo cruises. The reason: To show advisors what clients can expect while sailing on a true Emerald cruise, such as its Danube Delights itinerary, which features many of the calls we made.
The conference location did give Emerald a unique opportunity on my sailing, however, according to Hien Cao, director of trade sales and partnerships for Scenic Group.
"Vienna is not a typical departure point for us, like Nuremberg, Budapest, Amsterdam or Basel, so our product team crafted a memorable roundtrip itinerary along one of the most scenic stretches of the Danube," Cao said.
Sailing toward Germany before returning to Vienna and then on to Budapest, the cruise offered gorgeous views of villages and castles along the river. I spent a solid hour one afternoon mesmerized by the scenery as it flowed by.
Service shines with Emerald
There was nightly entertainment in the Luna's lounge, including games and a Hungarian folk show. The meals reflected the region we sailed through, the most memorable being a perfectly crispy schnitzel; fat, savory sausages with sauerkraut and mustard; and, as an extravagant bonus, caviar and Champagne to celebrate the last evening of our cruise.
The service shined, with highly attentive staff who received minutes upon minutes of constant applause during dinner as our group celebrated our last night together.
The attention to detail was noticeable; it seemed to me that the crew were mind readers. There were several instances where I thought to myself that I'd like to scrounge up a snack -- then there would be a knock on my door, and a staff member would hand me something to eat; some cheese or smoked fish. After dinner, deciding I wanted yet another sweet treat despite having already enjoyed dessert, I'd find chocolate-covered fruit awaiting me.
A visit to an abbey
After sailing from Vienna, we headed to Krems, a city in Lower Austria where we visited Gottweig Abbey, a Benedictine monastery founded in 1083 and home to approximately 40 monks. We embarked on a tour of the abbey, learning its history and taking in the stunning fresco above Austria's largest Baroque staircase.
Sitting high above the picturesque river valley, the vistas were stunning, even as I shivered when unexpected snowflakes started to float down on our group.
The monastery is famous for its wines and jams made by the monks and is the location of the highest apricot orchard in the Wachau Valley, a Unesco World Heritage site. (Learning that, I had to purchase a jar of apricot jam, which I plan to serve with my Nana's biscuit recipe for an upcoming book club meeting.)
Going medieval
My favorite part of the itinerary was a daytrip to Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic.
This charming medieval town is pulled straight from a storybook, with winding cobblestone streets, shops selling traditional goods like gingerbread and a magical ambience I felt throughout the preserved community.
Here, we enjoyed a tour of the castle and Old Town, observing the lovely bird's-eye view of the striking terra-cotta rooftops below us.
Members of our group also had the option of exploring Linz, the capital of Upper Austria.
It was on this day that spring finally made a grand appearance.
It had been chilly throughout most of our journey, but on this day the temperature crept up enough to enjoy an afternoon of strolling through the near-empty town. Those interested in a more active excursion could opt for a hike to Durnstein Castle and take in the sweeping views from up top.
I chose to enjoy a walk by myself with no plans but to duck into small shops and sample the apricot liqueurs and schnapps.