Recommend January 2011 - (Page 53)

On the Danube Waltz itinerary, ports of call include Budapest. VIKING SKY M vivian holley onboard november 2010 review Many of the vessels, workhorse or pleasure-bent, that daily parade the Danube River are purpose-built long and low, the better to skim beneath bridges and slip tidily through locks. Viking Sky is no exception, its sleek dimensions designed to comfortably accommodate passengers in pleasant staterooms and suites, with plenty of room left over for airy public areas. Not to mention the shiplong sun deck that famously serves up 360-degree scenic splendors, sometimes so close that cruisers can almost—well, seemingly—reach out and touch them from their kick-back lounge chairs, or while leaning on the rail with sunrise coffee or sunset cocktail at the ready. Recommend recently joined a week-long adventure—a new itinerary aptly dubbed Danube Waltz featuring a full-day excursion to Salzburg—that made port calls in Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary along the storied river rippled with shades of silver-green. (Um...blue? Not so much. “Only in the waltz is the Danube blue,” notes a Vienna native.) Which in no way diminishes the enjoyment of either the history-rich waterway or the beloved Strauss three-quarter-time melody that made it immortal. The compelling ports of call: Passau, Linz, Melk, Durnstein, Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest. The ship itself is laid out to showcase the Old World wonders that beckon around every bend, an asset that will be appreciated by clients again and again, such as when they glide through Austria’s stunning Wachau Valley. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, thickly wooded, dot- ted with charming towns—here a flourishing vineyard, there a fairy tale castle. Action central for indoor viewing (the sun deck draws crowds on balmy days) is the spacious, window-wreathed Viking Lounge, the gathering place for an early-riser continental breakfast, afternoon tea, cocktail hour (a single musician manages to make a big sound) including the captain’s cocktail parties, daily briefings on the next day’s program, after-dinner drinks, and the occasional late-night snack. A light lunch buffet is often set up here. There’s a bar, plus a station where traffic is nonstop thanks to a machine that produces round-the-clock regular and specialty coffees, tea, and hot chocolate. The lounge is also the setting for lectures—on this trip an update on the European Union, plus a presentation about the life and works of Mozart—and demonstrations such as a delicious presentation on how to make a proper apple strudel. More wide-window vistas—and more culinary treats—await in the Viking Restaurant on Deck One (an elevator is handy), where dining decor and tasty fare are themed to the season or the region. Bavarian specialties reign, for example, as the ship navigates Germany. Clients who choose a late-fall journey can count on a dinner accented by Halloween decorations and such menu highlights as pumpkin curry soup and homemade pumpkin cake. On “International” night the cuisine ranges from hummus to salade Nicoise, borscht to sweet-and-sour pork. ÍÍ january 2011 53

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend January 2011

Editor's Notes/Agent Speak
Hotel Desk
Tour Talk
A New Look at Ancient Egypt
Celebrity Cruises' Eclipse
Asia Travel Planner
Viking River Cruises' Viking Sky
Discovering Piedmont, Italy
Latin America 2011
The M Resort in Las Vegas Hits its Off-Strip Stride
Gansevoort Miami Beach
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Recommend January 2011