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Deilmann Danube
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Wish You Were Here: Peter Deilmann's Mozart
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 My daughter and I sailed a seven-night itinerary on the Danube River, roundtrip from Passau (about two hours from Munich) onboard Peter Deilmann Cruises' 200-passenger Mozart. The ports included the cities of Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava (the capital of Slovakia), as well as several lovely small towns such as Durnstein and Melk in Austria and Esztergom in Hungary. The twin appeals of this five-star river cruise are the interesting itinerary and the spaciousness of the cabins. Food was plentiful and beautifully served. Every day brought a multi-course lunch and dinner, with some dinners featuring the Austrian and Hungarian cuisines of our ports of call. Even the daily afternoon tea reflected the itinerary, with specials such as apple strudel or warm crepes. The meticulously maintained (and recently refurbished) Mozart offered a surprising number of amenities for a river ship, such as an indoor pool and small fitness center, and a library.
Getting There
Peter Deilmann Cruises arranges transportation for passengers from the Munich Airport or downtown hotels to the ship, docked at Passau (cost is $80 per person one-way or complimentary if you purchase an air or a hotel stay through the cruise line).
First Day, First Impressions
We had decided to spend a day in Munich, so had a good night's sleep before heading for Passau at 11 a.m. on the day of sailing. We arrived at around 1 p.m. and were efficiently checked in, but could not get to our cabins before 3 p.m., so we stopped for lunch in one of several cafes along the river. To our surprise, it turned out to be a Greek restaurant, and a tasty Greek salad came with our German schnitzel. Afterward, we took a stroll around the pretty, hilly small town of Passau. Since it was Sunday, the stores were closed, so it was one of the few stops where we were not tempted to shop!
When we returned to the ship, we received our room keys and stopped to meet the dining director, who asked about our preferences for seating at dinner. We could have asked for a table for two, but decided instead to be seated with other Americans onboard. The two couples turned out to be delightful companions, and added a lot of fun to the trip.
The cabin was a wonderful surprise, larger than those on many of the ocean liners I had sailed. (Deilmann says they are the most spacious of any river ship). Both of us had over-packed, not knowing how dressy the ship would be or what the weather would be like in October. But we still could not fill all of the drawers, cabinets and closets in our cabin.
Coolest Thing
We docked in the heart of the Pest side of Budapest, a five-minute walk from both the pedestrian shopping street as well as the famous daily market.
The market is extraordinary. Housed in an enormous restored 19th-century hall beneath a tiled roof, its immaculate stalls were laden with beautiful fruits and vegetables, and more kinds of sausages than we had ever seen. Almost every booth offered inexpensive attractively wrapped gift packs of Hungarian paprika, perfect easy-to-pack souvenirs to bring home. Upstairs were booths of local crafts, from children's toys to hand-carved chess sets and from beaded purses and jackets to beautifully embroidered linens -- at the best prices in town.
The shopping street, Vaci Utca, was lined with temptations -- hand-painted porcelains, colorfully embroidered clothing and table linens, wooden carvings and other folk art. The Folk Art Center was a fine place to see a sampling of the best of local handcrafts, though we found better prices at the market.
Biggest Surprise
The Budapest by Night tour, a wonderful chance to see the city's castles and bridges lit from the hilltops of Buda, featured a nice surprise: a stop in the city's impressive Heroes Square for champagne and a serenade by a young violinist.
 Best Pleasure
Being able to walk from the ship into port allowed us to explore on our own and make our own discoveries whenever we wished. This was especially fun in smaller cities such as Bratislava, where we discovered a tiny shop with folk art including hand-made dolls and painted ceramics that are my favorite souvenirs of the trip. In many cases, we preferred independent strolling and shopping to seeing one more cathedral or abbey on the guided tour.
What I Wish I'd Known Before
I wish someone had told me not to bother changing money in Hungary or Slovakia. Every shop and cafe we visited took both Euros and American dollars. I changed too much money in Budapest and ended up buying too much just to use it up.
Also, had we known that no one actually went formal on the ship's two formal nights, we could have cut down on the clothing we brought.
In Port
One advantage of being among a relatively small group of English speakers is that the shore excursions are more intimate. Those who prefer guided excursions should sign up for the money-saving advance package offered by Deilmann, which includes five tours for $133, much less than booking these tours separately on the ship.
A friend had told us about the Belvedere in Vienna, a wonderful complex of gardens palaces turned into museums that we might have missed because it seemed away from the central city. In fact, it was only a five-minute trolley ride from the main square, and the museum in the Upper Belvedere featured a collection of paintings by the Austrian artist Gustav Klimt that were among the city's highlights for us. Another “don't miss” in Vienna is the elaborately decorated old-world pastry shop Demel in the Kohlmarket, founded in 1785 and in this location since 1888. The marzipan creations in the window are fantastic -- and so are the confections inside.
Onboard Rituals
Mozart sails through a series of locks along the Danube River. The ship seems to have been built to the exact width of these locks, putting us right up against the concrete walls of each lock. Watching as we approached and the water level raised or lowered was always interesting.
We quickly adjusted to the lavish afternoon tea, though I learned to cut back on the strudel. And after a few days, as waistbands tightened, we decided to forego the full luncheon menu, choosing soup from the menu and salad or a sandwich from the lavish buffet.
Many of the customs onboard will be familiar to those who cruise on larger ships. We had a "pirate night" in the dining room, with the crew in costume, a evening featuring a talent show by the crew, and a gala last-night dinner with lights turned out to show off the flaming desserts.
One very nice custom that was new to me was inviting guests into the kitchen to meet the staff and see how and where the sumptuous meals are prepared.
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Deilmann Danube
