Vivienne boat/barge tour reviews — 1 to 30 of 121

Super poor communications from Tripsite. Lack of timely information regarding changes in the itinerary did not allow us any opportunity to cancel or reschedule or discuss options. We contacted Tripsite many times and most Inquires to Tripsite staff and requests for manager to call did not get a response.

Crew on the boat tried to be positive and accommodate a new plan but the boat hadn’t been to the scheduled stops in months. Better communication from Tripsite would have enabled us to make changes or adjust. We were unable to boat to several stops and a 3 hour each way bus ride was simply not an acceptable option.

I would not use Tripsite again.

Although the Danube River was at a 100yr+ low and we were unable to traverse past Vienna, the cruise offered several alternative exploring options that satisfied my group.

Met some really nice people at out table that included us with their group.
All the staff were extremely kind and courteous.

Riding through the countryside and small Austrian communities was amazing. This was such a unique way to see the scenery. The MS Vivviene was very comfortable. The staff and food were great. Five course meals were exceptional.

The amazing friends we made (at our assigned dining table) as we rode through some amazing warm fall vistas.

The boat was comfortable and the rooms were large enough and well equipped. The food was excellent. I found the summer camp like atmosphere on the tour not what I expected. If you like that kind of thing it is great. The cruise director although knowledgeable went on at too much length about each ride. The talks about each ride could have been shortened a lot by handing out a notice of the things to look out for. When there was a change of route part way through the day (probably the most critical info needed) we only found out a ferry was cancelled when we anrrived there. I know it was all minute to minute with the ferry operation but that is when we needed extra info. We had to phone him to get new directions. When we talked with him it was as if we had biked the route before and it wouldn’t be difficult to find where we were going. In fact it wasn’t. Sometimes one can be so familiar with a route they don’t realize it is not for the person encountering it for the first time.

We weren’t able to cruise to Bratislava or Budapest because of low waster. However, the crew worked extra hard to make sure we had a great experience. The cycling was great. The food and accommodations exceeded my expectations.

This was the first time my husband and I did a trip like this and we are not experienced riders. We traveled with a group of 16 from Pittsburgh PA USA and had a blast! This is a beautiful, easy ride along the Danube. And even though the river level prohibited us from biking to Bratislava and Budapest we were given the option to go to each city by bus. We enjoyed exploring the towns along the bike paths and all of the time we had in Vienna. The crew on the Vivienne were outstanding! Providing what we needed without having to ask as they got to know us. We appreciated all of the tips that were provided each day for our tours and excursions. Thank you for giving us such a memorable trip!

Great mix of people from so many different countries. The food was delicious, but there was way too much of it. I felt very wasteful. Especially the first night, a 9 course meal starting at 8:00pm was way too much.

The entire cruise was outstanding. From the whole crew to the food we ate, everything was great. The bike trips were awesome too. Special shoutout to all involved with doing our laundry since we unfortunately did most of the cruise with limited clothing due to lost luggage. We had a group of ten on the ship and everyone had a great time. Thank you.

Seeing all of the sights as we biked on the trails and in the towns and cities

The Vivienne was very clean, and for a smaller river boat, it felt very spacious. Our cabin was very comfortable with plenty of storage. The crew, and food were also great! We opted to have a guide ( Hamish Lucas) and he was exceptional! We didn't have to worry about the route and Hamish gave us so much history. Highly recommend Hamish. Loved all the bike rides through historic cities, small town and countryside.

The service on board was superb, all staff was extremely helpful and kind. Information regarding the biking routes was very detailed and precise - we appreciated Leslie's markings along the way!

The tour director and the entire staff onboard the Vivienne were outstanding, so welcoming, warm and helpful, as well as very professional. The boat facilities are great, very clean and well maintained. The Danube River is beautiful, and the bike route is top notch. Very well marked, lovely countryside and small towns. Exceychoise of stopping points.

This bike and boat tour was excellent. We chose a guide and ebikes for the biking portion which made us really enjoy the day as we did not have to worry about getting lost and/or making it back to the boat on time.
The ship itself was smaller, so you got to know people and felt like a big family.
The service from meals, to housrkeeping to daily tour briefings was top notch.
This was our first bike and boat tour and we would definately do it again.

Everything was top notch! The people. the crew, the food...everything!
One suggestion...when serving dinner entrees from whatever country the boat is currently in, please include the type of meat in English (ie: chicken or pork, etc.)

Wonderful scenery , small villages , the Danube River, the accommodations on the Vivienne were satisfactory .
The staff were friendly and accommodating, our dining room waiter Canon made us feel welcomed and looked after all our needs.Dietary requests were not completely met compared to previous tours.
If we were to compare this tour to a tour on a smaller barge ,as opposed to a larger barge we would definitely opt for a smaller vessel after this experience .

Excellent trip we enjoyed the rides each day and the towns that we rode through.

I totally enjoyed our trip. The biking was wonderful and I appreciate Leslie taking time to brief us before each ride, it was so helpful.

Loved every part of the trip. We are not cruise trip people, but this was an excellent experience and would do it again. The number of passengers was just right. The staff was outstanding. Thank you.

We loved the entire experience! Boarding the boat and unpacking once was wonderful. We’ve done many bike rides and the daily grind of packing, unpacking and being down at the tour vehicle gets a bit exhausting.

We had the junior suite and it was great. Plenty of storage space and the large windows were fantastic ! The food was excellent and we were able to gather a group of eight other friends to join us so every night and every day at breakfast we had a table of 10.

Probably our only suggestion would be that we would’ve liked to have spent more time in Vienna. We could’ve skipped the day before and it would’ve been nice to arrive in Vienna first thing in the morning and have a full day there.

We are ready to book another bike and barge in the near future.

The entire barge experience…including raw ambiance, the food presentation, the planning on behalf of the staff, and even the boat itself.

Discovering the Danube and surrounding countries and the extensive history leading up to their current status. I wish you had more time in Vienna.. like maybe an overnight since the barge was parked so far away from the center of town and it was a holiday (May 1), our visit was less than satisfying.

We had a wonderful time for a first bike and barge. Would highly recommend this trip.
The staff were incredible and of course the biking. For couple of days there was strong head winds so had the work really hard as we had regular bikes..well worth the effort and sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.

The friendships made on the trip were wonderful. The organising of the bikes was excellent. The waiters and waitresses were lovely and all so professional.

Budapest
Cycling through Wachau Valley
Service and food on Vivienne

This trip was excellent from its start to finish. The staff made everyone feel welcome and communicated each day’s plan very thoroughly. We enjoyed making new friends and our guide, Thomas, helped make our experience so positive. What a great way to explore the four countries and cities such as Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava. The final biking day through the UNESCO valley was outstanding.

This trip was excellent from its start to finish. The staff made everyone feel welcome and communicated each day’s plan very thoroughly. We enjoyed making new friends and our guide, Thomas, helped make our experience so positive. What a great way to explore the four countries and cities such as Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava. The final biking day through the UNESCO valley was outstanding.

i loved biking through the country side and small towns. We would stop for ice cream and even visited a winery. It was nice having the guide, didn't have to think about where we had to go each day. Visiting all of the towns along the way tasting their food and beer and shopping in the small shops was fun. The boat had a good vibe and relaxing atmosphere.

The service, food and the beautiful boat. It was a wonderful trip.