European Gems - Budapest to Amsterdam Reviews

Rachael was a fantastic agent. Thanks, Rachael - brilliant. We did the two week cruise with Travelmarvel, and because it’s an Australian company, it was loaded only with Australians and Brits. This was perfect. Staff fabulous. Boat fabulous. We had the cheapest of the rooms and it was fine. Oh, and the food was really great. Thanks Travelmarvel, and thanks Rachael.

I thought going on this cruise in late October may have been a mistake because of the weather but I was wrong. We had only one day of rain and the rest was fine, albeit a little colder as we progressed to Amsterdam. I loved unpacking in my spacious room and simply relaxing. Having a balcony was perfect and I recommend level 3. The organisation from read more the cruise director was exemplary and daily briefings made things easy. She catered for the very active to those who had decreased mobility. The food was beautiful with three course lunches and four course dinners - different every day. we saw the sights, had great information and were entertained nightly alongside of wonderful people. would I do it again - in a heartbeat because the Danube and the Rhein are spectacular!!

Even if most days were cold, overcast and raining we wtill enjoyed our European Gems Cruise with Travelmarvel. We had a good group so that made all the difference. Only hitch was that after 7 days we had to pack up and swap ships as the water level was too low in one section, but at least we still had 14 days cruising. Food was very good (lots read more of it) and wines were excellent, specially the whites. The staff was charming and engaging, specially in the dining room, nothing was too much for them.

From the initial email and website enquiry the entire process was easy, unhurried and understandable by us both. Travel arrangements to the start of the cruise were well planned and easy enough considering the distance and total time it took to reach the start point. A start to a luxurious cruise that was well above expectations. Amazing service, amazing read more food and an array of excursions enough to satisfy anyone. Throughout the cruise our director Benedik kept us all up to date and organised. Too many highlights to mention, but certainly enough to consider another Travelmarvel cruise and the input from Global Journeys to get us there and back.

Overall a great experience. TM staff, meals and cabins were excellent. The only (unavoidable) mishap was that we were unable to continue our journey past Passau due to low river levels. TM did a great job of coordinating our transfer by coach to a sister TM vessel but it meant a day on the road and reduced time in Regentsburg and Nuremburg. We then read more continued onto Amsterdam through the Rhine Valley. TM Cruise Director (Andrew) was very professional throughout the cruise (on both vessels). Grace from Global Journeys did an excellent job negotiating best flight costs with TM.

This was our first river cruise and will definitely not be the last . Travel Marvel was exceptional prior to our trip keeping us informed about any changes and were very informative about any queries we had . The trip was next level in every aspect from the crew to the rooms to the dining experiences. Plenty of excursions and experiences to keep you read more constantly occupied. Will definitely recommend to anyone thinking of doing a river cruise. All aspects of our time on the cruise was at 5 star rating,absolutely brilliant.

An enjoyable river cruise with everything run well except for how the problems with the boat propella were mismanaged . This ongoing problem impacted on the mid cruise stops in particular we missed seeing Numerburg a high value tour and we sailed almost all the Rhine Valley in darkness.

We really enjoyed our river cruise with Travelmarvel from Budapest to Amsterdam in April 2024. We stayed a couple of nights before the cruise at Hotel Vision which was across the road from the Danube River and the dock where we met our cruise. We booked this accommodation ourselves. The hotel was excellent. The map that Travelmarvel provide which shows read more where to meet the ship in Budapest is not that accurate. The ship docks the day before the new cruise starts, so it was easy to check out where to go by walking along the river and finding the ship. There are lots of river ships docked in Budapest so be aware the ship might move a little overnight but it will be in the same general area. Budapest is a beautiful city and well worth having a few extra days there. The night cruise to see Budapest all lit up was amazing on the first night that we were on the ship. Amsterdam however was overwhelming. It was incredibly busy - bikes, trams, buses, people all crowded together. We were glad to leave as soon as the cruise was over.

We travelled on the Vega. It was a beautiful ship. It just glides through the water, you hardly know you are moving. The cruise director, Janos, was fabulous. Nothing was too much trouble, and he was very organised. There are a few optional excursions that you can choose to go on, which are an additional cost. We did 3 of them and found them worthwhile. There is no pressure to participate, the alternate option is to stay on the ship which is no hardship.

The food was great. Beer, wine and softdrink was included at lunch and dinner and glasses were really filled up for as long as you are dining. It was great to unpack and just enjoy the cruise. Most days you woke up you were in a new town or heading towards one.

We are around 64 years of age and I think we would have been in the youngest third of the passengers. There were some quite fit 70+ year olds on the cruise. Age doesn't define the ability to be active. There were also some less active older people who were very adequately catered for. When we left the ship to go on bus or walking tours there was nearly always a buss or tour for the gentle walkers who were less mobile. There was exercise, stretch sessions on the ship every morning for those that wanted to participate.

Travelmarvel did their best to cater for all the guests and ensure everyone had as good a holiday as possible.

Had a great time on this river cruise, fabulous weather, plentiful delicious food and wine , staff were very attentive and knowledgeable. Highly recommended.

We had the most wonderful holiday Rachael McSorley from Global Journeys was a blessing she was so helpful with booking and organising our river cruise with Travel Marvel. Cruising down the Danube was a dream come true and the ship and staff did not disappoint. The tours and food were amazing. We will definitely use Global Journeys and Travelmarvel again in the future.

We had the most wonderful time and made many friends during the cruise and exchanged addresses. Also, a special thanks to Singapore Airlines for the wonderful way they looked after us. The cabin crew were out of this world. Also thank you Racheal for your work in organising this trip as everything went to plan. Will certainly recommend you to anyone read more interested in a river cruise through Europe.

I had an amazing trip. The crew and staff were fantastic always smiling, nothing was to much trouble. The tour guide was fantastic on the ball for every little detail. I would highly recommend this trip to everyone.

This trip was fantastic, the food was good, the crew were excellent and nothing was a bother. I can highly recommend Travelmarvel for a river cruise.

My first European River cruise and my first with TravelMarvel. My expectations were high because I had been waiting since April 2020 to take this trip due to Covid. What can I say but it was absolutely fabulous. Just the right balance of energetic shore trips, resting and rocking in the lounge, chatting with new friends and sleeping my head off to the read more soothing motion of the grand boat Vega.

Travel Marvel's staff were fabulous. Nothing was too much trouble and they noticed before you asked. Special thanks to Cruise Director Emece who worked 24x7 to make our cruise go well despite the challenges of fledgling international travel after Covid. And to the team at Global Journeys especially the ever patient and resourceful Georgie, thanks are just not enough for the support you gave me during the long Covid delays and the patience you showed at my fears I might never get on my journey of a lifetime. You got me there guys!!! I'll be back.

What a great journey! Travelmarvel were great, all the staff and Sue our tour director were wonderful. There was no chance to go hungry... so much food and very nice. The tours off the ship were well organised and plenty of time to do your own thing if you wanted to. My favourite place was Cesky Krumlov. Had a great time and met some lovely people. read more Great value for money too. Thank you Travelmarvel and thank you Georgie for organising this tour for us.

My sister ,Marianne, and I had an unbelievable holiday. The weather was good, the whole experience was wonderful. Being in "cheap" below cabins was still very good because we still had two rather large portholes. So I was happy. I can't tell you how much I loved this holiday. Everything was wonderful.

There is a down side though. In all of our communications read more to each other there was one thing that has to be addressed. When we got to Budapest we had a night in a hotel and from there we made our own way to where we had to board the Travelmarvel Diamond. It was a very hot day and no one knew where the ship was docked. There are three no. 8 docks in Budapest and we went to all three.

By the time we found the right one my sister and I had spent 3 hours walking in the hot sun dragging heavy suitcases. No water to drink and my sister started vomiting because she was dehydrated and I nearly fainted from the heat. Please, next time include on your information where the ship docks. All you to say was "the glass building that looks like a whale" everybody knows where that is. Also you should have included a phone number for the ship so that in case of trouble I could have rang the ship and said 'where are you?'.

I will definitely be holidaying again with you and your cruise ships. Maybe next time I'll go to France, down the waterways through the wineries. I just want to say thank you to you and all your staff for helping me make this holiday so special. Thanks again.

Well, I can honestly say this was one of the best holidays I have ever had. Everything about the cruise just fell into place, due to the competence of Cherie Cooper, our cruise director! Cherie is a wealth of knowledge and has an awesome sense of humour and is really a wonderful person. I'm sure she is an asset to the company.

We were extremely read more lucky to have been blessed with excellent weather, and although nobody could control this, it worked well in our favour. Marko looked after us in the dining room, even though with open dining it could have been any one of the waiters, but we chose to remain on the same table and it certainly was worth it.

A lot of friendships were made but most of all were the wonderful memories we will all have forever. Thank you Travelmarvel. Hope to see you again sometime.

We have just returned from the Xmas Markets river cruise on “the Jewel” with Travelmarvel. Travel was first class all the way. Plenty of included activities as well as several extra optionals. All the crew were fabulous and our cruise director “Emma” was very experienced and ever so helpful. This truly was a worry free 15 day river cruise. We made read more quite a few new friends that we plan on keeping in touch with. We plan on using Travelmarvel for our next river cruise in Russia. Booking ahead with the fly free offer made this great value for money.

We set off for a 15 Day European River Cruise aboard the Travelmarvel Diamond with great expectations. What we actually got was a 15 Day European Tour on the Travelmarvel Jewel, Sapphire & the Diamond, plus 2 luxury hotels in Budapest & Regensberg & many entertaining kilometers aboard comfortable coaches. Due to the unprecedented lack of water, a once read more in one hundred year event, we were able to do what no Travelmarvel group has yet to do, i.e. travel on each one of its fabulous fleet.

We saw much of the countryside as well as the rivers, so it was all an added bonus! Extra tours were added for us & the care & consideration shown to all by our tireless Cruise Director Hedleigh Emberson was excellent. Many thanks go to the crews of all the vessels in a very trying situation for all, & our local tour guides aboard our coaches were so knowledgeable & entertaining. Our first Travelmarvel adventure, but certainly not our last.

This is the best value European holiday ever. Great food, great company. Travelmarvel were great, we had a few hiccups, such as the low river levels and using 3 ships instead of one. Minimal interruptions, but the logistics Travelmarvel had to take care of to get us through the trip was nothing short of amazing. Cannot speak highly enough of Global read more Journeys, we dealt with Jemma who kept us informed of the low river situation all the time. Best ever.