Travelmarvel Tours & Cruises

European Gems Reviews

31 European Gems reviews from past travellers that booked with Global Journeys.
4.65
AVG. RATING 4.65 / 5
31 Reviews
5 Star
68%
4 Star
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River cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest   3 , Paphos, Cyprus, May 2023
Everything we hoped it would be, the boat and staff/service were first class. We were so lucky with the weather which helps but also the cities and towns visited were wonderful.
Excellent 5 , VIC, Australia, Dec 2022
The whole trip was excellent. I have nothing bad to say. The accommodation was great, the food was to die for and the trips where good. Our cabin on the ship was lovely and in fact the whole ship was great. Crew were also excellent.
Great value for money river cruise. 4 , QLD, Australia, Dec 2022
So glad we chose Travelmarvel's European Gems cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest for our first trip after covid restrictions for the past three years. We sailed on the Polaris, a brand new ship which was modern and tastefully furnished. The staff and crew worked very hard throughout the cruise and were very friendly and eager to please. The cruise director, ...read more Andrew, was always available and approachable and he made sure everyone was informed about each day's tours and activities. The food and drinks were of a high standard and plentiful. We were looked after in every way and felt very special indeed. There were so many lovely passengers on board and we enjoyed their company very much. We saw some amazing places and were thrilled that it also snowed for some of the cruise. Of course, being December, the Christmas markets didn't disappoint either. A big thankyou to Georgie from Global Journeys who always makes booking so easy and stress free and Travelmarvel for a wonderful cruise that was everything we could have hoped for.
Worry free river cruise 5 , QLD, Australia, Dec 2019
What can I say, four women off to Europe on a Christmas Markets river cruise, we had a wonderful holiday and it was made very easy for us as we had the best crew on board and one of the best tour directors in Karla. There was plenty of food, wine and beer. Would highly recommend this cruise nothing was to much trouble and everything went as planned ...read more.
Fantastic river cruise Amstedam to Budapest with Travelmarvel 8 , NSW, Australia, Sep 2019
What a cruise - fantastic, a great experience. Let's start with Global Journeys - Yvonne was faultless, found us a great deal, organised our flights, looked after us really well - highly recommended. Travelmarvel - our cruise co-ordinator Jude went out of her way to ensure we had the best time and that we got the best out of our cruise, really looked ...read more after any little problem for everybody. The boat "Sapphire" was great - cabins quite comfortable and a good size. The on board entertainment was great, we were kept well fed, hydrated, entertained, informed and worry free.

This cruise travels through some very scenic and beautiful river valleys and towns, the onshore excursions ensure you experience another lifestyle in many different countries with castles, churches, buildings and unlimited history. Your cruise can be as relaxed or as busy as you wish, there are things to do everyday or you can choose to stay and relax, no pressure. Another great thing - the ship has a maximum of 150 passengers which means a great social atmosphere and the opportunity to make many new friends.
Wonderful river cruise, exceeded expectations 9 , ACT, Australia, Jul 2019
The European Gems River Cruise, Amsterdam to Budapest was wonderful, accommodation, food, entertainment and fellow travellers exceeded my expectations. There were many highlights, Amsterdam was so special cruising through their canal systems, the Rhine Gorge was amazing, drifting past the vine-covered slopes, saw so many castles, Rudesheim the visit ...read more to Siegfried's Mechanical Instrument Museum was certainly a highlight as was every place the ship stopped at.

My highlight was cruising the Danube into Budapest at 7.30 am, on the top deck with commentary about the amazing buildings unfolding before us..SO Special. We needed to swap ships, due to water levels, this was very well organised and certainly not a problem. I would certainly travel with Travelmarvel again, will recommend Yvonne Brooks, our Travel Agent as she was very efficient and accommodating.
A genuinely great holiday where every effort is made to ensure a good outcome   20 , QLD, Australia, Oct 2018
This was an exceptional cruise in the very literal sense. I have fortunately had the luck to experience quite a diverse & varied presentation of holidays by various cruise/holiday organisations - this would have to have been THE BEST!

Now, granted, not everything went according to plan, but I hasten to add that in my experience, Travelmarvel made ...read more exceptional effort to minimise inconveniences & maximise experience. I pay ultimate respect to Cruise Director - Sue Obermoser, she did an outstanding job to ensure everyone’s situation was the best, under some pretty adverse situations, namely prevailing river conditions. Very well done to her and the entire crew.
Marvellous Travelmarvel cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest 18 , NSW, Australia, Oct 2018
My best friend and I did this cruise to celebrate 50 years of being best friends and what a way to celebrate! Fabulous weather and scenery and unforgettable special experiences like a Mozart and Strauss concert in Vienna and watching an incredible demonstration of glass blowing by a master artisan. Our ship and its crew were magnificent and the food ...read more was fabulous. Definitely not the last river cruise we will do.
Great Cruise - Very Low Water Level 12 , VIC, Australia, Sep 2018
This cruise takes you through some wonderful parts of Europe. The scenery is fantastic. Our Cruise Director Kay (KY) was magnificent and thought of everything - even little snacks and gifts along the way. We had to swap ships half way through the cruise because the water levels are very, very low. Only missed 1 or 2 stops and other activities were substituted. ...read more Travelmarvel thinks of everything and has excursions for all levels of 'seniors'. Although, not suitable for those in wheelchairs.

The 2 ships we cruised on were 'sister' ships but their crews were vastly different. The Captain of the Travelmarvel Diamond is hands on. Always there to greet you back on the ship or help in any way he can. He calls his crew his 'children'. They are all one big happy family. Totally opposite on Travelmarvel Jewel. The Captain drives the boat. Wouldn't recognise him if he sat next to me at dinner. His staff were efficient but not as friendly or happy in their job. Leading from the top makes a great difference. All in all, I will definitely travel with Travelmarvel again and use Global Journeys to do my bookings. Thank you.
Cruise Amsterdam to Budapest Travel Marvel   11 , NSW, Australia, Jul 2018
Very happy with Global Journeys and with Travelmarvel! Very enjoyable experience. Highly recommended. Our highlight was the Rhine Gorge. Not ideal having to do a boat swap from Travelmarvel Diamond to Travelmarvel Jewel halfway along because of low water levels in the Danube. However the ~ 2 hour bus trip from Nuremberg to just south of Passau to join ...read more the new boat was pleasant and the only place we missed seeing was Regensburg.

During our cruise the Danube also became closed for river ships between Bratislava and Budapest so the cruise itself ended in Bratislava. We coached from Bratislava to Budapest for the day (three hours each way) to do the tour of Budapest then had the trip from Bratislava back to Budapest the following day to end the tour. All cruise companies faced the same problems and our cruise director handled the disruptions (clearly beyond his control) and rearrangements well. Weather very hot and dry ( 30-40 everyday) but after all it was July and mid summer!

Only negative comment relates to failure of the air conditioning on Travelmarvel Diamond for the first 48 hours of the cruise. Temperature in high 30s and no fans were available. Faulty unit extremely noisy in our cabin located next to the unit at the back of the boat. Difficult to sleep. Air Conditioner repaired and noise problem disappeared but unit never functioned really efficiently. If this conditioner is not designed for consistent 30-40 degree heat then should be replaced given global warming appears a reality. Air conditioning fine on Travelmarvel Jewel.
Lovely River Cruise 5 , ACT, Australia, Jul 2018
A very enjoyable river cruise with excellent local guides. Global Journeys had a first rate internet site (easy to navigate with comprehensive information which was presented in a very user friendly manner) all of which was backed up by prompt and excellent service from Yvonne Brooks.
European Gems - Amsterdam to Budapest   18 , NSW, Australia, Jun 2018
Even though we only did most of the included excursions it was still fairly full on with something to see every day. The highlights of the trip for us was cruising the rivers admiring the castles and small towns along the way and to have a room with a view where you could relax on your bed and watch the countryside glide by if you desired. The icing ...read more on the cake was the night cruise along the river in Budapest seeing the bridges and buildings lit up with lights along with music amplified up on the Sun Deck. It was spectacular.

Our Cruise Director Mr Roland Noordermeer was exceptional with his knowledge of the river and the various points of interest along the way along with history and politics of Europe. There was abundant amounts of beer wine and soft drinks at meal times. When booking a room, I would suggest a room from the middle of the ship toward the rear is the best location as there are less people passing your door.
Good first time experience 2 , TAS, Australia, Jun 2018
We are experienced ocean cruisers but this was our first-ever river cruise, on the Travelmarvel Diamond. We had an excellent Cruise Director who kept us very busy. It was less relaxing than an ocean cruise.
Great trip 9 , QLD, Australia, Sep 2017
From the time we were picked up at the airport to the last day or trip it was wonderful. The cruise was relaxing and enjoyable .the ship was very clean and the food was great . Staff on the ship were friendly and could not do effort for us - they were great . We meet some lovely people and made some lovely friends. I would tell anyone to travel with ...read more Travelmarvel.
Trouble Free European River Cruising   13 , QLD, Australia, Sep 2017
We started planning our river cruise with Global Journeys in early 2016. From start to finish their service was excellent, thanks Yvonne. The river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest is the way to go. Budapest is the jewel in the crown. What a way to finish our trip with an evening cruise through Budapest. Simply magnificent, the Captain joined us on ...read more the Sun deck for the experience.

The Travelmarvel cruise represented great value for money. The TM Diamond was a comfortable ship with the friendliest of staff. The food and service were excellent. There was plenty of opportunity to exercise on our daily shore excursions. The home visit for afternoon tea to the German family in Miltenberg was very special. We would recommend this experience to all.
Europe river trip 6 , QLD, Australia, Jun 2017
We enjoyed the whole trip - what was so good was being able to open up the door and curtains to the room and lie in bed and watch the world go by in the morning, as it was light at 4.30am, listen to the birds singing and the ever changing landscapes. It was so relaxing, the best part was not having to pack and unpack each day, but still visiting so ...read more many places from the boat. The only problem we had was when we arrived in Amsterdam somehow we missed seeing the pickup people and went to the meeting place and still didn't see anyone - we had to ring and speak to them. We did have to wait for quite some time, and did get our transfer to the ship, but after 30 odd hours either in airports or planes you're not in the best of moods.
Great way to see Europe 6 , WA, Australia, Apr 2017
What a great way to experience Europe - a leisurely sail down the Danube and Main Rivers. The scenery was spectacular, with history around every bend. Travelmarvel was exceptional. Our tour guide Roland made the trip. Nothing was too much for him and his sense of humour was spot on. All staff were friendly and professional. Although this was the ...read more first trip of the season, everything was perfect. Oh the food....so many choices and of such a high standard. The menu had many options for those like me who have allergies. Thank you to everyone for an absolutely fabulous cruise.
Amazing European River Cruise 6 , VIC, Australia, Apr 2017
Global Journeys organised our European Gems River Cruise (Amsterdam to Budapest) earlier this year. In terms of Global Journeys, Yvonne was very knowledgeable and helpful - always following up on specific questions that we had. In terms of TravelMarvel - we thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the cruise including the ship, the itinerary, the tour director ...read more (Roland was amazing), the individual tour guides (all very knowledgeable about their respective regions) and the cruise-boat staff. The catering staff need to be called out for special commendation - they quickly came to understand the dietary requirements / constraints of all of the passengers and always accommodated these needs accordingly with a nourishing selection of meals.
We made lots of new friends on the cruise and I think our wife summed up our sentiments best of all when we got to the end of the cruise by saying 'I could just turn around and do the return journey' from Budapest back to Amsterdam.
Great way to see Europe 6 , QLD, Australia, Aug 2016
Travel Marvel is a good operator and it was easy booking through Global Journeys. Good mix of travellers. Great cruise director. August was great time of year to travel through Europe.
Fantastic river cruise 1 , WA, Australia, Jul 2016
Travelmarvel's river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest was in our opinion pitched at the right level, the comfort, cleanliness, quality and variety of food and beverages were all excellent. The friendliness of all the staff from Captain to cleaner made us feel so welcome and at ease which undoubtedly added to our enjoyment of the holiday. Would not ...read more hesitate in using the Travelmarvel brand again should the opportunity arise.
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