Carissima boat/barge tour reviews — 91 to 120 of 122

Scenery que sheets needed to be more precise. Several of us got lost on our last day and therefore couldn't tour the Melk Abbey. I was very disappointed we ended up biking 50 miles instead of 26.

Visiting the Wachau valley was my favorite part of the trip. Entertainment on the ship was the only down side and that was just a small part of the trip.

The comfort guide was somewhat disappointing and the on ship tour director was disorganized and dismissive. While the comfort guide did give some good suggestions, the bike tour through Vienna would have better been replaced by a bus tour, as the group was very large, traffic was heavy and the whole experience was somewhat dangerous to anyone not a very experienced rider. We were led to believe that the bike tour in Vienna would be easy, on nice paths , not crowded or busy, whereas the opposite was the case. The tour guide through Vienna, a local, did not wear an identifying vest, and travelled too quickly, More instruction for the riders not experienced with electric bikes would have been appreciated. A session especially on the electric bikes while on board the ship would be an improvement. We paid extra for a top level cabin, but it seemed to be nearly exactly the same as the cabins one level down. While the food was good, and the service was excellent, we wearied of the sauces typical of continental cuisine and the small salads. Bike lunches and water were good. Fresh fruit was available at breakfast.

The experience on the barge far exceeded the expectations for my wife and the other 6 members of the group. The quality of the food, the excellence (and friendliness) of service , and the outstanding visuals of the meal presentations were an absolute delight.
If I were asked for recommendations (I left these comments on the end of cruise comment card), would be to improve internet service and to make sure there is at least one English speaking television channel available.
Other than that, everything was wonderful.

Most Memorable Part: Waking up each morning at a new port in the middle of no where with castles and beauty all around. Tip: Take all the bottled water you are able to as not freely available (although I drank the ship's water and it was fine). Don't rely on internet.

It was a fantastic trip. I will definitely recommend it to friends and family!

The whole experience was more than I expected. Just join in and enjoy life.

This was our first bike and barge trip. The 4 countries trip was awesome. Albert was an amazing tour guide and was available all the time to ask questions of and chat with. His info sessions were informative, we would have missed a great deal without his tips and suggestions. Amazing food. Friendly staff willing to do anything to make the trip memorable. No hassles ever! Wish coffee during the day was included but no big deal. We were on the top level with big picture windows. Immaculate boat, the Carissma. We booked the spa and enjoyed the expansive area, chilled fruit juices, robes and towels. Nice hot tub for two, romantic. We are already looking for another Tripsite bike and barge next year. This is an amazing way to see cities, get some exercise and fresh air, enjoy the countryside and visit little villages for coffee or drinks. We did city bike tours in Budapest &Vienna (booked on board) and they were well worth the money. Before the trip we had a number of questions and Mikky at Tripsite was great with answers. I was so happy she answered right away! Thanks for a memorable week.

This was the second trip on the MS Carissma from Sept 24 - Oct 1- along the Danube. Great scenery- the best of the two trips. The river views of vineyards, historical sites were really beautiful. The staff on the boat were exceptionally customer focused and responsive to needs. The food was very good and well presented with the exception of the fruit plate which needed a little more imagination to meet the standard set by the other menu items. The hired tour guide for our group was not able to answer questions about the history or other information on some of the sites we spent time in or passed along the way. He knew the route well but other information was not forthcoming as he said "it did not interest him" when he did not know. Tips - do some research on some of the stops along the way to determine if the site is worth a stop along the way. Make good use of the extra time in Vienna and Budapest.

The ability to view many little towns throughout the trip along with the amazing historical buildings. The daily bike routes could have been clearer, or at least exact precise maps to follow.

We participated on this Bike N Barge tour in May of 2017. The Carissima is a former "Viking Cruises" ship which is now doing the bike and barge tours for a year or so and it provides such luxury in accommodations, living quarters, dining rooms, swimming pool and so on that is unlikely to find on any other ship and tour of this type. The bike paths are by most standards quite good and the scenery is simply wonderful. The first day or riding the Engelhartszell - Aschach bike path is majestic and the Great Loop of the Danube unforgettable. The Wachau / Krems - Melk trail on the last riding day is by far the best and most interesting. We also rode our bikes on our own through the city of Bratislava and also through most of Budapest which is by far one of the nicest cities east of the Iron Curtain. We did not take a day of rest in Vienna. We rode our very comfy e-Bikes for 4 hours throughout the city and stopping at the huge number of venues for photos as time in Vienna is absolutely very limited. If there is something wrong with this trip is the fact that this ship does not stay overnight in any of the main stops on the tour so it lacks the opportunity to explore the city at night and enjoy some of the local events and specialties. The ship leaves almost as soon as your requested time of return from cycling is scheduled and you spend much of the time on the ship deck watching the river go by. The tour guides were outstanding and the directions given are flawless. Having been given the gps routes in advance was immensely helpful. By the way, while e-Bikes are not essential they are good to have if you plan to climb the hills to see the castles and other high up the horizon venues on this tour. If you stay on the assigned paths regular 7-8 gear bikes are just fine. The Hungarian dance evening excursion is quite good and recommended and so is the Vienna Orchestra evening excursion if it is your first ever classical music show. It provides some of the well known classical music by well known music geniuses but leaves a lot to be desired if you are well aware of this musical era. The orchestra is small just 16 or 17 musicians in a small and poorly designed venue for that type of music. 3 out of 5 for this excursion. The overall trip is well designed and gives nice riding opportunities, great views, lots of culture, great comfort and the Danube is a treat. The meals on Carissima are less than good in quality and taste but better than most for showing off. The breakfast are excellent. The rest is average at best. The crews are all top quality for service and attendance. I dislike sitting at the same table with the same 6 persons every days every meal. It supresses the opportunity to meet people and reduces the fun of getting to know others from different countries, cultures, ethnicity and customs. For the reasons of not overnight stops and the food quality and table seating system we rate this at a 7 of 10 stars or 3.5 on this scale.

The bike journeys were terrific taking us through beautiful towns and scenery! The last day's trip to Melk was spectacular BUT it was recommended that we take the ferry across too early on the ride. This sadly led to a long and unnecessarily arduous climb to Melk that could have been avoided by staying on the other side of the river and crossing at Melk. That said, we very much enjoyed the trip!

Best Part: The ride from Vac to Esztergom! Beautiful.

This was my first time to cycle by the Danube and it far exceeded my expectations. The whole experience was awesome. I loved to be able to exercise while enjoying the pretty scenery and exploring villages and meeting people from other countries. Such a wealth of history and culture!! Truly amazing!

I will definitely do another bike and barge, it was terrific. My only complaint would be that the food provided for the vegetarians was not well thought out. It wouldn't take much to make this a fabulous plant-based experience. The staff tried as best they could...but it was lacking. But, overall, the trip was fabulous.

Riding the Danube was the most memorable part. This trip was trying to do too many things for too many diverse folks at one time. A bike trip and a boat trip are different experiences. For biking, I think a smaller boat with more cycling is important. The staff worked hard with several languages, those who wanted to sun, those who wanted to tour cities, and those of us who wanted to bike: tough job. They did a great job, but for bikers, I think another option should be recommended. There was a great deal of confusion because of the diversity of activities. The cyclists actually lost a full day of cycling due to conflicts/changes/who knows? Descriptions of the next day's activities were very confusing, because they were trying to give instructions for a variety of different folks. We were always wondering, confused about our ride instructions for the next day. Thank goodness for the bike guides who tried their best to keep us informed!

Biking through the wine country around Melk. The villages were amazing and the people were friendly. I'm only 5'2" and the bike's weren't a good fit for me I needed a smaller frame but none were available. The bike I was given for the 1st day of riding was in very poor condition which made the first 27 mile ride rather uncomfortable but several people complained and the staff fixed the bikes. Make sure you get on your bike the 1st day as early as they will let you so there is time for fixes if needed before the boat leaves and you need to ride off on your first journey.

We really enjoyed the rides through the countryside in this trip. Our cruise director was fun and very helpful. He gave us many tips for the route and how to experience the culture of the places we went.

Everything was great! Even when the ship had a mechanical problem, the staff made sure everyone was happy.

The staff and food were excellent, as well as the ambiance of the river boat, not too crowded, a good mix of nationalities, great info dissemination and communication with passengers. Very relaxed and customer service was wonderful.

El recorrido fue modificado a los 3 dias por desperfectos en el barco, razon por la que no conocimos Bratislava ni Budapest!! A pesar de ello.. la ruta Lintz Passau con arribo de laas bikes en Viena fue satisfactorio.

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the Tripsite Bike and Barge Danube River Tour! The cruise was so relaxing, it was a real vacation! How do I start? The MS Carrisma , what a boat! The Danube River! The food, every meal a delicious event to enjoy! The staff was always cheerful, friendly, helpful and so cosmopolitan! Every one from the Captains, bar crew, boat crew, cruise crew, housekeeping crew, kitchen crew and the waiters. They made our trip experience a very memorable event in our lives, which we will never forget! Too many things to do and see in eight short days. We plan to do this trip again!

The bikes were in excellent condition The maps were hard to read and did not even show what country we were in on the route, however the route was clearly marked. That saved us many times. The carry out lunch was great. Maybe some variation in granola bars throughout the week. Meals were good. Staff seemed rushed and understaffed at dinner. It was overall a great trip. Suggestions for others: pack light!

Touring by bicycle is the best! It's a great way to take in the scenery, small villages, and larger cities while getting a little exercise along the way. It was a very relaxing trip and I was glad to be a part of a larger group on the trip. The food and cycling directions could be improved, but the service and itinerary were great.

The best combination, boat and bicycle, without packing in every place.
Every morning a new city to visit and the best way is by bike where you can experience the sound of the win through the forest, the river just by your side and beautiful villages where always will be a huge church and a restaurant to have a beer.
And unforgettable experience, I just love to do it and would like to experience again.

The trip was very well organized, the scenery was beautiful, boat staff very helpful. All the meals were great. The packed lunch was a nice feature for the day rides. Rooms were very nice, lounge staff treated us well.
We liked the City of Budapest very much, glad we had the day to explore.
Biking through wine country on the last day was a great way to finish the experience.

The most beautiful part of the bike trip was he Danube Bend, eye candy around every corner! The thermal pools at Szechenyi in Budapest are not to be missed! It is the largest medicinal bath in Europe. Plan on spending 3-4 hours there, it is an unbelievable experience. Also, in the Jewish Quarter you can feel & experience Jewish life before WW II inside old shops; the communist period of Hungary at retro restaurants; and contemporary Budapest through street food and street art.

The most memorable part was our free time in Budapest. What a beautiful city.

My wife and I enjoyed the variety of the destinations and getting off the boat to explore small villages, ruins and interact with the local people.
The staff was very friendly and always helpful.
One tip we would suggest is to make every effort to be on top deck or in the parlor to see the cities we visited during arrival and departure.

The combination of biking in the beautiful countryside and also being on the water on a boat for my lodging was wonderful and just enough time to enjoy the cultural hubs of the amazingly beautiful cities. I loved it all and for me just the right combination of it all.
I would suggest that the navigation on the bike routes was confusing at times so the next time to enjoy it more I would opt for being guided on the biking versus self-guided.