Sailing at 11am to Vienna, Austria. We didn't go for the early optional tour of Melk's Benedictine Abbey. Only so many you can take in ... Was nice to have a more relaxing morning after a long day yesterday. We sailed through the Wachau Valley around noon, so went up to the skydeck for the stunning scenery. Ross braved the chill factor longer than I did, and was rewarded by getting some quite lovely photos. We arrived in Vienna late afternoon, and had an earl...

Today we chose a tour to Salzburg, home of Mozart and The Sound of Music. Not sure how alive the hills actually were as we drove through quite heavy rain to get there! What a pretty place! Lovely hilly countryside with some really big crystal clear lakes surrounded by snow capped mountains! The township itself was such an incredible mix of buildings and styles. Another amazing cathedral, one can't help but be quite overwhelmed by the design and construction of ...

We learnt very quickly that this kind of holiday is not for people who want to sleep in!! The organized tours start at around 8.30 so that means up by about 6.45 so breakfast isn't too rushed. On the breakfast subject, there is a full buffet which includes drag bread and rolls as well as cooked options. Hah hah soft boiled eggs are NOT soft boiled! There is also an omelette station where the chef cooks to your order. I watched very carefully, determined to impr...

This morning we had our first included tour of the trip. Some people went on a tour that covered the Nuremburg trials but we went on the general sight seeing one. A quaint little village, cobblestones and colorful painted shops and buildings. I found some of the personalities a little overwhelming this morning so I was just a little ratty! So we sat and ordered coffee and watched the locals in the village square. There were heaps of stalls in the central squar...

First impressions are an amazing thing. I guess we had built up ideas in our minds about what the ship would be like having seen a DVD and some booklets. But none of those can give the overall sensory experience of seeing the vessel from the bus and just looking at each other with our mouths open! Oh my goodness, this ship is spacious, beautifully decorated, comfort optimum, but not too opulent or over the top. Staff are seamless in their processes but also fu...