Hungary – Cruising the Danube to Budapest on Uniworld River Princess
Hungary – Cruising the Danube to Budapest on Uniworld River Princess
Uniworld Eastern Europe Explorer River Cruise
Hungary – Cruising the Danube to Budapest on Uniworld River Princess
Day 11:
Our morning onboard Uniworld River Princess was relaxed and unhurried as we cruised the Danube towards Budapest in Hungary. We took advantage of the slow pace by having a late breakfast and then playing shuffleboard on the Sun Deck with new friends.
Did You Know?… Hungary (Magyarország):
- Is a landlocked country in Central Europe – bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia
- Is part of the European Union – accession to the EU: May 1, 2004
- Budapest is the capital and largest city
- Official language is Hungarian (Magyar)
- Has a population approaching 10 million
- 52% of the population is Roman Catholic
- Is home of the second largest thermal lake in the world – Lake Hévíz
- Central Europe’s largest freshwater lake, Balaton, is found here
- Has about 100 castles and castle ruins all over the country
- Approximately a tenth of the land area is classified as protected with 10 designated National Parks
- Currency is the Hungarian Forint (HUF) – Euros may be accepted in some hotels, restaurants and shops (www.xe.com)
Cruising the Danube River in Hungary
At 11 a.m. we met Cruise Manager Heiner Schmidt in the lounge to attend his presentation of Uniworld River Cruises onboard booking program which provided a glimpse into other interesting river cruise destinations and options. Now we definitely want to take Uniworld’s Mekong, Douro and Po river cruises… to start!
Following Heiner’s presentation we leisurely enjoyed the buffet lunch in the restaurant and then returned to our suite to watch the countryside as we cruised by.
Starting at 2:30 p.m. Heiner entertained passengers for 60 minutes with an interesting and thought provoking PowerPoint presentation “The European Union – Success or Failure?”.
Approaching Budapest – Lagymanyosi Bridge
CET Budapest – Shopping Center
Budapest University of Technology and Economics
Hotel Gellert & Baths in Buda
Arriving in Budapest & Docking on the Pest Side
We were then free to relax for the remainder of the afternoon until Heiner’s port talk at 5:00 p.m. – when he discussed the included and optional excursions for Budapest. As the optional “Budapest by Night” tour was leaving at 7:30 p.m. restaurant dinner service started earlier than usual – 5:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Shrimp Cake Appetizer
River Princess Caesar Salad
Grilled Fillet of Plaice
Chicken Paprikash
Sutemeny Rigo Jancsi – Hungarian Chocolate Mousse Cake
Ice Cup Coffee Dream – Mocha and Vanilla Ice Cream with Brandy Coffee
As River Princess arrived in Budapest earlier than scheduled, and as we had not signed up for the optional evening tour (we have previously visited the city), we spent the evening wandering into the old town and along the main pedestrian street of Vaci Utca. River Princess had conveniently docked within a 3-minute walk of the Central Market Hall (Hungarian “Nagycsarnok”) on the Pest Side.
Budapest at Night
If You Go:
Continue Reading WAVEJourney’s Uniworld Eastern Europe Explorer River Cruise Review:
Cruise Overview | Bucharest | Peles Castle | Bran Castle | Bucharest City Tour | Uniworld River Princess | Giurgiu: Embarkation | Rousse to Varna & the Black Sea | Veliko Tarnovo and Arbanassi | Captain’s Welcome Gala | Vidin, Belogradchik & Baba Vida Fortress | Iron Gates | Donji Milanovac | Viminacium Archaeological Site | Sava River | Belgrade City Tour | Deck Dining | Vukovar & Osijek | Cruising the Danube to Budapest | Budapest City Tour | Budapest Parliament Building Guided Tour | Gabcikovo Hydroelectric Dam and Lock | Bratislava City Tour | Captain’s Farewell Dinner | Vienna City Tour |
Notes: WAVEJourney travelled from Bucharest to Vienna as guests of Uniworld River Cruise Collection from July 25 to August 8, 2012.
