FAQ - Travelling by ship

The MS Primadonna has two accessible cabins on the promenade deck and two on the upper deck. These cabins have two separate beds and, thanks to the positioning of the beds, offer more space to move around. The bathroom has grab rails that guests can use for support, and a shower stool is also available on request from reception for the entire duration of the trip.

The upper and promenade decks as well as the open deck are accessible by lift or stair lift (open deck).

Manual wheelchairs can be used on board without any problems; electric wheelchairs: can be taken on board up to a maximum weight of 35 kg; these can be used individually for shore excursions (without bus), but not on board (storage in the cabin). Manual wheelchairs are available for hire for getting around the ship (free of charge, advance booking required; only a deposit is required at reception).

Individual journey to the embarkation point. Details such as boarding time and place can be found in the arrival information which you will receive approx. 4 weeks before arrival.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to transfer your own bikes. You must bring your bike to the boat yourself and then ride to the car park. From there, there is a passenger transfer.
For the return transfer at the end of the cruise, you can first take the bus to the car park and then collect your own bikes from the ship by car.

Breakfast: Extensive hot and cold buffet including juices and coffee/tea.

Lunch: 3-course menu of your choice.

For cycling cruises: You prepare your packed lunch yourself from the breakfast buffet. You are also welcome to have lunch on board; however, you must inform the service staff the evening before.

Afternoon: Coffee or tea with cake/pastries.

Dinner: 4-course menu of your choice.

Midnight snack

Special requests: If you notify us in advance (at least 3 weeks before arrival), we can offer a vegan/lactose-free lunch or dinner menu. Allergens are indicated on the menus on board. Other requests/diets cannot be accommodated. An exception applies to themed cruises such as the Ganslfahrt, for which a menu is provided in advance on our website.

Not included in the cruise price: Beverages – these are charged to your cabin number and must be paid for at the end of the cruise. Beverage packages are not offered.

Our hotel manager and his colleagues at reception are always available to answer your questions.

Duty-free in the EU (as of 02/2026):

200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos or 250 g of tobacco and 4 litres of wine or 1 litre of spirits with an alcohol content of more than 22% vol. or 2 litres of spirits with an alcohol content of less than 22% vol.

All information is provided without guarantee. Please note that customs regulations are subject to change at any time. Please contact the relevant authority if necessary!

Do I have to cycle all the stages?

You can decide each day whether you want to cycle or take a break. Please inform the service staff in advance if you are staying on board for lunch.

The fitness levels and the quality of the cycle paths and local signposting are indicated for each tour.

Fitness levels 1 - 5:

1 = Easy to cycle, suitable for everyone
2 = Easy routes, can be mastered with little effort
3 = For "leisure cyclists" with normal fitness, occasional stages with inclines
4 = Slightly more challenging routes, for cyclists with average fitness
5 = For active cyclists with several hilly stages. Basic fitness required!

Quality of cycle paths and signposting 1 - 5:

1 = Route often runs on public roads, with some sections experiencing heavier traffic

2 = Partially on roads with motor vehicle traffic, route is partly hilly

3 = Standard cycle path with good signage, often separated from the road, completely flat; intersections with many cycle routes to choose from, orientation can be difficult

4 = Mostly car-free, beautiful route through stunning landscapes, very good signage

5 = Excellent, almost completely car-free, excellent signage, truly unique landscape experiences

Rental helmets cannot be provided, but helmets can be purchased on board (subject to availability).

InAustria, children under the age of 12 are required to wear helmets, but not high-visibility vests. Adults are not obliged to wear a helmet, but are encouraged to set an example. There is currently a 0.8 per mille limit for cyclists.

In Slovakia, helmets are generally compulsory for cyclists under the age of 15. Outside built-up areas, all cyclists must wear a helmet and high-visibility waistcoat (a high-visibility waistcoat must generally be worn in poor visibility).

Helmets are not yet compulsory in Hungary  and Serbia, but high-visibility waistcoats must be worn in poor visibility.

In Croatia, helmets are compulsory for cyclists under the age of 16. Adults are not required to wear a helmet, but wearing one is recommended. Outside built-up areas, a high-visibility vest must be worn in poor visibility or darkness.

Casual. No evening wear necessary. You are welcome to enter the restaurant in casual attire (no evening dress required, no suit or tie required).

On selected days, a light ‘Danube Awakening’ exercise class is offered free of charge in the morning, so please bring light sportswear with you if necessary.

You must always carry a valid travel document such as a passport or identity card (driving licence is not sufficient). Further information can be found at www.bmeia.gv.at.

Passengers WITHOUT a valid passport may be refused boarding by the ship's command. In particular, the Serbian authorities, as a non-EU country, will not accept entry WITHOUT a valid passport and the traveller will be forced to leave the ship. In the worst case, the entire ship may be detained.

Take advantage of the low package price and book the excursion package in advance (possible up to 10 days before arrival) to guarantee your place! Depending on availability, only individual services from the package can be booked on board.

On-Board Languages: German & English

Language for land programmes: German and/or English, depending on availability.

Neuer Punkt – Check-in

Please refer to your arrival information for the check-in times, as these vary depending on the trip.

When checking in on board, please have the following ready / note the following:

• Completed guest form for each person
• Valid passport/identity card
• For cycling cruises only: If you are bringing your own e-bike, please remove the battery when loading and unloading the bike on board.
• Please attach the luggage tag to your luggage immediately upon receipt.

It is generally possible to bring your own bike; please note: this is at your own risk. No liability is accepted for damage to the bike or in the event of loss/theft.

Please remove the battery when loading and unloading your own e-bike. We recommend that you label both the battery and the charger with a name sticker.

Cash, credit card (Mastercard, VISA, no Diners Club) or EC card.

Pets are not allowed on board.

You will find information on bike collection times in the daily programme on board.

Further information about the bikes can be found on the respective tour page.

The seat in the restaurant is allocated for all meals. This remains the same table for the entire journey. On the day of arrival, the service manager is available for table reservations and requests.

To ensure smooth processing with customs, port and border authorities, we require the identity document details of each participant. 

If you have not yet provided us with this information, please send it to us using the following form:

www.passdaten.donautouristik.com

If several participants are travelling together, please simply forward the form. 

It is not necessary to submit one collective entry per booking, but rather one per participant.

If you have any problems with the form, please send the data by e-mail to: primadonna@donautouristik.com

Smoking is permitted on the open deck or in the allocated areas. Smoking is strictly forbidden on the balcony of the cabins.

If not included in the tour price, DB train tickets can be issued for an additional charge of €106 for a return trip, 2nd class with a specific train connection. If included, these can be booked up to 4 weeks before arrival (with a specified train connection for arrival and departure). These are only valid from the nearest long-distance train station (= with ICE, IC, EC); seat reservations included. ÖBB tickets are valid from all stations in Austria (e.g. from Linz or Vienna to Bregenz and back for €95, 2nd class with free choice of train within the desired day of travel).

Be sure to allow sufficient time for your train journey, as delays are possible in some cases. You should choose your connection so that you arrive at the port in good time, at the latest 1 hour before departure or, in Passau, 1 hour before the transfer. Please note that you are responsible for arriving at the port on time. For your departure, please choose connections no earlier than 3 hours after the scheduled arrival, as disembarkation and travel to the station will take some time.

Important arrival information will be uploaded to your customer portal approximately 3 weeks before your arrival, and the guest form approximately 2 weeks before your arrival.

You will receive all other travel documents directly on board. These include the service list with your cabin number, luggage tags for transporting your luggage to/from your cabin, the cycling guidebook (for cycling cruises) and a ribbon for identifying your bicycle (for cycling cruises).

Please note that our cycle cruises are not guided cycle tours, but there are tour briefings with our expert on board every evening (if the next day is a cycling day).