MS Johann Strauss
The Johann Strauss, a 144-passenger river ship, cruises the Rhine and Danube rivers on charter for several smaller river cruise companies, including U.S.-based newcomer Teeming River Cruises. Constructed in 2006 (it was formerly known as The Sound of Music) and last refurbished in 2017, the ship is comfortable and well maintained, with six categories of cabins and suites, a restaurant, a lounge, and a sun deck. It wasn’t designed to dazzle, but pleasant décor in shades of blue and beige (the dated musical motifs that are a carryover from its former life notwithstanding) create an inviting setting for Teeming’s value-focused cruises.
What We Love
The Less-is-More Philosophy: With its casual ambience and Teeming’s just-the-basics philosophy (no included port excursions, no open bar, and none of the usual all-inclusive pampering), Johann Strauss is like that simple black knit dress that costs $29.99 at The Gap and looks great as it is — but can also be dressed up at additional cost if that’s your style. If you want to book a bus tour offered by a local operator, you can. Want unlimited wine beer and soft drinks included with your lunch and dinner? A Beverage Package can be pre-paid in U.S. dollars.
The Multi-Course, Multiple Choice Menus: When it comes to culinary offerings, Teeming isn’t Uniworld, AmaWaterways, or Crystal — and it doesn’t try to be. But for what you pay for a weeklong sailing aboard Johann Strauss, the small kitchen team turns out hearty breakfast and lunch buffets and respectable multi-course dinners with two or three menu options per course (including a vegetarian, but not always vegan, choice). The food won’t necessarily win any awards — some fish dishes and vegetable sides were bland at times and overly salty at others; some soups missed the mark — but most appetizers and the pan-seared trout, orange-glazed duck, and rack of lamb entrees were quite good. That said, the house wines were a mixed bag, with the rosé the most pleasing, the white a bit astringent, and the red almost undrinkable.