Well, we're going off topic, but...

Viking has a "long" package that starts in Amsterdam and ends in Bucharest. The Danube is most of that trip. The vision was to simply unpack in Amsterdam, then depart in Bucharest. Then research showed the reality often was, as you note, bus trips to other ships, sometimes with an overnight hotel stay before going to the next ship the next morning. Depending on how bad all these rivers actually are determines just how many of these bus connections you have to do. And, the longer the trip and more rivers involved, the more likely and numerous the connections. Since I want their biggest package, I am setting myself up for a lot of busing over a three week cruise. Though you're correct that it's still better than a coach tour, just not the ideal imagined.

No rush on this. Water levels might be better later.