extension after cruise on the Danube-suggestions?

I much prefer Berlin to Munich. One difference is that you could sleep in Berlin for a week, not exhaust the city, and not have to take a daytrip farther than the S-Bahn would take you. In Munich, a week would require real rail (not that bad, really) or bus daytrips to keep busy.

I've been to Berlin 3 or 4 times and still love it. I've been to Munich once, and don't need to go again. I was brought up in New York City. And it's true that one mountain with a $99 cablecar looks pretty much like another mountain with a $99 cable car to me! (Opinion!)

Prague is worth a few days after getting off the boat, no matter what you do with the boat's tours.

I second Berlin too.

Berlin is great in one way, and Munich can be great in others. Both are easy to use to access the eastern US, but I don't know about Louisiana. Check with your preferred airline.

The Danube is not near Prague, so your plans for afterwards may depend on what the cruise covers before Prague, and how you get to Prague from the Danube.... you may have seen a lot of Austria and the foothills of the Alps already on the Danube.

Overall for only a few days after a tour I would probably pick Berlin too. We love the Hotel Zoe at the Hackescher Markt. It is within a few blocks of the Museum Island.

Another vote for Berlin.

Thanks for the replies. Our cruise line drives us from Nuremberg to Prague on the last leg of the cruise tour. So, we would have to take a train or plane to whatever city we choose for the extension. We are hitting the northern portion of Austria on the Danube [from Vienna to Regensburg] so we would see, at least at a distance, the Alps in some fashion. I will have to get to a map to see exactly how close we get on the Danube to being in the Alps.

I will take into consideration your responses which are greatly appreciated.

I have 3 lists of sights in Europe: 1] places to go back to because there is more to see, 2] places to try where I have never been, and 3] places that weren't worth visiting in the first place. Both Berlin and Munich are charter members in the don't waste your time here list (#3). On the other hand, Prague, where I've only spent 9 days, is at the top of the list of go back to. Since you will be in Prague, extend your stay. For a day trip from Prague, Chesky Krumlov.

The puzzling champions of Berlin and Munich will probably through their usual fit about this advice, so here is why I give it: I've spent 500-600 days touristing Europe over almost 50 years. I only discuss places where I've been there and done that, and I've been there and done that in both Berlin and Munich and I wish I didn't.

If you must see the Alps, skip whatever the cruise tour is doing from Linz, rent a car, and head for Hallstatt. Or, if there is time at your stop in Melk AND the sky is clear, Uber/taxi to Maria Taferl (8 miles one way) from which you can see the Alps.
Or fly to Grenoble, rent a car, and make a loop back to Grenoble over the Col de la Croix de Fer and the Col de Galibier (essential side trip to the Oratory at Chazelet).

Perhaps even better: fly to Innsbruck, one day for the Oetztal, one day for the other mountain drives near Innsbruck (you must have the Michelin Green Guide Austria to figure this out). 

Berlin is not a particularly beautiful city (not speaking of Potsdam here), but it has magnificent museums and many fascinating historical sights. Prague is indisputably much prettier. I liked both a lot. If you're more a walk-around-outdoors traveler, extra time in Prague is probably a better choice, but do your research so you don't spend all your time surrounded by throngs of other visitors. That's a very unattractive aspect of Prague.

I think Nickb also meant to point out that being able to buy an open-jaw transatlantic ticket coming home from the extension city is a factor. Since it is wise to arrive a day early for a cruise or tour, you could have a pre-cruise extension instead.

It really depends on what you want to do. If the alps are your priority, then I would do Salzburg (with a side trip to the Konigsee) and then head to Munich. I find Munich much more charming than I did Berlin. I get where people are like there is nothing to do in Munich, but everytime I am there I discover something new. This time was Schliessheim Palace and Dallmayr Cafe. Both of which I want to go back to when we have more time. I always enjoy a donut at Cafe Frischhut. I could wander through the Viktuellenmarkt again too. I have seen the glockenspiel 5 times and still find it fascinating.

Berlin does have good museums, and a lot of historical value. I was there in college, not too long after the wall fell. There was so much construction, that I left feeling "meh" about it. But I do want to go back an explore it with my adult eyes.

Enjoy your trip!! I don't think you will make a bad choice.

"We do want to see the Alps and Bavaria." What time of year and how much time do you have? I don't think you will see much of the Alps on your cruise. Once you get to Munich you would have train and rental car options to go where you want in the Alps and beyond. Alps is a rather general term, so depending on your time available, pick your spots. As mentioned Salzburg Austria and Berchtesgaden Germany is very nice. Gamrish-Partenkirchen, Mittenwald Germany and into the Zugspitz Arena in Austria is great area too. The lakes south of Munich; Chiemsee, Starnberger See Ammersee Tegernsee etc. Over to Schwaben and Allgäu (Füssen). All the King Ludwig sites both Father and Son, I & II. Northern/Central Bavaria - Nürnberg, Regensburg (visited on the cruise?), Bamburg, Wurtzburg, Landshut and regions like the Main River Franken Wine region, Altmuhl River Valley, Franken Schweitz etc. If your adventurous you could tour the less touristic Oberpfälzer Wald and Bayerischen Wald/Forest. How about Burghausen and the longest castle in the world? I drive, but I think Munich or back to Nürnberg (a short flight to Munich, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Zürich etc.) are central hubs that will get you to where you want in Bavaria.
Maybe more realistic is to see Munich with side trips, visit Salzburg Austria and Berchtesgaden Germany area, Gamrish-Partenkirchen (Zugspitz) and Mittenwald, go to Füssen and Castle Neuschwanstein. Maybe a week? Rick's books handle these pretty well.

I've been to both Berlin and Munich. I loved Berlin and could go back and not be board; however, it is not your typically beautiful European city. It has fantastic museums, tons of history, and some incredibly interesting neighborhoods to walk around. There are also some really great day trips from Berlin like Potsdam and Dresden. You could easily spend 5 days in Berlin. Munich, on the other hand, I found there was not much to do. I would only suggest like a full day and a half for the city.

Seeing as you would love to see the alps, I'd recommend spending a couple days after your cruise ends in Prague and then renting a car and heading for the alps. Renting a car offers great flexibility. I recommend seeing Salzburg, Berchtesgaden, and Konigssee. You could either make a home base in Salzburg, which is a medium sized Austrian city or my preference is to home base around Berchtesgaden area in the mountains. Then you could drive to Munich, ditch the car, and spend a night or two there.