The commitment of the company to satisfying its customers was impressive. The experience of sailing down the Rhine, Main and Danube under flooding conditions created extra excitement for the cruise. The Amadolce, sailing from Amsterdam on June 6th, was the first boat to make it way almost all the way to Amsterdam after the floods. Were it not for a broken lock just before Budapest, the ship would have made it all the way. We were greeted with delight at each port with the locals saying that we were the first boat to make it in weeks.

We were able to do this only due to the amazing skill of the captain. Captain Rien left his job as an administrator at AMA headquarters just to sail the Amadolce through this crisis. Because of high waters, sometimes we cleared low bridges along the way with only about a foot to spare.

Our cruise manager was even more amazing. He proved to be particularly adept and creative in arranging for last minute excursions and tours since we were never sure how far down river we would be able to dock. He was invariably calm and good natured. Both he and the Captain kept us continually informed as to what we might encounter along the way. Read more