We just cruised from Budapest to Vilshofen on board the relatively new ship Amacerto. By booking in March for an August vacation, we surely thought we would get a cabin with a balcony, but this popular cruise sold out fast, and we were sent down to the Piano deck where the cabin only has two windows. The cabin was small, very small. But there was everything we needed: Flat screen TV with free WiFi, a safe for our valuables, a fridge for the gin, ample wardrobe space, room under the bed for suitcases plus more storage, a tiny bathroom with the best shower we have ever had on any ship. Showering on a ship is usually like going into a closet with a wet dog who shakes itself, but this shower was a real rainshower that made you want to stay in there all day...

The ship was lovely, clean and modern. But, the artificial flowers that decorate the lobby and outdoors need a lot of help. Get a designer, quick! The lounge was roomy, and the little library was nice and cozy with its fake fireplace. The dining room was intimate but with large windows to admire the landscape as we sailed by. The food was sometimes very good, sometimes good. The breakfast buffet was maybe more European than some Americans liked, but with food enough to choke a horse, there was always something for every taste. The waitstaff was always eager to please although some of them were not fully trained. The wines for lunch and dinner were simple, some of them very good, though.

Included in the price were tours of the various cities we visited, and the ones we took, had wonderful guides and went at a comfortable pace. The entertainment was a bit skinny, but with so many stops and so much to see, who needed to be entertained anyway. All in all, the trip on the good boat Amacerto was a pleasure from beginning to end. And when an unlucky waiter spilled a little red wine on my pants one night, I was given a cleaning and pressing free of charge as fast as they could possibly manage it.