My wife and I (both in our early 50s) were looking to do something special for our 30th wedding anniversary when I came upon the idea of going on a river cruise. Being from Florida we have had our fair share of experiences with the large Caribbean cruise ships and a river cruise from Lyon to Provence seemed the perfect antidote to that experience. We realized that these type of all inclusive river cruises would attract an older, retired crowd but did not expect to be the youngest couple on board by far. The average age must have conservatively been in the 72-75 range easily. The cruise manager advised me that this was fairly typical for them and indeed from what I saw disembarking from the competitor lines (Viking, Scenic and Avalon) in port, fairly typical for European river cruises in general.

After the initial shock of our situation we decided to make the best of it and AMA Waterways made it very easy. The ship (one of the oldest in the line) was in excellent condition although the elevator was out the entire trip. Nonetheless, our state room was clean and ample in size with a wonderful french balcony sliding door that allowed us to watch the world glide away from the comfort of our room. The meals were definitely on the formal side with each night bringing a wonderful creation based on the cuisine in the area we were traveling. The wine was free flowing with frequent refills of your glasses. There is an optional Chef's Table restaurant which we visited one night but frankly I found the food in the main dining room just as delicious. The staff and crew of the Amadagio were top notch with special kudos going to Abel our cruise manager. Entertainment on board was okay mainly consisting of the ship's organist with special guests being invited to perform on a few nights. The included tours were very good, educational and fun. Everything is perfectly organized with all transfers to the sites included.

We ultimately met some very nice people and enjoyed their company immensely. Nonetheless, I cannot recommend this cruise to anyone under 60 unless you are traveling with 2 or more couples or friends. Small children and teenagers will be completely lost/bored on this type of trip. Read more