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Amazing cruise with Amawaterways

This is a first class experience (also in 2016 on the AmaCerto).  Food, service, comfort and tours are all top notch.  Our room, indeed the entire boat, was very clean.  Every day has multiple tours to choose from, all included in your booking.  One night there was an optional musical excursion to the Vienna Opera, which was an extra, but reasonable fee, but otherwise everything is included.  It is a floating luxury hotel and the crew will work to facilitate every detail of the trip.  Tours were done by expert local guides and had a reasonable number of guests.  Other cruise companies might put 40 or more on a walking tour.  Ama does not do this.  Our post cruise transfer to a hotel in Budapest was arranged by the crew and the disembarkation expertly managed.  The attention to detail is impressive.  Pre-cruise package in Prague is very much worth the money.  Prague was the highlight of the vacation — a must see.  An Ama cruise manager is there with you for this pre-cruise and manages everything.

Coordinator, Social Media

Fanning Island

Seriously, not sure why you would river cruise with any other company.  They. Were. OUTSTANDING!  We left feeling like we left our family onboard.  Plus, the port stops were beyond lovely this fall.  I really prefer land-only travel, but this cruise completely sold me on River Cruising.  I am already booking my next.

The attention to detail in the cabins was perfect.  The customer service and the many attempts at making sure we felt special was pretty wonderful.  Each day when we left the ship for a tour, they would supply us with anything we could need, like umbrellas, then wished us well.  When we returned they acted as though they were so very happy to see us again.  Asking what all we saw and how things went.  The warm towels, warm drinks, and snacks were such a treat as we filed back onto the ship as well.  Dinners were such a treat!  The best food and served with such love by the crew.  The laughter and fun is something I already very much miss.  Well done, crew of AmaBella.  You are a special group of people!

AMA-zing!

We did the 14 days cruise from Giurgiu to Vilshofen. It was a great experience, we met nice people and the on board personnel was exceptional. 

I want to mention, particularly, Dajana Jakovac our first cruise manager; Sergio, the front desk; Boris the dining room director, Djivko, the Hotel manager; Rui, the sport director, the captain and all the staff that was really incredible. 

We spent the most lovely trip, it was an everyday dream that was coming true.

The only thing that I could suggest as improvement is the quality of bikes that sometimes are not really perfect for the conditions of the trails and the trip we did.

Overall, everything was delightful, excursions well planned; a variety of menus according the country we were going through; the quality of the wine offered and the quality of food.

Thank you to all the people that made this happened.



Wonderful people and wonderful personnel

This trip has been on our bucket list for a few years. The only thing that held us back was the price. But let me tell you. It was so well worth it. Everything was 1st class. From the transportation after the pick up at the airport, to the cabin, to the food, to the entertainment they brought on, to the shore excursions.

One draw back I found was no place to put your luggage. The closet had 2 bars in it so no place there and no room under the bed so we had to stack it up in front of the French door..

Everything else was really great. We spent 2 night in Vienna after the cruise, which was set up by Amawaterways. The transfer from the ship to the hotel was by bus and it went very smoothly Our cruise manager, Matyas Keresztes, could not have been more helpful. From recommending restaurants to helping everyone enjoy there time in such a beautiful city.

My husband and I have been on several large cruise ships but this really spoiled us.

We are hoping to get to go on the Rhine River next year and I would not even thing of anyone else to travel with.

Thanks for making our dreams come true.

Absolutely a Wonderful Experience

Jost Van Dyke

After spending three days in Singapore and two days in Amsterdam which we thoroughly enjoyed my friend and I hailed a taxi and headed for the wharf to embark on our river cruise.

We sailed on the Amabella from Amsterdam to Budapest and had an unforgettable voyage full of wondrous experiences, discoveries, taste sensations and much more.

I read the review by Lovable and Daisy and agree with and endorse their review of our time on the Amabella.

Our first delight was our cabin - 317 on the top deck. Even though we had 2 single beds we had plenty of room as well as our twin balconies to spread out and be comfortable. It was lovely sitting on the balcony watching the small towns, vineyards and scenery passing by.

Our next delight was the food- which was scrumptious. There were lots of food combinations and interesting tastes and presentations. We had plenty of options to choose from and excellent wines to compliment the adequate sized meals

The shore excursions successfully catered for peoples' differing interests, hobbies and experiences and where necessary buses were always on time and waiting to take us into the town and return us to the boat after a great shore experience.

The lounge was a great place to catch up with people, listen to the music, relax,have a delicious afternoon tea, watch going through the locks head on and enjoy a drink or two.

All entertainment and enrichment actives were conducted in the lounge and appeared to be enjoyed by all.

It really was a fantastic complete holiday package.

All staff were very friendly and went above and beyond their duties to ensure that we all had a very enjoyable time at all times.

 I also enjoyed the Amabella over the Amaprima- felt it was more comfortable, or maybe I was just used to the Amabella.

Kristen was an excellent Tour Director and started up an extra group (Pink group for the slow walkers) when she realised there was a need for it.  She was always available to deal with any problems that could have interfered with the smooth running of our holiday programme.

The captain was superb at going through the really tight locks and was really disappointed he could only take us as far as Viena and couldn't sail us to Budapest because of the low water level of the river. 

We travelled by bus to Budapest and transferred to the Amaprima and had an unbelievable night cruise sailing past the lights of Budapest - absolutely awesome.

Unfortunately next day was disembarkation and taxis and buses took us all to hotels or the airport. It was a very smooth operation. I didn't want to leave the boat.

Some people had a few small whinges but I couldn't find fault with anything on the cruise.  I just loved everything about it.  I also loved the small size of the cruise,-161 people can move around and have their own space without being on top of each other.

I'm looking forward to my next river cruise.

Well done Amabella staff- an excellent job

A Marvellous Holiday by Sonia

My husband and I have enjoyed numerous ocean cruises, but thought we would try a European river cruise for a change.  Luckily, his vacation days line up for a magical "Christmas Market" cruise from Prague to Budapest on the AmaWaterways Amabella. We began our holiday with four nights in romantic Prague in the Czech Republic. We also took an excursion to the lovely Cesky Kromlov.  The cruise included the bus to Nuremberg where we boarded the ship. There we joined several informative excursions of the historical city ending with the enchanting sights and smells of our 1st  Christmas market.  All of the additional ports were equally as magical, each with a unique Christmas Market experience. The tours and guides were interesting and informative, with an appropriate time allowed for “on your own” time. Tours were often divided into groups according to their walking ability, which was appreciated by all.

We stayed in a lovely, large stateroom with a French & outside balcony from which we enjoyed viewing the beautiful countryside and numerous locks and dams along the way.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner were always delicious. Often they offered fresh local options reflecting the countries we visited.  Not to be missed is the Chef’s Table specialty restaurant.

One of the biggest differences on a river cruise is the personal interaction you have with the crew and the other guests.  Nick and Victoria made sure that everything ran smoothly on and off the ship.  The attention to individual needs and desire to please is something you would rarely see from large ocean cruise ship personnel. The passengers on this ship were also some of the most lovely, genuine and interesting people I’ve met.  I almost felt like I was leaving part of my family when I disembarked.

AMA Waterways Christmas Market

My wife and a friend of hers thought a "Christmas Market" cruise would be a great idea. While I disagreed, my martyr complex compelled me to go. I have not been on a cruise of any kind in over 30 years and was happy to keep the record in tack. Needless to say the cruise exceeded my expectations in almost every way. The crew from the captain to our housekeeper were courteous, friendly, and efficient. Everyone associated with Amawaterways could not do enough to make the experience pleasant. The food and service were very good, with a varied selection. Though most passengers were American, we also had German, British, Australian, Canadian, and a few other nationalities. The planned activities on board and at each port-of-call were entertaining, interesting, and well organized. The stateroom was lovely with a both a French and standard balcony which provided great views.
Wi-Fi was slow to non-existent based on volume use and location of ship. Since most passengers were not of the "my face is stuck to my smartphone" generation, this was likely not a big problem.

Didn't Want To Go; Loved It

La Palma

My 80+ mother and I were on the Romantic Danube cruise, our 2nd AmaWaterways cruise. Last year in October we did the Enchanting Rhine.
We did our own pre-cruise in Prague so that mother could see things at her pace. Stayed at the Hotel Lippert and enjoyed Prague.
We missed our transfer bus from the Hilton Hotel to Vilshofen. Got there late. However the Cruise Director Veronika -who was on the bus - made arrangements for us to meet the bus in Regensburg, where we joined our fellow cruisers.
Embarkation was easy and as we were a small group, everyone was upgraded! We were now in 209 and had a real balcony! There was also champagne with an apology for our late start, and an invitation to join the Captain for dinner.
Disembarkation: Well organized and a very early start for Cruise Director Veronika. We left around 10ish as we were staying an extra day in Budapest. Loved Budapest and will certainly return. We were docked across from the Liberty Statue on the Pest side. Took a cab to the Intercontinental.
Features:The Lobby was similar to AmaLyra, but the Lounge was a bit different. It was bigger, with a library section where one could relax in front of the fireplace and read the daily news or magazines. The Bar was the same. There was no dedicated dancing area in the Lounge - which did not deter us.
There was another Peter at the piano, and he knew Peter from AmaLyra. Just reinforces the fact that AmaWaterways is one big family. We even got news about some of the AmaLyra staff we had last year.
The Sun deck was nearly the same, but this hot tub was bigger, and did get used. Towards the end of the cruise the Christmas decorations were put up and everything looked lovely and festive.
I never used the room internet as the wifi was sufficient for my needs. My 2 prong outlet with USB port was enough to recharge my phone and camera.
Ports: Vilshofen: lovely. Passau, Linz, Alpine Lake District (instead of Salzburg or Cesky Krumlov for us), Melk, Wachau Valley and Dürnstein -Krems, Vienna, Bratislava (Slovania), Budapest. All beautiful places with differing charm, fabulous architecture and very good guides. Tours at the active, regular and gentle pace. Don't think anyone did the bike tours due to it getting dark fairly early. We saw Christmas markets being set up for the next weeks, but were lucky to see the Vienna Christmas markets which had just opened. Couldn't get any better! The warm towels and hot drink on returning after our tours were welcome. Umbrellas were available if needed.
Food: Delicious and very chic but included burgers, sandwiches and fries for those who desired. Unlimited wine, beer, soft drinks with lunch and dinner. Local beers, wine and local delicacies offered everyday complimenting our port tours. AmaWaterways buys all local produce and everything including the bread and pastries are made fresh daily. The Lounge served early meals, tea time, late night snacks and the 24 hr. machine serving, hot choc, tea, coffee, cappuccino, espresso etc. Missing the food as I write this.
Staff: Captain Cristian Creteanu, Hotel Manager Bogdan Stefanescu, Cruise Manager Veronika Holikova, Maitre' D Bobby Bozhinov, Chef Robert Kellerhaus, Purser Aleksandra Panaytova and my Special Favorite: Cabin Service Mariya. Two examples of going the extra mile:
1: I have a cream suede fur trimmed jacket. In Bratislava, during the tour the back of my jacket got wet varnish stains from the stalls being set up. Back on the ship, I explained the situation to Bogdan who took it to be cleaned. The next morning, it was returned wonderfully clean and dry but one spot the size of a quarter remained. Mariya told me that when I returned after my Budapest tours, she would try and see what she could do. So that evening I gave it to her. That night on returning to my cabin after the illumination tour and saying my goodbyes, there hanging in the closet was my jacket, looking brand new- with no stain. She had worked her magic. Cost: one time charge of 2.40 euro.
2: Due to the small number of cruisers, the Schönbrunn Palace tour was cancelled as the bus did not get the 14 it needed. However, Veronika went and notified those signed up that if they still wanted to go, after the Vienna day tour, she would take them by train, and I think most took her up on that.
Fellow cruisers: We were a small group, mostly USA with 1 Brit (who also wrote a review), 3 Canadians, 2 Dominican Republic and 4 Hong Kong, and everyone came to know each other, and I think we all got along very well. A lovely surprise was having 4 friends we made on AmaLyra last October, come meet us on the AmaBella in Budapest. They had done the same cruise on the AmaSonata but were 3 days ahead of us. We had a great reunion and they did a mini tour for future reference.
AmaWaterways -which does very little advertising - offers unbeatable value and service, carries fewer passengers than other ships and their Staff is extremely well trained and loyal. I heard others share the same sentiment or experience it after comparing with other cruises. With AmaWaterways my mother feels safe, relaxed and wonderfully happy - so much so that I have been given 2 itineraries to plan for the future. Hope to see you!

Anoither Wonderful Trip: Vilshofen to Budapest November 15 - 22, 2014

I am a single lady, British, in my mid-60's and I have just returned from an excellent cruise aboard Amabella river cruise down the Danube from Vilshofen to Budapest, taking in Passau, Linz, Durnstein, Melk-Krems, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest. I flew by scheduled flight from Heathrow to Munich where several of us were met by minibus and transferred to Vilshofen. Everything including embarkation was very smooth and I even managed to have a late light lunch aboard having unpacked. As the ship was half full, all passengers were upgraded and I had a lovely stateroom with a queen-sized bed, balcony and every kind of convenience ranging from safe, hair-dryer, mini bar and fridge, robe & slippers, umbrella plus the usual complimentary toiletries.
There is a choice of dining either in the main dining room or at the buffet laid out in the main lounge - the food & drink throughout the voyage were of a high standard, as was the service. There is a choice of shore excursions and you can take a more active route, a more moderately paced route etc. to suit individual needs and tastes. The cruise line provided several pleasant onboard evening entertainments relevant to the port being visited.
I was lucky to be able to disembark mid-morning and again, the smooth transfer back to the airport was everything one could wish.
The crew can not do enough to help you - everybody is so pleasant. I hope to return for another cruise on another occasion. Well done AMA Waterways.
 

River cruise on Danube

Galveston

AMA Waterways markets this riverboat cruise,but only 4 of the 20 nights was aboard the riverboat. Nonetheless, because of the nature of the trip,and the marketing by AMA, this seemed a good place to post the review.
We were traveling to Cape Town from our second home in Southwest France, so we made our own flight arrangements. Despite this, AMA arranged for a car service to meet us in Cape Town and to take us to our hotel, the Cape Grace. When we arrived at the hotel, the concierge immediately introduced us to the Tour Guide, Jason,who was going to be with us for the next seven days. He was waiting at the hotel and made a point of being available for every arriving passenger. This is typical of the care and thoughtfulness of everyone who was associated with the tour.
We were a group of about 28 at this hotel, as most people purchased this extension on the theory that this was their one and only trip to Africa. I hope we were wrong about that. We had several days visiting with the group in Capetown, and were delighted with the sights and information that Jason provided. The Cape Grace is a very nice Leading Hotels property, and we were surprised to find that it was not the very best hotel as we checked into others on the trip.It is in the Victoria and Albert Waterfront redevelopment and is an easy walk away from many restaurants and shops.
We then flew to Botswana via Johannesburg. The only problem we encountered, and one which is clearly beyond the control of any tour company, was the need to check in and out of Botwana and Zambia on nearly every day we were on the Zambezi Queen. This added about an hour to several day trips, but we learned to deal with that. During the time on the Zambezi Queen we had several excursions on small boats, thank goodness I am no longer using film cameras, and a day trip into the Chobe National Park. It was interesting that it was arranged that no more than six persons would be in each 10 passenger vehicle in the park so that everyone had a clear view and the chance to see and take photos. We saw several tour groups arranged by other companies which were far less considerate of their passengers.
The Zambezi Queen is a converted river barge, and is very pleasant. It is not a super luxurious experience, but it was very nice and made all the more pleasant by its exceptional crew and captain. We were greeted by the crew singing a welcome song, and then they made us feel as if we had been cruising with them for years. They learned our names at once and made certain we were comfortable in every way possible. Incidentally, one of the excursions was to a nearby river village where the crew comes from on two week rotations. No water or other utilities, but a solar panel which was used to recharge the ubiquitous cell phones and television which was tuned to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
After four nights on the Queen we boated and bussed to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. (Three border crossings.) We were at the Victoria Falls Hotel which is another exceptional property , and were able to visit the falls, an elephant rescue and a lion rescue. Somehow, we never looked relaxed in the photographs of us petting a 14 month old lioness. She, on the other hand, just looks bored.
From there, we went on to the Kilimanjaro airport. This was a change in plans,made at the last minute, with no extra fees, because there had been a State Department warning for Nairobi. We spend a night near the airport at a another nice hotel, had an interesting ride in the Ngorngoro area the next day, and began our tour of the Lake Myanmara and Ngorongoro parks. Again the hotels were wonderful.
We then flew into the Serengeti, not for the small plane or dirt runway averse, and spent five days there with a wonderful tour guide, Adam, and millions of wildebeest, zebras, elephants, and 6 male lions over the five days.
These tours are not for young children who would have difficulty with the low noise requirements or restrictions about staying in seats when the animals are walking by in touching distance. On the other end of the spectrum, getting in and out of the boats, range rovers, small aircraft, and transferring from small boats to the river boat were difficult for the mobility impaired among us. While every effort was made to accommodate those issues, several tours were missed by at least one person who felt unable to make some of the transfers.
 

African Wonders

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