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Bucket List Experience

Puerto Montt

Our travel agent, who has been assisting us on various vacations over the past twenty years, highly recommended an AMA Waterways river cruise.  We sailed on the AmaLyra and had a wonderful time.  The ship was beautiful, the staff could not have been more courteous and helpful.  The food was fantastic and presented by a very talented wait staff.

The excursions were well thought out and the guides were exceptional.  The visit to the American beaches (Omaha and Utah) were very enlightening and gave us a renewed appreciation of what our men and women had to endure.  Similarly, the visit to the American Cemetery was very emotional and moving.  Seeing those 9000 headstones made it very clear the level of sacrifice made by our service men and women.

We then had the chance to visit Monet's home and Gardens in Giverny.  A truly captivating spot.

We then visited Van Gogh's room where he died after committing suicide.  An incredibly talented but tormented soul.  It's somewhat amazing that he sold only one, possibly two, paintings while he was alive.  And then after his death just one of his pantings sold for 82 million Euros.

Coordinator, Social Media

From the minute we stepped on the boat, we were treated like royalty. The staff worked to make sure everything was impeccable. Caroline, our cruise manager was incredibly professional and she went over and above to make sure that everyone had a wonderful time. The food was delicious, the tours well organized and the nightly entertainment lovely.

I have one complaint…. Some of the passengers were extremely rude and obnoxious towards the amazing staff, all manners went out the window, and it was quite shocking and embarrassing. When we are in another country other than our own, it is especially important to be respectful and kind to others, especially those who are tirelessly serving us and making us feel welcome. Please leave entitlement and rudeness somewhere else! Thank you Amawaterways and your fantastic fleet,  you made our vacation so special! We will definitely be cruising with you in the near future!

A beautiful experience 

I had always wanted to visit Normandy . This cruise afforded me the opportunity. Staff was friendly and helpful.

Food was a DISAPPOINTMENT.   3 Dinners out of 7 were good.  The rest NO.  Presentation was lacking.  Meals were inconsistent.  Part of the enjoyment of traveling is dining. This was not the case on this trip.  The Chef's Table dinner experience was very good and the special evening meal was good but the rest was very disappointing.  The wait staff was pleasant but again they appeared to be short staffed.  There needs to be more oversight on the part of the management of the dining room.  

I was extremely surprised when we boarded to boat and were seated in the lounge.  Staff came and offered small appetizers.  No plates, paper napkins placed directly on the table and the appetizers plopped on the napkin.  Just like a kindergarten class.  That should have been the first clue.

Disappointment

A wonderful way to travel, particularly with a group. My brothers and I with our spouses enjoyed a week of great sites, some amusing excursions and guides, but best of all, time together laughing and enjoying each other’s company while everything else was taken care of by captain and crew. 

The cabins were very comfortable and wonderfully attended by the steward. Food was perhaps a bit mediocre but plentiful and diverse enough to accommodate everyone and free flowing wine and beer placated any disappointment in food. 

All the crew were gracious, attentive, and eager to make sure guests were happy. 

The excursions were interesting and guides were obviously knowledgeable, though most were a bit rushed and were lacking for adequate free time to explore further independently.  

The tour extension was also well staffed with interesting excursions and the hotel was great and centrally located. 

Both cruise and extension were great experiences and I’d book with AmaWaterways again without hesitation.

Once in a lifetime family adventure 

The toughest part of the cruise was trying to remember all of the names of the crew members that made it rock!  Everyone from Captain Kiraly, to the servers were fantastic.  The food every day was great and the tours were great.  The only thing we will change next time is that we will do one shore excursion per day instead of two and use the other few hours ashore to explore the villages on our own.

Even beyond the crew we met several people on the cruise that we are keeping contact with and working to plan a future cruise together.  We did spend a lot of time learning about people from other places on the cruise and on shore.

One of the coolest things is that when you tie up next to other river cruise ships you get to sneak a peek inside and see how their crew acts.  We had the best by far.  Knowing that most of the boats are the same width, think carefully about that outside balcony some other cruises offer in the area.  That last 24" of width in the room made a huge difference according to several people who had already cruised with the other brand before.

So Much Great Stuff

From the moment you walk on board, the entire staff caters to you. I felt like a princess. 

The food on board was great, and the selection was wonderful. The dining staff consistently went above and beyond, memorizing our favorite meals, putting together special sandwiches for us. The Chef’s Table meal was so delicious. It was hard to be hungry on board the AmaLyra. Bartender Paula made incredible espresso martinis. Marien was the king of wine. He spoiled us with his attentiveness and always gave us a healthy pour. The dining service was fabulous. 

All of the tours were pretty seamless. The AmaLyra does not require you to think at all - they do all of the planning and arranging for you. You simply pick what you want to do from their great options, and they bring you around. I loved the bike tour through Paris, and Honfleur was our favorite port. Normandy US Landing Beach Tour was a CANNOT MISS. It was a long day, but well worth it. And when you arrive back from your tour, there was a nice warm glass of lemonade waiting for you. Sounds odd, but it was great. 

Beds were firm but comfortable. Beds are turned down nightly and you get left a delicious little dark chocolate on our pillows. The rooms were so clean and well-maintained. 

Highly recommend this cruise. Especially for a large group. Made coordinating everything with 9 people very easy.

Beautiful cruise line - a no brainer.

Just off the AmaLyra on the Seine, which was flawless and in perfect "ship" shape. I am sure everyone on that cruise will be coming back to AmaWaterways for another super experience. AmaWaterways rates the highest marks again and again! And Deservedly! Not only does Rudi Schreiner make the best "hardware" sailing the rivers, but partner Kristin Karst, makes sure the "software" is the best in the staff. On this cruise an excellent team worked in total harmony. But I must say that Cruise Manager, Isabel sparkled as brightly as the Eiffel Tower!! What a personality and what a treasure! Caring, on top of every detail, always smiling throughout and made everyone feel special. This cruise was during the Parisian strikes and turmoil that could have thrown a wrench into the cruise. But she and Capt. Kiraly worked behind the scenes to make sure everything worked in a timely manner. Totally Smooth Sailing!! Kudos!!

Paris sparkles and Normandy feeds all the senses

This was our third cruise with Ama Waterways, and we have never been disappointed.  We had never before done the pre-cruise portion, and I would say we will continue to book this add on feature in our future cruises.  The hotel we stayed in during the Paris stay was very convenient and comfortable (a couple of blocks from the Arc de Triomphe), and the daily excursions were fun.  Once we got on our ship, we were impressed with the measures in place to protect against COVID.  Everything was immaculate.  On this cruise, we were seated at the same table with the same guests for each meal. There was no buffet style at any of the meals anymore, and my understanding is that this is the way the meals will be conducted from here on in, all meals being served to you, which is fine by me as well.  Our cruise manager, Nick, was excellent, as were all the other staff.  There was a great selection when it came to the excursions.  The full day trip to the landing beaches at Normandy was very moving (we did the Canadian/British tour).  Honfleur and Rouen were also big hits for me, as was our visit to Monet's gardens and house in Giverny.  April was a great time of year to be there from a floral point of view!  The only thing that surprised me was that there was no stop to see the Bayeux tapestry on the way to the beaches.  But overall, an excellent cruise, and we're looking forward to the next one!

For the history lover

Tired of being trapped at home due to Covid restrictions, we decided to venture back to Europe.  We had sailed on an AmaWaterways cruise a few years ago on the Rhine which was phenomenal.  We met friends that we have kept in touch with ever since, and have even traveled with every year since then.

Paris seemed to be a perfect getaway for us:  romance, beautiful weather, architecture and ART!!!  Plus we went out to the US Normandy beaches which was on our bucket list.

Fortunately the weather behaved and we had sun the entire time.  Our tours were great, with great guides, and we saw everything we had set out to see.  The AmaLyra is a smaller ship due to the size/width of the Seine, but we never felt crowded.  Once again we made friends that we will keep in touch with, and hopefully cruise again with on AmaWaterways.

We dined at the Chef's Table one night and were in heaven.  The chef in the Chef's table was able to work around some food allergies for me, and he had a fantastic personality.  Our waiter in the Chef's table was also phenomenal - in fact, I don't think any of the employees on the ship were less than what you would expect on AmaWaterways.

Our last night as we pulled into Paris, the captain brought us right up to the Statue of Liberty with the Eiffel Tower in the background. They passed out regional warm hard apple cider (calvados) for us while we watched the tour do it's hourly sparkle.  It was the perfect ending to a fabulous trip.

I will continue to book AmaWaterways for all of my river cruises.

J'aime Amawaterways!

My husband and I celebrated our 40+1 wedding anniversary aboard the AmaLyra. What a wonderful experience!!

From the moment we boarded, it was a first class event. The crew was amazing, friendly, charming and knowledgeable.

Meals were delicious and presented beautifully, paired with ideal wines to match. The tours each day were an event to look forward to, and the guides took very good care of us, answering all questions. They taught us so much about the area and always presented a great sense of humor :-)  They took us to the best spots for photographs. Entertainment onboard was amazing (Mike - you are incredible!) as well as the different performers each evening.

The highlight of the trip was the Chef's Table Night. A seven course meal prepared in front of you by the Executive Chef, and again, wines to match each course. We celebrated our anniversary that night and they prepared a special cake for us!! A very thoughtful and appreciated gesture. Thank you Chef Kamen!!

To all on the AmaLyra, Captain Norbert, Cruise Manager Natalija, and the many others who took such good care of us.... THANK YOU for such an amazing experience, we will never forget it.

A beautiful way to see Paris and Normandy!

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