My expectations were high having heard many good things about this cruise, but what I experienced was an exceptional quality of service, with great attention to details as I have never experienced before. The dining room is somewhat noisy especially when you have a few "loud voices" about, but in comparaison to the choices available, the quality of the food and service, it did not spoil my experiences. The excursions were of much greater value than those I experienced on Ocean cruise ships, especially when you consider that everything on the boat/ship is included ... you don't have to spend one cent on the ship unless you want french champagne, cognac etc ... All the tour guides I had spoke english beautifully and were obvously highly educated and mostl refined young people. One negative for me was the quality of the hair conditionner supplied in the bathroom, I should have brought my own ... a small detail indeed and no clock ! Another negative, was that some people have absolutely no idea about dress code ... shorts and thongs are not suitable for the dining room and in the lounge in the evening; just a couple of men, but still. I was not aware that there was an extension to Paris, so I had not booked it, and disembarked in Amsterdam. I would do another cruise with APT anytime. Thank you to all concerned on the ship for making this trip a memorable one. Read Less

We have done several river cruises up and down the Danube with different providers and APT was by far the least luxurious. A pleasant experience but not the luxury cruise we were expecting for the price charged and from our prior experience. AmaBella is badly in need of refurbishment, some of the upholstery in the lounge is dirty and the dining room and lounge are dingy, with poorly placed seating. The “silver butler” we were expecting wasn’t actually a person, in order to get the silver butler service we had to call reception and they then sent the housekeeper to see what we wanted. We got the impression we were being annoying when we used the service so stopped. Many times the drink mixers were flat because the bar uses large plastic bottles of fizzy drinks rather than having a proper soda mixer and once opened they went flat fast, and don’t expect to have an Aperol Spritz on board, the whole of Europe might be drinking them but not on the AmaBella. There is only one coffee machine for the whole ship and it serves mediocre coffee. There was often a queue. Whilst our cabin was large and the double balconies excellent, the TV in the cabin was the smallest I have seen since in accommodation for years, you could barely see it from the bed and there were no on-demand movies. Bathroom toiletries, shampoo etc were only replaced once the empty container was put in the bin – I have never come across this before and it felt very penny pinching, if the body wash was in the shower you had to retrieve it to use at the basin. The bed was very small and hard and there was a lot of rattling and shaking when sailing at night. Take ear plugs. Tours are scheduled to suit the ship not the passengers. We found that often we were dropped off at one port and then bussed to the tour and onwards to the next port. This meant that there were too many long coach trips, for example when visiting Bucharest we were put ashore and taken on a 4 hour coach ride to the city while the ship continued to sail. The return ride to pick up the ship was only an hour because it was then at the closest port. The guests who were disembarking and being taken to the Bucharest airport or onwards also had to endure the 4 hour coach ride. This was completely unnecessary and made for a tedious and unpleasant day. On this same tour lunch was provided at a tourist restaurant and the food was absolutely dreadful, a most disgusting budget meal and not the fare we were paying a substantial amount of money for. One tour was advertised a “wine tour” but failed to mention the ¾ hour we would spend in a museum and the 20 minutes we would spend in a church before one session of wine tasting. When crossing the border at Mohacs the entire ship was woken at 6am for a passport check where we were forced to queue up in a long line in our pyjamas. I’m sorry but this is not luxury, and it did not happen with the other carrier we used on the same route. On arrival back in Budapest at the end of the tour we were told that the AmaBella would not be cruising up and down the Danube through the city to show us the city lights, but instead we were to be taken on a tourist boat along with the guests from the Ama ship parked alongside us (a much nicer, newer ship incidentally). So 2 shiploads of guests were crammed onto a tacky tourist boat with little outside viewing, a very inferior tour indeed. The best thing about the cruise was the staff who were exceptional. The food ranged from fabulous to dreadful but was on the whole pretty good. So to sum up I think APT are relying on repeat custom from prior APT guests (with an average age of “very old”) who do not realise that there are far better river cruising options available. If APT want to compete they need to lift their game significantly and stop the penny pinching, when people pay for luxury they expect to receive luxury. Read Less

Wanted to cruise the Douro River with a pre-cruise three day in Lisbon. Ama cancelled our flight, and rescheduled another one without telling us. I even had my boarding pass printed. Horrible customer service. Caused us to miss one of the three days we were supposed to be in Lisbon. Lisbon was fantastic! Would definitely go back there. Great food and history. Once on the ship the room was very nice and had plenty of room and storage. Balcony was almost useless because we were either against the pier or another ship. Wish there was more cruising. We spent most the time tied up to land. Portugal was beautiful and the vineyards were great. Nice tours. The tour Director was very good and efficient. Food onboard was very good. Only beer or wine was included at lunch or dinner. Drinks were very pricey. Crew was friendly and efficient. Going through the locks was amazing. The weather was perfect; 70's to low 80's and sunny skies. Loved Portugal, hated Ama's poor customer service changing our flight after I had boarding tickets without telling us, causing us to miss a day in Lisbon. Read Less

This is a very special ship and a very special company. Our 4th trip with them. The whole experience is a delight and the staff and crew are outstanding. Please ignore any previous adverse comments which completely jar with our experience. All the cabins are of high quality and about the same size. The premium cabin have a balcony and larger windows but the actual cabin space is the same. Open seating for all meals and a casual dress code. Most men wore a jacket for the Captain’s dinner and some wore a tie but that was as smart as it got. However the food was definitely not a casual affair. High quality and plenty of choice. Everything is included in the price the the exception of drinks from the bar. Lunch and dinner drinks are included and the are very attentive. The operate an open Bridge which appeals to the sailors. Enjoy. Read Less

I am normally not excited about travelling especially long flights to get where you want to go. From the moment we boarded the AmaReina however in Amsterdam I knew this would be a trip of a lifetime ....and it was. The Ship ,Dining ,Service ,Staff ,Excursions & overall organisation of the cruise each day was exceptional. So much so that every day on return to Australia I recall just how good this experience was. Everyday we were treated to Excursions and / or onboard activities . Those of us with walking difficulties were sympathetically catered for with on shore options able to return to even more superb "snacks" and drinks before yet another 5 star dining experience . Intially it looked expensive but EVERYTHING was included from the magnificent dining as mentioned including the Chef"s table ,superb wines fabulous day outings . EVERYTHING. There was not one negative complaint from anyone as sadly we all left the last morning Congratulations APT Read Less

My husband and I have traveled all over the world and wanted to go to Slovakia and Hungary and found AMA Waterways on line. We thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the cruise. The people were so helpful and the food superb. The itinerary was excellent. We enjoyed Austria and Slovakia. The Cruise Manager, Camille Dermis, made the trip one of the best we have ever been on with her organisational skills. She was knowledgeable about all of the places that we went to, was concerned for our safely and comfort. We found the food exceptional and the wait staff helped each and every person on the cruise. I have heard from other friends that they have gone on other river cruise lines and felt there were better ones but we disagree. We thought AMA Waterways was the best and will probably go on another cruise in the future maybe with our extended family. Read Less

We chose APT as it was all inclusive. Emma our director was professional and organised. She was attentive when you needed her. My husband after 4 days said “I haven’t put my hand in my pocket yet” The food was superb. Chef table dinners 2x on trip were magnificent. Bread made on board everyday and home made ice cream! The tours were so well thought out. I was travelling with my dad and hubbie and we took the slow walkers tours each day.They were great. There was plenty of time to see things and you didn’t feel like you missed anything. There was a wide age range and many “older” people out did us on the dance floor! The staff were attentive and had a sense of fun but were very respectful. We had a lower cabin and didn’t feel we needed a balcony as we were up on deck most of the time. It was the 1st time they had permanent entertainers on board who also did exercise classes dance lesson and much more.I thought it was a great addition to the experience. We love it so much we are addicted to river cruises now. We would go at this time as it was the 2nd tour of the season so the staff were fresh and the river levels good. Read Less

APT's river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest was excellent. There are interesting things to see every few minutes on both sides of the river all the way - and fabulous towns along the way and on the numerous side tours. The ship glides past fortresses, castles, quaint villages and point of interest (dozens of them) all the time. But APT's 'Voyage Through The Balkans' is, at best, about 10% as good - especially if you've already been to Budapest and Vienna, which is by far the best of it. There were no more than 5 interesting things to see from the ship in the 14 days - and most of the places we visited were drab and uninteresting - with only a few exceptions. The ship (including our cabin) was excellent - and the staff (and Tour Guides) were mostly very good. Unfortunately, we didn't make it more than two thirds of the way, so I can't comment on the places we never reached – Svishtov, Veliko Tarnovo, Rousse, Giurgu and Bucharest. Unfortunately, APT did not agree that we should be compensated. Regardless or their disappointing attitude to (hitherto) loyal clients, I would not recommend this APT cruise to anyone - unless they were keen students of the tragic events to shattered the former Yugoslavia. Give this one a miss. Read Less

The pluses of the river trip are in the title But what spoiled it: • It was like being in an old people’s home, and I am 70! Slow on board, slow on tours. • When I give way to people in corridors or on stairs I expect a thank you or smile. So often not. • The first few days a few coughs and sneezes, by day 4 heaps and many (men mostly) not covering up when they sneeze. My wife during week two spent 4 days in the cabin!! As cold unable to escape on deck in the fresh air. • APT need to understand that one poor staff member can spoil it for the other 99% great staff. In our case for me it was 4 of the more senior staff. Hotel Manager, Supervisor of cabins, and Butlers completely ignored me when I passed them. Maybe because I was only from level one. • Boat needs more public toilets and bigger gym. Never again. Read Less

This experience was our first cruise and it was brilliant for a huge variety of reasons. All staff on board did an excellent job. It goes without saying that the ship was clean and the food on board was the finest I've ever had although for me, it was not the most important aspect of the trip because that's just how I am. To single out anyone would almost seem unfair on everyone else but I was the type of person who really appreciated the dedication that the cruise manager gave, it's like he was available 24/7. (Did he ever have time to sleep?) The fitness guy was fantastic but for all sorts of different reasons. His daily classes and his conversations with me have inspired me to help change my lifestyle and here I am, almost 3 months after the cruise, continuing to live a more healthy life. I have taken time to send this review so that I could find a moment to choose my words carefully and I didn't want to leave anyone out. The guides and entertainment professionals were all great characters and all had their charm and enthusiasm for what they were doing. They all had their own style and managed to convey a love for what they were doing which in turn helped me and my family to love the fun-packed, informative holiday through a number of interesting European places finishing in Amsterdam. Before travelling the overall cost sounded a lot to me. However, when you consider what we did and how there was such attention to detail by the staff, I am sure this represented excellent value for money. Read Less

The Magical Christmas Markets cruise in the Ama Certo was the perfect choice for our occasion, one of a kind. Although it was the last week open for Christmas Markets, the dates were the ones accomodating us after 12/16...we had at least 8 Markets to enjoy in 3 days. The rest were amazing local and historic visits. This was my daughter's collegue graduation gift and was a gift for good memories. First, thanks to CD Kris S. worked 24/7 to offer us a hassle-free cruise, she was successful in that, but I am sure it came with hard work and vast knowledge of her field. Thank you! Cabin stewardesses Mery and Rumana amazing and you could always see them happy greeting you and working exactly 3-4 ties a day...our rooms were cozy. Vesi P. our head waitress. We liked her from day one due to her bubbly personality, experience and...she spoke Spanish fluently. She made every meal a nice time we looked forward to .... The rest of the crew, all too many to mention but not to ignore, were great. Nico and Nem at reception as well. The service was spotless on and off board. My aunt was a visiting from South America and many of the eastern European crew spoke fluent Spanish, a wonderful surprise and a big plus for us. Every stop of the tour was full of charm and history. The guides were locals who shared with us not only their knowledge but the love for their cities and countries. We enjoyed plenty of time and sightseeing. The Melk Abbey tour was precious and each city visited has a place in our hearts: Vienna, Salzburg, Linz, Melk, Regenburg, Passau and Nuremberg. Ama's idea to offer gentle, regular and active level activities on each port is great. Even if only 3 people preferred gentle pace, we would get our own tour guide. They gave you clear and exactl instructions on where to meet after tour time was up and time allowed for your own touring around. Being toured by our own AMA people made a big difference, you feel so cared for and protected. They also offered talks about places and history. Informative talks about what to expect on debarcation morning which was all color coded and a breeze. We asked for an airport transfer during the cruise.....spotless service even though it was snowing and was early in the morning. Another agent was waiting at airport and walked each of us to our airline counters... I left food cooments to as my last section, because it is my favorite topic. Food was excellent, sensible portions were served with option to change or add as you pleased. Every meal was paired with local wines.. Food was from all distinct cuisines such as Bavarian, German, Philipino, Thai, Italian, American, Indian, etc.,Vegetarian options were available, Mexican appetizers, bread to die for. My favorite main courses were Veal Osso Buco, Thai Curry Prawns, roasted Suckling Pig, Spinach and Chesse Ravioli, but none of the rest were less than great dishes. I would recommend the AmaCerto ship without reservations and the memories made will last a lifetime. Read Less

After listening to some friends bragging of their prior Budapest cruise and seeing some photos my wife and I decided it to be a great way to enjoy time away together cruising Amsterdam to Budapest and seeing Germany, a place for years on both our bucket list of places to see. We booked the Amsterdam to Budapest cruise some 18 months prior making for a long but exciting wait, you can imagine the disappointed when weeks prior we received a call from APT advising of the low river water levels and the possibility of cancelation but thankfully a week prior to departure a second call confirmed of a slightly changed itinerary to our cruise was a go ahead. To start of from the minute we boarded the riverboat APT made us feel so welcome and gave us 5 star service all the way, the unpredictable dropping in of the Danube river water levels made for a day to day mystery tour with but two nights spent on the river boat rest in a 5 star motel. The port to shore excursions were plentiful and breathtaking along with so many great moments making for future memories, in short we had such a fantastic time. Thank you so much APT every minute of every day made so special, meeting with such great people on board sharing the cruise and becoming one big family in no time. Fantastic entertainment along with the 5 star food in the on board restaurants, wow! stacked on the kilos, great at the time Read Less

October 13th 2018: apt river cruise amersterdam-budapest- 15 nights ama venita. “A glorified bus trip with a gruelling schedule” This apt river cruise should never have left amsterdam. Low levels of water, and continuing good weather forecasts meant the cruise was doomed for problems, and APT camouflaged the issue, well knowing the cruise schedule was going to be significantly affected Apt river cruising -5 freedom principles applies-, none of which occurred on this journey-, began on saturday october 13th, with the ama venita boarded by 164 passengers. the ama venita was replaced by the ama- reina at engelhartszell on saturday 20 october near (passau) during this cruise journey. On the 2nd day of the voyage the first schedule change occurred, with a diversion to nijmegen, then onto to cologne. At cologne, we were advised the ship could not proceed further, and it would be impossible to sail through the rhine gorge. The schedule would change with 36 hours at dusseldorf, with passengers then to disembark, travel by bus to frankfurt (overnight hotel), procced by bus the next day to nuremburg (hotel overnight) and then re-board a new vessel at the passau area, and the normal cruise schedule 7 days into the cruise to re-commence. However on boarding the new vessel at engelhartszell, moored for 36hrs, we were informed it was impossible to cruise from vienna to budapest, so again all would disembark at conclusion of vienna component, bus to budapest (hotel again overnight) and the cruise end. Re the above new excursions replaced, most of the advertised ones, and one of the Premier events Candle light Dinner at Namedy Castle, became a luncheon visit, while en-route to Frankfurt the journey began on a positive note, picked up at the airport by an apt agent, and whisked to the riverside in a lovely modern vehicle. We had paid for a P+ room on the 2nd level, with inside and outside balcony, room service and Porter attention The first twinge of disappointment was noting the ship was parked between a numbers of others, a theme which was to apply from that day on. When in port (which was most of the time the apt boat was normally sandwiched between others, affording no balcony or view age opportunity, effectively negating any reasonable opportunity to observe the world from ones balcony). When i say the view was impeded i am talking about a vessel as big as or bigger than our boat, within 12 inches of the viewing windows, and if this did not occur, the view was replaced by a concrete or similar wharf view. Once on board, (our first dinner aboard) was served, while seated in the ships dining room, a large river boat, completely obstructed any views of the water. This issue is very significant, and from this experience and some post event research on the internet, if one is contemplating a river cruise, don’t bother to take a premium cabin, just not worth it, day 2 freedom of choice touring took place as planned. very pleasant. That evening we were advised the ships schedule was to be changed with a detour to nijmegen and then onto cologne. Day 3 Nijmegen Day 4 Cologne Advised that the boat could not cruise past cologne, there would be no full rhine cruise, and passengers would have to depart the ship at cologne, being bused to frankfurt (hotel overnight), and then bused again to nuremberg (hotel overnight) then to re-board a new vessel at engelhartszell. Note this cruise ended with 10 pack/unpack components, 3 nights in hotels , long bus trips, new schedules and largely amended freedom of choice excursion options. Once on board the new boat, advised unable to cruise the vienna to budapest leg and would complete the cruise by bus and overnight hotel. The changes in schedule, excursions, all detailed in the “Daily Cruiser” are in my possession showing a litany of changes, amendments, turning this trip into a glorified bus tour, with a punishing schedule SHIP FACILITIES Cabin 207: our room with an inside/outside balcony was very pleasant with an excellent bathroom. Free internet and one’s own computer was a very nice touch, but reception marginal and affected significantly when parked amongst other boats, a frequent occurrence. Room service and porter availability, took some sorting out, with all calls through reception in the first instance, and reception was not always clear that they were talking to a customer with room service and butler privileges. Apt needs to spell out the detail of what room service and butler service is, and for the reception desk to clearly identify the call has or does not have those privileges. GYM A nice boutique gym, but the television components of the equipment monitor, are starting to play up, and this component needs to be maintained by apt at regular intervals. Nobody aboard knew what to do about rectifying that issue. DINING The promised 2nd dining option italian fare served in the bella cucina restaurant did not exist. This requires a specific explanation. The verde dining restaurant served breakfast, lunch and dinner, part buffet at breakfast and lunch with main course order options, and the evening, 5 course menu options. the food and service was sound, similar to large ship traditional dining cruising without the width of choice. The upstairs’ river bistro lounge, offered a mini version of the lunch and evening menu downstairs, café style snacks available at set times. Pleasant, but very time restrictive. Chefs table (28 guests) was excellent, similar in standard to specialist dining options on big ship cruising. Room service: available to guests in the premier rooms. The continental breakfast options were very limited, but with request, items like some fruit were added, but nothing cooked was available. In the evening room service dining was available from the verde dining main menu. ON BOARD DRINKS The selection of available no cost wines, cocktails etc. Was excellent, and generous proportions. I am wine versed, and thought apt did an excellent job in this area. SUN DECK Large and pleasant area, but due to the schedule issues, very rarely used. STAFF No issues. Enthusiastic bar staff, waiter service geared to groups but over all a solid standard. Reception was adequate, room attendant’s service excellent, and once butler service clarified and identified, competent. HEALTH The focus on noro virus and similar ailments on big cruise ships was not a feature of this cruise. While there was the usual hand cleansing equipment, there was little attention in the daily newsletter or shipboard announcements, and no staff member, reinforcing the need to clean hands etc. At meal times or food events. The cruise was severely affected with many suffering from a cough and throat virus. A very senior couple embarked with severe symptoms of flu and there appeared to be little effort to have them quarantined or similar in their cabin. This is a difficult area to police, but I would recommend APT pay more attention to this Read Less

The quality and selection of dinners was a disgrace for 14 nights. We just completed this APT cruise in Amsterdam. Our cruise was changed due to low water of the Rhine river, so we could not go after Passau . APT arranged a flight for the second half of our Rhine cruise and flew all 110 people to Rotterdam where we did a replacement 7 day cruise of Holland and Belgium which was brilliant and well organised. My 2 star rating is purely due to the terrible dinners on both the AMA boats - the Amereina from Budapest to Passau for 7 days, and then the Amavenita from Amsterdam for 7 nights. We were not the only ones disappointed by the meals, we are paying top prices expecting 5 star dining and we got meals below the standard of a leagues club ! We have taken 13 cruises over the last 15 years - to name a few, Cunard, Uniworld, Princess, Oceania, Avalon, Norwegian, etc. and every dining experience was superb. I have never bothered to write reviews of them as they were all good. But I am drawn here to write this negative review. The boats were nice - cab8ns, crews, cruise director, itinerary, fantastic guides at every port and good bus tours , but it is a shame the shocking dinners completely spoiled our experience ! 2 years ago we took an Avalon river cruise from Arles to Lyon, it was brilliant and we remember commenting that every meal was a delight. So, sorry APT we will never use you again because of 14 days of terrible dinners ! Read Less

After doing many cruises we decided on this Rhine rivercruise. The dinners we were served were terrible, and the 6 in our group all agreed on this. We were also on their other ship, the AMA Amereina and the dinners for the 7 days on this boat were also terrible, so the poor catering is not isolated to just one of their boats. The 2 stars I gave are for the nice boat, and nice ports and guides. Also the Maitre de on both boats had no interest in any complaints we made about the poor meal quality. It’s a shame the Chefs and Maitre De get any portion of the tips that we were compelled to pay as part of the cruise price. Dining is supposed to be a big part of your river cruise experience, but it is NOT on AMA . So if you want to enjoy nice meals on a river cruise, we suggest use Avalon, Tauk or even Uniworld were all excellent. Read Less

This was the third cruise we have done with AMA. We love the service, quality and professionalism shown by all its employees. This year our cruise couldn't complete the journey to Basel due to low water. Instead they took us to various cities usually done on their April/May Tulip time cruise which was absolutely fine with us since we hadn't seen any of those countries. On top of that AMA has offered us credit for 100% of the cost of the cruise and we have 3 years to take another cruise. We cant say enough about how great this company is to deal with. They went out of their way to keep everyone happy and it was an absolute pleasure to travel with them. Our Cruise director Elia was superb, held up well under very difficult circumstances , was always gracious, pleasant and accommodating. We highly recommend travelling with AMA if you want to river cruise. Read Less

I chose this cruise because I heard they cater to gluten free needs. They also catered to my dairy free needs. Much of the menus had foods I shouldn't eat, so they altered the food and made it special for me. Daily, they had gluten and dairy free deserts that were yummy and good looking. I had cookies, cakes, sorbet, and more. I feasted! They also had gluten and dairy free bread as well as afternoon cookies. They were very nice and accommodating. Also, I had a medical problem where I had to be taken to the hospital due to a contact lens getting stuck in my eye. Jeannette took me to the University hospital and stayed with me to translate. She was very helpful and nice. I would definitely choose to go with Ama again. My room was very nice, even though it was on the bottom floor. I had two big windows and could see out plenty well. I didn't feel claustrophobic at all. The tours had small groups from 4 to 15 each, rather than large groups of 40, which made it really nice and the tour leaders were great. Read Less

We had to change from the AmaVerde to the AmaBella on this APT cruise half way through our cruise because of low water on the Danube. This involved a four hour coach journey. This transfer was only revealed to us two days beforehand even though the company knew about it months ago; apparently they have had to do this transfer since June 2018. Rather deceitful in my opinion not to tell us from the start. The two ships are virtually identical, but it's the crews that make the difference. On the Amaverde they were all very pleasant, accessible and helpful from the Captain down. It was very different on the Amabella. We found that quite a few of the waiters were cheeky, rude and ignorant. One in particular thought he was a comedian but he was nothing more than an irritating clown. For the thousands of pounds you pay for this cruise the least you expect is to be treated with respect. The reception staff were rather sullen and not very helpful, the head barman was rather lackadaisical, the senior staff were notable for their absence; we hardly ever saw them. The cruise itself was very pleasant, with plenty to do and very good shore excursions. It was helped along by our fellow pasengers, the majority of whom were Australian. All were very friendly but it has to be admitted that some were rather loud although they were the exception. The dining room was very noisy. The Cruise Director was not very impressive, often giving wrong information, and at other times being less than communicative when asked questions. Food was sometimes good, sometimes less so. Presentation was over the top with considerable time obviously having been spent on making it look good. But often there was very little food on the plate so there was plenty of space left for decoration. Vegetables were thin on the ground; half a fleuret of brocolli, a quarter of a carrot for example. Cutlery must have been in short supply too; there were no soup spoons, just dessert spoons. We found the waiter who took charge of the Chef's Table events to be rude, loud and awkward, not the sort of atmosphere for what was supposedly a special event. Cooked breakfast fare was invariably luke warm at best, with no hot plates for your food, only cold. And getting tea or coffee from a waiter was sometimes like looking for an invisible man. Overall a mixed bag. We would not go on AmaBella again, whereas we would go on AmaVerde. Read Less

The trip was fantastic and the organisation by ATP beyond the call of duty. Everything was taken care of. We had to swap ships from Ama Bella to Ama Verde between Passau and Nuremberg because the water level in the Danube. As the 2 ships are identical we got the same cabins and the organisation to achieve this was fantastic. They even had a staff member with 50 cent coins at the turnstile to the toilets to let us use the toilets free of charge during the transfer. We had a balcony cabin on deck 2 which was spacious with lots of storage under the beds and in wardrobes. The only problem was on the Ama verde, where the bathroom had a funny sewage smell. They put down lots of cleaner but it was still noticeable. Food was generally good with ample portions and seconds for those with big appetites. As drinks were included with the meals we expected cheap wines but that was not the case. Prosecco flowed freely and the local wines were generally very good. Excursions were very interesting and well organised. A concert in Vienna in the Palais Liechtenstein and Dinner and concert hosted by a german Princess in her castle were the highlights. The cruise director was excellent and took care of any problems as they arose. All the staff were helpful and except for a couple of the waiters in the restaurant who became a bit over-familiar I could not fault them. As it was an APT cruise many of the passengers were Australian who on the whole are much more fun and interesting than some of the brits on board. I would certainly recommend this company and will book with them for my next river cruise. Read Less

Saw it advertised on TV, it looked amazing and it was. We could not believe how organised and professional the staff, crew and Tour Director were.We loved every minute of our 15 days on board. We also made some good friends in that short time. The tours were great and very informative. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and in some cases very entertaining, they all obviously loved their job. they were articulate and their information on the history of places was first class. My wife and I enjoyed the relaxed feeling that applied either on board our ship or touring the many stops that we visited along the way from Budapest to Amsterdam. The onboard entertainment was first class with the resident pianist and then various artists who came aboard the ship to delight both my wife and myself and the other 154 passengers that were on our cruise. Well done APT. We will certainly recommend this cruise to our family and friends. Read Less

This was a dream holiday where every possible thing was covered. From the first moment to the last, we saw some wonderful places and the local guides shared so much of the history and legends of each place visited. The staff on board were all lovely - our tour director Gudrum was charming and such an efficient operator to make everything run so smoothly; the reception staff always happy to help; the restaurant staff were unbelievable and the food excellent in both taste and presentation; cabin was kept beautifully. There was a great choice of activities each day to suit different intrrests. Change of ship partway through cruise due to low river water levels was handled seamlessly with no negative impact on guests. The entertainment on board was great and we also met some lovely people during our time on board. Well done APT - certainly would recommend to anyone looking for a relaxing, carefree, luxury holiday!!!!! Thank you. Read Less

Normally we are independent travellers and this was the first trip organised by someone else . We chose APT because of the rave reviews from others who had chosen this way to travel. It exceeded our expectations. From the chocolate on the pillow each night, the rose for each female at the captain's welcome, the fantastic train trip to Salzburg, etc it was the most incredible experience experience. APT thought of everything - umbrellas in the wardrobe, more coat hangers than you could want (eat your heart out most luxury hotels!), all dietary tastes catered for, a variety of onboard activities and entertainment, a pool with a swim up bar etc etc. I think we were especially fortunate to have Roland Noordermeer as our cruise director as he was professional. knowledgeable, approachable, thoughtful, efficient and seemed to work 24/7. In fact, he really made the trip. After 7 days we had to change ships to the Ama Venita as there was a problem with a barge stuck upriver. That day went seamlessly. We had our luggage in the hallway at 7am. After breakfast we went by bus to Nuremberg where we spent the day, and on arrival back to our new ship, there was our luggage in our new cabin and the only difference seemed to be the different décor! All the staff we dealt with were friendly and helpful. They spoke English well and with 146 passengers and 52 crew, there was a great ratio to cater for our needs. Apart from Roland, the main highlights were Salzburg and the train trip, Namedy Castle, The Strauss evening in Vienna and the glassblower. Would recommend to anyone. Read Less

I was expecting a 5 star luxury river cruise similar to a Seaborne ocean cruise. How wrong was I. River cruising is similar to bus touring. There is very little time to do your own thing as you have to leave the ship to join a coach which takes you to whichever town you are going to. You do a quick tour, maybe 1.5 hours and then back on the coach to the ship. Dining is very crowded. There is only 1 restaurant and everyone goes at the same time. There is no outdoor barbecue area and so every night you are in the dining room at 7pm. There is a “Chef’s Restaurant “ which caters for about 20 guests but although it is really promoted as being fantastic, it is good, at best. There is no alcohol in your mini bar and no champagne on arrival. It is very basic. The rooms are very nice and the staff ensure they are cleaned well. The Tour Director dies the job of at least 2 people - I have never seen anyone with so much responsibility or so much to do. She really needed an assistant. My husband and I are currently aboard AMABELLA and yes, we are enjoying our holiday but we thought it would be much better. Originally, we were on AMAVERDI and have just had to swap ships. During the first 5 days virtually every passenger was sick with a gastric/vomiting bug. We were not surprised as the dining is very cramped. With 151 passengers helping themselves to a buffet with no covering, what do you expect? I think the ship designers need to undertake a course on Food Safety so they understand how bacteria is spread. One passenger vomited on the dining room floor at Namedy Castle. It was a serious problem. Read Less

We got a two-for-one deal which made the price of the trip better value. The ship, which is not one of the latest models despite being Constellation class, was decorated in rather dull shades of brown and beige. It had a serious design flaw in the restaurant, where there were two sides, separated by banquette seating. This meant difficulty in moving around for waiters and passengers and a bottleneck and very little room at the buffet. Banquette seating really doesn't suit the demographic because it is not easy to get in and out. Bread and pastries were at the other end of the room so if you wanted toast with breakfast it meant queueing twice and either cold toast or cold food ( it was never very hot in the first place). Service at lunch, where main courses were largely waiter ordered, was very slow. Sometimes we were not asked if we wanted to order and the wine frequently did not arrive until after we had finished our starters. The cheese selection was poor and despite a promise from the hotel manager to go out and source new varieties, this never happened. We were not told that the two sides of the restaurant served different food on most evenings until 2 days before the end of the cruise (we missed the briefing on the first night where this was explained due to flight delays and no other ship has ever had this arrangement). Staff were helpful and friendly - there were just too few of them, especially wine waiters in the restaurant. The bar manager was fantastic and a couple of the restaurant staff really went the extra mile. Food wasn't exceptional. Beef consommé featured nearly every day in some form. They almost always served rice with fish, although fries or wedges could be requested. Breakfast was always the same - only one "chef's special" item varied each day and this was sometimes something which was available to order anyway. The bacon was rarely crispy and there was always a big queue in the small space by the egg station. Pastries were varied but could have been crisper and flakier. Bread was good. There was usually a good variety and the little bread balls which came with meals were excellent. Wine was average. We had far superior wine with Scenic. Trips were largely good. The tasting tour of Budapest market was interesting, although the guide spent too long wittering on about local specialities. Schönbrunn was stunning but like an oven inside on a very warm day. We didn't bother with some trips ( e.g. the dinner at Namedy castle because people who went on a previous cruise were not impressed. Opinions varied this time too. Nor did we go on the trip to the windmills in Amsterdam as it was wet and windy. We had been to a similar place and only booked it because we'd done all the other trips before, having been to Amsterdam on at least 5 previous trips. Speaking to other passengers who went gave us the impression that we didn't miss much.) The train trip to Salzburg aboard the Majestic Imperator was great - shame about the pouring rain! In Salzburg, after a rather lengthy bus tour round sites used in THAT film, we waited for ages in a downpour at toilets which were insufficient for the number of people. Then by the time we had walked round with the guide and had lunch there wasn't sufficient time to see much of the old town, which was a pity, because even in the rain, Salzburg is beautiful.The bus trip should be optional and people who are not interested in the film sites should be given the chance to be dropped off to have more time in the town. The ship moored a long way out of Würzburg - so far that we wondered if we were actually going to stop there! It would have been a taxi ride into the town if we had chosen to go in after the Rothenburg trip but we had been to Würzburg several times, fortunately. Rothenburg is a very beautiful place but there wasn't enough time to walk round the town and the walls. It should have been a day trip. We loved the little fairytale towns of Dürnstein and Miltenberg, which we had not visited before. In Dürnstein the recommended walking route mentions steps. They should point out that there are LOTS of steps (I lost count and my husband had to turn back and catch the little tourist train at extra cost.) Actually the route is a much easier walk the other way round because you can walk up a road which is much easier and then come down the steps. Steps also meant that my husband couldn't do the gondola ride at Rüdesheim - again we only found out just how many steps there were on the day before the trip and I didn't want to go on my own. We had already been to the Siegfried museum a couple of times so we decided to walk round by ourselves, not realising that most places didn't open until shortly before we sailed and the ship was berthed a long walk from the town - quite why that was, with lots of empty spaces, I don't know. Cost-cutting, probably. There was quite a bit of evidence of this since our trip with APT last year. Read Less

Some Australian friends had told us how good APT river cruises were, so we went with high expectations. Sadly, not all were met. Perhaps we are not the right folk to do this type of cruising, we are used to independent travelling....this was very ORGANISED! As it is all-inc the trips are included also...& in the main, they were very interesting. The dinner at Paul Bocuse Abbaye de Collonges plus the visit to the exuberant truffle farmer were memorable. All trips were well organised but often rushed as it seemed they were designed on returning to the ship by 12-30 for lunch, when everyone ( except us!) streamed off the coaches straight into the restaurant! I appreciate we didn't have to return on the coaches, but that could have left us stranded in parts of the area with possbly poor public transport. So we just went with the crowd. Not our usual style, we do not like being herded. Meals were generally good standard, but again, everyone was expected to arrive en masse. This left us non-plussed the first dinner...we arrived in the restaurant about 7.30 after a couple of GnTs in the ( curiously empty!) bar. It was obvious we were latecomers...everyone else had rushed down to feed at 7pm. My main complaint( APT please read this!!) is that sadly most of the wines served- especially in the bar- were of very poor quality( not even Appellation Controllee!) This was a French cruise on the Rhone for goodness sake- why not serve local wines...they are excellent! Instead we were fobbed off with awful unidentifiable "bubbly" rubbish & pretty vile stuff from Pays d'Oc...cheap as chips & rather insulting after paying a high price to be on this trip. When I politely complained to the bar staff I was informed...quite brusquely...that this was "good" wine & given totally incorrect information about its provenance. Actually several of the staff on board were brusque to the point of rudeness...perhaps its an Eastern European cultural thing? Training required methinks!!! The maitre de & the bar manager( a lovely Portugese guy) were more professional & did in fact miraculously find us some slightly better wine. Why was it hidden????? Yes ....I realise we could have actually bought different wines from the somewhat expensive wine list...but this is sold as an all-inc cruise...& sold at a high price...so why??? It was actually an insult to be fobbed off with worse than supermarket cheap plonk. Entertainment on such a small vessel is always going to be lowkey. The problem is that there is nowhere else to go! Just the one lounge area, with chairs remniscent of a nursing home & with the only bar onboard at the back. So, if like us, you do not really wish to listen to an ageing singer performing 60/70s rehash pop songs, then your cabin is the only alternative!! If you dare to sit at the bar & have a quiet conversation with another couple there, you could be told off! We were...but that's just because some of the fellow passengers on board left a little to be desired in standards! To sum up....river cruising- for us the box is ticked...we do not fit the profile of this type of traveller. Read Less