I can only start by saying that AmaWaterways is on a completely different level. From the very first moment that we stepped foot on the AmaKristina, to the time we departed, the crew made us feel comfortable and we were treated like royalty. We were amazed at the size of the ship and it was nice to have a small number of tourists with us, instead of a massive ship with over 1,000 people. Additionally, the food and drinks were impeccable, along with the service from the crew who were friendly, helpful and clearly LOVED their jobs. The excursions were amazing and we loved the walking/ bike tours because of how simple and easy they were. We wished the pool was bigger, and the bar on the sun deck was open, but we couldn’t of asked for a better vacation. We will definitely use AmaWaterways again and highly recommend it!!!! Read Less

We sailed on the AmaKristina from Basel to Amsterdam. The cruise line was recommended by a long-time friend and travel agent. We had sailed with Ama last October, but low river levels prevented us from sailing north of Strasbourg (we were bussed from there via Luxembourg to Antwerp where we met the ship sailing from Amsterdam). Ama took good care of us and gave us a cruise credit for what wa had paid. Wanting to experience the same great service and the same itinerary we had previously missed, we returned to basel this May for the same trip. The service was top notch and we loved getting to know the Cruise manager David and the Hotel Manager Eduard. The only down side I can think of was the firmness of the mattresses was a bit too hard for our comfort. Eduard indicated that could be fixed, but we were already halfway into the trip before we asked so kept it unchanged. Next time, we will ask about this as quickly as we can. We loved the new excursion at Breisach, a hike in the Black Forest. Because we had experienced Strasbourg just the year before, a different tour option would have been nice. But Strasbourg has so much to offer we were content to do this walk again. Bonus was tickets at the end of the walk to experience the Strasbourg Cathedral Clock in action (limited number of tickets are made available each day, and Ama landed these for their passengers). We would gladly do Ama again, and have made the deposit for a future cruise. Read Less

AmaKristina is simply elegant, ultimately classy, yet unexpectedly down-to-earth and comfortable. We enjoyed the Christmas Markets on the Rhine from the first moment to the last. Every detail from the excursions, to the stateroom appointments, to the dining choices, to the decor was meticulously thought out, and the personal service along the way from the crew was warm, welcoming, and refreshingly precise. The Christmas Markets were so charming, and the transfers (by bus in most cases) to the Christmas Markets were easy and quite comfortable. We particularly enjoyed the Christmas Markets in Cologne and Riquewier - but each market was very unique and had regional specialties. Fitness classes were offered free of charge each morning, and the availability of bicycles aboard the ship for bike tours provided unexpected fitness options. The Chef's table was spectacular - and is included at no additional charge one night during your 7-night cruise. The Chaine de Rotisseurs (I may have misspelled that - sorry!!) dinner was another special night - offered in the main restaurant for all guests free of charge. The sip-n-sail cocktail hour (free mixed drinks from 6pm to 7pm) was also unexpected, and a nice addition... with regional beers and wines offered each day with lunch and dinner the beverage options are quite inclusive. A few touches that I particularly appreciated: a Christmas wreath on each cabin door, in the bathroom a blue light automatically lights the way to the toilet in the middle of the night when you open the bathroom door, and automatically the blue light dims to shut itself off. And - amazing but true - NO ONE FROM AMA EVER ASKED ME TO DO A REVIEW. Refreshing!! After being pelted with requests for reviews from over eager staff members and via urgent emails from every hotel, airline, restaurant I visited this week - this review is the only one that I will spend my time doing. And, as I write a review I am hopeful that this review will be found valuable by other fellow travelers. Read Less

AmaWaterways cruise schedule and ports met our desires and the total cost was slightly less than major competitors. Our mid-October cruise was from Basel, Switzerland, north to Amsterdam in the Netherlands. We were given copious information in advance of the cruise (text, photos, and maps) about the ports and available tours so we could study and plan our days and photo shoots. We had a little time before embarkation to explore Basel and that city was quite interesting. Ama offered at least 2 complimentary tours in each port as well as a bicycle tour in some ports. We could sign up for regular paced walking tours or leisurely (more time to take photos). The tour guides were knowledgeable and looked out for us so that we would not get separated from the group in crowded areas. And a headset enabled us to still hear the tour guide when we were looking at the sights (as long as we were within about 50 feet of the guide). Our cabin was clean, quiet, comfortable, and cozy. The Rhine was extremely low (no rain for 4 months) and the ship (AmaStella) could not go farther north than Strassbourg but Ama had a solution and transferred us to another Ama ship (AmaKristina) that was heading south from Amsterdam but could go no farther than Dusseldorf -- a real logistical challenge for the ship crews to swap all the passengers and their luggage but handled extremely well. Once on the AmaKristina we finished our cruise, debarking in Amsterdam. Since the river was too shallow for the ship to go though the "Rhine Gorge" area (with all its castles), Ama arranged for passengers on both ships to go on a tour boat along that stretch of the Rhine, with complimentary wine and beer. Both the ships we were on (AmaStella and AmaKristina) were first rate in terms of crew helpfulness (all spoke good English), cabin comfort, and dining (the beef was particularly tender and delicious on both ships -- every meal was a delight and the waiter was happy to increase or decrease the portion size. While we did not take advantage of the evening entertainment (tired from walking), the exercise room or the beauty salon, we did enjoy the daily "happy hour" with complimentary drinks from the bar each evening before dinner. Weather (mid October) was too cool to take advantage of the pool and swim-up bar. Despite the river level being low and forcing some trip changes (beyond Ama's control) we had a marvelous time and are starting to plan our next AmaWaterways cruise. A fantastic company that we feel provided exceptional value for our money. Marcia Ehrhardt, the cruise director, was patient, took the low water schedule change and other challenges in stride, and kept us very well informed. Read Less

Our first river cruise experience was with AmaWaterways on the AmaViola in June 2017 on the Danube River and because of the great experience on that cruise we booked with AmaWaterways for a Rhine River cruise. AmaWaterways lived up to all our expectations on the Enchanting Rhine cruise on the AmaKristina ( sister ship to the AmaViola ) September 6th-17th with four days pre-cruise in Switzerland ( two days in Zürich and two days in Lucerne ) and seven days on the Rhine River embarking in Basel, Switzerland with stops for Riquewihr, Strasbourg, Heidelberg, Rüdesheim, castle viewing on the Rhine River Gorge, Cologne and disembarking in Amsterdam, Holland. Cruise Manager Colin Batch was outstanding in his relations with our fellow cruisers and headed up a great staff/crew. The guides for all our shore excursions were great with good English language skills. Food was always good with a very enjoyable Chef's Table dinner. It has been a dry summer in Europe so Rhine River water levels were low but we did not have any difficulties in sailing, navigation, dock passage or port docking. We have been VERY, VERY pleased with AmaWaterways and hope to do future cruises with them....job well done!!! Read Less

Loved our second cruise on AMAwaterways. Attentive crew, lovely room and wonderful tours daily and food. Did wish we had more evening entertainment. Not floor shows but lectures etc. Loved the trip and will do again in 2020. Everything went smoothly and staff could not do enough to make the trip enjoyable. We would def go again and have booked another trip in advance.A wonderful excursion for those interested. I think all on board had a most wonderful time. I would recommend this line to anyone who wants a really lovely trip and one with great attention to detail, nice and varied wines and interesting people also on board. The tour guides were knowledgeable but I do think all the river cruises rotate and use same tour guides and whomever is available. The nice thing about AMA is that they have numerous levels of walking tours for all stages of peoples activity level. In addition bikes on board for those as well as numerous private tours and hikes. As I mentioned attention to detail is very evident. The room service is exceptional and linens are changed off and freshened up twice daily with little treat at evening left in the room as well as souvenirs for travels near during the travel time. Read Less

This was our second cruise with AMA. The first was the Danube and now the Rhine River. From the very beginning of each of these cruises.. every detail was noted to make sure all passengers were delighted. The cruise manager, Marcia and hotel manager Eduord were the best of the best. Also we had a very hands on captain. The staterooms were roomy enough and very efficient. The meals and entertainment were top of the line. What sets AMA cruises apart from others are the programs/guides/sites along the way to experiencing Europe’s famous cities and small villages. We never remotely had a concern/problem along the way. If we had, we were always assured anything could be fixed. The guides were extremely knowledgeable about the areas of the country they came from. There was extraordinarily history and experiences shared with us. We highly recommend any river cruise with AMA. They are a family owned company and want each of us to have a valuable travel experience. The Grants Read Less

Good experience with inconvenience of record hot summer, and drought across Central Europe. Captain did the best one could, "Everyone talks about the weather, but no one ever does anything about it"-Mark Twain. Some minor itinerary shifts, and less convenient docking, due to low water. Small staff, morale and attitude very good, professional. Open seating 3 meals a day made connecting with specific waiters, though certainly seamless hand-offs. Occasional coordination slight delays at breakfast for coffee. I missed the Ocean Cruise relationship w a single waiter throughout. The ship offered Sip and Sail, an unadvertised feature of cocktails, beer, wine, complimentary for one hour prior to dinner, along with complimentary, beer- Stella on tap- wines with lunch and dinner. One red one white the meal, the same unoaked French Chardonnay every day, some variation in reds. Generous pours- the inexperienced be careful! Food quite good, compared to experiences with Holland America and Cunard. I ordered entercôte very rare, ie 'bleu', twice and, both perfect, NOT overcooked both times. (I have been told water hate the order 'rare', as it id cooked to order, then complaints and returns, 'ugh, this is raw'." I have learned to assure, "I will not send it back for under cooking". Variations, request all provided w/o hint of protest or inconvenience. I only undertook 2 excursions, the trip to the Amsterdam flower auction, massive facility, was great, as it is impossible to describe, scale, scope, and complexity of the system. walk across the building and back, 1 mile. The final day excursion to Riquwehr FR, was fun. Alsatian village from 15500-1600's, lot of tourists, but no pizza or MaDonalds. Sat in café, watched it flow by. Cabin snug, public areas laid out well, so cabin for sleep and naps. Ship was impeccably clean Dress casual, well heeled group of mostly retired Southern professionals, dressed same as if home. PROS- All-inclusive approach means the feeling of nickeled and died to death was blessedly missing CONS Not really. Close quarters of boat. Its a boat on a river, so it's a big as possible Read Less

Overall, the cruise was a big disappointment. 1st river cruise after more than 20 ocean cruises. New boat, but of course very small. Upgraded rooms (double balcony, full size shower) only about 200 square feet. However, clean, modern, adequate air conditioning. Arrived at dock approximately 6 hours before embarkation. Staff was outstanding, allowing us to wait on board until checkin. Location of dock in Amsterdam was not conducive to exploration of the immediate neighborhood (industrial warehouses, mounds of rotting garbage, homeless, extensive graffiti). However, 15-20 minute walk would get you to the old town historic area. Mostly elderly guests (average age approximately 75 plus. We are in our early 50's). On board, dining choices were fine. Staff was again outstanding. We are not a fan of open seating, but most of the time the same tables were available (with the same staff). Breakfast and lunch were buffet style, with some menu only items. Any/all alcoholic beverages were included at meals and Happy Hour. Otherwise, pay as you go. Extremely scaled down menu available in the lounge at lunchtime. Do not expect any onboard activities on a ship this size. Following dinner, music/dancing is available in the small lounge. On three nights, outside entertainment came aboard, but after 1-1.5 hours, they were rushed off. Little about the experience matches the brochure. The Rhine is an industrial river. Aside from a single day passing through the Rhine Gorge (and seeing many castles you cannot visit), the shore is dotted with warehouses and businesses. Because of the heat, very few guests could use the top deck. However, the small pool was an oasis. At no port could you walk off the boat and easily access the town/village/city. A 30 to 90 minute bus ride was required for most excursions, with a mostly unorganized guide babbling in disjointed stream of consciousness. Following the tour, you were given 1-2 hours to explore the area, then it's back on the bus. In one port, guests were allowed off at 9:00 am and the ship sailed at 1:00pm. Overall, an extremely structured cruise, with little time for getting to know the towns. Do not take the cruise in the summertime. Blistering hot in each port. Most shops and restaurants are not air conditioned. I can hear the complaints of "spoiled americans", but for the cost or the trip, and where we live (New Orleans), we were looking forward to a break from the heat. Many active shore excursions (biking, active hiking) were cancelled by the tour guides due to the heat. Each excursion visited a cathedral or castle/fort, but most of the tours consisted of small tourist shops filled with Chinese manufactured trinkets. Shopping is definitely off the list, with prices ranging from 2-3 times the cost in the U.S. Post-cruise travel to Luzern was the best part. Skip the boat and stay there for 7 nights. Zurich is just another large city. Nothing special. In conclusion, do not expect the history filled, romantic getaway described in the literature. Though not the "voyage of the living dead" of an Alaska cruise, it's very close. Read Less

We have been long-time ocean cruisers and this was our first river cruise. I had always been warned that it is very different from ocean cruising and that is true - in a good way! I had also been told AMA is a first class company and would not disappoint - also true. We boarded with these understandings and were open to a new and different cruise experience. Our favorite travel agent had formed a group to sail together (she is always lots of fun), so we knew we would enjoy the people on board. AmaKristina is new (last year) and very beautiful. Public spaces well-appointed and clean. Cabins were even more spacious than I anticipated with plenty of storage. Beds were firmer than we are used to but we neglected to ask for extra cushion. Dining was also very good, plenty of variety - well prepared and presented. Service also was very good ship-wide. I really have no complaints about the ship, its provisions or its personnel. There is not a lot of entertainmenton a river cruise, but we did enjoy the nights extra entertainers were brought onboard. We also had no problem "making our own fun" otherwise. Port stops are pretty much every day on a river cruise, so we were never bored. We have always enjoyed sea days so it was maybe more than we wanted to do. The shore excursions were well-organized and tour guides were very good. They provide a wide variety of activity options. You will cetainly find something to fit your desired activity level, and it is easy to get to know others on board. With about 150 passengers embark and debark were a breeze - easiest we have encountred ever. We definitely plan to do another river cruise in the future, and will be happy to sail with Ama again. They take very good care of their passengers! Read Less

My husband researched and booked our first river cruise to celebrate our wedding anniversary after having traveled on many ocean cruises. He decided on AMA, Amsterdam to Basel followed by AMA’s 4 night post cruise land tour to Lucerne and Zurich. Our expectations were exceeded from the moment we stepped on the ship. The service from all of the staff was attentive to our every need and always with a greeting and smile from early morning to late evening. Every meal was delicious, the selections on breakfast and lunch buffets were varied and freshly prepared, the evening meals were ordered off each night’s menu. AMA provided a wide variety of tour options for each day, in some stops it was hard to decide which tour to take as all of them were interesting. The cruise director was extremely helpful on all of our requests and was easily accessible. The land tour likewise exceeded our expectations in every way. To anyone booking a river cruise, we’d say to take a look at AMA! Read Less

We chose to cruise with AmaWaterways based on our Travel Agent’s recommendation. Right from the time we embarked in Basel to our departure in Amsterdam, we had a wonderful time. Everything on the AmaKristina (commisioned in 2017) was great, from the on-board staff and entertainment, to the food and the well organized off ship excursions! Our stateroom had a French balcony and a small balcony with a couple of chairs and a small table-very useful for sitting and watching the Rhine castles and vineyards as we steamed downstream towards Amsterdam! At each stop along the way during our seven night journey, the excurdions were well planned and organized. Alghough we were encouraged to sign up for the events well in advance of our trip, we discovered that we could make changes while on-board. Most excursions had options for gentle, normal and active walkers and this were well received by the guests. We will definitely sail with AmaWaterways again! Read Less

My travel bucket list has always included a visit to Amsterdam - and the famous Keukenhof gardens - during tulip season. After much research, I chose a river cruise on AMA Waterways and the AMAKristina as my first European river cruise. AMA offered an itinerary that included tours of all the places I wanted to visit - Keukenhof, the Kinderdjik windmills, DeltaWorks and a full day excursion to Bruges Belgium. The cruise began and ended in Amsterdam, making round trip air travel simple and reasonably priced. Boarding the AMAKristina was quick and easy. I’d received detailed information about the docking location and a cab quickly took my husband and I to the dock at the 3:00pm check-in time. We were greeted, and immediately shown to our cabin, which was clean and ready at check-in. The entire ship - inside and out - was spotlessly clean throughout the cruise. I had been concerned about tying up next to other river cruise ships to access ports. There were often many river ships at popular ports, but walking through them to reach the shore gave me a chance to check out other cruise lines I’d considered - and wasn’t particularly inconvenient. But there was no thought of using the balcony when the balcony of another ship was only feet away! Our double-balcony cabin was nicely decorated however, and offered enough space to store all our clothing and bath supplies, and just enough underbed storage for two large suitcases and two rollaboards. Both the cabin and bath were cozy, but larger and more comfortable than we expected. We especially enjoyed the Mac system included in the cabin - a large screen used for TV and movies, but including a keyboard and mouse so it could also be used to access the internet and shipboard information. The bed was very comfortable and the bath had a great shower, with both rainfall and removable shower heads. My only complaint was lack of any shelf space in the shower for holding shampoo etc - seems like such a simple thing to be omitted! After unpacking, there was time to explore the ship and take photos before dinner. Light snacks were available in the lounge, as they were at most times during the cruise. There was a great self-serve coffee and tea station available 24x7 which included specialty coffees like espresso and cappuccino and a good selection of teas. The lounge is the social center of the ship with the bar and lots of comfortable seating. There are doors from the lounge to outdoor seating in the stern of the ship. A round glass elevator and stairs on both sides led to the dining room below. There were a number of large tables along the windows, with booths in the center of the dining room which seated 4 people very comfortably. Buffet counters were located at the rear. The upper deck featured a heated pool, a giant chess set and outdoor seating. The weather was mostly very chilly during our April cruise, but several passengers still enjoyed a dip in the pool! We were told there is a library and fitness center, but we never had enough time to find them ourselves. Dinner was served shortly after we finished our tour. There’s no fixed seating; you can select your own table and dine with anyone you choose. Times for each meal are shown in the Daily Cruiser program, and you can arrive at any time. Dinner always followed the “Sip and Sail” happy hour in the lounge, when complimentary cocktails were served. The dinner menu included a choice of appetizers, entrees and desserts served a la carte. Complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks were always served at lunch and dinner. The food was very good and there were enough choices to please everyone. Service was excellent and the food arrived promptly even with a full dining room. Breakfast and lunch were served in the dining room, and included a choice of menu items and very nice buffet selections. There were always fruits and salads, as well as several hot items. The timing of each meal was determined by the arrival and departure times of the morning and afternoon excursions - a nice change after many ocean cruises where I had to rush to lunch or dinner before the restaurant closed after a late excursion! Each evening during the “Sip and Sail” hour there were descriptions of the next port and tours available. After dinner, there was entertainment in the lounge from the talented ship pianist as well as various singers and other musicians. Our favorite evening featured a spirited and talented classical string trio. The excursions were the highlight of the cruise. At each port, there was a choice of excursions offered at no extra charge. I had chosen our excursions on the AMA website prior to the start of the cruise - but it was no problem to change or select an excursion while on board. Walking tours had separate groups for fast, regular and “gentle” walkers - so everyone could enjoy the tour at her own pace. Most guides were excellent - they lived in and knew the visited towns well. Tickets for the sights we visited were always provided by AMA at no charge to us. When a bus was necessary to visit a sight, the buses were clean, comfortable and convenient to the ship. The extraordinary cruise director, John Riley, arranged for taxis if the buses were too distant for “gentle” walkers. In fact, he arranged everything incredibly - he was never too busy to answer questions or help in any way. There were bicycles and a biking tour at almost every port too. We didn’t bike, but those who did really enjoyed the tours. The very best part of the cruise happened at the very end, when I asked for our bill and arranged for gratuities. Gratuities were not automatically charged to our bill - we decided how much to leave, and could chose crew members to receive gratuities. As veterans of many ocean cruises, we were shocked to find that we had NO bill to pay at the end of the cruise. It was truly all-inclusive! And about a week after we arrived home we received a handwritten thank you note from our crew - a really delightful surprise! A lovely ending to a very hassle-free and relaxed vacation. Read Less

It was my first time cruising with Ama Waterways. I chose the cruise based on the variety of excursions offered at no extra charge and positive reviews of food. I was not disappointed. I took a tulip cruise. The cruise itinerary offered a interesting variety of excursions. It was a nice mix of culture, tulips and educational tours. I found their tours to be more in depth than on a previous river cruise. The guides did an excellent job of incorporating history, culture and modern life into their tours. We did a bike tour which was beautiful. We were lucky to enjoy good weather that day. Again the guides were exceptional. I almost did not take the canal cruise in Amsterdam since I had already gone on one 2 times before. I am glad I did because the Ama guide was excellent and they actually picked us up at a place that was not the normal dock that was close to our ship. By doing this we avoided the Amsterdam Crowds and had a short walk. We did the full day in Bruge which was excellent. I am glad we could take our time and not rush around. The Delta Works were fascinating, it was raining which seemed to enhance the experience. I felt spoiled by the crew. A favorite of mine were the homemade breads and ice cream. Meals were excellent and service was superb. We were especially impressed with Misha and Raina (not sure if correct name, the brunette server). John the cruise director was also excellent. Despite it only being the first cruise of the season they worked well together. Our cabin was perfect. It was a BB and it was very roomy with the double balcony. Although it was cool we used the balcony, sun deck, and pool as much as we could. The fellow passengers were mostly from the US. We were discouraged from discussing politics which suited me just fine. People were nice, but sadly we met our favorite 2 passengers at the end of the cruise. Being 48 and 50 my husband and I were probably one of the youngest couples on this cruise. That's not a problem for me or my husband. Most of the passengers were retired. Like most river cruises evening entertainment is not too exciting. We loved the violin players who sold my husband a CD for 30 euro. I prefer the local traditional performers. On a previous cruise I enjoyed disco night. Entertainment is not important to me. Sometimes I use the after dinner time to enjoy sun deck/balcony. I have to say this was an excellent experience and when I take another river cruise it will be with Ama Read Less

We chose this cruise line on the advice of a well-traveled friend. The dates suited us as we wanted to enjoy the Christmas feel of Europe. Although out flight into Basel was quite early we were able to head straight to the ship, leave our luggage and enjoy snacks in the lounge while our stateroom was readied. The housekeeping staff had our room ready in a short time and we were able to unpack and get settled. From day one we were impressed with our cruise manager, Dejan and the other staff. Everyone was cheerful and eager to make our trip a pleasure. We found the food in the main restaurant to be plentiful, varied and quite delicious. The special German lunch and Captain's Gala dinner were highlights. Our frequent waiter, Stanley and beverage waitress, Diana, were always looking out for our needs and wishes. We also had an amazing meal one night at the Chef's table which was a gourmet delight. We took excursions each day and were impressed with the quality of the tours and guides. The weather was cloudy and drizzly most days, but we still enjoyed the history, charm and Christmas Markets of all the towns we visited. Amawaterways Impressed us with their generous hospitality that included free-flowing sparkling wine several nights at cocktail receptions, small gifts in our stateroom and even a generous lunch allowance one day when a river accident below a dock delayed our schedule. We thoroughly enjoyed several of the evening entertainments as well. Overall we had a wonderful cruise and would highly recommend Amawaterways to our friends. We are already looking to schedule another river cruise with them soon. Read Less

This was my first riverboat cruise and it was absolutely fantastic. Everything was perfect, the ship was beautiful and the cabin was great. Loved the entertainment, even the crew sang Christmas Carols one night! The dining was exquisite and the waiters certainly looked after any diabetic and allergy concerns. The tours and guides were wonderful. Interesting to see the boat going through the locks. The service was outstanding too. Loved the Welcome and Farewell cocktail parties when the champagne was overflowing! With fewer passengers we certainly felt we were treated like royalty and for sure I would book another cruise with AMA. Perhaps one in September or October would be my choice! Our Cruise Manager was amazing and looked after us very well. Our luggage was always where it should be. We did the extra days in Lucerne and Zurich and again the tours and guides were excellent. An AMA Waterways helped us at Zurich Airport on our departure. When I got home, there was a lovely handwritten postcard from AMA, personally signed by some of our crew favourites! AMAzing holiday and I would give AMA Waterways five stars for everything and would definitely recommend them to one and all. Can't wait to go again! Read Less

We took a group of 35 for our first river cruise and couldn't be happier with the entire experience. We had time to explore Amsterdam before embarkation and found it to be one of the most enchanting cities we have ever visited. Our embarkation was flawless and because we were a group we had the opportunity to meet staff prior to the official beginning of the cruise. Our cruise director, Maddy Caldaruse was very helpful in answering our questions and helping to discover that another group had a priest as one of it's members. She even was so kind to introduce us and allow us to have a Mass said in the lounge as we cruise away from Amsterdam on Sunday. I estimate 60 or so attended Mass which was a great experience. Who else can say they attended Mass on a ship while traveling down the Rhine? The AmaKristina is a new ship and is in great shape. The Cabins were clean and always made up promptly every day. Dining was terrific, everyone in our group claimed to have gained weight from the delicious food served by exceptional staff who demonstrated daily they were interested in making sure we all had a great experience. The shore excursions were interesting and our guides were very well informed and interesting. We are all talking about going again in the near future. AmaWaterways you get my enthsiastic two thumbs up! Read Less

We chose AmaWaterways based on our experience with them on a prior cruise on the Danube River in 2016. We were not disappointed in any way with this October 2017 Rhine cruise either. The ship, dining, crew, activities, ports of call, and shore excursions all exceeded our expectations. We enjoyed every aspect of the cruise but especially the excursions on four of the seven days where we chose the Guided Bike Tours in Cologne, Rudesheim, Strasbourg, and Breisach. Another favorite was in Heidelberg where we chose the Philosopher's Path Hike. The golden afternoon sun shining down on the city in the Neckar Valley was absolutely fabulous. All of the bike tours and the hike in Heidelberg enabled us to stay physically active while enjoying sights that were away from the touristy and high traffic zones. Our guides were well qualified to lead these tours and gave us insights into the local culture and history. Thanks to our Cruise Director Dragan Reljic, I was able to recover my lost cell phone that I left behind in Mannheim. He, along with his entire staff, is one of the reasons we plan on booking another cruise on AmaWaterways to Provence in 2018. We know it will be a Bon Voyage! Read Less

A Rhine River cruise has long been on our wish list. My husband and I have ocean cruised 10 times, but after hearing about friends' river cruise experiences, decided to take the plunge on the Enchanting Rhine cruise. We loved the entire experience--from our Cruise Manager's pre-cruise welcome in Zurich, to our final port of Amsterdam. The benefits of river cruising are many. Our Cruise Manager, David R., was terrific, and we have a hard time picturing anyone else in this role. David obviously enjoys his work, and is the perfect combination of professionalism, humor, and approachability. We credit him with easing us seamlessly into a new style of travel. We hope our travel paths cross again! We enjoyed the pre-cruise stays in Zurich and Lucerne, including the optional tours to the Rhine Falls and Stein-am-Rhein (Zurich), and Mt. Stanserhorn (Lucerne). We thoroughly enjoyed both. My only suggestion for pre-cruise improvement would be to expand the included Zurich city tour to include areas beyond those within walking distance of the hotel (explored on our own on the first day). Lucerne is absolutely charming, and our stay at the Schweizerhof was a special treat. If you haven't traveled to Lucerne, do! For us, it is hard to compare river cruising with ocean cruising--they offer very different things. With only 150 passengers onboard the AmaKristina (58 of those among the pre-cruise guests) a sense of community quickly develops. We really enjoyed hanging out in the lounge while sailing--chatting with fellow passengers and helping ourselves to treats and the fancy self-serve coffee machine. We were very pleased to see the entire crew recognized during the Captain's Farewell. Staff in all positions were approachable and went out of their ways to acknowledge us. Zsolt took excellent care of our cabin. We made good use of the exterior balcony. Dejana kept the wine flowing (even if we preferred a wine that was on offer on a previous evening). The food was excellent (especially the desserts), although my husband found some portions to be a bit smaller than he would have liked. At times the dining staff seemed a bit stressed, but our needs were always met. We loved the variety of shore excursions, which appears to be an AmaWaterways strength. Cologne was probably our least favorite stop--would rather have had time to explore Koblenz. RIquewihr, Strasbourg, and Heidelberg were our favorites, and Marlies (native of Heidelberg) our favorite tour guide. Basel was a lovely town, and a nice surprise. Our shore excursions, lounge time, and leisurely dinners filled our days, so we did not miss the activities available on larger ships. All in all, we had a marvelous time, felt very spoiled and appreciated as guests, and have already committed to a future cruise with AmaWaterways--possibly with some of our new friends! Read Less

My husband, daughter and I just returned from an unforgettable journey on the Rhine River aboard the spectacular AmaKristina! We have traveled extensively and were a little apprehensive of this form of travel as we had never been on a river cruise and usually like to tour on our own. We were concerned that it would be too scheduled with little free time to do "our own thing," but were we ever pleasantly surprised by how much we LOVED this relaxed, yet stimulating way to see the world!!! The excursions were filled with interesting tour guides giving us fascinating bits of history and an opportunity to get our bearings in each village. Then, best of all, we had plenty of time to explore on our own! The best part of the whole vacation was the river cruise itself! We traveled with our 21 year old daughter and had a beautiful suite. We've never felt more relaxed, sitting on our balcony with a glass of wine watching the fairytale castles go by! The AmaKristina's crew couldn't be more warm and attentive. Our cruise director, Mariana Santos made us feel like family. I can't stop trying to convince everyone we know that they must put this trip on their "bucket list!" My best friend already booked her cruise for next year and we're planning our next river cruise too! We are convinced that this is the best way to travel. If you are interesting in seeing enchanted destinations, meet wonderful people, eat like royalty and have the time of your lives, then book a trip with AmaWaterways! We are so grateful that we did!!!!!!! Read Less

We like active tour options and this cruise offered wonderful options at each stop. And the options were inclusive in the trip. What we were not expecting was the wonderful attention to detail and the very excellent service by the staff. Our cabin had a computer with internet access that made communications with family and friends very convenient. We found gifts and special surprises with the "turn downs" of our bed. The cabin was very well appointed and comfortable. The food in the dining room was very good, but the "chef's table" presentation was special indeed. We were greeted at the airport by AMAWaterways reps and whisked away to our ship. We had time to explore Amsterdam on our own upon our arrival as well as a canal tour the next day. The cruise manager had entertainment/activities planned each evening so we had full days. Sara was very well organized and our daily excursions were well planned with knowledgeable guides. Disembarkation went very smoothly, although we were sorry to goodbye to the AMAKristina and the other guests we had met on the ship. The AMAKristina is a beautiful, new ship, christened this year. The pampered, luxurious treatment we received aboard the AMAKristina has given us very high expectations for future river cruises!!! We thoroughly enjoyed our first river cruise. Thank you AMAWaterways. Read Less

We needed a break from our routine in the States. We booked this trip less than 2 months ago to get away. We spent 2 days in Zurich and 2 days in Lucerne before our cruise. We heartily recommend doing the same, as we had the opportunity to meet many of the other people who we would be spending the next 11 days with. Once onboard we knew over 20% of the 149 passengers. Our Cruise Manager, Colin joined us for the 4 days in Switzerland, as well. He was an invaluable resource for us, and he quickly became one of our long lost friends, it seems. Our bike trips, and Cabriolet Gondola trip were icing on the cake. Memories that we will cherish forever. The food onboard, and the service we received were second to none. Each and every member of the AMA crew were focused on making our trip excellent, and they succeeded. This was our 3rd cruise, the other 2 being on much LARGER ships. We can not wait to go on our next AMA Waterways trip, in 2018. Read Less

This was our first river cruise. Our travel agent recommended this itinerary as a nice introduction to river cruising since it was a brand new ship and had a nice itinerary. We were not disappointed! The ship was lovely and the staff was wonderful. We really felt pampered. Our cabin was a bit smaller than I expected, but was well-appointed and had enough room to store everything.Meals were very good especially dinners and the wines. Breakfast and lunch were buffet-style although you could order off the menu. There were many choices on the buffet and the breads were delicious. There was an omelet station at breakfast although it was often crowded. The menus tried to reflect the foods of the region. There was also a chefs table which offered a tasting menu. Everyone was able to go there at least once. We definitely enjoyed that too. We didn't attend many of the evening programs but did enjoy the ones we went too.Service on the ship was outstanding from the dining room to the front desk to our cabin to the captain. Any problem was immediately addressed. Our Cruise Manager, Colin Batch, was excellent! Every day he would give us an overview of the following day's itinerary. He also accompanied us on several excursions and even led the excursion in Koblenz. The excursions were varied and very interesting. They usually had several options at each port--a bike ride, several levels of walking tours, and often a hike. Our local guides were very good and easy to understand. We enjoyed the different ports--they were quite varied. We would definitely take another AMA River cruise! Read Less

This cruise was chosen for us by a fellow traveler. None of us had been on a River Cruise before. The AMAKristina was beautiful and comparing it to other ships on the Rhine at the time we were cruising it was far and away the most beautiful. LOVED the biking tour of Strasbourg. Getting to know many of the crew members was so interesting. They were to a man and woman exceptional. The Cruise Director, Colin Batch, was so upbeat and knowledgeable about all the cities and castles. The Guides at each of the stop were warm, humorous, steeped in their subject...it made the trip so much better. The food is fine dining everyday but you MUST sit at the Chef's Table one night while you are there. A lovely experience. One of us had a massage by George and it was the best massage he'd ever had. We stayed 2 extra nights in Amsterdam and I would recommend taking the Basel to Amsterdam cruise in order to really get to know the vibrant city. Many thanks for a trip of a lifetime. Read Less

This was our first River Cruise. We chose AmaWaterways and the Enchanted Rhine because of the Itinerary that included the Pre-Land Extension in Zurich and Lucerne, Switzerland. We chose the AmaKristina because it is a new ship. I will focus more on the Land extension because I have not seen much focus on that on other reviews. We traveled to Zurich on our own after sightseeing in Munich. Our tour began at the Hotel Stiegenberger in Zurich. We came prepared but still dismayed that the hotel was not air-conditioned and the temps were already in the low 80's F. The room was sweltering even with a fan. It is a very nice and scenic hotel otherwise. However, the city view room was overlooking a crowded courtyard of buildings. The cruise director covered all aspects of the tour times as well as transportation and optional excursions. We were happy that the excursion to Rhein Falls and Stein en Rhein was available. It was an additional charge of about $80 per person. The tour guide, Judith was wonderful and she was with us for Zurich, Rhein Falls and Lucerne. We enjoyed a very informative and scenic bus trip to Vitznau followed by a beautiful boat trip across Lake Lucerne to the city. Our hotel in Lucerne was at the elegant Hotel Schweizerhof. I already knew from research that I wanted to go to Mt. Pilatus so we opted out of the AMA excursion to Mt. Stanserhorn. Mt. Pilatus was truly awe-inspiring and we really enjoyed our free time at Lucerne. Sadly, it was time to go. We traveled by bus to Basel. After completing a city tour and lunch on our own, we were delivered to the ship. Our check went smoothly. We were in Room 231 Cello Deck. I was disappointed that there was dirt on my bed before I even touched it. There was also a hair (not mine) on the pillow. For the money, I guess I thought the cleanliness would be impeccable. The bathroom is small and it contained an annoying metal trashcan that would tip over when you used the footstep to open it. The paper was not always replenished either. While new, the actual toilet seat cover felt loose and banged against the tile when you sat down. We felt the movement of the ship and it would feel like it shuddered when it went through other ship's wakes. I would definitely move to the higher (Violin) deck and near the front for the next trip. We also noticed a creaking noise coming from the ship around the midship area. Apparently, we were not the only ones that observed it because we saw a passenger speaking to the Ship Engineer about it one day. The WIFI was not operational for the first day. It also tended to be out when we were docked. We enjoyed the guided tours to which included Riquewihr and Strasbourg, France, Rudesheim, Heidleberg, Koblenz, Cologne and Amsterdam. I wish we could have had more time at Cologne. There was a lot to see there and I felt it warranted a full stop there instead of one afternoon. The guides were all good except for mine in Riquewihr. Johannes was not too informative and he did not even discuss the city gate and moat. I only know this because my mother took the Gentle walker tour and their guide covered it. I went on the Active Walker tour of Strasbourg. It was very informative and I believe we did cover about 6 miles. However, I wish we could have stayed at the Orangerie longer and/or visited Empress Josephine's Palace. It would be good if that were included on an actual tour. Friends that I talked to enjoyed the bike ride excursions. I chose a hike to Ehrenfels Castle and it was terrific uphill hike through the vineyards. The tour information listed it as 6 miles. It was only 3 miles. My favorite part of cruising was actually cruising. The deck chairs and seating were very comfortable. The boat was usually moving at night or during meal times so we did not get to enjoy the cruising as much as we would like. The cruise through the Rhine Gorge was incredible and my favorite part of the actual cruise. We were blessed with good weather and it was actually cool enough to need blankets. The cruise director provided excellent commentary on the scenic castles and towns that we passed. There was an added bonus when they brought up Rudesheimer coffee for us. The food on board was indeed wonderful and plentiful. The selection was vast. The Omelet Station attendant, Dejana, was wonderful and remembered how I liked my omelet after one visit. Do book your reservations for the Chef’s Table as soon as you arrive on the boat. It is a wonderful 5 course sampling meal full of imaginative and memorable dishes. We wanted to go again! There were a couple of things that marred the dining experience. The time between meal courses was exceedingly long. It did not matter which server station you chose. Dinner took at least two hours. Our table would finish a course and then it would take a long time for the next course to arrive. Meanwhile other tables that arrived after ours would be on to the next course. The other issue was with the wine and beverage stewards. They would not come by the table to offer any refills at times. Some mornings I got my excellent Cappuccino from the 24 hour Coffee bar and took it with me to breakfast just to make sure I received coffee. I do know everyone worked very hard. It seems like they need more crew to handle the meals but then where would you put them? Their memory is excellent. One morning the steward asked me if he had offended my mother because she did not touch her dessert the previous night. I assured him that was not the case. She was too full to eat anymore. The receptionist remembered our cabin number even before I did. Cruise culture is new to me but each meal involved a great deal of socializing. You could indicate to your waiter if you wished to either join someone else, have someone join you or dine alone. We met plenty of friendly people. There were mostly Canadians and Americans on the cruise. A few couples from the U.K. The Well to do’s kept to themselves. We heard the evening entertainment was very enjoyable but since it did not start until 9:30 p.m. thus we went on the prepare for bed. We got up at 6:30 each morning so we could get to breakfast at 7:30 a.m. before the rush. The sightseeing excursions usually loaded up about 8:45 a.m. We received some free time in every city and that was appreciated. I never even saw the fitness room or used the spa. Who had time? A few people used the walking track. Some friends enjoyed the pool but I did not bring a swimsuit so I missed out. The lounge was very tastefully furnished and comfortable. Our voyage with AmaWaterways has given us cherished memories that will last a lifetime. Read Less