Just returned from the Danube river cruise on the Amadeus Queen and couldn’t fault a single thing. Genuinely cannot understand anyone who could criticise any part of the cruise ship. The only drawback may have been the drinks package as it was a bit restrictive with choice and availability only at mealtimes, but that in itself may have been a good thing so as not to get people too rowdy! The facilities on the ship were second to none and the cleanliness was fantastic. The rooms were cleaned during the day and again in the evening when the beds were turned down. All members of the crew couldn’t have been more courteous and helpful and the food was superb. There was always a great choice on the menu and at lunchtimes you could opt for a lighter lunch for those not wanting to have a large 4 course lunch as well as the 5 course dinner. At the end of the holiday we didn’t want to leave. In fact we are determined to do another very soon and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Amadeus Queen. Read Less

We had chosen a Danube Christmas Markets cruise from Vienna to Nuremburg on the very smart, new Amadeus Queen. Our suite was very large, with chocolate truffles every day (sadly only 3 on that ship, we never received them on the Elegant), nice food, and the Cruise Directors were fun. Unfortunately we had to leave after 3 days because the Danube river levels were low (all autumn) and be bussed to Regensburg for our final 3 days of the cruise - I would continue the review on the Amadeus Elegant page, but I have to use 150 words, so will cover that now! The Elegant is a 3 star ship - it has not been renovated in 9 years since it was built, and the cabins and suites are a third smaller, losing the large shower. The food however was superb - and all 5 course meals! My main dissatisfaction with Amadeus is that the cruise was very regimented. We had compulsory "good morning campers" speeches into our cabins each day, and lots of repetitive "do this now" announcements during the day. The price of this cruise is very good value for money, so I think that's why at least 3/4 of the cruisers were with groups, who had their own lectures etc. Amadeus are I believe the only river cruise line who insist on putting people onto a compulsory table for meals throughout the cruise. This effectively turns you into another group! As a result I think I talked to about 10 other people, as opposed to dozens on our previous Avalon cruise, where we sat and talked to people at random, and no-one appeared to be in a closed group. Our previous Avalon cruise on the River Main was more relaxed, though the good weather then, and appalling rain this time, may have affected my memory! With Amadeus the excursions are optional and extra cost. I did like the Vienna evening concert, and Melk Abbey was interesting, Nuremburg was also good - I liked seeing the historic Nazi sites, especially as it meant we didn't have to get off the bus for so long into the pouring rain! I probably would not travel with Amadeus again - if they cannot guarantee a similar standard of ship if they have to make you bus to another ship, and all of the regimentation has put me off them. Read Less

Mine was a large group tour. With the drought on the Danube, many of the other River Boat companies could not sail due to the draft required for their boats. The Amadeus Queen is a new boat and constructed with a shallower draft, so we were able to sail, but had to empty the pool when the shallow-ness was iffy. The cabins on the Strauss deck are spacious and the food, service, entertainment, and morning stretch classes were great. The wines were lovely from the various countries along the way and our glasses were bottomless. Desserts were great and you could also opt for ice cream sundaes. Spectacular views from the sun deck and wonderful ground tours. A special treat was the evening cruise of the lit up Budapest buildings and watching our captain maneuver through many of the locks as we proceeded from Hungary to Germany. * Highly recommend this company and the Amadeus Queen. Read Less

We found a great deal with Adelman Travel which included a brief land tour of southern Germany and then a River Cruise on the Danube. We Started in Passau traveled to Budapest and then returned to Passau. There were no problems with navigation as the Amadeus Queen has a shallow draft. Number of stops on the Danube which included Melk and the Melk Abbey, Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava and Linz. We had sunshine everyday and it was a wonderful trip. Tours were well organized and no problems were incurred. Really needed more time in Budapest. Cruise also include a brief night cruise of the Budapest from the River Danube which was wonderful. Cabins had an ample closet, room a little small but average for a cruise cabin. We had a large picture type window which opened and were on the Strauss Deck. Food was excellent, wine, red and/or white, with every dinner and dinner service was good. Dinner clothing was what I would call business casual. With the Captain's dinner it was a little more formal for many but business casual still worked. We had an assigned seating area as there was a group of us. With the exception of our group and 2 French couples all others on board appeared to be German. Activities/entertainment in the evening were very limited, piano player/singer but the beer and service was good. Read Less

I was looking for a short cruise but wanted to visit a variety of countries. This cruise stopped at 6 ports. Regensburg, Bratislava, Vienna, Budapest to name a few. Excursions were informative and interesting. Local guides who were excellent. Trips partly by coach and followed by short walking experiences. Consideration given to mobility impaired customers. Early starts for the morning tours and always an opportunity for further afternoon excursions or your own free time to explore at leisure. On board service was terrific. Friendly and very helpful crew. Delicious food and all served immaculately. Presentation and variety excellent. The cabin was compact but perfectly proportioned. Had an issue with the air conditioning system but it was quickly remedied. Weather remained perfect except for one rainstorm. Umbrellas were supplied on board. All the crew were well trained, courteous and very helpful. I would recommend this cruise for the retired brigade as all on board were well taken care of. Read Less

The Queen is lovely, but the food and service is very low. Examples: The purser has no one and two dollar Euros for you to pay guides with. They had 30 cents, Euro, for the entire boat and would not ever tell you if they would be getting more. The check in people are rude, even a bid mean, and love to tell you no to even the simplest request. Most of the help is from Romania, but it felt very old Soviet Union type of horrible service. The beds are rock hard, the food portions are very small, but the staff in the dinning room are good. The lunch buffet has two types of lettuces and no fruit, desert bar, cheese or cold cut, or any fresh meat being cut by anyone. In fact, you never smell any food being prepared. Our best guess is it all is premade and reheated on board. Read Less