Of the 17 cruises my husband and I have taken from the Mediterranean, Alaska, Mexico, and on the Rhine river, this past one with AMAwaterways November 21 – 28, 2016 from Budapest to Nuremburg on the Danube river was, bar none, the best.

The company sent us detailed instructions in an organized pouch three weeks before sailing. The packet contained the answer to every question we had before leaving, all neatly detailed along with phone numbers for emergencies, which set my mind at ease since the initial flight to Budapest sounded like we were visiting another world. Everything went smoothly and we embarked the first evening with the ship transport from the airport.

We found the ship to be beautifully decorated for Christmas, intimate, only 142 passengers, and the crew of 49 welcoming. This company caters to Americans and English was primarily the language spoken, and unlike other river cruise lines, the announcements were not made for 15 minutes in 9 languages. This was a big plus. The atmosphere on board was also not formal like some of them. The crew seemed to enjoy their jobs and most of them had obviously formed some close bonds with each other. All these factors combined to make a relaxed and fun voyage. Read more