AmaViola Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We were taking our first river cruise and didn't know anything about river cruise lines other than what we'd seen on PBS. AMA Waterways was recommended to us by friends who are seasoned travelers and have sailed on two different European river cruises. Their opinion was AMA is head and shoulders above the rest. This was confirmed by a passenger on our cruise who had sailed on 3 different river cruise lines and said AMA was definitely the best.
We loved the fact that the river cruise setting is much more intimate and friendlier than large cruise ships. You see the same people (only 148 guests) in the lounges, on shore tours, in the dining room and just meeting in the hallways, so it's very easy to make new friends. The majority of passengers on this cruise were from U.S., several from Canada, one from UK and several from Australia, so conversation was easy. All staff speaks English very well, too, again, a big plus. There were actually very few places we went where shop keepers didn't speak English as well.
Oh, the food...it was truly wonderful. My husband needed a low sodium diet. Every morning when we went for breakfast, Voila, there was a special menu for him to make selections for lunch and dinner...same as our menus but low sodium. The food is always so fresh and varied. The breads and pastries....well, just divine. Wine and beer plentiful if you want it at lunch (we didn't) but also at dinner (we did!)
Cabin Review
Stateroom with French balcony and outside balcony
From the time we boarded, we were impressed with the cleanliness and decor of the ship. It's a newer one, so no wear and tear on any decor. Our room (Piano Deck, BA room), was very adequate, much larger than on an ocean cruise ship. Room was in middle of ship so very quite...never heard people walking out in the halls, no engine noise and no ship movement. Every day our room was meticulously cleaned; in fact, staff was always working to keep things clean all over the ship. The queen bed was comfortable; pillows not our favorite but small thing. Adequate outlets on one side of the bed and places to plug in phones to charge them; be sure to take converters for C-paps and other electrical devices. No hairdryers needed; there's a good one in the bathroom. Curling irons also not allowed - guess that's a fire hazard or something. Bathroom is compact but they have a very good shower, albeit a small shower and enough storage space for cosmetics. Adequate room to hang clothes but no room to hang long dresses...only double racks in the closet. It's so busy with shore excursions and other activities you don't spend much time in your room!