This was a perfect way to visit 4 countries and 8 cities along the Danube - Beautiful cities - Beautiful ship - Great Service We had never done a cruise of any type - and based on research selected AmaWaterways - we are very glad we did - We traveled with an adult daughter with physical limitations and every part of the trip, the ship and the excursions were suited for her ... The "Easy or Relaxed" excursions - the elevator on the ship and the super attentive AMA Employees made this trip so easy for all of us. The ship is outstanding and the service from all of the employees could not have been better. Every part of the ship was spotless and stayed that way throughout our trip - The "lounge area and upper deck of the ship nicely decorated and always clean - and great places to relax or meet up with people. - The staff worked so hard and could not have been more attentive. The food was outstanding throughout the cruise - The menu changed daily depending on the region and country we were traveling but there was always several options for people not wanting to try the regional food - and the presentation of the food - Breakfast, lunch & dinner looked like food out of a magazine - and was served with a smile - If you wanted something prepared or cooked differently - they made it happen - The selection of wine and cocktails was great throughout the trip - The dining room was beautiful - and the layout and design made you feel like your were in a very nice restaurant and not a dining room of a ship... We really can not think of one thing that was not outstanding !! We are already talking about our next trip on AMA and have recommended to friends... Thank you AMA Waterways and the crew and staff of the AMAViola !! Read Less

We chose Ama Waterways for our second European river cruise because of an excellent experience on a previous Rhine River cruise. We were not disappointed. Everything with Ama is first-class - staterooms, ship facilities, excursions, dining logistics...but most of all the PEOPLE. Am a employs a team of professionals dedicated to ensuring your complete satisfaction with every facet of your cruise. Boarding in Passau was efficient and our stateroom was ready for us as promised. We were greeted with a complimentary bottle of champagne to celebrate our anniversary. At the welcome reception we were introduced to key members of the staff who each promised a memorable cruise experience. Meals onboard were prepared using fresh, local ingredients. The menu was selected to match the cuisine of the country or region being visited. Wine with meals was also locally selected and was always complimentary. The desserts were masterpieces! The daily excursions were varied and informative. Excursions were always offered based on the ability level of the guests ("Active Walkers", "Normal Pacing" and "Gentle Walkers"). Bicycle tours were available as well, several of which were pleasantly challenging. Local guides were always knowledgable, friendly and accommodating. Logistically, Ama does it right. Disembarkation was expertly coordinated to match the varied schedules of 135+ guests. In our case, a cab was waiting at the appointed time to take us to our hotel in Budapest and our luggage was delivered from our stateroom directly to the cab. Other guests were provided with airport transfers as needed with timing coordinated to match flight times. Our Cruise Manager, Reka Piros, was the star of an excellent, professional staff. Reka always seemed to be there when needed, providing help, advice, or just a smile to let guests know they were valued and appreciated. We asked her help in choosing restaurants for our post-cruise stay in Budapest and she gladly provided excellent recommendations. Consider yourself very fortunate if you find yourself on one of Reka's cruises! Overall, this cruise rates 5+ stars. We are already planning our 3rd Ama cruise! Read Less

The crew was excellent in every way. They couldn’t have been nicer or more friendly. The ship was clean and kept beautifully the entire trip. We saw crew cleaning every inch along the way. The “sip and sail” activity every evening encouraged passengers to meet and get to know each other in a welcoming environment. We had a large group from St Louis and enjoyed meeting other passengers with varied and entertaining backgrounds. Every activity was well planned and all details handled so all we had to do was enjoy the fun. Guides were excellent and knowledgeable. All tickets along the way were covered. We couldn’t be happier. Our favorite moments were the Mozart Strauss concert in Vienna, the bike ride in Durnnstein, seeing “The KISS” at the Belvedere museum in Vienna, our excursions to Salzburg and Cesky Krumlov, and hike to the Passau castle. My sons are half Bohemian so I am happy to bring them news of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, a sister country. Read Less

We have never been on a cruise of any kind and chose AMA based on the recommendation of a friend/travel agent. We were looking for a ship with a small number of passengers and a solid reputation. AMA is apparently known for the food onboard and bundled activities - both did not disappoint. The staff on board were all fantastic and well trained in customer service. Extra effort was made by all to make sure that our needs were met. Here are my pros & cons: PROS: - food - public shared areas - french balcony - beautiful concept - high service level of the staff - choice of bundled shore excursions (including a choice of pace) - bikes on board CONS: - some of the shore excursions necessarily were quick overviews with limited flex to be able to see more. We're used to traveling on our own and having more time. This isn't an AMA Waterways problem but something we learned about cruising - we like the port itinerary for most part including stops in areas we wouldn't otherwise see. With that said, 2 days in Vienna vs. 1 would make sense. I'd add another night to make this happen. Read Less

As newcomers to river cruising we were a little apprehensive before our trip but now cannot imagine that any other company could beat Amawaterways for the standard of our holiday. The ship was beautiful, the crew attentive and welcoming and the cruise manager an absolute delight. The trip went smoothly right from the chauffeur driven transfer to the airport and the welcome at the other end to the excellent care shown to us on board (little touches such as supplying gloves for us on a particularly wet bike trip were much appreciated). Everything was of a high standard and the programme of excursions was varied and well organised.The cabin was very well appointed and had the benefit of both a full balcony and a French style one so was very light. We were on the Cello deck as the Violin one was fully booked but we couldn't see any disadvantage in that. We will definitely go on another river cruise and would choose Amawaterways again and would recommend others to use them also. Read Less

My husband and I, along with my brother in law and his wife, boarded the Sonata for a cruise to Budapest. We loved the entire adventure. The staff on the ship was wonderful and couldn't do enough for us. The food was excellent, with lots of choices. The tours we took were excellent. Knowlegible guides with a wonderful sense of humor made our daily tours so worth the time. In each port we were gifted with local groups who performed for us in the evening. They too were excellent. There was a pianist each evening to sing and dance. We met people of all ages, although most were over fifty. We were on the wine cruise and visited two amazing vineyards and had a resident vintner from California that gave wine education classes and tastings. The trip into Budapest was wonderful. We came in during the day and our tour director provided a narrated tour as we sailed in. She was from Budapest and was extremely well versed in the history and culture. That evening after dinner we then sailed again to see Budapest at night. It was stunning. We chose to stay three extra nights after the tour ended and I would highly recommend doing that. We are looking forward to our next AMA Waterways cruise. Read Less

This was our first river cruise after many ocean cruises so some of our views may be influenced by this. We travelled independently to Prague but purchased the AMA transfer from Prague to the boat in Vilshofen. The transfer left the Hilton Old Town at 8 am stopping for a a lunch break and guided walk in Regensberg. The boat was lovely and immaculate. Our balcony cabin on deck 2 was very comfortable with just enough space. The bed was very comfortable and bathroom was one of the best we have seen on a ship. All staff were friendly and very efficient. Kata, the Cruise Director, worked very hard and was informative and helpful although we struggled to understand the tips we were meant to give her which would have given her over £2500 for 7 days. Food was very good and the Chefs table excellent. The timing and seating worked Ok. The ports and places visited were all very interesting. Tour choices were good as were tour guides. We ( and others) had problems with the quiet box communication system and had to change ours 3 times. A number of entertainers joined the boat and all were excellent. We had a balcony cabin but with hindsight wonder if this was worth the money as we only went on it twice. The weather was not over good but when we wanted to use it in port we were berthed next to other boats so couldn't use it. The other issue we had was that due to the poor weather the only place to go in the evening was the lounge. Unfortunately we were travelling with a large group of people from an American Golf club who were very inconsiderate of other passengers. One evening they were singing inappropriate and offensive rugby songs and only stopped when a passenger intervened. On other evenings one of the group took over the microphone and sang karaoke. On a bigger ship we would have a choice of venue but on this boat the only other option was the cabin. I don't think the crew were equipped to deal with this sort of behaviour. The other issue for us was the total lack of visible security. People were passing through our ship to get to theirs and vice versa. There was no checking of bags or of anything brought onto the boat. As we disembarked by pre- booked taxi we saw a pile of unattended luggage up on the road and piled next to our taxi. It would have been easy for anyone so inclined to help themselves to a couple of bags. Read Less

My husband and I celebrated our 40th anniversary with AmaWaterways' Romantic Danube cruise. This was our first cruise of any kind. Therefore, although we have nothing to compare it to, we can't imagine a river cruise line that could be superior. Many of our fellow passengers who were seasoned river cruisers agreed. Our ship, the AmaPrima, was named "Best River Cruise Ship 2013". It has 3 decks of rooms and carries about 160 pasengers. There is a spacious and comfortable lounge area (and like the entire ship, impeccably clean -- we'd see crew on deck early in the morning, cleaning and polishing every square inch, every day), with plenty of seats, tables, an attractive bar area, and and 24-hour self-serve coffee and tea area with a wide selection of teas, milks, sugars, dark hot chocolate (not too sweet), and an espresso machine that produced everything from a cup of coffee to a cappuccino with milk foam. This area, by the way, was also always in order and perfectly clean, as if we were the first of the day to use it. On the lowest deck, there is a large dining room with an assortment of table sizes and booths for 4 or 6. There is open seating, so you can seat wherever and with whomever you wish, for any meal, and there is always plenty of room. There was one seating per meal, and they recommended that you arrive within 20 minutes of the beginning of a meal to have plenty of time to relax and enjoy it. There is an attractive buffet with a wide selection of choices at breakfast and lunch, as well as a menu from which you can order. At breakfast, there is a chef present who will make an omelette or eggs any style you wish. The dinner menu always has 2-3 choices for the appetizer, salad, entree, and dessert, plus other main courses (such as a main dish salad or quiche) that you can order. The quality of the food, as well as its presentation, exceeded our expectations. Every night, we had a choice of fine wines (included) and the servers were most generous with it! At the back of the ship between the middle and top deck is a smaller restaurant, The Chef's Table, that seats about 24. You have an opportunity to dine there on one night of the cruise (you make a reservation when you embark), perhaps to celebrate a special occasion. This meal has multiple courses served by attentive staff in tuxedos -- and you can observe the chef preparing the meal in a glass-walled kitchen adjacent to the dining room. We were pampered by all of the AmaPrima staff, in the nicest way possible, for the entire week -- but the staff to guest ratio in The Chef's Table was even greater. We were in cabin 208, an AA (the roomiest) cabin (other than the suites), on the middle deck of three that had cabins. We had plenty of room, thanks to all of the clever storage features and both an inside and outside seating area. Our luggage was out of sight under the bed. The bed and pillows were extremely comfortable. It came made up with a duvet, but the housekeeper will change that to sheets and a blanket if you prefer. I think a slightly smaller cabin would be fine too, and that cabins on the top and middle decks are equally good. I'd also like to add that the decor was classy but simple and tasteful; I nixed a couple of cruise lines while I was perusing different ones online because of the fussy, overly feminine decor. I think what sets AmaWaterways apart, other than their ships, is their staff. Our captain was German, our outstanding cruise manager Frederico was Croatian, and the rest of the staff largely hailed from Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. Without exception they were very friendly, thoughtful, cheerful, polite, and accommodating. I've heard that it's tough to get a job with AmaWaterways, and they certainly have a first-rate staff. Frederico (the cruise manager), was extremely knowledgeable, organized, present, and had a pleasant voice -- very important, especially when you're listening to him speaking into a microphone in the lounge or over the PA system as he gives a commentary while we're cruising. Our housekeeper, Andreea, was a prize; she would whisk in while we were at breakfast to clean our room, and again while we were at dinner to spruce it up again. Three times, we found our towels arranged origami-style into different animals: two swans for our anniversary, a dog, and the biggest surprise -- a monkey swinging from our ceiling! A fun surprise when we would return to our room. We tended to sit in the same area of the dining room, so we often had Christina as our server; if you happen to have her, you'll find she's not only efficient, hardworking, and attentive but exceptionally thoughtful and friendly. At different ports, there were choices of activities (including biking) both during the day and sometimes in the evening. Our four highlights were visiting Cesky Krumlov (with our outstanding guide Veronika), touring Melk Abbey, biking from Melk to Durnstein (though note: while rated by AMA as a "5" in difficulty, if you are fit, it's more like a "2") along the Danube and through the vineyards, and the evening concert at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna. The orchestra and singers were not only first rate, but engaged with the audience and displayed a delightful sense of humor. AMA clearly tries to offer a wide variety of activities to suit everyone, from a "gentle walkers" group to biking, and from introductory city tours to behind-the-scenes hidden walks and wine and sacher-torte tasting. The only activities that had a surcharge were the evening concert in Vienna and the tour of Schonbrunn Palace near Vienna. Every evening, there was a gentleman playing the keyboard and singing in the lounge; some evenings, there was special entertainment brought on the ship: two opera singers, two violinists & a guitarist, and Hungarian dancers. All were excellent! In summary, if you're looking for a river cruise, we can recommend AmaWaterways highly. If you want to cruise the Danube, I think any of their Danube cruises would be equally good -- but I'm glad we cruised east ending in Budapest, because on our last night, the captain sailed the Budapest harbor so we could enjoy the illuminated bridges and buildings. Read Less