AMA Blue Danube Discovery detailed itinerary?

Hello! Does anyone have a detailed itinerary they can share with me from AMA's Blue Danube Discovery trip? I will be starting in Budapest and ending in Prague.

The AMA "detailed" itinerary I have so far doesn't include times or tour lengths or which sights will just be drive-by's. I'd also like to know the order of the sightseeing so I know where the tour will end and can plan my free time sightseeing accordingly -- especially for the land portions in Budapest and Prague.

I would also appreciate advice about:

-- Should I just do the day in Vienna on my own so I can see more?

-- Will I regret skipping Salzburg so I can do the scenic cruising in the Wachau Valley? (I enjoy taking landscape photos)

Thanks!

One of the reasons the cruise lines don't publish exact times for various events is because they sometimes vary from cruise to cruise. Depending on water levels, weather conditions, lock wait times, etc. each cruise may and does have different times for things.

While I am sure they have an exact schedule that they would like to adhere to, often they are changes due to the reasons stated above.

Now having said that, I am sure that someone can give you info about the times that events occurred on their cruise, but that may or may not be the exact experience you will have on your cruise.

Also, sometimes the ship's land tours vary too based on which particular tour guide is working your tour - not just the times but also what you see in a particular place. Have contingency plans in place in case things don't go exactly as you thought they would - that way you will be assured of using your limited time in each place efficiently.

I know it all sounds a little loosey goosey, but the one thing I learned from my (one and only) river cruise is that you need to "go with the flow" and it will all fall into place.

We were on AMA Lyra in May, Prague to Budapest. I think the times of tours will depend on what time you dock in each city, which may not be precise because of river levels, river traffic, etc. There were a few cities that I wish we'd had a little extra self-touring time.

After much thought, I opted out of the Salzburg trip, which was a very hard decision, because I love everything "Sound of Music." But, (1) I wanted to see the largest pipe organ in the world at St. Stephen's in Passau, and (2) I wanted to cruise the Wachau Valley, because, like you, I love my photos! I don't really regret not going to Salzburg. I really enjoyed the afternoon of lazily cruising down the Danube with a glass of wine.

Thank you, Cary Cruiser, for your response. I certainly appreciate that things may not go as planned. Just trying to manage my expectations. And thanks for the reminder to just go with the flow. It will be a vacation, after all.

And thank you, jojocmcla, for reassuring me about skipping Salzburg. A leisurely afternoon with my camera and a glass of wine sounds perfect to me. Can't wait!

Hoyas96 - our Viking cruise started in Prague and ended in Budapest.

Let me give you an example of how you need to be flexible.

Before our trip I scoped out things I wanted to see in Prague (and other places as well). One of the things I wanted to tour was the Jewish Quarter which I had planned to see on our third, and last full day in Prague.

On our second day there, we had the included Viking Prague tour which was wonderful and concluded at about 1pm right in the Jewish Quarter.

So guess what... that is when we took our tour of it. Made sense since we were already there. So what I had planned to do on that afternoon we wound up doing the following day.

Have an idea of what you want to see, stay flexible, and fit it all in as it makes sense. Hope this is helpful.

Yes, thank you, Cary Cruiser, Definitely helpful. I will make sure to familiarize myself with where my must-see sights are located in town, so I can come up with a plan on the fly.

My advice is to not miss cruising the Wachau Valley -- this was our favorite part of our Vienna - Amsterdam cruise and that's saying quite a bit!

We are doers rather than observers so would choose the time in Salzburg versus watching scenery go by.

We have done that itinerary several times and for us, Salzburg is a must and a DIY trip. I went to college there and have loved the city forever. DH loves it as much as I do.

We especially enjoy it in winter and for the markets.

As for a detailed itinerary, I agree (7 river cruises and counting) that the best idea is to go with the flow. You can get a good idea of the general schedule from their website but many things can affect the reality.

I have been on two river cruises in the past year on AMA and loved them. I was not on this route, but have visited Salzburg and would go again. I took one of the Sound of Music tours and loved it. There is also a wonderful shopping street with little bars selling fruit flavored Schnapps that really pack a punch. The shops have picture signs to explain what they sell - shoes, for example from when many could not read.

We are doers rather than observers...

Based on a description of the Rat Pack theme in its suites, you might enjoy a cruise on the Vantage Navigator. "DO-be-DO-be-DO" :D:D:D

Based on a description of the Rat Pack theme in its suites, you might enjoy a cruise on the Vantage Navigator. "DO-be-DO-be-DO" :D:D:D

LOL, but no thanks. :) I have been aboard Vantage boats in port. I will be sticking with AMA.

We just returned from the AmaWaterways Blue Danube cruise. It was excellent! But there were situations beyond our control as to scheduling. First, we had to leave Budapest early because a lock was being closed down for repairs the next morning and we had to go through it before the shutdown. (The boats that didn't leave early were stuck several days in Budapest and became "floating hotels" for day trips by bus.). Then, we had to skip Melk Abbey to speed upriver to get under a low bridge (caused by high rising waters due to rain in Germany). We cleared the bridge by 5 centimeters!

That said, the walking tours were all great with some free time afterwards. We had not planned to do Salzburg, but it was several hours in a bus going and returning and, due to the race upriver, it was cancelled. My suggestion...do Salzburg on another trip. We saw it, included, last summer on a great Trafalgar bus tour of Austria and Switzerland. The Wachau Valley was beautiful.

Our favorite port was Durnstein...very photogenic.

Are you doing the AMA transfer to Prague? The lunch, free time stop in Karlovy Vary was spectacular!

We did Budapest and Prague on our own. The HOHO bus will take you all over Budapest and Prague can be walked.

I will be more than happy to answer any more of your questions.