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Aboard AMACello now (Rhine 4/12-19)


MarkBearSF

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We boarded AMACello in Amsterdam yesterday afternoon for a Rhine cruise to Basel.

 

If you have any questions, I'll try to answer them.

 

Some notes:

- Yes, you can board starting at noon. They will take your bags to the cabin and you will wait in the lounge (there are snacks available). Don't try to check in. That happens at 3:00 (very efficient).

 

- Before the cruise, we stayed at a "perfect" hotel for this trip (for us) - Mauro Mansion. It's #1` on TripAdvisor for good reason. It's in a 17th century a canal house practically across the street from the port. (It's on the Geldersekade canal - which becomes the street that goes beneath the train tracks to the port.) The rooms are nice (super high ceilings, antique wood paneling and a (non-working) fireplace in our room. The hosts are extremely helpful and eager to please. A couple of kinks (pun intended) - the hotel had previously been a kink/leather hotel called The Black Tulip. Evidence of the past can be seen in some of the rooms. In our room. there was a steel ladder leading to a space above the bathroom with jail bars. The other catch is that they require 3 days minimum for a stay (and given its popularity, reservations fill up fast)

 

Any questions?

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We were on A'Cello in November and had a wonderful cruise. We got to Amsterdam at 9:15AM after an overnight flight from BOS and were able to board at that time and head to the lounge for snacks and much needed sleep. By noon we were ready to go out to explore the city.

 

No problem with taking wine or liquor aboard. Even though our trip was a "wine appreciation" cruise, some pax purchased local wines to have with dinner. I found the complimentary wine parings offered each night more than I could handle.

 

Darcy

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We boarded AMACello in Amsterdam yesterday afternoon for a Rhine cruise to Basel.

 

If you have any questions, I'll try to answer them.

 

Some notes:

- Yes, you can board starting at noon. They will take your bags to the cabin and you will wait in the lounge (there are snacks available). Don't try to check in. That happens at 3:00 (very efficient).

 

Any questions?

 

Hi Mark,

 

It was great to see your post this morning! I was wondering about you just today (insertTwilight Zone music here :D). I remember chatting with you right after you booked the trip and I discovered you were leaving before my dh and myself. We'll be on the April 26th cruise and are beyond excited at this point.

 

It would be great to hear about your opinions on the excursions and anything else you'd like to share.

 

How are the temperatures/weather right now? I know they've had a late spring as we've had in the US.

 

Have a wonderful time!

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It would be great to hear about your opinions on the excursions and anything else you'd like to share.

 

How are the temperatures/weather right now? I know they've had a late spring as we've had in the US.

 

Have a wonderful time!

 

in AMS, the default was a canal & bus tour which I heard good things about. The alternatives (we've been to AMS before) were a genever (Dutch gin) tasting and a walking tour of the Jordaan. It was rainy yesterday, so we chose GIN! It was okay, but if you're unfamiliar with the city I'd take the canal tour.

 

It was cold and rainy on Friday (boarding) but overcast and cool today (40s-50s) Yes, the unseasonably cold spring has also affected Kukenhof - the flowers are about 2 weeks behind normal.

 

Mark

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in AMS, the default was a canal & bus tour which I heard good things about. The alternatives (we've been to AMS before) were a genever (Dutch gin) tasting and a walking tour of the Jordaan. It was rainy yesterday, so we chose GIN! It was okay, but if you're unfamiliar with the city I'd take the canal tour.

 

It was cold and rainy on Friday (boarding) but overcast and cool today (40s-50s) Yes, the unseasonably cold spring has also affected Kukenhof - the flowers are about 2 weeks behind normal.

 

Mark

 

Hi Mark,

 

We are familiar with AMS and think we'll be taking an evening canal ride the night before we board so have already chosen the tour of Jordaan...... hopefully it won't be raining.

 

I hope the weather improves as you go along.......at least no rain. Sending good vibes for you.

 

Would love to hear your thoughts at you have time along the rest of the cruise.

 

Enjoy!

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There were 3 offerings today in Cologne: The basic walking tour (which we took - and as is usual for AMA, it was available in regular, slow, fast walking speeds with a late riser option) Alternates were tours of the 4711 perfume factory and a beer and potato cake tasting.

 

The tour was good and our guide, Markus, was excellent. However, the timing of this call was problematic in that: it was Sunday, so almost nothing was open (this is Germany), and we had only 3 hours. We really would have appreciated more time in this, the largest city of our port calls.

 

Today was the first day we used the "Quiet Vox" system. It was excellent, however my husband's set ran out of power. I think our charger isn't working, but we're going to stop by the Cruise Manager's desk later this afternoon and troubleshoot or replace it.

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We just got off this ship as you were getting on, 4/5-4/12. Had a wonderful time but definitely had some suggestions on our survey. One of them was the timing in Cologne. I, too, did not think we had enough time in this wonderful city. We did the beer tasting and we loved it. So glad they have added the Culinary Delights tours and wish they would add more of them. We spent an overnight in Koblenz and in Amsterdam and neither night was there any excursion offered to go in to the towns at night. I thought this would have been a nice alternative to offer. I think it would a great idea to do small groups that are interested in getting a taste of what life might be like in the towns at night, maybe a small group dinner or pub outing. I wanted to try this but felt unsure as to where to go and uncomfortable trying this alone as we were two women travelling alone!

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There were 3 offerings today in Cologne: The basic walking tour (which we took - and as is usual for AMA, it was available in regular, slow, fast walking speeds with a late riser option) Alternates were tours of the 4711 perfume factory and a beer and potato cake tasting.

 

The tour was good and our guide, Markus, was excellent. However, the timing of this call was problematic in that: it was Sunday, so almost nothing was open (this is Germany), and we had only 3 hours. We really would have appreciated more time in this, the largest city of our port calls.

 

Thanks for for the heads up on the length of time spent at this port - knowing ahead will help our mindset. I had wondered about the Sunday stop.......not much you can do I suppose.

 

Would you mind sharing what group you're in for the tours? I am thinking we'd choose the fast walking group, but not sure.

 

How are you liking the meals and how you get your seats in the dining room? Specifically is there a waiting line to get in when it is time to eat and are you just shown to a table, or can you ask for a particular one?

 

I hope the weather has improved and good luck with the headset issue.

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Thanks for for the heads up on the length of time spent at this port - knowing ahead will help our mindset. I had wondered about the Sunday stop.......not much you can do I suppose.

 

Would you mind sharing what group you're in for the tours? I am thinking we'd choose the fast walking group, but not sure.

 

How are you liking the meals and how you get your seats in the dining room? Specifically is there a waiting line to get in when it is time to eat and are you just shown to a table, or can you ask for a particular one?

 

I hope the weather has improved and good luck with the headset issue.

 

We went on the standard pace group I'm generally a fast walker and my husband is slow (Friends joke that when seeing us in the neighborhood, They see me first and then a few seconds later, Steve) It was a good compromise and worked well.

 

The food is good. Some items are unfamiliar (no complaints from us about that) - For instance for lunch an hour ago, the desserts were ice cream and "cheese curd dumplings" which were like cheesecake balls - yum!

 

Seating at meals has gone well. Everybody shows up at the start of dining times, or thereabouts, but there are minimal lines (it's a small ship) Thus far we've even been able to find a deuce open. (I think there are about 12 tables for 2)

 

...and yes, the weather is better (warmer and overcast but no rain) and Christian quickly replaced our charger so we'll be ready for this evening's tour.

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We just got off this ship as you were getting on, 4/5-4/12. Had a wonderful time but definitely had some suggestions on our survey. One of them was the timing in Cologne. I, too, did not think we had enough time in this wonderful city. We did the beer tasting and we loved it. So glad they have added the Culinary Delights tours and wish they would add more of them. We spent an overnight in Koblenz and in Amsterdam and neither night was there any excursion offered to go in to the towns at night. I thought this would have been a nice alternative to offer. I think it would a great idea to do small groups that are interested in getting a taste of what life might be like in the towns at night, maybe a small group dinner or pub outing. I wanted to try this but felt unsure as to where to go and uncomfortable trying this alone as we were two women travelling alone!

 

Both good suggestions! (Especially Amsterdam at night. In our case, we've spent over a week in the city on a couple of trips, so we weren't motivated and the rain kept most of our shipmates aboard)

 

If you have any suggestions for us, please chime in!

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Reading the various posts, we were expecting a very old demographic aboard. I don't know if its a factor of our own advancing age (the cut-off for "old" seems to advance every year) or because of the lines we prefer (HAL, Crystal, Cunard), but it's not that different than most of our ocean cruises. I'd estimate the breakdown to be roughly:

5% 40s

40% 50s

45% 60s

10% 70+

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The food is good. Some items are unfamiliar (no complaints from us about that) - For instance for lunch an hour ago, the desserts were ice cream and "cheese curd dumplings" which were like cheesecake balls - yum!

 

My mouth started watering just reading that description.........yum, indeed.

 

Are you/did you take the evening walk in Koblenz?

 

Do you know if anyone has taken one of the bike tours? I haven't wanted to sign up for that because I am not sure of my own stamina......but would consider taking a bikes to just ride around on our own.

 

Thanks so much for being "live" with us!

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Our cabin is very well designed. Not huge but not an inch wasted. (It's still bigger than the standards on the new Viking longships, I believe)

 

Some suggestions:

- There is a large drawer/rolling box beneath the bed (perhaps not immediately obvious)

- The "desk" only is about 10" deep and when you arrive is totally covered by: the equipment for the internet & entertainment, the charging station for the sound devices, a phone, the inevitable stepped organizer for postcards, daily programs, etc, as well as an ice bucket, glasses and bud vase. I was able to clear enough space for my laptop by moving the audio charging station to a plug beneath a nightstand and to rotate the organizer to be next to the window.

- If your eyesight isn't the best, you may want to wear your glasses to the bathroom the first time you take a shower so you can study the controls of the high-tech, 3-headed shower. (It's not that complicated, but if I stepped in without advance investigation, I know I'd be frustrated)

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When we did this cruise in November, Nick, our CD took us on an evening walk in Koblenz. He was from Amsterdam and knew the history of the towns along the Rhine. We saw the section of the Berlin wall, monuments, castle, and then we wandered the town. Some pax walked back to the ship, while those of us who were ready for a little more fun, joined Nick for bar hopping, returning to the boat very late.

 

In Amsterdam the morning canal trip was a let down for us as we had done an evening one with a group from CC a few years ago. Lots of wine and cheese on the evening trip.

 

I have to admit, I'm a little fussy about food, but had no complaints about the offerings on A'Cello.

 

In Strasbourg we took a bus to the canal area and had an informative trip along the canals. We decided to remain in the city to see the cathedral, do a little shopping and sample the local foods and beverages.

 

Loved the walking tour of Colmar - a trip back in time. From there we went to Freiberg, a very old, 12th C, town.

 

Don't forget to use the free AMA post cards in the library - they will mail them back to the US free!

 

Great trip, I want to return for a longer cruise.

 

Darcy

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Mark, do you have a designated group and tour director that you have to stick with or do you just get in any group you want when touring? On Viking trips each person picked a number and that was your tour group; worked very well. On Grand Circle we stayed with "our" tour director the whole cruise.

 

We cruised with AMA to Portugal but I don't remember the specifics for the tours.

 

Sharon

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Reading the various posts, we were expecting a very old demographic aboard. I don't know if its a factor of our own advancing age (the cut-off for "old" seems to advance every year) or because of the lines we prefer (HAL, Crystal, Cunard), but it's not that different than most of our ocean cruises. I'd estimate the breakdown to be roughly:

5% 40s

40% 50s

45% 60s

10% 70+

 

I totally agree with you and on all three of my river cruises I have found that the majority of the passengers are in their 50's and 60's. Your percentages seem spot on!

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Both good suggestions! (Especially Amsterdam at night. In our case, we've spent over a week in the city on a couple of trips, so we weren't motivated and the rain kept most of our shipmates aboard)

 

If you have any suggestions for us, please chime in!

 

We, too, had rain the night we were in Amsterdam which definitely kept most people in, but it surprised me that nothing was offered. When I did the Tulip Time cruise with Avalon, they at least offered a Red Light District tour. I know some are offended by that whole scene but it or something else should be offered in any city/town you are in at night. Another cc member posted about an evening in Koblez, that sounds wonderful and I wish something like that was offered. Even if there was a sign up sheet for those passengers who would be interested in trying something like that with or without a guide/cruise manager would be a great idea, that ways no one feels like they are alone.

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Thanks for for the heads up on the length of time spent at this port - knowing ahead will help our mindset. I had wondered about the Sunday stop.......not much you can do I suppose.

 

Would you mind sharing what group you're in for the tours? I am thinking we'd choose the fast walking group, but not sure.

 

How are you liking the meals and how you get your seats in the dining room? Specifically is there a waiting line to get in when it is time to eat and are you just shown to a table, or can you ask for a particular one?

 

I hope the weather has improved and good luck with the headset issue.

 

The different groups for the walking tours is a great idea, but its up to the individual to decide what group they think they are in. For example, we always chose the "active walkers" group, however, there were often people in that group that should not have been in that group that held others up. In most cases, there was only 1 person in the "gentle walkers" group which meant that they ended up with a private tour guide!! So you might want to look around before you decide what group you want to be in...regardless of the description of the group!!

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My mouth started watering just reading that description.........yum, indeed.

 

Are you/did you take the evening walk in Koblenz?

 

Do you know if anyone has taken one of the bike tours? I haven't wanted to sign up for that because I am not sure of my own stamina......but would consider taking a bikes to just ride around on our own.

 

Thanks so much for being "live" with us!

 

On last week's cruise, 4/5-4/13/2013, the "evening" walk in Koblez was an afternoon walk before dinner and it felt rushed as we had to be back in time for dinner. Also, last week there were no scheduled bikes tours as were described in the brochure. When I inquired about this, I was told that they generally do not do the bike tours this early in the season because there usually is no interest as the weather is quite cold. We took bikes out in Strasbourg as it was a beautiful day and there is a very nice bike path right along the river!! We saw many of our fellow passengers do the same thing that day!

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We were so excited to see your post as we packing to leave for our trip aboard the AmaCello leaving April 19th from Basel. Adds to our anticipation to hear of the food, rooms and sights! One question we have is about the laundry. We would like to bring less and have some clothes laundered (not dry cleaned) on the boat. Can you pass along the fees for laundering? I know on some ocean cruises it is x amount for a bag which is a great deal. But $5 per undie might not be worth it! I have not been able to find this info on the boards. Thanks and keep posting your wonderful travelogues!

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Got back from the Koblenz night tour and it reinforced my opinion that we needed more time in Cologne and these stops shouldn't be done on a Sunday.

 

The good news is that the weather was beautiful (perhaps the best day of 2013 thus far here). The village has its certain charms, but it was very disappointing tour. On Sunday night nothing was going on - no shops and perhaps one bar open. Our guide was also a disappointment. Perhaps it may not be fair to her, but earlier in the day, in Cologne, we had one of the best guides we've had in 25 cruises. Markus was animated, impish, knowledgeable and a joy to listen to. In Koblenz, our guide was a Teutonic schoolmarm with the sense of humor that you stereotypically expect from a German (that is, none at all).

 

Perhaps the most common phrase we heard was "it's too dark to see now, but if you come back you can see..." I don't think anyone stayed out tonight, even though the ship is docked all night right next to the old town and the weather was great.

 

I may be cranky because my allergies really flared up today (darn linden trees!) but this experience was eminently skippable.

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To answer the question on laundry pricing. Prices are reasonable. It doesn't appear that this is a profit center for them - but, this IS Europe, so it's not really cheap, either. We sent a bag down Sat night (pickup with evening turn down) and it was returned mid day Sunday.

 

There are prices for wash & fold, wash and press, or press only. No dry cleaning.

Here are some sample prices (in Euros)

 

Men's shirt or woman's blouse - 1.80 wash only, 3.00 wash & iron

Jeans - 2.00 wash only

Underwear, t-shirt, pair socks - 1.20 wash only

 

I haven't seen, and don't expect, any "discount price for a bag-o-laundry" deals.

 

Similarly, the prices at the bar are very reasonable. And given the fact that the pour is closer to US standards and not measured by those nozzles, they may be cheaper than landside. I don't have a menu handy, but I recall scotch ranged from 5.50 to 6.50 Euro.

 

Mark

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Got back from the Koblenz night tour and it reinforced my opinion that we needed more time in Cologne and these stops shouldn't be done on a Sunday.

 

The good news is that the weather was beautiful (perhaps the best day of 2013 thus far here). The village has its certain charms, but it was very disappointing tour. On Sunday night nothing was going on - no shops and perhaps one bar open. Our guide was also a disappointment. Perhaps it may not be fair to her, but earlier in the day, in Cologne, we had one of the best guides we've had in 25 cruises. Markus was animated, impish, knowledgeable and a joy to listen to. In Koblenz, our guide was a Teutonic schoolmarm with the sense of humor that you stereotypically expect from a German (that is, none at all).

 

Perhaps the most common phrase we heard was "it's too dark to see now, but if you come back you can see..." I don't think anyone stayed out tonight, even though the ship is docked all night right next to the old town and the weather was great.

 

I may be cranky because my allergies really flared up today (darn linden trees!) but this experience was eminently skippable.

 

So was your tour before or after dinner? That may be the difference in that we left from Basel going north. Did you have clear weather for the castles? We had a cold and rainy day where most people stayed in the lounge to see them!

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Thanks Mark, that is exactly the info we needed! Looking forward to hearing more! BTW, are the wonderful sounding bike tours being offered on your cruise? Peacemkr59 said that on her cruise last week they were not available. We went online and signed up for two, so just curious what is happening this week. Thanks again and hoping for great weather (and tour guides) for the rest of your trip!

 

Leslie

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