aldukenew

How were you dressed for your cruise? capris? jeans? sweater? jacket?

 

Did you have a balcony room? Did you use it?

 

Can you tell me more about the ship...food? entertainment? pool?

 

So glad you enjoyed your river cruise. Enjoyed your review and appreciate you taking the time to write it.

For the first few days, we wore long pants and a light jacket, as it was cool in Prague. After that, we graduated to capris and finally to shorts, as it was in the 80s in Budapest.

We had a French balcony room, not a twin balcony. Those who did said they sat out there a couple of times. We opened our sliding doors occasionally, but we were rarely in our cabin, as we were so very busy on tours and up on the sun deck. We rafted next to another ship twice and went through many locks, so a balcony could not be used then.

The ship is beautiful. I only saw one person in the pool. It was hot tub temperature - very warm. We did wade a little on the last day. We sat up on the sun deck a lot and the waiters were very good about bringing drinks up. The lounge was the only other place to go, other than the cabin, while on board. We did not attend most of the evening entertainment, as dinner wasn't over until 9:00 or so and we were bushed. We watched a little of the Hungarian folk dancers and musicians, but left after a little while. You can't really talk to people during the performances. The Captain's Table restaurant was good, I thought. You make reservations for one night during the cruise. Overall, I thought the food was very good. Some people said they thought it was just good. I had no complaints and there was plenty of it! Free flowing beer and wine at lunch and dinner. Lots of it, too! There is a hair salon and masseuse on board, but we did not use either. Also, a very small fitness center, which we did not use either :-).

I hope this helps. I welcome any other questions you might have.

Allyson

AmaSonata Romantic Danube, September 6 – 16, 2015

We just returned from our glorious trip from Prague to Budapest on the AmaSonata. It was the trip of a lifetime.

We participated in the pre-cruise 3-day stay in Prague. An AmaWaterways representative met us at the airport and drove us the Hilton Old Town. The hotel is in a great location – a few minutes’ walk to the Old Town Square and was very comfortable. They had a nice breakfast buffet (included) and the staff was very helpful.

Days 1-3: After a short orientation presentation by our Cruise Manager, Veronika (cute as a button and fantastic!), she took us on an hour-or-so-long walking tour of the area near the hotel, pointing out ATMs, grocery store, pharmacy, restaurants, shopping mall, etc.

The next morning, we were divided into 3 groups for a city tour on a bus, then a walking tour starting at the Prague Castle complex and ending at the Old Town Square, where there were musicians, performers, restaurants and lots of things going on. We then had the rest of the afternoon on our own. In the evening, there was an optional excursion to a restaurant, where we were entertained by Czech musicians and dancers. It was very touristy, but a lot of fun. The food was delicious and we all participated in the revelry.

The next day, there were a few optional excursions: the concentration camp at Terezin (we chose this and thoroughly “enjoyed” it) or the Lobkowicz Palace. Otherwise, this day was on your own to explore the city.

Day 4: The next morning, we boarded our buses on our way to Vilshofen to meet the ship, stopping on the way at Regensburg, a beautiful, beautiful town, where we participated in a walking tour. The famous Sausage Kitchen was very crowded, so we followed our guide’s advice to go to a stand in one of the squares where the locals eat – yummy sausage sandwiches! They make a great mustard there in Regensburg. We then headed to Vilshofen, where we board the beautiful AmaSonata. We were greeted by the staff at the door and, after a short wait in the lounge, we were taken to our cabin and shown all of the amenities. The crew member (waiter Kolja) even connected our mobile devices and ipads to the complimentary wifi. There was then an Oktoberfest celebration in a tent just outside the ship – bear and pretzels – meh. There was a mandatory safety briefing by Captain Christian and then a nice dinner in the dining room.

Day 5 - Vilshofen/Passau: This morning we had some time to walk around Vilshofen on our own before cruising to Passau, a lovely Bavarian town located where 3 rivers converge – the Danube, Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north. Our guide, Martina, was excellent. In every port, there were 3 walking tour levels: easy, regular, and active. There were also bike tours offered in many of the ports, but we did not participate in any of those. After the walking tour, we wandered around and settled at a little café near the ship for a couple of beers and a pretzel.

Day 6 - Linz, Austria

After our walking tours, there was a choice of three different excursions - is a visit to the Austrian Lake District, excursion to the Czech town of Cesky Krumlov, a wonderfully preserved medieval town nestled in the hills just over the Austrian-Czech border (we chose this one and were not disappointed – a lovely place) or an excursion to Salzburg.

Day 7 – Melk/Krem/Durnstein

We cruised to Melk this morning and the weather was beautiful, so we relaxed on the sun deck to enjoy the beautiful scenery. In Melk, we toured the gorgeous Melk Abbey – spectacular. We then chose to walk back down the hill through the lovely town (stopped for a cappuccino) back to the ship. We then cruised through the beautiful, I mean beautiful, Wachau Valley to Krems. There are many, many vineyards and apricot orchards on the way. We chose to stay on the ship in Krems for a nap on the sun deck, while others took the bus to Durnstein. In the evening, we attended a very interesting tour/wine tasting at a vineyard.

Day 8 – Vienna

After a city tour on the bus, we chose to walk around the city on our own, visiting the Albertina Museum, the Sacher Hotel for weiner schnitzel and Sacher torte, and a café our guide recommended (Gerstner – delicious strudel on the pedestrian street, the Kartnerstrasse). Ama provided shuttle buses all afternoon to/from the ship.

Day 9 – Bratislava, Slovakia

It was raining today, so walking around Bratislava was not that pleasant, but we made the best of it. We chose to skip the walking tour and just walked around, stopping for a beer and taking pictures of the whimsical statues around the town. I wasn’t overly impressed here.

Day 10 – Budapest, Hungary

This is the highlight of the trip for me. Our walking tour from the ship included the huge indoor market, where there were hundreds of stalls selling food and good. We then boarded buses up to the castle, where we walked around some more. Beautiful views of the city. We chose to remain there and have lunch at a nice restaurant that the guide recommended (Var a Speiz across from the Hilton Castle District) and enjoyed the goulash and paprikash. We walked back to the ship downhill (luckily) – an hour’s walk across the Chain Bridge. It was a little warm but enjoyable. After dinner, there was a spectacular illumination cruise up and down the Danube. The bridges and buildings were all lit up and there were audible gasps from all of us as we listened to beautiful music up on the sun deck. Some folks were dancing. It was magical. What a great ending to a wonderful cruise.

Departure

We had to have our luggage outside our cabins 30 minutes before our transfer time (Ama arranged all of that) and waited in the lounge after breakfast for our announcement. The drive to the airport was about 20-30 minutes. We arrived home safe and sound, albeit exhausted.

Thoughts

This was our second cruise with AmaWaterways (our first was Tulip Time in 2013) and we were not disappointed. In fact, we signed up for a future cruise while on board (no date or destination yet). Our cruise manager, Veronika, was fantastic and the crew was attentive and friendly. We were well taken care of. We spoke to several folks who had no luggage for the first 2 days of the cruise and Ama provided them with an "emergency pack" and washed their clothes at no charge until they finally received their luggage. I have no complaints at all and would highly recommend AmaWaterways. We had no issues with water levels and the weather was perfect, aside from 2 days of rain in Prague and Bratislava. Memorable.

I've been wearing my Cruise Critic Host jacket for two days on this cruise, and so far no one (except the staff) has recognized it. [Full disclosure: I'm paying full retail for this cruise, and haven't received any CC accommodations.] So out of 136 other passengers (we have a few empty cabins), no one knows about CC much less signs up for roll calls.

We are leaving tomorrow for Prague for our AmaWaterways Danube cruise. I will be curious to see who on that trip has heard of CC. I am amazed at the number on my recent ocean cruises who don't know about it!

Allyson

Hi Larry.........AMAStella Tulip Time:D.......sailing out of Amsterdam.:)

We were on the April 2013 Tulip Time cruise from Amsterdam on the AmaCerto and had a fabulous experience! It was chilly, though!

Allyson

I can't believe after 1 1/2 years of research and planning, our day has arrived. Leaving tomorrow, and flying in Paris. We are doing Ama's Rivers and Castles - Paris to Prague on the Ama Dolce. We are also adding a few days in Vienna on our own at the end. We will be gone for about 16 days.

 

We have been closely monitoring the low water levels, and it seems that our cruise route should not be affected. It does not seem as if AMA has had any cancellations at all, even on the Danube cruises. If possible, I may post a few "live from AMA Dolce", while we are traveling, but if not I plan to post a review upon our return.

We are experiencing the same excitement. We leave on the 5th for Prague for 3 days, then to the AmaSonata for the Romantic Danube cruise to Budapest! We booked this well over a year ago and thought the day would never come. Fingers crossed that the water levels cooperate.

Bon voyage!

Allyson

The intimate ambiance board; the easy camaraderie fostered by the small number of passengers; the proximity to the town/city center on most itineraries.

 

The lack of children (IME); lack of nickel and diming; no tendering; no lines; no overcrowded buffets; no "liquor police" - if you want to pick up a special bottle of wine you are able to do so without being treated like a criminal.

 

No overpriced bottles of water; no "sales" in the lobby; no loud announcements; no constantly trying to sell you something; no cheesy entertainment; no overpriced drinks with forced service charges.

 

A staff who knows your name by the 2nd day and is warm and gracious and welcoming. In the case of AMA, the wonderful attention to detail from the high end and generous toiletries provided to the special touches throughout the cruise; free internet throughout the ship and computers in every room; cruise managers and staff who really make the trip special.

 

On the very rare occasion we would consider an ocean cruise, it is only on a smaller ship that has similar qualities to what we enjoy on the river. And that is a very small list, indeed.

I agree with everything you said. We are leaving in 18 days for Prague for our 2nd AMA cruise and can't wait!!!

We loved our Tulip Time cruise with AMA in 2014. While the scenery is not the prettiest, we really enjoyed the ports.

 

Wifi was better than usual on this route, probably because the river is quite commercial and we had good coverage.

 

We did not use pool but others did and enjoyed it. Our Chicago friends use the heated pools and hot tubs when we take November and December cruises.

 

Laundry is reasonable. As I recall, jeans were about 3E, t shirts, etc. 1.50 or so. Very quick and also nicely done. We have used AMA's laundry on all our cruises with them.

We loved our Tulip Time cruise in mid-April of 2013 on the AmaCerto. We enjoyed the two bike tours, though it was cold and windy on one of them. I agree that the river scenery was not awesome, but we really enjoyed the ports.

We used the laundry service but I don't remember the cost, just that it was reasonable and worth it.

No one used the pool on our trip - very windy and chilly up top. We did sit up there enjoying cocktails one day.

We used the computer in the room and wi-fi in the lounge and it was fine for me.

Allyson

PS, the Sonata is beautiful!!!!!! We are on AMAPrima from Budapest to Munich in November.

Thanks, Lynn. We were very impressed with the AmaCerto 2 years ago.

Allyso

Hi Pat!

Yes, there are limited edition tours----no charge, but pre-book and limited capacity. AND there are optional, charge tours offered that can also be pre-booked. Once final payment has been made, go on their web site (whether you booked with a TA or not) and log in and proceed through cruise check in and then there is an option for selecting tour options and reserving online. They make it VERY easy. Hope this helps!!!!!

I guess my memory is not as good as it used to be. It's good to know that you can book ahead since we're sailing on the AmaSonata in September from Prague to Budapest! Can't wait!

Allyson

So glad to hear the good reviews for AMA Waterways!! I'm booked on the AMAViola for the Tulip Time April 21, 2016 river cruise.

 

Question...I understand the excursions are included in the booking price. And there are "optional" excursions available at an extra cost. Can these optional excursions be booked pre-cruise or does a person have to wait until you are onboard??

 

Thank You in advance for any info you can share with me.

 

Pat :)

There are optional excursions you can pay for. We did the trip to Bruges and Brussels - both worthwhile. I believe you have to book on board. We did several of the guided bike tours (included) and they were wonderful, though a little chilly.

That's so nice! Do they do that for all travelers, or just returning guests?

We received beautiful pink scarves. Nice touch.

Yes it was, but we got to see a lot at Keukenhof Gardens!!!!! We were about 2 weeks early I think.

We took the same cruise on the AmaCerto 2or 3 years ago and loved it! It was a little early for the tulips then, too, but the the Gardens were spectacular! It was chilly, but we still went for bike rides and enjoyed the scenery. Nice and sunny the entire trip!

We stayed at the Hotel Estherea. We walked everywhere and the immediate area is quiet and lovely. I would stay on a canal. Jmo

We stayed at this hotel, too, and would stay there again in an instant! Small, lovely, friendly and only a 5 minute walk to Dam Square.

Allyson

Here you go then:

 

http://www.heathrowairport.com/heathrow-airport-guide/flight-connections/terminal-5-international-connecting-to-terminal-3-international

Thank you.

Allyson

Which airlines?

 

The UK is not part of the Schengen group of countries but it doesn't greatly complicate things either.

 

Your baggage will still transfer through London and on to Prague without you seeing it (can confirm absolutely when airlines are known) and you will go to the transfer desk at LHR rather than the normal immigration lines where you will be routed on to the correct terminal for your next flight.

British Airways.

Allyson

You will see immigration at Schipol Airport in Amsterdam and get a Schengen entry stamp; Amsterdam to Nuremberg should be treated as a "domestic" flight with no further interaction with immigration. Leaving Budapest you will be on a "domestic" flight to Amsterdam; the flight to the US will be on an "international" concourse and you should see an exit immigration person and get a Schengen exit stamp at entry to that concourse. Some airport (especially in southern Europe) can be lax about issuing entry stamps, and if you don't get one officially you are illegally in Schengen and might have issues when you try to exit - northern European airport can be pretty strict about this. US bound flights will often have some additional security immediately prior to the gate for that flight - nothing to worry about.

 

I am less certain of baggage rules, but think that your checked bag will automatically go from IAH through AMS to NUE, and there probably will be a Red Line (something to declare) / Green Line (nothing to declare - most tourists fit in this category) upon exiting baggage claim. Upon return your bag should be checked through BUD - AMS - IAH. In the US you always have to claim your baggage at your first port of entry, but sounds like IAH is both your port of entry and your final destination.

 

Nuremberg to Budapest is a great trip - ENJOY!

 

Thom

I have the same question but with different cities: Washington Dulles through Heathrow to Prague; Prague through Heathrow to Washington Dulles.

Allyson

We have just returned from a trip to Athens and Greece and we used PK Travel. We first had contact with them during a Mediterranean cruise in 2013 when we had a driver and car for a day trip from our ship. We were met by Dimitris and he turned an interesting day into a day to remember with his help, knowledge and the ability to take us to just the right places for the right times.

 

We loved it so much that, in planning a return trip to Europe in December 2014-January 2015, we specifically wrote to them and asked about a one week driving tour through the Greek mainland. They worked with us to put together a tour that matched our interests and the result exceeded our expectations! We had a personal driver and took their advice to use guides for some of the key locations such as Delphi, Meteora and Philippi.

 

We cannot speak too highly of our experience. I am not the sort of person who is given to hyperbole but it was a week we will always remember. A definite 11…

 

We were met at the airport by the same person who would drive us during the week and then picked up at our hotel the next day for the week’s travel. Travelling with Dimitri, we did a total of 1,600 km and visited Corinth, Delphi, Meteora, Berea, Thessaloniki, Philippi, Kavala and Athens. The travel was relaxing and informative and the driver was safe, professional and interesting - it was like leaving a friend when we finished. Potoula, who managed all our correspondence and planning, was incredibly well-organised and responsive. Paul, the manager, was always in contact when needed to make sure everything was progressing well and to make any small adjustments necessary. On one day, when we decided to ask for a guide for the next day, he organised it late in the day and we were so happy with the result.

 

The weather in January was cold, but not at all a problem. The days were sunny, the roads were good and the food and accommodation were excellent value. We are from Australia and we loved the weather.

 

This was a trip we will never forget and we have determined to return and do an expanded journey, possible driving ourselves. I was very impressed with the quality of the roads, both the highways between major cities and the secondary roads.

 

We would highly recommend PK Tours as our experience with them was entirely positive.

We used them list past June and had Demitris, also. Loved it and would highly recommend them!

I have a general question. On excursions included in the river cruises in Europe, are the passengers divided into smaller groups? What size group can we usually expect? We do not want to be shepherded in large groups. A walking tour with fifty people does not sound very appealing. What kind of buses are generally used? Full size or medium and mini? We avoid ship excursions on ocean cruises and want to be certain that is not what we get on a river cruise in Europe. Thanks for your insights.

 

 

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Hey there, Bill! I was "cruising" around CC and saw this post by you about river cruise excursions. How are you guys? Kathleen and I booked a Sept 2015 Prague to Budapest river cruise on AmaWaterways. We did the Tulip Time with them last year and loved it. Our excursions were usually about 10-12 people. Hi to Lisa!

Allyson (from the Reflection in June)

Thanks to all who responded. These are exactly the kind of report I was hoping for. Glad to hear also the good report of this particular itinerary on Certo.

 

Aldukenew, what was the date of your chilly Certo tulip trip? Did you catch the tulips in full bloom?

 

PS to Nana: Yes, I do know that the AMA website has pictures, but I also know that professional publicity pictures sometimes are better-looking than the reality. And in any case, what I asked was not what the cabins look like, but what's it like to be in them. Thanks again for your thoughts, though.

Sorry about my recent post. I read it wrong :-(

Our Tulip Time cruise was April 15th of last year. The tulips were a little late but there were tons in bloom! Keukenhof Gardens were spectacular!

Thanks to all who responded. These are exactly the kind of report I was hoping for. Glad to hear also the good report of this particular itinerary on Certo.

 

PS to Nana: Yes, I do know that the AMA website has pictures, but I also know that professional publicity pictures sometimes are better-looking than the reality. And in any case, what I asked was not what the cabins look like, but what's it like to be in them. Thanks again for your thoughts, though.

I think you replied to the wrong person. I did not say anything about pictures on the website, just that we enjoyed this itinerary last year and it was too cold to enjoy the outdoors while sailing.

We're considering a Low Countries ("Tulip Time") cruise next April on either AMA Certo or AMA Sonata, and wondering whether there are any significant differences between the "suites" and the AA cabins (other than cost). We've never been on a river cruise, but have sailed in and enjoyed higher-end cabins on the small ships of Star Clippers, Windstar, Regent, and Silversea. Can anyone who's used both a suite and a AA cabin on either of these AMA vessels or their sister vessels provide an experience-based comparison?

This does not answer your question, but we did this exact cruise last year on the AMACerto and absolutely loved it! We were in a C cabin with a French balcony and were not disappointed. The weather was too cool to even it upstairs on the deck, so a balcony would have not been useful. We took 2 bike tours and loved every minute of it. You will enjoy it regardless of the cabin.

For such a monumental anniversary- I would probably stay at the Marriott across from the Borghese Park. You can walk to many places from there and it's just such a great location- with the park. I'd spend a bit extra and stay there.

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-photos/romdt-rome-marriott-grand-hotel-flora/

We stayed at this Marriott a night before and again a night after our cruise and loved it! Across the street from the Metro and Via Veneto is a lovely street. We walked to the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain and the rooftop has a spectacular view! Say hello to Antonio, one of the bell captains!

Taking our first cruise next May. I've put a deposit with a big discount store travel agent, but not sure if I should book flights through that agent or directly with cruise line. Same question about airport transfers. Advice?

We took the same cruise from Rome last month on the Reflection (LOVED IT, by the way) - flew from Washington Dulles to Rome non-stop on United a day ahead. We booked it ourselves because the Choice Air prices were not better and most involved a connection. I would suggest 2 days because of all of the things to see and do. We were very tired when we arrived, but hit the ground running! We did hit the hay early, though! We stayed an extra day after the cruise so we wouldn't have to rush off to the airport. We had time to tour the Vatican. What a great trip it was!

Allyson

Yes, we've been called several times since they added "to call first" to our Upgrade Preferences.

I do not see an option to be called first. There is a list of criteria, none of which is agreeable to me. We always book an aft cabin, when available, and we won't give it up unless the upgrade is to a suite. It says you will be notified of your upgrade (if one of the is met) by email. I always check that I do not want an upgrade.

Allyson

Caviargal-

Im doing some searching and digging up this old thread to ask you a couple of questions!

 

First, I was searching for Marriott Millennium, and this popped up. We are considering this...the regular Marriott is 1000, the Sofitel my TA booked is 1300, the sofitel with AMA is $1000 and this is less than $500. (I did the euro conversions) I don't need fancy, and a view is nice, but not for that price and when we are touring day in and day out, not sitting in the room. Sounds like you stayed here. Did you like it? Find it convenient for touring? Was there a market nearby to buy food for the kitchen (I love the idea of a kitchen!!)

 

Next question related to this old thread: We are traveling AMAPrima, Budapest to Bucharest (Black Sea voyage) If I recall, I think you did this one?? My question is I just paid my final and logged onto AMA to discover that the "optional tours" are all "foodie" tours (making yoghurt in Bulgaria, brandy tasting etc) That's fine, but one of the reasons we picked AMA was to take some bike tours. Your comments here on this thread answered one of my questions - Is mid Sept too late for bike tours (too cold) but clearly you had them in November! Are they only offered once on board? For some reason I expected they would be capacity controlled and only offered ahead of time. Do you think this means they have no organized bike tours of the various cities? :(

 

Anyway, those are my questions, since there was a thread discussing some of this I figured I'd hop onto it and ask...of course anyone's opinions are appreciated!!:D

We cruised with AMA in April of last year for the Tulip Time cruise and went on 2 bike tours when it was really cold and windy - we were wearing every layer we could but enjoyed it immensely!