AMA Vietnam

I'm sure that I'm not the only one who has been faithfully checking to see your full review of AMA to Vietnam. Hopefully, you guys are back to reality and have recovered from your trip. My husband and I will be doing this trip this summer and look forward to your reviews and, hopefully, the ability to ask some questions. Thanks in advance.

Tks everyone for all the helpful info!

Also waiting for FL's review. Maybe it's so long and comprehensive it's taking a little longer than planned.;):D

What were the highlights? Any low points?

How was Feb. weather? Was the river high enough or did you have to be bussed in anywhere?

Any firm idea when Lotus debuts? First read spring 2011, then fall 2011 and recently early 2012? What did you hear onboard?

Can you describe some of the meals or do you have any copies of any menus? How about the Asian food onboard? We loved trying the pho soup and many different dishes in Laos and would be hoping for the same experience.

Anybody know of any specials on AMA? Looks like a high quality product but also very pricey especially when factoring in air.

How would you rate the food & service? Spa?

Can you tell we can't wait to read your review?:)

Tks everyone for all the helpful info!

 

Also waiting for FL's review. Maybe it's so long and comprehensive it's taking a little longer than planned.;):D

 

What were the highlights? Any low points?

 

How was Feb. weather? Was the river high enough or did you have to be bussed in anywhere?

 

Any firm idea when Lotus debuts? First read spring 2011' date=' then fall 2011 and recently early 2012? What did you hear onboard?

 

Can you describe some of the meals or do you have any copies of any menus? How about the Asian food onboard? We loved trying the pho soup and many different dishes in Laos and would be hoping for the same experience.

 

Anybody know of any specials on AMA? Looks like a high quality product but also very pricey especially when factoring in air.

 

How would you rate the food & service? Spa?

 

Can you tell we can't wait to read your review?:)[/quote']

 

 

I know you have all been waiting for it and I just submitted it yesterday for approval from CC. Once it is approved (I hope), I will let you know and provide a link to it here. I can answer some of your questions now but you will find that the review (and it is LONG) goes into great detail on the items that I wanted to know about. I really took a great deal of time with the details which is why it took so long to write

 

February weather was interesting in that Hanoi was having its coldest winter in 30 years. It was in the 40's at night and 50's during the day. It was overcast and drizzled very lightly one evening. I wore a medium weight jacket and light scarf and had leather gloves but remember I live in FL so take that into consideration. Ha Long Bay was similar, with mist. and some fog which made it that much more surreal. The temperature from Siem Reap to Saigon it was in the high 60's at night (Saigon) to as high as 94 during the day in Siem Reap. It was sunny, humid and dry. Take hats, suncreen, an umbrella for shade and drink LOTS of water. We had to be bussed nearly 5 hours from Siem Reap for embarkation (I cover this in my review).

 

We were told that the Lotus debuts in September 2012. The ships will be identical.

 

I had my favorites in Angkor and in the other cities (again in my review). It really is detailed and hopefully it will be posted in the next day or two. Once you read it, I'll answer any other questions you may have here.

Tks everyone for all the helpful info!

 

Also waiting for FL's review. Maybe it's so long and comprehensive it's taking a little longer than planned.;):D

 

What were the highlights? Any low points?

 

How was Feb. weather? Was the river high enough or did you have to be bussed in anywhere?

 

Any firm idea when Lotus debuts? First read spring 2011' date=' then fall 2011 and recently early 2012? What did you hear onboard?

 

Can you describe some of the meals or do you have any copies of any menus? How about the Asian food onboard? We loved trying the pho soup and many different dishes in Laos and would be hoping for the same experience.

 

Anybody know of any specials on AMA? Looks like a high quality product but also very pricey especially when factoring in air.

 

How would you rate the food & service? Spa?

 

Can you tell we can't wait to read your review?:)[/quote']

 

 

I know you have all been waiting for it and I just submitted it yesterday for approval from CC. Once it is approved (I hope), I will let you know and provide a link to it here. I can answer some of your questions now but you will find that the review (and it is LONG) goes into great detail on the items that I wanted to know about. I really took a great deal of time with the details which is why it took so long to write

 

February weather was interesting in that Hanoi was having its coldest winter in 30 years. It was in the 40's at night and 50's during the day. It was overcast and drizzled very lightly one evening. I wore a medium weight jacket and light scarf and had leather gloves but remember I live in FL so take that into consideration. Ha Long Bay was similar, with mist and some fog which made it that much more surreal. The temperature from Siem Reap to Saigon it was in the high 60's at night (Saigon) to as high as 94 during the day in Siem Reap. It was sunny, humid and dry. Take hats, suncreen, an umbrella for shade and drink LOTS of water. We had to be bussed nearly 5 hours from Siem Reap for embarkation (I cover this in my review).

 

We were told that the Lotus debuts in September 2012. The ships will be identical.

 

I had my favorites in Angkor and in the other cities (again in my review). It really is detailed and hopefully it will be posted in the next day or two. Once you read it, I'll answer any other questions you may have here.

Would love to know FLTRavelers air arrangements from Florida as we are hoping to book this trip for March 2012. Did you do your own flight arrangements? If so from where....or did AMA do them for you? Would love to know what you recommend.

Thank you!

When we booked the trip in 2/10 I left open the possibility of having AMA book the air. But in May I decided I would use frequent flyer miles/hotel points to put it together which I did. We flew AA First Class R/T to Tokyo where we spent 3 days with Japanese friends. The R/T Business on JAL from Tokyo-Hanoi and Saigon-Tokyo had a 5-hour layover in Tokyo on the return. The number of miles I used was less than what I've used for business R/T to Europe. I paid for my own transfers, also because we arrived in Hanoi a day early and left 2 days later from Saigon. Our friends that traveled with us booked with AMA from Toronto-Saigon connecting in Hong Kong (they took the 1 week pre-trip tour of Vietnam which I asked her to write a review on). If you have any questions, I'll ask her to answer here.

Also looking forward to the review. We are thinking of doing this, also, for next January or February.

I think I would recommend January before the TET holiday as it may be slightly cooler and more green. I' was told that during TET places are much more crowded.

We are arriving early into Hanoi before the start of our AMA trip. We are staying at the Sofitel Metropole, same hotel used by AMA, to avoid the need to change hotels. We're told that arranging transportation on our own between the airport and hotel is not very difficult nor expensive. As an alternative, you can arrange airport pickup by the Sofitel in advance. I can't recall if AMA can arrange an early airport transport - I suspect so, but it is best to contact AMA.

 

Bob

We arrived a day before as well. We arranged the transfer with the Sofitel in advance by email. I was originally quoted $65 in December for a BMW Series 5 transfer but then they changed the rate and the vehicle on 2/1 before we departed. It was $88 for a Series 7. I just couldn't deal with finding a reputable taxi at 10:30PM. It was a very pricey transfer but in the end, I was happy I did it-just alot less hassle.

2Fltravelers - Those of us booked on the Mekong River cruise are eagerly awaiting the CC publication of your review and are enormously grateful to you for taking the time to do the review. We will chime in with questions after we read the review.

As for the AmaLotus, at the present time AMA is showing that ship beginning cruises in September, 2011, with its first cruise originating in Saigon. Those cruises appear on the AMA website at this link: http://www.amawaterways.com/itinerary.asp?iticode=MB11&view=dp

We will be on La Marguerite and have not been following closely the building of the AmaLotus; but AMA is certainly selling it for this coming September.

Cheers, Fred

2Fltravelers - Those of us booked on the Mekong River cruise are eagerly awaiting the CC publication of your review and are enormously grateful to you for taking the time to do the review. We will chime in with questions after we read the review.

 

As for the AmaLotus, at the present time AMA is showing that ship beginning cruises in September, 2011, with its first cruise originating in Saigon. Those cruises appear on the AMA website at this link: http://www.amawaterways.com/itinerary.asp?iticode=MB11&view=dp

 

We will be on La Marguerite and have not been following closely the building of the AmaLotus; but AMA is certainly selling it for this coming September.

 

Cheers, Fred

You're right, Fred. I meant to say it debuts in September 2011 and not 2012. As for the review, it is my pleasure. I actually enjoyed writing it and as my friend said, she felt like she was there again. I hope it is a big help to everyone.

You're right, Fred. I meant to say it debuts in September 2011 and not 2012. As for the review, it is my pleasure. I actually enjoyed writing it and as my friend said, she felt like she was there again. I hope it is a big help to everyone.

Your review is posted now:D! I am going to save reading it until the morning but it looks wonderful! We are on the Nov 15th Amalotus sailing and am sure excited about it and greatly appreciate your posting such a thorough review.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=80735

Susan

Very helpful review! Thank you!

Thanking you in advance for any and all information you can provide us concerning the Vietnam cruise. I know others are also waiting for your review. This will be very important to many of us and I certainly appreciate the effort and time that you obviously spent to write about your experiences.

2Flt - Remarkable review, indeed!! It has been so difficult to find much info on this Mekong River cruise, as it's fairly new and is experienced by so few passengers. Your review is easily the most comprehensive one we have read. Thanks again.

Of course, dear CC friends, 2Flt, you have now put yourselves into the situation of being the "go-to" source for "everything-AMA" with respect to this trip. Therefore, you are honor-bound to check this thread from time to time and answer the many questions that we future Mekong River cruisers will have. Ah, it's a non-trivial burden, but one to which, I sincerely trust, someone who had the fortitude to produce a 9-page (is that a CC record??) review will be able to assume.

So, I will begin the badgering with a few questions:

1. You did laundry a few times ashore. Does the boat provide laundry service?

2. Are the plugs in the cabins 220, accepting the standard European two-prong plug?

3. Are the walks on the tours relatively short, allowing us to wear walking sandals (i.e. Teva's or Keene's) or serious, requiring good walking shoes/boots?

4. Do you have any idea whether the "cruise-only" passengers were tranferred into Saigon on a separate bus or shared the bus with you, including tours?

More questions will arise as I read your wonderful review for the second time.

Cheers, Fred

To 2Fltravelers,

That was really the best review I have ever read on Cruise Critic and I have been a member for years. We have been to Vietnam twice and Cambodia once so I really enjoyed reading your review as it brought back memories. When we were in Saigon the first time, the highest building was the Rex Hotel. When we returned years later, we went up to the top floor of the Sheraton (I believe it was 22 stories) and couldn't believe our eyes at the changes. I also brought pencils and pens for the children and they followed me as if I was the Pied Piper!!

Sheila

2Flt - Remarkable review, indeed!! It has been so difficult to find much info on this Mekong River cruise, as it's fairly new and is experienced by so few passengers. Your review is easily the most comprehensive one we have read. Thanks again.

 

Of course, dear CC friends, 2Flt, you have now put yourselves into the situation of being the "go-to" source for "everything-AMA" with respect to this trip. Therefore, you are honor-bound to check this thread from time to time and answer the many questions that we future Mekong River cruisers will have. Ah, it's a non-trivial burden, but one to which, I sincerely trust, someone who had the fortitude to produce a 9-page (is that a CC record??) review will be able to assume.

 

So, I will begin the badgering with a few questions:

 

1. You did laundry a few times ashore. Does the boat provide laundry service?

 

2. Are the plugs in the cabins 220, accepting the standard European two-prong plug?

 

3. Are the walks on the tours relatively short, allowing us to wear walking sandals (i.e. Teva's or Keene's) or serious, requiring good walking shoes/boots?

 

4. Do you have any idea whether the "cruise-only" passengers were tranferred into Saigon on a separate bus or shared the bus with you, including tours?

 

More questions will arise as I read your wonderful review for the second time.

 

Cheers, Fred

You guys found the review before I did. You are dedicated. As for it being a CC record, I couldn't say. I don't mind answering your questions and will try to do so on as regular a basis as possible. So now for the first set:

1. The boat does have laundry service and we did use it once for a few things. I believe it was $$3.50 for a pair of ladies pants but I honestly can't remember exactly. It was less than the Metropole but more than in the local laundry and not as much fun.

2. The outlets are 220 but so were our electronics or they were dual voltage. We brought a converter but never had to use it anywhere. We brought the 2-round prong adapter plug and used it. I brought along a power strip which I used on the boat so I only needed one adapter just for that and plugged my electronics into the power strip.

3.The walks are short on the river portion of the trip-longer at the Angkor temples. Several people wore tevas, etc. but with all the dirt and dust we wore closed shoes (see my comments in the review about the dirty shoes and then think of your feet). My husband wore his Rockports and I wore sneakers and Sunooks with peds (canvas slip-ons with rubber soles easy to slip off and on for the temples where shoes had to be removed-lightweight, cool and dry quickly).

4. The cruise-onlys had a separate transfer to Saigon since they're trip did not include the Saigon city tour that we had. I don't know if it was included or had to be arranged separately. You need to confirm this as I believe I heard some grumblings about that (seems they were dropped off at the hotel in the AM and the rooms weren't ready for another 3 hours or so).

Next?

To 2Fltravelers,

 

That was really the best review I have ever read on Cruise Critic and I have been a member for years. We have been to Vietnam twice and Cambodia once so I really enjoyed reading your review as it brought back memories. When we were in Saigon the first time, the highest building was the Rex Hotel. When we returned years later, we went up to the top floor of the Sheraton (I believe it was 22 stories) and couldn't believe our eyes at the changes. I also brought pencils and pens for the children and they followed me as if I was the Pied Piper!!

 

Sheila

Shoshana:

Thanks. It was worth the time as I enjoyed re-living trip as I wrote it over the past 3 weeks. If you returned to Saigon today you would see that the new financial plaza building is 68 stories and dwarfs the Rex and the Sheraton. It's beautifully lit at night when you view it from the Rex

I really recommend bringing pencils and pens for the children. Handing out money is frowned upon as they want the children to learn and not get used to handouts. The expression "give someone a fish and they eat for a day but teach someone to fish and they eat for a lifetime" is what they are trying to promote.

Thank you 2Fltravelers! You have already provided us with a wealth of information. Your review was amazing and will be a guide for our planning.

For the Hanoi-Siem Reap flight were you on a regularly scheduled Vietnam Airlines flight or a charter? Were you limited to one checked bag per person?

From your account, it seems that the checked bags weren't weighed. Would a couple of pounds over the published limit matter? Or you were advised to be very careful about the weight?

thanks so much

Thank you 2Fltravelers! You have already provided us with a wealth of information. Your review was amazing and will be a guide for our planning.

 

For the Hanoi-Siem Reap flight were you on a regularly scheduled Vietnam Airlines flight or a charter? Were you limited to one checked bag per person?

 

From your account, it seems that the checked bags weren't weighed. Would a couple of pounds over the published limit matter? Or you were advised to be very careful about the weight?

 

thanks so much

You found one of the things I didn't include in my review! The flight was a regularly scheduled Vietnam Airlines flight. There are 2 in the late afternoon. Ours was at about 5PM (there is no time difference between Hanoi & Siem Reap or Saigon-12 hours ahead of US east coast). As for the luggage, that was interesting. My checked bag and my husband's (I believe only 1 is permitted without charge) each weighed about 50lbs (maybe a little less). That was OK for the flights to Vietnam and we had no problem checking them on Vietnam Airlines (they were checked in by AMA). But as we were walking through security to get to the plane they stoppeI read the Vietnam Airlines site which says checked bags should only weigh 20kilos (44lbs). The AMA materials say it's 40 lbs but that is not the correct conversion to kilos-it's 2.2 per pound). As my husband was wheeling my roll-on which is actually 1-inch longer than normal (23" vs.22") he was stopped by an agent near secuurity. He told us that it was too heavy but he weighed it and was wrong (it weighed at least 15-20 lbs). Then he said it was too big. By now my husband was annoyed since others had walked right through without being stopped. So when the agent put it in that contraption to see if it would fit, my husband pushed it in. I held my breath hoping the wheels wouldn't break but they didn't and he let us through. The roll-on is a Travelpro used by pilots. I think we were the only ones that were stopped.

Hi 2 FlTravelers,

Thank you for your reply about your air. Booked for March 2012. Couldn't believe that our first choice of dates was already full. Usually turn American Express points into air tickets. Don't think American Airlines is a choice but will investigate it. Did you book out of South Florida or the West Coast? I'll check to see what other airlines that I can transfer points into will have some flights. Again, thank you for your reply.

Donna (Boca Raton)

Hi 2Fltravelers,

Wonderful review!

I just have a few questions (for now:D)

On our AMA Blue Danube cruise last year there was one night when most people got "dressed-up" for dinner..men in ties and women in dresses, I am kind of hoping that there is nothing like that on this cruise i.e. is it pretty casual every night?

Were credit cards widely accepted at restaurants, or did you primarily use cash?

Were any of the non-cruise lunch and dinners "included"?

Thanks again for all the great info!

Susan

2Fltravelers--thank you, thank you for taking so much time to provide such detailed information about AMA Vietnam/Cambodia trip. I will be printing out the information and using it as a reference. I may have some questions for you as I get closer to my departure date, so if I'm bugging you too much, let me know. The one question I now have is what type of clothing do you feel would be appropriate? Did you get a little dressier at dinner after a day out on excursions. Is there some items of clothing that I should definitely take versus definitely not take. I tend to pack less and less the more I travel because I find I don't always use the clothes I bring and would rather use the space to bring back things. It sounds as if you brought back some wonderful things. Are you light packers. Any advice on clothing options would be greatly appreciated.

Hi 2 FlTravelers' date='

Thank you for your reply about your air. Booked for March 2012. Couldn't believe that our first choice of dates was already full. Usually turn American Express points into air tickets. Don't think American Airlines is a choice but will investigate it. Did you book out of South Florida or the West Coast? I'll check to see what other airlines that I can transfer points into will have some flights. Again, thank you for your reply.

 

Donna (Boca Raton)[/quote']

 

I booked out of Ft. Lauderdale connecting in Dallas because I didn't want to risk a snowstorm in the NE or Midwest in Feb & March. We usually fly to Asia from Ft. lauderdale and then connect through somewhere else.That happened a few years ago on our way to Spain in Feb. Luckily, we flew in & out of Atlanta. AA isn't a particpant in membership rewards to transfer points into the AA Advantage program but you can use Am Ex points to book directly through Am Ex-just can't transfer. We flew AA because we knew we wanted to stop in Tokyo. Other choices are Korean Air through Seoul and Cathay through Hong Kong. Just check with Am Ex. Hope this helps.

2Fltravelers--thank you, thank you for taking so much time to provide such detailed information about AMA Vietnam/Cambodia trip. I will be printing out the information and using it as a reference. I may have some questions for you as I get closer to my departure date, so if I'm bugging you too much, let me know. The one question I now have is what type of clothing do you feel would be appropriate? Did you get a little dressier at dinner after a day out on excursions. Is there some items of clothing that I should definitely take versus definitely not take. I tend to pack less and less the more I travel because I find I don't always use the clothes I bring and would rather use the space to bring back things. It sounds as if you brought back some wonderful things. Are you light packers. Any advice on clothing options would be greatly appreciated.

Normally I pack too much and always promise not to pack as much the next time. My issue this time was the stop in Tokyo since I knew it would be cold and I would need pants, long-sleeved shirts, a jacket and scarf. Turns out I needed that in Hanoi as well but it usually is warmer by 10+ degrees. With that in mind I knew what clothes to pack for the other places since the weather is similar to Florida in the summer. We also decided that we would do laundry 3 times. I recommend highly for women capris for daytime and light weight shirts in light colors that you can layer. For example, I brought light color capris in neutral colors (khaki, lt. grey, tan) and tops that were tanks that I could mix and match with light cotton short sleeved shirts that I could wear over them, all loose fitting. At night, some ladies dressed a little wearing dark pants and nicer blouses. I brought a black skirt, capri/ankle length pants in white & black and ivory silk pants. I also brought a linen shawl and a black linen sweater, costume jewelry and left the good stuff at home. I would not bring anything that does not pack well or you can only wear once (except shirts, etc due to perspiration. Ditto for heels-not necessaryI washed all my underwear by hand because it would dry overnight but my DH needed his laundered as well as socks which take longer to dry. He brought 2 pair of shorts and only wore them once. He felt more comfortable wearing khakis every day with cotton polo shirts. At night he wore khakis, tan & dark with cotton short sleeved shirts and a couple of long-sleeved cotton shirts. I can send you my packing list if you would like if you think it would be helpful. I tried to mix & match as much as possible and keep a simple color palette.

BTW, you won't be bugging me as I know how difficult it is to figure some of this out. I do recommend bringing a collapsible bag with you for all the goodies you may bring home. Some others actually bought suitcases in the market in Saigon because they bought so much!

Hi 2Fltravelers,

 

Wonderful review!

I just have a few questions (for now:D)

 

On our AMA Blue Danube cruise last year there was one night when most people got "dressed-up" for dinner..men in ties and women in dresses, I am kind of hoping that there is nothing like that on this cruise i.e. is it pretty casual every night?

 

Were credit cards widely accepted at restaurants, or did you primarily use cash?

 

Were any of the non-cruise lunch and dinners "included"?

 

Susan

Susan:

Glad you enjoyed the review. You will be happy to know that no one wore a tie or a jacket-EVER!!!!! I did see a couple of women in dresses on one or two nights but that was the exception and they looked a little out of place. It is quite casual although everyone that I can recall changed for dinner since you would need to shower after the excursions-hopefully!

Credit cards were accepted in the hotels, and the higher-end shops and restaurants as well. Our lunch at Cha Ca La Vong in Hanoi was cash but at the Club de L'Oriental we paid by credit card. Same for our dinners in Hanoi and in Saigon. I believe we paid cash for our lunch and dinner in Siem Reap (not at the hotel).

There were no included lunch or dinners in Hanoi-just the breakfast buffet in the hotel. Breakfast, lunch & dinner were included on the junk and lunch on the way to the Hanoi airport. There were 2 included hotel dinners in Siem Reap (first and final night) as well as the hotel breakfast buffet each morning. In Saigon lunch was included the day we arrived. All other meals, other than when on the ship, were on our own.

Thanks for the quick reply! Yes I am very happy to hear that "casual" is the way to go,sure makes it easier to keep the luggage weight down.

I wasn't expecting any included meals on the land portion so I am happy to hear there were a few.:).

thanks so much for the info and the very helpful packing tips given in your

previous post.

Susan