AmaLyra Legendary Danube Cruise

I'm finally getting around to writing about our wonderful Danube cruise. I did write a short review in the 'review' section on CC.

In June, 2013, my husband told me to pick a riverboat cruise for our 45th wedding anniversary. We both agreed on a Danube River cruise; so we just had to decide what itinerary and when to sail. Since it was rather late in the booking season, most dates for 2013 were already booked. I'm not too fond of cold weather; so, I didn't want to go later than September or earlier than April. We had previously cruised with Tauck in 2009, Brugge to Amsterdam. We looked at all the itineraries and cruise lines and decided that AMA Waterways' Legendary Danube Cruise was our best option for this trip. A friend of ours had cruised with AMA several times and highly recommended them. So, by the time we embarked, we were within 3 weeks of our 46th anniversary.

We booked our own flights; but took advantage of AMA's airport transfer and pre-cruise package in Prague. We were met at the airport at 9:30 a.m., and were immediately transferred to the Intercontinental Hotel, where we were met by our Cruise Manager Rachel Couto-Gomes, who was an absolute delight the whole trip and worked so hard for all of the passengers for the next 10 days. The hotel was well-located and with the help of a city map and Rachel's suggestions, we found it easy to make our way around Prague.

The next morning, we joined fellow cruisers for the Prague City Tour. Our local guide, Radik, was wonderful...very knowledgeable and pleasant...a wealth of information. After a short bus ride, we arrived at Hradcany Castle and St. Vitus Church. After touring these beautiful places, we walked back down into town and across the Charles Bridge. Radik offered to take those who wanted to one of his favorite restaurants for lunch. Several of us joined him and had a pleasant meal, visiting and getting to know some of our fellow cruisers. The weather was perfect and we went back to the hotel to shed jackets and make our way out into town again. Radik had given us directions to the Church of Our Lady of Victory, where the statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague is enshrined. As we entered the church, an English Mass was just beginning, which was a real blessing.

That evening, many of us attended the Czech Folklore Dinner. The food was good. The wine and beer free-flowing. There was music and other Czech performers. It was an enjoyable night...lots of fun.

I'm going to post this in several sections.

The next morning, we joined fellow cruisers for the Prague City Tour. Our local guide, Radik, was wonderful...very knowledgeable and pleasant...a wealth of information. After a short bus ride, we arrived at Hradcany Castle and St. Vitus Church. After touring these beautiful places, we walked back down into town and across the Charles Bridge. Radik offered to take those who wanted to one of his favorite restaurants for lunch. Several of us joined him and had a pleasant meal, visiting and getting to know some of our fellow cruisers. The weather was perfect and we went back to the hotel to shed jackets and make our way out into town again. Radik had given us directions to the Church of Our Lady of Victory, where the statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague is enshrined. As we entered the church, an English Mass was just beginning, which was a real blessing.

That evening, many of us attended the Czech Folklore Dinner. The food was good. The wine and beer free-flowing. There was music and other Czech performers. It was an enjoyable night...lots of fun.

The next morning, we toured the Lobckowicz Palace, had lunch there, and attended a short, but very enjoyable concert. That evening we had dinner at LaVeranda with a couple that we had met on the city tour. It is a small restaurant very close to the hotel, where the food was very good and well-presented.

On Friday morning, we boarded coach buses and headed toward the AMALyra. We made a stop in Karlovy Vary, a spa town. We had to get on a small city bus to take us into the heart of the town. We had a short tour and then our guide left, telling us when & where to meet the bus that would then take us back to our coach. I'm not sure exactly what happened; but I think a group of 6 of us followed the wrong crowd and got lost. We didn't make it back to where we were supposed catch the city bus. We were across a little canal and saw it driving toward town to pick up our group; so we crossed a little bridge and flagged it down as it made its way back to our coach. We were so lucky to have caught it; because not only would we have missed the bus to our ship; but, as soon as we were back on the coach, the heavens opened up and it poured!! Thank you, Lord, for protecting us and getting us back on that bus!! We had another couple hours ride to the AmaLyra, which is docked outside of Nuremberg.

Once on board, we all met in the lounge and each lady was greeted with a rose and everyone was given a glass of champagne. Sandwiches and cakes were passed around. We met the main crew members and had a short safety presentation. Then, we were permitted to go to our cabins and unpack. The AmaLyra looks wonderful! Everything is neat and clean. The cabins are very adequate with plenty of room for all our things. The suitcases fit under the bed. There is a small refrigerator, in which there are already water bottles. Bottles of water are left in the cabin each day.

Dinner is served! The dining room is well appointed and there seems to be plenty of room for the 142 passengers. There are many tables for 6, several for 4 and a few for 2. We usually sat at the same table, with the same two couples with whom we became very friendly. The first night, we weren't too sure about our waiter. He seemed a little “down” & stuffy. But, by the 2nd day, we'd softened him up and he would actually smile and joke with us.

For dinner that night, there was an Amuse Bouche, which was a tomato/mozzarella with a pesto cream. For the appetizer we had a crab cake with salsa and a crawfish, which I had to show people how to peel, because being from Louisiana, we eat them all the time! I had the mushroom cappucino, which was a creamed mushroom soup. It was very good. Most days for lunch and for dinner there were two soups....a cream based soup and a broth based soup. They were both very good; but I think I had the broth based soups more often. As a palate cleanser, there was lemon sorbet with champagne. For our entree, we had sea bass fillet with potatoes and veggies. Dessert was chocolate mousse in a tuille, with chocolate and caramel sauce. There is a selection of cheeses at all meals.

The ship overnighted in Nuremberg. Up early the next morning for breakfast. They had a great buffet selection with fruits, cheeses, cold-cuts (ham/salami, etc), scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes. There was usually a specialty each morning...grilled mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, French toast, etc. There was someone always fixing omelets to order; and you could order poached eggs, fried eggs, Eggs Benedict. And, there were several juice options...and champagne, in case you cared to make a mimosa. Our waiter learned after the first morning that I liked mint tea and he would bring it right to me.

After breakfast, we began our tours of Nuremberg. My husband took the World War II tour, seeing Hitler's Party Rally Grounds, Zeppelin Field, and the Justice Palace, where the 1946 War Crimes Tribunal, the Nuremberg Trials, took place. He really enjoyed this tour. For the next few days, whenever we were in our cabin, he was watching the movie “Judgement at Nuremberg.” I opted to take the Medieval Tour, seeing the Nuremberg Castle and ending in the Market Square at the “Beautiful Fountain.” The castle is a huge fortress above the city. During our free time, I visited the Church of Our Lady there in the square. It was beautiful and there was a photo of how the church looked after it was bombed during WW II.

After we were all back on board, Captain Andreas didn't waste any time getting underway. The first lock was in sight and he wanted to be the first to enter, as there were several other riverboats moored there, waiting to sail. I believe they said that each ship behind us had to wait 30 minutes before entering the lock. So glad we were number one! The first lock was 65 feet. So, the boat entered the lock; then the lock is closed and water is pumped in, raising the boat up to the next level of the river. The ship barely fits in the lock...I can understand why the captain told us not to stick your heads out of your French balcony window when the ship is in the lock. There is barely 3 inches between the ship and the wall of the lock.

Lunch was served as a buffet...lots of traditional German foods...sausages, sauerkraut, roast pork and ham, spaetzle, potato salad, veggies, plenty of salad options. You could also order a sandwich, soup, and one menu item.

After lunch and a short nap, I went to the lounge for a presentation by Rachel on the sytems of locks. We were approaching the Continental Divide. When we had crossed that point, there was music; and the waiters passed a special Blue Danube cocktail, which was Blue Curacao and champagne!

Captain Andreas then gave a short presentation and answered questions. He's very short...not much taller than me...and he jokes about it. I had a chance to tell him I so understood about being short, as I am only 4' 10” tall. He may be short in stature; but he definitely runs a tight ship, especially going through the locks. He has a good crew working with him. This evening, we each received a special certificate showing that we'd crossed the Continental Divide.

This morning, we docked in Regensburg...right in the city. We can walk right off the ship. Our city guide today is Henry Winkler!! Well....Helmut Winkler! One thing I came to appreciate about all our city guides is the fact that they are very aware of the need for restroom breaks. We walked along the Danube for a while and he showed us the Wurstkuche...the sausage kitchen. Seeing how we'd just eaten breakfast, we decided to stop before heading back to the ship later. My husband is a marathon runner; so he was really upset to see that the Regensburg Marathon was taking place that morning. He usually does his research to see if there is a race...5K, 10K, or marathon...anywhere we're traveling.

Regensburg has the world's oldest music school and was the center of the Holy Roman Empire 1663-1806. It was visited by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006. His brother had been the choir master at St. Peter's Cathedral for many years. Our tour ended at St. Peter's. Since it was Sunday, we thought we'd stay for Mass that was scheduled at noon; however, we learned that Mass wasn't in that church, but the church behind it, which I believe was St. Ulrich church. It was beautiful and we were able to attend Mass there.

After lunch, we boarded a bus for the 45 minute ride to Weltenberg Abbey, a Benedictine Monastery. Interestingly, our guide at the church was an American. Afterwards, we were treated to beer and pretzels, made by the monks. I really think it was the best beer I had on the trip....but, I'm not a big beer drinker, so, what do I know?? We then took a ferryboat ride through the Danube Gorge...it was breathtaking, going through the gorge with very high cliffs. We got off the boat and went up the mountain to the Hall of Liberation. It was a nice little walk. Got back to the ship and had dinner. A men's quartet from the St. Peter's Cathedral choir came on board to give a short concert. It has been a really long, tiring day; so, we called turned in rather early.

Today, we arrive in Passau. Several passengers took the optional tour to Salzburg. But, as much as I love music and “The Sound of Music,” I decided to stay and tour the city. Since I'm an organist, what I really want to see is the organ in St. Stephen's Church....the largest pipe organ in the world! It was magnificent. Unfortunately, we won't be there long enough to hear the concert at noon. Passau experienced major flooding of the Danube last spring. The water marks were pointed out to us...it was amazing!! It was the second highest flooding in history, second only to the flood in the 1500's. I can't believe the city is relatively “back to normal” so soon. My husband took the first of 3 guided bike tours offered during our trip. He really enjoyed it. I wish we'd had a little more time in Passau. This afternoon, we cruised the Danube toward Linz...plenty of castles and churches along the river.

We pulled into Linz a little earlier than planned; so our cruise manager Rachel put together a short city walk to see some of the sights...then back to the ship for dinner. After dinner, entertainment came onboard....LaStrade...wonderful music!! We cruised all night and pulled into Melk about 7:30 a.m. My husband took another guided bike tour. I went on the tour to Melk Abbey...another Benedictine Monastery. It's huge...and so beautiful! After the tour, several of us walked back through town to our ship. I found a little local pottery shop with some really nice pieces that I purchased. The man, Topfieri Brandl, was the potter; and he was making things right there in his shop. It was nice to buy things that were locally handmade.

During our cruise this afternoon, we had an ice cream social! Such fun. The rum raisin ice cream with caramel sauce is my favorite! Later, they served onion tarts and a cocktail made with apricot brandy (a Melk favorite) and white wine. This evening, we arrived in Vienna. Dinner was served early for those who will be attending the Concert. We opted to eat at Figlmuller's....a restaurant that another couple had recommended. The specialty is weiner schnitzel...BIG weiner schnitzel. It literally covers the whole plate!! But, it was so good, as was the potato salad. Afterwards, the six of us walked around town and took the metro back to the dock area.

This morning, we have a city tour. We rode the bus around the Ringestrasse...not really exciting. But, once we got off,we had a very interesting tour, ending at St. Stephen's Cathedral. It seems that most towns/cities have a St. Stephen's Church. This afternoon, my husband took his third guided bike tour, while I took the optional tour of the Schonbrunn Palace. We both got rained on...me, not too much; but my husband came back pretty wet. Our cabin steward took his wet shoes, washed them, and got them dry for him.

This evening is the Captain's Dinner. There was consomme soup, shrimp with couscous salad, sorbet, filet of beef steak, and baked Alaska.

Thanks for taking us along.

You write flowingly beautiful! (Excuse my English, I'm from the 3rd world country).

Thanks for this great review.

Just to clarify, when you list the dinner entrees, that is what you chose from several selections, correct?

How was the wine and beer on board the ship?

Thank you for posting this. It's just what I was looking for. You really did a great job. What time of year did you go?

I am really enjoying your review!

Jazzbeau, I'm usually telling my choices. We thought the complimentary red and white wines aboard were very good. I took lots of food photos and some of the menus. If someone could tell me how to post them, I'll give it a try.

Sea&me...we went just last month...May 2014. The weather was wonderful...a little chilly some mornings; and a little chilly and windy up on deck when we were cruising.

Jazzbeau, I'm usually telling my choices. We thought the complimentary red and white wines aboard were very good. I took lots of food photos and some of the menus. If someone could tell me how to post them, I'll give it a try.

Here's a link to some hints on posting photos. I use Shutterfly (free) as my photo hosting site:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=25174746&postcount=2

OK....think I may have figured it out.

1st. evening dinner menu

Appetizer: crabcake with crawfish

Mushroom Cappucino:

Filet of Sea Bass on foamy lobster sauce:

Dessert: white and dark chocolate mousse in sesame 'cookie'

Our cabin onboard AmaLyra #206