AMA vs. Gate 1

[smk730]

Hi. We are looking to take our first river cruise this summer and are very interested in AMA. The dates and itinerary (prague to budapest) we are most interested in turns out to be very pricey. An alternative suggested to us was to take Gate 1's monarch empress. Can anyone provide information on the differences? Food, demographics of the cruisers, tours, etc. I'm certainly interested in saving money but also want this to be a good experience.

 

fyi, We have been happy with celebrity for ocean cruises and are in our mid 50's and active.

 

Thanks so much.

[Valley Girl of VA]

I have cruised AMA and Avalon, in fact I cruise AMA last year on the cruise you are writing about and I thought it was wonderful. I have posted about in on my blog. I have not cruised Gate 1 but a Facebook friend did cruise them this fall and was very disappointed - she thought it was rather barebones. We had bicycles on our ship that we could take out and ride around when we were in port as well as escorted bicycle excursion that my husband went on. She did not have them and thought that would have been good on her cruise. I'm sure others who have cruised with Gate 1 will give you their two cents worth.

 

God luck with your decision.

 

Jane

[smk730]

Thanks for the response. Does anyone that's been on gate 1 have any info on demographics of cruisers, food etc?

 

 

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[Roz]

You're trying to compare apples and oranges. They're at two different price points for a reason. Either one could work for you. What are you looking for, and what are your expectations?

 

If you like ocean cruising on Celebrity, my first response would be to go with AMA. There's a Celebrity cruiser that posts here - Lois - and she took an AMA cruise and loved it.

 

Roz

[TeaBag]

Yes, Lois thought AMA was wonderful. We, too are celebrity cruisers and we have chosen AMA in Jun for our first river cruise. AMA is a bit expensive, especially when paying in CDN, but it is our 50th anniversary this year, so we decided to go for it.

 

OP, when are you planning to go? Also, have you looked at other cruises, like Avalon? Ours was a tossup between Avalon and AMA.

[4Lakes Lady]

We have not cruised with AMA but have done 2 cruises with Gate1. The first was a Christmas markets on the Danube with 2 days in Prague before the cruise and 2 days in Budapest after the cruise. We loved the cruise! Demographics were mixed with the majority of passengers 50-70. Food was decent but not memorable. Tour guides onboard and at each port were excellent!

 

Our most recent river cruise with Gate1 was Moscow to St. Petersburg with several days in both major cities. Similar demographics. This time food was better and the Gate1 tour leader only average. However, the Russian staff onboard was outstanding!

 

BTW we are Oceania cruisers because we love the ships, food and onboard atmosphere.

 

 

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[Roz]

Thank you for your review of Gate 1, 4 Lakes Lady. I've been considering them for a Russian river cruise. Wasn't sure about going with a "budget" line.

 

Roz

[4Lakes Lady]

Thank you for your review of Gate 1, 4 Lakes Lady. I've been considering them for a Russian river cruise. Wasn't sure about going with a "budget" line.

 

 

 

Roz

 

Roz,

We did the Russian cruise this past September and opted for Gate1's "First Class" Russian waterways because the days in Moscow and St Petersburg were in first class hotels- both within walking distance of Red Square and the heart of SPB. The interesting thing is all the river cruise ships are similar, regardless of cruise company-older Russian ships. We walked through the Viking ship when we disembarked at one port. It didn't look any more high-end than the Gate1 ship (I'm sure the difference was probably food, but our food was fine). In all ways the trip was fantastic- we learned so much about Russian culture, history as well as some of the politics [emoji4]

 

 

 

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[4774Papa]

Hi. We are looking to take our first river cruise this summer and are very interested in AMA. The dates and itinerary (prague to budapest) we are most interested in turns out to be very pricey. An alternative suggested to us was to take Gate 1's monarch empress. Can anyone provide information on the differences? Food, demographics of the cruisers, tours, etc. I'm certainly interested in saving money but also want this to be a good experience.

 

fyi, We have been happy with celebrity for ocean cruises and are in our mid 50's and active.

 

Thanks so much.

 

We have done three river cruises with Vantage and one with AMA.

Both are great lines, but AMA's prices have risen a lot more in recent years.

 

Gate 1 is a budget line. I know people that have been on a Gate 1 tour/cruise and they liked it, but they said it definitely was a budget line.

 

Comparing AMA to Gate 1 is like comparing a BMW to a Chevy.

[Lois R]

quote by Roz:

" There's a Celebrity cruiser that posts here - Lois - and she took an AMA cruise and loved it."

 

That would be me;)....Hi Roz!

 

To the original poster......Roz is correct, I LOVED my AMA cruise:D and I wrote

a detailed review. IF you want to read it, you will find it in the member

reviews section.

[sharkster77]

Gate1 cruisers: does Gate1 include fewer excursions than Viking, AMA, etc? I have read on these boards that some of the less-known lines charge for every excursion. What is Gate1's structure for excursions?

 

Sometimes a cheaper thing ends up not being much cheaper because non-included costs increase the actual cost.

[4Lakes Lady]

Gate1 cruisers: does Gate1 include fewer excursions than Viking, AMA, etc? I have read on these boards that some of the less-known lines charge for every excursion. What is Gate1's structure for excursions?

 

 

 

Sometimes a cheaper thing ends up not being much cheaper because non-included costs increase the actual cost.

 

 

The Gate1 River cruises I have taken included excursions in every stop- divided in groups so they were very manageable. There were also additional excursions available for an additional cost in several locations. This is very similar to the Viking cruises.

 

I have at times taken extra excursions and found then well worth the cost. At the same time, when traveling with friends, we have arranged private tours to include more options, sharing the cost of a private guide.

 

Having traveled through Gate1 for almost 15 years, I believe it is a value hard to beat. More upscale lines may offer greater shipboard amenities, but in the end, you will have a similar experience while touring the locations.

Just my personal opinion ☺

 

 

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[Roz]

Cпасибо, 4Lakes Lady, for the additional info on Gate 1. I've always had an interest in Russian history, politics, and culture, and took 5 semesters of Russian language over the past couple of years. Would like to put it to a real, live test.

 

Roz

[R'man]

Gate1 cruisers: does Gate1 include fewer excursions than Viking, AMA, etc? I have read on these boards that some of the less-known lines charge for every excursion. What is Gate1's structure for excursions? Sometimes a cheaper thing ends up not being much cheaper because non-included costs increase the actual cost.

 

We did a two week run on Gate 1 in November from Budapest to Amsterdam. Every stop featured a "free" local excursion, with others occasionally available for a price. We saw the other lines' excursions around town - same routing. The only difference I noticed was Viking cruisers had nice red umbrellas provided when it rained. Each line used the same/comparable bus charter companies, and the guides are generally supplied through the local tourist bureau.

 

I guess my question to you is how much would you like to spend, because there is a cruise line willing to take whatever your preference for much the same product. Comparing notes with friends who took Viking, the essentials were very similar. There was more polish to the Viking product...and a significantly higher price tag than Gate 1. If you're looking for bragging rights, there's one for you. But how much is having a bicycle available worth? For DW and me, not much. Tastes and preferences differ.

 

If you're looking for trips and experiences, I would suggest, based on what we saw and heard first hand, there's a thin difference on the main points offered by the many lines. If Gate 1 is a "budget line", I certainly didn't feel any loss, and certainly no remorse. They didn't act or portray themselves as such. Service was great, and the food is whatever one makes of it.

 

Our group of about 130 passengers included retirees, accomplished business people, a rancher and several professionals, and was very convivial. Ages ranged from grad school attendees to the 70s. Many were frequent clients of Gate 1.

 

(FWIW: We prefer Celebrity or Cunard for our ocean cruising.)