Kristin Karst

Hi Jack1,

Thank you for completing your online registration. Signing up for excursions while on your Mekong cruise is slightly different than that of our European itineraries. You will be able to choose all your excursions while on board!

We look forward to welcoming you aboard the AmaDara!

-Kristin

Hi F858MM,

Converting a small amount of cash to euro prior to departure can often be helpful. Our ships do not have cash machines but ATMs and ABMs are widely available throughout Europe and readily accessible during shore excursions. We recommend notifying your bank of your travel plans so they can inform you of any applicable foreign transaction fees and/or restrictions.

Major credit cards (Visa/MasterCard/American Express) are also accepted in most European shops, hotels and restaurants. Some places may require a minimum charge for using credit cards and others may not accept certain cards, so it’s best to bring more than one and/or have some cash at the ready. As with your debit card, we recommend notifying your credit card company of your travel plans and also inquire about any applicable foreign transaction fees and/or restrictions.

Lastly, Travelers Checks can be exchanged for local currency on board in limited amounts. There may be a foreign transaction fee for this service and daily conversion rates apply.

If you have any additional questions, I recommend contacting your travel agent or our reservations agents at 800-626-0126.

Safe travels and we look forward to welcoming aboard the beautiful AmaSonata next week!

-Kristin

Hi CaroleLee,

Not off topic at all, I'm thrilled to speak to all of our itineraries and destinations! During our time moored in Caudebec-en-Caux on our Paris and Normandy cruise, we have several excursions that guests may choose from including excursions to Honfleur, Routes des Abbayes, two options for full-day excursions to the Normandy Beaches or the choice for a full-day excursion to the Pays d'Auge. We currently do not plan to add a visit to Bayeaux, however if this changes we’ll be sure to let everyone know!

Thank you for your question!

-Kristin

Hello mtnfoodie!

Your pre-cruise documents are scheduled to arrive 3-4 weeks prior to your U.S. departure date. Inside we provide all the information for your river cruise, but also a wonderful destination guide with more information on the region you will be visiting. We can't wait to welcome you on board the AmaDagio. Safe travels!

-Kristin

Hi mmsoko,

The transfer from Prague to Vilshofen is scheduled to leave at 8:00 AM. Have a safe trip and enjoy your time in Prague and on board the beautiful AmaSerena!

-Kristin

Hi MitzyA,

Thank you for choosing Ama for your Douro river cruise experience, we are thrilled to have you cruising with us for the first time! Meal times may vary slightly due to the timing of shore excursions, however, breakfast is usually served from 7:30 - 9:30 AM, lunch from 12:30 - 2:00 PM and dinner at 7:00 PM.

We offer onboard massage and laundry services at very modest pricing. We have 30-minute targeted area massage options from €30 to and 60-minute full body massage from €60.

For our laundry services, washing only items start at €1.20 (t-shirt, undergarments, socks) to €2.50 (dress) and pressing only items start at €0.70 (t-shirt) to €2.00 (dress or dress shirt).

We are looking forward to welcoming you on board this October!

-Kristin

Hello Mitzy A and bobalink,

We do not have our Chef's Table restaurant on the AmaVida, however, unique to this ship because of Portugal's warm temperate, guests can choose to dine in our Al Fresco dining area. The same menu is offered in both the Main Restaurant and Al Fresco dining and can accommodate up to 32 guests.

We look forward to welcoming you on board the beautiful AmaVida!

-Kristin

Hi KathQ,

I agree with the great input and responses from Needzavacation and Got2Cruise! For dinners in the Main Restaurant and Chef’s Table, we recommend smart casual attire, a tie is not by any means necessary.

We look forward to welcoming you aboard the beautiful AmaSonata in October!

-Kristin

Hi winegirl,

So happy to have you cruising with us again! In the last couple years, we have added our popular specialty restaurant, The Chef's Table Restaurant, to all our European ships. This separate dinner-only venue seats just 28 guests, is located off the aft of the ship, and offers a special tasting menu of regionally-inspired offerings paired with high-quality wines. The kitchen becomes part of the entertainment as our expert chef prepares the multi-course dinner via a glass-paneled kitchen. Reservations are required and can be made for one evening of your choice at the reception desk starting on embarkation day.

We hope you enjoy the experience!

-Kristin

Hi phabric,

We are very excited to welcome you on our Provence and Spain itinerary next year. You will not have to worry about taking your luggage to and from the pre- and post-extension hotels, we will arrange everything for you! Guests will take a pre-arranged motorcoach transfer from the Paris hotel to the train station and we will also arrange to transfer your luggage to the ship via a luggage truck.

Looking forward to having you cruising with us!

-Kristin

Hi Mark,

I apologize for any frustration you may have experienced when calling to inquire about our transfer services. There may have been a slight miscommunication in what you were told so I hope I can help clarify.

AmaWaterways "long-haul” transfers can be purchased separately from our land extensions and will transfer guests from our pre-cruise land package hotel to the ship on embarkation day and conversely, from ship to the hotel we’re using for post-cruise land package on disembarkation day. This means that guests booking accommodations independently can meet in the lobby of the hotel at the specific pre-arranged time to catch the transfer to the ship.

To utilize our AmaWaterways airport transfers, we do require guests to be flying into/out of the airport on standard start/end itinerary package date.

I hope this helps and if you would like to provide your details to res@amawaterways.com, and reference this conversation, one of our reservation agents can call you to discuss your transfer options for your cruise.

We can't wait to welcome you onboard next year!

-Kristin

Hi GadaboutGranny,

Cognac is a beautiful town and we’ve included this optional as we had so many guests wanting to visit and taste the famous French spirit in its birthplace. It is about a 2-hour drive to Cognac from Bordeaux. Upon arrival, there is a 30-minute walking and orientation tour. Guests will then have 90 minutes for lunch and free time on their own. The first distillery visit begins around 1:30pm, with about 1-1.5 hours’ time spent at each.

Many guests who extend their stay in Bordeaux beyond the cruise will take this tour, but we also find that many have Cognac on their bucket list and utilize time on embarkation day to explore Bordeaux. I recommend speaking with your Cruise Manager upon arrival to help with your decision. With either choice, you won’t be disappointed!

-Kristin

Hi 'Boogwoog',

Our Limited Edition Tour programs are only offered during the cruise portion of the itinerary. Currently, our post-cruise program in Istanbul remains unaltered and sightseeing excursions will be offered. These will be detailed in your cruise documents which should arrive shortly for your October sailing!

We can't wait to welcome you back onboard!

-Kristin

Hi Sonora5,

As Carolyn mentioned, water levels can be difficult to predict because they are tied to the weather. We do our best to avoid issues by carefully designing our itineraries and building ships with lower drafts so that they can often cruise in low water when others can’t.

-Kristin

Hi GadaboutGranny,

Thank you for the great question! Carolyn gave an excellent overview of a few of the excursions offered but I wanted to expand on this as well. One of the best things with this new itinerary is that the port locations are an easy walking distance to the local cafés and shops. As Carolyn mentioned above, our first full day on the cruise we know a lot of guests are recovering from jet lag, so there definitely is time to relax onboard before the afternoon tour. However, if you’re up for it in the morning, you can join the Cruise Manager for an outing to the Cadillac Farmer’s Market, or easily walk into the city to explore on your own. As the cruise continues on, there are many more touring options to choose from for your morning or afternoon, for example a walking citadel visit or a bike tour in Blaye, or in Libourne choose from the Chateau de Vayres Tour, Creon Bastide and Market tour or spend some free time shopping on the main street, walking distance from the ship. The Bordeaux region of France is charming, and whether it’s sightseeing, the wine regions or immersing yourself into French local life, the planned program gives enough time to explore all these options!

We can’t wait to host you onboard the AmaDolce in September!

-Kristin

I had discovered an AMA app at my iphone app store. As we will be on our first river cruise in September on AMASerena, I was anxious to get it up and running. However I found it wasnt up and running yet. Any news as to when it will be available and what it will include?

Hi mmsoko,

Our app is still being developed, but when it’s ready we’ll be sure to let everyone know!

-Kristin

Hi bama4cruisin,

CaroleLee, Lois R and Carolyn have already put in some great input and I definitely agree! We recommend smart casual attire for dinners in the Main Restaurant and Chef’s Table.

We look forward to welcoming you onboard next June!

-Kristin

Previous posters noted that some meals were below usual AMA standard ( having been totally spoiled with both food& service on AMADAGIO 2 weeks ago) I find this disconcerting.

Has AMA made changes to its menu, kitchen staff etc?

Hi CaroleLee,

Our staff in Bordeaux is consistent in terms of training and caliber with our other itineraries in Europe. And the menus and cuisine are all overseen by our award-winning Executive Chef, Primus Perchtold, just like on our other ships. We’ve been receiving very good reviews so far from our onboard surveys!

-Kristin

Hi CaroleLee,

You've got an eye on our newest promotion! Currently, through August 31, we are offering $299 roundtrip airfare per person (from select gateways) or up to $2,000 off per stateroom on select 2017 sailings.

We are able to book flights with various airline carriers, which may differ depending on the dates and the destination of your cruise. This promotional airfare is not eligible for upgrades via miles or by paying an additional amount. We highly recommend if you want to upgrade airfare to take advantage of the discount per stateroom. We can then book your flights on a non-promotional fare that would be eligible for upgrades!

For more information on specific carriers from your gateway or the discount itself, please visit or website, http://www.amawaterways.com/specialoffers, or speak with our AmaWaterways representatives available to assist you at 800-626-0126.

Hoping to welcome you onboard in 2017, or perhaps even sooner!

-Kristin

Rec. several deals with $299.00 airfare(economy)Can you give details-airlines used from JFK. If $299.00 fare is purchased can it be upgraded (via FF points and/or $)

Carole

Hi CaroleLee,

Very thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your recent Spain and Provence wine cruise with us! On the Taste of Bordeaux itinerary, we are so excited that we have several overnights in port and guests can enjoy special onboard entertainment after dinner each night. This entertainment ranges from dancing to the best of the decades and contemporary music from our onboard musician, special performances from local talent or even a competitive evening of French trivia led by your Cruise Manager. Alternatively, guests can enjoy free time exploring each city or town’s nightlife before the All Aboard in the morning!

If enjoying a pre- (2-nights Paris) or post-cruise extension (2-nights Loire Valley, 1-night Paris) with us, we stay at the Paris Marriott Opera Ambassador, the Novotel Amboise in the Loire Valley and at the Pullman Paris Roissy CDG Airport for our final evening.

-Kristin

Just ret from 1st river cruise with AMA (pain & Provence) which was fantastic. Notice that the Bordeaux cruise there are several overnights (great!) Other than free time does AMA plan to offer something special @ ea overnight?

 

What hotels are used in Paris, CDG and Amboise?