Ama Waterways room type question

Looking @ Melodies of Danube for April 2019 & I know it will be too chilly to sit on the balcony with my morning coffee. Debating about the french balcony & the smaller of the 2 rooms- the CA vs the CB. The CB is a less $ & 15 sq feet smaller & on the violin deck, which is under the walking track. I don't really think that would be an issue. The room is near the chef's table restaurant, which I also don't believe will be an issue. Any real pros/cons to room type? I don't expect to spend much time in room.

Also- for those of you who have done AMA, is it better to be pre & post cruise with them or on your own?

Haven't done a river cruise before & liked their itinerary.

Thanks:D

Looking @ Melodies of Danube for April 2019 & I know it will be too chilly to sit on the balcony with my morning coffee. Debating about the french balcony & the smaller of the 2 rooms- the CA vs the CB. The CB is a less $ & 15 sq feet smaller & on the violin deck, which is under the walking track. I don't really think that would be an issue. The room is near the chef's table restaurant, which I also don't believe will be an issue. Any real pros/cons to room type? I don't expect to spend much time in room.

Also- for those of you who have done AMA, is it better to be pre & post cruise with them or on your own?

Haven't done a river cruise before & liked their itinerary.

Thanks:D

Regarding cabin size, I found the cabins to be quite a bit smaller than any ocean vessel I have been on. I had a CA french balcony on AmaStella and found it to be quite small... and I was a solo traveler. While it was December and very cold outside, I did appreciate having the floor to ceiling windows to look out.

My cabin was on Cello deck near the middle of the ship and I can't see how being near the Chef's Table would be an issue. That venue is small and was quiet when we dined there.

My group of 3 found that our hotel pre-cruise was much cheaper if we booked on our own. We do prefer to arrange our own transportation and not have to wait until the transport vehicle is full... or wait on others to arrive, go to the restroom, etc.

We loved Ama and hope to do another cruise in the next year or two. Have a wonderful trip!

Thank you for the feedback:D

We did the Melodies of the Danube with extension to Munich. I believe there is an extension to Prague also. We enjoyed the extension to Munich. It included a day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle. By the time you add up the transfer from ship to either Munich or Prague, then the excursions, plus the hotel, the cost was reasonable. Of course, if you have tons of hotel points and are comfortable taking public transportation or hire a private guide, then you don’t need the extension.

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For those of you who have done AMA, is it better to be pre & post cruise with them or on your own?

If not aware, there is a hybrid option you might want to consider...

I cruised the Danube [Vilshofen to Budapest] aboard AmaStella--and a few days following that disembarkation--cruised the Rhine [basel to Amsterdam] aboard AmaSonata in May/June 2017...

On both legs of the trip, I elected to do my off-ship touring independently [6 nights in Poland/4 nights in Prague prior to the Danube trip, an additional independent night in Budapest before flying to Switzerland/transferring by rail to Lucerne for three nights prior to the Rhine trip]... Though this approach did take a fair amount of meticulous planning on my part, I did get to see/do exactly what I wanted within the time periods I needed [understandably AMA offered nothing comparable for a consecutive cruiser; their land packages are designed cruise by cruise] and--though I stayed in very nice hotels and paid for my air/rail transfers, my tours, and all of my meals on my own--I realized a substantial savings as compared to the AMA land packages and appreciated the lack of regimentation...

It's not widely advertised but I did purchase transfers to the ship [from Prague to Vilshofen; from Lucerne to Basel] through AMA... On each of the cruise embarkation mornings, I taxied over to the hotels in Prague and Lucerne that AMA was using for their pre-cruise land package offerings [very nice; I happened to chose others that I viewed as comparable], met the Cruise Manager [who escorted the AMA group--on land and aboard ship--for the entire trip]/my fellow travelers, and did the bus transfers--each with an included tour in route--to Vilshofen and Basel... The process worked like a charm! The transfer to Vilshofen--and then to the ship from the rail station--would have been a bit of a logistical challenge... My luggage--I traveled for a month--was handled from AMA's hotels to my stateroom... I arrived at the ship precisely when it was fully ready to receive guests... And as an unexpected surprise, AMA provided me with a transfer to the airport in Amsterdam [i wasn't staying on having been there several times before; AMA was doing no post-cruise land-package there] since I'd purchased the pre-cruise transfer from Lucerne to Basel through them...

I should add that--among the guests I spoke with on both cruises--those who did the pre-cruise land tour [and there were many of them] through AMA were very highly satisfied with their experiences as to hotels, included tours/meals, and the supportive, highly organized, nurturing, very professional assistance provided by the Cruise Manager... If the entire itinerary is new to you, if you don't have pre-conceived notions as to what you want to see/do, and if you don't want to be bothered with the planning, doing the pre- and/or post-cruise land packages can seemingly be a very attractive option...

I was thrilled with my AMA experiences... Start to finish [landside and while traveling], I found them to be an impressive "class act" with inclusions/features that were perfect for me and with excellent/meticulous service... I'm sure I'll be back [depending upon the route I choose; I may/may not do their pre- and/or post-cruise land tours]!

Enjoy!

Your experience on AMA will be much different than your ocean cruise ones. I have been on 2 AMA cruises (one in May, the other in December) and both times had a balcony room. We used it very little, even in May because the common areas are very pleasant and the Sun Deck is usually uncrowded. There is also an outdoor area in front of the main lounge that is great. Plus, the coffee machine, which is AWESOME!!, is in the lounge so sitting there or on the sundeck is easy.

Bottom line, choose a room that fits your inside needs. I would say there is not much difference between A and B rooms on the ships you will potentially be on. Enjoy and if you have any other specific questions, please let me know.

Thank you for all the info. We booked the smaller cabin & as of now we think we will do pre & post on our own but use the AMA transfer from ship to Prague. I booked the post, just in case. & will see what I opt to do after more research. I just figure as long as we have the French balcony & the cruise is only 7 nights, we can deal with the smaller room. On an ocean cruise, the full balcony & larger room is more appreciated with the 12 day cruises we have done.

I've been on two Ama ships. Our first we had two rooms the fixed window on I believe its Deck 1. It was the least expensive (although expensive compared to Ocean cruises). We were actually quite pleased with it. On Amastella, it had a very deep window and we were able to keep our "rose" there as well as some items we would need on a daily basis. Just avoid, the rooms we had which was right up against the entry door to the crew cabins. It was a constant opening and shutting, often slamming into our door issue. This was a Christmas market cruise - truly we were rarely in the cabin.

Next cruise, we paid just a little bit more to be away from the crew door, closer to the steps going up. However, when we were being brought to our cabin, we walked up to Deck 3. After investigating and looking at our booking, we found out we were upgraded to a French Door which we absolutely loved. Quite a few people were upgraded as there were quite a few solos that they wanted to sell the cabins to. The floor to ceiling sliding door opens completely; and since this was a September cruise, we enjoyed the breeze and sat there often. It was as good as any balcony. Trouble is, we will now want to book French Door and the price really JUMPS when you start there.

Always book your own pre and post cruise.

We did the Melodies of the Danube. We reserved the Category CB French Balcony on Deck 3 and we’re assigned cabin 334 which is right outside the Chefs Table. The restroom for the Chefs Table is literally right next to the cabin door entrance. We were shocked at the small size of the cabin. There’s no way the cabin is 155 sq ft unless maybe you’re counting closet and drawer space! That in itself was manageable. However, once the ship was underway, I swear the cabin must be sitting right on top of the engines. The noise was very loud and constant. Even worse was the vibration in the room. Everything in the room rumbled especially the beds which made it almost impossible to sleep. We met with the hotel manager the next morning and were very nice about explaining our concerns. They were able to move us to a double balcony cabin on Deck 2 that morning and it was wonderful. So happy they were able to help us out and were very understanding. I would strongly recommend not booking one of the category CB cabins.

We did the Melodies of the Danube. We reserved the Category CB French Balcony on Deck 3 and we’re assigned cabin 334 which is right outside the Chefs Table. The restroom for the Chefs Table is literally right next to the cabin door entrance. We were shocked at the small size of the cabin. There’s no way the cabin is 155 sq ft unless maybe you’re counting closet and drawer space! That in itself was manageable. However, once the ship was underway, I swear the cabin must be sitting right on top of the engines. The noise was very loud and constant. Even worse was the vibration in the room. Everything in the room rumbled especially the beds which made it almost impossible to sleep. We met with the hotel manager the next morning and were very nice about explaining our concerns. They were able to move us to a double balcony cabin on Deck 2 that morning and it was wonderful. So happy they were able to help us out and were very understanding. I would strongly recommend not booking one of the category CB cabins.

This concerns me- we are on AMALea in April in cabin 332, but it appears there is a room under us while 334 didn't have a cabin below. Now I am wondering if we should look for a bigger cabin on the other side of boat:confused::confused:

IMHO 155 sf is just too small [and yes, cruise lines count bathrooms, closets and drawers in the published number – in fact the measurement is taken from the blueprints and goes all the way to the center of the walls – this is standard practice in land construction too]. And cabins at the very aft of the ship may have engine vibrations, especially if the captain has to put the pedal to the metal [e.g. when sailing upstream]. The CA category is just enough larger that you can walk past the bed, but my choice would be for BB: large enough at 210 sf and located in the most central and quiet part of the ship.

I had originally intended to buy a transfer from Vilshofen to Munich post-cruise for the 8/10 Melodies cruise on AMAViola, but my agent was notified several months ago that upon further review, they wouldn't be offering a transfer this trip since no one had booked the post-trip to Munich (I'm going independent). After talking to my agent and he with AMA, we were able to settle on a transfer to the Munich airport from which I will independently transfer to Munich. I'm debating between train and the Lufthansa shuttle service (bus, runs every 15 minutes to central station, drinks served onboard). Anyway, check with agent to see if transfers are possible.

The value of the pre-post trips also partially hinges on whether you're traveling as a couple or a solo. As a solo, the single supplement for the add-ons is full tariff and does not makes sense value-wise. I am far ahead on my own.

This concerns me- we are on AMALea in April in cabin 332, but it appears there is a room under us while 334 didn't have a cabin below. Now I am wondering if we should look for a bigger cabin on the other side of boat:confused::confused:

Perhaps 332 will be OK. Cabin 334 was very small. It may have had a different configuration that other cabins? We had the beds separated into twins which made it nearly impossible to enter the cabin and get around the bed. Also since the cabin is so small, the 2 chairs they use for the cabin are basically tiny stools with backs. There was not room to put them in front of the French balcony. And the chairs weren’t large enough to sit in comfortably anyways. If you have the means to upgrade I highly recommend it. The category BB cabin we upgraded to onboard was really nice. We loved it. AmaWaterways was a wonderful line to cruise with. Great food and crew. You won’t be disappointed!

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We were in 334 on the Amaviola a few weeks ago. And yes, it's small. But it's also well laid out and we didn't have any issues with space. We also didn't have any issues with noise either from the Chef's Table, engine noise / vibration, or noise from above. The bathroom is the same size as other cabins -- with a largish shower. There was plenty of storage. The French Balcony provided plenty of light as well. But there is no room to walk around in the room, sit other than the bed, etc.

A nice feature of this room is that there is a coffee machine in the Chef's Table that you can quickly access. The Chef's table is empty except at night and it was a quiet, nice additional lounge for morning river views. It was nearly private too.

We did have an issue when rafting next to a shorter ship that was funneling exhaust into our cabin. Our captain and cruise manager were able to address the issue.

This was our first Amawaterways cruise but won't be our last.

We were in 334 on the Amaviola a few weeks ago. And yes, it's small. But it's also well laid out and we didn't have any issues with space. We also didn't have any issues with noise either from the Chef's Table, engine noise / vibration, or noise from above. The bathroom is the same size as other cabins -- with a largish shower. There was plenty of storage. The French Balcony provided plenty of light as well. But there is no room to walk around in the room, sit other than the bed, etc.

 

A nice feature of this room is that there is a coffee machine in the Chef's Table that you can quickly access. The Chef's table is empty except at night and it was a quiet, nice additional lounge for morning river views. It was nearly private too.

 

We did have an issue when rafting next to a shorter ship that was funneling exhaust into our cabin. Our captain and cruise manager were able to address the issue.

 

This was our first Amawaterways cruise but won't be our last.

Were you sailing upstream or downstream? We started in Budapest and sailed upstream. Perhaps when sailing in this direction the engines are used more. The vibration and noise sailing the night from Budapest to the first stop were very noticeable. I agree that although the cabin was small, there was room to store everything we brought.

We decided to stick with the smaller cabin & treat ourselves on the post cruise to 4 nights at the 4 Seasons. Figured the fact that we will be spending so little time in the cabin for the 1 week cruise, that we would appreciate the nice splurge after it in Prague. We are doing Prague on our own as well as 2 stops before the cruise: 1st to Belgium, then to Budapest 2 days before embarkation. Thank you for all your responses :-)

I had originally intended to buy a transfer from Vilshofen to Munich post-cruise for the 8/10 Melodies cruise on AMAViola' date=' but my agent was notified several months ago that upon further review, they wouldn't be offering a transfer this trip since no one had booked the post-trip to Munich (I'm going independent). After talking to my agent and he with AMA, we were able to settle on a transfer to the Munich airport from which I will independently transfer to Munich. I'm debating between train and the Lufthansa shuttle service (bus, runs every 15 minutes to central station, drinks served onboard). Anyway, check with agent to see if transfers are possible.

 

The value of the pre-post trips also partially hinges on whether you're traveling as a couple or a solo. As a solo, the single supplement for the add-ons is full tariff and does not makes

 

 

sense value-wise. I am far ahead on my own.[/quote']

 

 

I was on the Melodies last October and opted to take the train out of Vilshofen and then bus to Munich airport. Don't ever travel with me LOL. what a mess. First I wanted to walk to train from boat and they said "a mile over cobblestones with luggage??" So off I went in a cab to the train station. The driver dropped me off and I was minutes from getting on the train and here he comes running up the ramp with my LUGGAGE!! I had forgotten in taxi. I won't even bore you with the horrible trek to the airport...What an ordeal...never again. There was a bus transfer but I thought it would be cheaper by train!! I over-thunk :)

Just got off AmaStella. We were in a BA cabin with two "Balconies" (French and Outside). We rarely used the Outside Balcony. Too narrow and no privacy. We used the French Balcony every day. Too bad it was not wider. I would probably go with a CA cabin next time. A bit smaller, but more usable space with the full-width French Balcony.

We used our outdoor balcony a lot. Loved it.

We did the Melodies of the Danube. We reserved the Category CB French Balcony on Deck 3 and we’re assigned cabin 334 which is right outside the Chefs Table. The restroom for the Chefs Table is literally right next to the cabin door entrance. We were shocked at the small size of the cabin. There’s no way the cabin is 155 sq ft unless maybe you’re counting closet and drawer space! That in itself was manageable. However, once the ship was underway, I swear the cabin must be sitting right on top of the engines. The noise was very loud and constant. Even worse was the vibration in the room. Everything in the room rumbled especially the beds which made it almost impossible to sleep. We met with the hotel manager the next morning and were very nice about explaining our concerns. They were able to move us to a double balcony cabin on Deck 2 that morning and it was wonderful. So happy they were able to help us out and were very understanding. I would strongly recommend not booking one of the category CB cabins.

We just got off the AmaLea Melodies of the Danube cruise and were in cabin 334. The first night, as we travelled from Budapest to Bratislava, the noise and vibration were pretty bad and we did not get a good night’s sleep. We spoke to our cruise manager the next morning but there was no other cabin available. He did tell us that the portion of the trip from Budapest to Bratislava was the one that was the most problematic - because of the low water levels and the need to cover a long distance, the engines had to work extra hard. He promised us that the noise and vibration levels would improve. And they did - after that first night, we had no problem sleeping. As to the size of the cabin, it is small but very well laid out. I would imagine it would be tighter in the two bed configuration. And most of your time is spent out of the cabin anyway. Yes, you are next to the bathroom for the Chef’s Table restaurant, but in the whole time we were in the room, I never saw anyone use it. The Chef’s Table is only open in the evenings and, if you aren’t eating there, you are in the dining room. Bottom line - I probably would spring for a CA room on another cruise rather than take the chance of losing another night’s sleep but I’m glad we booked a room with a French balcony - it was nice to open the window in the morning and look outside as the ship cruised into the next port.