Christmas Markets on the Rhine - AmaPrima 28 Nov 2016

[anandaindonesia]

Two weeks before departure, we received this very nice wallet from AmaWaterways.

 

Inside there are lots of information about our cruise. Also four sturdy, beautiful luggage tags.

We now know where to board the AmaPrima in Basel. Horay!

 

But first we need to endure the long flights. We took CathayPacific via Hongkong (upgraded to business class. Yay!). Then 13 long hours to Zurich in premium economy. Not so bad.

 

Arriving early morning, we immediately take the train to our first stop, Luzerne.

 

Too early to check in, so we spent time at the railway station to familiarise our selves with the surroundings. Later we found out our hotel, Boutique Hotel Weissen Kreuz, which is close by the river and within easy walking distance from the railway station.

That is the view from our private balcony. Very happy!

 

We arrived on Saturday 26 Nov 2016, so there is a colourful market by the river.

 

More to come. Please be patient fo those of you who are waiting for photos of the AmaPrima. Meantime any questions are welcome. We may or may not have the answer, but ask anyway.

[anandaindonesia]

Sunday 27 November 2016. After a champagne breakfast (complimentary from our hotel), like all good tourists we took the obligatory Lake Lucerne cruise and the cog wheel train up high to Mt Rigi.

 

We are not dissapointed. The sun helps make us forget the cold winter. The view from Rigi Kulm is amazing.

 

Soon it is time to go back to the old city of Lucerne. Santa Claus is coming to town!

 

Yes, come he did. And he parades around the town, too, with the loud clink clank of the cow bells and a solemn procession of farmers in white uniform.

 

The Christmas feeling is everywhere. A big nativity scene is just around the corner.

 

We keep reminding ourselves that we need to prepare for our trip to Basel tomorrow, to board the AmaPrima. Well, but the night is long and there are so many romantic spots in lovely Lucerne.

[anandaindonesia]

I have booked a ride-share via blabla com uk so travel from Lucerne to Basel is simple, fast, and cheap. We reached the pier and board AmaPrima.

 

HAPPY!

This sums up our feeling. To reach AmaPrima we need to climb via VikingVidar (our first experience of rafting). Well, we are quite amused by how we need to go up and down another ship to reach our ship, and have a good laugh of it.

 

As we enter the top deck we can't help to enjoy it first.

 

Including a peek of the whirpool. (Yes, the water is heated).

 

Registration is a breeze. They don't even ask for passport and credit card. It is just your name. I believe that's because we have done online check in prior.

 

They showed us our room (it's ready) and soon our baggages arrived. We don't eant to unpack at this moment. There is another important business to attend to : we are hungry!

 

So off to the lounge we go, and have our first lunch on board.

 

Later we discover that thr lounge is our favorite place of the ship. For tea, for watching the scenery, for just sitting doing nothing.

Edited December 18, 2016 by anandaindonesia

[anandaindonesia]

And now for the moment of truth : how is our cabin looks like?

 

There is a desk area with mirror so it can doubles as vanity. Plenty of space.

 

A closer look at the desk. On embarkation we found some welcome notes and also the daily programme.

 

A mini fridge with more water (complimentary).

 

On a drawer on top of the fridge, glasses and bottle opener should you need one. They also provide an extension plugs.

 

And last but not least ..... a nice, comfortable bed.

We have queen bed. We want to sleep together but later I asked for separate duvets. No problem. It is done during dinner time.

[anandaindonesia]

 

This is what the bathroom looked like. Very good shower with hot water and strong power, both hand held and rain-shower.

 

A throne is there because everybody will need to use it from time to time.

 

An array of soap, bath-gel, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion are replenished daily. Smells nice!

 

We found two robes. One in the closet, one at the back of the bathroom door. Good. Both my wife and myself use the robe often during the cruise.

 

Room slippers are also provided. Nice little touch.

 

We put our suitcases under the bed.

 

Our cabin is category © in the French Balcony, and we are settling in happily in our cabin.

[phabric]

Enjoyed your review with the pictures.

[dolllover]

Thank you for your review and pictures!

[TeaBag]

This is wonderful. Thank you.

[jonj]

Nice review. Looking forward to more.

 

 

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[anandaindonesia]

Now comes the hardest part. So hard that I keep delaying writing it.

 

No. Not because the food is subjective. I doubt anybody can say something bad about a food like this. (Especially as you don't even have to do the dishes afterwards). Well, that's spinach boletus quiche with chives sour cream, sauteed cherry tomatoes and vegetables. So yummy it doesn't need any fancy name, does it?

 

So why do I find this is the hardest part? For one reason or another, I don't have a single photo to show you the AmaPrima Dining Room. What a shame!

Just a glimpse of how beautiful it is to the left of our 'usual' table. Yes, river cruise is open seating and you cannot reserve where you'll be seating, but more often than not we end up sitting at this particular table. By the window, just the two of us. On occasion when it is not possible to get a table for two, we simply place our order and ask the waiter to bring it upstairs to the lounge (of course simple dishes and not too many).

 

Now, if only the service could be faster....

We do find the service v-e-r-y s-l-o-w. So slow that sometimes we consider leaving the dining room without waiting for our food to arrive. And one or two times we did left, not bother to wait for the desserts.

 

Many fellow cruisers must have the same feeling. They are asking impatiently for the ice cream. I don't understand why Ama cannot put out the ice cream sooner.

 

We did mention to the crew that we are happy with any food but we need faster service. For that particular night, yes, service is prompt. But then it goes s-l-o-w again. Well.... if there is a buffet we will take matters into our own hand but this is dinner. Lunch is better as you can have buffet and also order some hot items.

 

Another aspect of the time is that the meal times varies from day to day. Read your daily program carefully, please.

One night they say dinner starts 7.30pm (we had late arrivals from excursion). However, they hold us waiting at the door and only allow us to enter at 7.45pm. No explanation, no apologies. We are too hungry to ask.

 

Aside from the s-l-o-w service, food is good to excellent. If you have not done so, please read my review of the Chef's Table at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2432438

Heavenly experience!

 

And here some more food porn :

[mimmy52]

I'm enjoying your review and hope for more. And your photos are lovely!

[anandaindonesia]

I'm enjoying your review and hope for more. And your photos are lovely!

Thank you for the encouragement.

 

Sent from my SM-J700F using Tapatalk

[anandaindonesia]

Let's get out of the ship for a while. Anyway cruising is not always about the ship, but also to visit those places that will be in our memories.

 

Forget Paris, forget Cannes, forget the big names. This is a river cruise so we got to see the small villages and the remote places. Our first stop is Riquewihr.

 

Well, not quite. AmaPrima, after leaving Basel, docked in Breisach, Germany. That is, on the German side of the Rhine river. And just a bridge away is France!

 

There are two included excursions offered by AmaPrima : Breisach & Freiburg (Germany), or Riquewihr (France). As we will be visiting German towns later during the cruise, I opted for this little French town of Riquewihr.

 

We are happy with this choice. Riquewihr is full with charms, albeit a little touristic (at times it can be 60 tourist buses a day flooding this small village). At the time of our visit, of course, Christmas decorations is the main theme all over. But I believe Riquewihr would be an attractive place any time of the year.

 

I will now let the pictures do the talking.

 

When we return to the ship, we were asked to put our shoes out of the room for the night.

And this is what we see the next morning :

Santa has visited the AmaPrima 😀. Thank you, dear Santa!

Edited December 20, 2016 by anandaindonesia

[TeaBag]

I am eating up your review, love the food pix. We were on a driving trip in Germany many years ago and we stopped in Freiburg. Loved that place and bought a torsion pendulum clock to remind us of it. I woke up one morning at 5AM and watched them set up the market in the center of town. It was very interesting. Your French town looks great too. We will be on the Rhone and the Danube so won't see these places.

[Scootoir]

We were on the Viking Vidar as you walked through it to get to your AmaPrima. I am enjoying your report and photos and will try to post a report of our cruise on the Rhine soon.

[anandaindonesia]

We were on the Viking Vidar as you walked through it to get to your AmaPrima. I am enjoying your report and photos and will try to post a report of our cruise on the Rhine soon.

Nice to hear that.

We criss cross with Viking Vidar many times during the cruise. Here are a few photos I took while passing by.

 

Looking forward to read your review.

 

Sent from my SM-J700F using Tapatalk

[mimmy52]

Hope there will be more!

[anandaindonesia]

Merry Christmas, everyone!

 

Before I continue, let me share some printed items.

 

The cruise overview, day by day at a glance.

 

The Daily Cruiser says that "Every Day is a New Life to the Wise One". 👍

 

On this Welcome Aboard edition, there is a list of all the important names :

Captain Ron Schuegard

Cruise Manager Nikola Grujin

Hotel Manager Gemma Corcoran

Engineer Marian Nistor

Executive Chef Jozsef Lado

Maitre'D Catalin Constandatos

Purser George Lukacs

1st Housekeeper Mariana Andonova

 

And here is the program for embarkation day :

 

And if you are wondering, the AmaPrima is not sailing until the next morning. Hence we arrived in Breisach after lunch and our visit to Riquewihr is started only by 1pm.

Program for day 02 - December 29th, 2016

 

A word about excursion : they maintain a rigid schedule so you'd better be ready 10 minutes before departure. When they say excursion start at 1pm, as our GOOD Cruise Manager Nikola said, it does not mean that you assemble at the lounge at 1pm, or you leave the ship at 1pm, but the bus leaves at 1pm!

 

Sorry I don't have photo of the listening device, but I can assure you it is lightweight and wotks very well. You can hear your guide even if you are a little bit out of the cattle-herd 😎. Just ensure you have it charged every night while you are sleeping.