Romantic AMAWaterways Danube river cruise from Vilshofen,to Budapest .

[thunter1224]

Thank You .. And I just seen this on the AMAWaterways site 

" Gratis postcards are available at the front desk; they'll even stamp and mail them for you. Electrical adaptors, reading glasses, walking sticks, wheelchairs and shower chairs are also available for loan."

[gnome12]

37 minutes ago, thunter1224 said:

Thank You .. And I just seen this on the AMAWaterways site 

" Gratis postcards are available at the front desk; they'll even stamp and mail them for you. Electrical adaptors, reading glasses, walking sticks, wheelchairs and shower chairs are also available for loan."

I made use of the postcards in Vietnam. They didn't even give me a hassle about sending individual postcards to my 2 great nephews (brothers).

 

I wouldn't count on there being enough adapters. I would bring my own anyway.

[dogs4fun]

33 minutes ago, thunter1224 said:

Thank You .. And I just seen this on the AMAWaterways site 

" Gratis postcards are available at the front desk; they'll even stamp and mail them for you. Electrical adaptors, reading glasses, walking sticks, wheelchairs and shower chairs are also available for loan."

Great. But ... if you are staying in Germany pre cruise or Hungary post cruise, you would still need adaptors for your hotel room. If not, then you are all set. BTW - adapter sets are very inexpensive - you can purchase an international adapter kit that covers over 150 countries for under $10. The kits are very small and take up very little room in your suitcase.

I also take a portable high capacity charger for my iphone - this will charge my phone 3 times without the need to plug it into the wall/computer & is great if my battery gets low when I am out and about.

[thunter1224]

My Girlfriend just told me she has a few of them .. so we are set 🙂

[thunter1224]

Has anyone ever been to the Széchenyi Thermal Bath while in Budapest ?   It looks like a great way to spend a few hours .. but it also depends on how far it is from where we will be docked .. 

[dogs4fun]

51 minutes ago, thunter1224 said:

Has anyone ever been to the Széchenyi Thermal Bath while in Budapest ?   It looks like a great way to spend a few hours .. but it also depends on how far it is from where we will be docked .. 

Yes, we have been to both Szechenyi and Gellert. The buildings in which they are housed are gorgeous.  If you have not already done so, you can check-out their websites online.

Ships usually dock between Chain Bridge (Szechenyi Lanchid) and Liberty Bridge (Szabadsag hid).

Szechenyi is Budapest's largest bath complex and is on the Pest side of the river in the city park. 

Gellert is, IMHO, the more beautiful of the two bath complexes and is on the Buda side of the river. Both are easily reached by tram or metro. Google is your friend - bring up Google maps and check it out.

Budapest is very easy to navigate - there is practically nowhere in the city that you cannot easily reach via the excellent public transportation system.

Do a little research - if you don't, you may miss out on many of the stellar sites the cities have to offer in your ports of call. For example, Budapest's Parliament is amazing and  tours must be booked in advance - you can book online (they sell out so make sure to book if you want to tour the inside).

In no particular order, other must see sights IMHO:

St. Stephen's Basilica

Hungarian Opera House

Buda Castle (recommend the funicular)

Matthias Church

Fisherman's Bastion

Dohany Street Synagogue

Central (Great) Market Hall
Szimpla Kert (ruin bar)

2 streets to stroll: Vaci Utca and Andrassy Avenue

The above are nowhere near a complete list of sights to see in this fascinating city.

 

 

Edited March 30, 2019 by dogs4fun

[thunter1224]

We are still waiting on AMA to get back to us.. and its hard for me not to get excited .. And I am the one that wants to know everything before we go ..My Girlfriend , likes to be surprised ..I hope that once we hear back ..I can check on the shore excursions in each port.and see about spending an extra day at the end ... and go from there.  🚤

 

[dogs4fun]

13 hours ago, thunter1224 said:

I can check on the shore excursions in each port.and see about spending an extra day at the end ... and go from there.  🚤

 

The included excursions in each port of call provide a nice overview. There are additional tours that one can add (for a fee). In the major cities (i.e.,Vienna, Budapest) you will want to know how to maximize your free time.

Spending a few days post cruise in Budapest would be great - it is a fascinating city.

Edited March 31, 2019 by dogs4fun

[thunter1224]

  We would love to spend a few extra days at the end.. but time off back here is the problem .. since we had to take off the first 2 weeks in Dec. for our cruise on the NCL Bliss........ NYC -  Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. John  and back to NYC 

[texasstar]

I would suggest getting a Rick Steve's guide book and read about each port you are going to.  In some ports, you have time to do some things on your own.

[thunter1224]

And yet another question.. I see that Beer , Wine , & soda are included .. is that anytime on AMA ? Girlfriend likes a glass of wine before bed ..  Some said it was only free at lunch and dinner,  and there maybe a cocktail hour in the evening ( is the drinks included at that time too )

Thank You from the Pain lol

[Got2Cruise]

2 hours ago, thunter1224 said:

And yet another question.. I see that Beer , Wine , & soda are included .. is that anytime on AMA ? Girlfriend likes a glass of wine before bed ..  Some said it was only free at lunch and dinner,  and there maybe a cocktail hour in the evening ( is the drinks included at that time too )

Thank You from the Pain lol

Ama is very generous with the wine pours at dinner, but after dinner, the cost of drinks are extra. The cocktail hour drinks are included. If GF feels she would like one more glass of wine and you’re on a tight budget you can always purchase a bottle of wine in port and bring it back to the ship to drink in the cabin. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

6 hours ago, thunter1224 said:

And yet another question.. I see that Beer , Wine , & soda are included .. is that anytime on AMA ? Girlfriend likes a glass of wine before bed ..  Some said it was only free at lunch and dinner,  and there maybe a cocktail hour in the evening ( is the drinks included at that time too )

Thank You from the Pain lol

 

AMA wine pourers are happy to top you up at the end of dinner and you should be able to take the glass with you to enjoy later in your cabin.  Or, as noted above, you can bring wine onboard – no corkage fee to drink it at dinner or in your cabin.

[thunter1224]

      Thank You for the quick response.. and since I don't drink I guess we can both take a glass with us to the room ..  And its good to know about bringing a bottle back on the ship.. Do they have corkscrews available?  or should we pack one ? 

       1 more thing please .. did you get your passports stamped on the ship in each country you visited ? It would be nice to get some stamps .. They don't do it in the Caribbean.. 

      We are still waiting to hear back from AMA about our cruise .. and Cruise Critic has reached out to them today.. I wish we would hear , since we only have until the end of April to book our cruise, according to the prize letter .. 

Thank You Again.. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

4 hours ago, thunter1224 said:

      Thank You for the quick response.. and since I don't drink I guess we can both take a glass with us to the room ..  And its good to know about bringing a bottle back on the ship.. Do they have corkscrews available?  or should we pack one ? 

       1 more thing please .. did you get your passports stamped on the ship in each country you visited ? It would be nice to get some stamps .. They don't do it in the Caribbean.. 

      We are still waiting to hear back from AMA about our cruise .. and Cruise Critic has reached out to them today.. I wish we would hear , since we only have until the end of April to book our cruise, according to the prize letter .. 

Thank You Again.. 

 

Bartenders will happily open the bottle and provide glasses.

 

Passports aren't stamped by officials within the Schengen zone, but I don't know if AMA has unofficial stamps.  Or, since AMA provides free postcards and stamps, you can send yourself a postcard from each country to get a collection of postmarks. 

[Got2Cruise]

We did this same cruise with Amawaterways. The included tours are top notch. Don’t worry about the tours you’ll see everything important. They will assist you once you’re on the ship how to spend your free time. You are used the the large ocean cruises. The personalized service you receive on a River Cruise will blow you away. You basically just have to show up. If there are a couple of extra tours you need to pay for go for it. They are worth it and we like to experience everything we can 

Edited April 6, 2019 by Got2Cruise

[dogs4fun]

13 hours ago, thunter1224 said:

 1 more thing please .. did you get your passports stamped on the ship in each country you visited ? It would be nice to get some stamps .. They don't do it in the Caribbean.. 

No passport stamps after you have entered the Schengen zone - your ship does not stamp your passport.

[Mikecs]

We are doing this cruise with AMA on 28th April. Have cruised the Danube many times with different company's and this will be our second with AMA. They are picking us up at Munich airport and taking us to the ship for £21, but you can get the train for the same amount. Last year was a disaster for all river cruise companies all over Europe and that is why we are going in the spring to hopefully have water. We had a cruise from Bucharest to Budapest cancelled with two days notice with Viking in October 2018 because of lack of water. Hopefully all will go well as I'm getting Danube withdrawal symptoms 😂

[Mikecs]

On 3/29/2019 at 7:35 PM, dogs4fun said:

You will need adapters for foreign hotels and AMA. Electricity on board is 220v with 2 pin power outlets.

On 3/29/2019 at 6:54 PM, thunter1224 said:

Next question.. will we need to bring adapters for our phone chargers? or is there USA 110 outlets in the rooms ? 

 

 

Edited April 6, 2019 by Mikecs
Mistake

[Mikecs]

Most AMA ships have a USB port in the cabin for charging your phone/tablet/toothbrush.

[thunter1224]

We are all done reserving our first river cruise ( AMAWaterways Danube river cruise from Vilshofen, to Budapest ) We are so excited .  we are going early Oct. so we can check out Oktoberfest in Munich.    I tried to add this cruise to my Cruise critic profile , but can't seem to be able to find that place now .. Oh Well Happy Cruising All 🙂

[Got2Cruise]

11 hours ago, thunter1224 said:

We are all done reserving our first river cruise ( AMAWaterways Danube river cruise from Vilshofen, to Budapest ) We are so excited .  we are going early Oct. so we can check out Oktoberfest in Munich.    I tried to add this cruise to my Cruise critic profile , but can't seem to be able to find that place now .. Oh Well Happy Cruising All 🙂

Yay! I’m so glad everything is coming into place for you. I always wondered if those CC contests are legit. Lol. Munich is great. Amawaterways has a wonderful product. Don’t forget to book the Chef’s Table. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

6 hours ago, Got2Cruise said:

Yay! I’m so glad everything is coming into place for you. I always wondered if those CC contests are legit. Lol. Munich is great. Amawaterways has a wonderful product. Don’t forget to book the Chef’s Table. 

 

Well, I have never won – which means you can forget any theories about 'the fix being in.'  But I still enter every day...

[MikeBR]

11 hours ago, Got2Cruise said:

Yay! I’m so glad everything is coming into place for you. I always wondered if those CC contests are legit. Lol. Munich is great. Amawaterways has a wonderful product. Don’t forget to book the Chef’s Table. 

We will be doing this particular cruise with AMA in two weeks for the second time [First time was the 'Wine' version' which misses Bratislava] suggest to book the Chef's Table as soon as you board for mid week, as you may like we did get the invitation to 'Captains Table' on the last night.

[thunter1224]

We are all done reserving our first river cruise ( AMAWaterways Danube river cruise from Vilshofen, to Budapest ) We are so excited .  we are going early Oct. so we can check out Oktoberfest in Munich.    I tried to add this cruise to my Cruise critic profile , but can't seem to be able to find that place now .. Oh Well Happy Cruising All . 

  I am wondering if we do a day long excursions, do they provide lunch ? and will we make it back for dinner every night?  

Edited April 23, 2019 by thunter1224