AmaWaterways AmaDara Mekong River Cruise, Nov-Dec 2023

[bleacher04]

10 hours ago, franski said:

Laundry is one "luxury" I will splurge on when cruising. It is done and returned so quickly...  If I need items washed that won't dry overnight (and it would have been hard in Vietnam)  then I will plan to do laundry once while away.   Figure that is a small price to pay, and "peanuts" in the overall cost of the trip.

 

Fully agree, Fran.  The AmaDara has laundry available on-board, for a fee, but no self-service machines.  And I'm okay with that.  But most of our "hot & sweaty" day-time clothes get washed in cold water and don't go in the dryer, so I suspect that our cabin will look like a tenement!

[bleacher04]

2 hours ago, ljandgb said:

We leave Monday for our Avalon Mekong cruise.  Regarding pants for temples, does this include men also?  My husband lives year round in shorts.

 

Buddhist temples and other religious or "sacred" sites in Cambodia typically require that shoulders and knees remain covered (even when sitting down).

[ljandgb]

Thank you.  That's what I thought but figured I'd make sure.

[franski]

On 11/1/2023 at 9:34 AM, bleacher04 said:

 

Buddhist temples and other religious or "sacred" sites in Cambodia typically require that shoulders and knees remain covered (even when sitting down).

That being said, my DH wore knee length shorts almost every day.  There didn't seem to be as much concern about knees as there was with shoulders.

 

Fran 

[bleacher04]

1 hour ago, franski said:

That being said, my DH wore knee length shorts almost every day.  There didn't seem to be as much concern about knees as there was with shoulders.

 

Fran 

 

Thanks Fran, good to know.  Although I'm not sure if any of my shorts are truly knee-length.  We seem to have two different tours each day, so I plan to wear shorts when there are no temples etc. on the agenda, and long (lightweight) hiking pants when I have to, changing at lunchtime.  No worries about me not covering my shoulders!  My wife will wear capris every day I suspect.

[hoosier2017]

Just returned and fighting massive jet lag. 
 

We washed quick dry shirts in our cabin and had a travel laundry line with us.  Worked very well.   
 

Rooms on boat can be very very cold! 
 

Dinner was pretty casual.  A few casual sun dresses but mostly capri pants and casual shirts.  
 

Bug spray is a must.  Walking through villages, and cu chi tunnels a few bites here and there.   

Happy to answer questions.

[franski]

On 11/3/2023 at 6:56 PM, bleacher04 said:

 

Thanks Fran, good to know.  Although I'm not sure if any of my shorts are truly knee-length.  We seem to have two different tours each day, so I plan to wear shorts when there are no temples etc. on the agenda, and long (lightweight) hiking pants when I have to, changing at lunchtime.  No worries about me not covering my shoulders!  My wife will wear capris every day I suspect.

I would model a pair of your shorts - and ask the opinion of the Cruise Manager.  They will be able to tell you if your knees are covered enough.

 

Fran

[bleacher04]

8 hours ago, franski said:

I would model a pair of your shorts - and ask the opinion of the Cruise Manager.  They will be able to tell you if your knees are covered enough.

 

Fran

 

Thanks Fran, good idea.  We start in Vietnam, so there will be several days to inquire about the suitability of my shorts.

[bleacher04]

On 11/4/2023 at 6:41 AM, hoosier2017 said:

Just returned and fighting massive jet lag.

We washed quick dry shirts in our cabin and had a travel laundry line with us.  Worked very well.

Rooms on boat can be very very cold!

Dinner was pretty casual.  A few casual sun dresses but mostly capri pants and casual shirts. 

Bug spray is a must.  Walking through villages, and cu chi tunnels a few bites here and there.   

Happy to answer questions.

 

@hoosier2017 -- some rudimentary questions from first-time river cruisers:

 

Do we need to print our own luggage tags, as on larger cruise ships?  I don't recall seeing anything about that.  I assume there will just be an Ama check-in area at the hotel on embarkation day?

 

Ama provided suggested guidelines for gratuities for the cruise manager and crew, but how are these paid?  Envelopes of cash dropped in a box?  Added to your room bill?

 

I'm sure I will think of more when packing panic sets in!

Thanks!  Paul

[LTC]

3 hours ago, bleacher04 said:

 

@hoosier2017 -- some rudimentary questions from first-time river cruisers:

 

Do we need to print our own luggage tags, as on larger cruise ships?  I don't recall seeing anything about that.  I assume there will just be an Ama check-in area at the hotel on embarkation day?

 

Ama provided suggested guidelines for gratuities for the cruise manager and crew, but how are these paid?  Envelopes of cash dropped in a box?  Added to your room bill?

 

I'm sure I will think of more when packing panic sets in!

Thanks!  Paul

Paul, we're leaving tomorrow to go on an AMA Egypt cruise and no luggage tags came with our documents. It's been a few years since we sailed with AMA and then they sent you luggage tags. I'm assuming that your bags will be given tags at the hotel. We did a Mekong cruise with Emerald in March and that's what they did.

As I remember gratuities were paid on the last evening and you had your choice of leaving it at reception in an envelope or added to your room bill.

You will have a fantastic trip! Our trip was 8 months ago and we still talk about what a wonderful trip it was.

[bleacher04]

13 minutes ago, LTC said:

Paul, we're leaving tomorrow to go on an AMA Egypt cruise and no luggage tags came with our documents. It's been a few years since we sailed with AMA and then they sent you luggage tags. I'm assuming that your bags will be given tags at the hotel. We did a Mekong cruise with Emerald in March and that's what they did.

As I remember gratuities were paid on the last evening and you had your choice of leaving it at reception in an envelope or added to your room bill.

You will have a fantastic trip! Our trip was 8 months ago and we still talk about what a wonderful trip it was.

 

Thanks LTC!  Have a terrific time on your Egypt cruise!  The Mekong is our test run with AMA; we have a couple in Africa on our to-do list.

[hoosier2017]

We had AMA luggage tags from our first cruise with them.  Put your normal tag on each bag.   With the transfers on the bus they will give you tags and ribbons for each bag (corresponding to your group/bus color). 
 

gratuities - the guide from Hanoi (one to each bus) goes as far as the airport when you fly to Siem reap.  We gave her cash when we were at the airport.   The staff onboard you can pay via credit card, the cruise manager is with you from start of the land portion through departure at the end in Ho Chi Minh city so we gave him cash.  Also cash to the guide in Cambodia, and the second guide in Vietnam.    There is an ATM next door to the Sofitel in Ho Chi Minh City (which dispenses Vietnamese Dong). We took American currency (new bills) as well.   Also tipped bus drivers, Tuk tuk drivers, ox cart drivers, tender drivers, etc.   singles come in handy especially in Cambodia.  The boat will give you envelopes for crew tips.  
 

also as an aside, we took an extra pair of old sneakers with us (left them behind).  When it rains there is plenty of mud, etc that you will walk through.  Plus the wet markets.   Some people had their shoes/sneakers cleaned by the crew upon returning to the boat.
 

Let me know if you have any more questions!  

[Host Jazzbeau]

I don't remember ever getting tags with our cabin number (as you do on ocean voyages) on a river cruise – the ships are so small that they 'know where you live' ...

[LTC]

3 hours ago, bleacher04 said:

 

Thanks LTC!  Have a terrific time on your Egypt cruise!  The Mekong is our test run with AMA; we have a couple in Africa on our to-do list.

Thanks Paul. This trip has been on the bucket list for awhile. I know your cruise will be awesome and you'll be pleased with AMA

[rzmz89]

Thank you for all the info. We are going with Ama in 1/2024. Any recommendations for restaurants and things to do on the free times like in Hanoi and also Phnom Penh?

[gnome12]

38 minutes ago, rzmz89 said:

Thank you for all the info. We are going with Ama in 1/2024. Any recommendations for restaurants and things to do on the free times like in Hanoi and also Phnom Penh?

In Hanoi I very much enjoyed the Vietnamese Women's Museum. Also, if you can manage, see a water puppet show.

 

In Phnom Penh the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is disturbing but definitely worthwhile.

[hoosier2017]

The water puppet show is included in Hanoi if you are doing the land portion with AMA.   
The staff can give you recommendations if you want to go to dinner in Phnom Penh on your own.   Some people went to the SkyBar for drinks and the view.
In Ho Chi Minh City we took a street food tour with Urban Vespa Adventures.  4 hours and it was incredible!   I highly recommend it.  They will take you to parts of the city you’d never see otherwise.   You’re  a passenger on the back.   Incredibly fun and the guides/drivers were so friendly.     If interested, ask the cruise manager to arrange it for you.  You can pay when the tour picks you up in the lobby of the Sofitel.  

[bleacher04]

14 hours ago, hoosier2017 said:

Gratuities - the guide from Hanoi (one to each bus) goes as far as the airport when you fly to Siem reap.  We gave her cash when we were at the airport.   The staff onboard you can pay via credit card, the cruise manager is with you from start of the land portion through departure at the end in Ho Chi Minh city so we gave him cash.  Also cash to the guide in Cambodia, and the second guide in Vietnam.    There is an ATM next door to the Sofitel in Ho Chi Minh City (which dispenses Vietnamese Dong). We took American currency (new bills) as well.   Also tipped bus drivers, Tuk tuk drivers, ox cart drivers, tender drivers, etc.   singles come in handy especially in Cambodia.  The boat will give you envelopes for crew tips.

 

Thank you @hoosier2017.  This of course gets into personal discretion, but it raises a question from me:  In our brochure from AMA (probably the same as yours), they say:

"For our guests’ convenience, during their 8-day/7-night cruise on the Mekong River, gratuities are covered for transfer drivers, as well as cruise guides who take you off the ship to see their home countries, for the duration of the cruise."

 

Guidelines are provided for pre- and post-cruise gratuities for guides and drivers, which are not included.  I had counted in those tuk-tuk and ox-cart drivers already, but from what you and @gnome12 have written it appears that people generally still tip the transfer drivers and local guides each day during the cruise, regardless of what AMA says they cover?
We already have some VND and a stack of crisp new US $1 and $5 bills, but there is still time for us to get more of the latter.

If the same cruise manager is with you for both ends of the land tour as well as the cruise itself, then it sounds like it's okay to just tip him/her at the very end?

Again, thank you!

 

14 hours ago, hoosier2017 said:

...as an aside, we took an extra pair of old sneakers with us (left them behind).  When it rains there is plenty of mud, etc that you will walk through.  Plus the wet markets.   Some people had their shoes/sneakers cleaned by the crew upon returning to the boat.

 

An excellent idea, thanks!  I have an old pair of Merrells that I was going to take to the donation centre next week!  I will have to find room in my luggage for one more pair of hiking shoes, but I'm sure that someone in Cambodia will find a use for them, and I'm also sure that there will be purchases made along the way that will fill up that space 😁

[gnome12]

You don’t have to wait for Ama to make suggestions for HCMC. For both Hanoi (I came in 3 days early) and HCMC (I gave myself an extra day) I searched for motorbike and vespa tours on Trip Advisor. I ended up doing an evening motorbike food tour in Hanoi, a daytime vespa tour in Hanoi, a women led vespa food tour in HCMC and, because there was no information from Ama about what they were doing on the free day in HCMC (which ended up offering an optional excursion to the Cu Chi Tunnels by bus), I planned an all-day tour by speedboat to the Cu Chi Tunnels, lunch, return to HCMC, and then concluding with a half day Vespa tour. I compared companies and ratings on Trip Advisor, checked out all the websites, and chose the ones I thought best for me. 
 

As an aside, I found sitting behind someone on a vespa to be a lot more comfortable than a motorbike. The position was more comfortable, and I had somewhere to at least rest my heels - my whole foot wouldn’t fit - while riding. I had never ridden either before, but I am a cyclist (bicycle) which made balancing something I was used to. 

[rzmz89]

I have a night time foodie on a vespa in Hanoi our second night there. No plans as of yet for HCMC but thinking of a night time tour. I have had good luck with Trip advisor in the past. The only problem is I never know what time the daily tours end so sometimes I have to cancel the scheduled trip advisor tour. I am hoping that next month, I will be able to ask AMA the timing of the daily tours.

Thank you for all the info.

[hoosier2017]

People definitely tipped the bus drivers and guides additional $$$.  They were outstanding.  And yes, you can tip the cruise manager at the very end.

 

The second to last night in Ho Chi Minh City, many guests went to a cirque de soleil (spelling…sorry) type of show that they liked very much.   We’ve been to those before so decided we’d do the Vespa tour which I had researched before the trip.   The Vespa,was very comfortable.  There was a place to put your feet, and a handle bar to hold onto both in front of you and behind you.  
 

Last important tip is to take small,packs of tissues with you.   Many rest stops (or happy room stops a they were referred to) had no toilet paper or paper towels.  We also had hand sanitizer with us and the before getting on the bus the tour guide had for each person as well.   
 

we had no issues ice or drinks.  Just be careful.  We did travel with antibiotics, as well as cipro.   Take a pharmacy with you…the ship (as you know) has no infirmary and very little OTC medicine on board.

 

we also visited a school and brought school supplies with us (crayons, pens, pencils and markers).  Other guests brought items as well.  You can purchase on board if you didn’t bring, and the school also accepts cash donations.   Interacting with the students was a highlight of the trip!  

[bleacher04]

2 hours ago, hoosier2017 said:

People definitely tipped the bus drivers and guides additional $$$.  They were outstanding.  And yes, you can tip the cruise manager at the very end.

 

The second to last night in Ho Chi Minh City, many guests went to a cirque de soleil (spelling…sorry) type of show that they liked very much.   We’ve been to those before so decided we’d do the Vespa tour which I had researched before the trip.   The Vespa,was very comfortable.  There was a place to put your feet, and a handle bar to hold onto both in front of you and behind you.  
 

Last important tip is to take small,packs of tissues with you.   Many rest stops (or happy room stops a they were referred to) had no toilet paper or paper towels.  We also had hand sanitizer with us and the before getting on the bus the tour guide had for each person as well.   
 

we had no issues ice or drinks.  Just be careful.  We did travel with antibiotics, as well as cipro.   Take a pharmacy with you…the ship (as you know) has no infirmary and very little OTC medicine on board.

 

we also visited a school and brought school supplies with us (crayons, pens, pencils and markers).  Other guests brought items as well.  You can purchase on board if you didn’t bring, and the school also accepts cash donations.   Interacting with the students was a highlight of the trip!  

 

@hoosier2017 you are fantastic!  If I can figure out how to game the system I will give you bonus cruiser points! 😎

 

Thanks re: tipping -- I will go back to the bank next week to top up.  We have a US dollar account so it's easy to get nice new bills.

We're starting HCMC and coming in a day early, so we have already booked a private foodie tour on scooters with a great guide that we have used before.  I will ask his opinion about those evening entertainment options, didn't consider that sort of thing.

Glad to hear from everyone that riding on the back of scooters is easier than riding on a motorcycle; HCMC is crazy with moto and scooter traffic!
(and as a non-Canadian, your spelling of Cirque du Soleil was pretty darn close, so bravo!)

 

We learned our lesson about always carrying tissues in South America in 2017 😁

 

We have our pharmacy already stocked: cipro, azithromycin, and clarithromycin (plus vax'd for typhoid and cholera, and of course Hep A/B).  Hopefully we will be mindful enough and lucky enough not to need them.

 

Good to know about the school supplies, we were wondering about that.  We may bring some with us from Canada or go shopping in HCMC on the day we arrive.  Looking forward to that encounter!

Thanks again, your advice (and everyone else's on this thread) has been terrific and greatly appreciated!

[hoosier2017]

I’ll blame my poor spelling on residual jet lag!!!
 

You’ll have an amazing trip.  Honestly, everyone we met couldn’t do enough to keep you happy and comfortable.  
 

Let me know if you have any other questions.  Most importantly have a safe and wonderful trip! Can’t wait to hear your opinion!

[bleacher04]

17 hours ago, hoosier2017 said:

I’ll blame my poor spelling on residual jet lag!!!
 

You’ll have an amazing trip.  Honestly, everyone we met couldn’t do enough to keep you happy and comfortable.  
 

Let me know if you have any other questions.  Most importantly have a safe and wonderful trip! Can’t wait to hear your opinion!

 

Hey, your spelling was darn near perfect!  I lived in Montreal, and I certainly can’t tell the difference between “du” and “de” in spoken French!

 

We’re really looking forward to this adventure.  We leave for Saigon in 10 days.  I will try to post if there’s any free time, or when we’re chilling between cruises in Siem Reap and Singapore.

[franski]

On 11/12/2023 at 3:44 PM, hoosier2017 said:

.

 

The second to last night in Ho Chi Minh City, many guests went to a cirque de soleil (spelling…sorry) type of show that they liked very much. 

 

Last important tip is to take small,packs of tissues with you.   Many rest stops (or happy room stops a they were referred to) had no toilet paper or paper towels.  We also had hand sanitizer with us and the before getting on the bus the tour guide had for each person as well.   
 

we had no issues ice or drinks.  Just be careful.  We did travel with antibiotics, as well as cipro.   Take a pharmacy with you…the ship (as you know) has no infirmary and very little OTC medicine on board.

 

 The show in HCMC is "A O"... and we loved it.  We splurged on the "WOW" seats (balcony) and they were great.  You get a soft drink in the lobby before the show starts... unless you have the WOW seats - and then you get a glass of wine!!  Cost difference was minimal. 

 

I agree with taking lots of tissues and hand sanitizer with you.  Also - bug spray.  I have a DEET based cream bug repellent, and it worked well (when I finally remembered to put it on!!)  I found walking some of the paths in Cambodia resulted in +++ bites... ? sand fleas?  Didn't see any bugs  - but my feet were a mess. 

 

We hired a private guide (through Tours by Locals) in Hanoi - and it was great.  My DH wanted to see Ho's mausoleum, the B52 Lake and the Hanoi Hilton.  I found it all in one tour. I am glad we did the mausoleum with our tour, as our city tour with Emerald was on a Monday, and you cannot get into the mausoleum on Mondays.  Luckily we had seen it (and Ho Chi Minh himself) on the Saturday before.

 

Fran