Our 14 Day Amadante Cruise

[Trash Queen]

I've held off on posting this because I know I'll be pounded by those who think that only glowing, positive reports should be posted. However, before we booked there were many questions by those who wanted to know how river cruising compared to ocean cruising. This is to point out some of those differences, as well as to report on our experience. It's NOT about the places we visited, but about river cruising for 14 days, in general.

 

Before I go any further, I need to say that the Amadante is an elegantly furnished, brand new vessel. We did enjoy the cruise, but we doubt that we’ll book on another riverboat.

 

We boarded the Amadeus Amadante shortly after noon, across the Danube from the Budapest Marriott, Sofitel and Intercontinental Hotels. The Captain, himself, carried our bags up the gangplank to be stowed until the rooms were ready at 3. We then walked to the Chain Bridge Festival for lunch before settling into our cabins.

 

Although we’ve been on lots of ocean liners, this was our first river boat cruise. The boat has four decks and a maximum of 134 passengers. You enter through a central reception area, which splits the boat into public areas forward and cabins to the rear.

 

Deck four is the Sundeck, which is just that; there are three shaded areas, a walking track and a Jacuzzi that holds 6. However, we weren’t allowed up on the Sun Deck for the 5 middle days; they lowered the rails and chained off the stairs because of low bridges between Regensberg and Koblenz. But the worst part to us was that smoking is allowed all over the Sun Deck, as well as the outdoor promenade area on Deck three so it’s hard to enjoy the outdoor areas if you’re allergic to smoke as we are.

 

Forward of the central reception area on Deck Three is the main lounge and the restaurant is below that on Deck Two. There is no public access to the lowest area forward of Reception.

 

All cabins are aft of the central reception area; those on Decks Three and Two have French Balconies, which are sliding glass door with a railing—no balcony out there. Cabins on Deck One have small windows that do not open. All the river boats we saw were built roughly the same, but most do not have any cabins with windows that open.

 

The river cruising business is booming so there isn’t enough docking space and the boats pull up side by side—sometimes four across, instead of end to end. To get ashore one walks through the central reception area of one, two, or three other boats, while passengers from other boats do the same through yours. The main disadvantage to this arrangement is that, if you’ve left your draperies or French Balcony door open for fresh air during the night, you can wake up in the morning staring at people who are staring at you from their cabin in another riverboat directly outside your cabin.

 

Additionally, the boats along any particular itinerary have relatively the same schedules, which means that the medieval city centers can get as crowded as Caribbean ports when three, four, or more boats are docked. When we found streets ‘way too crowded for photos, we broke away from the walking tour, or lagged back until after all of the walking tours from all the boats (sometimes as many as four or five guides, each, from up to four boats), had moved on, then snapped our pics, and roamed around on our own. The down side is that you don’t learn anything from the walking tour guides, whose cost was included in the price you paid for your cruise.

 

Our cabin is the tiniest we’ve ever had. The bed is a queen; adjacent to the bed are two small night stands with one drawer and a shelf. The opposite wall has a closet behind the door and a built-in dresser which has four drawers that are 9 inches deep and 12 inches wide. The dresser’s top is 9 inches deep and about four feet wide, but the TV screen takes up 18 inches, and the dresser also holds the telephone and our camera’s battery charger. In front of the French Balcony are two chairs and a small glass table.

On the other hand, the bathroom is fairly large—the shower is triangular and pretty roomy, with three (yes, 3) shower heads, one being on the ceiling. As in hotels, there is a little card which says to leave towels on the floor if you want them washed, and to hang them up if you want to re-use and save water, but the Hungarian staff can barely speak English, much less read it, and the trainers obviously didn’t bother to teach them about “green” because (also like in hotels) no matter how often we hung our towels up, they were all replaced twice daily with dry, freshly folded ones.

 

There is also a fitness center, which is located in a room the size of our bathroom; it has a treadmill, an elliptical trainer and a few free weights, but not enough room for three people to all work out at once.

 

At dinner we discovered that our perception of open seating was different from reality. We thought it would be like on Princess, where you can go down to eat with whom you like at any time during a two-three hour period. On river boats it means that we all go to eat at the same time, but there is no assigned seating. Dinner isn’t always at the same time—some nights at 6, others at 6:30, and some at 7. I think it’s a test to see who reads the daily directory, but maybe not. One morning they dropped many passengers off early for an optional excursion; we thought we’d wait till the rush was over and eat a bit later since breakfast was listed in the daily directory as being from 7-9. When we showed up at 8:10, we were mighty surprised to find the omelet station closed and the waiters removing tablecloths. Don’t worry; we still managed to eat a good breakfast.

 

The food was fairly good, but we all wished they’d used less salt. For breakfast there’s the omelet station, plus a buffet with hot potatoes and meats, as well as a station loaded with fruit and cereals, and a third station with cheeses, crackers and both green and black olives. Mike always gets his oatmeal. There is also a small menu to order from; I asked for a waffle one day and received 6 little very thin hearts, which I treated as appetizers. I must have been the first to order them because the waiters conferred and then wanted to know what a waffle was and why I was ordering. I showed them the menu, and they went off to the kitchen with it in hand.

 

Fruits at breakfast and salads at lunch were served buffet style, which was good for quick service and getting what you wanted. The downside was that the health standards Americans are used to on cruise ships and at landside buffets do not exist. There are no “sneeze screens” or plates to park the serving utensils. For our group it was pretty unappetizing to see people sneezing all over the fruit trays or to watch them cover their mouths with their hands when they coughed, then pick up the serving spoons and lay them directly on top of watermelon and pineapple slices.

 

Dinner was a real four course meal, and there were always three choices for each course. While in Hungary we were served Hungarian food, in Austria we were served Austrian food, and in Germany were served German food. Dinner was accompanied by local wines from the area we were passing through.

 

There are 6 tables for 6, one table for 8, and many tables for 4 (no tables for 2) in the room, so it’s usually easy to sit with a group of friends. For some strange reason, there was a scarcity of menus; one menu on each table for four, and two menus on the tables for 6 and 8. The biggest problem with the dining room is the noise level. The flat ceiling is low and, and once all 134 passengers started talking, with the waiters delivering food and the bus boys clankingly picking the dishes up, we found ourselves shouting to be heard across a table for six. If there were one single thing I’d change about the boat, it would be to add some noise absorbing materials on the dining room ceiling.

 

There are many river boat companies that market to Americans: Amadeus, Avalon, Viking, Uniworld, and Grand Circle are the better known. We teetered between Amadeus and Avalon because their boats are the newest and both had good reviews on Cruise Critic, settling on Amadeus because of timing. We saw Avalon boats while docked; their cabins are not furnished as elegantly, but are the same size. We booked more than a year ahead, and that, in itself was difficult.

 

In a good business deal, the Amadeus Waterways folks (AMA) struck up a scheme with Australian Pacific Touring (APT), by which APT gets first grabs, and then the remaining cabins are opened for others to book. Good for business, but difficult for non-Aussies who want to book a cabin to fit a schedule, and the reason that some entire cruises were marked “Sold Out” on the very first day bookings opened. The composition of our passengers was about 80% Australian, with the rest being split between Americans and Canadians. However, we love the Aussies and made many new friends so comments are about booking difficulties, not nationalities.

 

Here’s the deal with the Aussies and travel, as explained to me by an Australian woman who diligently did her company’s payroll by laptop every Friday. A few years back the Australian government decided that its people should get out and travel so they required that employers give 7 weeks of vacation a year. And, as if that were not enough, people are also paid 1½ times their normal salary when they are on vacation. So they travel all winter, our summer, and this partnership between AMA and ATP is a good business deal for both companies.

 

Although we’d seen itineraries before we booked, we hadn’t seen detailed ones. In other words, we knew where we were going to stop, but we didn’t know how long we’d be at each place. As you know, we are walkers who love to get out and roam around on our own with the theory that getting lost is half the fun. We decided that riverboat cruises are wonderful for people who love bus tours, but don’t want to sit on the bus or don’t want to put their bags in the hall every morning. Many liked arriving in one place at 8 am, being back onboard at 11 for lunch while moving down the river, arriving at a second town of the day about 2 or 3, being back onboard for dinner at 6 or 7, with entertainment in the lounge before departing at 10.

 

The bus or walking tours in each town are included in the price of the cruise. However, the guides gave us TMI, Too Much Information, that was much more detailed than any of us ever wanted and even fewer will remember. We think that those who like to join 30 others and follow a guide with a colored wooden “lollipop” around a strange town will love this cruise, but those who really love to get out on your own and explore a town for 5 or 6 hours would do better to find a company that has fewer, but longer stops. For those of you who like to hire a private guide in each place, there’s just not time for that with the uncertain arrival times and the shortness of the stops. Arrival times, by the way, depend upon how long it takes to get through the locks, and there were 101 locks on our route. Additionally, you’d be paying for two sets of guides.

 

We booked knowing that the Amadante would be brand new and that there would be bugs to work out. The first morning we got a taste of the bugs when the power went out at 7 am, and the blackout lasted for about 90 minutes. The captain later told us that the regular power system, the backup power system and the emergency power system all failed, and that was the first time in 33 years he’d ever had that happen. That was OK with Gloria, who had planned to sleep till 10. Problem was that the emergency signal blared, forcing everybody out of their cabins into the hall. At any rate, we all were up for breakfast within the 8-10 range, as specified in the daily directory. We continue to be plagued by power problems throughout the trip, and the boat is going into dry dock later this year for major repairs to the electrical and other systems.

 

Did I mention décor? The Amadante is elegantly decorated in greens and blues, my favorite colors. However, the flower arranger was given ‘way too much discretion, especially considering his or her fancy for driftwood. Large arrangements of green silk flowers and driftwood in huge pots are planted in the reception area, the main lounge and the lower stairwell where people congregate before the doors open for meals. The problem is that the driftwood reaches far over the base of the pots, snagging clothing and stabbing arms of those who get too close. If you’re trying to pass in a tight situation or talking to somebody while moving, you just don’t think about the “catchy” wood in the arrangements till it’s too late. The second time I got snagged, I instinctively turned and broke off part of the branch; by the end of the cruise we could see that others had done the same. Further, the huge arrangements in the main lounge also keep people in some of seats from seeing the entertainers who use the dance floor as a stage.

 

A word about tipping. The currency used on Amadeus river boats is the Euro, and tips are suggested to be 15 Euros per person per day: 12 Euros for the wait and cabin staff and 3 Euros for the Cruise Director. During our cruise the exchange rate was 1 Euro equaled $1.50, which made our suggested tips $22.50 per person per day, or a whopping $630 for the cruise.

 

Our biggest problem had absolutely nothing to do with either AMA or APT, but I’ll feel better when I get it off my chest, both literally and figuratively. One woman came down with bronchitis three weeks before leaving home. She told me that she hadn’t gone to her doctor before the trip because she was afraid he wouldn’t have allowed her to travel, so she flew with a group of 40 from Newcastle, Australia to Istanbul a few days before boarding the Amadante Amacello for a two week cruise to Budapest. By the time they reached Budapest she had spread what we dubbed the Newcastle Bug around the boat, and a doctor was brought onboard to prescribed medications. Then 10 of those sick people moved over to the Amadante and proceeded to share it with us. Another doctor came aboard in Vienna to prescribe more meds. You just couldn’t get away from the coughing and sneezing! By the time we reached Amsterdam about 75% of us had it and one man was hospitalized somewhere along the way. One day we decided that the red and white flag on the stern didn’t indicate Swiss registration of the boat, but that we were the hospital ship. Yes, Mike and I caught the Newcastle Bug, and it certainly hit with a whollop! Started with a terrible case of pinkeye and sore throat and progressed into bronchitis that wouldn’t quit. I saw a doctor in Werzberg; Mike saw one two days later in Koblenz. Both prescribed Cipro and antibiotic eyedrops, and we were well enough to fly home from Amsterdam, but are still not completely well.

 

All the complaints have surfaced, and we did enjoy ourselves, but we had not been aware of how regimented our daily activities would be for the 14 days. This has been pretty frank but I wanted to point out some things I had not read on the Boards before we booked. I'm not saying that you won’t like a river cruise; it just wasn’t our cup of tea.

[hcross888]

I found myself laughing about your description of the driftwood arrangements. When I was on the Amacello they had the same sort of arrangement in the lounge and we would just watch to enjoy people walking into it. One person actually knocked it over.

[eadien7]

Thanks for the review. My mom and I are heading from Prague to Paris later this month. I too was disappointed when I saw how short most of the port stops were. I wish Amadeus would post more detailed itineraries on thier site.

[AZPam]

I laughed about your "lollipop" discription of the tour guides! That is sooo true and something that I didn't care for either. I learned after the first day that wasn't going to work for me. We ended up getting a map from our program director of where the boat was docked, what time departure was, etc and then just taking off on our own for the day. That worked out much better and I think more people should not be afraid to do their own thing at each stop.

[boards]

There is Review by Trash Queen of a cruise on Amadante (14 day) that is kind of bothering us. We have never been on a River cruise and if that review is a fair review of what they are like, I not to sure they are for us. Those of you who have been on a Uniworld cruise, do you agree the they would be very much alike in experience. The dining experience does not sound like very enjoyable. Fact the whole thing did not sound very enjoyable.

[hcross888]

I thought the review was very honest, but we had a totally different experience with Amadeus. As far as I know, nobody was ill. I suppose this could happen on any vacation, especially when people are in close contact.

 

I greatly enjoyed the meals and didn't mind the different dinner times. But I'm not an ocean cruise person. We met a couple that had done many ocean cruises who didn't like the set time of the meals.

[AZPam]

There is Review by Trash Queen of a cruise on Amadante (14 day) that is kind of bothering us. We have never been on a River cruise and if that review is a fair review of what they are like, I not to sure they are for us. Those of you who have been on a Uniworld cruise, do you agree the they would be very much alike in experience. The dining experience does not sound like very enjoyable. Fact the whole thing did not sound very enjoyable.

 

I think the dining room was very similar to our Grand Circle trip, so bet they are pretty close in experience. I wasn't a fan of the food served, but I am more of a "meat and potatos" type of gal and all the seafood etc wasn't to my taste. We dealt with that by eating off the boat at dinner time a few times which actually made our experience even more enjoyable. It was fun to enjoy a meal in a German restaurant where very few spoke English. It was even more fun having the locals try to help us out!

 

Any trip, whether it's land based, ocean cruise or river trip, will be what you make of it. If you allow minor or petty things to bother you and ruin your vacation, then that's a shame. Go with the flow and you will have a great time! You won't know if you like it or not until you experience it yourself.

[SuJaDon]

"Here’s the deal with the Aussies and travel, as explained to me by an Australian woman who diligently did her company’s payroll by laptop every Friday. A few years back the Australian government decided that its people should get out and travel so they required that employers give 7 weeks of vacation a year. And, as if that were not enough, people are also paid 1½ times their normal salary when they are on vacation. So they travel all winter, our summer, and this partnership between AMA and ATP is a good business deal for both companies."

Take it from me the Australian woman that you quoted above would be in the very small minority (ie 5%) of people in Australia . The average Australian gets 4 weeks paid annual leave per year and has 17.5% added to their holiday pay which is called "leave loading". I bet a lot of Aussies are laughing at this comment and wished that it was true.:) :)

We have just returned from an APT Cruise which sailed in the "Sound of Music" from Amsterdam to Rousse (Bulgaria) - most of the people on this ship were sick and about 30 of them had to have a doctor visit the ship, and four cut their holidays short. The bug spread like wildfire mainly due to people coughing and sneezing over food and the handling of utensils.:mad:

[jdblakeslee]

I really appreciate your frankness and objectivity regarding river cruises.

What you have expressed is exactly what I envision these trips to be like.

 

That said, David and I have booked one with AMA for fall, 2009. While most of what you wrote would not be our "choice" of ways to see this route, we cannot think of an easier, less stressful way to hit all these stops in a two-week period. Granted, we may want to stay longer in this town or would prefer to skip another town all together, but overall, we are going to take our chances that this will be a fun adventure.

 

I had read in another post where you can grab a bike and meet the boat at the next port down the river, I think our route provides for two days that we could take advantage of this (ie: leave boat in the a.m., meet boat later in the afternoon/evening at the next port) and I think this is the sort of thing that will give us some alone time and a break from the river cruise experience.

 

We took a Princesss Cruisetour to AK in June and were gone for a little over two weeks. The last two or three days, we were "Princessed" out, but still managed to get away for a private walk through town and a nice lunch, etc. I realized on this trip, though, that we are the sort of couple that does better with an organized tour here and there. We get the benefit of tour guides and such without doing a huge amount of research on our own. It's a trade-off, for sure, but one that we found worth putting up with a few things that were not exactly to our liking.

 

Again, your commentary really gives me a clearer picture of what to expect from our river cruise experience. Thank you for posting it.

 

Jennifer

[Trash Queen]

Yes, Jennifer, there are bikes that you can ride between several of the towns, but by that time we were flat on our backs with the Newcastle Bug. Quite a few people did get off the boat, get some exercise and see the countryside close up. The boat sent box lunches with them, by the way.

 

Be prepared for a big variation in weather on this itinerary during the fall. Budapest could still be pretty warm, but by the time you hit Germany I suspect it will be pretty chilly. Our highs went from the high 80's in Budapest to the 60's later in the trip. It also rain several days, but AMA provides two large umbrellas in the closet so you don't need to tote them along. A warm jacket will be a must, though.

 

SuJaDon, regarding the "leave loading", I was just going by what a guy named Albert and his wife, Robin, told me--as they were working on their employees' payroll on the laptop in the lounge. Even at 4 weeks and 17.5% additonal pay, we in the USA consider you to have a tremendous benefit; most of us get less time and NO additional pay. All I can say is, good for you.

 

Charlotte

[Coral]

Hi Charlotte -

 

While my river cruise was in Russia, I also agree that Charlotte gave a very fair description of what river cruising was like. I wanted to go back to Russia but hotel prices in Moscow were $$$$$$ so I considered a river cruise. I had done many large ship cruises and thought this would be more up close and personal. I knew the experience would be different and had watched a video done on the ship I was going to be on so I knew what to expect from the boat stand point.

 

Before I left, I thought there would be many river cruises in my future as I was getting tired of the very large ships and looked forward to the scenery on the small ships while sailing. I came back and I am not sure if I will go river cruising again (and for me, I won't go with Amadeus again).

 

Our ship was probably 1/2 Canadians and 1/4 Australians. The Australians thought they were going on a boat owned by APT. I was fooled also as the ship I was on wasn't owned by Amadeus and had only 3 Amadeus employees - it was owned by Vodohod and the employees were Vodohod.

 

I was also mislead by the time in some of the ports - some port stops were 3-4 hours.

 

We also had a bronchitis incident on our sailing also. On one of the first days I got on a bus and someone was sneezing and coughing horribly. I asked if they were ok and they said they had been diagnosed with bronchitis right before they left (and they still left anyway!). I immediately left the bus and got on another bus. Though within a few days, many people were sick. We had a doctor onboard the entire cruise and visits to her were free.

 

I really liked the concept of river cruises - I like the small boats, I like going on rivers and seeing the scenery, I like to go to the small towns that cruise ships can't go to. I really thought I would like river cruising. I may go again in the future but it would take a unique situation (such as $400 plus hotel stays in Moscow, etc..).

[sanny]

Thanks so much Charlotte for a wonderfully detailed report on your experience. It certainly gives me food for thought. My husband and I are booked on the Scenic Tours Amsterdam - Budapest cruise on the Scenic Diamond sailing March 23 next year.

I have to support SujaDon's comment on the average Australian's annual leave - it is 4 weeks, and the '17.5% leave loading' is at the employer's discretion. I don't get it but I'm not complaining. Maybe the woman you met gets 7 weeks, but who wants to do the company payroll when they're on vacation?? Just as a matter of interest, what annual leave are Americans and/or Canadians entitled to? Is there a minimum that employers must by law give their employees or are there workplace agreements established between the employer/employee?

cheers Sandra

ps making a mental note to get my flu shots well before I travel !!;)

[tarredon]

Sandra,

Americans are not entitled by law to annual paid leave at all; in fact, I have seen the statistic claiming that less than 14% of Americans receive 2 weeks or more of paid leave. A group called Take Back Your Time says that a third of women and a quarter of men in America do not get any annual leave at all. Sad, but hopefully this situation will change in the future. I would love to see all Americans get 4 weeks of annual paid leave!

 

Tina

[Bohemian]

Thanks for the detailed and objective review of your river cruising experience, TQ. A river cruise is something we had considered but the more I read about it, the less likely it's going to happen. I love huge cruise ships with huge fitness centers, huge dining rooms, multiple swimming pools... you get the idea, and I really can't see myself stuck on a small river boat for 14 days. We visit the Rhine Valley every year and seeing these boats going up and down the river had me wondering what it would be like to be on one of them. The picture is becoming clearer... :)

 

BTW, as an overworked and underpaid Canadian civic employee, I get 7 weeks (paid at regular rate) vacation annually.

[jdblakeslee]

Reading these very informative and objective posts regarding the pros and cons of river cruising, I'm reminded that I'm not a real fan of ocean cruising either. It's not that I don't enjoy the experience, I guess I sorta feel confined...

 

But, after many independent trips to Europe, I have realized that while we enjoy our time there, we never see all the "sights" that we should have, simply because of all the logistics of arranging a tour guide, buying tickets ahead online, what museums are closed on which days, etc. Don't get me wrong, we love our alone time in Paris, love spending time in Florence and Venice, but we've been there enough times that we can finally relax and just wander around without feeling like we're missing something....

 

I guess, for us, it's a trade-off...we'll alter our lifestyle for two weeks to travel from Amsterdam to Budapest with someone else responsible for our travel, our meals, and our tours...and hopefully, we'll be informed enough by then to make a few decisions about which tours to opt out of and when to take the time in port for ourselves...

 

And that's the reason I feel these posts are so valuable. Thanks to all who continue to post their opinions and advice.

 

Jennifer

[sanny]

Tina, thanks for your feedback on American annual leave entitlements (or should I say, lack thereof). I'm actually quite shocked ... I didn't really know this and I guess I just assumed that getting paid annual leave was the norm all over the western world. You live and learn. Now I will never take this 'privilege' for granted and I certainly hope that in the near future things will change in the US so you too can enjoy what Australians have seen as their right for a very long time. Obviously, without knowing the whole picture, we're probably comparing apples with oranges but I know that 4 weeks paid annual leave 'forces' us all to take regular periodic breaks from work. Something we all need for our mental health, don't you think?

cheers, Sandra

[Coral]

Sandra,

Americans are not entitled by law to annual paid leave at all; in fact, I have seen the statistic claiming that less than 14% of Americans receive 2 weeks or more of paid leave. A group called Take Back Your Time says that a third of women and a quarter of men in America do not get any annual leave at all. Sad, but hopefully this situation will change in the future. I would love to see all Americans get 4 weeks of annual paid leave!

 

Tina

 

Tina - I agree with you.

 

Where I live (in the midwest) most of my friends get 1 week after the first year and 2 weeks after 5 years and if they are lucky, they will get 3 weeks after 10 or 15 years. Most stay at 2 weeks.

 

I am one of the few who landed a job where I get 4 weeks per year and consider myself very fortunate as my first 20 years in the work force was at most 1-2 weeks of vacation per year.

[CincyAL]

I am a little confused is this website about river cruises or the Aussie vacation policy? I have found river cruises offer the opportunity NOT FOUND on large passenger ships. The time to enjoy the sights AND actually meet your fellow passengers!!!

[Coral]

I am a little confused is this website about river cruises or the Aussie vacation policy? I have found river cruises offer the opportunity NOT FOUND on large passenger ships. The time to enjoy the sights AND actually meet your fellow passengers!!!

 

It is one of those unique opportunities where one is able to learn more then what the title of the thread is. Since it is related to the original posters review, I see nothing wrong with it.

[Trash Queen]

For those who are interested, I posted our day-by-day on a separate thread; you can see there how short our stays in many towns were.

 

Charlotte

[rogerdawhip]

I have been on 10 river cruises, mostly with GCT, and 18 large ship cruises. I am a single traveler and greatly prefer the river cruises. I enjoy the small ships and much fewer passangers. It is easier for me to meet many people and get to see them each day when there are only 140 vs 2800 people mingling. About 10% of the small ship passangers on my trips said they will never do another river trip. They all preferred the large ship experience. Many people have different expectations about the river cruises and therefore do not enjoy them. On my last river trip I got sick the last week and was not able to enjoy the trip as much as others. It it had been my first river trip I nay have said never again.

[Diane in PA]

Could you post a link please

[Trash Queen]

Sorry; I hadn't checked this thread for a while. The link to our daily activities is Daily Itinerary, Amadante Budapest-amsterdam

 

Charlotte

[Robyn France]

Greetings, we have just returned from the Amacello Danube Discovery trip and I read the Trash Queen review and had a few musings. Obviously it was a different trip but I thought I might point out a different point of view on ours. For starters, I found that asking questions on this board helped plan our expectations and fill in the details ahead of time. The question of one seating and all eating at the same time was covered several times on the board. Also the brochure covered cabin size--so although they are small--it was as described--same with a small fitness center, which I used only once. Also, the question of short times in each location is fairly clear in the brochure, based on the itinerary. Suggested tips are also addressed and have been addressed on this board in great detail--which doesn't mean that we necessarily followed them to the tee. All I am saying here is that these boards and the brochures gave us the information to decide to select or not select this cruise.

 

Where we had a very different experience, was on a lot of the actual items reported. On the Amacello, there were plenty of tables for 2--we often moved a 2-top and 4 top together for a group of 5. Also, others in parties of 8 put 2 4 tops together and the servers were very obliging about helping. Our staff on the ship was a variety of Eastern European nationalities but all spoke excellent English. We did not have any communication difficulties--in fact they often remembered our preferences--some in our party wanted only pure butter, not the herb butter at dinner, we liked to have a glass of ice on the table --they were terrific that way. We had great breakfasts, the omelet chef was there for the entire time and the little waffles and pancakes as well as eggs benedict were available from our server on request. I had an egg benedict almost every day. The serving areas were kept spotless and we did not have inappropriate hygiene that I ever saw. No one on our ship was ill to my knowledge. On the days of the Salzburg full tour, we came down to breakfast at 8:30 and had a relaxing breakfast--no taking down of food or tables.

 

Another big difference on the Amacello was the smoking as described on the Amandante--the only smoking allowed on our ship was directly in front of the captain's bridge in a very small area. The rest of the ship was strictly off bounds for smoking. I believe there were some smokers but I only saw one person. Our deck was closed for only a brief time one day--the rest of the time, we were told we could not get up when we went thru the low bridges--only a time or 2--perhaps we were out when the other problems occurred.

 

I completely understand the TMI issue on the tours--in the end, we like to strike out on our own, but we knew what we were signing up for and learned quite a bit--.

 

I am so sorry that the illness factor put a pall on your trip--we were fortunate and people were very careful with the antiseptic dispensers--we actually reminded some folks and they didn't seem offended. We saw the staff cleaning the steps, rails and sides of the ship constantly. In the end, I don't know that we plan another cruise--but I do think that AMA deserves praise for doing a good job at the type of cruise they provided.

[stired]

Greetings, we have just returned from the Amacello Danube Discovery trip and I read the Trash Queen review and had a few musings. Obviously it was a different trip but I thought I might point out a different point of view on ours. For starters, I found that asking questions on this board helped plan our expectations and fill in the details ahead of time. The question of one seating and all eating at the same time was covered several times on the board. Also the brochure covered cabin size--so although they are small--it was as described--same with a small fitness center, which I used only once. Also, the question of short times in each location is fairly clear in the brochure, based on the itinerary. Suggested tips are also addressed and have been addressed on this board in great detail--which doesn't mean that we necessarily followed them to the tee. All I am saying here is that these boards and the brochures gave us the information to decide to select or not select this cruise.

 

Where we had a very different experience, was on a lot of the actual items reported. On the Amacello, there were plenty of tables for 2--we often moved a 2-top and 4 top together for a group of 5. Also, others in parties of 8 put 2 4 tops together and the servers were very obliging about helping. Our staff on the ship was a variety of Eastern European nationalities but all spoke excellent English. We did not have any communication difficulties--in fact they often remembered our preferences--some in our party wanted only pure butter, not the herb butter at dinner, we liked to have a glass of ice on the table --they were terrific that way. We had great breakfasts, the omelet chef was there for the entire time and the little waffles and pancakes as well as eggs benedict were available from our server on request. I had an egg benedict almost every day. The serving areas were kept spotless and we did not have inappropriate hygiene that I ever saw. No one on our ship was ill to my knowledge. On the days of the Salzburg full tour, we came down to breakfast at 8:30 and had a relaxing breakfast--no taking down of food or tables.

 

Another big difference on the Amacello was the smoking as described on the Amandante--the only smoking allowed on our ship was directly in front of the captain's bridge in a very small area. The rest of the ship was strictly off bounds for smoking. I believe there were some smokers but I only saw one person. Our deck was closed for only a brief time one day--the rest of the time, we were told we could not get up when we went thru the low bridges--only a time or 2--perhaps we were out when the other problems occurred.

 

I completely understand the TMI issue on the tours--in the end, we like to strike out on our own, but we knew what we were signing up for and learned quite a bit--.

 

I am so sorry that the illness factor put a pall on your trip--we were fortunate and people were very careful with the antiseptic dispensers--we actually reminded some folks and they didn't seem offended. We saw the staff cleaning the steps, rails and sides of the ship constantly. In the end, I don't know that we plan another cruise--but I do think that AMA deserves praise for doing a good job at the type of cruise they provided.

 

 

Thank you for your review. We will be on the new Amalrya next year and we are looking forward to it. I have read a lot here and other places and I think my expectations are realistic. I'm sure we will love it! (to me, what's not to love about being waited on hand and foot, fed, cleaned up after, etc. etc. etc. :D )