River Cruises - Europe Cruise Reviews

I loved the trip and how well all my days were great. Met some wonderful people. It was great that time was set aside for a cocktail pre-dinner and entertainment post-dinner.

This was a horrible experience for us. Virtually no air conditioning or inadequate air in the room and excursion buses. No entertainment. Unusable balcony due to close proximity to next boat.

Disaster. Sat in the Nuremberg port for 4 nights. Nothing within walking distance. Loud ugly industrial park. Do not do this cruise, it is a bus tour.

Almost too relaxing for me. There was a biking group “Backroads” on board that were too active for me. A lot of time cruising which is just the nature of a river cruise.

Very enjoyable cruise. So much history and great itinerary

This was our first river cruise and we enjoyed it immensely. We loved visiting various European locations and seeing a lot of countryside, vineyards, and castles onshore in between. We went through many locks on the river (maybe a dozen). Some of them were at night so we slept through those. This might have been our best vacation ever. So memorable.

First time river cruising, many many ocean cruises so was anxious to see how they compared. Very different experience but we will definitely river cruise again - and also do more ocean cruises! The staff were wonderful. The cabin was small but sufficient for our needs. The food was excellent. One thing I missed was finding a quiet spot to go to - with only one lounge on the AMADante there was no place to go except your room or the lounge. It was nice to have the excursions included. The tour guides were knowledgeable and friendly. I liked going to locations that only a river cruise could get to. The small German villages we saw were delightful. All in all it was a good trip. The weather was miserable - but we made the best of it. We may have to do the Rhine River Gorge again in hopes of seeing it with blue skies and not cold, gray ones! We had unseasonably cold and rainy weather - no one expects snow flurries in May!!

First river cruise after half-dozen ocean cruises. Different but we likely will do another. AmaWaterways does an excellent job with great staff and food, ship was in great condition. The concept of being on the river and seeing sights along the way, and stopping at small cities for sightseeing was a great way to get a view of this part of Germany. Not all sights are picturesque (like some industrial areas) but I didn't find this objectionable. You'll see barges and other river cruise ships along the way. The locks on the Rhine river are quite efficient and you get used to going 'dark' as the small ship descends (briefly) below daylight and all you see are brick or concrete outside the windows. Our weather did not cooperate, and we had rain many days and even snow flurries which kept us off the top deck for sightseeing along the rivers most of the time (except the Rhine River gorge), but the concept of being able to get up there to view the world go by was good. Ama takes care of everything, even if a lock was broken, they made quick arrangements to bus us ahead and then catch up with the ship later in the day. No worries. IT was a very busy week with no 'sea days' in between and you need to be prepared for a lot of walking, but this cruise is a great way to see Germany's rivers and castles!

This was my 2nd trip with AmaWaterways and 4th River Cruise (Amazon, Mekong and Yangtze). The Rhine did not disappoint. Adding the pre-dates in Amsterdam and Post-dates in Lucerne and Zurich only added to the experience

Why would a “Port Authority” tell Viking it could not dock in Amsterdam-but instead in Rotterdam? Viking is a huge river cruise line and has 44 itineraries that depart from Amsterdam. Have they NO clout?? When did Viking request this port of call? We made this reservation 2 yrs in advance and within 5 days of embarkation, Amsterdam ,which was a FEATURED,25% of the cruise gets changed???? How often does this happen to Viking. We are not talking low water levels but Port Authority says. We also had our return Amsterdam center port call changed to 5-10 miles away. Should we not have had consideration given for missing out on Amsterdam at the beginning? Let me know if this has happened to you on previous Viking cruises-not due to low water levels

I very satisfied with the cruise. The staff was excellent and very friendly. The food was delicious and most of the excursion were were good.

Service was great, attentive staff. Tour guides were very informative.

We embarked Viking expecting a 4 or 5-star experience, this was certainly not what was delivered on board. Cold, unimaginative food, refelcting many of the staff who were serving. Drink stocks running out and not replenished as it was the end of season - poor excuse given the price we paid. Most of the crew seemed to be going through the motions without any care, which I put down to this being the last voyage of a long season, so they were probably worn out & ready for their break & to see their families. Entertainment was woeful, with one man playing a keyboard & half-singing an assortment of songs from the 50's, 60's and early 70's. 'Next day' overviews were held in the one lounge area before dinner so that the bar staff could push drinks. We had a couple of quiz nights with the usual embarassing tat-prizes - all very Butlin's in it's bad days.

The only negative, which I discussed with the cruise director, was a lack of communication at times. We nearly missed seeing a magnificent basilica while cruising during dinner one night because we had no idea it was coming up and many people stayed up to see the lights of Budapest as we entered when the hotel manager knew, he had told me and a few guests, that the lights would not be on as we were getting in after midnight. A guide with highlights and when they would be visible would be very helpful.

Not as much to see on this river but will definitely be doing another Viking cruise

There is nothing that compares to a River Cruise. Ocean cruises take you to a country, River cruises take you through multiple countries. The smaller ship makes for a more personal and intimate experience. You get to actually meet and socialize with the people you cruise with. We met so many wonderful people. The included Excursions were led by extremely knowledgeable, local guides who walked us through every city we visited.

Terrific sailing. Ship is beautiful. Crew was helpful and kind.

This was by far the best cruise I have ever been on. We loved the intimate environment and exceptional service. They communicated at every turn and did there best to accommodate and anticipate every need. I'm sold on river cruising and cruising with Ama!

Cruise was very relaxing. Not a lot to do onboard but it is nice that they have tours already scheduled. Had to switch ships from the AmaStella to the AmaKristina due to water levels but Betti - the cruise manager, did an amazing job handling it and the cruise - very minimal impact. Not as much food as on the big ships and not available at all time. Food was really not up to par. They need to realize that not everything needs to be cooked with alcohol. Some people don't or can't have alcohol.

From the time we got on the ship until we left, the crew and staff made us feel at home. enjoyed the excursions as i got a chance to really get a feel for different cities. Even when there are issues, the crew worked diligently to get it all take care of! Absolutely enjoyed it all!!