A New Year on the Rhine with AMA Waterways

After arriving at Basel Airport , we made our own way to the pier to catch the Ama Certo on it's 7 night journey from Basel to Amsterdam . When arriving at Basel Airport make sure that you exit the Swiss side and not the French side . We had a BB Category cabin on the Middle Deck and despite being the cabin next to reception , there were no issues with noise .

The first night is the Captains Welcome Cocktail and Dinner , where you get to meet the Captain and most of the crew . There is also a short demonstration about putting on a lifejacket , should you happen to fall in the Rhine .

Each day there are a variety of included excursions and your pre-boarding packet of documents will tell you what they are . For instance on the first day , there is a choice of going to Riquewihr , Breisach or Colmar . We chose Colmar , and despite the cold weather it was a very pleasant market town in France .

Each night in your room there will be a " Daily Cruiser " leaflet which will tell you what you will be seeing and doing the following day , and this is also where you make your choices for the following days excursions .

At the moment , the water level in the Rhine is very low and if this continues then your itinerary can be changed so that the Captain can navigate safely thru the low water .

This did happen to us as we could not dock in Strasbourg because of the low water and had to go all the way to Mannheim , before being bussed back for our excursion to Strasbourg .

This situation was excellently handled by everyone at AMA , and the passengers were kept fully up to date with the situation and the alternative itinerary that resulted meant that a restaurant in Strasbourg had to accomodate all 120 of us at short notice .

Our cabin onboard was spacious enough for 2 people and there was enough storage space in the cabin for a week long cruise .

The food onboard was a very good standard , and the dining room is big enough to seat everybody at one time . There are several selections for each course , but if you have any allergies it would be wise to let them know ahead of time so that you can be accomodated . I would say that the wine selection could have been slightly better , but they tried to serve wines from the local region to enhance your cruising experience .

I would recommend the Chefs Table at least once , this is located at the other end of the ship and can seat up to 28 passengers and you get to see the chef prepare your dinner . The night we went it was full so book early .

There is entertainment after dinner in the Main Lounge , which ranged from a singer singing Tunes from the Musicals , an ABBA tribute band and a classical recital , so something for everyone .

The Main Lounge is big enough for everyone at once and they also serve ' Lite' breakfast and lunch for anyone who just wants a snack .

The Main Lounge has floor to ceiling windows which gives you a great panorama of the scenery when it is too cold to go outside .

If you are considering this itinerary for your first river cruise , you will not be disappointed . Wonderful scenery , great places to visit and a great crew made this a really memorable experience .