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!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Because this is a small ship (compared to ocean cruises) the embarkation was a breeze. No waiting at all and the AmaDante staff was helpful and courteous.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Food was plentiful and always available. Main dining room was roomy, service good, choices appropriate. Chef's table restaurant was excellent for preparation and presentation, staff service was exceptional.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Compared to an ocean cruise, the 'activities' are very limited on a river cruise ship. Other than fitness activities offered multiple times during the day, there really was not much to do. However, each day there were multiple land tours offered (and included in price) which offsets the lack of onboard activities.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Good variety of local performers for evening entertainment (mainly music) and an afternoon pianist provided some music in the lounge. One night was a disco night which was fun, glass blower was excellent, trio of classical music performers was amazing!
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Room steward was great, kept the room tidy and handled any request we made. Wait staff in the restaurants was good, Cruise Manager was excellent and did a great job of keeping us informed as to tours for the day, local history, updates on issues with locks (Rhine River portion of cruise). I would say the service and staff are comparable to premium ocean cruise line.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
River cruise ships are way smaller than an ocean cruise. That said, on a positive side, you never had to wait for an elevator (only 1 flight of stairs up or down to lounge or restaurant), and the amount of walking was way less than on a large ship. Close to lounge and restaurants, ease to go 'up top' of ship for observation of countryside and river activities. Lack of quiet place to get away from everything (other than your cabin) is an issue on these smaller ships. The ship, although one of AmaWaterways oldest, was extremely well maintained and clean. You wouldn't know it was an older ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Clean and well laid out. The French balcony was nice in order to observe all the things alone the Rhine, Mosel, and Main rivers. Enough storage space for all our clothes (large closet, several drawers for clothes), 2 chairs for sitting while observing the river and locks. Bath was small but efficient, shower had plenty of water pressure.
Ship tip
Pick a season when weather is favorable to enjoy the roof-top seating. We had miserable weather the entire week and our passage through Rhine River Gorge in early May was freezing. Ship provided blankets for us all as we watched the castles above.
Thoroughly enjoyed the city tour, especially the tour of the outside of Nuremburg courthouse where the WWII War Crimes trials took place. Great German sausages and sauerkraut in the town square.
Loved this place, very scenic views of the Rhine River and many vineyards from a gondola ride up to the Neiderwald Monument (highlighting victory of German over France in 1869).
Visited the Reichburg Castle which is amazing for its size and condition (many of the castles are in ruins but this one is well restored), and the furniture and history. Also great views of the Mosel River from here.
Loved Trier, as oldest city in Germany, walled city with much to see. City tour was very good, including Basicila, the Roman Bridge and Porta Nigra (original Roman wall). Definitely worth a stop.
The American Cemetery and Memorial from WWII was humbling and yet inspiring. Cathedral worth seeing and the city tour overview was helpful to understand Luxembourg's place in the EU.
Process was seemless, the location appeared to have been under construction so there was a bit of walking on steep inclines and gravel with limited steps. Perhaps a temporary thing.
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