The good, the bad, and the ugly

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 29

Review summary

The Good: The ship is a marvel of excellence. It’s beautifully appointed with an air of luxury. When we were welcomed aboard, the comment most heard from my fellow passengers was, “I was blown away.” Many of the tour experiences when the ship docks were a real pleasure. They would have been difficult to find or afford without the guidance provided by Ama. Standouts for me were the bicycle ride through wine country and the tours to the truffle farm and the town of Beaujolais. The crew is well-trained, efficient, excellent at their jobs, engaging, hard-working, and a true pleasure to deal with. The entire operation is a model of efficiency. They deliver on their promise of seamless luxury, most especially by ensuring you won’t have to handle your luggage. From shore to ship and back to shore, you’ll find your bags waiting in your room. All of this is executed with military precision. If you love cruise ship luxury and experience, read no further. Ama is your place to be. More than half the passengers had been on an Ama cruise before. The Bad: All that military precision comes with a price. In order for your bags to get where they’re supposed to be before you get there, you’ll have to put up with a lot of “hurry up and wait.” A very military experience indeed. On Day 3, the transfer from Barcelona to Avignon by TGV required us to have our bags in the hallway by 6:45 a.m., which in turn required us to get out of bed at the time we would be going to bed if we were still in NY. Then, of course, Ama must keep you busy because the bags get to the next stop by truck, and you’re traveling by TGV. So, they set up a city tour in the morning (when I should be sleeping). These tours take you by bus through a city where a guide tells you what you just past on your right or left. Free time is limited because, well, there’s a train to catch. There is constant pressure to be where you have to be and be there on time. It’s understandable but not much fun. Hurry up and wait describes the entire experience. The tour starts at 9, be ready 10 minutes before, get your ticket, what color is it, follow the guide with the paddle of the same color, get on the bus, ride the bus for an hour, take a tour, you get 45 minutes of free time after the tour, but be on the bus at this location to keep us all on schedule. And so on. I go on vacation to relax. Nothing about this experience was relaxing. The food, in my opinion, was mediocre by European standards. Enjoying freshly prepared food at great restaurants is at the top of my list of reasons to vacation there. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. The Ugly: Worst of all, I never felt I was seeing Europe. Despite the pleasure of the tours I mentioned above, there were as many that were unenjoyable. Instead of spending time in Europe, experiencing their cuisine, their culture, and their people, we spent our time on buses, trains, and ships. Bottom line, going on an Ama cruise and thinking you’ve been to Europe is like going to Lion Country Safari and thinking you’ve been to Africa.

Embarkation

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

Onboard Activities

Entertainment

Service and Staff

Ship Quality

Cabin / Stateroom

Ports of call

Avignon, France

Tarascon, France

Viviers, France

Tournon, France

Vienne, France

Collonges-Au-Mont-D'Or, France

Lyon, France

Disembarkation