My AMA..zing Danube Experience

Back in November, I was very fortunate to not only attend the River Cruise Convention beautiful Cologne and see a variety of the River Cruise Lines on the Rhine, but I was then whisked away to the stunning scenery of the Danube and spent 4 nights onboard the magnificent 5*AmaCerto courtesy of AMA Waterways.

I have cruised many times on ocean cruises but river cruising opened up a whole new holiday experience.

Firstly, the ship only takes 164 guests so there is a very personal feel on board. You are greeted as a friend and one of the biggest differences is the ease of embarkation as this involves no more than strolling up the gangway with no queuing or bag scanning and you are handed a welcoming hot drink and a warm towel.

My stateroom was stunning with a large double bed and both a French balcony and a full balcony. The very well decorated and equipped bathroom had the nice addition of a window allowing the views in and which became opaque at the touch of a switch to ensure privacy.

Another nice touch was in in room entertainment as a host of the latest movies were available on demand on your TV.

The dining was superb with excellent wines included at mealtimes and one amazing experience was to dine in the Chef’s Table restaurant which is a small dining room where you can watch the chef prepare dinner for you.

Our cruise was a part of a longer themed cruise “in celebration of wine” and had guest speakers from Californian vineyards.

We joined the AmaCerto in Vilshofen after flying to Munich and were were greeted to Bavaria that evening with an “Oktoberfest” on the quayside with traditional music and dancing and the ships guests were met by the Mayor and Beer Queen of Vilshofen and wished a successful jouney along the Danube.

The next morning, we enjoyed a walk around the Old Town. River cruise ships dock in the town centre and so everything is within easy reach. During a delightful lunch, we set sail for Passau known as the Town of Three Rivers. That afternoon we had the choice of joining a walking tour or a bike tour using the bicycles kept on board. As I had rather enjoyed lunch and the couple of glasses that went with it , I opted for the walking tour.

That evening after another superb meal, we were treated to a concert by local performers of the songs from the “Sound of Music”. As we were off to Salzburg in the morning it was all very much in the spirit of the evening and we all enjoyed joining in.

Entertainment on the river cruises is very different to ocean liners and is usually themed around the area and performed by local people. This may be dancers or musicians or one evening we had a sixties night and were all given wigs and shades to put on! Obviously, it is not obligatory to participate and there are other areas you can go to sit and have a quiet drink.

Salzburg did not fail to live up to expectations and neither did the scenery of the entire trip. I could have happily spent the 5 days just sitting on my balcony watching the world go by.

The “Sound of Music ” house

Mozart fridge magnet in front of his birthplace

One part of the journey that surprised me were the amount of locks we passed through. I remember one day going into my bathroom in daylight and coming out, in just the space of time it took to brush my teeth, to darkness. We were at a lock gate and deep down between walls!