My amazing experience in Amsterdam on the AmaPrima Part 2

On boarding our ship we were greeted by the friendliest staff lined up on the stair case to welcome us. On some ships I have been on this is really off putting and awkward, but in this case it was actually really welcoming.

We were escorted to our cabins by our attendants who explained practically every aspect of my cabin. She was informative, quick and friendly. But actually I could not wait to get rid of her to explore the cabin myself. I could not believe the luxury I was in. The cabin was how I would imagine a boutique hotel would be, and most definitely not a river cruise cabin.

My cabin was fantastic with a large double bed, two chairs by a French Balcony, dressing table with a flat screen tv and computer keyboard, YES you are actually connected to a free ship wide FREE wifi on board and in case you need it you can actually use your TV as a computer and connect using it. Something I never ever expected!!

I had a full size balcony with two chairs and a table. It was a fantastic addition as I can imagine during a 7 night cruise having just got ready for dinner and sitting out there relaxing just before dinner. Or having an early morning coffee whilst reading a book. It just screamed relax relax relax to me.

Another thing that surprised me about my cabin was the size of the bathroom. I normally travel with my sister in wheelchair adapted cabins so I normally have a larger than normal bathroom. I was expecting a tiny thing, a bit like a caravan bathroom. But no, I had a full size shower, a mirror almost the size of the bathroom and lots of counter space. I was delighted to be proven wrong.

Yet another surprise was to discover there was masses of water in my cabin, both beside the chairs at the French Balcony and in the fridge. The best surprise was when i realised that the water was at no charge – I didn’t have to worry about being charged a fortune if I got up in the middle of the night needing a drink. There are no tea and coffee facilities in the cabins but the lounge has a coffee machine available 24 hrs a day with standard coffee, latte, mocha and cappuccino all available as well as every type of tea under the sun. We were encouraged to get a hot drink whenever we needed, at any time of the night or day, whether wearing pj’s or our ball gown. This relaxed atmosphere was surprising to me but very welcome all the same. I had imagined a some what stuffy atmosphere with lots of restrictions on board, but this was not at all what I experienced.

Then something very small, but extremely important and devastating happened – my mobile phone died!!! I was travelling with three other ladies and you can imagine the electrical appliances and contraptions we brought with us from straighteners, phone chargers, kindle chargers etc. BUT not a European plug adaptor between us. We all kind of went into a panic – how would we check our emails, Facebook, twitter etc. with no mobile?? I know we could use the room computer as a back up, but we all love a good ‘selfie’ and we were looking forward to grabbing a few on board and posting to our social media pages. When we were disembarking at Volendam I asked the front desk if they would be able to direct us to a store in the port that we could buy some. At that stage we were inundated with offers from the staff on board to borrow their various usb and phone chargers, and plug adaptors. Some ran down to their cabins to get them before we got off so we could leave our phones behind at reception and they would be partially charged by the time we got on board. In all of my many cruises I have never experienced such great service – they really went the extra mile to help us and to make sure we stayed connected to our friends and family. We were all very very impressed.

The dining on the ship was fantastic. Lunch was a buffet with a choice then of main course off a menu. The food was lovely and tasty and something for everyone’s palettes. Dessert was a selection of mini items with fresh ice cream and lots of toppings – fab!

Dinner was a more formal setting with everyone in their finery. It was a full sit down meal, with again lots of choice and the friendliest but unimposing dining staff I have ever experienced. Drinks are included with meals and the waiters were happy to suggest something to go with each of the courses, again nothing I have experienced before.

The entertainment on board is normally a local act from piano, singers, traditional music etc and I was worried about how low key it would be but again I need no have feared anything. It was enjoyable, fun and had everyone on their feet.

At breakfast the next morning we were all feeling slightly tender but the champagne breakfast was just what the doctor ordered! This is offered every morning just so you start your day off in style. Breakfast again is a buffet complete with every breakfast item you could think of and an omelette station!!

In addition to this there was also a menu which you order with the waiter which offers freshly made items such as eggs benedict – we were truly spoilt!

I was truly sad to leave the ship after my short stay and even though Holland is quite a way to go for a two night stay it was well worth it. It was a fantastic opportunity to experience life on board a river cruise and to banish all my prejudices of what I thought it would be like. I am now a total convert. I know the ship I experience is one of the newer river ships out there but the experience I had on board from the service and the work ethos must be companywide as the staff have all worked on various ships. Knowing this I can safely say when booking my first actual river cruise holiday I will be definitely using APT and AmaWaterways.

Stay posted next week for details on a great offer on the AmaPrima so you can have a chance to book your river cruise and get to experience the fantastic life on board that I did.