Will I be below the water line?

“Will I be below the water line?” is a question that I am frequently asked when selling both river and oceans cruises. For an oceans cruise this is a simple question to answer, as whilst the lower deck cabins are  numbered 1 or 2 and sound close to the water, there are always at least a couple of crew decks below, meaning that even on a low passenger deck you are still very clear of  the water.

River boats are smaller  though and typically only have 3 or 4 decks to them, with deck one appearing to be low on the deck plans. So when I was recently invited on board the Amadeus Silver, I packed my camera and set off to find out.

The entry level, river view cabins are plenty large enough and at 16 square metres are the same size as the French balcony cabins on the higher decks.  As you can see they come with a rectangular window, running the width of the cabin, which lets in natural light and  allows you to see what the weather is like before deciding what to wear for the day. There is also a small seating area.

The window is at head height (with hindsight I should have taken a photo with myself standing next to it) and when you look out you are a short distance above the water line. Unfortunately it was a grey, dull day so the photo does not do it justice but it was great to look out and see the river so close.

So the answer as to whether you are above or below the water line is a little unclear – as you look out you are definitely above the water line, but the floor of your cabin is below it.  If  you look at this exterior shot, you can see the where the windows sit in relation to the water.

Personally, it wouldn’t bother me being in line with the water, I hardly spent any time  in my cabin anyway, but if you are concerned by it and I know  many people are, then I’d recommend paying that little bit more for a higher deck cabin.

To read my review  of the Amadeus Silver and see more pictures just click here


About Me

I have worked in the travel industry for over 25 years now since beginning as a holiday rep on a campsite in France and I have a real passion for travel. I've worked in all aspects of the industry including sales, marketing and management and I've specialised in most products…

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