Rhine River Cruise with AMAwaterways

Old Jan 24th, 2017, 03:48 PM
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Rhine River Cruise with AMAwaterways

We had a wonderful cruise last month with AMAwaterways from Amersterdam to Basel. We were taken with the intimacy of a small ship--nothing was a far walk in the ship. It was a Christmas cruise, and the ship was decorated to the hilt. It was so very Christmassy, even the little fitness center. The food as a whole was not as good as on larger ocean vessels, but quite adequate. There were many choices. We were invited for one dinner in the specialty restaurant, which had both wonderful food and very attentive service. The best thing about this cruise was the tours, which were excellent and even better than those I have been on with Princess or Crystal. The tour guides were energetic, dramatic, and very knowledgeable. Unlike the larger ships, there are no big production shows. We had two sets of entertainers in the evening who were very good. The shows were in the lounge, where people gathered at other times for drinks, reading, card playing, and just getting together with friends. On the day that we cruised the Rhine Gorge, many stayed in the lounge to keep warm and still see the scenery from the panoramic windows.

We had been warned that the bed might be uncomfortable, but we found ours to be fine on the AMA Prima. Bottled water was replenished as we needed it. Wine and beer were free at meal time, but not at other times. We could also get specialty coffee in the lounge at any time.

The itinerary was very good. We enjoyed all of the ports, even Heidelberg and Strasbourg, which we had been to for five days once before. There is something very easy about arriving from the riverside, right in the center of a city.

The cruise was organized at all times. It was apparent that the crew was experienced and good at what they did. Even disembarking went smoothly.

I would take AMAwaterways again any time. I consider it a great value. We enjoyed this winter cruise and the Christmas markets, but could see how the ship would be very enjoyable in warmer weather with its gorgeous upper deck with a pool, whirlpool, bar, and open and covered lounging areas.

I recommend AMAwaterways highly!
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Old Jan 24th, 2017, 09:21 PM
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Didn't know there are "winter" river cruises. Have to investigate now ... Thanks for the TR.
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Old Sep 7th, 2017, 05:03 PM
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We are planning on doing this trip for our honeymoon this upcoming December! Ours will actually be the return trip, so won't be a Christmas markets trip per se, but rather begin in Basel a couple of days after Christmas, and finish in Amsterdam.

I was very curious to ask about the weather in terms of enjoying the excursions and scenery. Were the bike trips still available in late December, or was it too cold and/or impossible to do as an activity? Was there any snow anywhere? Any other details on this would be so good to know! All of the pictures are naturally very 'summer/springy' looking, so I would love to know the differences for the winter! (We are very 'wintery' people, so would not be taking this trip if we didn't like the notion of a chilly Europe, but it would still be great to have an idea from someone who was on this tour at that time!)
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Old Sep 16th, 2017, 01:56 PM
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Racheletta:

We spent Christmas on the ship, so the trip was mid-December until the day after Christmas. It was cold, but I don't recall snow anywhere we stopped. We were lucky not to even have much rain, but I suppose that will change from year to year.

I have now taken two river cruises, this one in December and a recent one in July. Not one person took out a bike, but the weather in December would not have prohibited it if one were so inclined and could manage the cold.
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