AMA vs VIKING
 

I am considering a Mekong cruise. I have taken several Viking cruises and always enjoyed them.I have not cruised with AMA. In comparing the itineraries it appears that there is vast differences and also the boats differ greatly. The pricing is comparable. Any opinions or advice would be helpful.

We had taken two Viking cruises in Europe before we decided to go to the Mekong. I had heard from friends that Viking in China served Western style meals so I wrote and asked them for a menu; it was disappointing and confirmed my fears, little Asian. Then I wrote AMA Waterways the same question. We booked with AMA, enjoyed dining on local cuisine( they also offered western style) and were very pleased with our whole experience. It was far superior to what we had experienced on our earlier Viking cruises. The ship, AMALotus was lovely, about 100 passengers. We had a large comfortable bed, good a/c in the room. Cabins have balconies although it was too hot to sit out there. Fellow cruisers were a mix of Americans, British and about half were Australian. All the hotels provided in Hanoi, Saigon, Siem Reap were high quality Sofitels.
The itinerary was very interesting, one we never could done by ourselves. It remains our favorite river cruise and one of our favorite trips ever taken. We arrived in Hanoi five days early and at the end of the cruise, in Saigon, we flew to Bangkok for an additional five days on our own.

Thank you, I have been on four Viking cruises and I am going on The Viking Star Ocean vessel next month. However I am swaying towards AMA for Vietnam as it looks much nicer than the Viking Mekong.

When we booked our trip, Viking was leasing a river boat that had built in bunks for beds which we didn't want. AMALotus has regular beds. The rooms and dining room had a/c but other public areas did not. The small pool was a nice feature as it was very hot whwn we were there, October. I found everything about AMA Waterways a higher standard than Viking. You will love this trip!

Thanks again. No bunks for me. I saw that in one of the pictures but assumed it was an old pic and that they had renovated. It's not worth the chance.

We had a wonderful experience with AMA on the Danube. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again. I am surprised that the trip is the same cost as Viking. I think AMA. Is a lot more upscale than Viking.

So many helpful comments for the future. Thanks everyone.

You might want to consider a slightly different kind of cruising experience on the Mekong: The Pandaw ships. They tend to be smaller, more personal vessels, and the man who started Pandaw (Paul Strachan) really started the whole river cruising industry in SE Asia. Take a look at what they offer www.pandaw.com

I'm booked on a river cruise in Myanmar. in November.

I envy you, Kathie. I would love to take a Pandaw cruise and they would be my choice for Asian river cruises. I have traveled quite a bit in those areas but never taken a river cruise. If only I were younger!!