WHEN TO GO / PRE & POST EXTENSIONS

We ended up doing the ‘Melodies of the Danube’ itinerary that started in Budapest and ended in Vilshofen, Germany. We went in mid-October for about two weeks in total. It was nice to be traveling during the off-season, because most people river cruise during the summer months, during the spring to see the tulips in the Netherlands, or in the winter to see the Christmas markets. We were more than happy to have little to no crowds and great weather – 50’s to 70’s every day! 

The itinerary included a 7 - night sailing onboard the AmaSonata, but we also opted into doing the pre-extension in Budapest as well as the post excursion in Prague. This gave us plenty of time to adjust after arriving in Budapest before starting our sailing. We checked into the Marriott Budapest and had an amazing view of the Danube River from our room. We stayed an extra two nights here before moving to the AmaSonata. My mom and I both agree that we needed the extra time to recover from flying from St. Louis. Ama had one tour scheduled for us both of the pre-cruise days, and even had a desk with their own concierge at the hotel. So we were able to explore the city on our own, before boarding. I liked this because we had a lot of free time and it was not as structured of a schedule as when we got on the ship.

I will also mention that my mom and I took Brentwood Barbie, our mascot here at Brentwood Travel. So, when you see everyone posing with Barbie, know that she experienced and enjoyed the trip just as much as us!

CABIN SELECTION 

We opted for a cabin on the Cello Deck (the second floor), and were actually in the first cabin in 201. We did this because we wanted a balcony, and also because my mom has MS, and has some mobility issues. Being as close as possible to our cabin from the entrance, lounge, and dining room were very convenient – especially after a few glasses of wine! We loved our room, it was the perfect size for us, even though river cruising cabins are generally small. I would say it’s definitely worth upgrading from the rooms on the lowest deck, where the rooms are even smaller, there are only two small windows, and you can’t go outside. Meaning if you wanted to see the scenery you’re cruising past, you would have to leave your room to get a good view. It was so nice to still be in my pajamas watching as we docked in a new port every morning. Ama has several options for cabin categories, but I would definitely say at least upgrading a deck higher is worth it.

DAILY SCHEDULE / EXCURSIONS 

Every night after dinner onboard the ship you will receive the Daily Cruiser which gives you a detailed itinerary of the day ahead. This includes where we will be travelling to, excursion options and even the daily cocktail at happy hour. It’s nice to know the schedule early, so you can think about which excursion you’re wanting to do the next day. The best part about the excursions with Ama is that almost all of them are included in the price of the cruise. There were two or three additional excursions you did have to pay for, but they were all optional. We didn’t end up doing any of the paid excursions, and we both felt that we had seen and experienced plenty in each port.

In the morning after breakfast, typically the first excursions begin. You can choose between a variety of tours, but I particularly liked that you could choose your activity level. They had options for active, regular and gentle pacing for the guided tours. My mom and I decided to do the gentle tours because of her mobility, and I have to say that even though they were at a slower pace, we still got to see the same things as the other groups. The biggest difference was that we were driven to the locations instead of walking there. And we were almost always in a group with under 10 people. It was very nice to not be in a big group. In fact, one of the days in Prague my mom and I were the only ones on the tour with the guide, so it was practically a private tour. 

After breakfast and the tour, you head back to the ship for lunch and then afterwards you have free time to explore the port you’re in. There is a time posted near the entrance when the ship will disembark the port, so you just have to make sure that you’re back onboard by that time. Ama’s staff is very good about not leaving anyone behind though, because everyone scans their room key before leaving the ship, so they know who is still out exploring. Again, you will have to check the daily cruiser for the schedule each day though, as in Austria we did visit two different ports in one day.

ACCESSIBILITY 

As I mentioned before, my mom has MS, and we were concerned about how accessible river cruising would be. I will say that because we were in Europe, they don’t have ADA accessible buildings everywhere like we’re used to here in America. Also cobble stones. Lots and lots of cobble stones everywhere we went. We noticed that the big cities like Prague and Vienna were a lot easier to navigate for her than the smaller ports. This was because the cities tended to have flatter / smoother terrain than say Passau or Durnstein. Just something to keep in mind if you are using a mobility device or can’t walk on uneven surfaces easily.

My mom also brought her walking bike called an Alinker and that we have named Helga with us. We had contacted Ama beforehand to make sure that this was okay to bring with us onboard, and they were very accommodating. We did have to keep Helga in our room, but they were able to remove some of the chairs we weren’t using to give us some more room in our cabin without hesitation. Also, our cruise director Kristina helped us pick the excursion that would be the best fit. Instead of staying in Durstein for the wine tasting, we opted for the Melk Abbey tour that was much more accessible. We both were set on the wine tasting group the night before, but after talking to her and trusting her opinion, we were very happy we went to Melk instead. In fact, it was one of the highlights of the trip for both of us! 

Another thing you should know about river cruising if you have mobility issues is that in some ports, you will be docked next to one, two or even three other ships. This means that to actually get off of your own ship, you might have to cross over the gangplank into the lobbies of other ships and then onto land. It was definitely not something either of us were expecting and honestly she wouldn’t have been able to do this trip without someone like me to carry her bike over and through the other ships. Someone in a wheelchair would definitely not be able to river cruise, unfortunately. 

Back to cabin selection and accessibility, we were very happy to have been on the cello deck and not on the piano deck, one floor below. This is because the stairs to go in the basement are similar to a spiral staircase, and are very narrow and steep. I would definitely not recommend booking a cabin on the bottom floor if you struggle with walking down stairs. There is an elevator onboard, but it only goes to two of the four floors. Not on the piano deck or the sundeck.

The last thing I will say about accessibility on Ama was that I was very impressed with the bus drivers. I’m sure they had never seen an Alinker before, and they were all more than helpful to stow Helga away under the bus and get her back out again for my mom every time we stopped at a new location. We were both impressed at how easy this actually was. We knew traveling with Helga might be a little challenging, but honestly, we were so happy that everything worked out as well as it did. 

STAFF,  PASSENGERS & DEMOGRAPHIC

Our cruise director Kristina was amazing and made our trip such a memorable and flawless experience. She was in Budapest the night we arrived, and hosted a welcome cocktail hour to meet with our other fellow travellers. After the pre-extension she followed us onto the ship, and was with us the entire sailing. She then went to Prague with us for the entire post extension too. In fact, she stayed with us all the way to the airport on our way home, making sure that we all made it to our flights on time. She was there to answer any questions we had, and even helped us in deciding what excursions would be best for my mom and I with my mom’s level of mobility. I was truly impressed with her, and her ability to quickly build bonds with the passengers onboard, learning what our needs / preferences were. You could tell that she is truly passionate about her job, and wanted everyone to have an amazing trip. Having someone to go to when we needed help, answers or advice, was such a nice touch. I never felt like I was out of the loop or questioning what was next on the trip. 

The rest of the staff was amazing too, and we even got to know a lot of them by the time the sailing had ended. We loved sitting in Darwin’s section in the dining room, because he would always come by to talk and joke around with us. The staff went above and beyond and I was highly impressed with everyone onboard. I also enjoyed that during the first night we had a welcome ceremony where all of the staff was introduced to the passengers. Everyone from the captain to the room attendants, cooks and bartenders were introduced, and it really felt like family onboard. I also really liked that on the last night we had a farewell ceremony and got to see everyone who made this amazing trip possible again and thanked everyone before disembarkation.

I was worried about what my first time river cruising would be like and what the demographic of the other passengers would be. I am 26, and was worried I would be the youngest onboard. That actually wasn’t true, there were a handful of people in their 20s onboard as well. I was surprised to see how many women there were travelling with their girlfriends who had left their husbands behind because they didn’t want to go! I also noticed a few multigenerational family groups that ranged from people in their 80s to their 20s. There were even a few solo travelers onboard. It personally didn’t bother me that the majority of the passengers were 50+, because I really enjoyed all of their company, and had a wonderful time getting to know everyone. 

It was a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, and my mom and I sat with new people at meal times every day, so we met so many people from so many different backgrounds. And when the servers come by to fill your glass of wine up, it’s not hard to hold a conversation – no matter how introverted you might be! I did enjoy that Ama makes you sit with other passengers at mealtimes. There are no tables for two or room service, so you will have to socialize, but it only adds to the experience in my opinion. We were all the way in Eastern Europe, and managed to befriend people from Canada, New Jersey, South Africa and even Kansas City MO.

FOOD & DRINK 

The great thing about river cruising is that your meals are all included. For our entire cruise, breakfast, lunch, and dinner were included. Also for the pre and post extensions in Budapest and Prague, we had breakfast at the hotel everyday included in our stay. The food was amazing onboard, and I still dream about it! All meals are served in the dining room, but if you’re kind of a late-riser, the lounge always has a market breakfast with scrambled eggs, bacon, pastries, fruit, etc. My mom and I only made it to breakfast in the dining room one of the days, because we woke up a little later than everyone else, and didn’t have time for a sit-down breakfast. They also provide snacks in the lounge daily, so make sure to keep an eye out on your daily cruiser for more information. You can of course dine at local spots instead of the ship, but it’s always nice to have the option to dine onboard for all of your meals. 

Before dinner every night, there is a happy hour with the daily cocktail that is included in the price of your cruise. This hour is spent in the lounge with the other passengers, and live music. Your cruise director will then let everyone know what the plan for the next day will be before letting everyone head downstairs for dinner. The wine and beer served during mealtimes are all included in the price, and the only drinks you really have to pay for are if you want a speciality drink at the bar, or if you want a drink outside of mealtimes. They even have a server whose sole job is to scan the room to see if you have an empty glass and then ask you if you want a refill. The regional wine and beer were amazing, and changed every night depending on where your ship was docked. For example, we had wine from the Wachau Valley wine the day we sailed through. And then we had Pilsner the night we were in Bavaria. 

Chef’s Table is something I would 100% recommend and is also included in the price of your cruise. You just have to make sure to make a reservation for one of the nights of your sailing, as the restaurant only holds about 20 people total. On your first night, the chef was actually walking around to ask passengers if they wanted to make a reservation. So the crew makes it very easy to schedule. Make sure to dress up a little more than from your daily attire though, because it is a seven-course tasting menu paired with European wines. So you will definitely want to dress for the occasion!

PACKING TIPS

Even though I’m the type of person to pack weeks of advice for a trip as big as this one, I still would change some things. First of all, bring a raincoat! We were lucky enough to only have rain on only one of the days of our trip, and it was the day of disembarkation and where we drove on a luxury coach to Prague. We didn’t realize that halfway through the drive we would be stopping in Regensburg for a walking tour and a lunch break before getting back on the bus and finishing our drive to Prague. Unfortunately it was raining during the walking tour, and my entire group was soaked by the end. So even if you think you don’t need it. Bring one just in case! And make sure you take it with you on the bus, because you won’t have access to your luggage until you check into the next hotel in Prague. This was by far the biggest packing mistake that we made during this trip. 

Other than the raincoat, I would 100% pack comfortable and broken-in walking shoes. You will be doing a lot of walking, and you don’t want to pack a bunch of shoes, because they’re heavy and take up a lot of space in your suitcase. I would recommend one pair of tennis shoes you can wear with every outfit, and then one pair of dress shoes to wear to the Chef’s Table if you make a reservation. When we went in October, I packed jeans, some different pants and a long skirt. I also packed some dresses, but I didn’t end up wearing them because it ended up being a little chiller than I thought it would be. I actually went out and bought some tights at the beginning of the trip in Budapest so I could wear my dresses, but I didn’t even end up using them. The only time I actually wore one of my dresses was when we went to dinner at the Chef’s Table. Other than that though, I would say check the weather before you go, but still make sure to pack for the possibility of colder weather or rain. Also, we paid to have our laundry done on the ship, and it was actually very reasonable. You pay per item, and they have a list of prices in your stateroom. I had about 10 items washed for under $15 and it was done within a day. In my opinion, it’s worth it, especially if you’re re-wearing your pants for multiple days.

River cruising is unlike any other type of trip I’ve done, and even with extensive research, I didn’t really know what to expect. Overall, it exceeded my expectations, and now I don’t want to travel to Europe in any other way. Some additional advice I would give you is to book with a travel agent. They will make the process seamless for you, and you won’t have to worry about any of the logistics. We were taken care of as soon as we got to baggage claim in Budapest all the way to being dropped off at the airport in Prague. It’s truly worth it to travel this way, I have never been more relaxed and carefree on a trip to Europe in my life.

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