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Published: February 6th 2023
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Top Deck AmaSonata
Cool autumn day in the Wachau Valley When my sister Lucy and brother Paul suggested celebrating their milestone anniversaries with their spouses on a Danube river cruise in October 2022, Bill and I were on board! I have a bit of experience as a travel advisor and as a past cruiser on Ama Waterways but this was such an extraordinary experience I wanted to share with others who may be considering a river cruise trip.
Top Benefits
Taking it Slow. Our experience started in Prague and ended in Budapest. This trip took us through 6 countries (Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary). On a road trip the entire trip from Prague to Budapest would be under 6 hours. We spent 2 nights in Prague and 7 nights on board the gorgeous AmaSonata and got to experience not just the amazing capital cities of Prague, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest but sights we could see only from the river – castles, beautiful fall colors, locks, and waterfowl – but also the opportunity to go into small villages and even visit the wine growing region of the Wachau Valley in Austria.
Speaking of taking it slow, I absolutely recommend doing the pre-cruise land package for your itinerary.
That allows you time to get acclimated to the time zone and get to know your fellow passengers. Bill and I actually spent 5 nights in Prague, extending the 2-night pre-cruise package so we could see more of this amazing city.
Intimate Insights. As is the case with most river ships, the AmaSonata is small – just 164 guests – and we got the added benefit of traveling while just coming to the end of restrictive COVID policies – so our sailing had just 65 passengers. We got to know everyone on board. And the crew got to know us too. Our group of 8 had a complex set of dietary requirements (vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, and lactose intolerant!) but our chef and servers had us taken care of every day.
More importantly all our guides were local. Our cruise director Wei-Ler is from Vienna (originally from Taiwan but has lived in Vienna since she was 8). Our favorite tour guide was in Vienna and on our walking tour, we ran into her Mom and Dad (each walking on different paths – not sure why) and the President of Austria out taking a stroll with his dog. Our
UNESCO Site
Cesky Krumlov guide sees him frequently and he acknowledged us with a wave.
Tour Styles for Everyone. There was a choice each day of excursions (included in the cruise price) for every activity level. Lucy and Kyle and Mark and Liz went for the active bike and hiking options, while Bill and I went on the slower paced walking tours or occasionally a bus trip. One of the tours we took – to Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic – had just 4 of the guests, our bus driver, and a film crew (there was one guest on board who was filming the trip for a syndicated travel show – an extra dimension to this trip!). Mark and Liz, who focused on the super active tour options, were sometimes the only guests with their tour guide.
Food & Wine Celebrates the Local Region Breakfast, lunch and dinner – along with wine at lunch and dinner in addition to a complimentary cocktail hour – are all included. Ama Waterways focuses on local cuisine and wines/beers so we experienced sausages, goulashes, and delicious wines. On one night guests also go to a special tasting menu small restaurant – amazing!
Coming into View
Budapest from the AmaSonata Deck The Best Part: Step off the Ship and You’re There! While ocean cruising generally brings you into large cruise ports which may be situated away from the best sightseeing areas, on the river ships you literally step off the ship and you’re in the city center or in a great rural walking trail next to the riverbank. To take full advantage, consider taking an excursion in the morning, then walking at leisure in the afternoon.
It’s Easy This was such an easy way to see a diverse region – no planning except for what Bill and I did in Prague – and we only had to unpack once on board. So from the morning we checked out of the Art Deco Imperial Hotel in Prague (beautiful!) to the morning we disembarked to return to the US from Budapest, we had to unpack once and then – sadly – re-pack to return home at the end of this amazing journey. My recommendation: try this style of travel. You will love it!
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