Amadeus Symphony Christmas Markets

[impcinder]

Prior to the cruise, we spent two days in London.

Amadeus Symphony

Cruise from 11/30 – 12/4 Visiting the Christmas Markets in Koblenz, Rudesheim, Germany, and Strasbourg, France.

We were one of 119 people on this sailing.

Pros and Cons are listed at the end of the review.

 

Upon arrival, our luggage was removed from the cab and immediately taken on board by the staff. Once we checked in (2 minutes!), staff brought our luggage to our room. Instead of a ‘swipe’ key, you were given a very large key fob with a key (it would be difficult to misplace!). When you left the boat, you turned in the key fob and received an information card. (The card had contact information in case you had problems in town.

 

Three of us stayed in Cat Suite – Mozart deck. The room was spacious, two wardrobes, small table and two chairs, twin beds pushed together to make a King and one sleeper sofa. Size was comparable to a Mini Suite on a large ocean going ship. Large windows, small area to open (think shoe box size). Bathroom – was roomy, had a tub/shower combo, sink and toilet. Limited storage shelves about the sink. Plenty of hot water anytime of the day.

 

Temperature was individualize in the room – even with the cold temps 18F, it was warm in the room.

 

The room was quiet, even though we were on the only path to the dining room, lounge and other cabins. Did not hear any sounds from the engines or felt any vibrations.

 

Room was clean upon arrival and cleaned daily by the housekeeping staff.

 

Upper deck had a small pool and seemed to have enough lounge chairs for about 50 people. Did not make use of this deck other than for quick snapshots – it was 18F+ wind + snow. It would most likely be a popular venue during the summer months.

 

Dining –one dining room, open seating. Large windows to watch the scenery as you cruised. However, it was drafty and bit chilly sitting next to the window, remember this was late November/early December!

Wait staff was attentative, the pacing of the meal was good – European pacing – two hours for dinner. Menus were posted daily for lunch and dinner. Breakfast offered a variety of meats, cheeses, and breads. You could order eggs or an omelet. Lunch was a combination of buffet and service. Dinner offered hot and cold starters, generally choice of two meat dishes and 1 vegetarian dish. Some food items were unusual – Pork Wellington, Wine Soup, - but were good. This particular sailing offered wine with dinner. Very generous pour of either white or red. Seemed to be a decent house wine.

Warning – if you didn’t eat at the scheduled meal time, you didn’t eat! There were no other options available unless you brought your own food.

 

Entertainment – no activities during the day – if the ship was in port, we visited the Christmas Markets. I would imagine during the spring and summer, most travelers would be up on deck.

Teatime offered a piano player and singer. Evening entertainment was again the piano player and singer and old movies! (Erin Bockovich). The last night, the crew entertained us, the Cruise Director sang, the Shop Keeper, recited poetry, and staff from Bulgaria and Rumania presented a folk dance, at the end, had the passengers join in. Very low keyed – nothing like the entertainment on the large cruise ships.

The cruise down the Rhine was beautiful, many castles, vineyards, and small towns. Our Cruise Director, Nora, kept a running commentary about the castles and sites.

 

Ports –

Tied up to the dock and/or to other boats. Very interesting walking across the gangplank from your ship to another ship and then off! The boats were docked close enough that you probably could touch the side of the boat next to you.

 

Koblenz – docked at the pier and less than a 5 minute stroll brought you to the Christmas Market. In Koblenz the market was scattered, but easy to stroll. An optional tour was offered, other than a large statute at the junction of the River, not sure what else there was to see. Most people spoke English, had no difficultly with communicating.

 

Rudesheim – a 5 to 10 minute walk brought you to the town and the Christmas Markets. Streets were narrow and cobblestone. The snow made traction iffy in some places. An optional tour was offered, we didn’t’ see the music box museum, but those that did said it was phenomenal. Rudesheim is known for its cognac and chocolates, you have to try one! One street is all wine bars/wine cafes. I am sure it is great in the summer to sit and sip as you watch the people pass by. A cable car across the river was not running at the time we were there. A year round Christmas store is adjacent to the cable car, many beautiful ornaments.

 

Strasbourg – docked outside of the city center/Christmas Market. An optional tour was offered, in retrospect, I wish we would have taken it just to get to the Christmas Market. Some passengers walked – about 60 minutes! We waited over an hour for a cab. Unfortunately, the cruise ship would not call for cabs until we docked. With the unusually early snow fall, cab service seemed to be limited. However, I can’t say enough about Nora, Cruise Director and Simone, Shop Director, they stayed outside in the cold (Nora did not wear a coat!) until all passengers were in a cab. They both were constantly calling the cab company. The Christmas markets were wonderful as was the Cathedral. We had to cut our time short in town, apprehensive about getting a cab back!

 

On the last morning, we had to have our luggage outside our door by 8 am to allow the crew to place it on the transfer bus. Staff carried the luggage (Nora and Simone, too!!) and we picked it up at the airport.

 

Overall, this was a very different cruise compared to the Caribbean and Hawaii. I would call it “regimentedly relaxing”.

 

Positives

Lot of time to do nothing, bring a book. It probably is very different when you can sit out on deck.

Had an opportunity to meet many wonderful people.

Because of the small number of passengers, you felt like you were an individual, not part of the crowd.

The cruise down the Rhine was very interesting, very smooth.

The Christmas Markets were a wonderful way to do your shopping. You have to try Gluhwein! Lots of cookies and candies to purchase. Many unusual ornaments were available for purchase.

 

 

Negatives

There was little to do onboard and if you didn’t eat when scheduled you didn’t eat. There was a very limited choice to food options.

TV reception was horrible, satellite feed seemed to work 10 – 15 minutes out of each hour. This may have been due to the overcast skies and snow.

Internet – Cost was 30 Euros per hour, approximately $45! We did not use it, some who did said they were constantly disconnected. If you need the Internet, would recommend you use an Internet Café – readily found and very inexpensive.

 

The final question is “Would I do it again?”

Yes, I would do a River cruise, in the summer!

[DroopyCruiser]

We were on the same cruise on the same boat on Dec. 12. Your description is exactly as ours was. I loved it and would definitely do it again but it is very different from ocean cruising

[Windy56]

My husband and I did a similar itinerary on Uniworld's River Queen, during Christmas week. I will say that Uniworld arranged for some really good local entertainers on three differrent evenings and a woman lecturer one afternoon on the subject of German Christmas traditions and ornaments. We also found that the extra-fee excursions represented good value. Alas, the level of overall service onboard the boat left much to b desired, but it did not ruin our cruise.

 

Comparing river cruising to conventional ocean cruising is like comparing apples to oranges, I discovered. I learned that I am not a big fan of guided tours, especially those that start on a bus. In future, if I do another river cruise, I will research the ports of call and do my own thing. it just felt "too herded" to me, although I can certainly see how it would appeal to some people.

[Windy56]

Prior to the cruise, we spent two days in London.

Amadeus Symphony

Cruise from 11/30 – 12/4 Visiting the Christmas Markets in Koblenz, Rudesheim, Germany, and Strasbourg, France.

We were one of 119 people on this sailing.

Pros and Cons are listed at the end of the review.

 

Upon arrival, our luggage was removed from the cab and immediately taken on board by the staff. Once we checked in (2 minutes!), staff brought our luggage to our room. Instead of a ‘swipe’ key, you were given a very large key fob with a key (it would be difficult to misplace!). When you left the boat, you turned in the key fob and received an information card. (The card had contact information in case you had problems in town.

 

Three of us stayed in Cat Suite – Mozart deck. The room was spacious, two wardrobes, small table and two chairs, twin beds pushed together to make a King and one sleeper sofa. Size was comparable to a Mini Suite on a large ocean going ship. Large windows, small area to open (think shoe box size). Bathroom – was roomy, had a tub/shower combo, sink and toilet. Limited storage shelves about the sink. Plenty of hot water anytime of the day.

 

Temperature was individualize in the room – even with the cold temps 18F, it was warm in the room.

 

The room was quiet, even though we were on the only path to the dining room, lounge and other cabins. Did not hear any sounds from the engines or felt any vibrations.

 

Room was clean upon arrival and cleaned daily by the housekeeping staff.

 

Upper deck had a small pool and seemed to have enough lounge chairs for about 50 people. Did not make use of this deck other than for quick snapshots – it was 18F+ wind + snow. It would most likely be a popular venue during the summer months.

 

Dining –one dining room, open seating. Large windows to watch the scenery as you cruised. However, it was drafty and bit chilly sitting next to the window, remember this was late November/early December!

Wait staff was attentative, the pacing of the meal was good – European pacing – two hours for dinner. Menus were posted daily for lunch and dinner. Breakfast offered a variety of meats, cheeses, and breads. You could order eggs or an omelet. Lunch was a combination of buffet and service. Dinner offered hot and cold starters, generally choice of two meat dishes and 1 vegetarian dish. Some food items were unusual – Pork Wellington, Wine Soup, - but were good. This particular sailing offered wine with dinner. Very generous pour of either white or red. Seemed to be a decent house wine.

Warning – if you didn’t eat at the scheduled meal time, you didn’t eat! There were no other options available unless you brought your own food.

 

Entertainment – no activities during the day – if the ship was in port, we visited the Christmas Markets. I would imagine during the spring and summer, most travelers would be up on deck.

Teatime offered a piano player and singer. Evening entertainment was again the piano player and singer and old movies! (Erin Bockovich). The last night, the crew entertained us, the Cruise Director sang, the Shop Keeper, recited poetry, and staff from Bulgaria and Rumania presented a folk dance, at the end, had the passengers join in. Very low keyed – nothing like the entertainment on the large cruise ships.

The cruise down the Rhine was beautiful, many castles, vineyards, and small towns. Our Cruise Director, Nora, kept a running commentary about the castles and sites.

 

Ports –

Tied up to the dock and/or to other boats. Very interesting walking across the gangplank from your ship to another ship and then off! The boats were docked close enough that you probably could touch the side of the boat next to you.

 

Koblenz – docked at the pier and less than a 5 minute stroll brought you to the Christmas Market. In Koblenz the market was scattered, but easy to stroll. An optional tour was offered, other than a large statute at the junction of the River, not sure what else there was to see. Most people spoke English, had no difficultly with communicating.

 

Rudesheim – a 5 to 10 minute walk brought you to the town and the Christmas Markets. Streets were narrow and cobblestone. The snow made traction iffy in some places. An optional tour was offered, we didn’t’ see the music box museum, but those that did said it was phenomenal. Rudesheim is known for its cognac and chocolates, you have to try one! One street is all wine bars/wine cafes. I am sure it is great in the summer to sit and sip as you watch the people pass by. A cable car across the river was not running at the time we were there. A year round Christmas store is adjacent to the cable car, many beautiful ornaments.

 

Strasbourg – docked outside of the city center/Christmas Market. An optional tour was offered, in retrospect, I wish we would have taken it just to get to the Christmas Market. Some passengers walked – about 60 minutes! We waited over an hour for a cab. Unfortunately, the cruise ship would not call for cabs until we docked. With the unusually early snow fall, cab service seemed to be limited. However, I can’t say enough about Nora, Cruise Director and Simone, Shop Director, they stayed outside in the cold (Nora did not wear a coat!) until all passengers were in a cab. They both were constantly calling the cab company. The Christmas markets were wonderful as was the Cathedral. We had to cut our time short in town, apprehensive about getting a cab back!

 

On the last morning, we had to have our luggage outside our door by 8 am to allow the crew to place it on the transfer bus. Staff carried the luggage (Nora and Simone, too!!) and we picked it up at the airport.

 

Overall, this was a very different cruise compared to the Caribbean and Hawaii. I would call it “regimentedly relaxing”.

 

Positives

Lot of time to do nothing, bring a book. It probably is very different when you can sit out on deck.

Had an opportunity to meet many wonderful people.

Because of the small number of passengers, you felt like you were an individual, not part of the crowd.

The cruise down the Rhine was very interesting, very smooth.

The Christmas Markets were a wonderful way to do your shopping. You have to try Gluhwein! Lots of cookies and candies to purchase. Many unusual ornaments were available for purchase.

 

 

Negatives

There was little to do onboard and if you didn’t eat when scheduled you didn’t eat. There was a very limited choice to food options.

TV reception was horrible, satellite feed seemed to work 10 – 15 minutes out of each hour. This may have been due to the overcast skies and snow.

Internet – Cost was 30 Euros per hour, approximately $45! We did not use it, some who did said they were constantly disconnected. If you need the Internet, would recommend you use an Internet Café – readily found and very inexpensive.

 

The final question is “Would I do it again?”

Yes, I would do a River cruise, in the summer!

 

I agree with you about the food. We were on Uniworld's River Queen and dining was a very regimented affair. I found the dinner choices to be very limited and overall, compared to some of my previous conventional ship cruises, the food was disappointing. A two hour meal should be memorable and none fo teh food was really memorable. Afternoon tea, when it was offered, seemed thrown together and the sandwiches and desserts were nothing special. Overall, The food lacked the pizzazz of my past experiences on cruise ships.