AMA Rhine/Mosel - March 2014

[Carolfay]

For what it's worth, here is the journal I kept during my recent AMA cruise down the Rhine and Mosel rivers:

 

Monday, March 24 - Once again, the Delta flight from Portland to Amsterdam proved to be a good choice for me. After a smooth ride, our Airbus landed about 8:15, local time. I was happy to have the extra legroom afforded by the “economy comfort” level. I was one of the first to retrieve my baggage, and after dragging my belongings through the arrivals area, I spotted one of the Connexion shuttles parked outside. The English-speaking driver (well, they all seem to speak English in Amsterdam) said he knew where the boats dock and agreed to take me. After he dropped off his other passengers (from Corvallis, OR, of all things), we found the AMA Waterways representative and the graceful AmaDolce moored alongside three or four other river tour boats.

 

(Oh, by the way, I wasn’t the only celebrity to visit Amsterdam this day. There was a nuclear security summit at The Hague, and:

 

President Obama arrived at 09:30 by helicopter. Sixty students from the nearby Sweelinck College, aged between 13 and 17, were among the welcoming committee. Obama took plenty of time to talk with the students in the passageway under the Rijksmuseum, which was decorated with some 34,000 red, white and blue tulips for the occasion.

Inside the museum, Obama signed the guest book of the city of Amsterdam and viewed the Act of Abjuration (in Dutch, Plakkaat van Verlatinghe), which declared the Netherlands’ independence from Spain in 1581. This text served as inspiration for the United States’ own Declaration of Independence some 200 years later. With Amsterdam’s most famous masterpiece ‘The Night Watch’ forming the backdrop, Prime Minister Rutte and President Obama provided a brief statement to the press and the President expressed a heightened admiration for the art he had once studied in school.

Obama was also shown a scale model of a 3D printed canal house by Amsterdam firm Dus Architects. The intention was to illustrate how innovative approaches can provide low-cost housing in densely populated areas – for example, in refugee camps and slums.)

We were able to board right away, which was a pleasant surprise. Quite a few passengers were in the lounge, and we all waited and got acquainted as our rooms received the finishing touches. I connected with the Columbus, Ohio, winemaker I’ve been exchanging messages with on the Cruise Critic forum. He’s organized ten or so friends (and customers) to join him on this adventure, and they’re a bright, up-for-anything bunch.

 

Weather is quite lovely today, with mostly blue skies and some sun to make the water sparkle. About noon, we heard the announcement that rooms were prepared, and I was escorted to #219. It’s tidy and attractive - and much as I remember the sister ship Amadagio from our prior Danube cruise. I was eager to unpack and find places to stow all my wardrobe and toiletries. The WiFi connection (free!) seems to work, and I sent John an e-mail to assure him I made it. With the long plane ride catching up to me, I lay down on my pristine bed and napped for more than an hour.

 

We had our “welcome aboard” assembly at 6:00 in the lounge, with flutes of prosecco and introduction of key shipboard personnel. As usual on my travel adventures, I feel so darn lucky to be here. It’s definitely an older passenger group, but there are enough of us “still kickin’ “ seniors to offer interest. I got an invitation to the VIP table for some reason, and Christian, the cruise director, and Janos, the second captain, were our hosts for kir cocktails and dinner. There were nine of us passengers, including the Ohio winery owners, at our table, and we had a cheery evening. My meal was excellent, featuring salmon as an entree and four other tasty courses. I hit the cheese board for dessert.

 

We got some good insights from our hosts about the river cruise business, and I tried to look fetching in my navy and white nautical frock. This is shaping up nicely as a carefree holiday. My cabin fairy had everything prepared (including the chocolates on the pillows) when I returned and got set for bed.

 

Tuesday, March 25 - Not too badly affected by jet lag, I got a fair amount of sleep and got up at 7:00. I became acquainted with the shower stall in my room and made myself presentable for breakfast. There was the anticipated big buffet, as well as a smiling omelet chef and the makings of mimosas, and I had no trouble finding selections. We assembled at 9:00 for our chosen excursions, with most of us boarding buses for the city tour. (Some opted for the Keukenhof garden tour and later reported it was time well spent.)

 

Our “blue” group was led by Paulina, whose command of Amsterdam facts was impressive. We first got an hour-long canal boat ride, which offered an ideal orientation to the city’s watery layout. Views of the handsome, eccentric and frequently tilted houses were delightful. Weather was clear, and the water glittered. The old bridges, churches, former warehouses and monuments make this city an eyeful. We were driven around the major neighborhoods, including the museum district and Jewish quarter. A little free time enabled me to get some dollars changed for euros and to peek into a couple of bookstores and souvenir shops selling hashish lollipops and T-shirts adorned with pictures of marijuana.

 

We were walked through the Begijnhof’s peaceful courtyard and nearly hidden Catholic chapel. The court was founded in the 1300s for the benefit of the Beguines (nothing to do with Cole Porter’s “Begin the Beguine,” I’m afraid), a lay sisterhood. Now, elderly women make their homes there.

 

By bus again, we drove through busy Dam Square and saw the (ceremonial) Royal Palace and nearby stock exchange. (Opened as the town hall in 1655, the building was converted to a palace by Louis Bonaparte.) Our bus driver maneuvered us back to the waterfront parking lot for river tour boats, and we were aboard AmaDolce by 1:00, with lunch on the horizon and our sailaway imminent. I had a good fish lunch with a bright couple from Dublin, and we chatted until 3:00, when we were approaching our first lock. It was interesting indeed to watch our progress through the massive device. Though the sundeck was chilly, many of us stayed up there to enjoy the show.

 

We kept cruising through the canal, past flat, green land, until dinner time. Microphone problems caused Christian’s planned talk on shore excursions to be scrapped, and it later was the reason we didn’t have the scheduled music trivia quiz in the lounge. I changed into a dress and pumps and headed down to the 7:00 dinner.

 

I was more or less adopted by five cheerful gals from the Winnipeg area, who are here to whoop it up (in 60-plus fashion) and get warm after a long Canadian winter. We had a good meal and plenty of harmless laughs and family stories - and a chorus of “Oh, Canada.” Again, I chose the fresh fish - and ended my meal with a banana split. A bit of socializing in the lounge, and I called it a night.

 

Wednesday, March 26 - No one had to rise early this morning, as we’re cruising along the Rhine until 1:00 or so. I performed my ablutions by 8:00 and found company in the breakfast room with two friendly Toronto ladies. It’s very quiet as the scenery glides by, and everyone seems mellow and charmed by the peaceful surroundings.

 

We passed under some handsome suspension bridges, and major factories (Bayer, Ford, Mazda, a monster chemical plant of some kind) appeared at intervals. Many of us attended Christian’s deferred presentation in the lounge, in which he gave information on upcoming towns and detailed tour options. I took a brief turn on the sundeck for a panoramic view of our river experience, then turned to lunch thoughts.

 

After another chatty meal with the Manitoba ladies and a glass of good local red wine, I got myself set for a Cologne walking tour. We pulled up near the local chocolate museum and a couple other riverboats, broke into tour groups, and met our guides after crossing to land via a gangplank extending from the sundeck.

 

I followed the “blue group” sign carried by Daniela, who was fluent and thoroughly informed about her city. We walked first to the massive cathedral and spent most of our time there. It’s breathtaking in size and decorative ambition. Construction began in 1248 and continued for 300 years - until the money ran out. Things finally got going again in the 19th century, and the steeples were finished in 1880. Guess what happened as WWII raged? Yup. It’s been rebuilt. We admired the solid-gold reliquary with the remains of the Magi inside (or so we presume), the lovely Milan Madonna (1280), the gorgeously colored windows, the Gothic-to-the-max exterior.

 

We were led through more of the old town, past the town hall, Jewish quarter, archaeological digs and market square opening into the main shopping streets. During World War II, apparently when an air-raid shelter was being excavated, a marvellously preserved 3rd-century Roman mosaic was discovered. Featuring a tipsy Dionysos, satyrs and cavorting nymphs, it’s a delightful touch of the pagan, in such proximity to the enormous Catholic cathedral. Tour over at 4:00, I made the easy walk back to the boat, feeling a bit chilly in my light sweater. It was cozy on AmaDolce, and I didn’t choose to leave.

 

I found company in the lounge (the Ohioans) and pretty soon was dressing for dinner. It was billed as some sort of gastronomic society fete, but I could see no difference in the usual drill of five courses and quite fancy presentation. I was in a leopard-print dress and sat with the Winnipeg gals -- and I listened to giddy tales few fiction writers could invent. I kept on my fish-centric plan and had a nice entree of sea bream. The French chardonnay was OK, and I took some of it up to the lounge to listen to our classical string trio, La Strada. Back in my room by 10:30, I could hear the boat’s engines idling as we prepared to leave Cologne for Rudesheim.

 

Thursday, March 27 - Today was the “photo op” day for many of us, as we approached the Rhine Gorge and sailed through this unique place all morning. Christian, our cruise manager, had his work cut out for him as he held court on the sundeck and narrated all the castles and towns and natural features we passed.

 

I got a quick breakfast, bundled into my cape and gloves (chilly and breezy up there) and joined many of my fellow passengers for the journey. We had clear, photo-perfect weather. The gorge is a wonder, with a non-stop castle parade, many in ruins, some beautifully preserved or restored. The Marksburg looks like a fairy-tale setting. It’s the only fortress along the river to have escaped unscathed when Louis XIV invaded in 1689. Towns are handsome, with half-timbered building facades, quaint churches, hotels, breweries, boat ramps, statues of heroic generals astride stolid horses.

 

We passed the Loreley rock and viewed the alluring maiden’s statue - and we navigated the once-treacherous waters very much OK. Waiters brought us brandy-spiked coffee, and a recording of the German Loreley song (with Heinrich Heine’s despondent lyrics) was played from the speakers. It was quite a happy group up there, clicking cameras and listening to Christian’s spiel. I ducked downstairs for a fish & chips lunch and a beer, and we drew close to Rudesheim.

 

By 2:00, we were docked, and most of us boarded too-adorable mini-trains to the town center. I was in the vineyard walk-and-wine-taste group. We were escorted up a steep slope and through a portion of a local vineyard, stopping at three points along the way to taste rieslings - dry, semi-sweet and sweet. The views were spectacular, and the winemaker’s commentary was educational. Vineyards here are on very steep slopes, and most work must be done by hand. I got a bit giddy by the time we finished our healthy servings of riesling number three at the top of the hill. There was much giggling, buying of bottles (none for me, thanks) and posing for group photos with a stunning river backdrop.

 

I ended up with Terri and Scott, a charming couple from Albany, NY. We walked back downhill together and found a little spot for beers and conversation before returning to AmaDolce. I regrouped in Room 219 and changed into a dress and heels for yet another sumptuous dinner. Once again, I was ensnared by my frisky Canadian ladies. Oh, the stories I’m hearing between courses about their adventures! Good pork tenderloin for me, decent pinot noir, ice cream with hazelnuts . . .

 

We got ready for our evening Rudesheim excursion, a visit to Siegfried’s. Once more, the mini-train collected our jolly group and got us downtown. We were guided (too briefly) through the fabulous Musical Kabinett museum, looking at an amazing collection of mechanical musical instruments. Our guide demonstrated several for us, including an Edison wax-cylinder model, a gramophone, a calliope, a player-piano Bechstein, and exquisite music boxes. This place would be worth a return visit when I could stay longer.

 

I got together with Terri and Scott when we finished, and Steve and Evelin from Calgary joined us at a lively pub in the narrow Drosselgasse street. We had more beer and listened to the lederhosen-clad musical duo on keyboard and accordion. I even got swept into a turn around the floor with a burly local. Before too much more time elapsed, we made our way back to the boat. A full day, to say the least.

 

Friday, March 28 - We got under way by 6:30 and were pulling into Mainz as I finished another protein-rich breakfast. Once more, we were very blessed by the weather gods. There were three busloads of us set for the visit to Heidelberg. Our “blue group” guide was Evelyn, a bright retired lady who said she does this job because “you cannot just sit at home.” The ride was about an hour and a quarter, and I did a little dozing in both directions.

 

There was a winding climb in the bus up to the hilltop castle ruins (1559). It’s massive, anything but intact, but possessing some beautiful Renaissance courtyards and decorated facades. We peeked into the Fassbau, a wing designed to hold gigantic wine barrels. The views of the Neckar River and the tile-roofed old town below are very pleasing. We took the little funicular down to the town squares and were given an hour to look at the colorful buildings and two big churches - and find ourselves some lunch. I hooked up with Steve and Evelin and with Terri and Scott, and we got truly yummy bratwurst and potatoes and sauerkraut - and beer, ja! - at a nearby cafe.

 

Back to our buses by 1:15 and boarding the AmaDolce for a view of the Rhine Gorge from the opposite direction, leaving at 3:00. I hung out for a while in the lounge, intending to read Dickens but getting involved in conversations with the Ohio gang and ending up with tea and pastries in front of me. I at last made it back to my room, as the castles went past in reverse order, in time to put on a dinner dress and attend Christian’s talk on the group’s Paris options.

 

This was my evening for dinner in the Erlebnis restaurant at the rear of the boat. The room handles a couple dozen diners and has a splendid river view off the stern. The chef is on display as she prepares our meal, and it’s a nice experience. I had a friendly Irish couple as companions (they’re from Wexford), and I drank riesling and ate pike perch.

 

As we finished, Christian announced his stroll through Old Koblenz, where we’d just tied up. About half the passengers joined him for nearly an hour as we explored old streets, most of which seem to be lined now with shops and eating places for well-off Germans and tourists. Back at the boat, we were urged to hear the songs and dance music of Monia and Hutch, a reasonably capable duo who tried hard to bring some Motown soul to our very white, quite elderly group. As they worked through the Smokey Robinson and Michael Jackson covers, a few people made it to the dance floor, mostly women shuffling and bumping around with other women. Amusing. I finished my in-house cappuccino and headed for bed.

 

Saturday, March 29 - We began sailing from Koblenz as I began waking up. The town’s name derives from “confluence,” referring to the meeting place of the two rivers. We’re on the very pretty Mosel now, and we’ve seen a few locks already this morning. I ordered the “A+” breakfast and probably damaged my arteries beyond repair. After Christian’s mandatory disembarkation briefing in the lounge, most of us chowed down yet again - this time at a “fruhschoppen” on the sundeck. The ideal weather made it very festive, with an accordion player (I think he knows two tunes), lager beer, mounds of sausages and racks of gigantic pretzels. I visited with a well-traveled L.A. couple and munched - and skipped lunch, thank goodness.

 

All morning, the banks of the Mosel glided by, with steep-sloped vineyards, adorable towns, campgrounds, thickets full of birds, some swan and heron sightings, and an enormously tranquil feeling. As it’s Saturday, there seems to be lots of recreational activity along the river, including cyclists and a kayaker. We came around a bend and in sight of Cochem, with a castle on a promontory and tidy, cute houses and businesses all around.

 

Tours began around 2:00, and we “fit” (of course, that’s a relative term) walkers met Petra, our guide, just outside the boat. She walked us through the sunny approach to the town, over the bridge, and into the shopping district. Most of the town has been rebuilt since World War II, but some buildings remain from the 1700s.

 

Minivans took us up to the Reichsburg Castle, fairy-tale breathtaking because of a rich man who restored it as his summer residence in the 1860s. We oohed and aahed through several rooms with great valley views, 19th-century furniture, suits of armor, mounted animal trophies (yes, a truly monstrous wild boar) and a seemingly bottomless well. Some fixer-upper! The sun stayed intense, and I wore my brimmed Mo Hotta, Mo Betta cap.

 

Petra walked us part way back to the market square and let us make our way freely back to AmaDolce. I wanted ample time to prepare for the captain’s farewell cocktail and dressy dinner. I put on my nautical-detailed frock and was getting my champagne flute by 6:00. We dutifully applauded all our crew and staff people and heard from Christian what a good group we’ve been.

 

I socialized with the Ohio wine bunch and connected with my Canada ladies after I refreshed myself before dinner. We had good meals in the restaurant, of course; mine featured a fish fillet and prawns, and the waiters paraded around with sparklers and baked Alaska, for crying out loud. (It’s harmless fun, and the hokum onboard has been at a minimum.)

 

We were a merry group by the time the lounge music began, with a buoyant woman named Jena and her keyboard player doing a good job of getting us out onto the dance floor. I even broke down and did some scarcely coordinated bouncing around to “YMCA” and ABBA tunes. We’re sailing again down the Mosel, leaving Cochem before 10:00. Warm night, happy passengers.

 

Sunday, March 30 - Really dark when I woke -- but we were in a lock on the Mosel. Last night, we advanced our clocks one hour, so now Oregon seems even farther away. Pretty soon, as I ate breakfast, we slid into Bernkastel, one of the cutesiest, sweetest little towns imaginable.

 

Our guide, Maria, got us organized, and we walked the narrow town streets and gaped at all the old (some from the 1600s), elaborately half-timbered houses. There were fountains, old gates, wise old sayings inscribed on house fronts, cobblestones, window boxes, pubs and shops everywhere - it’s clearly a wine-tourist mecca. Spitzhauschen, or “little pointed house,” built in 1583, looks impossibly top-heavy; today, it operates as a tavern and probably looks even more unstable after customers have had a few drinks.

 

We filed into the Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler winery, a pretty big establishment, and took our seats for samples of four very different local rieslings, from dry to sweet. A local girl, American born, gave very complete commentary. I found my way to an ATM later, and I wasn’t too inebriated to enter my PIN and retrieve my debit card.

 

By this time it was full sun and warming up. I strolled across the bridge and back and got back to the boat in just a few minutes. A swan nesting on two eggs, right by the boat’s point of entry, seemed to have been put there for our delectation. In fact, there were many swans on the river here, picture ready.

 

I took care of some last-day duties (questionnaire, gratuity envelopes, preliminary bill review) and got set for our final lunch. It was a German traditional menu, and there was quite a free-for-all among hungry passengers this time. I drank a beer and managed to get hold of adequate sustenance. We sailed on through the curvaceous and oh-so-lovely Mosel this afternoon. There were many lazy sunbathers up above, and I sought shade in the lounge when I felt my skin getting a bit flushed.

 

We’ve got our luggage tags and transfer schedule for tomorrow, and things are definitely winding down. The pastry chef gave an apple strudel demo in the lounge, and Christian is busy selling “pre-book and save 5 percent” plans. Time to prepare for our last dinner on board. I got a martini in the bar and took half of it downstairs to join my Albany couple, Terri and Scott, and my Calgary folks, Steve and Evelin. We had a chatty, laugh-filled meal (with good sauerbraten) and covered plenty of conversational ground. I’ll be sorry to see some of these people go. I found myself back in Room 219 by 9:30, getting ready for bed and trying to figure out how to best pack three suitcases. Ah, such a crisis. It’s hard to leave this lovely cocoon.

 

Monday, March 31 - One part of the trip concludes, another begins. I completed my luggage duties and had bags in the hallway by 7 a.m., as requested. After a last breakfast, we left AmaDolce and boarded buses (about 45 of us) for the Paris extension.

 

We rode through the Luxembourg countryside, stopping at the American WWII cemetery. Patton is buried there, and more than 5,000 stark crosses and Stars of David mark soldiers’ graves. I got teary in spite of myself.

 

We drove and then walked through the highlights of Luxembourg City, from bank towers to 16th-century churches to 19th-century ornamented official buildings. It’s a city that exudes tidiness and prosperity - and little personality. The bus took us the short distance to the train station, and I had my first TGV ride, zipping along to Paris. Like several fellow passengers, I dozed off for about an hour.

 

We were in Paris’s Gare d’Est station at 3:30, and a bus took us through stop-and-start traffic to the towering Pullman Montparnasse hotel. The AMA folks are staying there, but I’d made other plans.

 

(That's it for the AMA review. I spent three delightful days on my own in Paris, took the train to Amsterdam for three more days of enjoyable sightseeing - and flew home to Portland.)

[jojocmcla]

Thanks for a wonderful review. Sounds like you had a lovely trip. My husband and I leave tomorrow for Prague. Praying the bad weather doesn't cause any delays. We'll be on the AMA Lyra from Nuremberg to Budapest. The thing we like most about river cruising is that it is so intimate and you can meet the nicest people.

[pully8]

thank you for the wonderful review. lots of details that will assist others. we have done 6 river cruises and would love to do more. its a great way to travel.

 

we just have to face the long flights from oz, no easy way unfortunately. thanks again.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Thanks for the review. It sounds like a great trip!

 

...accordion player (I think he knows two tunes)

 

Was one of them by any chance "Que Sera, Sera"? We were surprised that every street-accordian player in Germany and Alsace was always playing that song. It was almost as if Doris Day was on the cruise with us!

[Carolfay]

Thanks, Jazzbeau. It was indeed a great holiday. No "Que Sera, Sera"; I think one tune was a polka and the other was a waltz. I did hear one accordion player in a German pub playing "Besame Mucho," which I found amusing.

[jpalbny]

Nice to read your review - we were in some of those same towns a few days after you and the weather was a little different... We had clouds and some rain in Cologne and Amsterdam. From what we saw, they really need the rain, though.

 

Lovely to hear that you had fun in Rudesheim at night. We cruised South-North so we had to be there in the morning when the Biergartens were empty. Would have loved to be there for the evening! Now we will definitely have to return...

 

Funny that you met someone else from Albany. We never do on our trips.

 

I see that you also got hit with the double dose of daylight savings time - we did as well. Once at home before we left, and then the day after we arrived.

 

Glad you had fun, and thanks for posting.