All Ama cruisers!!! Share expierences and ideas

[mdroho34]

16 hours ago, coevan said:

 

 

How under construction?  we are looking at the August 2 10 day

We were on AmaKristina and it was incredible.  Sailing on AmaMagna in September this year.  Youtube is a wonderful source for videos made by passengers.  Just go to their site and search names of any of the sister ships and you will always find full ship tours or cabin tours.

[coevan]

Thank you , but not what I asked

[notamermaid]

About the AmaSiena: she is not signalling yet, so does not have bridge electronics completed. I could not find a definitive photo of her, so she might not even have been fitted out yet, i.e be a hull and not much else. For those interested, she is being built at Vahali shipyards and should appear in this list some time this year: http://www.vahalishipyards.com/vahali_ships

 

notamermaid

 

[MrsP_29]

2 hours ago, notamermaid said:

About the AmaSiena: she is not signalling yet, so does not have bridge electronics completed. I could not find a definitive photo of her, so she might not even have been fitted out yet, i.e be a hull and not much else. For those interested, she is being built at Vahali shipyards and should appear in this list some time this year: http://www.vahalishipyards.com/vahali_ships

 

notamermaid

 

I think her first trip is in August.

[MrsP_29]

22 hours ago, coevan said:

 

 

How under construction?  we are looking at the August 2 10 day

I think that might be her first voyage. 🙂

[coevan]

Thank, so are the videos on the website another ship?

[CaroleLee]

AMA+air

Now that several US airlines have devalued their frequent flyer programs my"elite status" FF points are almost worthless for international travel so... Opinions and actual experience using AMA to book your air (JFK/NYC) to Amsterdam and return from Zurich. I also have my TA looking into several options.

Thx

Carole

[CaroleLee]

On 2/10/2020 at 8:42 PM, coevan said:

Thank, so are the videos on the website another ship?

You tube has about a dozen videos of the ships & several of the itineraries. Also Samantha Brown -Places to Love program did an entire show on the Rhine  on AMA

Carole

[JohninAult]

56 minutes ago, CaroleLee said:

AMA+air

Now that several US airlines have devalued their frequent flyer programs my"elite status" FF points are almost worthless for international travel so... Opinions and actual experience using AMA to book your air (JFK/NYC) to Amsterdam and return from Zurich. I also have my TA looking into several options.

Thx

Carole

We booked a Rhine cruise in June from Amsterdam to Basel.  AMA came up with the best price on the business class airfare that I could find by a couple hundred dollars.  Plus, once the reservation is made you can access it online through the airlines website or app and modify seating, etc.

[coevan]

2 hours ago, CaroleLee said:

AMA+air

Now that several US airlines have devalued their frequent flyer programs my"elite status" FF points are almost worthless for international travel so... Opinions and actual experience using AMA to book your air (JFK/NYC) to Amsterdam and return from Zurich. I also have my TA looking into several options.

Thx

Carole

 

 

We search our own flights. We found non stop Denver to Zurich cheaper than Ama offered. BTW we chose Ama

[CaroleLee]

Thx. I have a feeling that booking air on our own or via my TA would be less $. Its the hassle factor.

PS -DH & I love CO. Denver is a vibrant city. Family in Loveland & Ft Collins

Many thx

Carole

[AF-1]

CaroleLee,   we booked directly with Delta.  Ama was exact same price for Premium Select as what Delta's website showed; plus I didn't have to pay Ama extra to book our preferred airline. We leave in May. CVG-JFK-ZUR; returen; AMS-DTW-CVG.  We have everything locked in.  Our travel agent found us a decent business class on United;  but I never fly United so didn't want to collect miles on an airline I may not fly again.  

Edited February 14, 2020 by AF-1
added txt

[knitter]

How far in advance does AMA send out documents- we leave 3/19 on Lyra and I'm wondering about our final flight booking. Thanks. Sandy

[Lois R]

2 minutes ago, knitter said:

How far in advance does AMA send out documents- we leave 3/19 on Lyra and I'm wondering about our final flight booking. Thanks. Sandy

Hi Sandy, did you book  with AMA? I would contact them directly since you are just about a month from

cruising.

[MrsP_29]

20 minutes ago, CaroleLee said:

Thx for your response. American has dumped gates @ JFK so to fly to Amsterdam we 1st have to go to PHL.  Have AA Delta AF & KLM on Google fight alert as well as my TA. We have free transfer from AMA

That's a haul for you. Philly is about a 1½-2 hr drive for us, depending on traffic. Baltimore is slightly closer but if we leave from there, we have a layover in Philly!  🙂

[notamermaid]

On 2/11/2020 at 2:42 AM, coevan said:

Thank, so are the videos on the website another ship?

I think it is one of the older Ama ships that is on the website, the video for it is on youtube. In Serbia they are busy with the Spirit of the Rhine now, I should think, today they have launched the Annabelle. In the Netherlands they are putting the finishing touches on the Geoffrey Chaucer. If the procedure is the same with the Annabelle, she will be tugged/pushed to the Netherlands to be fitted out, then the next ship and so on. But it could depend on the destination of the ship, not sure. Yet even the Tauck Andorinha for the Douro is being fitted out in the Netherlands right now.

 

Could the AmaSiena be next in line?

 

notamermaid

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

Posts removed with naming of Travel Agent.  No no.

[coevan]

2 hours ago, AF-1 said:

CaroleLee,   we booked directly with Delta.  Ama was exact same price for Premium Select as what Delta's website showed; plus I didn't have to pay Ama extra to book our preferred airline. We leave in May. CVG-JFK-ZUR; returen; AMS-DTW-CVG.  We have everything locked in.  Our travel agent found us a decent business class on United;  but I never fly United so didn't want to collect miles on an airline I may not fly again.  

 

 

We hate United as well, worst domestic first class food ever. However, check again, I think the flights are booked through United, but might be a Swiss Air or Air Canada aircraft, which is what we found

[SkygirlSue]

United does not fly JFK-ZRH nor AMS-DTW.  

[AF-1]

2 hours ago, SkygirlSue said:

United does not fly JFK-ZRH nor AMS-DTW.  

Correct they don't; but I am on Delta.

[gmaonboard4]

9 hours ago, AF-1 said:

CaroleLee,   we booked directly with Delta.  Ama was exact same price for Premium Select as what Delta's website showed; plus I didn't have to pay Ama extra to book our preferred airline. We leave in May. CVG-JFK-ZUR; returen; AMS-DTW-CVG.  We have everything locked in.  Our travel agent found us a decent business class on United;  but I never fly United so didn't want to collect miles on an airline I may not fly again.  

Just curious, can I ask how much Ama was going to charge to book preferred airline ?  Considering this for next cruise.  Still debating whether to use frequent flyer miles or book through Ama.  Thanks.

 

[coevan]

I am pricing on my own and my rep is also looking for flights. The fares were comparable, looking at about $2500 RT from Denver. Swiss Air has a non stop from Denver, but of course they are putting a premium price on it. 

[Coli]

On 2/12/2020 at 5:11 PM, CaroleLee said:

AMA+air

Now that several US airlines have devalued their frequent flyer programs my"elite status" FF points are almost worthless for international travel so... Opinions and actual experience using AMA to book your air (JFK/NYC) to Amsterdam and return from Zurich. I also have my TA looking into several options.

Thx

Carole

We used AMA for our air travel in November 2018 for JFK/Amsterdam/Zurich/jfk. Great service, amazing price. We’ve booked our Cambodia/Vietnam flights with AMA for August. Flying Emirates through Dubai. Also very happy with price and service we received from AMA.

[knitter]

Gratuities question- can you charge them on board or do you need cash? I'm guessing cash for the cruise director, but not sure about the stewards, wait staff, etc. Thanks.

BTW: We got a very good air fare thru AMA for a our Normandy cruise next month. Still awaiting documents, however.

Sandy

[beachbumsns]

19 minutes ago, knitter said:

Gratuities question- can you charge them on board or do you need cash? I'm guessing cash for the cruise director, but not sure about the stewards, wait staff, etc. Thanks.

BTW: We got a very good air fare thru AMA for a our Normandy cruise next month. Still awaiting documents, however.

Sandy

We had our travel agent add them to the bill and paid in Canadian funds.  We tipped extra to wait staff during our cruise.