Jump to content

All Ama cruisers!!! Share expierences and ideas


Crusin-Suzan
 Share

Recommended Posts

Thanks I will check out Viator for sure.

I believe Beachbumsns is cruising before me (I am July 23rd) and I think Wednesday is after me. What I am mostly interested in is what type of tour AMA takes us on in Amsterdam, I believe it is just a canal cruise.Wednesday what company did you use to book your sunset cruise? We only have one full day in Amsterdam before we board the ship so need to use our time wisely. We also are going to Lucerne but also only have 2 full days there. We then have our teenagers fly out of Zurich and my husband and I have another week in Italy.

 

This is the info I was given from Ama and that I relayed to our guide. Sorry it was buried in a mountain of emails and took a while to find.

 

Ama mentions they include for their tour: "Get acquainted with Amsterdam on a scenic canal cruise, where you will see the beautiful wooden Skinny Bridge and Anne Frank's House. Continue on with a walk to the Begijnhof and be charmed by its Middle Age buildings followed by a city tour that includes the Royal Palace and Westerkerk. Later in the day, enjoy scenic cruising.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello!

 

I booked through Tours by Locals for the private guides. If you go to their website you can search by location and then it gives you the option to look at all of their guides. This will be my first experience with Tours by Locals but they have been around a while.

My guide in Amsterdam is Frank K, he has been great to deal with so far. The canal cruise was booked with www.privateboattours.nl after recommendations from a friend who did a cruise with them. The two restaurants we booked, based on getting Dutch food that was not too eclectic and fancy and that had good reviews, were Bleu Bistro https://www.facebook.com/bleuamsterdam and Van Speyk http://vanspeyk.amsterdam.

The guide in Switzerland is Jutta S. who is also very pleasant to deal with but she may be a little slower in responding because she guides trips to Costa Rica in the winter and is gone a lot. She has even assisted us in booking our transfers from Basel to Lucerne and Lucerne to ZRH, they were a little more expensive than using a 3rd party booker but I feel more confident that there will be no issues.

The brewery and restaurant that we are touring and dining at is Restaurant Rathous Braurei www.rathausbrauerei.com . Christoph, who handles reservations has been very good to deal with, it is suggested to make reservations well in advance for the brewery tour and the last tour is at 6 pm. If you are interested in the folk show it is Stadtkeller.com and appears to be affiliated with the brewery.

I think that is everything!;p

 

Wendy

Wonderful info, much appreciated.

I was planning on just taking the train from Basel to Lucerne on our own. Do you have a different type of transfer?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wonderful info, much appreciated.

I was planning on just taking the train from Basel to Lucerne on our own. Do you have a different type of transfer?

 

I think the train is a great way to go and very much less expensive, especially if you do the Swiss travel pass. In case you aren't aware of the travel pass, you can use it for free and discounted tickets on the train and I think busses and boats (most of the mountain lines are not free and very expensive but the travel pass gives a discount so depending on what you end up doing it might be cheaper to get the pass or it might not, for us I don't think it will be cheaper.) The reason we are not taking the train is that there are 13 of us and I just felt it would be easier not lugging 13 people's bags on the train. We could also have taken the train directly to ZRH, again we chose to do a transfer because there are 13 of us traveling together.

 

We have a 13 or 14 passenger van with a separate luggage trailer attached for our transfers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just have to say, I wish those of you on the Rhine were doing our sailing, you seem like a really great bunch!:) I have had no responses to my roll call except from my friend who is traveling in my group. Our sailing was also pretty much overtaken by a partial charter of which I have no idea exactly what kind of group they are or what to expect.... I really wish they would not allow partial charters on the river cruises, the ships are too small.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just have to say, I wish those of you on the Rhine were doing our sailing, you seem like a really great bunch!:) I have had no responses to my roll call except from my friend who is traveling in my group. Our sailing was also pretty much overtaken by a partial charter of which I have no idea exactly what kind of group they are or what to expect.... I really wish they would not allow partial charters on the river cruises, the ships are too small.

 

When we do the Rhine in May there will be 8 of us. There was a wine tasters group on our last river cruise and they pretty much stuck to themselves. They were given the large front area that is closed off from the other diners. Our experience was that with groups, you have a tendency to stick together and don't meet as many people. Two of the people in our group are people we met on the river cruise last year and stayed in touch with. Its so nice to be able to meet so many nice people and dine with different groups each night. Although the 8 of us will be mostly meeting at the ship, we still plan to mingle and change up our dining partners each night. Hope your cruise goes well with the partial charter on board. I was told that AMA didn't reserve tables for large groups, so not sure how this will work for the group on your tour.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wonderful info, much appreciated.

I was planning on just taking the train from Basel to Lucerne on our own. Do you have a different type of transfer?

 

Thanks for the information on the tour guide in Switzerland. We plan on hopping on the train from Zurich to Lucerne and the train stop is minutes from our hotel in Lucerne. After our three days in Lucerne, we plan to hop on the train to Basel. I priced private tours for 4 of us and they seemed way overpriced, almost $800 for 4 people. We normally do private tours, but everything is expensive in Switzerland, lol. If we have time, we hope to get to Interlaken from Basel by train just for the one day. Its great to chat will all of you about these trips, and share ideas and options. Thanks a bunch.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When we do the Rhine in May there will be 8 of us. There was a wine tasters group on our last river cruise and they pretty much stuck to themselves. They were given the large front area that is closed off from the other diners. Our experience was that with groups, you have a tendency to stick together and don't meet as many people. Two of the people in our group are people we met on the river cruise last year and stayed in touch with. Its so nice to be able to meet so many nice people and dine with different groups each night. Although the 8 of us will be mostly meeting at the ship, we still plan to mingle and change up our dining partners each night. Hope your cruise goes well with the partial charter on board. I was told that AMA didn't reserve tables for large groups, so not sure how this will work for the group on your tour.

 

Meeting new friends is one of the best things about traveling and river cruising does make it easy. We have many new friends as a result of traveling. My group is large enough that at dinner we likely won't eat with new people but last time I went with a group we managed to meet people at breakfast or in the lounge. When I booked my group the ship was relatively empty and then overnight almost all the cabins were gone so I know this is a large group.... hopefully it will go well.:o

 

Thanks for the information on the tour guide in Switzerland. We plan on hopping on the train from Zurich to Lucerne and the train stop is minutes from our hotel in Lucerne. After our three days in Lucerne, we plan to hop on the train to Basel. I priced private tours for 4 of us and they seemed way overpriced, almost $800 for 4 people. We normally do private tours, but everything is expensive in Switzerland, lol. If we have time, we hope to get to Interlaken from Basel by train just for the one day. Its great to chat will all of you about these trips, and share ideas and options. Thanks a bunch.

 

You're welcome, hope some of the info comes in useful, I have been planning and working on this trip since January 2017. Switzerland is CRAZY expensive, it is not helping my efforts in trying to talk my husband into moving there.:')

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Meeting new friends is one of the best things about traveling and river cruising does make it easy. We have many new friends as a result of traveling. My group is large enough that at dinner we likely won't eat with new people but last time I went with a group we managed to meet people at breakfast or in the lounge. When I booked my group the ship was relatively empty and then overnight almost all the cabins were gone so I know this is a large group.... hopefully it will go well.:o

 

 

 

You're welcome, hope some of the info comes in useful, I have been planning and working on this trip since January 2017. Switzerland is CRAZY expensive, it is not helping my efforts in trying to talk my husband into moving there.:')

 

I don't know if you have loaded the new AMA Cruiser App for Apple devices but its an interesting and useful tool. Unfortunately it is only working so far for two cruise ships, AmaViola and AMA Kristina. But I've loaded the cruises and if you are lucky enough to have this up and running for your cruise its pretty neat. You can share posts with your family and friends, pictures, your day by day itinerary is there plus once the cruise starts, your Dailies are shown. I found it very interesting to see the new changes that AMA made this year, such as the cocktail hour. Each day they feature a signature cocktail, as well as other drinks included during that time frame. For anyone who is doing the Amsterdam Tulip Time cruise you can add the AmaKristina which is cruising on April 9, you will be able to get an overview of what is happening each day of the cruise. I know some people like me read everything they can ahead of time so they can get familiar with what to expect. This is a great way to give you a heads up. I've checked out that Brewery and Restaurant in Lucerne and its a definite must for us. Thanks again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know if you have loaded the new AMA Cruiser App for Apple devices but its an interesting and useful tool. Unfortunately it is only working so far for two cruise ships, AmaViola and AMA Kristina. But I've loaded the cruises and if you are lucky enough to have this up and running for your cruise its pretty neat. You can share posts with your family and friends, pictures, your day by day itinerary is there plus once the cruise starts, your Dailies are shown. I found it very interesting to see the new changes that AMA made this year, such as the cocktail hour. Each day they feature a signature cocktail, as well as other drinks included during that time frame. For anyone who is doing the Amsterdam Tulip Time cruise you can add the AmaKristina which is cruising on April 9, you will be able to get an overview of what is happening each day of the cruise. I know some people like me read everything they can ahead of time so they can get familiar with what to expect. This is a great way to give you a heads up. I've checked out that Brewery and Restaurant in Lucerne and its a definite must for us. Thanks again.

 

You're Welcome! I did download the app but we are cruising on the Stella so nothing yet for me, hopefully they will have it up and running by July.

 

I think the cocktail hour is a nice touch too. We also received $150 per person on board credit when we booked so every hour can be cocktail hour:wine-glass::cocktail::tropical-drink::beer-mug::beer-toast::champagne-toast:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can anyone tell me if there is free time in the afternoon in Budapest? The activities list a morning tour of 4hours in duration. I’m hoping to see Great (grand) market hall and possibly another site in the afternoon. Not able to extend a few days at the end of the cruise. Thanks to everyone for posting here. The information is so helpful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We had the full afternoon and early evening to ourselves in Budapest. At 8:00 pm we left for the Illuminations Cruise, which was amazing. Having said this our cruise was in April so may have gotten darker earlier than your cruise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We sailed the AMA Serena last April. First river cruise after many ocean cruises and we were hooked. Loved everything about the river cruise and AMA Waterways. Be prepared to be somewhat busy if you want to be. We are quite active and took a tour most days. We thought we had picked out our excursions, but realized that when we were sailing and the cruise director was going over the excursions that we had more options to pick from and changed our original choice. From the moment you board your ship, the crew will be there smiling and helping you enjoy your trip. The food was excellent. After many years of ocean cruising, it was nice to have the intimacy of the smaller group and each night you could move to a different table and meet your fellow cruisers. The bonus of having local beers or wines served at meals was a great option. This year, 2018, there is an added cocktail hour each afternoon. You will not go hungry. Food stations are put out mid morning and mid afternoon. There are several options if you do not wish to go to diningroom for your breakfast - they have a late risers breakfast available in the lounge. Coffee/tea/ other drinks are available 24/7 for you to help your self. Afternoon tea time with sweets and sandwiches even if no one is on board. If you decide you do not want to go on a tour you signed up for, you can opt out. We explored several towns on our own getting a later start on days that we just felt we wanted some down time. I cannot say enough about how much we enjoy river cruising and wish there were more threads on Cruise Critic to help newbies like ourselves find out more information before we travel. We are booked for our second river cruise with AMA in May. If you have any questions that I can answer for you, please reply. :)

 

We are going on Amadante Medieval Treasures in July -- first river cruise. We're taking my 81-year-old brother with us -- his first cruise ever! We have questions about the dress code on ship and off the ship. We've heard most Europeans don't wear shorts. Really? We want to ride bikes. Are the bike tours very long? My brother rides 25 miles at a time, but his little sister (age 67) has a bum knee. I may have more questions if you don't mind. My email is Kay dot Potter at gmail dot com. I hope to hear from experienced river cruisers! Also, any reasons NOT to take Viking in the future would be appreciated! (Kay from South Carolina)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for letting us know about the App. I downloaded it but can't sign up yet. I can't sign in on the AMA site either yet. I booked with a travel agent and suspect AMA won't get my file until my final payment is due in April as AMA doesn't seem to recognize my name yet. Thanks everyone.

Its not you. AMA is phasing in the APP. Currently only AMAVIOLA (1 sailing) is available in the app.

 

Carole

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anyone have experience with transfers through AMA? We arrive in Munich very early in the morning. I assume there is some waiting for other guests before the AMA transfer leaves. Could we be waiting until the afternoon to depart for Vilshofen?

 

Do not fret. Last July our flight was early (tailwinds). We cleared CDG @ 6:45am.AMA was waiting for us. The transfer rep stated that she had monitored the flight & knew we would be very early. When we arrived at AMALYRA the experience was repeated. Reception checked us in and then said as they knew we would be early our cabin was ready(VERY NEAT & CLEAN) & waiting for us,oh and please go the the dinning room and have (a full) breakfast. AMA goes an extra way to make you feel special without being smothering or charging you for every little thing. Just booked AMA #3

Enjoy

Carole

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can anyone tell me if there is free time in the afternoon in Budapest? The activities list a morning tour of 4hours in duration. I’m hoping to see Great (grand) market hall and possibly another site in the afternoon. Not able to extend a few days at the end of the cruise. Thanks to everyone for posting here. The information is so helpful.

 

I am not sure if it is still the case but in 2014 on our Nuremberg to Budapest Itinerary, Ama took us to the big market hall, it was within walking distance of the ship so we walked there with the cruise manager.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are going on Amadante Medieval Treasures in July -- first river cruise. We're taking my 81-year-old brother with us -- his first cruise ever! We have questions about the dress code on ship and off the ship. We've heard most Europeans don't wear shorts. Really? We want to ride bikes. Are the bike tours very long? My brother rides 25 miles at a time, but his little sister (age 67) has a bum knee. I may have more questions if you don't mind. My email is Kay dot Potter at gmail dot com. I hope to hear from experienced river cruisers! Also, any reasons NOT to take Viking in the future would be appreciated! (Kay from South Carolina)

 

The cruise we are doing in May is also the Medieval Treasures which is a new cruise itinerary for AMA Waterways. I can answer any questions about dress code and will email you separately. My husband and I are in our low 60's age group and he is a short wearer. We have been to many places in Europe at different times of the year and he has no problem wearing his shorts. We did not do the bike rides on our last cruise but may do some on this cruise in mid May. It appears the bike tours are approximately 1 to 2 hours from the information we have.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We had the full afternoon and early evening to ourselves in Budapest. At 8:00 pm we left for the Illuminations Cruise, which was amazing. Having said this our cruise was in April so may have gotten darker earlier than your cruise.

 

Thanks! I think we will be able to get to a few things in that time frame. Whatever we can see will be great and the things we miss will be a terrific excuse to return one day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do not fret. Last July our flight was early (tailwinds). We cleared CDG @ 6:45am.AMA was waiting for us. The transfer rep stated that she had monitored the flight & knew we would be very early. When we arrived at AMALYRA the experience was repeated. Reception checked us in and then said as they knew we would be early our cabin was ready(VERY NEAT & CLEAN) & waiting for us,oh and please go the the dinning room and have (a full) breakfast. AMA goes an extra way to make you feel special without being smothering or charging you for every little thing. Just booked AMA #3

Enjoy

Carole

 

 

 

Thank you Carole. Can’t wait! I appreciate the information. I’m sure after our first AMA in November there will be another one in the future.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The cruise we are doing in May is also the Medieval Treasures which is a new cruise itinerary for AMA Waterways. I can answer any questions about dress code and will email you separately. My husband and I are in our low 60's age group and he is a short wearer. We have been to many places in Europe at different times of the year and he has no problem wearing his shorts. We did not do the bike rides on our last cruise but may do some on this cruise in mid May. It appears the bike tours are approximately 1 to 2 hours from the information we have.

 

 

AWESOME! It would be great to hear from you before and especially after the cruise! I have set up a roll call but have not had much response. Please let me know if you're doing pre- and post-cruise days with Ama. We have booked AirBNB on both end of cruise. I look forward to hearing from you!

 

GeorgiaUSA

Kay

(retired in South Carolina)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

AWESOME! It would be great to hear from you before and especially after the cruise! I have set up a roll call but have not had much response. Please let me know if you're doing pre- and post-cruise days with Ama. We have booked AirBNB on both end of cruise. I look forward to hearing from you!

 

GeorgiaUSA

Kay

(retired in South Carolina)

 

I did send you an email yesterday, it didn't bounce back. Can you let me know if you received it? We do our own hotels before the cruise spending three days in Lucerne and 3 in Basel.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree, I like to be well prepared and there is limited info from previous river cruisers available.

Thanks for all the info, my teenage boys will appreciate the snacks between meals :)

With ocean cruising I picked my shore excursions months in advance, how does it work with Ama? We cruise in July on the Rhine and our final payment is due in April. Will I get all my info after final payment is in and that is when I pick my excursions or do you just decide once on the ship?

Much appreciated.

Maureen, Calgary, Alberta Canada

Maureen, what ship are you sailing on? I'm on AmaDante in July

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maureen, what ship are you sailing on? I'm on AmaDante in July

 

Maureen, as soon as you purchase your river cruise, and get your reservation # you should be able to access your AMA account on the AMA Waterways website and see the excursions that are available. I think once your final payment is made, you will be able to access the area that allows you to pick your excursions. They aren't carved in stone as you have the ability to change them on the ship if you change your mind.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...