Christmas markets, AMA or Uniworld

[teaka5]

Looking at first river cruise.  I am looking to book Uniworld or Ama.   I am looking at the Danube Christmas Markets 2025 for both.  Itinerary is the same for the first week of December.  Past research says Uniworld is generally more expensive.  In this case, the AmaMagna is a few hundred dollars more than Uniworld without being totally inclusive.  However,  unlike Ama, Uniworld is not offering Prague and Budapest pre and post extensions which are important to  me.  Just wondering if others who have done this cruise have an opinion.  I am thinking about whether to book my own extension or let Ama do the work for me.  Thanks.

[bubbulz]

I can’t compare the two, but I did Uniworld’s Christmas markets cruises twice since I enjoyed it so much. I did my own extensions in Prague and Budapest and prefer to have the control. 

[RobInMN]

Never been on Uni. Have not done Christmas Markets with Ama (parents are fans of Grand Circle). But I can say that AmaMagna is amazing! We loved it (did the Grand Danube on her). We also did a Pre in Prague with them and thought they did a great job, we loved Prague.

Info on AmaMagna, the Prague extension, and a couple of the first port stops that are probably the same (just not as Christmas Market) here:

 

 

[texasstar]

You can do both the pre and post trips easily on your own and save a lot of money.  Both cities are easily walkable.  Just do your research before hand.  You do not want to miss either city.  I have not cruised with UniWorld, but have friends that have.  I did this cruise with AmaWaterways and loved it.

[mozfoz]

We did the Uniworld Danube Christmas Cruise and loved it. The ships decor is over the top, but thats what helped make it different. The ports were nice and the included excursion to Salzburg just added to the whole experience. The only disappointment was sailing in the evening caused us miss the market lights at night. A trickle of snow in Budapest helped to give the holiday spirit.

[papa B me]

We did the Uniworld Danube Christmas Market with a self planned pre cruise stay in Munich.  It had some wonderful markets and did a day trip to see castles in Austria which was magical with snow falling.  We also went to the Hungarian Opera House in Budapest to see the Nutcracker which was a highlight of the trip.  We have been on 3 Uniworld cruises and actually leave in 5 weeks to do the same cruise down the Danube to enjoy the summer cruise.  Highly recommend Uniworld but I've heard nothing but good things about Ama as well.

[IMNiles]

We have sailed Christmas markets on the Danube, both on AMA and Uniworld.  We have also sailed AMAMagna, but not at Christmas.  This is a very difficult choice, and it might come down to the sort of stateroom you are planning to book and whether you are the sort of people to spend a lot of time aboard and in your stateroom, or if you view it as a floating hotel.  I’ll start by saying both lines are excellent and I would never hesitate to sail either of them.

 

There is no question that Uniworld is more inclusive, and the decor of their ships, while some view it as a bit much, really helps put you in that “old world spirit,” particularly at the holiday time.  The service is impeccable, the food wonderful, and it’s really hard to fault.  Depending on the ship, however, the staterooms may be a bit smaller, and are definitely smaller than AMAMagna.  So, if you’re “stateroom people” you might lean towards AMAMagna.  If the food, wine, service, and inclusivity are most important to you, then I’d lean Uniworld.  I have also found their tours and guides to really be a “cut above” many other lines (they are not employed by the line, but contracted).

 

AMAMagna is a class unto itself, literally.  Because it is so much wider than standard river ships, the staterooms are very noticeably larger.  The lounge is larger, and there are additional dining options that do not exist on the standard riverboats.  AMA is not all inclusive, though.  This means that not only are you on the hook for alcohol (outside of the daily happy hour and wine/beer at meals), you also have to consider crew gratuities.  Service on AMA is unfailingly friendly, if a bit less “nothing is a problem” than Uniworld.  In my personal experience, AMA had more onboard activities “in the christmas spirit” (like a tree decorating event) than Uniworld, but this was pre-COVID so that may have changed.

 

You can’t go wrong with either of these choices, really, so pick the one that speaks to you.