Back from Danube on Amadeus Symphony.

[Bop]

Hi Fellow River Cruisers,

 

We returned from Budapest on September 26, 2006, after a memorable first river boat cruise on the Amadeus Symphony. We are frequent ocean cruisers and this was our first experience on the river boats.

 

We arrived in Prague on 9/14/06 via Delta Airlines. Our luggage continued on to parts unknown and the long wait at the lost luggage counter caused us to miss our van transfer. We were able to get a cab easily, however and $30 USD got us to our hotel. Not being able to carry on toiletries was a real inconvenience when our luggage was lost but we found toothpaste, brushes, etc. at a nearby drug store.

 

We had a private guide in Prague who proved to be invaluable but we should have booked him as soon after our arrival as possible for he could have saved us time and $$ as well as his candid perspective on the Czech Republic and its people. He was a real highlight of our trip. We had an excellent tour of Prague from Amadeus and quickly learned our way around the city center. It was easy to walk to most of the sites we wanted to see. Australian wine was plentiful and cheap at the local grocery stores. Food was expensive at the touristy spots after all the add ons that you don't anticipate. (water 100 Crowns, about$5 for a 0.2 liter bottle, bread $10, glass of Czech wine $13, e.g.) We had been warned about the "nut trick" so we didn't touch the innocent looking bag of mixed nuts left on our table. Our guide recommended a restaurant patronized by locals and we found the food good and reasonably priced. He said to look for beer prices less than 30 Crowns. This, he said would identify restaurants where the locals ate and drank.

 

We transferred to Nuremburg with a stop in Carlsbad on 9/17. Our luggage had arrived late on 9/15, to our relief. We think it had taken the wrong plane in Amsterdam and had been on a vacation of its own. Amadeus had 3 buses to take passengers to Nuremburg. The first two buses were allowed to depart from the Renaissance Hotel only partially full. Our bus, the last one, was full and there was not enough room for everyone's luggage so the cruise director, John Reilly, had to bring the excess luggage via taxi. With the delay, we ended up creeping along behind a Bicycle race that added what seemed like hours to the trip. The bus a/c was not working and it made for a miserable start for out cruise.

 

We arrived at the Symphony at about 5:30 pm and were quickly checked in and reunited with our luggage. Our category C stateroom was larger than I anticipated and there was enough storage room for a week cruise. Some of our clothes were left in suitcases under the bed. The bath was cruise ship sized and water was hot and plentiful unless you stayed in bed after 8 AM. Then it was a rude awakening kind of shower with alternating cold and warm. The bed was comfortable with a cozy douvet. We had a large window that did not open. HVAC worked well. Not much on TV but we did not spend much time in the room.

 

We went to dinner on day 1 and I ordered the "surf and turf". I had read mixed reviews on the Amadeus Symphony's food and I wrote off the complaints of "terrible" food as being written by people with much more refined taste than mine. When my "surf and turf" arrived, I thought that it must have been an appetizer. There were 3 small slices of meat and one tiny shrimp in a kind of orange sauce. I wondered where the rest of the "surf" was. The meager servings with no seconds became the standard for the cruise. When people began to attack the cheese table en masse after each meal we realized everyone was still hungry. This was definitely a new cruising experience for us. We learned to eat large portions at the lunch buffet because it would be a long time before breakfast. No between meal snacks were offered other than the fruit bowl at the reception desk. Nearly everyone ate at the ports. I lost two pounds!

 

The river cruising experience was fantastic. The scenery and weather were wonderful and there were interesting fellow passengers to spend time with. The tours were the best cruise line tours we have been on and there was no mandatory shopping stops. The tour guides were also top notch and spoke excellent English. Tour groups were usually 20 or so.

 

On-board activities were very limited. There was a puzzle and one trivia quiz. Most passengers spent time reading or enjoying the scenery from the top deck or lounge. A lecturer came on board to explain the lock system on the canal/river. He was entertaining and very informative.

Entertainment was OK from locals along the way and a really poor crew show. There was one excellent group who came aboard in Bratislava. The Aphrodites were a 5 woman group of musicians who played show tunes on flute, cello, violin, viola, and piano. They were excellent and left us wanting more.

 

We arrived in Budapest on 9/23. Spectacular views of the city were as advertised. We docked with other Amadeus boats and had a very thorough tour of the city by excellent guides. Disembarking the next day was a bit of an adventure. There was a boat docked between us and the landing so all luggage had to be carried up and down steps and through the other boat and then dragged or rolled through dusty shoulders of the road. This was all done by crew members and was a very tedious way to disembark. Luggage looked like it had been through a dust storm.

 

Overall, the river cruise was delightful and memorable. We won't soon forget Nuremburg, Linz, Passau, Vienna, the Staatsoper and LaBoheme, Regensburg and Melk, Prague and Budapest. The beautiful Wachau Valley was a definite highlight. The lock system was fascinating.

 

Our next cruise will be on a conventional ocean cruise line. We may return to river cruising where we want a more intimate view of the itinerary.

 

I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

 

Smooth sailing,

Bop;)

[BJS]

Did you see any "Fall " colors?

 

Were the river levels O.K. everywhere?

 

Were the dusty road shoulders in Budapest the result of construction?

 

Were you able to go to Hero's Square in Budapest?

 

Thanks- we leave for Budapest on the 14th.

[Bop]

Did you see any "Fall " colors?

 

Were the river levels O.K. everywhere?

 

Were the dusty road shoulders in Budapest the result of construction?

 

Were you able to go to Hero's Square in Budapest?

 

Thanks- we leave for Budapest on the 14th.

 

BJS,

 

The trees had just begun to change, the river levels were just right, the road shoulders were not dusty due to construction, Hero's square had a few well-behaved protestors. No problems or interference with tour groups. Don't forget to bring snacks.:D

 

Have a great trip,

Bop

[DON M.]

Hi Fellow River Cruisers,

 

We returned from Budapest on September 26, 2006, after a memorable first river boat cruise on the Amadeus Symphony. We are frequent ocean cruisers and this was our first experience on the river boats.

 

We arrived in Prague on 9/14/06 via Delta Airlines. Our luggage continued on to parts unknown and the long wait at the lost luggage counter caused us to miss our van transfer. We were able to get a cab easily, however and $30 USD got us to our hotel. Not being able to carry on toiletries was a real inconvenience when our luggage was lost but we found toothpaste, brushes, etc. at a nearby drug store.

 

We had a private guide in Prague who proved to be invaluable but we should have booked him as soon after our arrival as possible for he could have saved us time and $$ as well as his candid perspective on the Czech Republic and its people. He was a real highlight of our trip. We had an excellent tour of Prague from Amadeus and quickly learned our way around the city center. It was easy to walk to most of the sites we wanted to see. Australian wine was plentiful and cheap at the local grocery stores. Food was expensive at the touristy spots after all the add ons that you don't anticipate. (water 100 Crowns, about$5 for a 0.2 liter bottle, bread $10, glass of Czech wine $13, e.g.) We had been warned about the "nut trick" so we didn't touch the innocent looking bag of mixed nuts left on our table. Our guide recommended a restaurant patronized by locals and we found the food good and reasonably priced. He said to look for beer prices less than 30 Crowns. This, he said would identify restaurants where the locals ate and drank.

 

We transferred to Nuremburg with a stop in Carlsbad on 9/17. Our luggage had arrived late on 9/15, to our relief. We think it had taken the wrong plane in Amsterdam and had been on a vacation of its own. Amadeus had 3 buses to take passengers to Nuremburg. The first two buses were allowed to depart from the Renaissance Hotel only partially full. Our bus, the last one, was full and there was not enough room for everyone's luggage so the cruise director, John Reilly, had to bring the excess luggage via taxi. With the delay, we ended up creeping along behind a Bicycle race that added what seemed like hours to the trip. The bus a/c was not working and it made for a miserable start for out cruise.

 

We arrived at the Symphony at about 5:30 pm and were quickly checked in and reunited with our luggage. Our category C stateroom was larger than I anticipated and there was enough storage room for a week cruise. Some of our clothes were left in suitcases under the bed. The bath was cruise ship sized and water was hot and plentiful unless you stayed in bed after 8 AM. Then it was a rude awakening kind of shower with alternating cold and warm. The bed was comfortable with a cozy douvet. We had a large window that did not open. HVAC worked well. Not much on TV but we did not spend much time in the room.

 

We went to dinner on day 1 and I ordered the "surf and turf". I had read mixed reviews on the Amadeus Symphony's food and I wrote off the complaints of "terrible" food as being written by people with much more refined taste than mine. When my "surf and turf" arrived, I thought that it must have been an appetizer. There were 3 small slices of meat and one tiny shrimp in a kind of orange sauce. I wondered where the rest of the "surf" was. The meager servings with no seconds became the standard for the cruise. When people began to attack the cheese table en masse after each meal we realized everyone was still hungry. This was definitely a new cruising experience for us. We learned to eat large portions at the lunch buffet because it would be a long time before breakfast. No between meal snacks were offered other than the fruit bowl at the reception desk. Nearly everyone ate at the ports. I lost two pounds!

 

The river cruising experience was fantastic. The scenery and weather were wonderful and there were interesting fellow passengers to spend time with. The tours were the best cruise line tours we have been on and there was no mandatory shopping stops. The tour guides were also top notch and spoke excellent English. Tour groups were usually 20 or so.

 

On-board activities were very limited. There was a puzzle and one trivia quiz. Most passengers spent time reading or enjoying the scenery from the top deck or lounge. A lecturer came on board to explain the lock system on the canal/river. He was entertaining and very informative.

Entertainment was OK from locals along the way and a really poor crew show. There was one excellent group who came aboard in Bratislava. The Aphrodites were a 5 woman group of musicians who played show tunes on flute, cello, violin, viola, and piano. They were excellent and left us wanting more.

 

We arrived in Budapest on 9/23. Spectacular views of the city were as advertised. We docked with other Amadeus boats and had a very thorough tour of the city by excellent guides. Disembarking the next day was a bit of an adventure. There was a boat docked between us and the landing so all luggage had to be carried up and down steps and through the other boat and then dragged or rolled through dusty shoulders of the road. This was all done by crew members and was a very tedious way to disembark. Luggage looked like it had been through a dust storm.

 

Overall, the river cruise was delightful and memorable. We won't soon forget Nuremburg, Linz, Passau, Vienna, the Staatsoper and LaBoheme, Regensburg and Melk, Prague and Budapest. The beautiful Wachau Valley was a definite highlight. The lock system was fascinating.

 

Our next cruise will be on a conventional ocean cruise line. We may return to river cruising where we want a more intimate view of the itinerary.

 

I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

 

Smooth sailing,

Bop;)

Hi Bop, glad you enjoyed most of your cruise. Did you use George as your Prague guide which I think I recommended to you? I thought John was excellent as a cruise director, very prepared and hard working. I agree about the Aphrodites, they were very good, and could probably make alot of money in the states. John said he booked them like for $300.00. The Amadagio food was no different than your experience. We learned to have a big breakfast and lunch, and then we din't have to worry to much about dinner selections and quanity. I prefer ocean cruises, but this itenirary was what we wanted, and the 5 days in Prague were fabulous

[Coral]

Hi Bop - I enjoyed your review also and I have to tell you I am so disappointed in hearing about the dinner situation. Dinner is my big meal and I can think of a million other things I should pack instead of snacks but will now be packing snacks for the trip.

 

Though I will stay away from taking beef jerky. I think that is the perfect travel snack but I got in trouble coming back from Japan with walmart brand jerkey at US Customs. It was not a pretty situation.

 

Question for you Bop - if you consider another river cruise, will you consider Amadeus for your trip or will you switch to another line? I assume that you met some very well traveled river cruisers on your cruise - how did they compare experiences with different lines?

[Bop]

Did you use George as your Prague guide which I think I recommended to you? I thought John was excellent as a cruise director, very prepared and hard working. I agree about the Aphrodites, they were very good, and could probably make alot of money in the states. John said he booked them like for $300.00. The Amadagio food was no different than your experience. We learned to have a big breakfast and lunch, and then we din't have to worry to much about dinner selections and quanity. I prefer ocean cruises, but this itenirary was what we wanted, and the 5 days in Prague were fabulous

 

Hi Don,

Yes, we did use George and he was great. Thanks for the recommendation.

 

I was a little disappointed with John. This was his last cruise on the Symphony and he may have been a bit burned out. While he was informative, he seemed lifeless as a CD and had little enthusiasm for day to day activities. We ate with him several times and he seemed preoccupied. I rate him a C- compared to most CD's I have met.

 

I think we prefer the ocean cruise also but this was a good variation and we were able to see and quite a bit in a short time. I often say, "travel is not for sissies" and this trip was a real tour-intensive marathon. I could have used some extra calories and I did my best to supplement the supply with gelato at every opportunity.:rolleyes: We must have averaged 10 miles a day walking and it is no wonder we lost a little weight.

 

I'm glad we did the Danube cruise and will probably return to river cruising some day when an interesting itinerary presents itself. I think river cruising is in its development stage and will conform itself more to the American market meaning more excesses in services, entertainment and food. John said that the Symphony was a lease boat and would be returned to the owners this year. A new Amadeus ship would have more amenities, Internet, elevators, new galley, etc. etc. The transition is clearly in the works.

 

Thanks again for the tip on George K.

 

Smooth sailing,

Bop;)

[Bop]

Hi Bop - Question for you Bop - if you consider another river cruise, will you consider Amadeus for your trip or will you switch to another line? I assume that you met some very well traveled river cruisers on your cruise - how did they compare experiences with different lines?

 

Hi Coral,

Oddly enough, most people I met on board were new ro river cruising and many were on their first cruise, period. Since the average age was about 60, this was surprising to me. Most people who had never done an ocean cruise did not realize what they were missing in terms of food choices and quantity but they still griped about the limited food supply. I heard no talk about competing lines such as; "Viking is better, etc." We did see the Amadeus Princess docked next to us and noticed that they had a much larger reception area, dining room, table service at lunch, and their lunch looked pretty good as we pressed our noses against the window 6 feet away. I think the Amadeus Princess may be the template for the next generation of upscale river boats. I suggest we just keep reading the Boards and the better lines will rise to the top as the word gets around and this board gets more active. I always get the best information from the great people I meet on the Boards.

 

Smooth sailing,

Bop;)

[Coral]

Bop - thanks for your observations and comments.

 

I am going to sound really stupid here but on Amadeus's website - they don't mention Amadeus Princess. I did an internet search on the ship and found it but am confused here....

 

I wonder if this is a ship Amadeus chartered for this year or one they charter out to others???

[amd1234]

Bop, Thanks for the great review. We are cruising on the Amadeus Amalegro June 2007. We did a great amount of research in choosing this ship & cruise line and frankly I am greatly disappointed in your dining experience This is our first river cruise and although we are not gourmet eaters we expect high quality food. This is a brand new ship so hopefully they have made improvements. Also do we need a guide in Prague or can we do the city on our own? Thanks,.Ann:)

[Bop]

Bop - thanks for your observations and comments.

 

I am going to sound really stupid here but on Amadeus's website - they don't mention Amadeus Princess. I did an internet search on the ship and found it but am confused here....

 

I wonder if this is a ship Amadeus chartered for this year or one they charter out to others???

 

Coral,

I'm with you, confused too! I went to the Amadeus website and there is no Princess listed. I know it exists and have actually been on board and it was docked next to the Symphony with other Amadeus ships. I found the Amadeus Princess listed in the recently published, "Great River Cruises, Europe and the Nile" An Insight Guide with the Discovery Channel contributing. The Amadeus Princess is in its inaugural year and, like the Symphony and others, is owned by Luftner Reisen. It may be that the Princess and other newer ships like the Amadagio will be or are owned by Reisen and will become part of the Amadeus owned ships. In any event, I was told by John Reiley that the new ship, Princess? would be purchased by Amadeus with many upgrades including an elevator which the Princess is not identified as having. Maybe a call to Amadeus would solve the mystery?

 

Bop;)

[AliceS]

Bop,

 

You didn't respond to the question about the food. We are going on the Amadeaus Amalegro in August, 2007 and have some food questions, too. Like Ann, we have heard nothing but rave reviews about Amadeaus and the food. I know that they serve small portions, fine with me, but I understand that you can order what ever you want. I have never ordered an extra portion on a cruise, but some of the guys might be more hungry. Are you telling us that you could not have seconds if you wanted? Did you ever ask? Was the food that was served good?

[Bop]

Bop, Thanks for the great review. We are cruising on the Amadeus Amalegro June 2007. We did a great amount of research in choosing this ship & cruise line and frankly I am greatly disappointed in your dining experience This is our first river cruise and although we are not gourmet eaters we expect high quality food. This is a brand new ship so hopefully they have made improvements. Also do we need a guide in Prague or can we do the city on our own? Thanks,.Ann:)

 

Hi Ann,

I see you are a Princess fan and you, as well as we, are used to the Princess "treatment" which includes 24 hour access to good food. I was very disappointed in the quantity and quality of Amadeus' food. There was a lot of buzz on board and I feel certain Amadeus has gotten an earful due to the food and some of the marginal service and services. We just had to change our attitude and normal patterns and accept the fact that the evening meals would be sparse and made up for it by eating a late, large lunch with a couple of desserts with one wrapped up for a late afternoon snack. We also ate a lot more in the ports than usual. I don't want to see a sausage for a while although they were excellent.

Look at the plusses to river cruising. Docking in town, better tours, smaller crowds, etc and you will have a great time. We've never had a bad cruise yet. Maybe by the time you get on board they will offer 24 hour food, who knows. I did hear that the new ship will offer Internet access in each room but I bet it costs a pretty penny. There are lots of Internet cafes in the ports with a charge of only about 1E per 15 minutes. All of the cafes had high speed broadband.

 

If you will e-mail me at savagetwo98@yahoo.com, I would be happy to give you the e-mail address of our guide in Prague. You will not be sorry and, if you book him on your first day there, or second, he will steer you in the right direction on restaurants, things to see and do, etc.

 

Smooth sailing,

Bop;)

[OhioDogLover]

We were on Peter Deilmann's line this summer on a Danube River cruise. Although there was very little on board entertainment, we had expected that. The service and the food were exceptional, and the tours were very nice. No one went hungry on that cruise, that is for sure. It seemed as if they were always offering something, and the meals were much more than adequate portionwise. The quality was exceptional; better, really than any ocean cruise we have been on. Maybe it is because they have more experience doing that type of thing, but that line is very nice. The passengers are almost all Europeans, so don't expect them to cater to Americans. But if you want a great river cruise, I would recommend Deilmann's line without reservation.