I've recently returned from a fantastic four days aboard AmaWaterways' spectacular ship, AmaSonata, and wanted to give you an insight into all the fleet has to offer, as well as share some of my highlights from my trip along the Danube.
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AmaWaterways transports you to the heart of your destination, allowing you to visit historic cities, immerse yourself in art and culture, admire stunning landscapes and enjoy fine cuisine and wine on board a selection of stunning luxury ships. With a wide variety of included small-group excursions to choose from, AmaWaterways will turn your next holiday into a cherished collection of unique memories.
Stepping aboard our home for the next four nights, I was immediately impressed by its design. All of AmaWaterways' ships are quite small compared to an ocean cruise, which makes it easy to find your way around. As soon as we entered, we were met by the welcome desk and greeted by their warm and friendly team, who carried our bags to our staterooms.
I stayed in an Oceanview room, which provided plenty of storage space and my favourite feature, the walk-in rain shower. The accommodation on board has a really cosy feel, which is echoed throughout the public areas including the lounge and bar, where I enjoyed sitting down with a hot drink in the morning or a cocktail in the evening!
The dining experiences were phenomenal! The staff couldn't have done more for us and were always quick to take our orders, continually checking in and making sure our glasses were always filled. At all meal times, we were spoilt for choice; breakfast is served buffet-style from fruit, cereals and granola to full-English options, as well as a menu with meals, such as eggs benedict, made to order. At dinner, you always have a wide variety of options across a six- or seven-course menu but if you fancied a classic, then staples such as burgers, pizzas and steaks are always available! I had a steak one evening after seeing several people order it the night before and I was not disappointed! It was one of the best steaks I’ve had in many years.
One evening we decided to eat with some friends who we’d been sharing a drink with at ‘Sip & Sail’ in the lounge upstairs before dinner. That’s what's great about this ship, you can make friends and meet new people in the lounge, and as it’s a smaller ship, you’ll likely be dining in the same venue as them later! We all went down and requested a larger table, as they’re always accommodating to guests sitting and sharing a dining experience together.
AmaWaterways are so organised and efficient when it comes to arranging their tours, from the transportation and variety of options to the quality of the tour operators they used – every tour we went on was not too crowded, so we could engage with the tour guide, and they were all incredibly knowledgeable on the area, which really helped to bring each port to life.
Bratislava was a lovely historical city. We did a castle hike tour which was beautiful! The tour guide was so knowledgeable, and the panoramic views from the top of the castle were just breathtaking – so worth the small walk up to the top. The castle grounds are also beautiful, and we all loved wandering around and enjoying learning about the history of Slovakia and Bratislava. The shopping is great there too – I went to a mall about a five-minute walk from where we docked and there were so many shops to take a look around.
Budapest was without a doubt my favourite port of them all! It was my second time there and I fell in love with it all over again. The weather was stunning, the atmosphere in the city is great, and the castle quarter tour was just spectacular. The architecture is breathtaking, and there are so many gorgeous places to visit, from the castle grounds and castle quarter to St Stephen’s Basilica and of course, the iconic parliament building.
If I had one tip for cruising the Danube with AmaWaterways, it would be to make sure you get ready for dinner a little earlier and go upstairs before Sip and Sail to admire the sunset over the parliament building as you sail past. It was so beautiful and the most memorable moment from my time on board!
