I’ve sailed with AmaWaterways three times now, so when I booked the Basel to Amsterdam itinerary on the Rhine, I had a pretty good idea of what to expect: great food, lovely ships, friendly staff and the kind of service that makes a river cruise feel genuinely special.
What I didn’t expect was to find out, just two days before we were due to travel, that our cruise was going to be severely disrupted by low water levels on the Rhine. And yet, despite the uncertainty, we all decided to go. Looking back, I’m very glad we did.
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Two days before departure we were informed our cruise was changing. The news wasn’t exactly what you want to receive just before heading off on holiday. Due to the low water levels on the Rhine, our original itinerary was no longer possible. We would still have the first couple of days of the trip, travelling from Basel to Strasbourg, but after that things were going to be very different.
Instead of continuing along the Rhine as planned, we would spend some time travelling by coach through Luxembourg towards Belgium to join a different AmaWaterways ship. From there, we would follow a new itinerary towards Amsterdam. As a group of seven friends, we discussed the alternative itinerary and all came to the same conclusion - let's go!
AmaWaterways was also offering a 40% Future Cruise Credit to passengers who decided to travel despite the disruption. There were seven of us travelling together and, after discussing it, we all came to the same conclusion: we were going.
We’re very much the type of people who enjoy spontaneity and making the most of the situation. We had already travelled into Europe, so why not see what adventure was waiting for us?
Having already experienced their ships, food and service on an AmaWaterways cruise, I knew that everything would be handled professionally and AmaWaterways did everything they could to make the alternative arrangements work seamlessly.
Once we arrived and were on board, it became increasingly clear just how much work had gone on behind the scenes to organise arrangements for our new itinerary. The alternative coach journey part of the trip turned out to be one of those unexpected travel days that we’ll treasure as part of our holiday, particularly the city tour of Luxembourg.
The whole journey was extremely well organised. Everything that could have been planned was planned, and the arrangements worked remarkably smoothly considering the circumstances.
None of us had expected to be taking a city tour there when we booked a Rhine cruise from Basel to Amsterdam, so our arrival in Luxembourg was actually a pleasant surprise! The unexpected stop gave us something completely different to experience, and the whole day ended up being surprisingly relaxed. Rather than feeling like we were being rushed from one contingency plan to another, it was very chilled and enjoyable.
That, for me, was one of the biggest positives of the whole experience. Ama couldn't change the water levels on the Rhine, but what they could do was make sure that the disruption didn't become our problem. AmaWaterways did everything they could and we were impressed with how well they had reorganised the itinerary.
A cruise affected by low water levels is one of those situations where the cruise line has to work with circumstances completely outside its control. What matters is how they respond, and I thought AmaWaterways handled it very well.
There was a lot of moving parts, yet everything was well organised and, as far as we could see, very well planned. There were no major issues and Ama made every effort to ensure we continued to have a great holiday rather than spending the trip worrying about what we had missed.
Even with all the changes, the things I love about AmaWaterways remained exactly the same:
The food is always one of the highlights for me. There’s plenty of choice, the quality is excellent and meals are a genuine part of the experience rather than simply something you need to fit around sightseeing.
I really enjoy the feel of an AmaWaterways ship. They have that lovely combination of being comfortable and elegant without feeling overly formal. There’s enough space to relax, and after a day exploring, it’s wonderful to come back on board and feel like you’re properly on holiday.
The staff make such a difference. When plans are changing and passengers are naturally wondering what’s happening next, having friendly and helpful people around you is incredibly important. Throughout the disruption, the Ama team did their best to keep everything moving and make the experience enjoyable.
One of the reasons I enjoy river cruising is that you can see a lot without having to organise everything yourself. There are different ways to explore destinations, and having choices means you can pick the experiences that suit you. Our unexpected Luxembourg visit was a perfect example of how an alternative experience can become a highlight in its own right.
Absolutely! In fact, we didn't just talk about sailing with AmaWaterways again; we booked another cruise as soon as we got home.
For me, this trip reinforced why I like AmaWaterways so much. Even when circumstances completely outside their control meant that the original itinerary couldn't happen, they were able to reorganise the trip, move hundreds of passengers around, arrange alternative experiences and get everyone where they needed to be.
We went expecting a Rhine cruise from Basel to Amsterdam, and got something completely different, which we thoroughly enjoyed. We are all booked for 2027 and are so excited for our next adventure with AmaWaterways!
If my experience with AmaWaterways inspired you, call our river cruise specialists and they'd be more than happy to discuss your future river cruise plans.
