Call us free on 0800 023 1273
Mobiles / International call 0203 371 7641
In an increasingly crowded field, AmaWaterways continues to tweak its river cruises to keep up with the latest trends. On AmaLea, the line's 20th ship in the fleet, the changes can be seen in the hardware -- iPads now anchor the cabin air-conditioner -- and programming, with included alcoholic drinks at happy hour (as well as at lunch and dinner).
AmaWaterways has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to providing an active experience, and AmaLea is no exception. The ship carries an extensive fleet of bikes onboard that passengers can use in port, and guided bike excursions are available in nearly every port. If you don't bike, you can still stay fit, as several hikes are also available in port; we found the hike in Budapest lived up to its name, as we crisscrossed the city and climbed Buda Hill at a fairly rigorous clip (gaining 18,000 Fitbit steps as a result). In 2019, the line's Wellness Program, with a dedicated host and fitness classes, will be onboard.
But don't worry, if you'd rather relax, tours and accommodations for gentle walkers are also available; several passengers on our voyage had mobility issues that were handled with aplomb (and a lift runs between three decks). There's also a massage therapist onboard for a truly relaxing indulgence.
The ship's décor is comfortable and casual, with fun patterns that wouldn't seem to go together, but somehow do. The main lounge vibe is also comfortable, with a friendly bar staff and a pianist who, at least on our sailing, was a cut above what you'd normally find. Cabin attendants were diligent about keeping rooms spotless and organized, while front desk clerks, as well as the hotel manager and cruise manager, answered questions frequently and patiently.
Another feature of AmaWaterways is the partnerships that the line has for specialty cruises, and this is one place where AmaLea would shine. Connecting rooms and the pool on the top deck are well-used during Adventures by Disney cruises, while an extensive line-up of wine cruises with partner vineyards make the ship a fabulous choice for oenophiles (the ship's demographics skew younger on these wine cruises too). Beyond the emphasis that AmaWaterways has on fitness, AmaLea is also used to host biking and hiking trips through the adventure company Backroads.
All in all, AmaLea has all of the ingredients for a river cruise that can be tailored to your interest and activity level. Active cruisers and cyclists in particular should give it a close look.
AmaLea has a "casual and comfortable" dress code during the day and a "smart casual" guideline for dinner. What this means is that most passengers wear jeans, capris, shorts, T-shirts, golf shirts or athletic gear during the day, depending on their excursion. Usually they'll change for dinner into slacks and a collared shirt for men, or a dress or nice pants and a top for women. Shorts are discouraged at dinner, and bathing suits are not allowed in the restaurant or lounge.
The Captain's Dinner is held toward the end of the cruise (not the last night) and people dress up a bit more. You might see men wearing jackets, although it's not required. Women do not need to bring heels.
Comfortable walking shoes during the day are a must. A rain jacket is also an essential packing item for Europe; the ship does place umbrellas in the cabins.
Cruises on AmaLea include Wi-Fi; alcoholic drinks at lunch, dinner and happy hour; a choice of complimentary excursions in each port; and meals in all of the restaurants. A refrigerator in the cabin is stocked with complimentary bottled water.
The onboard currency is the euro.
Shore Excursions
A choice of complimentary shore excursions is offered in each port, including an active one for passengers who want something more rigorous than the typical walking or motor coach tour. We found that these tours were genuinely challenging, with bike rides in the 14- to 21-mile range and castle hikes that really were uphill. If you don't like biking, don't worry; even the regular shore excursions divided groups into active, regular and gentle walking options.
A few specialty tours are held during the cruise that are geared toward special interests; these are capacity controlled. On our sailing, we chose the taste of Bratislava, where we were introduced to Slovakia's famed beer.
In some ports, the line offers experiences that cost an extra fee, such as a tour of Schönbrunn Palace and Gardens in Vienna. We attended the extra-fee classical music concert in Vienna, and found the program of Mozart and Strauss worth the 70 euro (most people on the ship went).
Passengers sign up for tours in advance, and the options are explained at a port talk given most nights. QuietVox headsets are used. In some of the larger cities, such as Vienna or Budapest, shuttle buses are available if people want to explore on their own.
Umbrellas, walking sticks and folding cane seats are located at the door near the gangplank for passenger use while ashore. All passengers are asked to scan their room keys before leaving the ship and to scan them again when coming back onboard.
Daytime and Evening Entertainment
Exploring destinations is the main entertainment on a river cruise, so AmaLea is pretty quiet during the port days (and on a river cruise, every day is a port day). The ship has a small library off the Lounge with a faux fireplace, some board games and a few books. Crossword puzzles, postcards and a selection of newspapers from several countries are available in the lobby, on a table just to the port side of the reception desk. In-cabin movies are also available on-demand.
Just before dinner, the line has a complimentary "Sip and Sail" happy hour, so these were generally well-attended. The Lounge is less busy after dinner, but there's usually a few stalwarts enjoying drinks and listening to the resident musician or guest entertainers. Music trivia was held on one of the first nights, and we found it a great ice-breaker with the guests, as was Disco Night.
Enrichment
Most of the enrichment on AmaLea comes from excursions. On our sailing, there was an apple strudel demonstration, but that's about it. Wine cruises bring their own experts onboard for specialty classes and tastings.
With the addition of the Sip and Sail happy hour, soft drinks, beer and wine are now available at lunch, before dinner and during dinner. You'll have to pay at other times. In general, the river cruise crowd is a subdued one, although there are always a handful of people who like to stay up late. Wine cruises attract a younger and more sociable crowd.
Lounge & Bar (Violin Deck): The ship's main lounge serves as the social hub, and it's where you'll gather for port talks, light meals, teatime and night-time entertainment. It's the largest public space onboard, with large picture windows and an alfresco covered area with seating at the front of the ship. Peanuts and pretzels are always available, as are cookies (both regular and gluten-free). The centrally located full-service bar features wine, beer and cocktails, as well as soft drinks for a fee. There's also a daily "detox" water that you can self-serve at the bar.
Sun Deck Pool Bar: AmaLea's pool has barstools at one end, and while we saw liquor bottles set up, we never saw anyone there pouring drinks, even when passengers were in the pool.
AmaLea's Sun Deck is a very attractive place to hang out during nice weather. It's home to a giant chess set, a walking/jogging track (8 laps to a mile), a heated pool with swim-up barstools and the bridge (tours are usually available at least once during a cruise). There's plenty of seating, with several different types of chairs and loungers. In the front of the Sun Deck, you'll find long sofas with comfy cushions, which are great for a midday snooze. The middle section of the Sun Deck has umbrellas and canopies shading tables and reclining lounges. Finally, the aft area is the only place onboard where smoking is permitted. The jogging track is not available between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. so passengers underneath aren't disturbed.
The lobby area is midship on Violin Deck, and you'll see it as soon as you enter the vessel. Here you'll find the main reception desk, where you set up onboard accounts, obtain shore excursion colour cards, set wake-up calls, book spa and salon appointments, and swipe out before an excursion or back in after returning from one. We found the staff at reception to be friendly and knowledgeable.
Up a flight of stairs you'll find the desks for the hotel and cruise managers. You'll talk to the cruise manager when you sign up for bike tours or if you have any questions about different shore excursions.
A small onboard shop is located between reception and the Lounge. You can buy AmaWaterways-branded clothing, as well as jewellery and local souvenirs like Christmas ornaments and dolls. (Hours vary; check your Daily Cruiser newsletter.)
A glass lift is available for passenger use. It runs in between the passenger decks and the restaurant, but doesn't service the Sun Deck.
AmaWaterways has more of a commitment to fitness than most river cruise lines. Besides the active excursions, the line intends to put wellness coaches on all of its ships, including AmaLea.
Spa
On the Piano Deck, there's a single massage room for massage treatments and a small salon, which offers hair washing, cutting and styling. Massages are extremely affordable when compared with those offered on ocean cruises. We booked a 60-minute head-to-toe massage and thought it was one of the best that we've had in Europe. The room can be noisy, however, as it's not far from the Restaurant; if you're the type who likes to snooze during your rubdown, book outside dining hours.
Fitness
AmaLea has a tiny gym on the Piano Deck. It has TechnoGym equipment in the form of a treadmill that's recessed into the floor and two recumbent exercise bikes, as well as resistance pulleys. The room is also stocked with water, towels, yoga mats and exercise balls.
An array of fitness classes are run by the wellness coach. They include stretching, yoga and core sessions, as well as circuit training. Guided runs may also take place.
Food on AmaLea is generally tasty and well-prepared, with plenty of options for diners with all kinds of preferences or restrictions. Portions are European-sized, which mean you can have a full four-course meal nightly and not come away feeling stuffed. On most nights, at least one regional specialty from the area -- the Danube, in our case -- appeared.
Wines are complimentary and were usually regional; Rieslings and Grüner Veltliner appeared in Austria, for example. A red or white choice was served, or you could have both paired to different courses of the meal. If you didn't like the nightly selection served, you could ask for another varietal or choice. Pours were generous, keeping dinners rather jovial, no matter who you sat with.
Main Restaurant (Cello Deck): The ship's main dining room is a mix of tables with river views and those with high-walled booths. You can sit wherever you want at meals, although there are only a handful of tables for two. If you really want a table by yourself, it's possible, as a certain segment of cruisers will always be dining at the alternative Chef's Table.
Breakfast and lunch in the Main Restaurant are a blend of buffet-style and waiter-service options. Warning: The buffet can feel cramped at peak hours, so it's often easiest to dine a little earlier or a little later than usual. Breakfast runs for two hours, with the buffet featuring items like scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, cold cuts and cheeses, yogurt and nuts, cereal and a made-to-order omelette station. A variety of juices and vitamin shots are available, as is sparkling wine. A table is piled high with pastries and jam, as well as a chafing dish of changing items such as poached eggs or chocolate chip pancakes. Diners can also order from a menu, which features oatmeal, waffles with berries and cream, and a selection of egg dishes. Coffee and tea can be ordered from waiters, as well.
Lunch hours vary, depending on the day's port stops. You'll find premade sandwiches, an assortment of bread, cold cuts and cheese, salad bar items, fruit and cake, as well as fare that's inspired by local dishes; in Vienna, Wiener schnitzel was the featured dish. You can always choose from the always-available lunch menu: minute steak sandwiches, chicken ciabatta sandwich with tomato and mozzarella or a breaded fish burger.
Dinner, which has one set two-hour chunk of seating that varies daily with the ship's port schedule, is entirely waiter-served. A chef's recommendation for each course is available every night, but passengers are free to order whatever they'd like from the full menu, which includes always-available options like grilled entrecôte steak, salmon fillets or chicken breast with sides of Caesar salad, coleslaw and potato wedges (or delicious French fries on request). The rotating menu consists of four courses: appetizer, soup, main and dessert. A bread basket full of freshly baked carbs is always served, although with butter and a rotating spread. Standout menu items included single-hooked Bluefin Pacific tuna tartar with Georgia beet, tahini hummus, avocado and sepia ink; a white asparagus cream soup with chardonnay foam, Black Forest ham and croutons; medallions of Austrian Alps beef and venison, with a pinot blanc shallot chanterelle sauce; and asparagus risotto. Desserts were tasty, a cheese plate was always available and the chocolate buffet served at the Captain's Farewell dinner was Instagram-worthy.
Chef's Table (Violin Deck): Located in the rear of the ship, the Chef's Table is a tasting menu that gives passengers an alternative dining experience; everyone is guaranteed to get in once per cruise (and more often, depending on availability). The food here definitely seemed like a step up from the main dining room, although the meal does go slow; allow yourself plenty of time. The menu stays the same during the cruise, although AmaWaterways does rotate it seasonally so if you're a repeat passenger, it will likely be different. On our cruise, it consisted of a feta cheese panna cotta with matcha-dill sauce and cucumber; a scallop and tiger prawn appetizer with hummus and avocado; an Asian tom ka coconut soup with sea bream and chardonnay foam; braised beef cheek and short ribs with porcini sauce, pumpkin mash, potato-pumpkin gratin and asparagus; a nougat gâteau with a green apple sorbet and almond chocolate pearl. A cheese cart finished the meal. The menu was adjusted for the vegetarians and vegans in our group. Wines served with the meal were Austrian (appropriate, given our locale) and more interesting than the main dining room selections, with a peppery Grüner Veltliner and a Wachau Valley Zweigelt.
Lounge and Coffee Bar (Violin Deck): Early and late risers come into the main lounge for pastries one hour before and one hour after the Main Restaurant hours. Self-serve tea, hot chocolate and specialty coffees can be had around the clock via the coffee bar located on the starboard side of Violin Deck at the entrance to the Lounge. Finger sandwiches, a soup, a choice of two entrees, desserts and cheese are available for those who don't want to go into the main dining room for lunch. The small bites return again in the late afternoon for tea time; cookies, including a gluten-free choice, are available at all times. Many nights, late-night snacks -- such as chicken fingers or local sausage -- are put out during the evening entertainment.
Room Service: Room service is only available in suites. The limited menu includes coffee, tea and continental breakfast. If you're not feeling well and staying in your cabin, however, the staff will bring you something.
AmaLea's cabins are comfortable, with 49 of the 78 staterooms featuring the line's signature "twin balcony" layout, where you get both a French balcony and an actual outdoor balcony with two chairs and a table.
Each cabin features two twin beds that can be pushed together to form a queen, two nightstands with reading lamps, shelving and extremely limited drawer space, a closet with two bars for hanging clothes, a vanity area with a large mirror and chair, a small wood-and-glass coffee table, full-length mirror, two umbrellas, a hair dryer, a code-operated safe, a mini-fridge stocked with free bottled water, a flower vase and ice bucket, two robes and pairs of slippers, and a set of two QuietVox personal audio devices for use during shore excursions. (Earpieces are provided, but you might want to bring your own set of headphones or earbud if you find the over-one-ear type of headset annoying.)
Each cabin also comes equipped with a cool Mac desktop computer that can be used for internet or as a TV. Channel options are CNN, BBC, CNBC, Bloomberg Europe, Discovery, Animal Planet, TLC, VH-1, National Geographic and channels with movies (family, Sundance), sports (soccer, golf) and ship information (safety, bridge cam, announcements, daily activities).
New for AmaLea are iPads on the walls that control the room temperature and various light configurations.
The majority of the ship's outlets are 220-volt, two-pronged European style. Each stateroom has one or two North American-style outlets, including one by the bed. USB outlets are also found next to the bed for easy overnight mobile phone charging. There's a safe and a mini-fridge in all cabins, and suitcases can be stored under the beds.
Bathrooms are compact but functional. They're modern with white flooring and walls, offset by brown faux wood cabinets and brown granite countertops and shelving, which is ample for storage of toiletries. Hydro brand shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and lotion are provided, along with shower caps, vanity sets and small sewing repair kits. The shower-only setups have glass doors, rather than annoying curtains, and they include both regular (detachable) showerheads and overhead-style rain showerheads. (The same knob controls both; if you turn it too far when shutting the regular showerhead off, you'll get a surprise drenching from above.) The water pressure is impressive.
Towels and washcloths are provided, as is a makeup mirror; there's no towel bar, however, to dry out the used ones. Each bathroom also has a window that looks into the rest of the cabin. A switch in the bathroom frosts it for privacy.
Pillow chocolates and the program for the next day are left on the bed at turn-down.
Riverview: Eleven fixed-window cabins, located on the lower Piano Deck, offer 160 square feet of space and water-level views through twin windows that don't open.
French Balcony: This group of 18 cabins, found on the Cello and Violin Decks, includes French balconies that allow passengers to get some fresh air while in their rooms. Each cabin offers 155 to 170 square feet of space; the larger cabins have two chairs in front of the window.
Twin Balconies: These 45 cabins, spread across the Cello and Violin Decks, range in size from 210 to 235 square feet and have two balconies each -- one French and one outdoor. Each outdoor balcony features two padded faux wicker chairs and a small table for drinks. A dozen rooms in this group of cabins offer one additional berth each, in the form of a chair that folds out into a twin bed; these can be used as family cabins during Adventures by Disney cruises. A further 12 cabins can be connected for larger groups traveling together.
Suite: These 350-square-foot cabins are the largest onboard; all four are found on Violin Deck and offer both a French and outside balcony with two faux wicker chairs and a drinks table. The interior layout is a bit different from that found in other cabins, with two areas that are delineated, although not a true suite with completely separate rooms; the living room TV, surrounded by slats that don't close, separate the spaces. The small living area has a couch (which turns into a two-person pull-out bed), desk/vanity with chair, storage cupboards, two chairs and a coffee table. The bedroom portion of the room has a bed facing the French balcony and closet. The bathroom is slightly larger than average and includes a bathtub. In addition to the living area television, there's also a Mac desktop mounted in the wall across from the queen bed; it functions like a TV. A wall-mounted (but removable) iPad and a MacBook are provided for passenger use in each suite, as well.
