The Vintage Room on the Riverside Ravel

The Vintage Room on the Riverside Ravel

Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Among river cruise lines, the Vintage Room on Riverside Luxury Cruise Lines is unique.

Why is it unique?  There is a significant charge for the dining experience which Riverside justifies due to the premium wine selection for the 7-course meal.  No other river cruise line that has a specialty dining option charges for the experience that I am aware of based on our knowledge of the 8 river cruise lines we follow.

So, let’s experience the Vintage Room Dining Experience as we did recently and evaluate if it is an experience you desire to have.

The Vintage Room on the Riverside Ravel venue that is set up for 10 guests. Photo Anne Schrader

As a little bonus, during the 2023 ASTA River Cruise Expo, we got a chance to see the double-wide Mozart. Here are 2 pictures of the Vintage Room and a sample menu.

The Vintage Room on the Riverside Mozart. Photo Hank Schrader

A Sample Menu for the Vintage Room on the Riverside Mozart. While the menu items are different, the 7-course meal and excellent wines mirror the concept of the Vintage Room. The wines on this sample menu are exceptional. Photo Hank Schrader

The Vintage Room Concept

This small venue on the 3 Riverside ships is only available if enough guests sign up for this extra-cost meal (my best guess is at least 8 are required).  The exact meal is not known beforehand—the chef and sommelier plan the menu on the day of the event.

The meal is a combination of a tasting menu with a larger main course entrée, served with premier wines.  Our meal started with an excellent Bollinger Champagne (Grande Anne—a true hit with my lovely wife Anne—even the spelling of Anne was correct!).

Each course was served with wines, starting with the 2 whites and switching to the reds—each course is paired to the wines to enhance the sensations on your palate.

Our Menu

Course 1 Crayfish & Cucumber in a gin and tonic sauce

Course 2 Compressed Watermelon with Goat Cheese |Mint |Arugula |Basil

Course 3 Dark Fish Veloute Huitre Bretonne | Bruschetta

Our 3rd Course. Photo Anne Schrader

Course 4 Raspberry Sorbet in Cassis Spheres | Sparkling Wine

The Sorbet to cleanse our palates. Photo Anne Schrader

This is how they added the champagne to our sorbet—cool technique with the twisted napkin! Photo Anne Schrader

Course 5 Venison with Young Vegetables |Peach | Plum

The Main Course—Venison. Photo Anne Schrader

Course 6 Millefuille with Fig | Blue Cheese

Course 6. Photo Anne Schrader

Course 7 Petit Gateau Au Chocolat Noir Chocolate Mousse | Cassis Sorbet | Royal Almond Glaze

Dessert Course 7. Photo Anne Schrader

Wines

The real emphasis of this meal was the premier wines.  To help understand this, I researched the average cost per bottle retail in an online search, just to get a sense of the cost to put on the meal without the food.  For our 11-person group, they used about 2 bottles of each wine.

My best guess is that the wine cost Riverside somewhere around $1,624 total for the meal (using my 2-bottle estimate), so it was about $148 per person. I do want to emphasize there was plenty of wine, so no one was limited—it was just the right amount for fine dining.

The reason this is important is the meal cost us 580 Euros per couple (I have seen reports of 295 Euros per person for this experience, making the cost 590 Euros per couple) and as smart travelers, we want to know if the experience was worth the cost of 290 to 295 Euros per person.

Our Wines. Photo Anne Schrader

Campagne

Bollinger Grande Anne Champagne France 2014 ($144 per bottle)

White Wines

Chateau Carbonnieux Sauvignon Blanc Bordeau France 2017 ($60 per bottle)

Olivier Laflaive Les Folatiers, Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru, France 2020 ($140 per bottle)

Red Wines

Chateau Hossana, Merlot, Pomerol, Bordeaux France 2018 ($182 per bottle)

Chateau Figeac, Premier Grand Cru Classe, St Emillion, Bordeaux France 2018 ($215 to $295 per bottle)

Dessert Wine

Karcher Trockenbeerenauslese, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee, Austria 2003 (retail $71 per bottle)

The Meal Experience

The venue is very elegant, and the service exceptional.  Each course was explained and the wine accompany it was explained in greater detail.  A cool feature was the menus printed for each guest by name and detailed descriptions of the wine and were delivered to our stateroom to help us remember the experience.

The chef (right) explaining the meal with the sommelier looking on. Photo Anne Schrader

The experience was exactly as described to us, the wines excellent, but personally I was disappointed in the meal.  The quality was excellent, but the choice of food just didn’t send me raving afterwards about the meal.  Some of the courses called for a refined palate to appreciate the taste and flavor and although the Venison was superbly prepared, it is one of my least favorite meat dishes. 

The wines were awesome, so overall it was a good experience.

We did get a lttle special treatment—it was just before my 75th birthday. Thay made me a cake and all got to share and celebrate with us.

My birthday cake. Photo Anne Schrader

The awesome cake on my plate—it was really good! Photo Anne Schrader

Our Final Thoughts

This optional meal is a truly fine dining experience.  It was a highly unique experience, and far exceeds a Captains Gala on other river cruise lines.

Anne feels it is the best dining experience she has had on a river cruise line. Anne’s impression of the meal was very high and worthy of the cost—even though Venison isn’t a meat she likes, the other dishes were excellent. Her take on the evening: quality food, beautifully presented plating, timing of the courses to allow full enjoyment without excessive waiting, and truly white glove service by the staff.

I would encourage you to read the courses and wine in detail, as it will help you decide it the experience was worth the cost.  Since the food and courses are decided at the last minute, you also need to factor that into your decision. We did provide some feedback to the Riverside staff that the exact menu would encourage more guest to try the experience, especially if the courses were more to their liking.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts.  We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe.  We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you.  We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip.  You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience.  And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process.  We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you!  We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel.  Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@visitdd.com .  We want to help you:  Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations!  Your journey begins here!

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management.  Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry.  Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA.  Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations.  She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors.  An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 52 years.  He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA).  This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years.  He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees.   His other Certifications:

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

Riverside Ravel Ship Tour

Riverside Ravel Ship Tour

Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

With the bankruptcy of Crystal River Cruises, their four 135-meter ships were purchased by Riverside. Then, the German Company, Riverside, leased 2 of these ships to Uniworld and add the other 2 to their double wide Mozart, which can only sail the Danube River

With only 3 ships sailing at present, it might seem that you could just ignore this cruise line, but we believe it has a lot to offer and recommend you take the time to read this blog to see if they offer a good match for a future vacation.

The Ravel, one of these leased ships, sails on the Rhone River.  So, let’s take a look at this ultra luxury rivership.

The Ravel

The Ravel was built in 2018. It holds only 110 passangers (55 staterooms—fewest in the industry on 135 m cruise ships). All staterooms are on the upper 2 decks—these ships are the only ones built I know of that do not have staterooms at the water level

At the bow, right above the name of the boat, is the wheel house. Most other ships have a collapsible wheel house that is in the center of the top deck. The top glass windows on the right are the Palm Lounge and directly below is the Waterside Restaurant.

Restaurants

There are 4 possible eating venues.

The Waterside Cafe is the main dining area.

Breakfast and Lunch are served buffet style in the Waterside Cafe. Here are some pictures of the setup:

During lunch and dinner, unique among river cruise lines, is a pasta station available for every lunch and dinner meal—you can see the chef ready to make the pasta in the middle of the hot service buffet area in the photo above. Typically there was a couple of meat or fish dishes, and a vegetarian option .

The salad area on the lunch buffet.

The dessert area on the lunch buffet

This is my first lunch—a roasted chicken from the carving station, saffron rice and a salad. The food was wonderful!

The next pictures are of a typical dinner meal. It is served at your table after you order from the menu.

There are tables for two.

This is grilled asparagus with a poached egg and cheese sauce—Anne really liked it!

French Onion soup

My pasta dish

My steak with pepper corn sauce

A Cheese plate

Dessert

The Bistro is a more informal area to eat during your cruise. It serves late breakfast, and a light lunch.

Among the items offered is a range of specialty coffees and teas and a selection of sweet treats. But the show stopper was the bone in ham!

Another cool feature is to get up late one day and still get eggs benedict instead of just some bread or sweet rolls as a late riser!

The coffee preparation bar is well stocked

The bone in ham—a true delicacy!

This was my late riser eggs benedict.

Here is part of the seating area of the Bistro.

The salad area

The dessert area

You can order a hamburger in the bistro or have one in the Waterside cafe.

The specialty dinning room is the Vintage Room. It is only available if enough guests agree to pay the extra charge (we had the experience and paid 580 Euros for both of us). We will blog about this later.

There is room for 12 in the Vintage Room.

This is the wine storage area in the Vintage Room.

The Outdoor Grill Area

Weather permitting, once a sailing, they try to have an outdoor lunch. It was too windy to eat outside, but the chefs cooked a wonderful meal (the next 2 pictures).

The top deck has a pop up bar. This lowers to go under low bridges during sailing.

The outside covered area and tables on the top deck during a less windy day.

This picture captures how windy it was, so we had to eat inside

It was quite a good spread. On my plate a prawn, pork, sausage, steak, chicken, grilled potatoe and mac-n-cheese. Also bernaise sauce. Awesome!

Common Areas

Among the shared areas on the ship are the Plam Court Lounge. a swimming pool, guest laundry, a fitness room and spa treatment room. Here is the Palm Court Lounge (the next 3 pictures):

Here is the swimming pool area on deck 3:

On the first level, here are photos of these venues:

Fitness Room

The next picture is the guest laundry, that is free for guests.

Here are some of the spa services available in the above photo.

On deck 2 there are some small common areas outside the Waterside main restaurant.

This is the pantry snack area with a gourmet coffee machine (above).

When returning to the ship, we were often treated to wine and a cold towel to refresh ourselves. This is the entrance area on deck 3.

Our Stateroom

We were in stateroom 316.

Our bed faced the French Balcony stateroom.

The above photo shows the open air French Balcony partially open from inside our stateroom.

To let fresh air in, the glass window sticks out. as you can see in the outside picture of our stateroom 316. (upper window ). These must be closed while in the locks, as they stick out too far to avoid being damaged when transitioning locks.

The shower area in stateroom 316. It has a rain shower and a hand-held shower faucet. There are clear buttons to start and stop the shower.

There are twin sinks in stateroom 316.

This is the small walk in closet

A welcome bottle of champagne; fresh fruit and 2 small chocolate pastries were there to greet us at check-in.

The desk area

Glass ware for our use

Coffee cups for us

The coffee maker and a small bottle of Cote du Rhone wine for us.

Our Final Thoughts

This is an all-inclusive, luxury experience! We really enjoyed our vacation onboard and would recommend this line for a good time on the Rhone River. It is luxury in every aspect of your vacation and you will experience the same great food and services we did.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts.  We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe.  We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you.  We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip.  You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience.  And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process.  We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you!  We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel.  Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@visitdd.com .  We want to help you:  Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations!  Your journey begins here!

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management.  Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry.  Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA.  Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations.  She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors.  An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 52 years.  He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA).  This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years.  He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees.   His other Certifications:

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

Tauck ms Savor Ship Tour

Tauck ms Savor Ship Tour

Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

By the time you read this, we will have expanded our knowledge of Europe River Cruising by sailing on one of Tauck’s newest river routes—Three Rivers Danube, Main and Rhine.  Our ship will be the 135 m (443 ft) ms Savor.

Full disclosure: for the first time in 30 years, we were invited to experience the Tauck product for free—every other of our 26 river cruises, we have paid to go on the cruise. We want to emphasize that this in no way influences our opinions and it is especially true of this first report on this ship tour. We will write two more blogs, one focused on the excursions and one devoted to food, as one day or so of food is not enough to fully rate this area.

So, let’s take a tour of this ship and learn about its facilities and staterooms.

Overview of the Savor and the Tauck Fleet

The Savor has 67 staterooms for 130 guests, the second fewest guests on any 135 m rivership in Europe (only 4 former Crystal ships, 2 with Riverside and 2 with Uniworld only have 110 onboard). 

This standard 3 deck ship has 45 crew to look after the guests.  Three other sister ships, the ms Inspire, the ms Joy and the ms Grace have almost the exact same lay out with different color schemes.  There are 7 different categories of staterooms on these 135 m ships.

Here is a picture of the ms Savor, docked in Frankfurt, Germany.

Tauck has four 110 m ships (361 feet) in their fleet.  They are the ms Emerald, the ms Sapphire, the ms Esprit and the ms Treasures.  These ships carry 98 to 104 guests with 36 crew members.  They have 49 staterooms.

Tauck Treasures sailing on the Danube

The Swiss Emerald rafted next to the AmaCello

The Swiss Emerald

Reception Area Swiss Emerald

The Swiss Emerald in Port

The other Tauck ship, the ms Andorinha, sails on the Douro River in Portugal.  As with ships on the Douro River, it is a smaller ship, 80 m (263 feet) that holds 84 guests in 42 staterooms.  It has a 36-person crew.  This ships are smaller due to the smaller locks on the Douro River.

Tauck leases their ships from the Scylla company—only the Tauck 4 onboard tour guides are Tauck independent contracted employees, yet they feel overwhelming happy with this relationship. It is evident Tauck treats them well—they have a 20 year successful partnership.

The crew are members of Scylla organization. In talking with members of the crew, they really like the partnership with Tauck. It seems quite beneficial for both companies.

Decks and Staterooms of the Savor

The Emerald Deck

The Emerald Deck (lowest deck) has crew quarters and 14 fixed window staterooms.  Unique to all river cruise ships, the 8 loft cabins (225 sq feet, category 3) actually have an innovative seating area on a raised loft that extends up to the second deck.  It gives the usually small, cramped staterooms on the first deck, a very spacious and open feeling.  The other 6 staterooms are only 150 sq feet and do not feature this loft concept.

These next photos are of Stateroom 102, a loft stateroom :

This is the loft area. The large windows make this area seem more open than most fixed window staterooms on every other river cruise line.

The Ruby Deck

The Ruby deck (2nd deck) has 29 staterooms.  It has 3 small (150 sq feet category 2) staterooms; 16 large (225 sq feet category 5) staterooms; 8 large (225 sq feet category 6 staterooms); and 2 190 sq feet staterooms.

These next photos are of our Stateroom 220 (category 6):

The beds face the French Balcony (sliding glass patio style windows). This ship has only French Balconies in staterooms that has balconies. To my knowledge, only Avalon does the same for all staterooms, as does Tauck.

There is a nepresso coffee maker and a small refrigerator in the stateroom.

This is the sitting area in our cabin. In a nice touch, Tauck welcomes guests onboard with a bottle of champagne. The single flower is real, with a small water tube attached to the stem of the flower to keep it alive.

There are 2 shower heads in our shower —the traditional European spray head which with tube so you can be set or removed to use up close while showering and an overhead rain shower head.

This is a seat in the shower for those who might need to sit while showering.

The Diamond Deck

The Diamond deck (3rd deck) has 22 large staterooms (300 sq feet category 7) and 2 smaller staterooms (190 sq feet, category 5). 

These first photos are of stateroom 301, a category 5 angled 190 sq feet cabin:

The shower in this room is noticeably smaller in the triangler shaped shower room as compared to other shower areas in other staterooms on the ship.

One nice feature of all stateroom sink areas onboard is good storage space for your grooming items inside the mirror cabinets above the sink.

This is a 300 square feet stateroom, # 304 (there are 16 similar rooms on the third deck):

The couch can be made up to a sleeper sofa and the category 7 cabins can sleep 3.

There is no bath tub in this category 7 stateroom.

The walk in closet is very spacious.

Onboard Facilities

On the first deck is the fitness room, the hair salon, massage room, and a spa area.

This is the Hair Salon

This is the Massage Room

This is the Spa Area

The fitness room has 2 exercise bikes, free weights, and 2 treadmills

2nd Deck Facilities

On the second deck is reception area, Tauck Desk for tours and excursions and the gift shop.

The Reception Area

The Atrium View from Deck 3.

The Gift Shop

The Tauck Desk

The Panorama Lounge

As with all river cruise ships, the Panorama Lounge is where most of the guests hang out, when not in their stateroom, or on tour.

The Dining Facilities

There are 2 dining facilities on the ship. The main dining room is the Compass Rose. The stern dining room is Arthur’s, named in honor of the founder, Arthur Tauck.

Here are some pictures of the Compass Rose:

Breakfast

In the Compass Rose, you can select from the buffet or order off the menu.

Here is the breakfast menu. I selected eggs benedict and French toast. Both were excellent!

The breakfast buffet area

The juice bar area

The picture above and below are of the special featured breakfast area. It is a very similar full English breakfast station.

My breakfast choices above and below in these 2 pictures.

Lunch

Lunch is offered in two forms. There are items from a buffet line or some items can be ordered from a menu. There’s a featured suggestion from a special preparation area/carving station.

Here was a lunch meal, selected from the featured lunch item—carbonara.

The carbonara was very good, the noodles were properly cooked and the pancetta excellent. Although I usually am not a fan of a creamy style sauce, this was well prepared and did not overwhelm the dish, as we have experienced with one of our favorite dishes while in Europe, so well done!

Salads, other lunch items and desserts were available from the buffet area. I chose the berry cobbler and black forest cake. Both were very tasty!

Dinner

Dinner is a 4 course meal. The menu provides choices of a starter, soup, entree and dessert.

Each night there are 2 wines, a white and red selections to pair with the meal. They are regional wines.

Executive Chef Salad

Potato Mustard Soup

The Veal dish

Chocolate Lava Cake

The cheese plate

Arthur’s

Arthur’s is a more casual dining venue compared to the Compass Rose. It features more American style cuisine, as compared to the European style cuisine of the Compass Rose main dining room.

Here are 4 pictures of Arthur’s :

Breakfast at Arthur’s

I could have selected items from the small breakfast buffet pictured above but I chose the ham and cheese omelette pictured below, which was quite good.

Arthur’s Lunch

Arthur’s Dinner

The Top Deck

The top deck has a small pool, putting green and seating area (some are shaded). Here are some photos:

They also use the top deck in good weather for a barbecue. They served grilled brats and hamburgers, barbecued ribs, salads, sauerkraut, and fried potatoes.

I decided not to provide a photo, as I overload my plate with the meats and potatoes. It was good fare but a little cumbersome to eat as my eyes were bigger than the optimum space on my plate.

For dessert there were 7 types of homemade ice cream.

Here is a picture of the event:

Our Final Thoughts

This is a very good river cruise ship.  It is elegant, comfortable and has all one needs for a luxury river cruise. The food so far has been tasty (we will provide a much more detailed report in a future blog) and drinks are plentiful, as it is an all-inclusive fare.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts.  We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe.  We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you.  We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip.  You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience.  And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process.  We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you!  We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel.  Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@visitdd.com .  We want to help you:  Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations!  Your journey begins here!

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management.  Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry.  Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA.  Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations.  She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors.  An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 52 years.  He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA).  This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years.  He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees.   His other Certifications:

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

Jimmy's Restaurant on the AmaMagna

Jimmy’s Restaurant on the AmaMagna

Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Our 2023 trip on the AmaMagna was an amazing experience.

There are 4 restaurants on this double wide ship, and we ate at 3 of them—we missed the Chef’s Table but have eaten in this wonderful venue numerous times on other AmaWaterways ships, so we didn’t take advantage of this option on our cruise.

Since we have already written about the Al Fresco Restaurant and told you about the Chef’s Table, the only missing restaurant is Jimmy’s.

So, let’s explore together and learn about Jimmy’s Restaurant on the AmaMagna.

Overview

Jimmy’s Wine Bar and Restaurant is located on the Deck 1 of the AmaMagna.  It is a unique small restaurant.  The concept here is a family style meal served at long tables family style.  It is open only for dinner.  For dinner, you need reservations. 

The concept of Jimmy’s is a testament to the late Jimmy Murphy’s love of family.  He was a co-founder of AmaWaterways, and the restaurant was named in his honor.  Jimmy’s offers a family-style restaurant experience designed to bring everyone together at one table, as if you were dining at Jimmy’s home.

So, get ready to enjoy a variety of shared dishes delivered right to your table on self-serve platters—you get to eat, drink and be merry here with your fellow AmaWaterways travelers—Jimmy’s is a venue the Irishman Jimmy Murphy would be proud of—family is the heart of the travel experience for him, and this continues his 50-year ethos –nothing is more important than family!

Here are some pictures of this cool venue:

A wonderful way to remember one of the co-owners of AmaWaterways—Jimmy’s Wine Bar and Restaurant

The long, family style tables

Another picture of the venue

One of the great waitstaff with Anne

These photos are a wonderful tribute to the Murphy family

The wine cellar area

Another view of Jimmy’s

Dinner

Reservations are necessary to eat a night due to the limited space.

Here is the Menu we experienced:

Appetizers

We had 3 choices.  They were:

“Raifart Panana Cotta a la Truite Fumee”. 

This was a smoked trout rillette, horseradish panna cotta, cucumber-macha Coulis, tomato chips and micro-herbs dish.

“Salad Nicoise Nouveau”

This was lettuce, heirloom tomatoes, string beans, potatoes cubes, boiled eggs, olives, and a crispy tuna spring roll.

Our other choice was “Classic Caesar Salad”, with crispy bacon, garlic croutons and parmesan cheese.

Each of us got to select our appetizers and they were served individually to us by the great waitstaff.

Our Main Courses

All of these were served family-style on large platters, so we could pass them around and enjoy each other as we selected our food.  Here is the 3 choices for the meal:

“Fillet de Fletan Breton”

This was pan-fried halibut filet, tomato beurre blanc, braised fennel, and Parisienne potatoes.

“Medaillons D’Agnneau en Croute Moutarde”

This was mustard crusted medallions of Lamb, thyme sauce, ratatouille, artichokes puree and potatoes gratin.

“Tomato Tarte Provencal” which was served with wild broccoli, pumpkin mousse, and ricotta cress.  AmaWaterways always serves an excellent vegetarian choice during meals.

Wines

There were 2 good wine selections from France.

The white wine was a Louis Eschanauer Chardonnay from the Pays d’Oc vineyards  (the Rhone River area)  Grape: Chardonnay.

It was very good with young fruits, a light, soft taste, and noticeable acidity.

The red wine was a Louis Eschanauer Bordeaux, from the Bordeaux region and the grape was Bordeaux.  This was my favorite wine, as it had an intense, and elegant taste, had a wonderful deep ruby color, you could taste blackcurrants and dark cherries and had a great nose that made you realize it was going to be an excellent wine.

Both wines paired well—the chardonnay went well with the fish course and the Bordeaux was a good choice for the lamb dish.

If either of these two wines did not appeal, there were 2 California wines also available.

Desserts

Our fun, lively evening ended with “Crepe Suzette”—the well-known thin pancake topped with orange-Cointreau, caramel, vanilla ice cream and fresh seasonal fruits.

They also served a selection of European Cheeses and biscuits.

A Few Photos to Share About our Experience

We are lucky to be part of the AmaWaterways family. Here are 3 photos about the wonderful folks at AmaWaterways

The radiant Kristin Karst, on of the co-owners of AmaWaterways. In the background our two traveling friends—Lenny the Leopard and Little Bear

Alex Pinelo, Senior VP of Sales with Lenny and Little Bear

St. Patrick’s Day on the AmaMagna in 2023. From left to right Diane, Jasmine,, Hank, Anne Kristin, and Cesario.

Our Final Thoughts

We really enjoyed the lively atmosphere of the restaurant, and the food was excellent.  I think you can see how this restaurant could capture your taste buds and you will get to meet some fellow travelers. It is a great place to go with new or old friends but not a romantic, quiet place to dine.

We hope you enjoyed this report.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts.  We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe.  We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you.  We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip.  You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience.  And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process.  We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you!  We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel.  Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@visitdd.com.  We want to help you:  Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations!  Your journey begins here!

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management.  Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry.  Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA.  Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations.  She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors.  An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 52+ years.  He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA).  This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years.  He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees.   His other Certifications:

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

Little Bear and Lenny Meet the AmaWaterways Staff on the AmaMagna

Little Bear and Lenny Meet the AmaWaterways Staff on the AmaMagna

Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Some of you may know how great the AmaWaterways’ Staff and Leadership Team are for curating luxury cruises for our guests and supporting those of us in the travel industry.

You might get tired of us telling you about their wonderful cruise line and why you should travel on it, so we have two unbiased friends, Little Bear and Lenny the Leopard, although very shy, to help us—they have agreed to tell you about the wonderful folks at AmaWaterways.

They have even decided to let you see their pictures on several river cruise ships and to tell you why the folks on AmaWaterways are special. 

Both would also like to tell you about why they think the AmaMagna is the best rivership they have sailed on in Europe—and wanted you to see Den Mother Anne’s pictures of all the staterooms, so you might select the right den for your next cruise on the AmaMagna.

Leadership

Little Bear and Lenny knew about the warm leaders of AmaWaterways but weren’t quite sure if it was okay to meet them in person, as they think they aren’t very important, and these are busy, and important folks.  But they found out how friendly and welcoming these key leaders are to all—even to our friends Little Bear and Lenny (they told us you would be treated the same way).

They just wish they could have met more folks, but sometimes, it is just too much for them to handle and they have to go back to the den.

Lenny the Leopard and Little bear enjoy a special drink made just for them on the AmaMagna

Lenny and Little Bear like to relax just before sleepy time—they like their nightcap drinks.

Here are some of the wonderful leaders they met:

Kristin Karst, with her sparkling smile and instant warm manner, greets all with the pride and love she has for those who river cruise with AmaWaterways.  She is the co-founder of AmaWaterways and strives to make all who sail with her company surprised and delighted with their luxury vacation.  They were so excited to meet her—they even ask for a photo so they could remember the occasion:

The radiant Kristin Karst, hosting a party on the AmaMagna in March 2023

Alex Pinelo is the VP of Sales, and very well respected in the travel industry.  He loves working for AmaWaterways and always finds time to respond to all, despite his busy schedule.  He is a passionate fan of AmaWaterways.

Alex enjoyed the company of Little Bear and Lenny

Diane Marie Horan has been working for AmaWaterways since 2011—our friends Hank and Anne met her early during their first trips on AmaWaterways.  She is the director of Strategic Accounts and loves AmaWaterways—she has even written a book of how AmaWaterways seems to create lifelong love connections among the employees.  Little Bear and Lenny love her book and rejoice in the stories she wrote about to share with others.

Alex and Diane relaxing with our two animal friends on the AmaMagna

Jazzmine Douse is the Director of National Accounts for AmaWaterways.  Smart, vivacious, and full of energy, she helps bring an enthusiastic dynamic to AmaWaterways, helping all to enjoy these great vacations, especially to help diversify the clientele on AmaWaterways, where all are welcome.

Jazzmine with Little Bear and Lenny

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on the AmaMagna. From left to right, Diane, Jazzmine, Hank, Anne, Kristin, and Cesario (our cruise manager) Little Bear and Lenny are resting in their stateroom

Meeting the Bar Staff on the AmaMagna

The hard-working crew of the AmaMagna loved Little Bear and Lenny.

The bar staff on the AmaMagna loved Little Bear and Lenny

Our two heros are ready for a refreshing cocktail on the AmaMagna

Little Bear and Lenny love having their photo taken with the friendly staff

Little Bear Sometimes Ventures Out With Shy Lenny During the Day

Little Bear is very curious. He likes people, especially if he can learn more about their jobs. He especially likes seeing how the ship is steered, and how many warm, welcoming staff he can meet.

He got his Den Mother to take him out one day on the AmaMagna, with Lenny. It was very important to him to let you see these wonderful people, who take such great pride in their jobs, who wanted their pictures made with him.

The captain and first mate helped Little Bear and Lenny learn about how these skilled professionals steer the AmaMagna

The hard working gents in the reception area liked being introduced to Lenny and Little Bear

Our friendly onboard musician liked meeting Lenny and Little Bear

Little Bear Sometimes Goes Out on his Own

Little Bear likes to tour, especially if he can meet his other bear cousins in Europe. He most often gets to do it on an AmaWaterways ship, but sometimes he goes out during the pre or post trips. He wanted us to share some photos of him in action, before he goes to hibernate until his next trip.

Before his Christmas Markets cruise in December 2023, Little Bear cuddled with Lenny in Regensburg. He loves the Christmas Markets, but sometimes it is too cold for Lenny to go out.

Little Bear on the Treasures of the Main and Rhine Route in the summer of 2022.

While most folks would think that in Rothenberg is very picturesque, Little Bear was more thrilled to meet his giant cousin. He was proud his cousin lives in such a great place that lots of folks like to visit.

While this is a beautiful medieval town to tour, and it is very easy to do on the included tours on an AmaWaterways cruise, Little Bear liked the visit, but really liked meeting his cousin bear more.

Why They Like the AmaMagna Staterooms so Much

Little Bear and Lenny really felt safe, loved, and respected on the AmaMagna, as they have on other AmaWaterways 135m and 110m ships.  They especially like the cozy staterooms, that are elegant, yet so functional.  Both decided to share with you why it is a perfect den for them and for you. 

Before we tour some of the staterooms on the Magna, Little Bear wanted you to see his sleeping bag, so here is a picture of him ready for a nap. He didn’t want to hibernate on his trip, because there is so much to do during the cruise on the included tours, so he was very careful to sleep well, but not sleep for the whole 7-day Upper Danube Cruise!

Little Bear in his sleeping bag—it is warm and cozy for him.

Little Bear wants you to see the different staterooms, so here they are:

Here is what the Grand Stateroom (474 square feet, GS category) looks like from Anne’s pictures:

Grand Suite 309 is total luxury

You can even watch TV in bed!

It has an excellent tub and a separate shower.

The desk area.

Here is what the Suites SA/SB (355 square feet) looks like:

Floor Plan of the SB Category Stateroom

Wonderful luxury in stateroom 206 on the AmaMagna

Twin sinks and an excellent shower in this stateroom

A nice panorama view of this stateroom

Here is what the AA/AB Category (252 square feet) looks like:

Floor Plan of the AB Category Stateroom 230

Another elegant stateroom

It has a wonderful balcony

The bathroom area that has an excellent shower

Here is what the fixed window category (205 square feet) looks like:

Floor Plan Category D stateroom

Lots of light in this fixed window stateroom

Desk area in stateroom 103

Our Final Thoughts

Little Bear and Lenny are home now and safe with Anne.  They hope you enjoyed this report.  They are ready for more adventures and new dens, especially on AmaWaterways.  Maybe you should try this great river cruise company also—tell them Little Bear and Lenny sent you!

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts.  We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe.  We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you.  We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip.  You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience.  And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process.  We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you!  We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel.  Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com.  We want to help you:  Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations!  Your journey begins here!

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management.  Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry.  Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA.  Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations.  She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors.  An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 52 years.  He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA).  This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years.  He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees.   His other Certifications:

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

The Al Fresco Restaurant on the AmaMagna

The Al Fresco Restaurant on the AmaMagna

Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Our recent trip on the AmaMagna was an amazing experience.

There are 4 restaurants on this double wide ship, and we ate at 3 of them—we missed the Chef’s Table but have eaten in this wonderful venue numerous times on other AmaWaterways ships, so we didn’t take advantage of this option on our cruise.

Perhaps our biggest surprise was the flexibility and food offered at the Al Fresco Restaurant.

So, let’s explore together and learn about Al Fresco Restaurant on the AmaMagna.

Overview

The al Fresco Restaurant is located on the Deck 3 of the AmaMagna.  It is a really impressive small restaurant, with floor-to ceiling windows.  The concept here is a paried down menu, a little lighter than the main dining room.  It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  For dinner you need reservations.  Here are some pictures of this cool venue.

Great views—we are docked in Budapest

A front view of the AmaMagna—the Al Fresco Restaurant is on the 3rd Deck just below the pilot’s control room

Breakfast

The menu is a little reduced, but you can actually order offerings from the main dining room if it is open during your visit to this restaurant.

I came for the Late Risers Brunch. It was a very good option for me.

Lunch

You will probably notice this much lighter fare and reduced offering during lunch.

A typical menu for a light lunch

This is the light lunch option.

Lunch is not restricted by the light option. They usually have a pizza available. You can also order the selections in the main lunch dining room.

the pizza was very good

A wonderful brat

One of my favorites—beef stroganoff

Dinner

Reservations are necessary to eat a night due to the limited space.

This was our menu

The beef was tender and delicious!

After Hours

Sometimes, there are night excursions, especially after the Vienna classical music concert.  But never fear, AmaWaterways offers a midnight type, tasty snack.

Alex is ready to serve us beef goulash—it was excellent!

We are posing with Anna—the maitre’d of the Al Fresco Restaurant

Our Final Thoughts

We really enjoyed the flexibility of the restaurant, and the food was excellent.  I think you can see how this restaurant could capture your taste buds.

We hope you enjoyed this report.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts.  We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe.  We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you.  We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip.  You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience.  And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process.  We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you!  We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel.  Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com.  We want to help you:  Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations!  Your journey begins here!

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management.  Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry.  Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA.  Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations.  She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors.  An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 51+ years.  He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA).  This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years.  He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees.   His other Certifications:

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

Why We Pick AmaWaterways as Our # 1 River Cruise Line

Why We Pick AmaWaterways as Our #1 River Cruise Line

Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

As you may know, we are always being asked to differentiate between the various river cruise companies.  All 7 lines we follow offer great vacations and will provide most of their guests a better vacation than many other options.  I like to say, there is no bad river cruise, they are all wonderful vacations and a superb choice to experience Europe.

But when you are spending north of $10,000 for a 7-day cruise for 2, many folks want to know how the various lines compare and if one line might provide better quality and value for their vacation.

So, let’s explore this together and learn about why we pick AmaWaterways as our #1 river cruise line by examining 6 factors we consider important to help us make our selection.

Overview

Perhaps you might wonder why our opinion matters and what credentials we have to make this rating.  Since we specialize in European River Cruising, we have studied this vacation in depth after our first river cruise in 2009.  We have been on 21 river cruises (always having to pay unlike many travel writers who go for free) and will take 2 more this year in 2022.  We have sold river cruises on 5 of the 7 lines we follow to dozens of delighted clients.

We have led 10 groups on river cruises.  We have written over 100 blogs about river cruising.  We have the number one Google article about comparing 7 river cruise companies—over 16,131 have found it on the internet from 2020 to present as of 8 June of 2022.  We make every effort to provide as many facts as possible in this 87 PDF slide presentation and clearly provide sources or tell you it is our opinion.  We have written port guides to 51 different European River Ports.

We use all of this knowledge and experience to evaluate all 7 lines and try to match you to the right line if you decide to use us as your travel advisors.

A Summary of Why AmaWaterways is # 1

I think I really understand what makes an organization perform at the highest levels.  It is a combination of good leaders, staff that care and do their job in a superb manner and a fantastic product (great food and wine, luxury accommodations and well-designed excursions and experiences).  AmaWaterways is this and more.

So, now, let’s examine 6 factors that we would like you to consider when selecting a river cruise company for your vacations and see how AmaWaterways rates.

They Provide Unique Experiences

Our clients and potential clients want options when they travel.  They want to interact with different cultures.  AmaWaterways really delivers many unique experiences on their fleet of 25 ships.

 In every port, you can expect to have 2-3 or more excursions that are included in the cruise fare.  They are tours that delight—small groups led by knowledgeable guides, organized by pace (gentle, regular, fast, and even late-risers) that help you experience a destination, not just see it.  But even this is not enough—they also shine in unique experiences.

Here are just two examples:

They excel in Special Interest Tours.  These tours are specially designed to give small groups an opportunity to be even more immersed in the places they are visiting.  Best of all, these tours are included in the cruise fare—there is no extra charge!  Popular options include a Belgian waffle and chocolate tasting in Antwerp, a beer and sausage tour in Nuremberg, or a chance to see Vienna’s hidden treasures, like the romantic Schönlaterngasse. 

We have done the waffle tasting and the sausage and beer tour—both were awesome! 

Belgian waffle and chocolate tasting in Antwerp

Hank enjoys a beer and sausage tour in Nuremberg—these are the famous Nuremberg sausages which are wonderful grilled

Anne also helped make a traditional pierogies in Bratislava—it was a fun experience. 

Anne cooking in Bratislava

We have had clients participate in the Vienna tour and they really liked it (one great benefit for us—we discovered a great schnitzel restaurant which we managed to eat at because of their tour—it was the largest schnitzel I’ve ever seen, and just melted in our mouths—a neat experience!). 

Special Interest Tours are also a great option for a cruiser who is sailing on the same route a second or third time—it provides a new experience that enhances your trip.  Along with the Bratwurst and beer tasting at the oldest brewery in Nuremberg described above, here are 2 other unique culinary experiences:

Learning how to knot a bretzel (German for pretzel) at a German bakery

Sampling regional specialties at the Les Halles market in Lyon (we have been on this tour—it is excellent).

Les Halles market in Lyon

They have over 60 special wine cruises each year—the most of any river cruise line.

One of our 2 Travel Chums,, Mark Thomas preparing for the Ledson Wine Cruise with the staff.

Hank during on of the wine tasting sessions

There are also wonderful wine tasting events during excursions like we enjoyed together on our Colors of Provence cruise

AmaWaterways likes to say that they “Personalize Every Step of Your Journey.”  We completely agree.

Casual but Elegant Luxury

Lifestyles have changed to more casual approach, but many still want refined experiences during their travels.  Although no formal attire is the norm on their ships, the accommodations are elegant without being over the top.  It truly is a 5-star floating hotel.

The lounge area

There is a small outside area at the bow of the ship

The wonderful reception area and staff. The area is manned 24 hours a day.

There are 2 wine room dining areas on the 135 meter ships.

 Many of the staterooms have twin balconies, with a French Balcony (sliding glass door) and a full outside balcony that Anne and I often enjoy a bottle of wine during our cruises. 

Twin Balcony Inside view

An outside balcony sitting area

There are nice touches like the “Sip & Sail” included cocktail hour.

The vibe is friendly but sophisticated yet with full modern comforts.  Other venues on the ship reflect the same attention to detail as the staterooms.

Excellent Cuisine

The food on AmaWaterways has always been rated as the best by many travel writers and industry folks who evaluate river cruises.

The main dining room serves most of the meals you will eat on board these river ship.  Breakfast and lunch used to be buffet style with options to order off the menu, but now all items are served to guests. 

Most days I select the Eggs Benedict along with complimentary unlimited sparkling wine and fresh juices to start my day.  All breads are freshly baked every day and they even make homemade ice cream for dessert at lunch. 

Every evening on the dinner menu (a 4-course affair of an appetizer, a soup or salad course, a main course and dessert), there are 3 Entrée’s choices—usually a meat dish, a fish dish, and a vegetarian option—all are excellent! Here are some of our meals—they were impressive!

A fish course in the main dining room

There is an Always Available Menu that features a steak, a grilled chicken breast, and a vegetarian or pasta option. 

The Always Available Steak

The lunch and dinner meals feature a white and red wine from the region you are sailing through, and they change daily (not every river cruise lines changes wines every day or offers included wine and beer).  There is also beer and other beverages.

In Europe, each AMA ship has the chef’s table specialty restaurant.  This program began in 2012.  This small dining venue (usually no more than 28 guests) features a kitchen where your meal is prepared right in front of you. 

This shows the Chef’s Table area—in the background is the kitchen area. It is a wonderful experience.

This unique menu is paired with carefully selected fine wines.  It is truly a great experience. 

The fish course in the Chef’s Table

The meat course at the chef’s table

AmaWaterways spends more than most other river cruise lines on the food and wines, and it shows, especially in this unique dining venue. We always go during our cruises and always arrange for the groups we led to dine together—it’s always a superb experience!

AmaWaterways is the first and only river cruise line member of the invitation-only La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, one of the world’s most prestigious culinary organizations.

Wellness

Most of our folks who travel with us believe that travel should provide them opportunities to improve their mental and physical health. Again, it is clear to us they are the best company for wellness.

Your mental health is improved as you get the chance to remove the stress of everyday living by being pampered, seeing and participating in new experiences and places, while in comfort. While there is a structured program, you can do as little or as much as you want and that alone is a stress reliever. Here are some great places onboard to relax:

Maybe you would like to relax in the Library with a book or a drink

Perhaps you might want to go for a dip in the pool

Perhaps a relaxing time with a bottle of wine on the top deck—even in winter we enjoy it. Mark Thomas posed for this picture for me.

The physical health aspect of your wellness on your cruise is a factor no other cruise line can match. AmaWaterways added a wellness host on every sailing by expanding the program they started in 2017.

We got an early look at the program on a winter cruise with the onboard wellness host, Selena on the AmaKristina. It was particularly good—as I have earned a master’s Degree in Physical Fitness, I think I have the credentials to properly evaluate the program.

Let me be clear—it is robust, fun and I was taken back about how many different activities were offered—it by far is the best fitness program on the Europe rivers by any company!

Among the features:  They offer stretching, Yoga, resistance bands, core exercises, bike tours and jogging tours.

All are professionally led—Marcello, from Portugal (in the yellow jacket below), was our onboard wellness host and he did an outstanding job on the AmaKristina in 2019!

The Alts ready for a ride with the Wellness Host Marcello

Selena, now the overall director of the program, has created a wonderful addition to Europe River cruising on every ship sailing in this region—well done!

AmaWaterways has designed special hikes that will take you a bit off the beaten path in some incredibly beautiful destinations.  Examples include making your way up to Dürnstein Fortress (splendid views of the Wachau Valley ) or walking the Philosopher’s Path in Heidelberg (an optional tour around the famous castle area).

Dürnstein Fortress provides splendid views of the Wachau Valley after your hike.

AmaWaterways carries a fleet of bicycles on board (they are free of charge), so you can see Europe’s enchanting scenery on riverside pathways while getting some exercise.  They dock close to many city centers and small towns, where you can ride along with the locals.

Bikes at the ready for guests

Options are to ride on your own, which has always been available since we started cruising in 2009, or join one of their exclusive guided tours, like a trek along the beautiful Danube River in Austria’s Wachau Valley. 

Anne took this picture of the bike riders in the Wachau Valley on a bike ride while we sailed past them on our ship—this is one of the best rides in all of Europe.

This guided tour concept is new, and we have had clients who love these tours. These are now led by the on-board wellness host and have 2 guides.

We have had clients take a ride along the scenic shores of the Inn River in Passau and along the banks of the Mosel around Cochem.  Both reported, it was fun and a great experience.  We also rode into Wurzburg on our own and really enjoyed our short ride—the bikes are very good, and it was fun. 

Exemplary Service

If you desire personal attention in a casual manner, AmaWaterways excels in this regard.

All the folks who work at AmaWaterways look to exceed your expectations—the culture of the company is consistent excellence, always improving and a genuine desire to make your vacation the best possible.  It is amazing how both clients and travel professionals talk about their experiences with AmaWaterways—words like friendly, proactive, professional, caring, and cool always seem to be used to describe their experiences. 

Our Welcome reception on our Tulip Time Cruise with the Captain, the Hotel Manager and the cruise director Maddy

You know this company is on the right track when positive words, unsolicited, are used in interactions with others when talking about river cruise companies and AmaWaterways usually receives highly positive accolades.

Kris, our cruise manager, dressed up as Snow White, greeted us back from a tour on Halloween.

Kata (the cruise manager) Anne in her dirndl (the traditional dress worn in the German speaking areas of the Alps) and Carman from the bar staff

Anne with our friend Lazlo during German Fest

You are a guest that instantly becomes family—veteran cruisers often look for crew members who took care of them on past cruises.  Some are even Facebook friends. 

Our favorite Bar staff—from left to right Peter, Miro and Tomas.

It is a genuinely warm, welcoming, and fully professional staff.  Every effort is to enhance your comfort, your experience, and the trip.  They care and it shows.

The crew shares a laugh with me and my West Point Classmate Jeff in 2018!

A few of the many awesome waiters we have sailed with—they are always over the top good!

Anne created this picture—we always have fun on our cruise and she added this special effects after taking this picture—pretty darn cool, in my opinion!

Trust me, you will fondly remember the staff.  If I was only allowed to pick one factor that is a difference factor among river cruise lines, it would be the staff at AmaWaterways—each performs their role superbly!

Quality and Value

To us, enrichment from your travels, means experiences that provide quality and value and are the most important considerations for choosing a river cruise company.  It is not about price alone, trying to get the cheapest trip—price does not determine quality, nor does it determine value.

In the previous 5 sections, we have tried to tell why we rate AmaWaterways #1.  They provide unique experiences; it is casual but elegant; it has excellent, award-winning cuisine; it has the best wellness program on the rivers of Europe and the service is exemplary—you really become part of the AmaWaterways family.  Some of the other lines we rate also have good programs but do not excel in all 5 of these areas.

A toast to you from both of us—let us help you experience this great cruise line and have the same type of experiences and fun as we have had!

To us, it is the quality and value that is just right—not too lean or too fancy; not the least costly cruise but also not the most expensive.  They really under promise and over deliver.  

Our Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed this report.  It was fun writing about AmaWaterways—I probably tell their story 2-3 times a week over the phone to potential clients.

I should also mention that in these difficult times, AmaWaterways has managed to keep the standards as high as in the past and as advisors, they are the easiest company to work with for the benefit of our clients. We have full faith they will continue to deliver the same excellence as in the past and our guests who have sailed with them this year report all is going well and their vacations were outstanding.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts.  We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe.  We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you.  We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip.  You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience.  And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process.  We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you!  We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel.  Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com.  We want to help you:  Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations!  Your journey begins here!

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management.  Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry.  Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA.  Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations.  She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors.  An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 51 years.  He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA).  This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years.  He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees.   His other Certifications:

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

Karnak Temple Complex

Karnak Temple

Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

This week, I thought I’d write about our visit to Karnak Temple.

We toured the temple complex as part of our AmaWaterways Secrets of Egypt and the Nile AmaWaterways cruise in December 2021.

So, let’s explore together and learn about Karnak Temple—you won’t be disappointed!

Overview

Karnak Temple is impressive. It was the most important site in ancient Thebes in the New Kingdom (it is now called Luxor).

The size and display of power in the complex is daunting today and must have been overwhelming in ancient Egypt to any person who came to visit or worship. It is the largest ancient religious site in the world.  30 pharaohs contributed to construction of this site.

According to the Temple Map plan, there are 34 different sites that could be visited on these grounds. Our tour took us to the most important and impressive parts of the complex.

Egyptian Temples were used to worship the gods and to ensure the people knew the pharaohs were also gods associated with their gods.

This temple complex honors Amon, the god of fertility and growth; Mut, the wife of Amon; whose symbol is the vulture, and Montu, the god of war.

Each god has its own area, known as precincts.  Karnak is so vast, much of the complex has not been fully explored and many projects are on going to study this ancient area.

The gods honored at Karnak

Amon, also known as Amon, Ammon, Amen, and Amun-Ra. Amun was the Egyptian god of the sun and air. He is usually depicted as a bearded man with a headdress or later as a ram headed man or just a ram (a symbol of fertility).  He is considered the lord of all and involved in every aspect of creation.

This is an excellent depiction of 2 of the gods. On the far left is Mut; in the center is Amun-Ra (note the twin headdress); and on the right is Ramses II worshiping both gods.

Mut, also known as Maut and Mout, was the great divine mother and sky goddess.  She was believed to have given birth to the world.  She is depicted as a woman with wings and a headdress, as a vulture and sometimes as a cobra.

Montu, is the falcon-headed god of war.  He is depicted as a falcon-headed man or a bull-headed man and a solar disk, denoting his link to Ra, the sun god.

Along with the worship of the gods, it was important for pharaohs to be associated with worship of the gods and often depicted as equals—they were the political adds of the day when most could not read or write but could grasp symbols.

The Entrance to the Complex

The entrance walls to the complex are close to 90 feet high. On the site map it is designated as pylon 1. A pylon is a term used to describe the front wall of an Egyptian Temple. Usually, it has elaborate carvings and a gateway.

The carvings on the pylons show scenes of the ruler who built them. 6 pylons face west towards the Nile River. 4 pylons face south and were used for the ceremonial processional route to link Karnak with Luxor Temple (which was also included in our cruise tour). Just recently, with great fanfare, Egypt has open the route of the ram-headed sphinxes and we got to see parts of this route traveling on our coach between sites.

The Ram-headed statues line the entrance way to the 1st pylon.

The first pylon entrance to the temple complex.

The entrance to this area is lined with ram-headed sphinx statues.

The ram-headed statues line the entrance way on both sides.

The ram was the symbol of the god Amun and was the main god worshiped at the Great Temple of Karnak.

A close up of a ram-headed statue.

The Precinct of Amun

This area has the most famous parts of Karnak.  Inside the 1st wall (pylon), we first visited the Temple of Sety I. The chapel areas often held Egyptian barks, which were designed to transport statues of gods or mummys in processions.

Here are some photos:

The Chapels of Sety II. From left to right, the first chapel door is dedicated to Mut, the second chapel door is dedicated to Amun and the right chapel door is dedicated to Khonsu (the moon god and son of Amum and Mut). These were designed to hold barks for celebrations of these gods.

Ceremonial Barks on display at the Karnak visitors’ center

The Temple of Amon, with the ram-headed statues in front of the temple.

Next was the Pavilion of Taharqa and the Temple of Ramses III. They were in the Bubastite Courtyard.

Statue of Ramses III

By far for me, the most impressive par of Karnak, was the fascinating Great Hypostyle Hall.  We reached this amazing area after going through the 2nd pylon.

The 2nd Pylon at Karnak

Wall detail on the 2nd pylon at Karnak

Great Hypostyle Hall.

This area is about 337 feet by 170 feet. There are 134 columns decorated with hieroglyphs.  The largest 12 columns are 70 feet high.  These massive columns supported a roof which is no longer there.

The larger columns still have vibrant colors

Anne captured some great detail of one of the columns in this picture. Starting from the top the second row of symbols are cartouches. Cartouches are ovals or oblong circles enclosing a group of hieroglyphs which represent the name of the ruling pharaoh. On the third row, the pharaoh is making an offering to the gods.

The remaining 122 columns are about 40 feet high.

 Amazingly many of the columns have vibrant colors that are over 3500 years old and remain as colorful as when they were first painted.

Even the roof was decorated with inscriptions and hieroglyphs.

Our AmaWaterways Egyptologist explains facts about the columns. This picture shows the massive columns in rows and gives you a sense of how large this area is.

.Obelisks

We next went past the pylon and got a wonderful view of the remaining Obelisks of Thutmose I . Originally, there were 2, a tribute to the great warrior king, who extended his kingdom south in Nubia and north into Syria.

Obelisks were monuments to honor the gods, commemorate the dead and represents the pharoahs.

Next past the 4th pylon to the Obelisk of Hatshepsut (the tallest obelisk in the picture below). This obelisk was built in 1457 BC and is the second biggest of all the ancient obelisks built in Egypt—it weighs 343 tons and stands 97 feet tall.

The largest obelisk from ancient Egypt is in Rome at the Lateran Palace; the third largest is in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican (Caligula’s Obelisk).

Caligula’s Obelisk in Vatican Square—the 3rd largest obelisk taken from Egypt

Just in case you are wondering, the largest obelisk in the world is the Washington Monument—as many of you know, you can go to the top of this obelisk for wonderful views of Washington, D.C,, as I did as a child growing up in the D.C, area..

Another great picture from Anne, showing both obelisks—it is easy to see how massive they are!

The final part of our visit was to turn towards south, through some smaller temples and pylons. Here are two areas we saw as we walked towards the scared lake and out of the temple complex area.

Pointing out the inscriptions on this smaller pillar. It was very easy to see the Egyptian hieroglyphs on this small pillar.

Our Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed this report.  This is a fascinating place and deserves a visit for most serious travelers—it certainly makes most bucket lists.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts.  We have first-hand knowledge of anywhere you want to visit in Europe.  We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you.  We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip.  You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience.  And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process.  We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you! We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel.  Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com.  We want to help you:  Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations!  Your journey begins here!

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management.  Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry.  Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA.  Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations.  She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors.  An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 50 years.  He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA).  This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years.  He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees.   His other Certifications:

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

Sailing on the AmaDahlia in Egypt Part 2

By Hank Schrader, USMA ‘71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

This is the second part of our 2021 Egypt Secrets of the Nile River cruise on AmaWaterways. I would recommend you go back and read, Part one again, as I added a lot of detail that was missing to explain the pictures

Day 7 Abu Simbel

Another early day—we flew to Abu Simbel in a short 30 minute flight. This is an optional tour that cost extra to see this awesome temple complex.

The Abu Simbel temples taken during our flight to the site by Denise Thomas

Located on the western bank of Lake Nassar (not the original site), this massive complex commemorates Ramesses II victory at the battle of Kadesh.

The entrance of the Great Temple of Abu Simbel with 4 statues of Ramassesseated on his throne wearing the double crown of upper and lower Egypt. The statues are 20 meters (66 feet tall)

Inside the temple.

Queen Nefertari Temple

These statues are 10 meters high. It is unusual that both Ramses and Nefertiti are the same height on the complex—it clearly show how much he respected his Queen.

High Tea at Old Cataract

The old Cataract is a 5 star historic luxury resort British era in Aswan located on the Nile River. Many famous persons have stayed here but it is probably most famous for Agatha Christie, who wrote portions of her novel Death on the Nile here during her stay.

Day 8

The day began with sailing.on the Nile

This is a felucca, a traditional sailing boat used on the Nile River.

Feluccas docked.

Philas Temple

The Philas Temple was built to honor the goddess Isis. The temple walls show Isis bringing Osiris back to life, giving birth to Horus and mummifying Osiris after his death.

The entrance to the temple.

This is the Kiosk of Trajan

Kom Ombo

This temple is dedicated to 2 deities—the crocodile-headed god, Sobek, and the falcon headed god, Horus.

Crocodile Museum

Day 9

We started the day in the morning sailing north. In the evening, we visited the Papayrus Institute to learn how they used the plants to make paper.

Dinner Meals

For dinner, just like lunch there are 10 choices. Each is numbered and you will have an appetizer, a soup, the main course and dessert. The meals were generally very good but not high end dining.

Egyptian wines are featured and are only fair. Imported wine and liquor have at least a 100% Egyptian tax and the small wine list has unbelievable prices—one was 8.300 Egyptian pounds (about $528) for bottle of wine that would go for around $30 in the US

Dinner Choices

Pecan crusted Chicken main course.

An elegant desert

Al Fresco Chef’s Table

The menu is more extensive here and not a tasting menu like in Europe on other AmaWaterways cruises. The food was very good.

The main course at the Chef’s Table,

A birthday celebration with Mark and the birthday girl Denise.

Day 10

Dendera Temple

Due to low water on the Nile, we had to take 2 hour bus ride to the temple. It was worth the drive. Dendera Temple is actually 3 temples, but the main temple is Hathor Temple.

The main temple is dedicated to the goddess Hathor, the goddess of love, joy and beauty. The main temple was built by Ptolemy XII and completed by Queen Cleopatra VII from 54 to 20 BC.

Entrance to the Temple of Hathor

The ceiling in the Great Vestibule is a tribute to Newt, goddess of the sky.

Ornate inscribed columns.

Cleopatra and her son on the outside temple walls.

Day 11

Our day started early again, with a flight from Luxor to Cairo. We boarded our bus to visit the royal palace.

Abdeen Presidential Palace

We had a tour of the opulent palace and then had a farewell lunch.

Coptic Church Cairo

St. Mary’s Orthodox Church

We returned to the Four Seasons for a meal , a quick rest and then off at 2230 ride to airport for our 0130 red-eye flight to Frankfurt and then back to Houston.

Just before sunset, our friend Mark Thomas took this awesome picture of the Giza pyramids—great way to end!

My Final Thoughts

This is a unique chance to experience the best that Egypt has to offer.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts.  We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe.  We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you.  We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip.  You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience.  And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process.  We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you!  We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel.  Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com.  We want to help you:  Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations!  Your journey begins here!

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 50+ years.  He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA).  This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years.  He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees.   His other Certifications:

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

Sailing on the AmaDahlia in Egypt Part 1

The Sphinx in Giza, Egypt

Sailing on the AmaDahlia in Egypt

Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

This is a first-hand report of the newest cruise opportunity from AmaWaterways.  We are on the 2021 Secrets of Egypt and the Nile land cruise 10 day package.

This cruise first sailed in September of 2021.

So, let’s explore together and learn about Egypt—you won’t be disappointed!

Overview

This is a 10 day trip. The first 3 days were in Cairo. We then flew down to Luxor and joined the docked AmaDahlia to tour the sights on the Nile River for 7 days. We will then fly back to Cairo.

Cairo Day 1

After flying in to Cairo from Germany, we were met by a representative of AmaWaterways, got our Visas and went through security and passport/Covid vaccination checks and a 24 hour Covid test, we made the 40 minute ride to the 4 Seasons Hotel Cairo.

A great large room with a River Nile view, linked up with our clients and had a good meal.

Cairo Day 2

Today, by bus, we went first to Saladin’s Citadel, where we toured the Alabaster Mosque.

The Muhammad Ali Pasha Mosque, is more commonly known as the Alabaster Mosque. It is located in the Citadel of Cairo, a strong fortress.

The courtyard of the Alabaster Mosque

After lunch (included) at Studio Misr Restaurant, we then visited the Egyptian Museum.

Grill meats for our lunch served steaming

Entrance to the Egypt Museum in Cairo

Statue of Ramses II

This sculpture depicts the ideal Egyptians.

Cairo Day 3

Our tour today was to the ancient capital of Memphis for the first stop. Memphis was the old capital of Egypt after the unification of upper and lower Egypt.

King Ramsis II (1305—1237 BC) limestone colossus statue

The giant alabaster sphinx weighs over 80 tons

We then we’re off to Sakkara to view the burial grounds and learn about King Zoser’s step pyramid. Sakkara is a vast ancient burial grounds of Eqyptian paharohs and royals.

King Zoser’s step pyramid stands 60 meters high, is made of limestone and built 4700 years ago, is considered one of the oldest stone structures made by man.

After a great lunch at the Mena House we were off to see the Pyramids of Giza and the great Sphinx.

Lunch at the Mena House—tangine

Pyramids of Giza

Anne and I pose in front of the Grand Pyramid

The Sphinx was a symbol of strength—the face of a pharaoh on the body of a lion.

At the pyramids you could take a camel ride. Here they are ready to go.

Luxor Day 4

Our day began at 0500, where our group took a one hour flight to Luxor.

We then we’re off to see the impressive Karnak Temple. The size and display of power in the complex is daunting today and must have been overwhelming in ancient Egypt to any person who came to visit or worship. It is the largest ancient religious site in the world. 30 pharaohs contributed to construction of this site.

The entrance walls are close to 90 feet and the are 134 columns decorated with hieroglyphs. Amazingly many have vibrant colors that are over 3500 years old.

Egyptian Temples were used to worship the gods and to ensure the people knew the pharaohs were also gods associated with their gods.

This temple complex honors Amon, the god of fertility and growth; Mut, the wife of Amon, whose symbol is the vulture and Montu, the god of war.

The entrance to this area is lined with ram-headed sphinx statues.

A close up of one of the ram sphinxes at Karnak. The ram was a symbol of the god Amun and was the main god worshiped at The Great Temple of Karnak.

There are no blank spaces on these columns. The inscriptions were ordered by Ramesses II, and include his cartouches. Each of the 12 large columns show Ramesses making offerings to the gods, as you can see from this photo.

This is a colossal statue of Ramses III

Some of the 134 massive columns in 16 rows of the great hall. These are the 12 tallest columns that are 21 meters tall and are pictured here. The other columns are 10 meters tall. This is the Great Hypostyle Hall built by the command of the Pharaoh Seti I.

More detail of the largest columns.

This obelisk at the right, the Obelsik of Thutmosis, stands 97 feet tall and weighs 323 tons.

Room 203 on the AmaDahlia. We boarded the AmaDahlia very tired and hungry. Our room is 203. Here are some pictures:

Cuisine

Food and drinks are different on the AmaDahlia than compared to what we’re used to in Europe.

Every day each of the meal choices are on display when you enter the dining room. They are numbered and each meal is usually a little different in the offerings.

Breakfast offers several choices but no eggs Benedict or sparkling wine as in Europe. Here are some pictures of breakfast:

Breakfast breads we could select for our meal.

My omelette was very good.

A nice fruit selection for breakfast.

Lunch usually has 3 courses—a soup, 2 main dish items and dessert.

At lunch and dinner they display each dish that are numbered on the menu. It is a great system.

A good chicken dish.

An excellent desert.

Luxor Day 5

Valley of the Queens. We started the day in the Valley of the Queens to view Queen Nefertiti’s Tomb. These two pictures are of Queen Nefertiti’s Tomb. The paintings on the tomb depict her journey to the afterlife.

The protectors of the gates to the afterlife.

Nefertari seated (on the left)

Next was the Al-Deir Al-Bahari Temple. This is the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut (1473-1458 BC). She is the queen who became a Pharaoh and was built to commemorate her achievements, as well as a santuary of the god Amon Ra..

Valley of the Kings . The last stop of a busy 5 hours tour day was the Valley of the Kings. We visited 3 tombs.

The first two pictures are of King Tutankhamen’s Tomb.

Ramses IX Tomb. The last tomb was the last of the Ramses, King Ramses IX. It was my favorite, as I could see the actual story of the King and his burial in the hieroglyphics.

Edfu Day 6

To get to the Temple of Horus, I rode this horse carriage

In the morning, we visited the Temple of Horus. This well preserved temple was dedicated to worship the falcon-headed god. Horus is the avenging son of Isis and Osiris. It is so well preserved as it was buried in sand and not distrubed.

The temple is one of the best preserved in Egypt. Every part is covered with intricate carvings that tell the story of battle of the gods. The temple was built between 237 to 57 BC.

The entrance way to the Temple of Horus stands 36 meter high. The reliefs on the walls show Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos holding his enemies by their hair before Horus before he is going to smash their skulls. This is a classic pose of the all powerful pharaoh.

One of the 2 huge granite statues of Horus as a falcon.

The sanctuary of Horus. The wooden boat (a replica) would be used to carry the gold statute of Horus during festivals.

After the visit we sailed to Aswan.

Sailing on the Nile River

My Final Thoughts

Wow—what an experience! It is incredible to see ancient history sites in person and travel with clients.

I think you can see why we are in the business—it just is awesome to help folks have a great vacation.

We hope you enjoyed this report.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts.  We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe.  We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you.  We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip.  You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience.  And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process.  We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you!  We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel.  Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com.  We want to help you:  Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations!  Your journey begins here!

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 49 years.  He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA).  This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years.  He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees.   His other Certifications:

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

19 Years Old--Happy Birthday AmaWaterways!

19 Years Old—Happy Birthday AmaWaterways!

Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

On 30 June 2002, Rudi and Kristin sat at their kitchen table and started a river cruise company that was then called Amadeus.

19 years later, they have become the best River Cruise Company for most of our clients.  As Kristin told me once just before my first guest appearance on AmaWaterways webinar for other travel agents, her vision and dream was to have 2 river cruise ships in Europe. 

Little did she know how far the company would come 19 years later.

The company has grown into a company we trust to deliver a vacation that will exceed your expectations.  As Kristin always says, their vision was to create a company that they would be proud to sail on.  They certainly have achieved this!

In many ways, their growth parallels our growth as European River Cruise Experts—we learned about European river cruising by taking our first cruise on AmaWaterways in the summer of 2009 and realized this was a great vacation that would become the most important trip we offer to clients and our core product.

We have documented many of these achievements in older blogs—if you want more in-depth information, please visit our river cruise blog archives on our website https://www.dreamdestinations.com/europe-river-cruise-blog-archives

So, let’s explore together and learn about AmaWaterways’ history and river cruise firsts—you won’t be disappointed!  There is so much to cover, I won’t be able to include it all but you will be amazed how far this great company has come in 19 years.

Company Founding and Overview

Founded in 2002 by river cruise pioneers Rudi Schreiner, Kristin Karst and Jimmy Murphy, AmaWaterways sails on Europe’s Danube, Douro, Main, Moselle, Rhine, Rhône, Garonne and Seine rivers.  It has expanded into Africa and Asia.

Hank and Rudi

Anne, Kristin and Hank

The line now sails to more than 24 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia, including Austria, Belgium, Botswana, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Kenya, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Tanzania, Turkey, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.

Some Important Year By Year Changes

2006

The company launched its first originally designed and built ship, the AmaDagio (we sailed on her in 2013). 

The AmaDagio Ship Bell

The AmaDagio

Along with a great ship designed by Rudi, there were two firsts in the river cruise industry—they were the first to carry bicycles on board and to have internet, free of charge, on board.

AmaDagio Bikes

I heard a funny story about the internet from some older cruise managers about the internet.  When other cruise lines companies learned about the internet being used on AmaWaterways, the would try to dock next to AmaWaterways ships to try and use the free Wi-Fi since their ships did not have this feature.

For me, this was the start of the exceptional trend setting of the AmaWaterways’ product—almost every other river cruise line now offers what AmaWaterways started in 2006 and later years.  Here is what I wrote in 2016 on a blog about their bike program:

Explore on Two Wheels.  AmaWaterways carries a fleet of bicycles on board (they are free of charge), so you can see Europe’s enchanting scenery on riverside pathways while getting some exercise.  They dock close to many city centers and small towns, where you can ride along the locals. Options are to ride on your own, which has always been available since we started cruising in 2009, or join one of our exclusive guided tours, like a trek along the beautiful Danube River in Austria’s Wachau Valley. 

Bike on the ready 2018

Cycling group from our 2018 Danube cruise waving to us

This guided tour concept is new and we have had clients who love these tours (an update, these are now led by the on board wellness host and have 2 guides).

We have had clients take a ride along the scenic shores of the Inn River in Passau and along the banks of the Mosel around Cochem.  Both reported, it was fun and a great experience.  We also rode into Wurzburg on our own and really enjoyed our short ride—the bikes are very good and it was fun. 

2009

AmaWaterways builds the Zambezi Queen and begins sailing in Africa on the Chobe River.  Holding only 28 passengers, this is an experience of a lifetime.  We sent 4 clients on this cruise in 2016.

2010-2012

AmaWaterways builds the AmaVerde and the AmaBella, with ship design innovations and features that changes the river cruise industry.  Among the changes:

The Chef’s Table.  In Europe, each AMA ship has the chef’s table specialty restaurant.  This program began in 2012.  This small dining venue (usually no more than 28 guests) features a kitchen where your meal is prepared right in front of you.  This unique menu is paired with carefully selected fine wines.  It is truly a great experience. 

The Chef is ready to make our meal

AmaWaterways spends more than most other river cruise lines on the food and wines and it shows, especially in this unique dining venue.  We always go during our cruises and always arrange for the groups we led to dine together—it’s always a superb experience!

Our 2019 group in the Chef’s Table

AmaWaterways is the first river cruise line member of the invitation-only La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, one of the world’s most prestigious culinary organizations.

Ship Design Improvements.  The newer designed long ships (135 meters) have 4 great new features. 

First, the twin balconies have been added to some cabins—one is a French balcony with a sliding glass door and the other is an outside balcony to sit and watch the river glide by. 

Outside of a twin balcony

Inside the twin balcony—the glass slides open for a French Balcony

The second feature is an enhanced pool topside, that includes a swim up bar.  It is a nice upgrade from the hot tub on earlier riverboats. 

Ported in Cologne, this is the pool on the AmaKristina

The third is two separated larger tables that can seat 10 in the front of the main dining room.  These also serve as a wine storage area, so it’s like dining in a wine cellar. 

The last design feature is the lounge library area-- a reading room complete with an electronic fireplace.

2015

In 2015, AmaWaterways expands into SE Asia, sailing on the Mekong on the AmaDara

2017

AmaWaterways added a wellness host on every sailing by expanding the program they started in 2017. 

We got an early look at the program in the winter with the onboard wellness host, Selena on the AmaKristina. It was very good—as I have earned a master’s Degree in Physical Fitness, I think I have the credentials to properly evaluate the program.

Let me be clear—it is robust, fun and I was taken back about how many different activities were offered—it by far is the best fitness program on the Europe rivers by any company!

Among the features:  They offer stretching, Yoga, resistance bands, core exercises, bike tours and jogging tours. All are professionally led—Marcello, from Portugal, was our onboard wellness host and he did an outstanding job on the AmaKristina in 2019!

Selena, now the overall director of the program, has created a wonderful addition to Europe river cruising—well done!  Here is a sample of another great off board program that I had previously written about:

Go for a Hike.  The beauty of Europe doesn’t just lie in its architecture and landmarks – there are also great views to see and unique experiences when you venture out into nature.  

AmaWaterways has designed special hikes that will take you a bit off the beaten path in some very beautiful destinations.  Examples include making your way up to Dürnstein Fortress (great views of the Wachau Velley), or walking the Philosopher’s Path in Heidelberg (an optional tour around the famous castle area). 

You can see this would be a great hike for views of the Wachau Valley

2018-19

AmaWaterways expands its partnership with Adventures by Disney, and Backroads.  The Adventures with Disney is focused on kid’s activities.  Backroads is a premier cycling company.

2009-2021

It is not just the improvements of the sailing vessels, without a doubt, the most important improvement is the expanded tour options.  Here is a brief summary of the key changes we have seen:

Limited Edition Tours.  These tours are specially designed to give small groups an opportunity to be even more immersed in the places they are visiting.  Best of all, these tours are included in the cruise fare—there is no extra charge!  Popular options include a Belgian waffle and chocolate tasting in Antwerp, a beer and sausage tour in Nuremberg, or a chance to see Vienna’s hidden treasures, like the romantic Schönlaterngasse. 

We have done the waffle tasting and the sausage and beer tour—both were awesome! 

Anne also helped make a traditional soup in Bratislava—it was a fun experience. 

We have had clients participate in the Vienna tour and they really liked it (one great benefit for us—we discovered a great schnitzel restaurant which we managed to eat at as a result of their tour—it was the largest schnitzel I’ve ever seen, and just melted in our mouths—a really neat experience!). 

Limited Edition Tours are also a great option for a cruiser who is sailing on the same route a second or third time—it provides a new experience that enhances your trip.  Along with the Bratwurst and beer tasting at the oldest brewery in Nuremberg described above, here are 2 other unique culinary experiences:

Learning how to knot a bretzel (German for pretzel) at a German bakery

Sampling regional specialties at the Les Halles market in Lyon (we have been on this tour—it is excellent).

Les Halles Food Tour

Special Wine Themed Cruises

In 2013, we went on our first wine themed cruises.  Since then, we have been on 3.  There is now over 60 wine themed cruises a year.  I have also written 2 special blogs about wine cruises on AmaWaterways (3 June 2021 and 24 September 2020)

2019

The double wide AmaMagna debuts and begins cruising on the Danube.  It is the best river cruise ship in Europe. We have several clients sailing on her in 2021.

2021

AmaWaterways resumes sailing starting on 3 July 2021.  In September, they will begin sailing on the Nile with the new AmaDahlia.  We plan to experience this new 10 day route in December of 2021.

2022

AmaWaterways s partners with Ancestry—I covered this in last week’s blog (24 June 2021).

2023

AmaWaterways offers a new 7 rivers journey, 46 night cruising experience.  I wrote about this in a blog on 17 May 2021.

My Final Thoughts

What a great story—just another reason we love the Old World of Europe so much!  We hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane as much as we enjoyed sharing them with you.  I think it is very easy to see why we think AmaWaterways is the best river cruise company.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts.  We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe.  We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you.  We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip.  You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience.  And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process.  We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you!  We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel.  Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com.  We want to help you:  Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations!  Your journey begins here!

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 50 years.  He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA).  This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years.  He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees.   His other Certifications:

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

Great Wine and Dining Experiences on AmaWaterways

Great Wine and Dining Experiences on AmaWaterways

Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

We always find one of the most fascinating aspects of Europe is how well most seem to eat and drink responsibly—it is amazing!

This same tradition is carried on to river cruise ships, and to us, the best river cruise line for food and wine is AmaWaterways.

So, let’s explore together and learn about wine and dining experiences on AmaWaterways—you won’t be disappointed!

Different Regional Wines are Served on all AmaWaterways European Cruises Each Night

On our first cruise on AmaWaterways, along with the good food, I was really surprised to have my glass constantly refilled during the dinner meal.  It was always a different red and white selection that changed each night and often during lunch.  In the 17 cruises we have taken on with this great line, the free-flowing wine service remains and the quality keeps improving.

Hank on his first river cruise in 2009, selecting one of the two wine options at diner in the main dining room.

Wine Cruises on AmaWaterways

There are over 60 wine cruises each year on AmaWaterways.  You will sail along some of the most famous wine regions of Europe, depending on the route you choose. Here are some vineyards you could sail past on your cruise:

The vineyards of Spitz in the Wachau Valley on an Upper Danube cruise

The vineyards just outside Rudesheim, Germany.

A vineyard on the Rhone

On the Moselle in the fall.

Another picture on the Moselle

These wine cruises cost nothing extra of regular cruises and have 3 great benefits. 

First, you will have a special wine host to tell you about and let you taste the wines they have created. 

Mark Thomas preparing for an on board wine tasting hosted by Ledson Winery

Hank during the wine tasting using corks to make a trivet

Second, you will get to visit some of the premier vineyards and have cellar tours and tastings. 

Champagne tasting on a special tour in Lyon

The 4 champagnes we tasted

Wine tasting in Tournon

Wine server and Dejan, our cruise manager (right)

Hank and Anne at the wine tasting in Tournon

Another tasting room

The wines we tasted

Beaujolais tasting

His Beaujolais wines

Bordeaux winery

Barrels in the winery

Third, you will learn about pairing wines with food.

Here is a link to a blog I wrote about Wine Cruises on AmaWaterways

Wine Pairings—Learn about the Art of Wine Paring

I really like wine, especially when it is properly paired with food!

Wine is a complex subject but it doesn’t have to be—it really is about what you like and how you can best enjoy it.  I am sure part of the fascination for me is how it enhances food as well as how it is enhanced by food but also the complex process involved in making quality wine.  Wine producers wear many hats—entrepreneur, farmer, chemist, blender, and business person.

Certain foods go well with certain types of wine.  In particular, cheese is one of the simplest to pair wine with, but most foods are enhanced with a good wine, in my opinion!

During an AmaWaterways cruise, you can expect to learn more about this art.  There will be at least 3 pairing chances—two in the main dining room and one at the Chef’s table.  In the main dining room, the wine host will have a special pairing dinner featuring their wines.  The Chaîne des Rôtisseurs dinner is a feature on each AmaWaterways cruise and they match special wines that pair very well with the menu.

Dining Options on Your Cruise

You will be pleasantly surprised at the quality and different dining options and food available on so compact a ship. The fare is regionally-inspired cuisine, always fresh and locally sourced.

Most dining is in the main dining room. They often have special themed nights and lunches. For example, the German festival is served on the top deck when the weather cooperates, but is equally good in the main dining room.

Germany meal

In the Lounge area, there is a continental breakfast, a light lunch option (usually one entree, a soup, salad and desert) a snack hour with homemade deserts and tapas. The Specialty Dining Room, at the rear (aft) of the ship is a unique feature and included in the fare.

Sweet treats in the lounge

It is often an option to get a cooking class on-board or as a shore excursion—they are included at no extra cost. There are also food tours of famous food markets, like this one in Lyon.

Les Halles food market

Meat stall on the food tour

The Main Dining Room

The main dining room serves most of the meals you will eat on board this river ship.  Breakfast and lunch used to be buffet style with options to order off the menu, but now all items are served to guests. 

Our group in the main dining room 2015

Our group in the main dining room 2015

The one of the two wine rooms on the AmaKristina 2019

Most days I select the Eggs Benedict along with complimentary unlimited sparkling wine and fresh juices to start my day.  All breads are freshly baked every day and they even make homemade ice cream for dessert at lunch. 

Here is a sample lunch menu (quite an impressive selection, in my opinion):

The lunch menu

Every evening on the dinner menu (a 4 course affair of an appetizer, a soup course, a main course and dessert), there are 3 Entrée’s choices—usually a meat dish, a fish dish and a vegetarian option.—all are excellent!  To help you, at both lunch and dinner there is a Chef’s Recommendation for that meal, what he considers the best offering for that meal for all the courses. Many use this to try new food experiences.

Anne’s fish entree

Don’t be surprised if special celebrations happen during your meal—maybe a surprise desert or a special cake to celebrate a milestone event.

Baked Alaska 2013

Happy Anniversary Irene and John 2019

There is an Always Available Menu that features a steak, a grilled chicken breast, and a vegetarian or pasta option. 

The lunch and dinner meals feature a white and red wine from the region you are sailing through and they change daily (not every river cruise lines changes wines every day or offers included wine and beer).  There is also beer and other beverages.

One item of note—portions are slightly smaller in recent sailings and for the baby boomers of our generation, this is a smart move.  You can always have more food, but even for big eaters like me, the portions were properly sized.

I do have to point out that on the Always Available Menu, I usually get the steak once during the cruise.  It always is large, and very tasty.  Here is a photo—looks very good, doesn’t it!

My steak from the everyday menu

On every cruise, there is a special captain’s dinner. All guests have a great meal and the captain dines with some select guests. Here are some photos of the Captain’s Table.

A well presented starter

Anne’s salad

Hank’s dessert

Anne’s dessert

Hank and Anne at the Captains table

The Chef’s Table.  In Europe, each AmaWaterways ship has the chef’s table specialty restaurant.  This small dining venue (usually no more than 28 guests but up to 38 on the AmaMagna) features a kitchen where your meal is prepared right in front of you. 

The chef ready to prepare our meal

The Chef’s Table

Seating at the Chef’s Table

Our group on the AmaKristina 2019

This unique menu is paired with carefully selected fine wines.  

The menu board

It is truly a great experience.  At least each year the menu changes, so we will look forward to our next sailing to see what great new features will be added to this fun dining experience.

The fish tasting course

The meat tasting course

AMA spends more than most other river cruise lines on the food and wines and it shows, especially in this unique dining venue.  We always go during our cruises and always arrange for the groups we led to dine together—it’s always a superb experience!

Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Meal

AmaWaterways has another unique culinary achievement—they are the only river cruise line inducted into the La Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, a prestigious international gastronomic society dedicated to fine cuisine.  There is a special Chaîne des Rôtisseurs dinner meal on each cruise.

The entire European fleet and President Rudi Schreiner were honored.  According to the AmaWaterways website, the society was:

“Founded in Paris in 1950 to honor the royal Guild of Goose Roasters (whose origins date back to the 13th century), it is the oldest and largest food and wine society in the world. Membership to La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs is by invitation only and is extended to those possessing world-class culinary acumen.”

AmaWaterways Awarded Best Onboard Dining (River Cruise) by TravelAge West Magazine for 2020

After sailing on AmaWaterways 17 times, we agree wholeheartedly with this award.  There is no extra charge for all these options, so this makes it even a better deal.

If you want good food and wine on a river cruise, go on AmaWaterways—it seems a lot of other travel advisors share our opinion!  Pretty easy to see why the won the Best Onboard Dining Wave Award for River Cruising in 2020.

Maybe you will get to share a meal with good friends, or comrades like we do when escorting our clients.

Jeff and Hank 2018

My Final Thoughts

What a great adventure—great wine and superb food—just another reason we love the Old World of Europe so much and river cruising on AmaWaterways!  We hope you enjoyed these pictures as much as we enjoyed eating, drinking and seeing the many venues that emphasize food and wine in Europe. We have loved them during our travels and hope to share them with you in the future.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts.  We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe.  We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you.  We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip.  You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience.  And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process.  We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you!  We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel.  Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com.  We want to help you:  Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations!  Your journey begins here!

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 50 years.  He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA).  This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years.  He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees.   His other Certifications:

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

Wine Cruises on AmaWaterways

Wine Cruises on AmaWaterways

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

By far, AmaWaterways has the most special wine cruises as compared to the other 7 river cruise lines that primarily market to North America river cruisers—as you may know we study all 8 lines (AmaWaterways, Avalon, Crystal, Emerald, Scenic, Tauck, Uniworld and Viking).

AmaWaterways has 60+sailings a year that have a special wine theme and the events are included in the cruise fare—that’s right, there is no additional cost to be on a wine themed cruise.

So, today, I’d like to tell you about wine cruises on AmaWaterways.  I will tell you about the 4 European areas that have wine cruises included in the fare and explain what it is like to be on a wine cruise, as we have been on 4 with AmaWaterways.

I will finish up, by telling you about a special idea we have about a pre/post tour with a wine cruise and a tour of some key WW I and WW II sites in 2022, so please read to the end of this blog to learn more.

A Quick Overview of Wine Cruises on AmaWaterways

The wine themed cruises are usually led by a Wine Host from a winery in the United States.  The host will conduct some tastings of their wines, discuss wine and host a wine dinner on the ship paired with their wines.

We have been on two hosted by US winemakers and two cruises hosted by drink experts—one was a regional expert from France and the other was a beer cruise with a beer expert from the US .  The Ledson wine cruise (on the Rhône) and the Bordeaux cruise were special—we would go again on both.

Mark Thomas, then general manager of Ledson Winery, preparing for a tasting on the 2014 Wine cruise hosted by Ledson Winery

The other bonus about these special wine cruises is that they are often in Spring or Fall, times when the cruises cost a little less than the most popular summer season.

When you consider that wine and food on AmaWaterways is already over the top—the fare is regionally –inspired cuisine, using fresh food sources and always paired with 2 daily changing wines—a wine cruise just enhances the chances to learn and enjoy wine even more!

France Wine Regions

The Bordeaux region and the Rhône region are the 2 main French wine regions that you can experience on an AmaWaterways cruise in France.  On a Rhine river cruise route, there is often a bonus region of Alsace white wines.

Bordeaux region of France on the Garonne, Dordogne and Gironde Rivers is about wine more than other sights on their “A Taste of Bordeaux” cruise.  It is a round trip cruise out of Bordeaux and features wine tastings, chateaux’s and abundant vineyards along the Garonne and its tributaries. 

Wine Regions of Bordeaux. Map from AmaWaterways

There are over 8,500 wine producing estates in this region—it is often considered the wine capital of the world.  Usual port cities of Cadillac, Pauillac, Bourg and Libourne are included in most sailings of this region. 

This is an important wine region of France and you will experience tastings of some of the most distinguished wines including Sauternes, Medoc and Bordeaux wines (my personal favorites).

Leoville-Poyferre Winery

Chateau de La Rivere Winery

Tasting Room Chateau de La Rivere

Here is what wine expert Mark Thomas said about his favorite wines on this cruise (we traveled together on this route in 2017):

“Some of my very favorite red wine varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and various blended wines with these varietals in varying percentages.  For white varietals, again some of my favorites: Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon with which some produce world-famous Sauternes.”

Wine barrels in St. Emilion prior to Gran Cru Tasting

My glass is ready—care to join me?

Rhône River

Imagine sailing on the Rhône River through the legendary wine growing regions of Provence, getting the chance to sample Beaujolais and Côtes du Rhône!

Wine Regions of Provence. Map from AmaWaterways

Beaujolais Tasting in Domaine de Averlys in 2016 on a Provence

Here is what my travel chum and wine expert Mark Thomas had to say about the wines on this cruise:

“In Provence, Rose’s dominate.  These delicious bold, crisp, fruity wines pair great with the local seafood dishes (Bouillabaisse, Fish soup, etc.).  The red grapes that dominate the region include Mourvèdre and Grenache while the primary white grapes include Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc, and Clairette, usually blended together in some form or another.

As you head up the Rhône River from Arles toward Lyon, you first encounter the Southern Rhône region where the red grape varietal Grenache dominates.  Often primarily blended with Syrah, and Mourvèdre, these wines are rich, earthy, gamey, and full-bodied especially in the area of Châteauneuf-Du-Pape.  Other red blending grape varietals include Carignan, Cinsaut, and Counoise.  The delicious white varietals of the Southern Rhône are the same as in Provence.

Our cruise manager Kris on our 2016 excursion tasting at the HB Les Pavillon de Vins

Moving into the Northern Rhône, you’ll find Syrah is king among the red varietals while Viognier in the appellation of Condrieu, along with gorgeous blends of Marsanne and Roussanne in the appellations of Hermitage and St. Joseph dominate the white varietals.”

Just so you know, we had never had a Viognier before going on this route and now it is one of our favorites—if you want to experience, new great wines, AmaWaterways is a great place to start!

Viognier Wine and Cheese outdoor treat in Vienne

Wow!—does it help to have your own personal sommelier to help you learn about wines?—you bet it does!

Alsace’s Wines

On an AmaWaterways cruise on the Rhine River from Amsterdam to Basel or reverse, there is a good chance to sample some wines from Alsace.  

The key grapes grown in the region of Alsace are Riesling, Muscat, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir.  According to wine experts, although these grapes are also grown in Germany, the Alsace wines have more flavor and are much drier than those produced across on the eastern side of the Rhine River in Germany.  These robust white wines are also named for the grapes—a common practice in Germany but much less common in France.

A wine store in Riquewhir, France—Kaisor Zimmer—Vins d’Alsace

Since 1983, the official gran cru appellation status has been awarded to about 50 terroirs.  Most of these gran cru appellation wines are dry whites. 

A wine shop in Riquewhir

Gran cru in French means great growth.  This classification of wines is a regional designation of the vineyards that produces very good wines. 

Alsace vineyards near Riquewihr, France. Photo Mark Thomas

Trust me, they are excellent!

3 of Germany’s 13 Wine regions—the Rheingau, Franconia and Moselle Regions

Wine Regions of Germany. Map from AmaWaterways

The Rheingau wine region produces elegant Riesling wines—about 78% of the total wine production along this stretch of the Rhine River are Rieslings.  About 12% of the other grapes grown in this area are Pinot Noir (or Spätburgunder, as the Germans call it).

The Vineyards around the town of Rüdesheim

The town of Rüdesheim is a great place to sample some of these great wines.  There are often 2 wine tasting tours here and both are fun and serve great wine.  As an extra bonus, there is coffee drink I first had while in the military—Rüdesheimer coffee (coffee, flamed Asbach brandy and topped with whipped cream).  If you have never had it, you are missing one of the great coffee drinks in the world!

Rüdesheim Coffee Poster

The Franconia wine region is less well known producer of dry white wines made from Silvaner grapes.  The official name is Grüner Silvaner.  A lot of this wine is grown around Würzburg. 

Vineyards around the Marienberg Citadel on the Main River

One unique feature of this wine is its special bottle—it is in a bottle called a Bocksbeutel (in German)—a distinctive green oval shaped bottle.

Sharing a bottle of Grüner Silvaner they brought back to our 2019 AmaWaterways cruise with Denise Thomas.

One feature of wine cruises on the Main River is a special wine tasting in Würzburg’s baroque Residenz Palace.  Wine in a palace—how cool is that!

Würzburg’s baroque Residenz Palace.

The Moselle region is famous for Riesling wines. Many writers claim this is the best of Germany’s wine regions, as the Rieslings (about 60% of the grapes planted here) have an exceptional balance between sweetness and acidity.

Vineyards near Bernkastel on the Moselle

On the Moselle, my favorite wine port is Zell.  It is famous for its white wine Zellerschwartzkatz (Zell’s black cat)—I also first had this while in the military on various visits to Germany.  The really great draw of this village is the story of Zell’s Black Cat Wine.

According to legend, a large quantity of local wine was being stored in barrels in a regional cellar.  When people approached, a black cat jumped on the barrel from Zell and started hissing to protect its contents.  Seeing the hissing, caused the wine merchants to believe the wine from Zell was special and better quality than the other wines stored in the wine cellar building.  Today the black cat is the symbol of this town.

AmaWaterways has an exclusive wine festival celebration in Zell.  The local children, dressed up like black cats, provide a performance that everyone who has visited Zell on AmaWaterways will remember.  You don’t even have to be on a special wine cruise to get this unique experience!

The children of Zell visiting us on an AmaWaterways cruise with an invitation to explore their city. They are accompanied with local wine queen and mayor.

Just to let you know, the legend is true—the wine is great!

Portugal’s Douro Valley

The Douro Wine Regions Map

This is a cruise for wine lovers, especially aficionados of the desert wine port (a fortified wine with alcohol added), also a cruise for those who want to sample and learn more about Portuguese cuisine, and for adventures who love new destinations. 

While port is far and away the most import wine in the region, there is increasing recognition of whites and reds produced in this great wine growing region and I was surprised to learn about 50% of the total wine production is wines other than port.

The steep, dry slopes of the Douro and soil characteristics (terroir) produce remarkable wines.

Some of the Douro’s wine vineyards. Photo from our clients the Howards.

Perhaps the most surprising fact is how many different ports, from sweet to really dry, are produced here.  One of our clients brought us a bottle of 30 year aged, dry, Tawny port—it didn’t last long in the Schrader household.

The Danube

One of the great reasons to go to Europe, especially on an AmaWaterways river cruise, is learning about a wine that would soon become one of our favorites. 

Perhaps, the best wine region on a Danube cruise is in the Wachau Valley.  It produces 2 great wines-- Wachau Grüner Veltliner and Riesling wines.  I had never tasted Grüner Veltliner before this trip, but does it ever pair well with Wiener schnitzel, one of my all-time favorite entrees! 

Grüner Veltliner vineyard sign

Grüner Veltliner vineyard

Jeff and Hank share a glass of wine on our 2018 Danube cruise

Now we look for this wonderful white wine to enjoy at home and in restaurants.

In researching this blog, I read one source that said Rieslings from the Wachau have more in common with Alsace Rieslings than the Moselle Rieslings—but for me they all are great! 

I also learned that Moselle Rieslings wines are bottled in green glass, so they can be distinguished from Rhine Rieslings which are bottled in brown glass.

Since we have experienced Rieslings from all three wine areas while on 3 different AmaWaterways cruises, my advice—make your own comparison trips with our help!  You can’t go wrong here—they are all good and I’m sure you will agree if you try our taste test challenge and book all 3 with us!

Our 2022 Cruise Idea

We are still working on an idea that might really appeal for many of you readers of this blog.  We are planning 2 AmaWaterways River Cruises with a pre/post cruise to the other great wine region of France—the Champagne region of Reims.  It won’t just be wine tasting, it will include a trip to the WW II sites of the Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge) and the WW I historic sites around Reims (there is a 40 mile circuit that has some of the best sights in France). 

We are still working on the details, so keep reading the blog for the latest updates.

We hope to repeat our great success leading military themed trips as we were able to achieve on our 70th and 75th Anniversary trips to D Day.

The bonus is we plan to invite Mark Thomas as our Wine Host on one of the cruises.

If you want to be on our list to be notified about this or other specials we might have please email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com.

My Final Thoughts

It’s time to raise a glass or two—CHEERS, SALUD, PROST!

Does it get any better than this?—all the fabulous features of a river cruise and a special wine themed cruise included for free!

So now is the time to take action when travel restrictions are lifted.  We will be ready to help!

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip.  You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience.  And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process.  We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you!  We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel.  Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com.  We want to help you:  Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations!  Your journey begins here!

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 49 years.  He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA).  This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years.  He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees.   His other Certifications:

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways  Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

AmaWaterways--High Performance during Tough Times

Swan in our Stateroom

AmaWaterways—High Performance during Tough Times

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

I think I know a thing or two about High Performing Organizations.  I have been part of at least 3 in my working career.

During my military career, I was the S3 (Operations Officer) of 2-23 Infantry, the Army’s first Light Infantry Battalion (about 560 soldiers).  It was an amazing group, focused on being the best possible unit.  Later in life, I was the defensive coordinator of the Bellevue Wolverines, who won the 2001 Washington State Football Championship with a record of 13-0.

In the river cruise world, I have learned that, in my humble opinion, AmaWaterways is just such an amazing organization, it ranks right up there also with my first 2 cited organizations.  We have partnered with them to benefit our clients.

It is no wonder why they are the company we recommend first, but now, more than ever, I think they are handling these tough times better than other river cruise companies.

So, this week, I’d like to write about why AmaWaterways is a high performer in tough times.  I first plan to tell about how they are protecting our clients in these difficult times and then explain why they are high performing.

Decisive Leadership in Troubled Times from Us & AmaWaterways

Since our primary business is Europe river cruises, and 95% or more of our annual river cruise business is with AmaWaterways, how they treat our clients is paramount to us. 

From our view, not only do they protect our clients, they are flexible and offer options.  They were the first to offer an enhanced Travel Waiver Plus in the river cruise industry, which protects our clients with a future cruise credit and refund option. 

They instituted a 115% Future Cruise Credit for cancelled cruises, so our clients can reschedule and get an added benefit—more for their money!  The Future Cruise Credits are good until 31 December 2022. 

They have also changed final payment date to 60 days prior to sailing, instead of the 90 day normal final payment date.

Perhaps the best part is they are financially stable, with no debt and had a contingency plan in place for a crisis—there is no doubt in our mind they will weather this storm as well as possible with no risk to their clients.  As you read on, you see exactly what I mean.

Let me assure you, we also will remain in business to serve you.  We are resilient and can weather this storm both financially and emotionally.  We will always serve your best interests, as we have always done. 

You can trust us and AmaWaterways.

 What is a High Performing Organization?

For me, a high performing organization has 7 characteristics.  They are

1) A proper organizational design,

2) Sufficient structure to allow all to contribute to the mission,

3) Processes in place to maximize the talents of all members of the organization,

4) Appropriate use of technology,

5) Good leadership,

6) Skilled and willing people who want to do their best, and

7) A culture that promotes the organizations values.

 In the right environment, an organization who excels in these tasks will outperform other similar organizations.  So, using these factors, let’s learn why AmaWaterways excels during these tough times.

I think, when you meet the people of AmaWaterways, you will clearly see why this is our favorite river cruise company and should be yours also!

So, let me introduce to our AmaWaterways Family!

It starts at the Top—Good Leadership—Rudi & Kristin

If you want to talk about great disaster recovery plans, I was amazed at the foresight of Rudi Schreiner, the President of AmaWaterways.  In 2018, with low water causing great concern for river cruising in Europe, he developed a plan for AmaWaterways to survive by worst casing a crisis.  He decided the worst case would be an entire year of river cruising would be cancelled and began to plan for such a contingency. 

Rudi with Hank 2011 in the Netherlands—ready for our Tulip Time Cruise

Among the plans necessary to survive, he would need to have all his riverships fully paid for, sufficient cash to operate and a plan to keep all his employees.  It would also mean working with the European Union to keep crew available and meet their regulations.  What great vision, now that we are facing exactly what he saw as a possible threat to his company--a sustained period where they could not conduct river cruises safely, AmaWaterways is handling this challenge with solid action and placing guests and employees above profits.

Now, a little bit about Kristin and Rudi.  We have known the two owners since 2011.  We first met on a Tulip Time cruise in the Netherlands.

Our most recent meeting was when they were honored at the 2018 TravelAge West Awards Ceremony.  Kristin and Rudi were honored with the top award of the gala night for a lifetime achievement award for leadership in the river cruise industry and the travel industry.  It was a great night for their company—they won several other awards.

We were proud to be part of it and even prouder to be the only other company to win an award as a couple during the entire award ceremony—all the other winners were individuals.

Travel Age West Awards 2018

However, as great as awards are recognizing AmaWaterways as a special company, it is the tone they set for the company that makes the difference.  They set out to create a river cruise company they would want to sail on themselves and they have succeeded beyond even their lofty expectations.  

I also have to let you know that Kristin Karst is equally important in this company as Rudi and their other partner, Gary Murphy—it is her connection with the staff, the travel agent community and the guests that propels the company to be even better than others.  She and Rudi have created a culture of high expectations, and great travel experiences.

Kristin with Anne and Hank 2011

The Company Culture

All the folks who work at AmaWaterways look to exceed your expectations—the culture of the company is consistent excellence, always improving and a genuine desire to make your vacation the best possible.  On a webinar I recently attended, Kristin described the company’s core values—they are partnership (guests and the travel agent community); passion; and prepared.

It is amazing how both clients and travel professionals talk about their experiences with AmaWaterways—words like friendly, proactive, professional, caring, and cool always seem to be used to describe their experiences.  

You know this company is on the right track when positive words, unsolicited, are used in interactions with others when talking about river cruise companies and AmaWaterways almost always receives positive accolades

The People of this High Performing Company

What makes this a great company?  It is a combination of good leaders, staff that care and do their job in a superb manner and a fantastic product (great food and wine, luxury accommodations and well-designed excursions and experiences).

From top to bottom, AmaWaterways just does it right.  There is a real emphasis on working together and it shows in all they do.  I will tell you about the crew shortly, but the total organization, that works so hard to deliver good travel experiences, deserves recognition.

It Starts with the Sales Team.

Our Business Development Manager, Shelia Bielich is a gem.  Complete knowledge of the ins and outs of AmaWaterways, she is always there to help.  We did a joint presentation a couple years ago on French river cruises and it was a huge success.  Thanks Sheila!  In these tough times she is rock solid.

Hank & Sheila 2017 at our French River Cruise Seminar

The in-house groups department is just outstanding.  We have done small groups for many years, and Yael, Kristie, Jennifer and now Brandon have helped out clients get the best possible deals.  All of these 4 are passionate about great service and going the extra mile.  Thanks folks for being so great!

Next up is the on-board teams.

Cruise Managers

Perhaps no one makes as much difference on your on board experience than the cruise managers.  Their wealth of knowledge is exceptional and they love helping you get the most out of your cruise experience.

After 17 cruises on AmaWaterways, we have loved these unique folks who help us learn more about Europe and their rivers.  Thanks Lilo, Kata (2 cruises), Czaba, Maddy, Dejan (2 cruises), Nikola, Kris (3 cruises), Nick, Rolf, Camille, Edward, and Jessi.

Kata, Anne & Carmen AmaKristina 2018

Wine tasting on a Provence Cruise 2013—server (right) & cruise Manager Dejan

Cruise Manager Kris Provence Cruise 2014

Cruise Manager Kris dressed up as SnowWhite 2015 Rivers & Castles Cruise

Rolf outside with the coaches ready for a tour 2016 Enchanting Rhine

Sailing Team

River Boat Captains and their crews are special folks.  They are highly skilled and love being on the rivers of Europe.  Here are a few pictures of these wonderful folks.

Anne, Captain Danny & Hank

2015 Christmas Time Cruise Captain Farewell to Guests

Captains Dinner Reception

The AmaWaterways Difference on their Riverships is the Crew

Crew singing Christmas Carols

You are a guest that instantly becomes family—veteran cruisers often look for crew members who took care of them on past cruises.  Some are even Facebook friends.  It is a genuinely warm, welcoming and fully professional staff.  Every effort is to enhance your comfort, your experience and the trip.  They care and it shows.

The staff includes reception, hotel (housekeeping, bar staff and restaurant staff), and wellness personnel. 

Reception Staff AmaKristina 2018

Chefs during farewell reception

Chef’s Table Staff

The Bar Staff—Miro, Peter and Tomas—what a crew!

Housekeeping Staff

Lazlo with Anne Legendary Danube 2011

2018 Christmas Cruise Waiters

Greetings on a Christmas Cruise—an Anne Creation on her sproket

Trust me, you will fondly remember the staff.  If I was only allowed to pick one factor that is a difference factor among river cruise lines, it would be the staff at AmaWaterways—each performs their role superbly!

Local Guides

Tours that delight—small groups led by knowledgeable guides, organized by pace (gentle, regular, fast and even late-risers) that help you experience a destination, not just see it.

One of our Guides on tour

Hunting for Truffles in Provence—such a cool tour!

My Final Thoughts

Wow, what a company!  I would encourage you to become a member of the AmaWaterways family.  Trust me, go on a river cruise with them when this all subsides, and you will be glad you did—they will gladly adopt you as a new and valued family member!

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise experts, and Europe destination experts.  We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe.  We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you.  We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations like an AmaWaterways river cruise.

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip.  You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience.  And, you want someone who can help you with the decision-making process.  We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you!  We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel.  Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com.  We want to help you:  Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations!  Your journey begins here!

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 45 years.  He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA).  This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years.  He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees.   His other Certifications:

·        AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

·        Viking River Cruise Specialist

·        Scenic River Cruise Specialist

·        Emerald Waterways  Specialist

·        Avalon Waterways Specialist

·        Brit Agent

On The River Again With AmaWaterways

On The River Again With AmaWaterways

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

As I write this, I am on the AMASerena on the Rhine River. We are sailing on the Captivating Rhine Route from Amsterdam, Netherlands to Basel, Switzerland.

AmaSerena Pool top Deck in Cologne

Once again AmaWaterways continues to impress—the standards are very high, the food and wine are awesome, the ports and sights are great and the crew always makes you feel special.

It is cruise # 17 on AmaWaterways for us, so we have learned about this company from top to bottom and watched it grow and get better on each sailing since our first cruise in 2009. It just feels like home to us—inviting and we feel like special guests.

I write all the time about Europe river cruising and its value. We have 8 guests sailing with us, 2 couples for the first time and 2 couples that are new to the AmaWaterways family. They all agree—it is a great value!

Since many often want to know the differences between cruising during the seasons, I thought I’d tell you about the differences between cruising on the Christmas Markets in December and the summer cruise we are on now, on the identical route.

So, let’s compare the two—Ready?—Let’s go!

The Differences in the Ports

The most striking difference is the crowds in the public squares.

During the Christmas Market season, the squares are full of small booths and festive people shopping, talking and enjoying food and drinking heated, spiced wine. They are bundled up, happy and it is an amazing atmosphere of lights, color and fun. It is often quite crowded.

In the summer, many squares seem almost empty compared to the crowded Christmas Markets, but the small restaurants often have outdoor tables loaded with people enjoying a drink or meal and people watching. The establishments extend out into the squares and have replaced some of the empty space.

Since sunset is after 9:30 PM (2130 hours) in the summer in June, it seems the days last forever and the weather is mild. On this trip in particular, the weather has been spectacular—temps in the 60’s-70’s in the day and only a small rain shower for about an hour or so.

The wonderful thing about visiting Europe is seeing the people in their outdoor living rooms—the public places of Europe where the gather to visit, eat and enjoy life.

Both seasons are great, but just have a different feel and vibe.

The Wellness Program

In the summer, the already excellent Wellness Program has more activities due to the better, milder weather and program upgrades.

We got an early look at the program in the winter with the onboard wellness host, Selena on the AmaKristina. It was very good—as I have earned a master’s Degree in Physical Fitness, I think I have the credentials to properly evaluate the program.

Let me be clear—it is robust, fun and I was taken back about how many different activities were offered—it by far is the best fitness program on the Europe rivers by any company!

Jane, Len and Marcelo getting ready for a bike tour.

They offer stretching, Yoga, resistance bands, core exercises, bike tours and jogging tours. All are professionally led—Marcello, from Portugal, was our onboard wellness host and he did an outstanding job!

Selena, now the overall director of the program, has created a wonderful addition to Europe river cruising—well done!

The Tours

The tours do not change much except during the Christmas Markets, there is more time to visit the markets and each cruise manager helps folks learn about where to go to get their special gift or decoration.

The tours are well planned and fun. As we have been on this route 4 times, we know about each offering and have either been to the place on the offered tour or have seen it on our own.

This is one way we add value to your cruise—we use our first hand experience to advise you of which tour at what pace would be best for you. On this summer trip alone, we have a very active couple who completed most of the active and wellness activities, to include the bike tours, others who enjoy the normal paced tours and one couple who like the gentle walkers tours. They have used our advice to enhance their onboard experience.

The range of tour activities and the pace of a tour just enhances the guest experience—again AmaWaterways is right on the mark!

Life Onboard

AmaSerena Lounge

It is amazing to me how consistent AmaWaterways is in delivering a great experience at a reasonable price. The meals and service is always good. Somehow the crew, who always work long hour away from their families, are pleasant, caring and really want you to have a great time. In 17 cruises, we think it gets better each time.

Anne with Jess at German food party while sailing—see the hard working crew in the background?

I wrote about high performing organizations in a past blog, and AmaWaterways is certainly high performing. Each person in the 47 person crew does their job professionally with a smile and tries to make you feel special.

My Ama Cruise App

A new feature on AmaWaterways is a mobile App that helps improve your travel experiences.

The App allows to know your full cruise itinerary, post pictures to an album, and has the Daily Cruiser, your detailed hour by hour schedule of each day.

If you post photos, you can send them to family and friends in an attractive email postcard. Friends can also follow your cruise progress on a live tracking map.

Rhine River Gorge Castle 2019–I can add this photo to my cruise App

Very good descriptions of each port of call on your itinerary is also available to you when using the App.

The App also keeps track of your past and future cruise memories all in one place.

While sending the notices to others requires a WiFi or internet connection, it still can be used offline to record pictures and read about the sights or your daily programs. When internet service becomes available, it will update when you open the App.

It first came out in early December of 2018 and is better now in June of 2019.

Great, innovative idea!

My Final Thoughts

What a great company!—no wonder I still rate them the number one company for Europe river cruises. They have earned this spot and still keep it!

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise experts, and Europe destination experts. We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe. We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you. We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip. You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience. And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process. We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you! We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel. Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com. We want to help you: Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations! Your journey begins here!

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 48 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent