We completed the Melodies of the Danube crusie: Budapest to Vilshofen, October 13 to October 20, 2016. This was our second cruise with Amawaterways. The first cruise, two years ago with the AmaLegro on the Seine, became the benchmark against which all other vacations since have been judged and found lacking. We were worried we had built up our expectations too high and might be disappointed by our second river cruise with Amawaterways. We were delighted to find the Amaviola, her Captain and crew, not only met our expectations, but exceeded them. Our cabin and the entire ship was tastefully decorated. The cabin had ample storage space to allow us to store our clothing and other belongings for the journey and the bed allowed for a comfortable night’s sleep.

This newer ship has included more electrical outlets and charging stations to accommodate the electronic devices most of us use today. The bathroom was also equipped with what I assume were tiny LED lights to softly illuminate the room in the night, to allow you to use it without the blinding glare of turning on the overhead light: a small, but thoughtful inclusion. Warm cosy robes and slippers are also provided, but for the colder months, to improve an already wonderful experience, we would welcome heated tiled floors in the bathroom for future upgrades to the accommodations.

The housekeeping staff did an exceptional job of keeping our cabin and the ship spotlessly clean. The culinary staff ensured every morsel of food offered was delicious, with eye-pleasing presentations; it was next to impossible not to at least sample a bite of everything! The fresh local foods were well-complemented by very nice wine pairings. We would have also liked to have had the opportunity to sample some of wide variety of the locally brewed beers with our meals. The servers in the dining room and bar were warm, friendly and very professional and efficient in the performance of their duties, helping to keep us all relaxed, comfortable and very well-fed. Read more