We have thoroughly enjoyed twenty ocean cruises over the last fifteen years. But, a major frustration with ocean cruises is that they can only visit ports that are on the oceans. Since we have always wanted to visit Budapest and Prague, the best way to do that would be on a Danube River cruise. This would also give us a chance to visit several other wonderful cities and get to experience our first European river cruise. We decided to travel with AMA Waterways on their brand new ship, the Amalyra. We had heard very good reports about AMA, and the itinerary we chose allowed us to have a one week river cruise with a two night pre-cruise stay in Budapest and a 3 night post-cruise stay in Prague.
Pre-Cruise in Budapest, HungaryAs we checked into our hotel we met our Cruise Director for the next twelve days, Bori Gulyas from Budapest. She was very helpful and seemed quite pleasant despite the numerous requests she was addressing. Bori did an outstanding job during the entire trip and we could not have been happier with her. She worked very hard at keeping everything under control and making our trip as enjoyable as possible. She couldn’t do enough for the guests and was always trying to help. We really lucked out having Bori as our CD. She was great!AMA had put us up in a very nice hotel, The Kempinski Hotel Corvinus (http://kempinski-budapest.com/ ). We had read good comments about the hotel and it lived up to our expectations.
We had booked reservations through our hotel for dinner at a very popular and highly recommended restaurant, Café Kor. The restaurant was only a couple of blocks from the hotel. We made the reservation for 6:00 PM since we knew we would be tired from traveling all day. Since we would only be in Budapest on Saturday and Sunday nights and Café Kor is closed on Sunday, I had been concerned that we might miss our only opportunity to eat there had the flight been delayed any longer. The restaurant was smaller than I expected it to be, so I was really glad we had reservations. We had a very helpful and friendly waiter; and we sure needed help to understand the menu. They had an English version, but the food and its description was quite different from what we are used to. I ordered steamed veal with vegetable sauce on pasta, and Carol had a shish kebab with medallion potatoes and Greek salad. Both dinners were just incredibly delicious. We finished off the meal by sharing a type of apple pie with probably the best vanilla ice cream ever. Café Kor had been a great choice for our first Hungarian meal.
Budapest – Day 2
When we woke up, we were glad to see that it was not raining; the forecast had shown rain for the next two days. It had rained during the night, but hopefully the rain would stay away, because our city tour was planned for 9:00 AM till 1:00 PM. We were very pleased with the buffet breakfast that was included at the hotel. While Carol was organizing our room, I walked over to the main shopping area, Vaci Utca Street. It was just a block from the hotel, so I knew it was going to be a frequently visited area for us. The hotel was really convenient to everything. I always enjoy walking around towns in the morning before the crowds arrive. Since the Danube was only a couple of blocks away, I had to check it out, too. I had another great view of Buda Castle, and I could see a sister ship of our Amalyra, the Amadagio, across the river.When I returned to the hotel, I showed Carol the way to the shopping area, since there was still a half hour before the tour. She got a kick out of the portable elephant statues that were all around the area. Some were used for advertising, and some were just decorated. After returning to the hotel for the tour, Bori organized everyone into the proper groupings for each bus. We were in the Yellow group with tour guide Agnes. She was easy to understand and provided a very good narrative for us. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of all the tour guides AMA used at all the stops during the entire trip. Agnes told us that due to the Pentecost Holiday, which is a National Holiday in Hungary, we would not be able to go to Hero’s Square; and would instead go to Gellert Hill.
Apparently many roads are closed for special activities during the holiday, which prevents the bus from getting to Hero’s Square. On top of Gellert Hill are the Citadel, the Statue of Liberation and a great panoramic view looking down on Budapest. It was unfortunate that it was a cloudy day for photos; but it was a very nice place to visit in person. Our next stop was at the Buda Castle, where we just walked around to get a view of the castle from the grounds and another view looking down into town. Since we didn’t get to go inside the castle, the main attraction there was another restroom stop. Without visiting the inside of the palace, there isn’t much of a reason to stop there. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time in Budapest to return later on our own.The last stop on the tour was Fisherman’s Bastion. It is a lovely area with a street leading to the Bastion with various shops. Unfortunately, while there, the rains began and were on and off for the rest of the day. The structure of the Bastion is a large wall with a walkway on top. The towers at various points give it a mystical look and it is just a lovely place to visit. Once again there was a very good view of the city from the wall; and it is right across the river from the Parliament building.
We were looking forward to a tour we had booked on our own to visit the inside of the Parliament building the next day before we boarded the Amalyra. I was particularly impressed with the large equestrian statue of King St. Stephen in the center of the Bastion walls. Most of the group waited under a bridge for the bus to pick us up. With the rain and the wind, it was getting a bit uncomfortable and we were looking for any protection possible from the elements. After we returned to the hotel, we walked over to the famous Café Gerbeaud, which was a block away. It had a reputation for wonderful desserts and sandwiches.
After our club sandwiches, we passed on dessert to keep from overeating, again. After lunch, Carol decided to go shopping down the Vaci Utca, while I began a walking tour of several places I had planned on visiting from my pre-cruise research. The first stop was to the Opera House, where they have English tours at 3:00 PM and 4:00 PM. Agnes told us that they frequently cancel the 4:00 PM tour due to setting up for an evening show, so I bought 3:00 PM tickets. I arrived early to make sure I didn’t miss getting a ticket. I had seen the outside of the building from the bus during our tour in the morning, so it was easy to find again. As the tour continued, I kept expecting to see some plain rooms; but everything in the building was ornate. The 50 minute tour cost 2,800 Hungarian Florins or about $14 US. I very highly recommend this tour. Don’t miss it.The next stop on my walking tour was to the St. Stephen’s Cathedral. It is a large building that can be seen from all over the city due to its twin steeples and large dome. It is just a beautiful church.
After leaving St. Stephens, I was getting tired; but I was determined to visit the Doheny Street Synagogue. It is also called the Great Synagogue. It is the largest active synagogue in Europe and has a very unique Byzantine-Moorish style architecture, so it was on my must see list. It was a pretty long walk and I would pay the price later; but I am glad I went. We had seen the outside of the building while on the bus in the morning and it was quite unique looking. As I dragged myself back to the hotel I passed some interesting buildings and statues. Budapest is a great city to walk around. It is very safe and the people are friendly. I was pleased that most people could speak some English. Thank goodness, since I certainly didn’t know any Hungarian.
Before going to the room, I asked our Cruise Director Bori, for a dinner recommendation. Since it was Sunday night, most of the restaurants that I had read about were closed. She recommended one that was a couple of blocks away at the river called Dunacorso (www.dunacorso.hu/). It was in a great location with a very nice view of the river. Once again we had a very friendly and helpful waiter. We both ordered the Kolozsvári style Stuffed Cabbage. When it arrived, in addition to the stuffed cabbage and sauerkraut, there was also a sausage and a pork chop on the plate. This meal was so good, and Carol swears it was the best cabbage roll she had ever tasted. We were really liking Hungarian food! After dinner we walked around a little bit and went back to the hotel to download the many photos I had taken. Since the hotel had free WIFI, I looked up the Dunacorso restaurant. I found some comments about the restaurant saying that it was close to a well known statue I had been looking for called the Little Princess. I would have to go back in the morning to see if I could find the statue.
I had a voice mail to call the front desk. They told me that I had gotten a message that our Parliament Building tour had been cancelled. I was very disappointed, since we had really been looking forward to visiting this most recognized of Budapest buildings. I don’t know why it was cancelled, probably due to the holiday; but we would still enjoy our last day in Budapest.
Budapest – Day 3
After a very good night’s sleep, I was ready to head out to find the Little Princess statue and to see if I could see the Amalyra that was to have arrived in Budapest that morning. I walked to the Dunacorso and right next to it was the Little Princess. I couldn’t believe that I had looked all over for it, and we had eaten right next to it. It looks more like a Little Prince, but it is named the Little Princess. Everyone wants their picture taken with the bronze elf. You can see how shiny her legs are from people rubbing it and from children sitting on its lap for photos. Its a great place for photos since it is across the river from the castle.
The highlight of the morning was looking right across the river and seeing our accommodations for the next seven days, the AMA Waterways Amalyra. I was anxious to get back to the hotel to bring Carol down to see my morning’s discoveries While Carol was resting with a large Coke at a restaurant, I walked further down the street looking for a church that I had read about. While looking for it, I found a pretty, little church named St. Michael's, so I went inside. When I finally found the church I was originally looking for, it was closed. Oh well, there would be plenty more to see. We stopped at a restaurant for lunch that had a lovely exterior. It was called Sorforra's. The food was good, but the portions were way too large and we left more than we ate.
We walked around some more, stopping at various shops. When we were on our way back to the hotel to catch the bus for the Amalyra, we passed Café Gerbaud. We decided to stop and share a dessert, since we hadn’t had one the last time we were there. We chose an ice cream dessert that was quite good. If we had had more time in Budapest, I would have tried several more of their treats. It was probably good for our waistlines that we were only there for two nights. At last we were on the bus to board the Amalyra. To keep the check-in process less crowded, they gave us a 20 minute city tour along the river. That way some people could be checking in while others were touring. One of the sites that I had missed during yesterday’s tour was the Shoes on the Danube Promenade, where there were 120 iron shoes placed along the River. t is a memorial to Jewish Hungarians who were slaughtered by the pro-Nazi Hungarian Arrow Cross Militiamen and then thrown into the Danube at that spot on the river. They were told to take off their shoes before they were killed. Now, sixty pairs of cast iron shoes, cast in the styles of the 40's, stand in remembrance of those people shot into the Danube during the Arrow Cross terror on January 8, 1945.
Kempinski Room
Opera House
The Danube
Cruise Itinerary
Ports of Call Our main reason for taking this river cruise was to be able to experience Eastern Europe’s interior cities that cannot be visited while on an ocean cruise. We could not have been happier with the many ports since all of them were new to us. Each one was quite special and most enjoyable. Bratislava, Slovakia After our first night on the ship we were looking forward to a morning of river cruising before our arrival in Bratislava at 1:00 PM. Everyone was anticipating going through our first lock at around 9:30 AM, the Gabcikovo Lock. Bori narrated what was happening from the wheelhouse. The sundeck speaker system works very well and could be easily heard. This was one of the larger locks we would go through, since it allowed two river boats to be side by side. We shared it with the Viking Pride and some barges. AMA has a very nice way of doing tours using vox audio devices.Each person on the ship was given their own behind the ear headset to use throughout the cruise.The earphones attached to a small cell phone size receiver that picked up the guide’s conversation.It was the same color as the tour group you were assigned to.There was a pink group for people that wanted to take a very slow tour, a red group for those interested in a faster tour; and blue, green and yellow tours for everyone in between. It was so nice to have relatively small groups and to be able to hear the tour guide when I couldn’t get close to her, or if I was away from the group taking photos.At the end of the tour the receivers were turned back in to be recharged overnight for the next day’s tour.It’s a great system.For this tour, we were in a group with Ludmila as our guide.She was a real character and very informative.As soon as we met her we knew it was going to be a nice tour. Bratislava has some unusual statues around town.They do get a lot of attention.You have to be careful that you don’t trip over “Man at Work” because it is in the sidewalk.I still don’t know why there is one of Andy Warhol; and the Napoleon one is kind of strange.But, they are all a light hearted touch to the city and provide funny photo ops. Vienna, Austria
Vienna is one of the cities we have always wanted to visit.In addition to the four hour city tour that was included with the cruise from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, we had also booked an optional four hour tour to the Schoenbrunn Palace from 1:00 PM till 5:00 PM.To add to our day, we had also booked the optional Mozart & Strauss Concert from 7:15 PM till 10:30 PM.It was going to be one very full day.And based on the lovely church close to the dock, it looked like it was going to be great sightseeing day. Our city tour was with Martina.We loaded onto the busses and headed for the majestic Ringstrasse or Ring Street.The avenue circles the old town and contains some of the most beautiful buildings in Vienna and possibly the world.On our way to town we got our first view of one of Vienna’s landmarks, the massive Prater’s Wheel.It is a 200 ft tall Ferris wheel that was built in 1897, and is still operational.We would pass by it many more times during the day.We were riding by some incredibly beautiful buildings.I couldn’t wait to get out of the bus to get better views of them.Since we were on the Ringstrasse, we were going around the outside of them.When we started walking, we would get to see the real beauty close up.The more we drove, the more oohing and aahing could be heard in the bus.Vienna was some gorgeous city.While walking over to Joseph Square and the National Library, we got to see the world famous Lipizzaner Stallions.They were being moved from their stables to the Spanish Riding School where the horses and riders are trained, which is also part of the Hofburg. Martina told us that we could get tickets to see them practicing during our free time in Vienna after the tour.Since Carol has always wanted to see them, she planned on doing just that. Once back on the boat, those who were going on the optional Mozart & Strauss Concert excursion had a special early dinner seating time at 5:30 PM, rather than the 6:45 PM for those that were staying on the boat.Over 90 of the 127 people on the cruise went to the concert.Once again, we had Martina to lead our group.Once again we headed to the Ringstrasse to get to the Hofburg where the concert was being held. Earlier when we were touring the Schoenbrunn Palace, Martina had pointed out a large painting on one of the walls that showed Hofburg Palace's Redoutensaal Hall where we would be for the concert that night.It was quite beautiful.She said that in 1994 there had been a fire that damaged the room quite extensively and that the original frescoes were destroyed.The hall had been restored; but a bit differently than the original look.We were anxious to see how it had been remodeled since she had said that it was controversial. We couldn’t believe it when we walked into the large room in such a beautiful palace and saw the horrendous orange and red paintings all over the walls and ceiling.How could this have been approved by the city leaders!They did leave much of the elegance; but the new paintings just spoiled the look for us.To us, the bright colors actually distracted our attention from the wonderful performance. But, we were there for the music not to be architectural critics. The symphony started out playing some lovely music. Then for each piece a singer would come out and perform along with the orchestra. There were three women and two men. They were some very talented professional singers. There was even some comedy with one of the percussionists hamming it up with the conductor on a couple of pieces. It was an excellent show and well worth the cost and time. Before we came, I had been worried if it would be something I would enjoy; but I was quite glad I listened to the many recommendations to attend the concert. Durnstein and Melk, Austria This was going to be an interesting day; but I wished it could have started out later, so we could have had an extra hour of sleep.We were going to visit the medieval town of Durnstein on an 8:30 AM tour and then cruise to the town of Melk to visit the famous abbey.Carol had decided to pass on the Durnstein tour so that she would have more stamina for Melk.As we approached Durnstein, which is in the Wachau Valley, it was quite apparent that we were coming into a much more beautiful section of the Danube. The two main attractions in Durnstein are the Blue Church and the ruins of the castle where Richard the Lion Hearted was imprisoned in 1192.
We started out the walk with a lovely guide named Katrin.She told us about the history of the area as we walked into town.She told us that we were quite lucky to be visiting before the tourist season started in a couple weeks.This town, with less than a thousand inhabitants, receives a million visitors a year. The tour lasted about an hour.Since Katrin had said that it was just a 20 minute walk up to the castle ruins, I thought I would see if I could get up there.She exaggerated!Or she was a much faster mountain walker than the tourists that day.I started climbing up the very steep and narrow path to the castle.It was not an easy task.I was pretty much going by myself until I came to a woman who was sitting on a rock.She told me that she had given up and let her husband go on further.It just didn’t look that much further to the stone wall that I thought was around the castle.A little further up the road there were a couple of more women with a similar story.We men are foolish people. As I went a bit further, I finally ran into a fellow who was coming down.At last I could get some feedback on how much further it actually was to the castle.Unfortunately, he didn’t know since he had given up and was coming down.Apparently the stone wall wasn’t even close to the ruins.A couple more guys came down and they had been to the castle and said that I wasn’t even half way up the mountain.Since I had already made myself miserable for 15 minutes, I threw in the towel and headed down with just a few photos to show for my efforts.Oh well, at least I had been burning calories, or so I reasoned with myself. Upon my return to the Amalyra, a group was starting out on a bike ride from Durnstein to Melk.The ship provides free bicycles.It is about 20 miles and is supposed to be a beautiful ride.They would meet us at the dock.If I were a long distance bike rider, I wouldn’t have missed this ride for anything.But I’m not, so I didn’t. We arrived in Melk around 2:00 PM.We had seen the massive Melk Abbey up on the hill before we docked.It looked impressive.I had read lots about how beautiful it was, but really didn’t know what to expect.It was a short drive up the hill to the abbey, and we got a great view of our destination through the bus windows. When we were finally able to enter the building, I was a bit surprised.The first room we walked into was bathed in green light and was very modern.It had some photos on the wall and a few displays.The next room was similar but was blue and the next, I believe yellow.I was wondering what had happened to this world famous 300 year old Baroque structure.We then went into a couple of rooms that were more like a normal museum with lots of treasures from the Abbey’s past.In the next room there was a model showing the full size of the abbey.This was a big place and we were walking through the whole length of it. We then climbed some stairs and came out on the Terrace.There we got a great view of the church and wonderful panoramas looking down on the town of Melk. From the Terrace, we walked to the library.It was a lovely room, but after visiting the awesome Austrian National Library in Vienna, I wasn’t expecting to be as impressed as I was.The Austrians really know how to put together beautiful libraries. Salzburg, Austria; Passau, Germany
We had been looking forward to this day since we first booked this trip.We would be traveling to The Sound of Music country, Salzburg.Having dreamed of visiting this beautiful part of the world from the first time we had seen Julie Andrews dancing on the mountain in the movie many years ago, we were ready to see the real thing. The boat would make a short stop in the town of Linz to drop us off to take our tour bus to Salzburg.The passengers who chose to stay on the boat would have a lovely day of cruising down one of the lovelier sections of the Danube.I wish I could have done both, but Salzburg was a higher priority.Our tour guide for the day would be Helmut, who was dressed in traditional Bavarian garb.We could quickly tell that he loved his job and would be a great guide. Salzburg is arranged so there aren’t many cross streets.Instead they use passages that pass through buildings.It is an interesting way to get around, but I had to be careful not to get lost, since it can be confusing to find the right passage.We walked over to the Getreidegasse, which is the most important shopping street in the city.Since the city requires the shop signs to remain in the old style, it really makes the area special.Even McDonalds had to comply.Everywhere we went in Salzburg was packed with tourists, especially there.I guess the season had started early in Salzburg. Regensburg, Germany Before we were to arrive at 1:00 PM, we would have a nice cruise up the Danube.The countryside was scenic and there were interesting structures to look at.On the way up the river, we got to pass under what I thought were some low bridges.I would find out the next day that these weren’t that low.We also passed through some locks and I got a good view of the floating moorings that the boat is attached to while in the locks. At 11:00 AM we had a “Get in the Mood for Bavaria” pre-meal called Fruehschoppen in the Main Lounge.We had a white sausage, ham, pretzels and beer.While in Salzburg, Helmut had told us to try the white sausages, which are called “fresh sausages” because they are supposed to be made the same day they are eaten.We didn’t get to try them in Salzburg, so I was glad we would get a chance on the boat.They had a very mild taste, but were quite edible and very different from any sausages we have ever had. After our snack, we went to lunch at 12:00 PM.We weren’t exactly hungry anymore.That was until we saw that for lunch Jozsef was carving a roasted pig.We had to try a little as well as some of the other items that were being served for the Bavarian Lunch at the buffet.Way too much delicious food on this cruise! Nuremberg, Germany Once again we had a morning to cruise the river before we got off the ship to head for Nuremberg.During the night we had left the Danube River and were now cruising on the Main Danube Canal.It is a 106 mile canal that was completed in 1992.We would pass through 7 of the 16 locks; but would miss most of them due to the way we toured to Nuremberg. One of the interesting things that would happen this morning was that we would be crossing the European Continental Divide; which is the highest point on the canal.Up until now when we entered a lock, the water would raise us up to the next level.
After passing the Divide, the locks would bring us down to a lower level.Bori was discussing this event over the loud speaker network so that everyone would know when we crossed it.When we finally got there, we saw the large concrete markers on both sides of the canal.Later in the day, we would receive certificates in our cabin indicating that we had made the crossing.I guess that it is something like celebrating when cruising over the equator on an ocean cruise.
We had a choice of two different tours in Nuremberg, the Medieval Nuremberg tour or the World War II tour.In researching, I read that some of the better World War II sites weren’t on this tour; plus since I appreciate medieval sites, we chose the medieval tour.When we got back to the ship later, several people we talked to complained that their WWII tour was a total waste of time; which is a shame, since ours was quite nice.As we arrived into town, I could see that Nuremberg was a very old town.The buildings were different from other cities we had visited.I was fascinated with the snow holders on the roof that looked like little fences to hold the snow from falling to the ground. Disembarkation and Post-Cruise Unlike ocean cruises, where luggage has to be out on the last night, on this cruise we didn’t have to put out luggage until 7:00 AM on the disembarkation day.It really does make the process less of a hassle.During and after breakfast we said our farewells to the wonderful Amalyra staff.We had become very fond of several of them and would certainly miss our new friends. Although we were going to have to leave the Amalyra, the trip still had three more days to go; and they would be spent in Prague.Most of our fellow travelers were also going on to Prague as was our Cruise Director, Bori.We were scheduled to leave the ship at 8:25 AM, which didn’t give the crew much time to clear the luggage from the hallways; but they did fine.I looked out of our balcony to see that the luggage was being put on the dock for us to identify before it was moved to the assigned busses.Although it was challenging to find each piece of luggage with all the people trying to do the same thing, once a piece was identified, it was marked and quickly moved to the bus.Everyone was helping to move the luggage, even the Captain.
Like I said earlier in the review, this staff was a team and everyone helped out to get the job done.
Bratislavia
Durnstein
Melk
On Board The Amalyra
We had a French Balcony; which is a sliding glass door with a railing outside of the door. This is really all that is needed. As long as I can put my head outside to look around and feel the temperature, I am happy. With the sundeck being so close, I wouldn’t have used a full balcony if I had one. One of the warnings that are given is to make sure that the ship is not entering a lock before sticking your head out of your balcony, because it would be easy to be injured by the sides of the lock, since the ship gets so close to them.
The cabin had two chairs by the balcony, that were comfortable to use, and one of them also served as a chair for the small desk area. A nice flat panel TV that had many entertainment options was a nice touch. The main thing I used it for was to watch the camera at the front of the ship to see what was coming up. I did watch the CNN channel a few times, but never looked to see what movies were offered, since we just didn’t have time to watch a movie. The TV also has a keyboard attached to it and is used as a monitor for the free Internet connection that is accessed through the TV system. It worked rather well, so I didn’t need to use my laptop other than for downloading and viewing photos.
The bed was firmer than we are used to; but it was comfortable enough. We had the two beds pushed together, but there were still two separate duvet covers, which was a nice way to do it. The air conditioning system in the cabin worked very well, so we were able to keep the cabin nice and cool all night for good sleeping.
One of the concerns that people have with cabins that are close to the back of the ship is vibration. The vibration we experienced was very minor. It was more noticeable when slowing down or accelerating around locks and obviously when docking, but it was not noticeable enough to be considered a negative.
The bathroom was a nice surprise. Like the cabin it was well laid out. The shower had three heads: the rain type at the top of the shower, a handheld type and a moveable head in the middle of the shower. The controls allowed various selections of different heads and type of sprays. It was a very nice feature. Although the triangular shaped shower didn’t appear that large, it was quite adequate for my oversized body; and having a door rather than a curtain is always nicer.
Dress
The dress for the cruise is casual, with smart casual for evening dinners. Jeans were the most popular attire during the daytime, since the temperature was normally in the 50’s-60’s and only got over 70 a few times. Still, some people did wear shorts. I would have liked to a few days, but with the weather forecast normally being for cloudy or rainy weather, we never used our shorts. Fortunately, we had very little rain while on the cruise despite the forecast.
I had decided against bringing a sport coat, since smart casual would not require one. However, I was in a minority for the two Captain’s Receptions where most men wore a jacket. On those nights a few women even wore simple cocktail dresses; but most just wore a dress or a dressier slacks outfit.
Food
Having been on many ocean cruises, we had lowered our expectations of the food quality for this cruise, even though we had read some good reviews. We found the food to be as good as many of the ocean cruises we had been on, and better than some. The presentation was superb. The service was very good and the attitude of the whole dining staff was amazing.
Carol fell in love with the maître d', Jozsef Vagany from Budapest. He had a wonderful personality and was always upbeat and smiling. His personality must have been contagious, since we were surprised at how all of the restaurant/bar staff really seemed to enjoy their jobs. They seemed genuinely happy to serve us and kidded regularly with each other and the guests. It really made for such a pleasant dining experience. The staffing is quite tight on these ships and they had to work very hard; but they helped each other in a team effort and it just worked wonderfully.
For breakfast there was a very nice buffet with all the standard items; and as mentioned earlier, items such as Eggs Benedict, oatmeal or other items that might not be on the buffet could be ordered. Jozsef was the egg/omelet maker. He did a great job of taking care of all the passengers while providing entertainment during the wait for the eggs to cook. There was never a long line, since he was very good at what he did. Coffee and pastries were also available in the Main Lounge before and after the breakfast times for those who woke up early, late, or just didn’t want a full breakfast.
For lunch the salads, appetizers, desserts and lighter items were provided on the buffet. The main courses and soups were chosen from the menu. It was a very efficient way of serving lunch, since it allowed those that just wanted a lighter lunch to be able to eat quickly and leave if they wanted to. Hamburgers and cheeseburgers were also available. There was also a lighter lunch offered in the Main Lounge with some of the same items as on the buffet for those that didn’t want to go to the restaurant. I don’t believe that anyone went hungry on this cruise.
As would be expected, the dinner menus had fewer options than on an ocean cruise. There was a chef’s recommendation on the left side of the menu that showed the various items that he thought were the best choices; as well as several alternative selections that were available every night. Also on the left side are the free wines that would be offered for dinner, a nice feature for wine drinkers. Different ones were offered each night. Since we don’t care that much for wine, I can’t comment on the quality of the wines; but most people seemed to enjoy them. I instead enjoyed the free beer at dinner; and Carol enjoyed the free Coke/Sprite. Although they were included with dinner, there were charges for these drinks at lunch and at other times during the day.
On the right side of the dinner menu were three choices for appetizers / salad, two for soups, three entrees and two desserts. With all meals there was a nice selection of cheeses, crackers and fruits that you could walk up to and take as much as you wanted. Since I am a cheese lover, this was a great feature. The three main entrée choices were a fish meal, a meat/poultry meal and a vegetarian meal. We chose the meat selection every night and were quite pleased with it. We were very surprised at the variety and quality of food on such a small ship.
At lunch and dinner, we could not believe how good the soups were. Even the consommé ones were extremely good. The only area we were not satisfied with was the salad dressings. Many of them did not taste like what we were expecting. For lunch there was always a selection of three different ice creams with all the toppings. They were also quite good.
We both fell in love with a drink attendant from Budapest named Tina. She was able to serve drinks, fill up water glasses and share her sparkling personality with everyone in the restaurant/lounge. Both Tina and Jozsef really made this cruise quite special for us.
Entertainment
We did not expect much from the entertainment, since it was a small ship and you can only do so much with limited space. However, it was better than I expected and rather enjoyable after very full touring days. The entertainers, other than the one night they had a crew talent show, were locals from the towns we were visiting.
The first entertainers, from Bratislava, were called Aphrodite. They were five girls who played piano, violins, cello, and flute. They played mostly songs from movies and were quite talented.
While in Passau, we had the highlight of the week’s entertainment with a three person group that had a guitar player and two exceptional violinists. The melding of the sounds in mostly classical type music was just amazing. They were outstanding and brought the crowd to standing ovations. I now wish that I had bought their CD that was offered. They were that good.
In Regensburg, we had the Bavarian Humpa Humpa Oberpfalz Duo. How’s that for a name that just flows off your tongue? They were two local musicians named Hans and Helmut who played the accordion and guitar. It was definitely a taste of local flavor and amusing.
Amalyra Cabin
Breakfast
Aprhrodite
Prague
Prague, Czech Republic We arrived at our home for the next three nights, the President Hotel (www.hotelpresident.cz/). It really stood out, since it was of a modern design, unlike most of the buildings in the area. There was a long line to check in. Fortunately Bori had us fill in some registration forms the night before on the boat, so the process went much quicker then I expected. When we looked for our room on the fourth floor, we found that we had a corner room. We walked into a small entry area leading into the main room. WOW!! It was an awesome room. The views were just incredible. We could look out on to the river from either side of the corner windows. Looking the other way as well as from the entry area was the view of a lovely church and a courtyard. The room itself was very spacious and the bathroom quite large and nicely appointed. Coming from a small river boat cabin, it felt like we were in a mansion. We had really lucked out. After we got settled in, a group of us took a walk to get a preview of Prague. I couldn’t believe what a pretty city it was. Every building was ornate or decorated. All of us were walking around with our heads looking up. It reminded me of our previous visit to Barcelona, where we did the same thing; but the architecture was very different there. Just a few short blocks from the hotel, we came to Old Town Square. What a beautiful area. I knew I would be coming back there many more times over the next three days. As soon as I returned, we were ready to head back out for dinner. Bori had recommended the Kolkovna Restaurant, which was between our President Hotel and Old Town Square; so it was just a short walk. http://www.kolkovna.cz/index.php?language=en&place=11&show=hot We found a table outside, since the weather was perfect. Plus it was kind of warm when we had checked out the inside of the restaurant. We were lucky to get an outside table, since it was a busy restaurant and is a prime spot to eat for locals. Getting an outside table usually involves a lengthy wait. We weren’t too hungry because we had eaten lunch late in Karlovy Vary, so Carol just ordered a bowl of Country Cabbage Soup that was made with sauerkraut. She just loved it. I ordered a Smoked Pork Hock Roasted in Black Beer. My goodness, what a tasty meal, especially with the local Czech beer, Pilsner Urquell. We really liked this.
Prague – Day 2 After a wonderful night’s sleep, we took advantage of the included buffet breakfast. As with the Kempinski Hotel in Budapest, the President offered a very good breakfast. AMA had picked out two excellent hotels for this group. The location, service and food were all top notch at both hotels. Our city tour started at 9:00 AM. Since we weren’t on the ship any more, we didn’t have the vox audio devices to hear our guide, Renata. We had been spoiled. It was really difficult to hear what she was telling us due to the large loud crowds and not being able to stay close to her. The bus took us up Castle Hill to the Hradcany Castle The tour was over and it was lunch time, so back to the hotel I headed to get Carol. We were anxious to have another meal at Kolkovna. Carol had the Traditional Bohemian Cabbage Pancakes and I had the Potato Soup in a bread bowl. Once again Carol had gone with a sauerkraut based meal. She really liked the sauerkraut in this part of the world. Both of our meals once again were just delicious.
Before we left home, I had made reservations for a very special restaurant that I had read about during my research. We were going to eat at Restaurant Zvonice ( http://www.restaurantzvonice.cz/ ). It is the only restaurant in Europe that is in a bell tower and situated over the original frame which holds the original bell which was cast in 1518. The restaurant wasn’t too far away, but it was far enough and we were tired enough to have the hotel call a taxi. The restaurant only seats 22 people and is definitely more expensive than the average Prague eatery, but the unique location itself makes it worth the premium if you are so inclined. The menu looked really good, but with the late lunch we had and overeating we had been doing all week, we weren’t that hungry. We did not order any appetizers since we wanted to be able to finish our main courses. It was the right decision, even though the appetizers looked really good. I ordered a chicken breast stuffed with blue cheese and walnuts, served on cognac sauce with au gratin potatoes and Brussels sprouts. Carol had the grilled chicken filet in Parma ham jacket served on green asparagus cream with ricotta-asparagus tortellini.
Prague – Day 3 This would be our last day in Prague and for this vacation. I had already cut back my list of places to visit in Prague because there just wasn’t enough time, plus I had been developing a cold over the last several days and it was reducing my stamina. But there were a few places that I wanted to visit that I could walk to. After breakfast I took off on my own to see the Spanish Synagogue. It was only a couple of blocks from the hotel and Bori had told us that it was a “must see”. She said that it was the most beautiful synagogue in Europe. I found that hard to believe after visiting the Doheny Street Synagogue in Budapest; but Bori had been right with all of her previous suggestions, so I had to go. I was able to get a photo of the back of the synagogue, which we passed whenever we went toward the square; but I was having a difficult time finding the entrance. At last I found how to enter, but it looked more like a store front than a place of worship. When I entered I was told to go back to get tickets from the booth next door. That seemed strange, but when I went to the ticket booth I understood better. There are many Jewish locations in this general area that can be visited and there are several ticket packages that can be obtained. It was really quite confusing. I wanted to visit the Spanish Synagogue and the Jewish Cemetery. In order to do this I had to get a ticket package that included some other places also. In addition, I wanted to take photos, so I had to buy a photo ticket. Unfortunately the only place photos could be taken was in the cemetery. I wasn’t pleased, since in Budapest I was able to take photos in their Synagogue with a photo ticket. Oh well, I would get over it. When I entered the synagogue, I understood why Bori had so strongly recommended it. It was just gorgeous. It is of a Moorish Revival architecture; which I had never heard of; but it was quite different from anything I had seen with its various colored geometric designs totally covering all the surfaces. I was so wanting to take a photo to be able to share and remember its beauty; but I begrudgingly complied with the rules. Here is a link to a Wikipedia article that has some photos. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Synagogue_(Prague) I quickly walked over to the fountain where Carol was patiently waiting for me. We planned to have lunch at our favorite place to eat, the Kolkovna Restaurant. Carol got the Meat Platter, which had a selection of meats as the name implied. I got some Venison Goulash. Once again everything was most delicious. After lunch Carol went back to the hotel to pack for our trip home tomorrow. I wanted to go back over to the section of town on the other side of the Charles Bridge to see the St. Nicholas Church. Being with the group tour yesterday, I didn’t get to explore some of the lovely areas in that part of town. The view near the bridge was very nice and there were some beautiful statues there also.
Avalon Waterways 2012 with Extra Discounts We have sailed the ships, slept in the beds, taken the shore excursions and eaten the food. Our prices are lower than the cruise lines.
