AmaWaterways Reviews

Working with Richelle was easy and made getting half way around the world go smoothly. The trip to eastern Europe was amazing. I highly recommend it. You are treated like royalty on the ship. The food and drink were excellent. Seeing a different part of the world, the history, people, etc. All just wonderful. I cannot recommend enough. We do not normally do trips like this and now I cannot wait to do another.

My 7 day river cruise was all I expected and more. The crew, accommodations, food and all the live music on board was above and beyond my expectations.

Fantastic week aboard Amalea. Huge thanks to Amy with Nimble Travel and Kudos to our cruise manager, Nick. Amazing organization and communication creating a warm, comfortable and festive week for everyone.

I signed on for the Rhine river cruise that was to have been on the Ama Lucia. A few days before, I got an email to say I would be on a different ship, the Ama Siena for at least part of the trip due to changes in water levels on the River. I understand nature cannot be controlled, but the "ship swap" half way through the journey really did not help the ambience of the experience. We were dropped off for the day in Heidelberg on a day when the town was almost shit down for a national holiday and it was pouring rain, not able to return to a bus or a ship. The cruise I was on was comprised of about 3/4 people from the travel industry, many who said they thought our situation was not due to the immediate weather but more to what had happened earlier in the month and that we were the company's attempt at getting their ships back on schedule - discouraging to hear! It also impacted our itinerary and we lost time in some places as a result. Also, the app was never updated so it was telling my children I was in Amsterdam when I was in fact in Basel! The ships were pretty identical, but the crew on the Ama Lucia not quite as good or nice - my room had a draft from a faulty French balcony window that the desk manager did not acknowledge (I took pictures) and the dining was not at all what I expected - the description stated "regional specialties" and I think we only had two dinners of those altogether. I was also told by Ama's Reservation Support Specialist and by the travel advisor who booked my trip that the Cruise Manager could help me with getting a case of wine shipped home. However, I immediately found out in port that this is not at all possible - wish I had know this ahead of time and I feel that either the travel agent or support staff should have known and told me up front. In general, I was not pleased at how little free time we had in each place we stopped - regardless of the ship swap, it just seemed so rushed all the time...not sure I will ever do another river cruise if this is typical.

We had two ships due to low water, so for the AmaSiena: Housekeeping was phenomenal - so kind and pleasant! I adored Sonja and she even taught me to say good morning in Serbian! Food was mediocre at best - three times I got undercooked fish so I stopped ordering fish. My tablemates likewise had doneness issues with their food. Food was salty and not great, even the Chaine des Rotisseurs dinner was a disappointment. If the food had been as good as on the AmaLucia (see below, second half of the voyage) I would have given the cruise 5 stars. The Chef's Table dinner was the standout - really fantastic! The wait staff were amazing at every meal. Reception was professional and competent if not a bit cold/aloof. Tours were fantastic! For the AmaLucia: Housekeeping was good, I didn't really interact with them, but service was great, especially since they had to deal with the passengers being switched between ships. Food was fantastic - completely different experience as absolutely everything was perfect. Wait staff were great too - Dicky was a standout on this ship. Reception was really helpful and pleasant. Tours were also fantastic. The captain was a joy - he really had a nice presence with the guests and was fun and genuine. Thank you!

We were a little worried about going to the Middle East at this time, because of the war going on in Israel. We shouldn't have been concerned at all. During our entire trip, my husband and I felt completely safe and taken care of. Our guides, Loui in Jordan and Waala in Egypt, provided so much information that we were amazed at their knowledge. Our group of nineteen became family by the time we arrived in Egypt and we enjoyed this wonderful trip together. The AmaDahlia was very beautiful and the crew couldn't have been any more caring. If we wanted something to eat, we just had to ask for it. If we were in need of anything, it was provided for us. This was a place my husband and I have wanted to go to for a very long time, and it didn't disappoint. We saw so many amazing places and experienced so much that we both agreed that this was one of our favorite trips. I would recommend this trip with Ama to anyone without hesitation and would stress that we never felt unsafe at any time. This truly was a trip of a lifetime! Thanks to everyone on land and on the river for making our vacation one that we will never forget. Also, thanks for celebrating our 50th anniversary with a delicious cake and recognition from the crew.

The crew -- all of them -- could not have been more delightful, knowledgeable, or kind. They always seemed to enjoy what they were doing and where they were. I know I did.

The trip exceeded our expectations! The beauty and magic of the River, castles and European towns created memories we won't forget. The hospitality of the staff on board the boat was wonderful. Everything was kept exceptionally clean. We had a great time meeting other guests. There were numerous great excursions at each stop that all sounded so fun we had a hard time each day deciding. Can't wait for our next chance to cruise!

My Avoya travel agent, Sarah Weiner, is a very pleasant, meticulous and efficient agent. She made great reservations for the flight and the cruise. She kept me up to date on everything, sent me all my documents, was very helpful and wished me a wonderful trip. I would use her again. The cruise was well organized from the moment that AMAWaterways met me upon arrival to the moment that AMAWaterways dropped me off at the airport for the trip back home, the ship was spotless, the food was excellent, the staff was diligent and helpful, and I saw a part of the world that is rich in history, culture and structures. Furthermore, I needed to unpack only once.

We enjoyed our first river cruise with AmaWaterways. They do an outstanding job. We have been on large cruise ships before and it was nice to have close contact with the cruise Director, the cruise Captain and the cruise Manager. We did miss the room service that we have come to enjoy on a larger cruise ship. Having breakfast via room service to enjoy on the balcony would’ve made for a more restful cruise experience for us. We have enjoyed this on the larger ships. Also, the cruise was a wine cruise, and we thought we could ignore that part of it. But not being wine drinkers, it was pretty intense. There was a strong focus on wine. If a couple are not wine drinkers, I would not recommend going on a wine cruise. And finally, we did not receive our documents for the cruise until I called our travel agent, one week before the cruise. She contacted AmaWaterways and they emailed them to us that day. I would have expected that the documents would have been sent to us without me having to ask for them. I felt like this was a lack of attention to detail.

We were best to every city. As a result, you're stranded in that city until you are bust back to the ship. We found ourselves with nothing to do on several occasions, unfortunately it rained most days, so we struggled with finding ways to get out of the rain.

The River Cruise part of my trip was a disappointment. This was my 5th River Cruise. The truly beautiful and charming towns we visited made v the trip worthwhile - they were charming, historically interesting and local guides excellent. But, the boat part of the trip not equal to the land part. The food was mediocre. The top deck was closed for a majority of the trip due to low bridges and many lockes. The docking place were almost never near the destination sight seeing places, so bus rides necessary to reach them.. I loved my room on board and the boat stsff was 100% wonderful - kitchen, bar, table, room cleaners. All 5 Star. It was the itinerary and the food that were responsible for my 3 star review.

Great trip. Excellent time with my wife.

What a perfect cruise! The ship was perfect, not one amenitie was overlooked, the dinning services were excellent, food was excellent! The best part was the staff!! Everyone!! The cruise manager was unbelievable in her attentiveness to a guest! She managed it all! Every employee we came into contact was so gracious! I highly recommend Amawaterways!!

Thoroughly enjoyed our recent trip on AMA to Madrid, the Duoro RIver, and Lisbon. Henrique Bastos was an excellent Cruise Manager who seemed to be everywhere and always available to provide assistance. Highlight of the trip was the 7 days on the AMAVida and the cruise on the beautiful Duoro River. Meals were excellent as well as the service. Only disappointment was the hotel in Madrid. The rooms were small and the hotel looked like it could use a refresh as there were chips in the paint in the hallways. However it was well positioned for restaurants and shopping. Would definitely use AMA for our next river cruise.

Trip was awesome! Crew was great & ship is beautiful! Would definitely recommend the cruise & want to try other cruises as well!

Great trip! Great itinerary Sparkling wine served every too sweet for a Taste of Bordeaux region trip. Menu was good but not outstanding. Steak was tough Fish a tat to dry, because they were too thin. Expected more regional courses..

I really enjoyed this trip. It was well organized from start to finish. We did a three night land portion in Prague. Beautiful city with great tours. Our boat portion was lovely. Our rooms were clean, bright and spacious for this type of lodging. The food was fabulous! The staff was attentive to all our needs. There were a variety of tours to choose from each day. Everything was well organized and seamless.

Our Booking Agent Brenda was very helpful. The cruise surpassed my expectations. The food was amazing and I found they took good care of my dietary needs (celiac disease). The Tour Manager and all staff were so accommodating. There were numerous daily tour options to choose from and we loved all of our excursions. The ship was beautiful and clean. I can’t wait to book another trip with Amawaterways!

Other than an issue with the hotel booked in Bilbao that was not up to AMA’s standards, this was the trip of a lifetime. Without exception the guides were first class, the tours and special experiences on board and off that were organized for us were exceptional, and Melissa Hardoin, our cruise director, set the upbeat tone early on and talked me off a ledge when our airline cancelled our flight the night before. I can’t recommend AMA and their Bordeaux tour highly enough.

We loved Paris and the cruise from Lyon to Arles. The guides were all excellent and the ship, crew, cruise manager and food aboard the ship were all excellent as well.