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Emma’s Blog Melodies Of The Danube...

7 Night Budapest To Vilshofen Cruise

Melodies of the Danube...

7 Night Budapest To Vilshofen Cruise • Monday 22nd June…

Day one of the trip, and also day one in my new job role! As a new employee to the company I was not expecting to be whisked away onto the beautiful AmaPrima, however Monday morning I found myself travelling to Budapest ready to embark on the first half of the Melodies of the Danube Cruise. This was to be my first experience of a river cruise and I was certainly not disappointed.

After sailing through our transfer from the airport to the dock, we embarked AmaPrima where we were greeted by the crew. An introduction followed shorty on from this, where the crew were very friendly, relaxed and many very humorous in their speeches. During these introductions we were able to enjoy a light lunch consisting of the option of soup, a variation of small sandwiches and for those with a sweet tooth (guilty!), cake, biscuits and mini desserts. Iced water and iced tea were available at all times in the lounge, along with a tea and coffee station with an array of coffee choices and tea bags. Other beverages were available from the bar also, for those who really wanted to start their holiday in style!

Following an extremely speedy check in, we were escorted to our cabin, where our luggage already awaited us. A copy of The Daily Cruiser for each passenger was placed in the cabins

each day, which gave an overview of the itinerary for the day, information on the docking location, facts about the country or countries we were due to visit, and even useful phrases in the local language for those braver passengers. Free time was then available for those who wanted to explore Budapest, which we took full advantage of. We took a brief walk through the pedestrianised streets where markets stalls filled the streets along with outdoor seating for the many cafes and restaurants.

After this we took to the stairs, and climbed to the top of the Citadella…and back down again. With much regret we failed to count the number of steps to the top, but rest assured we certainly earnt our 5 course dinner that night (and a chilled glass of wine!).

We dined with some passengers from Dallas, Texas that evening and seated next to our table was a group of four travelling from Canada. Great conversation accompanied great food and drink, and before we knew it we were setting sail to view the illuminations along the Danube.

We docked once again in Budapest alongside AmaDolce, and the Cruise Manager, Sylvia was kind enough to give us a short tour of the ship. AmaDolce boasts a certain charm, with its dark wood and rich coloured furnishings. Although a slightly smaller ship in both length and passenger capacity, AmaDolce was as beautiful as AmaPrima which we were sailing on.

Following this we retired to our cabin and I’m sure I was asleep before my head hit the pillow!

• Tuesday 22nd June…

No sooner had I fallen asleep the alarm was buzzing and awakening us for our first full day on the ship. A day of exploration around Budapest lay ahead of us, however before this we had to refuel for this exploration. We made our way down to the restaurant on the Cello Deck, and we were greeted by an array of breakfast options to feast upon. The choices ranged from a buffet style cooked breakfast including bacon, sausages, eggs; both scrambled and boiled, toast and fresh fruits. Bagels were also available at the buffet section with a variety of fillings including salmon and cream cheese.

Following this, another buffet section boasted a variety of freshly baked pastries and bread including almond croissants and cheese topped rolls, with condiments to accompany including butters, jams and vegemite. However, if this was not filling enough, a variety of options were also available on a menu at each table to be freshly prepared by the chef, including poached eggs on toast. Alongside the various options of food, fresh juice, water and also a daily detox drink are available to hand, and for those who want to start the day off with more than just one type of toast, a bottle of bubbly is available at the buffet. After filling up the tank, I was sure I would have to be rolled around Budapest!

We met our tour guide and started our city tour on foot, where we were shown the Great Market Hall. Before leaving for the tour, the Cruise Manager, Rachel, called the various groups to embark on each tour within their relevant groups and each with a designated tour guide. There was a gentle walkers group available for those less able to walk longer distances, and were transported the very short distance to the Great Market Hall by bus. We were given free time to look around the local produce available within the hall, and were given a time and location to meet. Once the group had gathered again, we made our way to the coaches that awaited us for the remainder of the city tour. A positive aspect of these tours which many passengers commented on was the individual headsets which are given to each passenger in their cabin. This allowed passengers to connect to their groups tour guide, and listen through a headset. This provided a clear transmission from guide to passenger, and allowed passengers to walk at their own pace without straining to listen to the tour guide talk, especially in busy places.

After we arrived back at the ship, we made our way down to the restaurant for lunch, where we dined with some passengers we met on the excursions from Australia. As always the service was second to none, with appetisers available in a buffet style, soup and main dishes available to order as table service, and finally dessert available as buffet also. If any of the items available on the daily changing menu are not to a passengers taste, various options such as steak and sautéed onion ciabatta served with potato wedges were available to order at passenger’s request. After lunch we managed to squeeze in some product familiarisation and training whilst we enjoyed the scenic views of the Danube.

On board the AmaWaterways ships there is a restaurant called the Chef ’s Table, where guests can book with reception to dine once within their 7 night stay. The menu does not change throughout these seven days, however it is a different menu to the one available in the main restaurant. The Chef ’s Table boasts a more intimate dining area and on board AmaPrima it can seat around 30 guests. These guests can watch the chef prepare each and every dish behind a glass

screen, and the experience is at its most enjoyable when sailing along the river. We dined with a group of four travelling from Canada, and also a couple travelling from the US. The crew were extremely accommodating when it comes to dietary requirements and allergies, and having a nut allergy myself, I simply told the reception in advance, and the chef prepared a dessert dish that contained a variation of smaller desserts that did not include nuts. The dress code for dinner is quite casual, with many guests wearing jeans and shirts. There is no requirement for gowns and suits, and this was a comment we heard frequently from passengers saying they preferred

to be able to wear casual attire to dinner as it made them feel comfortable.

During dinner we had set sail from Budapest and made our way to Bratislava overnight. As we sailed we joined other passengers on the sun deck, and spoke with them about their experience. We met one couple in particular with whom we had a conversation, and they happened to also be from a similar area in the UK as us. Before discovering that both Hannah and I worked in the UK office, they had commented on how their experience on board AmaPrima was much different to anything they had experienced before. After being one of many thousands on board larger cruise vessels, the couple spoke highly of the intimate setting of AmaPrima, and they enjoyed being able to meet, talk with and build relationships with fellow passengers on a daily basis. After discovering that we both worked in the UK office, they also spoke very highly of their travel agent back in the UK who booked the trip for them. They also commented on Rachel, the

cruise manager, and complimented her professionalism, but also how approachable she comes across and the knowledge she has to share. These comments are just some of many we were to come across throughout our limited time on the Danube.

• Wednesday 24th June…

On this day many passengers awoke especially early for the 5am pass through the first lock of the tour. Following this, many then enjoyed the early risers light breakfast laid out in the lounge which is available on board from 6:30am, and runs through until 7:30am when the main breakfast takes place in the restaurant. After breakfast there were two excursion options to discover the small city of Bratislava. I myself went on the city tour which was on foot and took around an hour.

Our guide was extremely funny, and after the tour we had just over an hour free time to wander the city streets before we returned to the ship where we set sail again for Vienna.

During my free time around Bratislava I discovered some small shops some which held such elegant handmade items such as furniture and souvenirs. The other option was the Bratislava Communist Tour, which Hannah attended, and this included a tour by bus discovering the history of Bratislava. Guests were picked up from the dock and driven around the small city, and dropped off again at the dock once the tour had finished.

On board AmaPrima we ate lunch in the restaurant once again as we sailed to Vienna. After lunch we were fortunate to have a small amount of sunshine and we sat on the rattan furniture on the Sun Deck and enjoyed the views of the Danube. The wind soon picked up and the clouds came out, to which the blankets also came out, but nonetheless it was an enjoyable afternoon. We even spotted one passenger taking a

dip in the heated pool whilst the sunshine was out for a brief period. A group of passengers also made the most of the table service on the Sun Deck with wine and other drinks delivered to them at their table without having to move from their seat!

Dinner was slightly earlier on this evening as a post dinner excursion was planned in Vienna. Once we had docked, a number of coaches transported all of the passengers to an Austrian Wine Tavern located in the hills. There we sampled different red and white wines made by a local family, and fresh bread was also available to hand. Live music was provided by an extremely enthusiastic musician with an accordion, and within a matter of minutes he had many guests on their feet and dancing with him. It was a really good evening and it took a long time to persuade guests to leave the tavern to return to the ship on the coaches provided as they were all having such a good time.

On returning to the ship as we entered our cabin, the couple staying in the cabin opposite us were celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary, and the crew had scattered red rose petals on their bed with a towel display and a note to say happy anniversary. They commented on how these small touches make all the difference and were so pleased they didn’t want to go to bed as it would mean removing the display. Once again we were asleep before our heads hit the pillow!

• Thursday 25th June…

The sound of the alarm on this early morning represented our last day on AmaPrima as unfortunately we had to return home. The itinerary for the day in Vienna was very busy as it

pass through the preparation areas of this. During the free time we were able to wander the streets and discover some shops.

Some guests chose to have coffee in a local café, and others even took a horse driven carriage tour around the city. Once the free time was finished we were taken back to the ship on the coaches provided. However, all passengers were given the option to stay in the city centre and dedicated coaches were organised every half hour to take passengers back to the ship, or vice versa until around 5pm that evening. This happens only in the summer period and also during the Christmas time.

Having had the option this would have been something to take advantage of, as Vienna is a beautiful city and one that I will most definitely be visiting again.

We returned to the ship and after a very quick lunch we were ready to leave. However, this took longer than we anticipated

as we had a lot of goodbyes to say to passengers we had met over the past three days. We were truly overwhelmed by the number of guests that came to say goodbye to us, and all of them had nothing but positive words to say about their experiences thus far on AmaPrima. Many of them spoke as first time river cruising passengers, however many also said it would not be their last! As we disembarked the ship, we could see the bicycles being lined up along the dock ready for the second excursion of the day, a bicycle trip to Klosterneuburg Abbey. The final excursion of the day was an optional Mozart & Strauss concert held in a concert hall in Vienna. Many passengers had signed up for this upon embarking the ship, and the spaces were filled rapidly. Unfortunately Hannah and I had to leave the trip before the concert, however many passengers spoke of their excitement to attend.

We made our way back to the airport after saying our farewells to the crew who were absolutely brilliant throughout the entire trip. It was a great experience and a great start to my new role!

Emma Moody Sales Support Assistant consisted of three excursions throughout the day. The morning was an earlier start than usual to accommodate the busy day, and after breakfast we embarked on the coaches provided and we took the city tour of Vienna. This consisted of the first half on the coaches around the city, and the second half of the tour on foot in the centre of the city, ending in St Stephens Square. An element of free time followed this in the city. It was extremely busy during this tour as there was a special celebration of the Spanish Riding School, and we were able to