AmaWaterways invited Goldring Travel to re-experience its European river cruises, so of course I agreed! I will be sailing the Grand Rhine & Dutch Canals itinerary, traveling up the Rhine River from Basel, Switzerland, through France and Germany to the Netherlands, spending two nights in Amsterdam before continuing the cruise through the Dutch canals, into Belgium, and then heading back to Amsterdam. 

“Re-experience”, you ask? Yes, it’s been a while since I sailed with AmaWaterways! In 2014, I sailed on the AmaCerto for the Goldring Travel Culinary & Cultural Journey (Part I of eleven articles: Goldring Travel’s 2014 Food & Wine River Cruise – AmaWaterways AmaCerto (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part I). And in 2011, including a pre-cruise extension for Hanoi, Halong Bay, and Siem Reap, I sailed down the Mekong River in Cambodia and Vietnam on the AmaLotus (Part I of thirteen articles: AmaWaterways’ AmaLotus – Vietnam, Cambodia and The Mekong River Cruise- Part V (Getting There & Day 1: Hanoi) ).  (As a side note, the latter land-cruise journey was one of the most impactful travel experiences I have had!)

And, for all of you who think I have traveled everywhere, I have never been to Switzerland or Belgium! That is actually one of the reasons I chose this cruise. The other is that it is shoulder season, so the summer crowds have departed, and the Christmas market crowds haven’t arrived yet.

One thing I didn’t know when I chose this river cruise is that it is a Beer Cruise.  Not only will there be beer tasting tours, but onboard Beer Tastings and two Paired Beer Dinners. These will, of course, be in addition to the AmaWaterways included wines and beers at lunch and dinner (mimosas at breakfast, of course!), its daily one-hour Sip & Sail complimentary cocktail hour, and its reservations-only Chef’s Table.

Before the cruise, I will be staying at the famous 300+year-old Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois. Yes, it is a remarkable hotel, but to be honest, I chose it because of the three Michelin-starred restaurant it houses: Cheval Blanc, where I will be dining with some clients the night before our river cruise starts, and because there was a great deal using my American Express Platinum Card benefits. (No, this is not a Goldring Travel Culinary & Cultural Journey. When I said I was going on this cruise, a client asked, “Would you mind if I come along?” Of course, I never do!)

The AmaStella is one of several similar AmaWaterways river cruise ships, so there is nothing terribly unique about her versus most of the other well-designed AmaWaterways ships. They have staterooms with a unique layout that I enjoy: Twin balconies (French and Standard). This way you can either sit outside and take in the views or open your French balcony and enjoy it all from your comfortable chairs or bed.

I will be staying in a Category AB  stateroom, which is 235 square feet, fairly large for a river cruise ship.. It affords you a nice amount of storage, a mini-refrigerator, a nice-sized shower, three chairs inside, and two chairs outside. Those little things make a difference; especially when you are going to be spending two weeks onboard. 

I have visited some ports before, but most are new to me. And, of course, spending a few days in Amsterdam will be great, as it is one of the most fun cities I have ever spent time in. (I used to speak at the Global Superyacht Conference annually, so I know a few good spots!) All I have planned outside of the ship’s tours and general wandering is a Riesling wine tasting at Georg Bruer’s vinoteque in Rudesheim, Germany – where I previously had a Culinary & Cultural Event: Goldring Travel’s 2014 Food & Wine River Cruise – AmaWaterways AmaCerto (Amsterdam to Budapest) – Part IV (Georg Breuer Riesling Tasting) and a fun dinner in Amsterdam at Five Flies, which accurately identifies as “A Unique Culinary Museum”. 

Speaking of activities, while AmaWaterways offers a wide variety of included tour options, my focus will not be on seeing every castle and church, but rather on just taking in each village, town, and city, (as well as wine, beer, and local cuisine along the way!) supplemented by lazy river cruise time sipping on some nice wine out on deck while taking in the views.  For those who want greater activity levels, this cruise offers quite a few bike rides of up to 10 miles and long hikes . For those who want even less activity, AmaWaterways offers up to three options for tours: Active, Regular, and Gentle. There are even Late-Riser tours.  Another activity will be heading out into the towns in the evening. Besides Amsterdam, there will be quite a few late-night departures and overnights. Who knows what I might find?!

I must mention that booking the tours was somewhat frustrating. AmaWaterways advises that you can book tours only through the app, starting 60 days prior to sailing. Well…not exactly. It was closer to 30 days (after weeks of receiving frustrating messages that my booking could not be found), and then I was advised that booking them on the website was the way to go. So, while AmaWaterways’ documentation, in its app, website, and documents, is very good, it is also a bit confusing.  I have found that working by coordinating all of them provides you with pretty much every bit of information you will need. If it were all available in one convenient place, it would be great. But at least it is all there, and with a bit of effort, you will start your river cruise well-informed.

All that said, I am just about ready to start my “re-experiencing” AmaWaterways on the AmaStella’s Grand Rhine and Dutch Canals (and Beer) Cruise, both with anticipation and being well-informed.

Interested in an AmaWaterways river cruise in Europe, Southeast Asia, Egypt, or Africa? Let me know and ask away! That’s what I am here for.