I arrived at the AmaCerto docked right near the Passenger
Terminal in Amsterdam at 2:30 p.m. She
was hidden behind a number of riverboats, but it quickly became apparent that
AmaWaterways was a cut above the rest. There was no confusion as to who was
going to assist me, as four smiling AmaCerto staff quickly approached the taxi and
whisked my luggage away.
I boarded the ship and was led into the main lounge…along
with everyone else who arrived before 3:00 p.m…struggling a bit to find a
seat. But I did, eventually meeting up with
most of my group. Note: It makes far more sense to arrive after 3:00
p.m. As with any small ship, even the
smaller Seabourn (now/soon to be Windstar) ships, the staff needs time to ready
the ship after the disembarking guests.
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AmaWaterways AmaCerto Lounge |
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AmaCerto Lounge |
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AmaCerto Bar |
During my time in the lounge, despite the crowd of about 150
people, I could immediately see the quality of the ship with many little details
from creative lighting to marble finishes to fabric insets in the walls to very
comfortable truly “living room” furnishings.
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AmaCerto Library |
Once released from the lounge, I made my way to my French
Balcony stateroom and my luggage was already there. Because I am traveling solo I am staying in
one of the smaller accommodations (Category C – 170 square feet). It is a fairly compact, but very well
designed, space; perfect for a single traveler but I feel a bit cramped for two,
though adequate storage space (closet and shelving is supplied; especially if
you are taking a more common seven day cruise).
My clients are in the larger (BB, BA, AA and Suite) accommodations all
of which are quite spacious with combination French and Standard balconies,
larger living spaces and bathrooms.
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AmaWaterways AmaCerto Category C
French Balcony Stateroom |
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AmaWaterways AmaCerto Category C
French Balcony Stateroom |
I immediately noticed such stateroom touches as elegant white
wallpapers, marble bathrooms with just a touch of iridescent tiling, proper
hairdryer, makeup mirror, Bogner hand cream, coffered ceilings with inset lighting
(and many lighting options including actual bedside table lamps and a true desk
lamp), a refrigerator and two smaller (but comfortable) chairs, plush bathrobes
and thick towels. Note: Only European
220 volt outlets are provided.
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Compact but functional with a makeup mirror to the right
and a proper hairdryer stored below |
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AmaCerto Category C Shower
with Rainfall and Handheld Showerheads |
I know. I know. Because of its massive marketing efforts,
Viking River Cruises is obviously a point of comparison…and there is no
comparison. The Viking “longships”
(which are the same size as every other river cruise lines newer ships…which is
regulated as to maximum size) have French balcony staterooms measuring a mere
135 square feet; 20% smaller. That means
little things…like being able to get out of either side of the bed…is not an
option. It means listing things like
being able to store your luggage under your bed is a feature of the cabin and
bathrobes are only upon request. (Yes, Viking needs to list these things in order
to have a list of features!) You should
also note that every other category is also larger on AmaWaterways than Viking…and,
among other things, you get two chairs in your stateroom rather than one on Viking
(I guess the bed is supposed to be where the less fortunate “guest” is to sit.)
After unpacking , while some of the guests wandered out to
explore Amsterdam and others – who had just flown in – slept, I took a wonder
around the ship. The Sun Deck is quite
attractive with a small pool, covered and uncovered seating, lounges and a jogging
track. There is a comfortable smoking
area aft so it cannot bother other guests.
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AmaCerto’s heated pool |
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AmaCerto’s Sun Deck |
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AmaCerto’s Sun Deck |
There are two dining rooms with one being designated the
Chef’s Table (located on the stern on Deck 3), which actually has a number of
tables seating 26 and a show kitchen, that you have the option of dining in at least one time
during your cruise (though multiple reservations does not seem to be a problem on this cruise).
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AmaCerto’s Chef’s Table
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with a beautiful view off the stern of the ship |
The main dining room,
which has set seating times, basically has two mirrored sides with tables and
also banquets. There are no tables for two
and it is truly open seating. There is
also a buffet midline and a cooking station forward. I will talk more about the
dining experiences in another article.
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AmaCerto’s Main Dining Room |
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The Captain’s Table |
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AmaCerto’s Private Dining Room (There are two.) |
As we are overnighting in Amsterdam and I have been here for
a while, I am taking the opportunity to regroup and relax. Interestingly, I don’t believe many, if any,
ventured into town for dinner, but rather stayed on board.
Tomorrow there is a canal and bus tour of
Amsterdam. I am electing to stay onboard
and enjoy the 3 hour cruise up the Rhine River to the meeting point as we begin
our two week river cruise.
Next up, some first impressions.