AmaWaterways - Guildford

Leona H.

We did the River to Rails journey with Amawaterways June 6-19. The most standout part of the trip was the Ama trip coordinator Delia. She is a shining star and perhaps the best Tour Guide I have ever had and I visited more than 120 countries.

We started our trip in Cape Town and despite rough weather we had an amazing experience. The flight to Botswana was uneventful and the logistics were so simplistic because of Delia. On June 9, we joined the Zambezi queen cruise with some extra passengers. Two of the passengers were a couple celebrating an anniversary, and the lady (M) unfortunately could not be pleased by anything. I've never seen someone so miserable ever. I'm being specific with the dates of our trips because I suspect she's going to go out of her way to write bad reviews, and I want to be sure to counteract those. As I feel they will be dramatic and dreadfully inaccurate.

The Zambezi queen was a lovely boat. Of course it's not a new European river boat, but for an African river boat, it was spectacular and the crew was wonderful. Emilie was an amazing cruise director and the staff were all amazing including Moses and Gift. Everyone was kind. The food was great and it was overall a wonderful experience.

Following the boat, we went to the Victoria Falls hotel, which was also spectacular and such a lovely experience. The falls were gorgeous and the evening train ride was very special. We wanted a special crossing by foot into Zambia and Delia arranged everything for us. It was spectacular!

Following this, 10 passengers went on to the Rovos Rail. It's worth noting the Rovos rail Crew takes over at this point as the Amawaterways portion has ended. However, Cynthia with Amawaterways did a great job of coordinating and making sure we were seamlessly transitioned between the Ama portion and the Train. The one thing I will tell people is that you don't board the train until about 4:30 and the only place to wait is a room at the Victoria Falls Hotel with limited snacks. I wouldn't be in a rush despite what Ama may tell you to get back and wait for the train.

The train itself was lovely, but I personally learned I wouldn't want to do it again. The meals are served from a galley kitchen and in two cars. We sat at the back of the second car which meant we were one of the last ones served and each meal (lunch and dinner) was a more than two hour event. Don't forget to bring clothes to dress for the occasion too! (That was the fun part).

Also, There were only two choices the main meal or a vegetarian option. Don't give me wrong, it was great food, but just too slow for my taste. It was also challenging to sleep on this train. I've never slept on any other train, but this train in particular was very wobbly and quite loud.

This was my first Amawaterways trip and I was entirely blown away. I do intend to travel with them more. The attention to detail was second to none! Thank you Delia! Love from Florida.

Emily W.

Hello, I didn’t take the cruise, but I have passed by the cruise tonight by Danube Budapest 13 district area, and some workers were loading to the AMAviola cruise. I was walking with 2 of my female friends and we just chatting and walking home. Then one of the cruise staff who was loading, said really racist things to us out of nowhere, and he said multiple times as well. We were shocked and I confront him as well. It’s not funny to be a racist and it’s not okay to say those things to get our attention. We were deeply hurt and shocked. He denied he ever said those words, but he really did. We cursed him, but plz make sure he doesn’t treat others like this. I have to say no to all forms of Discrimination!

sandra P.

We absolutely loved our recent Ama river cruise on the Douro.
Everything about this company is absolutely seamless; their ships are comfortable, their food delicious and every aspect of their planning is meticulous.
All of Ama’s multilingual staff, at every stage of our journey, was unfailingly efficient and charming.Led by their outstanding tour manager, Ricardo Rossini, they demonstrated kindness, humour and tremendous skill when dealing with their guests. Under their care, we felt safe and pampered and it would be impossible to praise them enough.

John C.

The good, the bad, and the ugly

The Good: The ship is a marvel of excellence. It’s beautifully appointed with an air of luxury. When we were welcomed aboard, the comment most heard from my fellow passengers was, “I was blown away.”

Many of the tour experiences when the ship docks were a real pleasure. They would have been difficult to find or afford without the guidance provided by Ama. Standouts for me were the bicycle ride through wine country and the tours to the truffle farm and the town of Beaujolais.

The crew is well-trained, efficient, excellent at their jobs, engaging, hard-working, and a true pleasure to deal with. The entire operation is a model of efficiency. They deliver on their promise of seamless luxury, most especially by ensuring you won’t have to handle your luggage. From shore to ship and back to shore, you’ll find your bags waiting in your room. All of this is executed with military precision.

If you love cruise ship luxury and experience, read no further. Ama is your place to be. More than half the passengers had been on an Ama cruise before.

The Bad: All that military precision comes with a price. In order for your bags to get where they’re supposed to be before you get there, you’ll have to put up with a lot of “hurry up and wait.” A very military experience indeed. On Day 3, the transfer from Barcelona to Avignon by TGV required us to have our bags in the hallway by 6:45 a.m., which in turn required us to get out of bed at the time we would be going to bed if we were still in NY. Then, of course, Ama must keep you busy because the bags get to the next stop by truck, and you’re traveling by TGV. So, they set up a city tour in the morning (when I should be sleeping). These tours take you by bus through a city where a guide tells you what you just past on your right or left. Free time is limited because, well, there’s a train to catch. There is constant pressure to be where you have to be and be there on time. It’s understandable but not much fun.

Hurry up and wait describes the entire experience. The tour starts at 9, be ready 10 minutes before, get your ticket, what color is it, follow the guide with the paddle of the same color, get on the bus, ride the bus for an hour, take a tour, you get 45 minutes of free time after the tour, but be on the bus at this location to keep us all on schedule. And so on.

I go on vacation to relax. Nothing about this experience was relaxing.

The food, in my opinion, was mediocre by European standards. Enjoying freshly prepared food at great restaurants is at the top of my list of reasons to vacation there. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

The Ugly: Worst of all, I never felt I was seeing Europe. Despite the pleasure of the tours I mentioned above, there were as many that were unenjoyable. Instead of spending time in Europe, experiencing their cuisine, their culture, and their people, we spent our time on buses, trains, and ships.

Bottom line, going on an Ama cruise and thinking you’ve been to Europe is like going to Lion Country Safari and thinking you’ve been to Africa.