It was an Indian Summer day in Vienna and the sun shone brightly, casting a silver shimmer on the river as we boarded the AmaSonata.
The ship would be home for the next seven days as Philippine Tatler Traveller embarked on the Danube Serenade, a week-long cruise along a portion of the second longest river in Europe. Over the course of the journey, a steady current would take us through the Upper Danube, from the capital city of Austria, via the Main-Danube Canal, over the borders of the Czech Republic, and into Southern Germany.
Getting settled into my stateroom with its twin balconies (a French balcony in addition to a full outdoor one), I was pleasantly surprised that it was actually more spacious than I had expected. My private little outdoor balcony wound up to be a favourite spot whenever we weren’t out exploring. It was here where I would often sit—the cool breeze touching my face, and a relaxing drink in hand (from coffee to bubbles depending on the time of day)—to soak up uninterrupted views as the ship meandered along the Danube, bringing us from one beautiful town to the next.
As we took delight in the historic sights of Old World Europe, we waltzed to the modern luxuries of life on-board the AmaSonata where everyday, we enjoyed great dining and great service from the warm and welcoming staff. The ship takes her lineage from AmaWaterways, a California-based company established in 2002, that specialises in river cruising. Four decades after the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal began construction, it was the pioneering efforts of AmaWaterways founding co-owners Rudi Schreiner and Kristin Karst that paved the way for luxury river cruises. The AmaSonata exemplifies the brand’s “hotel over water” signature style of travel, taking pride in its fine food and wine offerings as well as personalised service from a well-trained team.
For a first timer like me, the real beauty of river cruising, I discovered, is in the immediate proximity to land. It was somewhat akin to a train ride but, in a sense, even better, because of the river boat’s gentle, leisurely pace that allows guests on-board to fully appreciate the passing scenery. And, since the ship is your “floating hotel” that moves along with you over the course of the entire journey, you conveniently have to unpack only once, just at the very start. On this trip, I was completely taken by the richness and variety of the ever-changing landscape along the Danube; and, wherever the ship would dock, it was literally just a few steps to shore and on to a new and fascinating destination.
Personalised Service
Another great advantage is the relatively small size of river cruise ships. With a maximum capacity of around 150 passengers, the crew is able to anticipate and cater to each individual’s preferences. “Luxury is being constantly redefined,” says Karst, Executive Vice President and co-owner of AmaWaterways. “By acting as floating luxury hotels, we are able to almost double the amount of leisure time guests can enjoy in each destination [... and] have unique opportunities to really personalise the on-board service.” The AmaSonata’s all-European crew, many of whom come from the surrounding region, were clearly passionate about their jobs and eager to share their culture with us. Ardi, the wait staff usually assigned to our table went out of his way to make breakfast a real pleasure. It was all the little details that made life on-board more comfortable—such as having my pot of hot water with fresh slices of lemon ready on the table or offering a cappuccino at just the right interval between the fruit, eggs and pastries each morning. The ultimate breakfast surprise was Ardi’s gracious routine of preparing my perfect cappuccino (with only half the foam) in a take-away cup for me to bring onto shore whenever I would lose track of time (something easy to do in such a relaxing atmosphere!) and have to make a mad rush as soon the announcement for departing tours would be made.