We recently sailed on a Danube River luxury river cruise with AmaWaterways on their ship AmaLea. The ship was built in 2018, making it one of AmaWaterways’ newer ships. It is sleek, modern, luxurious, and welcoming. It accommodates 156 people, which is perfect as none of the public spaces ever felt crowded. The service and the food were amazing. We did not want to leave at the end of the cruise! Read on to get an overview of the amenities available onboard.
Sophisticated Layout
AmaLea has 4 main floors. The smaller staterooms with the windows at water level, spa, salon, and fitness room are located on the lowest deck. The midship to the front section of the lower level houses the main restaurant. It is not possible to walk directly from the back of the ship to the front on this floor as you have to go up the stairs to the second floor and then down to the restaurant. The stairs to the lower floor are a little steep so make sure you take your time and hold on to the handrail.
The lobby is located midship on the second floor and this is the level to get on and off the ship. Towards the front of the ship are the bar, gift shop, hot drink station, library, and lounge. The remainder of the floor from midship to aft are staterooms.
If you need to speak to the cruise manager, you will find her desk on the third floor. This is only half a floor and mainly consists of staterooms with the chef’s table located at the back of the ship.
The top is the sundeck. The only way to access the sundeck is from the second floor, either by the stairs outside the lobby or at the front of the ship. The sundeck also has two levels: the front portion is slightly lower and has a comfortable seating area with tables and chairs. Behind the bridge is a higher section with the swimming pool (including a swim-up bar), large chess set, walking track, and lots of deck chairs.
Luxurious Staterooms
If you have sailed on ocean cruises then you will definitely notice a size difference. The ocean ships tend to have larger staterooms. All of the staterooms are well planned-out, bright, and welcoming. There are 78 staterooms with about 9 different types. We stayed in a category E stateroom on the lower floor. This stateroom is cozy and has just enough space to walk around the bed as it is one of the smallest at 160 square feet. Even though it was small, the bathroom was one of my favorite bathrooms on a ship. I loved that the shower had both a rain shower and a hand-held jet. There was plenty of storage space behind the mirror or below the sink.
Also, this stateroom was at water level so it features only a high fixed window. The staterooms on the higher decks have either French balconies or a regular balcony.
If you would like a size similar to an ocean cruise stateroom, I recommend a suite. However, there are only 4 on the ship, so they are in high demand. If you would like this stateroom I recommend booking well in advance. These are also the only staterooms with a bath and a large enough seating area to accommodate a sofa. The bed faces the water so you can watch the world sail by without getting out of bed.
All of the staterooms have an Apple Mac to watch TV or surf the Internet. Also, they have a touchpad by the door that can control the temperature. The switches were confusing as it was not obvious which switches operated the different lights. One feature I did like was that when you opened the bathroom door it automatically turned on little blue lights, so you didn’t have to find a switch in the middle of the night. There were outlets on one side of the bed and at the desk. We take a travel power strip with us so we always have plenty of outlets. Most outlets are 220-volt European-style but there is one 110-volt USA-style outlet.
Fine cuisine in the restaurants and lounge
There are two restaurants: the main dining room and the Chef’s Table. The main dining room has a buffet for breakfast and lunch. There are also some on-menu options such as waffles and eggs benedict for breakfast and soup and burgers for lunch. In the evening, there is a 4 or 5-course meal consisting of salad, soup, sorbet, main meal, and dessert. There is no option for a casual meal but you don’t have to order each course. The food changes every day and normally includes local dishes. However, if you do not like the options there is always steak or chicken available.
The Chef’s Table is a seven-course tasting menu paired with white and red wine. This menu stays the same for the whole cruise. Reservations are required. If you know you would like to do this we recommend making a reservation when you arrive as space is limited.
The lounge on the second floor is large with floor to ceiling windows and comfortable sofas. This is where everyone gathers before dinner for the sip and sail hour. There is a cocktail of the day but you can always get a glass of wine or beer. Additionally, a light lunch and afternoon tea is served here buffet style. It is also the perfect place to sit and enjoy the scenery if it is too hot or cold to sit outside.
Pamper yourself: Spa, Salon, and Fitness Room
The spa has one treatment room so availability is limited (book early!). They offer 5 different massage options from 30-minute foot and leg massages to a 60-minute aroma oil massage. Please note that the room is not soundproof so while you are having your treatment you can hear outside noise.
Are you intrigued by the possibility of sailing the rivers of the world in luxury? Contact us today to plan the perfect vacation for you.