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Day 6, Friday December 12, 2008
Cochem

Early this morning, the ship began to sail towards our next destination, Cochem. Peter gave a brief talk in the lounge prior arriving in Cochem. He announced that we would have very special Christmas Carolers for evening entertainment, and a jolly man in a red suit may or may not visit. Hmm, I wonder who Peter is referring to!

Our excursion into Cochem began with a short walking tour through the small, charming town. Like our other guides throughout the cruise, our Cochem guide was one of the best. She was very funny and having been born and raised in Cochem, she was proud of her town. I felt as though we were her invited guests and we were being given a private tour of Cochem.

We wandered through the Old Town where we found narrow cobblestone streets leading to towering houses. We passed by small cafés where some of the locals were already enjoying a warm cup of hot chocolate. In the distance, we could see the Christmas Markets beginning to attract some customers.

Then it was time to visit Reichsburg Castle! We had a mini-van waiting for us after our walking tour to take us up to the castle. There, we followed our guide through several of the rooms in the castle, each room, more amazing than the last.

In the castle, we passed a hallway where our guide stopped and directed our attention to this clever keyhole.

The story with that was in the evenings, when tenants would return to their rooms, in a state of inebriation, it was difficult for them to unlock their doors. So, a special keyhole was made to alleviate this problem. Notice the “v” shape on the door? Imagine if you can, missing the keyhole slightly, but as you drunkenly slide your hand down with the key, the bottom of the “v” directs you right into the slot. Pretty clever!

Back on the ship, everyone gathered in the lounge after dinner for our surprise Christmas Carolers. Gluehwein in hand, we all waiting in anticipation for the performance. Our piano player sat down, and who do we see coming in from the lobby? The staff and crew of the Amadagio! Along with the Captain, Hotel Manager, and Peter, everyone came donned in Santa cap and began singing. Most passengers knew the songs by heart and sang along. For all other, we were given a copy of the lyrics so we could join in on all the fun.

Here is a picture of the male staff below!

Then, the jolly man in a red suit who Peter said may or may not visit came in with a merry, “HO HO HO!” Passengers cheered as the gluehwein flowed. One by one, we all had the opportunity to sit on Santa’s lap and take photos.

Here is a picture of my parents and I with Santa. After all the food I’ve eaten on this cruise, I hope he was okay!

Day 5, Thursday December 11, 2008
Mainz & Koblenz

Today, we had a full day ahead of us. Passengers were offered a choice between two excursions. The first was Mainz, where pax were able to enjoy a walking tour of the city, just a short distance from where the ship docked. Passengers were able to see the Gutenberg Museum, along with the beautiful stained glass windows of St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

The second option was an excursion to Heidelberg, a town just an hour from the ship in Mainz. I opted for Heidelberg. First, we had a tour of the Heidelberg Castle Gardens. I wandered around snapping photos of all the interesting bits of architecture and marveled at the amazing site of the castle.
Here is an image of the castle from below.

Later, we took a short walking tour through Heidelberg, where we saw the Old Bridge, the Holy Ghost Church, amongst many other places. Our guide was an endless well of knowledge as she gave little bits of information on every building we passed!

We then drove back to meet the ship, and continued to sail on to Koblenz. As we sailed, I joined some of my newly made friends for a game of Scrabble. Next thing we knew, we were already docking in Koblenz!

By then it was late afternoon, early evening, and the Christmas Markets were beginning to come alive! Passengers were able to disembark the ship and stroll through town to visit more of Europe’s beautiful Christmas Markets. Even though dinner time was just around the corner, I could not help myself from treating myself to freshly roasted chestnuts while browsing each stall.

Later in the evening, after the majority of people had finished eating dinner, Peter accompanied all willing passengers on a short night walk through Koblenz. The buzz about the Christmas Markets was beginning to wind down, and like Duesseldorf earlier, we were able to enjoy a calming walk through the empty streets. We passed through St. Florin’s Market and Jesuits’ Square as Peter talked of the history and legends of this magnificent city.

After, when most people had returned to the ship, I decided to join fellow passengers to further explore Koblenz late on into the night. And by explore, we stopped at a local pub to enjoy the rest of our evening!

Day 4, Wednesday December 10, 2008
Rhine Gorge & Frankfurt

Today, we enjoyed a peaceful sailing through the Rhine Gorge onto Frankfurt. Passengers lazily wandered through the ship. Many sat in the lounge to read a book, some browsed the internet with their personal laptops, and others played board games found in the library of the ship. Peter later came and gave a brief talk about today’s excursion into Frankfurt and told us some interesting facts and stories as we sailed the Rhine towards the Main River.

Frankfurt was a beautiful city. After all we have seen this cruise, every place still manages to amaze me! We passed by the magnificent Frankfurt Catherdral and onto Romer Square. Even the Christmas Markets in each city has it’s own unique charm to it. Around 6PM, the town’s brass band played for the entirely of Romer Square high up on the rooftop of one of the buildings.

Below is a photo of me near the Carousel in Romer Square.

Then, after another delicious dinner onboard the ship and lots of wine, I made my way to the lounge where the ship had prepared yet another amazing performance for us. In the middle of the room, there were tables set up for a glass blowing demonstration! I’d seen glass blowing on TV before, but seeing it done live is a whole different experience! We watched as Karl, make wondrous shapes with the glass right before our eyes. He even explained the science behind it as he was showing us how to create a wine glass. Karl made it look so easy but I think this was one of those, “Don’t try this at home” type things. One lucky passenger even got to create a glass ornament of her own! With the guidance of Karl, she made a perfectly round ornament as was able to take it home as a keepsake.

Day 3, Tuesday December 9, 2008
Duesseldorf & Cologne, Germany

Today, we were introduced to our included audio headsets for our shore excursions. Instead of a group of 30+ people straining to hear their local guide give information throughout town, we each were supplied with our own earpiece and receiver. This is similar to the recorded tours you can find at a museum, however, with a local guide, our tour was much more interactive.After a bit, I hardly even knew the earpiece was there. I was free to snap a photo or linger on for a few moments longer without missing a single thing our guide was saying.
We enjoyed a morning walking tour through the charming town of Duesseldorf. Not many shops were open yet, so it was nice to walk through the quiet streets of Duesseldorf’s Old Town.

Then it was back to the ship where hot bouillon was waiting for us, and off to Cologne we sailed! We arrived late afternoon, and as we were docking, it began to snow! What a way to really enjoy this “Christmas Wonderland” as it was meant to be! Below is a picutre of fellow passengers enjoying the fresh snowfall from above!

As we walked off the ship, our local guide was ready to give us a walking tour of the city. Many of the locals were also beginning to pour out of buildings and buses, making their way to the heart of the city. This was a big contrast to the sleepy town of Duesseldorf earlier this morning.

So, off we went. Charming town, filled with so much to see! We ended the tour at the magnificent Cologne Cathedral. The cathedral was something I’d often heard about, but seeing it right before my eyes, it was truly amazing. I stood at the base of the entrance and looking up, it seemed that the cathedral went on for miles right up into the heavens. I took a glance inside to admire the wondrous architecture all around me. Stained glass, sculptures, paintings, there was just not enough time to see it all.

Just outside Cologne Cathedral, I found our first Christmas Markets of the trip! I cannot even begin to describe the atmosphere surrounding the event. It was wonderful. The snow was gently falling down from above, friends huddling together enjoying a warm mug of gluehwein, children scampering through the different stalls trying to find the perfect gift, smells of bratwurst in the air, and I could even hear sounds of a German band playing off in the distance.

Later that evening, the ship sailed on to Frankfurt as we listened to La Strada, our onboard entertainers for the evening. Despite the groups’ limited instruments, 2 violinists and 1 guitarist, their music was truly outstanding. They played a variety of music from waltzes, to operas, to the more upbeat gypsy music. What a perfect way to sail!

Day 2, Monday December 8, 2008
Amsterdam

This morning, I enjoyed a nice hot buffet breakfast. There was a great variety of foods, ranging from toast to eggs, sausages and cereals. But all I really wanted was some coffee!!!

After breakfast, passengers joining the city tour made their way off the ship towards the idling buses eagerly awaiting them. Those who wanted to stay onboard and relax, or those that wanted to go off and create their own personal itinerary had the freedom to do so.

I decided to join the included Amsterdam excursion and hopped on the blue bus. We were given the choice to join one of three buses: blue, green, and red. Each bus was spacious and we even had several empty seats to spread out onto. It was even equipped with a restroom!

So off we went firstly on our Panoramic bus tour of Amsterdam. I saw so many beautiful buildings and landmarks along the way. Our local guide, Elle, spoke excellent English and drew our attention to just about everything and gave us a bit of history. Then it was time for our canal cruise!

The canal cruise offered us a different view of the city. We could see the narrow houses lined up like sardines alongside the canal, but each towering over 3 stories high. At a closer look, I could even see some of the houses, leaning!

Elle later informed us that this occurred because when the houses were originally built, the government had to lay down wooden pilings as the base or foundation of each house. The government then taxed residents for this service and which was based on how wide your house was. This was the main reason why houses in Amsterdam were built narrow but tall. However, over the years, because the pilings were made of wood, during wet seasons, the wood began to soak in water eventually causing the wood to rot. This then caused the entire house to eventually lean. Now, because the houses were also built so close together, you can actually see the house in the photo above leaning towards its neighbor! Nowadays, houses are built on concrete pilings to avoid the lean.

After a nice relaxing canal cruise, we had some free time to roam about and explore on our own for a bit. Then it was time to board the blue bus and head back to the ship.

Just like embarkation yesterday, the crew was standing in the lobby welcoming us back on the ship with an offer of hot chocolate. Yum! That was just the perfect treat after a cold day in Amsterdam.

After I finished my drink, I went back to my cabin to freshen up a bit before lunch. That’s the thing with cruises, there is always an abundance of food! Lunch was delicious! All meals are open seating so I decided to sit next to a lovely couple whom I found out later, lived only a few hours car ride from me!

Then it was time to go up to the Panoramic lounge and relax as the ship sailed on to Duesseldorf. Peter, our wonderful cruise director gave a brief talk about tomorrow’s excursions and some interesting facts and stories of the Rhine river.

As the sun began to set, it was time for dinner! In one word, delicious. Tonight, I met a beautiful couple from Canada. We chatted over our meal, as our wait staff worked tirelessly to serve all of our needs. We also enjoyed yummy free-flowing wines from the local regions.

After dinner, everyone congregated in the Lounge as Peter told us all of the traditions of Christmas, and how local Europeans celebrated the holiday. Peter spoke of how Christmas trees came about, and a little tradition of the Christmas “pickle.” Yep, I said pickle! Then, trees were brought out for all the passengers to decorate! It was a great time. We were served hot gluehwein (mulled wine), a traditional beverage served during the holidays, to add to the festive tradition that is the Christmas season in Europe. With gluehwein in hand standing with our newly made friends, we all sang along with the ship’s resident piano player late on into the evening.

Day 1, Sunday December 7, 2008
Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Embarkation Day

I arrived into Amsterdam Schiphol airport around 6:40pm. Ah, it was great to get off that plane! Found my luggage and made my way through customs without a hitch. Following the map in my Welcome Aboard booklet, I easily found my transfer waiting for me, dressed in a neon yellow/green windbreaker, holding an AMAWATERWAYS sign standing right next to the Welcome Desk. That was right away, a huge sigh of relief for me. Here I was in the midst of a foreign land, one that I had never travelled to, and already, I felt immensely safe and secure knowing someone was there to transfer me to the ship.

It was a quick 30 minute ride from the airport to the ship, and from a distance we could already see the ms Amadagio docked alongside the harbor. It was a truly magnificent sight. Night had already fallen, and my eyes were immediately drawn to the warm glow of the ship floating in the water. The lights in the lounge were lit and peering inside the windows, I could see the beautiful Christmas decorations hung all about the Panoramic lounge.

Walking up the gangplank onto the ship, was a wondrous moment. The staff and crew of the ms Amadagio were there with open arms welcoming me, and immediately, I knew this trip was going to be nothing but great memories.

Unfortunately, I did not join in on the Welcome Dinner onboard the ship but opted instead to have dinner outside the ship in a local restaurant. Having been on both a river cruise and an ocean cruise, I find one of the single greatest features of a river cruise is that the ship is docked almost right in the heart of the city. You are not docked miles away from the city and you don’t have to take at tender to the shore. With river cruising, if the sailing schedule is right, you have the luxury of walking straight off to enjoy a nice brisk walk through the city before or after dinner onboard, or if you decide, wander around until you find yourself a nice local restaurant and take in all of what Europe has to offer.
So, that’s what I decided to do. One evening is not enough in Amsterdam, so perhaps if ever I find my way back to Amsterdam, I will make sure to book an extra night or two.

After my delicious dinner, I made my way back to the ship around 11pm, where I found many of the other passengers still chatting away the night. I did regret missing the dinner a bit as I wanted to go out and socialize with the other passengers, but we’ve many nights ahead, and my full, satisfied belly wasn’t about to complain about the wonderful meal I just had so that was that!

Before I headed back to my room, I decided to take a quick self-guided tour of the ship. As my cabin was located on the Piano deck, I decided to start with the top. I walked up the few steps to the Violin deck and took the corridor down to the other end of the ship. Looking at all the cabin doors, I found they were all decorated with greenery along with a beautiful red bow and small ornaments. A great touch to add to the festivities.

I noticed the fitness room, equipped with several machines including a treadmill, stationary bike, and a stair climber. There was also some free weights, a yoga mat, amongst other things. I was surprised to also find a small sauna room onboard! I will definitely find time later on to make use of it!

Located in the aft of the ship was also another lounge. A bit smaller than the Panoramic lounge, but great for group meetings, enjoy a drink with a newly made friend, or just to relax and read a book.

At that point, I began to nod off. So, off I went to get some rest for our first excursion tomorrow!

November 23, 2008

Our flight to Budapest arrived right on time.  Although extremely jet-lagged, my family and I were all very excited to join the rest of the guests already aboard the Ms Amalegro.   To our very pleasant surprise, our luggage was among the first to arrive at baggage claim making our immigration and customs process very simple and fast.  Just outside the customs area John, our transfer guide was waiting for us.  He introduced himself with a warm smile and quickly took over the cart holding our luggage and walked us to the van that was waiting just a few steps away.  He and my husband loaded the luggage as my daughter, my niece, and I climbed into the van.  Within a few minutes we were on our way to the beautiful Ms Amalegro.  When we arrived at the ship we were met by the Cruise Director and Hotel Manger who were waiting to welcome us aboard. 

Dinner service had just started in the dining room, so we dropped off our bags in our staterooms, quickly refreshed ourselves and joined the other guests for a delicious Hungarian dinner.   

November 24, 2008

After a good night’s rest, we were ready to start our exciting adventure!  Our first tour was a motor coach city tour of Budapest followed by a stop at the Christmas Markets, which were everything that had been described to us by friends that had previously taken this very same cruise.  As we walked through the markets admiring all of the beautiful handcrafted ornaments and charming Christmas items that each vender had on display the air around the market filled with the smells of gingerbread cookies, scrumptious Hungarian sausages, hot chocolate and warm apple cider.  The weather this day was very cold and windy, so enjoying a warm cup of hot chocolate with some of the delicious Christmas cookies put us all in the Christmas spirit. 

We returned to the ship just as it began to snow, so we dropped off the beautiful new treasures we found at the Christmas Markets in our rooms and spent a few moments admiring the snow covered homes and trees that sailed past us as we made our way to Vienna. 

Tonight was the Captain’s welcome dinner and in keeping with the holiday theme, the bar staff prepared a festive red cocktail that consisted of a blend of cranberry juice and a splash of Champagne served in elegant Champagne glass. 

November 25, 2008

Today, we explored magnificent Vienna!  Our motor coach and walking tour took us to Vienna’s most impressive architectural monuments, the former Ministry of Natural History and Parliament. And, of course it’s beautiful Christmas Markets!                 

At night we returned to town for a Mozart and Strauss concert performed by the Vienna Residence Orchestra.  In 1991 this orchestra was the official Austrian representative at Mozart’s anniversary celebrations and played numerous concerts at the Weiner Klangbogen festival. What a perfect end to our visit to this beautiful city! 

November 26, 2008

Today, we visited the town of Melk!  From the ship, we were transferred by motor coach to Melk Abbey, which sits atop a mountain overlooking the village and the Danube River.  The view from the Abbey’s balcony was absolutely breathtaking.  All of the rooftops were covered with snow and each house was adorned with colorful Christmas decorations. We had a couple of hours of free time in this charming little village, so we spent the time walking the cobblestone streets and exploring this beautiful village.

 November 27, 2008

Tonight’s entertainment was very special!  The entire crew dressed up in their Santa hats and performed Christmas songs for us.  But of course the night would not be complete without a visit from Santa himself!  Santa arrived with his bag full of Christmas gifts for everyone! 

November 28, 2008

Today, we are in Regensburg.  Although the city is known for its high gothic cathedral, there is not one “main” sight in the city.  The lure of Regensburg lies in its charming cobblestone streets throughout its old town.  Regensburg was also once home to Oskar Schindler and as you can imagine, this city is very proud of its current famous son, Pope Benedict XVI.

November 29, 2008

Today, we ended our journey in Nuremberg, the 2^nd largest city in the German state of Bavaria.  This city, just like the others we visited during our 7-day river cruise, was full of charm and history.  I feel truly fortunate to have had the chance to visit these beautiful cities and to learn firsthand about their history, their people and of course all of the different Christmas traditions. 

The Staff aboard the MS Amalegro did a phenomenal job the entire cruise to ensure every guest enjoyed themselves and felt at home.  I can’t wait to do it again soon!

Dear All,

I’ve just returned from a great trip to Portugal, a country that has a special place in my heart and in the history of the world. We spent three nights at the modern Tiara Park Atlantic Hotel, conveniently located next to Merques de Pombal Parc. Three nights were enough to fall in love with the colorful and charming Lusitanian capital, a city with a unique architectural style that combines so many cultures: Arabian, Indian, Chinese, Manuelin, Moorish and Brazilian. At every moment of the day, Lisbon continues to impress you; it buzzes in the morning due to the people rushing to work, it is calm at afternoon siesta, and it has a special fado atmosphere in the evening.

The city tour took us to the most beautiful parts of Lisbon: Rossio, the main square where the locals always meet; Beleim Tower, an emblem of the city, the well known Monument of Discoveries and the Monastery of Jeronimos that is partly an UNESCO World Heritage. We learned a lot from our professional and friendly guides about the tumultuous part of this country, a small nation of navigators to whom we owe a tribute for discovering so many parts of the world.

The second day in Portugal included a full day excursion to Sintra, one of the most beautiful Portuguese villages and a preferred vacation place for the royal families of Portugal. The Pena Castle was a courageous adventure for our bus driver, not at all intimidated by the very narrow passage. For me, it was one of the most charming castles I’ve ever visited and brought back memories of a “once upon a time” fairytale.

Cascais, the former fishermen village, is nowadays a modern vacation spot for Europeans. We had a chance to reach the most western part of the European continent at Cabo De Roca and we also got a diploma for being there!

Being in Lisbon for a few days was indeed wonderful, but we were ready to board the MS Amadouro and experience the northern part of Portugal on the Douro River. On the way to the ship, we stopped for a few hours in Coimbra, a great university town. We joined the locals at their farmers market, where the farmers still wear their traditional outfit, sing their fado songs and sell their home-made pies and traditional dishes.

Boarding the MS Amadouro, we were excited about being on the best ship sailing through Northern Portugal. The charm of the ship, and the great welcome and the enthusiasm of meeting the other passengers and crew were overwhelming. After meeting the Captain and the entire crew at the Welcome Cocktail, we all enjoyed the first Gourmet dinner onboard and the included wine.

The seven night cruise was a relaxing experience through the beautiful Douro Valley, which looks like a planted valley with vineyards and live trees. The weather was always on our side – it was sunny and warm, not hot and a nice breeze was sailing with us. The sun deck, with its swimming pool and two Jacuzzis, was the preferred place onboard. We enjoyed the diversity of each breakfast, the great lunch buffets and the relaxing atmosphere during dinner. Continuously, the crew went above and beyond to satisfy everyone’s needs and to exceed our expectations.

AMAWATERWAYS is known for bringing the locals onboard to entertain. The Flamenco dancers, who came onboard in Spain, were gracious and their show was a delight. The Portuguese musicians made us sing and dance the night away, as we discovered the happy part of the fado music.

The stops along the river were at charming villages and towns where time has stopped, and things have not changed for hundreds of years. We went to Lamego and the Alpendurada Monastery, which are places of pilgrimage in this Catholic country. In Lamego, we all tried to count the over 610 stairs back from the Sanctuary of our Lady of Remedies, but no one in our group came up with the same number. At the Alpendurada Monastery we were served a great traditional Portuguese dinner and a glass of green wine, while enjoying the breathtaking view over the Douro River.

Our other dinner off the ship was at the Vintage House Hotel in Pinhão, where we tasted a wide variety of Port wines and on the way back to ship we had a chance to dance with the locals as they celebrated Portugal’s victory in a European football game.

The wine in Portugal is still produced the same as hundreds of years ago - the grapes are manually picked up and smashed with the feet. The region of Douro is abundant in vineyards and it’s one of the oldest regions of wine producing in the world. We experienced first-hand the labors of the local wineries with a wine tasting in Pinhão before departure.

One of the highlights of the cruise was the day to Salamanca, which is a UNESCO Heritage Site. We had a great Spanish lunch at the Monterey Hotel and a nice city tour, which included a visit to the University, founded in 1175, the House of Shells and the Church of San Martin. What a wonderful city with so much history, especially the history of the university.

Our last stop in Porto was another success. We loved the narrow coble stone streets where the old trams go back and forth, the large and beautiful squares of the city, the way the Portuguese people hang their clothes to dry in front of their windows, and of course, we enjoyed the included wine tasting at the Ferreira winery.

For me, this cruise was such a unique and relaxing, beautiful experience that I highly recommend it to those who love beautiful nature, history, fun and great wine! The Douro Valley is not too crowded at the moment, so be among the first ones to experience all the beauty it has to offer!