A 10-blunderbuss blast by a troop of leiderhosen-wearing locals announced the arrival of AmaWaterways' newest river cruise vessel, the AmaPrima, in Vilshofen, Germany, in August. Uber-agent Valerie Wilson was on hand to christen the river vessel, which had embarked on its actual maiden voyage several months earlier.
The christening ceremony took place at the end of a nine-day Romantic Danube itinerary, which started in Budapest, making port in Slovakia, Austria and the Czech Republic and concluding in Vilshofen. That program, and its reverse itinerary (with three-night, pre- and post-trip options to Prague) will operate through the end of October, after which the AmaPrima will operate a wine-themed cruise along the Danube in early November, followed by a Blue Danube Discovery cruise at the end of November and a Christmas market cruise in December before it drydocks.
The AmaPrima, which accommodates 164 passengers in 79 cabins and three suites, offers the excursion options, informality and intimacy of small-group travel with the service, accommodations and fine dining of top-class oceangoing vessels.
My wife and I were comfortably ensconced in a cabin on a middle deck of the four-deck ship (atop, the sun deck features a pool and whirlpool, swim-up bar and a walking track). Our cabin, which measured 210 square feet, was one of 49 that had a French balcony (floor-to-ceiling windows, with a sliding glass door) adjacent to an outside balcony that had room for two chairs and a table, an ideal spot from which to observe the impressive littoral as the AmaPrima plied the waters of the Danube. Accommodations run as large as 350 square feet for the suites, which command the top deck, with the smallest cabins, with fixed windows, checking in at 160 square feet on the lower deck.
Minibars, multijet showers, high-end linens and bedding all go to making the cabins livable if not luxurious, and the standout amenity is a flat-screen monitor that offers free (and reliable) Internet access, satellite TV and movies.
The AmaPrima's primary restaurants comprise the main dining room and the intimate Erlebnis Chef's Table, where Executive Chef Gino Guadanjini and Junior Sous Chef Taufik Adhitia Taznil present an impressive tasting menu, accompanied by local vintages. Every cruise passenger is guaranteed one seating in Erlebnis, for which no premium is charged.
Both of the restaurants, according to Guadanjini, feature "locally sourced food items in every port of every country we cruise through. … If there is any in-season vegetable in any country we are visiting, we can get it fresh from the market."
As for the land excursions, they included sightseeing outings in Budapest; Bratislava, Slovakia; Linz, Austria; and Passau, Germany, as well as several options in Vienna and other points of interest along the Danube. Guided bike tours are also available.
Visit www.amawaterways.com/ships/amaprima to learn more.