We chose this cruise to spend a hassle-free week as a family, unpacking our bags once and experiencing 4 countries plus a taste of the Christmas markets. We also visited Prague and Munich on our own. We embarked in Budapest on Dec 29, disembarked in Vilshofen Jan 5.
We have been on 2 ocean cruises (Caribbean and Alaska) and have 3 teenagers, so I was worried that river cruises have a ...
Last minute because the significant reduction in solo supplement was appealing. Turns out the ship was only 65% full so I probably could have negotiated for 0 supplement. Because the dates straddled the New Year holiday, the wide age range from teens to elders made it especially enjoyable. And the weather was much friendlier than anticipated.
AmaLea is barely 2 years old and everything ...
I went with my parents for Christmas vacation. I will list the pros and cons.
Pros:
-The ship is well heated
-The rooms and showers are clean
-They will bend over backwards to accommodate you
-Some of the excursions are decent
-The staff is cordial and well-vetted
-The excursions are planned so that you don't have to do much thinking or organizing
-It is handicap ...
We flew into Zurich, Switzerland for the first 2 nights on our own and had a driver transport us to Basel, Switzerland where the AmaStella was waiting.
We were told you could check in early and leave luggage but actually check wasn't until 3:00. We arrived at 1:00 and were greeted with by Jessie the Crew Manager and 2 guys taking our luggage and inviting us in.
They had a lite lunch ready ...
10 passengers in our family chose this cruise for the Christmas Markets. We departed from Amsterdam on the 22nd of December for Basil. We noted a small notation on the website that many markets closed on the 22nd or 23d, however the itinerary listed several markets to visit. On board, our updated schedule listed an added market. What this cruise company failed to mention was all markets were ...
We had done several Viking river and ocean cruises but had wanted to experience the Christmas Markets. The trip met and exceeded our expectations! Viking, as always, has the best service but the crew were especially excited since this was their next to last trip of the season. Then they return home until April. The ship was fully decorated to embrace the season. And the food choices also reflected ...
We have done previous Scenic River Cruises and loved them. We wanted to immerse ourselves in all things European Christmas with the luxury of scenic. However Scenic didn’t provide anything Christmas on this cruise. Lacking Christmas decoration, no special Christmas Eve dinner and no special Christmas Day festival. Very disappointing. This cruise was at the end of the season and Scenic Crystal was ...
This was our first Scenic river cruise, which was advertised as a “Christmas Wonderland”. There wasn’t any Christmas wonderment about it. The only decorations were a tree in the entrance, one in the lounge and 2 foam snowflakes on the windows in the lounge. In the dining room a small table decoration per table. That was it, no lights etc. We parked next to a few ships who were beautifully ...
We chose this cruise because 10 family members wanted to travel and this cruise let us bring our 14 and 17 year old family members. We all got to enjoy a river cruise. Aunts, Uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters, and spouses. No one was left out. Thank you Scenic Amber! We believe in Family First!! And this river cruise did too!! We also liked the stops along the way. We liked the route it was going ...
I was a reluctant river cruiser, but timing was right so we booked the Christmas cruise to give it a try. I can't say enough good things about the ship or the experience. My first surprise was on boarding - I couldn't get over the elegance of this ship. The public rooms are well designed and maintained. Check-in was a breeze, took about 5 minutes - enough time to begin to sip on the welcoming ...