AMA Waterways Romantic Danube Review: Why We Keep Coming Back

By the time we boarded AmaReina for AMA Waterways’ Romantic Danube itinerary, this wasn’t our first river cruise.

In fact, it was my fifth cruise with AMA Waterways and Julia’s fourth.

After that many sailings, we have a pretty good idea of what we enjoy about river cruising and what keeps us coming back. Despite having plenty of other vacation options, we continue to find ourselves returning to AMA Waterways.

This sailing took us through Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary, with stops in charming towns, historic cities, and some of the most scenic stretches of the Danube.

So after multiple cruises with AMA Waterways, is the Romantic Danube itinerary still worth it?

For us, absolutely.

Why We Keep Choosing AMA Waterways

People often ask us why we keep coming back to AMA Waterways.

For us, it’s a combination of the service, included excursions, food, and the convenience of unpacking once while still visiting multiple countries.

One of the biggest reasons, however, is how well AMA Waterways accommodates celiac disease. If you’re traveling gluten free, be sure to check out our full guide to Gluten-Free on AMA Waterways.

Traveling with celiac can sometimes be stressful, especially when you’re relying on restaurants, hotels, or cruise lines for every meal. AMA has consistently gone above and beyond to make sure Julia can safely enjoy the dining experience without feeling limited or left out.

The combination of a knowledgeable maître d’, attentive waitstaff, and chefs willing to adapt menu items makes a huge difference and removes a lot of the food-related stress that can come with traveling internationally.

Instead of changing hotels every few days, the ship becomes our transportation, hotel, and restaurant while carrying us from destination to destination.

It’s one of our favorite ways to explore Europe.

Our Romantic Danube Itinerary

After boarding in Vilshofen, Germany, our cruise took us through four countries with stops in:

• Passau, Germany
• Linz, Austria
• Weissenkirchen, Austria
• Vienna, Austria
• Bratislava, Slovakia
• Budapest, Hungary

Some of our favorite moments included:

• AMA’s Oktoberfest celebration in Vilshofen
• Hiking to Veste Oberhaus in Passau
• Visiting Salzburg from Linz
• Biking through the Wachau Valley to Dürnstein
• Exploring Vienna and visiting Wiener Prater
• Seeing Budapest illuminated at night from the Danube

We’ll be sharing more detailed posts about many of these destinations in the future.

The AmaReina

For a week, AmaReina became our home away from home.

One thing that stands out about river cruising is how different it feels from an ocean cruise. AmaReina carries just 162 guests and has a crew of 51.

That guest-to-crew ratio creates a much more personal experience. By the end of the cruise, many crew members knew guests by name and remembered preferences.

The smaller size of the ship also means no long lines, crowded elevators, or massive crowds to navigate.

For us, that’s one of the biggest advantages of river cruising.

Our Fixed Window Stateroom

For this sailing, we stayed in a Fixed Window Stateroom on Deck 1.

These cabins sit lower in the ship and feature a fixed window near the waterline rather than a balcony.

For our travel style, the cabin worked perfectly. We’re typically busy exploring ports, participating in excursions, enjoying meals, or relaxing elsewhere onboard.

The room was comfortable, had plenty of storage, and provided everything we needed for the week.

If you’re someone who plans to spend lots of time in your room, a balcony cabin may be worth considering. For us, we’d happily stay in a Fixed Window Stateroom again.

A Few Nice Extras

AMA Waterways also includes a few welcome gifts that we’ve always enjoyed receiving at the start of a cruise.

Each guest receives an AMA Waterways reusable water bottle, which comes in handy both onboard and during excursions.

In addition, men receive an AMA Waterways hat while women receive a scarf.

They’re small touches, but they’re the kind of thoughtful extras we’ve come to associate with AMA Waterways over the years.

Food & Dining

Dining is consistently one of the highlights of every AMA cruise we’ve taken.

Between the main dining room, The Chef’s Table, the Italian lunch offerings, and AMA’s outstanding gluten-free accommodations, meals are a major part of the experience.

The food quality is consistently excellent, and the staff does an incredible job accommodating dietary restrictions.

For Julia, who has celiac disease, AMA remains one of the best travel experiences we’ve encountered.

We’ve put together a dedicated guide covering Julia’s experience traveling with celiac disease on AMA Waterways, including gluten-free meals, cocktail hour snacks, excursion lunches, and more. Check out our full Gluten-Free on AMA Waterways review.

The Chef’s Table

Another dining highlight is The Chef’s Table.

This specialty restaurant features a multi-course tasting menu, usually around seven or eight courses.

The portions are smaller than what you’d receive in the main dining room, but after several courses we’ve never left hungry.

It’s something we look forward to on every AMA cruise.

Italian Lunch at The Chef’s Table

One of our favorite new additions was the Italian lunch service offered at The Chef’s Table.

As part of AMA Waterways’ recent enhancements, The Chef’s Table now transforms into an Italian restaurant during lunch.

The menu features freshly prepared pasta dishes that change throughout the cruise, giving guests something different to try from day to day.

The fresh pasta was excellent every time we visited.

The standout dish for us, however, was the tomato soup.

Honestly, we’re still talking about that tomato soup.

It was rich, flavorful, and one of the most memorable things we ate during the entire cruise.

Drinks Onboard

AMA includes a variety of beverages throughout the cruise.

Included drinks include:

• Beer at lunch and dinner
• Wine at lunch and dinner
• Complimentary cocktail hour before dinner
• Coffee
• Tea
• Soft drinks

One change we were excited to see is that complimentary soft drinks are now included throughout the cruise, which is one of AMA Waterways’ newer enhancements.

Entertainment & Activities

While the destinations are the main focus of a river cruise, AMA also offers activities and entertainment throughout the week.

Some highlights included:

• Austrian singing and dancing performers
• Traditional Hungarian dancers
• An apple strudel demonstration
• A Viennese Waltz lesson
• An onboard ice cream party

These events helped connect us with the cultures of the destinations we were visiting and added another layer to the experience.

The Sun Deck & Pool

AmaReina features a small pool on the Sun Deck.

Normally we probably wouldn’t spend much time there, but our cruise coincided with a historic European heat wave.

Even though the water was warm, it still provided a nice way to cool off after long days of sightseeing.

Service & Crew

One of the biggest reasons we continue choosing AMA Waterways is the service.

On this sailing, a few crew members stood out in particular.

Our waiters, Jimmy and James, provided excellent service throughout the week and always made meals enjoyable.

We also have to recognize Daniel, the maître d’.

Daniel was incredibly helpful throughout the cruise, but what we appreciated most was how personable he was. Whether he was checking on guests, helping with dining requests, or joking around during meals, he added a lot of energy and fun to the dining experience.

The crew consistently goes above and beyond, and that’s a major reason we enjoy sailing with AMA Waterways.

Thoughts on AMA’s Recent Rebrand

As repeat AMA Waterways guests, one of the biggest changes we noticed was the company’s recent rebrand.

We’ll admit that we’re a little nostalgic for the previous branding. We always liked the classic blue color palette and crown logo that had been associated with AMA Waterways for years.

That said, many of the improvements that have accompanied the rebrand have been excellent additions to the guest experience.

Some of our favorites included:

• Complimentary soft drinks now being included throughout the cruise
• The new Italian lunch experience at The Chef’s Table
• Fresh bread selections that changed nightly
• Expanded snack offerings throughout the day

While we may miss parts of the old branding, the improvements that came with the rebrand have been welcome additions.

What We Loved

• Outstanding service
• Excellent gluten-free accommodations
• Included excursions
• Included drinks
• The Chef’s Table
• Italian lunch offerings
• Local entertainment
• Oktoberfest celebration in Vilshofen
• Small ship atmosphere
• Comfortable staterooms
• Visiting multiple countries without changing hotels

What We Didn’t Love

Honestly, there wasn’t much we disliked about this cruise.

Our biggest challenge was the historic European heat wave that impacted portions of Central Europe during our sailing. Several attractions closed because of the extreme temperatures, and a few excursions were a little less enjoyable than they otherwise would have been.

Fortunately, the crew did an excellent job helping guests stay comfortable despite the weather.

Is AMA Waterways Worth the Price?

River cruises certainly aren’t inexpensive.

However, when you consider that your accommodations, transportation, meals, drinks, entertainment, and many excursions are included, the value becomes much easier to understand.

For us, the convenience of unpacking once while visiting multiple countries is one of the biggest benefits.

Would We Cruise with AMA Waterways Again?

Absolutely.

We’ve enjoyed every AMA Waterways cruise we’ve taken, and this sailing was no exception.

The combination of excellent service, great food, included excursions, and a relaxed style of travel continues to make AMA one of our favorite ways to explore Europe.

Final Thoughts

Our week aboard AmaReina on the Romantic Danube itinerary reminded us why we enjoy river cruising so much.

The combination of scenic cruising, historic cities, excellent food, outstanding service, and the opportunity to experience multiple countries in a single trip made for a memorable week in Europe.

We’ve enjoyed every AMA Waterways cruise we’ve taken, and this sailing was no exception.

Whether you’re new to river cruising or already a fan of the experience, the Romantic Danube remains one of our favorite ways to explore Europe.