PORTS OF CALL: Vilshofen, Germany; Passau, Germany; Linz, Austria; Grein, Austria; Dürnstein, Austria; Vienna, Austria

PHOTOS © FRANCIS X. GALLAGHER

EMBARKATION/DISEMBARKATION: For Global Traveler’s first hosted cruise with subscribers, we selected AmaMagna, the flagship of AmaWaterways. Joining me and my wife, Michele, were GT Globility Board members Jonathan Fuchs and his wife, Catherine Cannan; Tom and Celeste Linhard; and Jean-Christophe ( JC) Murat and his wife, Sonia. Via group text I shared the program for the cruise, which was quite simple: All were welcome to join the nightly sip and sail where they’d be briefed on the next day’s schedule, and all were welcome to dine together or as couples.

AmaWaterways curated a special package for our group which included a pre- or post-cruise tour of Prague and/or Budapest. The entire group chose the pre-tour, which provided a great introduction and kick-off to the cruise. Michele and I flew Air France to Paris and connected via a regional Air France flight to Prague, where our AmaWaterways staff greeted us and took us to Prague Marriott. JC and Sonia were on the same flight and were picking up their checked bags; I offered them a ride in our shuttle, but when I saw their eight bags, I said, “You’re on your own!”

We checked into our room at Prague Marriott, and due to the V.I.P. status of our group, we were invited for welcome drinks in M Club. We were finally all together.

We all did individual tours in Prague, an outstanding city with so much to see. At Tom’s suggestion we gathered the next evening for a group dinner at Na Pekle Restaurant, about 20 minutes from the Marriott inside a wine cave in the former Strahov Monastery. We enjoyed a fantastic dinner as we got better acquainted. This was the first of many meetings, and we always touched on subjects related to the magazine and FXExpress brands.

After doing our own thing during the day, we met up each evening for dinner. The last evening we dined at a traditional Bohemian restaurant where a band played and danced, and Jonathan and Catherine even joined in to show their fancy footwork. Early the following morning we boarded the AmaWaterways bus for the drive to Vilshofen, near Munich, where AmaMagna was docked. We had a special treat for the evening: An exclusive, traditional Oktoberfest was arranged at a tent next to our ship. It was a perfect send-off, complete with a traditional German band and singer, great beer (lots of it), and yummy German pretzels.

GUEST QUARTERS: Boarding was simple, and our luggage was transported to our suite, No. 306. The bathroom, immediately to the left as we entered the room, included double sinks, a tub, and a separate door for the shower and the water closet. Our room had a beautiful balcony which offered us views while sailing or to catch up with the boarding process throughout the cruise. Between the bathroom and the main room, a hallway included a large closet space which really came in handy. A built-in sitting area/table at the foot of the large bed encompassed a bench seat and a smaller round table to serve as a coffee table without overpowering the space. This piece of furniture also hid a built-in TV. On the right side of the room a built-in desk and credenza helped maximize space and storage. I found it perfect for checking my emails. Luxurious Pure Herbs products in the bathroom included nicely scented shampoo, conditioner, soap and lotion, and various personal item kits. A bottle of Champagne, fresh fruit and a welcome card signed by AmaWaterways owners Kristin Karst and Rudi Schreiner awaited us in the room.

SERVICES/AMENITIES: Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the main dining room, with specialty restaurants also available by reservation at no additional cost. The specialty restaurants are The Chef ’s Table and Jimmy’s Wine Bar, named after the late Jimmy Murphy, also a cofounder with Kristin and Rudi. I had the pleasure of enjoying my birthday at Jimmy’s with the entire group, where I received a great special gift from my subscriber friends. There is also Al Fresco Restaurant, open for breakfast, late snacks and other times as posted.

We used the main dining restaurant for most of our dinners, and either Jonathan, Tom or Celeste would leave the cocktail lounge a little early to secure our table. Dining was superb with lots of choices and a fantastic staff. The staff in the cocktail lounge were attentive, and the entertainment was top-notch, different every night. Lots of dancing the final night before we all went our separate ways.

AmaMagna is the largest ship in the fleet, large enough to have a pickleball court. Celeste texted me, “Pickleball, Fran?” and, on Day One, while cruising to our first stop in Passau, Germany, we broke the seal on the pickleball court, which got all the shy pickleball players out and playing following our tournament. It was a welcome break between touring and dining while on the ship.

The ship also boasts a track for running, a pool, hair salon and workout room. There are lots of activity options when you are on the ship, but most of your day is taken up touring and walking through hidden towns of Europe. The tours support any activity level, including significant hiking, modest walking, biking, and the option to bike to the next port of call and meet the ship. We even took some time to renew our wedding vows on the ship with our group!

PHOTO: © FRANCIS X. GALLAGHER

PORTS OF CALL: The cruise stopped in Passau, Germany; Linz, Austria (where you can bus to Salzburg, stopping at Mondsee to view the church from the wedding scene in The Sound of Music); Grein, Austria; Dürnstein, Austria, for a private castle tour and dancing show; and beautiful Vienna, Austria.

This part of the Danube River is natural and has no locks to raise or lower the ship. All last summer the water was low due to drought; therefore, the ship could not sail to our ending point in Budapest. The crew and David did the best possible job to inform passengers of the change of plans, which was to bus everyone to meet up with their intended tours in Bratislava and Budapest.

Jonathan, Catherine, JC, Sonia, Tom and Celeste stayed on the ship and with their tours. We hired a car and took a private tour to Bratislava and then went on directly to InterContinental Budapest for additional time there to see the sights. It all worked out wonderfully, and we all met up in Budapest. We continue to share travel stories on WhatsApp until our next time together.

TOP TAKEAWAYS:

• Our original text messaging group morphed into a WhatsApp group that remains active nearly a year later!
• Our cruise director, David, was an A++ representative of AmaWaterways throughout the trip.
• AmaWaterways’ ships offer spectacular WiFi on board, with great connection speeds.