There’s a running joke among our family and friends that when the Underwoods travel overseas they always bring bad weather.
We could visit the Sahara and the locals would soon be reaching for umbrellas and gumboots.
This thought crossed my mind as we arrived in Budapest (along with more than 70 Australasian travel agents) ahead of the AmaWaterways ‘River of Rewards’ mega famil.
This NTIA-nominated incentive offered winning agents the chance to sample the new AmaSofia on the cruise line’s hugely popular ‘Melodies of the Danube’ itinerary.
“We needed to make a bit of a splash and to make some noise,” Managing Director Australasia Steve Richards told me before we left Australia.
“So I went to head office two years ago and said, “Can you give us a full-ship charter on the new AmaSofia? Just promise me it will be ready!”
The ship was ready alright, but what Steve and his crew couldn’t have anticipated was the record heatwave that has swept across Europe this year.
Scorching temperatures have in turn led to record low levels on rivers across the continent, including the Danube (our Budapest taxi driver told us it hadn’t rained in four months!).
It seemed as though the fat lady might already be warming up to kill our ‘Melodies’ experience before it even began.
But as a defiant Richards told us emphatically at the welcome briefing: “Ama doesn’t cancel. Ama adapts.”
So it was we got to experience a fabulous night at the five-star Dorothea Hotel (https://www.dorotheahotelbudapest.hu/) before driving via an excellent tour of Bratislava to meet the ship in Melk in Austria.
Granted the scenery from the motorway probably wasn’t as memorable as that from the Danube but we were all delighted the cruise was going ahead and arrived at the ship in great spirits.
The ship
The AmaSofia hit the water for the first time earlier this year and our sailing would be just the 22nd since her launch.
First impressions were great: she still had that “new ship” smell and the welcome from Maria and her team was warm and genuine.
Formalities over, it was time to check out room 215, a Category BB – French Balcony Stateroom located on the Cello Deck that was to be our home for the next six nights.
The cabin had a muted colour palette with all the amenities you could need, including plenty of hanging space, drawers, a TV, safe, small table and chairs and complimentary water.
The bathroom featured a rainforest shower that was an absolute godsend after days shlepping around in 40 degree heat. There was also a large mirror and power sockets for shavers and hairdryers.
The bed filled the majority of the living space and was large and comfortable, with a pillow menu available for those who like a softer or firmer option.
The stand out feature, though, was the balcony, which offered the chance to sit out with a glass of local wine and just watch the world go by.
Outside the cabin, the AmaSofia also offers a heated pool on the sundeck, a fitness room, massage room, free Wi-Fi, three dining venues, daily wellness classes and bicycles for the active traveller.
The Lark Lounge and Bar was the main gathering area, with bold accents of persimmon and strawberry in the carpet and the seats. Here you could get snacks, water and juice with sandwiches and salads provided for mid-afternoon treats.
AmaSofia: At A Glance
Length: 443 feet
Passengers: 152
Staterooms: 76
Crew: 51
The excursions
The ‘Melodies of the Danube’ itinerary offers a wide range of daily activities and excursions, with trips for the active and not-so-active included.
Two stick out in my memory.
On the hottest recorded day in Austrian history we went to Dürnstein in the middle of the Wachau Valley, which is prime wine country.
Here we encountered Leopold, the winemaker at the Weingut – Bohmer vineyard. He comes from a family of shoemakers who put down the tools to start making wine, with Leopold now a third-generation viticulturalist.
I urge you to attend a wine tasting presentation by Leopold (pictured above)…you will never forget it.
The second highlight was our trip to Vienna, a city I had heard so much about and longed to visit.
Although the temperature was again in the 40s, the city did not disappoint, living up to expectations as one of the most architecturally remarkable places on earth.
The food
I’m sure no-one ever goes on a cruise thinking they are going to lose weight and on AmaSofia we ate often and extremely well.
The standard of the cuisine from breakfast through to the four-course dinners and special Chef’s Table offering was outstanding, up there with the best I’ve ever experienced onboard a ship.
The day would start with a delicious omelette cooked by Mr Min, a man who takes more pride in his creations and pays more attention to his craft than any chef I’ve ever seen.
That would be accompanied by a wide selection of hot sides, with cold meats, fruit, bread and pastries also on offer.
Lunch would also be a delicious affair, with a buffet selection complimented by hot dishes and tasty desserts.
Dinner in Journeys Restaurant was the showpiece, with the booths proving particularly popular for guests keen to enjoy each other’s company.
Dishes included such mouth-watering temptations as spiced pumpkin and coconut cream soup, Black Angus ribeye, grilled halibut fillet and banana-chocolate coupe, all washed down with the complimentary wine or beer. Yummy!
The crew
Every cruise line will tell you they have the best crew on the water – after all, it’s a pretty important part of the guest experience and something that drives repeat bookings.
The staff aboard AmaSofia didn’t let the badge down. They were always smiling, helpful and a delight to be around. There was never anything that was too much trouble and every request was met with a swift and cheerful resolution.
Special shout out to Tamas, our ever-smiling Cruise Manager, who kept everyone in control (no mean feat with 100 travel agents!) and ensured all the excursions ran on time with clockwork precision.
Even a broken air conditioning system on one of the tour buses didn’t faze him – he just put all the travellers sweating in 40 degree heat on another bus. Simples.
It’s a fact that a ship is only as good as its crew and the AmaSofia has that box well and truly ticked.
Conclusion
While the weather gods may have done all they could to ruin a fabulous experience, no-one onboard the AmaSofia left the ship with anything but treasured memories, a bunch of new friends…and an expanded waistline. This ‘Melodies of the Danube’ sailing certainly hit all the right notes.
(P.S. It did actually rain while we were onboard!)
Main image courtesy Harmeet @ NZ Travel Trade
Jon’s Quirky Facts:
# Slovakia is the largest producer of cars per capita in the world.
# The Austrians have a nuclear power plant…that’s never been used.
# Richard the Lionheart was held prisoner in Dürnstein Castle. The ransom in today’s money would be $4.9 billion.
# Two million people live in Vienna. There are three million buried in the city’s graveyards.
# Beethoven may have become deaf because of lead in the wine he liked to drink.
# The Imperial Hotel is the most exclusive in Vienna and has hosted Michael Jackson, Queen Elizabeth, the Rolling Stones and President Kennedy. They even iron the newspapers…allegedly!
