I cruised on the Amadeus Symphony June 15-22 from Budapest to Nuremberg (with two nights prior in Budapest, two nights post-cruise in Prague). The ship is a brand-new four-deck, 146-passenger (73 cabins and suites) riverboat created for the U.S. and Canadian markets. Most of the crew was Romanian and all were very friendly and helpful. Passengers ranged in age from 30s to 80s, with most in the 65-75 range. I would not let the older average age discourage anyone: This is the most active, port-intensive cruise I have ever been on. Most tours involve a lot of walking (although one does not have to do the full walking tours) and there is very little down time. We were excited about the itinerary because it gave us the chance to revisit (and see all the changes in) Prague and Budapest, two cities where we spent a lot of time 10-15 years ago.
I have been on more than 20 cruises, and prefer the small, intimate ships of Seabourn, Seadream, Silversea and Radisson Seven Seas. I am a travel agent, and have toured many riverboats/barges in Europe in the past. River cruising has been very popular with Europeans and is becoming very popular with North Americans. I found the Amadeus Symphony to be a very upscale addition to the river cruise market. It is almost impossible to find a river ship that has cabins with a minimum size of 160 sq. ft. On this cruise we were traveling with two other couples.
Most shore excursions are included in the cost (at least one daily, on some days two); only one was optional and had to be purchased (an evening concert in Vienna). The excursions were extremely high quality (better than the excursions purchased on traditional ocean liners). Every day there were three modern, air-conditioned buses for the 100 passengers, so no one was crowded. Nine excursions were included during the course of the week (even the 10-1/2 hour, all-day excursion to Salzburg with lunch). That makes this cruise an amazing value.
Cabins
We had a category A cabin and our friends each had suites. The category A cabins have a full size window (92" x 42") that opens (Cat. B windows are the same size, D and E are 60" x 42" and do not open). The suites had two full size windows that open. All cabins are 160 sq. ft. (our friends' suites were 236 sq. ft.) with twin (convertible to queen) beds, a large shower (adjustable height and great pressure/temperature control), desk, safe, TV (with CNN, CNBC, movies), European style bedding (duvets) and adjustable air/heat. The suites had flat panel TVs, full bathtub, and a great seating area with a full sofa and two chairs. I was really impressed with the great lighting in all cabins/suites.
Public Areas
The Lido Bar is the main lounge at the front of the ship where the entertainers perform in the evening. It was a great place to gather for pre-dinner drinks. Adjacent to this area is the Club Lounge, with library books, newspapers, e-mail computer, and early morning coffee. There was a Fitness Center with a treadmill, rowing machine and stationary bicycle; and a beauty salon. The Dining Room, where all meals are served, offered a buffet for breakfast and lunch, plated service for dinner. The Sundeck had chairs, a small dip pool (heated) and a walking track.
Dining
The food was much better than I expected, and much better that the typical American fare on most ocean cruise ships in Europe. The meals were open seating (at set times) for lunch and dinner and open seating (anytime from 7:30-9:00 a.m.) for breakfast. The chef is Austrian and his cooking reflected the cuisine of the areas that we visited. If you didn't like the menu, you could request anything one meal prior. The breakfast buffet consisted of fruits, cheeses, sliced meats/fish, hot dishes (eggs, ham, sausages), French toast, all types of breads/croissants/rolls. The lunch buffet consisted of a salad bar with a variety of salads, soups, hot entrees, and sandwiches. The dessert table had a selection of 6-10 of the most amazing pastries. Dinner consisted of an appetizer, soup, main course (choice of two) and dessert. Local red and white wines were complementary each night. If you wanted anything special you just needed to request it at lunch.
Itinerary
Budapest: We arrived in Budapest on the 13th and spent two nights prior to the cruise at the Budapest Hilton. Most passengers arrived on the 15th and were directly transferred to the ship. Boarding began in the early afternoon and the cabins were available for occupancy at 3:15 p.m. The excursions started immediately with a two-hour city tour of Budapest from 4-6 p.m. (with walking stops in historic Buda, St. Stephen's Cathedral and Victory Square), followed by a Hungarian dinner and folklore show (entertainers boarded for the show while we were docked).
Bratislava: We left Budapest in the early morning and arrived in Bratislava at 2 p.m. We started the tour with a coach through the city to the Bratislava castle and ended with a walking tour of the old city (Old Town Hall, Mirbach Palace, and St. Martin's Cathedral) and got back to the ship at 6 p.m. Tonight features the welcome dinner and a performance by the Bozin Quartet from Bratislava. Some passengers went back into Bratislava after dinner for a walk through the old town. We left for Vienna at midnight.
Vienna: We arrived in Vienna at 8 a.m. and left for the morning city tour at 9 a.m. This was a bus tour of the 'Ringstrasse' and a walking tour within the ring to Hofburg Palace, the opera house and St. Stephens Cathedral. We had a choice of taking the bus back to the ship at noon or staying in town (we were docked on the Danube about 15 minutes outside central Vienna). We chose to stay in town and have lunch at a wonderful restaurant. In the afternoon we went on our own to Schonbrunn Palace. The Amadeus set up a return shuttle at 5 p.m. for anyone who chose to stay in town for the afternoon (there was also a shuttle at 2 p.m. from the ship to central Vienna for people who wanted to go back for lunch). We were back on board for an Austrian dinner at 6 p.m. (early because of the optional excursion at 7:30 p.m. -- a Mozart and Strauss concert in Palais Lichenstein). We took a cab back into central Vienna (10 euros) and walked around for a couple of hours. Everyone who went to the concert enjoyed it immensely. A late night buffet was set up at 10:45 p.m. due to the early dinner. We left Vienna for Durnstein at 12:45 a.m. on the 18th.
Durnstein and Melk, Austria: We arrived in Durnstein at 8:30 a.m. and went on a guided walking tour through the medieval cobblestone streets, followed by a tasting at a 15th century wine tavern (we tasted and learned about three different wines). We left Durnstein at 10:45 and sailed through the Wachau Valley for the next four hours. At 2:45 we arrived in Melk and were transported by coach for a guided tour of the Melk Benedictine Abbey (amazing - one of Europe's largest baroque monasteries). We were able to walk back down to the ship through the charming town of Melk (departure was not until 10:45 p.m.). Dinner was at 7 p.m. and afterwards was the crew show (very well done and very entertaining).
Salzburg, Austria: This was a full-day excursion (lunch included). We departed Linz at 8:30 and arrived in Mondsee at 10 a.m. (in the scenic lake region). In Mondsee we went on a tour of the city and its 15th-century abbey church. Because it was a religious holiday, all shops were closed and the townspeople were dressed in traditional Austrian dress for services. It was a very festive day in the town and on the main square. We left Mondsee at 11:30 and drove 15 minutes to Gasthof Gastagwirt (http://www.gastagwirt.at/restaurant.htm) where we had a wonderful Austrian lunch. We were treated to a musical concert by the local school children and had time to tour stables of cattle and sheep. We arrived in Salzburg at 1:45 and took a two-hour walking tour of this beautiful city. We had plenty of time to stroll around town at the conclusion of our tour. The coaches left Salzburg at 5 p.m. and took a scenic (through beautiful Austrian towns) drive to Passau, Germany. The ship sailed from Linz to Passau while we were on the tour. Dinner was at 7:30 and then it was off to bed after this exciting day! We found Salzburg to be a highlight of the trip. In the past, it has not been offered by other river cruise companies.
Regensburg and Kelheim, Germany: We arrived in Regensburg (one of Germany's best-preserved medieval cities) and began our two-hour walking tour at 9 a.m. Our tour included the Cathedral, the old town hall, and Porta Pretoria (gates to the Roman Fort dating to the 2nd century). We had 45 minutes at the end of our tour to spend more time wandering the narrow cobblestone streets of this beautiful town. We left Regensburg at about noon and continued up the Danube to Kelheim. At 4 p.m. we arrived in Kelheim and took coaches to the Danube Gorge where we boarded a tour boat for a trip through the Danube Gorge to Weltenburg Abbey. We arrived back on the Symphony at 7:15 p.m. and sailed for Riedenburg during the Bavarian dinner. We picked up 10 members of a Bavarian folk group in Riedenburg for a 9 p.m. "oompah" music/dance performance. It was wonderful to have such a variety of local entertainment during this trip!
Nuremburg, Germany: This morning we did not have to get up early for a tour. We spent the morning sailing up the Danube and at 11 a.m. listened to a lecture on the construction of the Main-Danube canal (completed in 1992, it allows ships to sail from Amsterdam to the Black Sea). At 2 p.m. we left the ship for our tour of Nuremburg. We started with a bus tour of Hitler's parade grounds and the Justice Palace where the war crimes tribunal sat in 1946. We then were taken on a walking tour of the castle and historic city center. We arrived back on the Symphony at 5:30 p.m. and attended the farewell cocktail party and captain's dinner.
Nuremberg - Pilsen - Prague: Amadeus offers a two-night post-cruise transfer and hotel stay in Prague (which 95% of the passengers had booked). The coach transfer to Prague stops in Pilsen to tour the brewery and have lunch. We arrived in Prague at about 4 p.m., checked into the Hilton, and headed into town on our own.
Prague: The Amadeus tour (3-1/2 hours) of Prague departs the Hilton at 9 a.m. and includes walking the entire Hradcany Castle district, the Josefov district, and Stare Mesto (Staromestske nam). The tour guide was one of the best I have ever encountered! Her name is Libby Silhavecka and she can be reached at 00420 28489 1920 (I think this is a fax, but may be her cellular). We had the rest of the day free for exploring the beautiful city of Prague. The next morning we took the 8 a.m. transfer that Amadeus arranged for our 10:15 Lufthansa flight.
Overall, we and our companions were thrilled with our experience on (and off) the Amadeus Symphony, and would recommend this trip in a heartbeat. The itinerary is truly amazing and we still cannot believe how much we saw and experienced. We did not feel that any stop that we made was for filler, every port was extremely enjoyable. Please feel free to ask or email (john@cruisesbyjohn.com) any questions(I also have pictures of the cabins, suites, and ship that I can email).
(Editor's Note: The Amadeus Symphony can be booked through various travel companies in the U.S.; consult your travel agent.)
