AmaMagna Danube River Cruise Review
By Jane Iyer
What could be more pleasurable than spending a glorious evening gazing out at Budapest’s stately buildings lining the banks of the Danube — with a glass of wine in hand?
This was indeed the perfect start to our seven days aboard AmaWaterways’ amazing AmaMagna river boat, our first ever river cruise.
Having spent the previous four days in the delightful Hungarian city of Budapest (with excellent tours, delicious meals, a visit to the opera and much more) we had grown very fond of it so it was “Au Revoir, we’ll be back.”
Our weeklong cruise, called Gems of Southeast Europe, sailed along the Danube River from Budapest to Giurgiu, Romania.
After a great “family style” dinner our first evening (we were traveling in a group of 16!) in AmaMagna's Jimmy’s restaurant, one of four eateries on board, we enjoyed the delights of the Upper Deck before retiring to our super comfortable cabin for a great night’s sleep.
Our AmaMagna Cabin
Our cabin — #319, a category SA suite — had more storage space (shelves, drawers and closets) than in most hotels we’ve stayed in. It was super well designed with everything one could wish for including a lovely balcony.
Incidentally the ship’s motion felt so smooth that I took a peek out of our cabin window at some point in the night to check we were actually moving… and yes we were gliding along the magnificent Danube — destination Romania, via Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria.
RELATED: Writer Gene Sloan Reviews The AmaMagna On An Inaugural Sailing
Talks & (Brief) Briefings
Our morning briefing whetted our appetite for our adventures ahead and there was icing on the cake too — renowned travel expert Samantha Brown was on board the AmaMagna as a guest speaker (she is the ship's godmother and was part of the christening festivities when AmaMagna debuted in 2019). Brown shared some great tips on exploring the world, generally, though I thought she’d tell us something about the history and culture of the region we were cruising in — she only talked about her TV programs!
In fact my main suggestion to AmaWaterways would for them to add talks on interesting subjects related to the itinerary — history, food and wine of the region.
I did enjoy a couple of chats with Samantha and I’m looking forward to arranging tours for her in-laws when they visit Singapore next February (I founded a Singapore-based tour company called Jane’s Singapore Tours).
Excursions On Our AmaMagna Danube River Cruise
We had signed up in advance for a number of tours (the prices for which were included in the cruise fares) and enjoyed them all thoroughly. As an owner of a tours business myself I am in a position to judge the quality of such experiences and they were excellent.
That afternoon we experienced our first shore excursion to Pécs (pronounced Pech), a beautiful Hungarian historic city which, among other things, is known for its Ottoman history when churches were converted into mosques, although they have subsequently reverted to Christianity.
Our guide was not only delightful and knowledgeable but sang like an angel, as we discovered when she treated us to a rendition of Ave Maria in the cathedral’s crypt, as well as a rousing version of the Hungarian national anthem on our bus back to AmaMagna.
Evenings On Board AmaMagna
Despite the many steps walked that afternoon, we still had enough energy to boogie after dinner for a couple of hours in the ship’s lounge — there’s life in these old legs yet!
Evening entertainment options included live music from the house band, plus a few folk dance/song performances from local groups brought on board.
Croatia
The next day we arrived in a new country, Croatia. After our usual wonderful breakfast on board it was off on a tour of Vukovar, a small town but one with quite a history as it was on the front line of the Civil War with Serbia, which is literally just the other side of the river.
The local water tower (whose 200+ steps we climbed) saw the defiant raising of the Croatian flag time after time during that conflict. Particularly amazing given that many of those aforementioned steps had been blasted away and so the young men carrying out these daring operations must have had Spider-Man like skills.
Post lunch we moved onto a different kind of adventure: sampling wine at a local winery (loved the big ceramic egg-shaped casks) after which we staggered — oops walked — up to the local castle and lovely church.
Yet another delicious dinner ensued after which we participated in a fun Name That Tune quiz, with excerpts of songs, theme tunes and more being belted out by the ship’s super talented pianist. Our team came a respectable third which we were quite happy with.
Serbia
Another day, another country — this time Serbia. It was a super hot sunny day in Belgrade, so after a long and very informative walk in the morning, many of us retreated to the AC splendor of our cabins for a siesta. Belgrade is an interesting city, much attacked and besieged over the centuries but very much in need of some TLC.
However, its Orthodox Christian Saint Sava church is absolutely amazing; built in 1935, its design was inspired by the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Worth coming here for that alone. Oh and not forgetting the excellent Tesla museum, a tribute to one of Serbia’s most accomplished sons.
After a relaxing afternoon ,12 of our group hopped ashore for dinner Serbian style (not included in the cruise fares); the restaurant was called Ambar and the food was excellent. And it was literally a skip from the ship.
Tonight a small band of us watched with fascination our departure from Belgrade which entailed a 180 degree turn to take us from our berth in the Sava River to rejoin the Danube. Quite incredible how such a large vessel can maneuver so smoothly and efficiently.
Thursday saw us at the impressive Golubac Fortress, the scene of many battles in years gone by but, as our guide put it, only invaded by tourists these days. It’s been beautifully restored and tells the story of this part of the Danube very well.
A very relaxed afternoon ensued with some of us sampling the small but refreshing pool on the sun deck and my first ever game of pickleball — which I really enjoyed and will try to continue to play as it’s definitely easier than regular tennis.
Some in our group also availed of the ship’s daily yoga and stretching classes as well as the walking sessions up on the sun deck, against a great backdrop of the Danube’s river banks.
Iron Gates
By 3:30pm one afternoon, we were navigating towards the famous Iron Gates section of the river with its steep gorges and beautiful scenery, accompanied by a commentary from our Cruise Director Stefan.
Next came another incredible feat of seamanship as our Captain steered our large (132 metre long) vessel through a lock literally inches away from the port side wall. The whole operation took almost two hours and was truly fascinating.
Bulgaria
And on to Bulgaria… and Bulgarian food. We greatly enjoyed a home tour hosted by the delightful Ramona, a woman who introduced us to Banista, a yummy pie made with feta cheese and all kinds of other dairy goodies. It's served with homemade yoghurt, also a Bulgarian specialty. It was particularly nice to be learning all this while in a real Bulgarian kitchen in a real Bulgarian home.
Having already indulged in the ship’s usual fantastic breakfast before our visit to Ramona's home, and then lunch afterwards, the afternoon was spent — unsurprisingly! — digesting and resting. A couple of quick dips in the pool as it’s still super warm and then we got prepared for our farewell party at which we applauded our magnificent crew — both the nautical and the culinary. They have been incredible.
And so to dinner; this one was particularly good both in terms of the menu and the venue which was the ever delightful Al Fresco restaurant which as the name suggests, is light and bright.
Dining Aboard AmaMagna
A couple of asides on practical matters. The four restaurants are excellent; for general ambience we particularly liked the Al Fresco but all provided excellent food and drinks, always busy but never overcrowded.
And I cannot begin to describe how wonderful the staff are — efficient, helpful and friendly at all times. They’re from all over the world (Myanmar, Cambodia, India, Rwanda, Romania, Hungary to name but a few) but all work together in harmony. A model for the world methinks!
Other Passengers On Our AmaMagna Danube River Cruise
Speaking of international, the passengers also came from all corners — predominantly American but also a sprinkling of South American, French, German and other Europeans plus a couple more from Singapore (like us!).
AmaMagna was full on our cruise (nearly 200 passengers), but there is so much space and so many places to sit and relax that it never felt crowded.
Amenities on AmaMagna
As for facilities aboard AmaMagna, they were first class; we enjoyed the Lounge with its talks and live music each evening, the Library areas and the expansive Sun Deck.
Some in our party had massages, hair styling and manicures, all excellent. And many used the small but well-equipped gym.
In port, some of our group also hopped on the bicycles carried along for both guided rides and to pedal solo where the wind and their whims took them.
RELATED: Heidi Reviews Her AmaWaterways Netherlands & Belgium River Cruise.
RELATED: Heidi Shares Tips & Packing Pointers For Those Planning To Cycle On A European River Cruise.
Low Water Levels Alter End Of The Cruise
Unfortunately, due to the low water level in the lower part of the river our cruise would end slightly further from Bucharest than originally planned (the ship’s draft is 1.8 metres, and the water level was down to two metres in places).
So our travel arrangements on disembarkation had to be adjusted (by our amazing travel advisor Kevin, details below) as did the tour options for our final day.
In essence this means we’ll have a two-hour drive to Bucharest instead of one hour so no big deal. But it is interesting that even a huge river like the Danube is being affected by climate change. And as always, our crew have managed the changes with aplomb.
As a result we are spending our last day on board “chilling” (warmly) on our Sun Deck and getting ready both practically and mentally for our return to terra firma.
RELATED: Learn More About The Fluctuating Water Levels On Many European Rivers.
Farewell Evening
Our last evening saw us in the fourth of the restaurants, the Chef’s Table, for an absolutely outstanding several course dinner, truly memorable. The food and wine were great throughout the journey but we definitely left the best to last on our AmaMagna Danube River cruise.
The Final Leg
Post cruise, eight of our group of 16 headed to Bucharest for three days exploring Romania including (of course!) Transylvania while another six went to the Croatian coast and two off to Copenhagen.
We were sad to leave this fantastic ship but we will leave with many happy memories of a superb river cruise. I cannot recommend it highly enough, whether for a couple or, like us, a big group of friends, it’s an incredible experience, a super comfortable way to explore a large region without the hassle of packing and unpacking.
Thank you to our excellent travel advisor Kevin Flink and the superlative crew of the AmaMagna.
Pre- & Post-Cruise Travel
Many folks explore the region before and after their river cruise. Before our AmaMagna Danube River cruise, my husband and I spent five days in Prague and four days in Budapest (staying at the Matild Palace hotel), and then three days in Bucharest, Romania (staying at the Marmorosch Hotel) and exploring Transylvania.
Interested In This AmaMagna Danube River Cruise?
For more information about booking an AmaWaterways Danube River cruise, check out the line's website.
Or better yet, contact our favorite travel advisor Kevin for help booking this great cruise for your next vacation. Send him a message below.
Jane Iyer is an avid traveler who has lived in several parts of the world and has had the good fortune to travel to many countries. After a career in insurance and human resources, Jane followed her passion for history and founded a tour company in Singapore where she has lived for many years. Ready for a new chapter, Jane and her husband are gearing up to soon relocate to Europe to be closer to family.
Interested In This Cruise?
For years, we've been referring our readers to our favorite travel advisor, Kevin Flink, because of his excellent customer service and expertise in travel planning. Kevin owns a franchise of Cruise Planners, one of the highest producing land and cruise travel agencies in the world, which means he gets access to various discounts and perks from cruise lines, hotels and insurance companies that he can pass on to his clients.
To show your interest in booking an AmaWaterways Danube River cruise (or any cruise!) with Kevin, please tell us a bit more about what you’re looking for and we will be happy to get you both connected.
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