What to expect with Lüftner Cruises – on Amadeus Princess

For our first ever cruise, we joined Amadeus Princess at Basel, for our Rhine River Cruise with Lüftner Cruises. European river cruise ships offer a great experience for culture lovers, with the intimate atmosphere of a boutique hotel. Everything is on the compact side, as the boats are restricted in height and width so that they can fit through the locks and under the bridges as they pass down the rivers of Europe.

Amadeus Princess proved to be an extremely comfortable base for our cruise. So if you’re considering taking a European river cruise, here’s what you might expect based on our our experience.

I hope you enjoy the video tour below of the Amadeus Princess river cruise ship

If you can’t see the video above about the Amadeus Princess ship, view it on my blog here or on YouTube here

What type of person will enjoy a river cruise with Lüftner Cruises?

The Amadeus Princess has 80 cabins and the guest list will typically be 150-160 people. This makes it easy to make friends on board while mingling in the bar lounge and on the excursions.

The languages used on board Amadeus Princess were English and German and on our cruise there were a couple of large tour groups from the USA and Israel. There were also couples and groups of friends from the USA, Canada and Germany.

We learned that large tour groups often use river cruise ships for bookings. Nationalities of the passengers may vary between cruises, but there’s typically an international mixture.

With a few exceptions, most of the passengers on the cruise were in their 50s, 60s and 70s. They typically seemed to be the active retired who were keen to get out and explore the history and landscape of the Rhine. As one American guest put it “This cruise is history come alive for me.”

Cabins on Amadeus Princess

Our cabin was on the Mozart deck, the highest of the 3 levels of cabins and one below the open sun deck. We had floor to ceiling French windows that we could open to give a balcony effect.

The cabins on this deck were in the highest price band, but I would have been equally happy to have a cabin on the Strauss deck below. These were slightly cheaper, although the few cabins on the lowest Hayden deck had smaller windows.

The room was compact by hotel standards but had everything that we needed for a pleasant stay. A large double bed with bedside lights, a narrow dressing table had a mirror above and cupboards below. There were 2 power points and just room to perch my laptop.

We had room to stow our cases under the bed and for clothes storage there was a double wardrobe and a total of 6 drawers. In a cupboard was a small safe, suitable to store smaller valuables, although not large enough for my laptop.

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Like the bedroom, the bathroom, with shower, sink and toilet was compact but had everything that we needed. There were some nice mini toiletries, a cupboard under the sink and a well-lit mirror.

I wondered whether there might be a problem if everyone on the boat decided to take a shower at once. However, this was never an issue, as the ship has huge water tanks and we had a good hot shower whenever we wanted.

Bars and lounges on Amadeus Princess

Our first evening started with a welcome cocktail in the Panorama Bar. The crew were all introduced and we felt that the cruise was well and truly underway.

This lounge bar occupied the front end of the ship on the top level with access to a small deck area. Here you could sit and get a view as the ship progressed down the river.

The Panorama Bar was a little crowded if all the cruise guests were in there at once. Normally this was not an issue as guests filtered in an out for a pre or post-dinner drink, for afternoon tea or for evening talks about the next day’s events and excursions. It was a pleasant place to socialise and to make friends with other guests.

For those who wanted a quieter place to read or play games, there was the Amadeus Club at the back of the ship with comfortable leather seats. There’s a TV area and a couple of computer stations where you could connect to the Internet for an additional charge.

The upper sun deck stretched the whole length of the ship with plenty of chairs to sit outside, and space to play games such as chess. Because we were travelling in May when the weather was changeable we didn’t spend much time on the sun deck. But, in summer I think this would be a lovely place to sit in the sun and take in the scenery as it drifts by.

Food in the Panorama Restaurant

Immediately below the Panorama Bar at the front of the ship, was the Panorama restaurant. This is where we took all our meals, with breakfast, lunch and dinner being included in the cruise.

Our table seating plan had been pre-arranged but there was an opportunity to go and talk to the restaurant manager about your table when you boarded. I’ve heard that some other cruises have a free seating arrangement, enabling you to sit at different tables each day.

However on our cruise there was a fixed restaurant table for the duration of the cruise.  Our table worked well for us as we had a location by the window and pleasant table companions. I spoke to some guests who were disappointed that they didn’t have a table with a river view.

We were very impressed with the quality of the food on board. We had a three course lunch and a four course dinner every day. Also, a breakfast buffet with hot dishes, pastries, fruits, cereals and yogurts, cheese and cold meats.

Menu options on Amadeus Princess

There was a wide variety each day. Some elements of the meal, such as the cheeses and cold meats at breakfast or the salads at lunch were standard. However, I noticed that each day the selection was slightly different.

Our typical lunch menu would be an entrée of salad and soups from a buffet. This was followed by a choice of three hot dishes including a fish and vegetarian option from the menu. Then, a desert buffet of fruits and gateaux.

For dinner a typical menu was a salad or meat entrée and soup course. Then, a meat dish such as medallions of pork or roast beef in a mustard crust or alternatively a fish or vegetarian option.

All the food was beautifully presented and the service was excellent. The same waiters and bar staff served us throughout the cruise. Table wine was served with the evening meal but you could also purchase bottles from the wine menu with all meals.

Dress code for Lüftner Cruises

The dress code on board the ship was relaxed, with no requirement to dress formally. Much of the day was spent on walking tours and excursions. Comfortable flat shoes and layers of clothes to cope with the changeable weather were the order of the day. Don’t forget to pack waterproofs in case of showers.

For dinner most passengers dressed up, but even so it was more smart-casual than dressy. Only a few gentlemen wore a jacket at dinner. There’s certainly no need to pack your evening gown or dinner jacket!

What to pack for a Rhine River Cruise

In terms of other things that you might need, there were a couple of sockets in the cabin which would be sufficient for most people. But as I had a fair amount of electronic equipment to charge, I took an extension lead with 4 extra sockets. I also brought my normal European plug adaptor.

Although I would normally pack a guide book, I found that if you were planning to take excursions this was unnecessary. Every tour we took had an excellent local guide and a lot of information was also provided on board about the places we would be visiting.

There was no money exchange or banking facility on board. However, we found that there was an ATM at almost every place we visited and that this was the best way to get local currency.

What will my typical cruise day look like?

We quickly we got into the rhythm of the cruise. For us this involved tours of the interesting towns and villages where we stopped. We didn’t spend too much time on board the ship during the day.

After breakfast each morning we would join our tour group on the quayside with a local guide. At times we would go on a walking tour directly from the boat. Or, we would be driven by coach, mini-bus or even tourist train to our starting point.

Having always been an independent traveller I’ve never much gone for guided tours, but found that the quality of the tour guides was really excellent. They filled the tour with plenty of interesting information, anecdotes and local knowledge that you could never have gleaned from a guidebook.

If you opted not to take every tour, you might spend more time on board and enjoy the afternoon tea served in the Panorama Bar. Or do your own sightseeing directly from the boat. Most times we were were moored within walking distance of the towns we were visiting.

Bicycles were also available for guests to borrow, with locks and helmets. This is another good way to get out on your own and explore or take a ride along the river. We did this from Cochem on our last day.

Night time sailings on the Rhine river cruise

I was surprised that the ship did most of the sailing by night. It was only when we passed through the famous Middle Rhine section with the castles and Loreley rock that we were all on deck to admire the scenery. However, the first part of the Rhine Cruise was not particularly scenic with a flat landscape dotted with industrial complexes and quite a few locks.

The key time that we learned to listen out for was “All on board time.” This is normally 15 minutes before the ship was due to sail, as if you were late the boat couldn’t wait.

Having said that, the ship had an efficient system for checking guests in and out of the ship. There’s a shore pass that gave a phone number to contact the ship and details of mooring locations. They also took our mobile phone numbers as part of the booking process.

Excursions with Lüftner Cruises

Each cruise line has a different approaches to excursions. Some include free walking tours in the cruise price, others offer a range of excursions as bookable extras.

We had pre-booked our excursions as a package and there were typically 2 tours per day. One is in the morning and one in the afternoon with lunch on board the ship.

So that we could easily hear the guide, we were all issued with personal headsets, and were given radio sets each time we left the ship. This was great when I got distracted taking photos and got a bit behind the main party, but could still listen to the commentary.

Tailoring the tours and activities

The advantage of taking all the tours on offer was that we really saw a lot and learned about the fascinating history along the Rhine. The downside was that we didn’t have a lot of time to just relax on the ship or to just sit in a café and let the world go by.

This was our choice of course. Those who want a more relaxing cruise might want to just do one excursion per day. Then spend the other half day exploring on their own or relaxing on the ship. Take advantage of the afternoon tea!

The other benefit of the tours was that we had immediate entry to things that we might not have had time to see on our own. We had no queues or transport worries.

For instance we had a private viewing of the Jewish Baths at Speyer. We were first into the castle at the top of the hill at Cochem and enjoyed the private tasting of Alsace wine at Domaine Hering.

The excursions varied in price for a walking tour or for a wine tasting tour. There was a pre-booked excursion package for a set per person price. This saved around 25% on the individual prices. I’d recommend this option if you are the sort of person that wants to see as much as possible on your cruise.

Sustainable cruising with Lüftner Cruises

Lüftner Cruises is very proud of its eco-credentials and has a “Green Globe” accreditation. This is a certification issued by the UN World Tourism organisation.

Michael Heller, the Hotel Manager explained the accreditation to me. It extends to things like reducing waste water, recycling of garbage and the energy efficient lighting system. Staff are also trained in eco-friendly practices.

At certain ports, the ship switches to shore supply of electricity. This means the ships does not constantly have to run its engines. It’s quieter and better for the environment, even though it costs the company more.

The company also collaborates with the Atmosfair climate protection organisation. This enables passengers to make a donation to offset their CO2 emissions while on board.

Extras to budget for with Lüftner Cruises

The main extras that we needed to budget for over an above the price of the cruise were excursions and tips. Tips are not an obligation but are customary on cruises for good service.

The suggested amount was €5-7 per person per day. It is given in an envelope at the end of the cruise to be shared among the staff. Most guests, especially the Americans, also gave a tip of a few Euros to the local tour guides who were really excellent.

Wine and coffee was served with dinner each evening and afternoon tea was served every day. So, we didn’t spend much extra on board, apart from indulging in a bottle or two of the local wines.

You might also need to cover the odd coffee or snack while out sightseeing. But, lunch was served on board and the tours left little time for independent wandering. So, we didn’t spend a lot on these either.

If you need to use the WiFi, the costs can be expensive. Overall, we found that a lot was included in our cruise price, especially if you had pre-booked the excursions. We didn’t spend much extra on our cruise.

We really enjoyed our first ever cruise. Although we are normally independent travellers, we found that it was a fantastic way to see a lot of interesting things in a short space of time. We always having a comfortable, friendly base to return to.

Read Next

Read more about the different places we visited in this cruise in Our 6-day Rhine River cruise itinerary

More Tales from my Rhine River Cruise

My Rhine River Cruise – a week of history, wine and music – podcast

Video – The Rudesheim Music Museum – Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet

From Riesling to Gewürztraminer – our wine tasting on the Alsace Wine Route

About Lüftner Cruises

Lüftner Cruises specialise in European river cruises on the Rhine, Danube, Rhône and other destinations in Europe, with personal service and Austrian hospitality. We travelled on the Amadeus Princess on a 7 day Classical Rhine Cruise which travelled from Basel to Amsterdam, although we disembarked at Cologne.

My thanks to Lüftner Cruises who hosted* our Rhine River Cruise.

* More info on my policies page

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com

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