AmaWaterways: An Enchanting Christmas Markets Cruise
Have you ever felt a bit nervous going to a new place? Despite all of my travels, I know that I do. I am planning a big trip to Europe next month and the logistics of making sure that everything fits just right is a bit overwhelming, especially because when I travel somewhere new, I like to fit in as MUCH as I possibly can so it's like playing Tetris trying to make everything work!
Did you know that you can take a trip and visit some of Europe's most beautiful destinations *without* the overwhelm? I was lucky enough to take a River Cruise with AmaWaterways over Christmas last year. It was my first major trip alone with one of my kids and I wanted her to have unique experiences, but I also didn't want to take the time doing all of the research - and planning for all of the unexpected expenses that may come up.
Before I experienced the river cruise, I didn't really get what the differences were between a river cruise and a traditional ocean cruise which I have done so many times so let me tell you what the differences were:
Smaller Ship! We were on the Ama Magna, which is the LARGEST river cruise ship out there and even on that, there is only 98 rooms! This meant more space and more personalized service. Everywhere we went onboard, the crew knew who we were and were so very accommodating.
Closer to the Action! Because the ships are much smaller, they can get closer to the cities -- this meant that from a lot of the ports, we were able to walk to incredible destinations without taking transfers - being in the middle of all the action was great!
Excursions Included! This was a HUGE one for me! I don't know if you've ever sailed on an ocean cruise in Europe, but the excursions cost more than the cruise itself most of the time. And the groups were a lot smaller so you didn't feel like you were not able to enjoy the experience fully! Also - just in case you didn't know - you get your CHOICE of excursions so not everyone has to do the same thing!
Elevated Food! So, I am NOT a foodie at all but the food on these ships, I could tell and have heard from other foodies, is far superior than a typical ocean cruise. And if you go and have the chance to try the cinnamon ice cream, I'm telling you, it's heaven!
Wi-Fi Included! For one device on most ocean cruises, Wi-Fi runs between $100-$150 per device per week. I know that some people really love to cruise for the chance to unplug, but running a business, I always have to be connected so I definitely appreciated the chance to save some money!
It's about the destination, NOT the ship! This is a big one. With cruise ships getting more and more bells and whistles on them and trying to outdo the last latest and greatest, that is not going to be your experience here. The ships are beautiful but the bells and whistles are slim; however, this did not affect our love for the cruise at all. We were so exhausted after a day of exploring that we were happy to relax in our spacious room!
Some of the concerns that I had before cruising:
Is this only a cruise for the older generation? Because river cruises are more expensive, I was a bit nervous that my daughter would be the only child and there would be no other younger people there. We sailed over Christmas when Covid was at its peak again and the ship was probably only about half full and in that half there was a HUGE mix of ages - from kids younger than Madelyn to seniors. While Madelyn didn't make any new friends as most of the kids came with other kids and kept to themselves, it didn't bother either of us because it was a great mother/daughter bonding experience.
Would we find food that we would eat? Again, I am a really picky eater, as is Madelyn - and I was nervous with the "fancy" food that we wouldn't eat! They were very accommodating on-board and most nights for dinner, Madelyn was happy with a cheeseburger and fries or pizza, which was always available! Plus, she discovered a love of sorbet as a palate cleanser!
Would it be intimidating to go as a single mom? Like I said, this was my first major trip with my daughter and my first time in Europe alone with a kid. Everyone on the crew is so incredible at not only anticipating needs, but also making sure that everyone felt accepted. Most of the places we visited, we did one of the included excursions and then walked around some on our own exploring. Because we were always so close to port, I never felt nervous. I wouldn't hesitate to send single parents or solo travelers!
Would it be too cold? Okay, I said I did this over Christmas and I know you're thinking I'm a bit crazy to have gone on a river cruise in Europe over Christmas, BUT the main reason I chose this cruise was because I have had the Christmas Markets on my bucket list FOREVER. So the answer to this... Y'all. IT WAS COLD. But not unbearable. We wore thermals and layers and drank a lot of hot cocoa at the Christmas Markets and we were fine! Just pack smart!
Do I need to bring a lot of money with me? River Cruises are definitely more expensive than ocean cruises so I was nervous about having the extra cash with me! And I have to say - we spent almost nothing on-board. When we were on excursions, we bought some local food and souvenirs and we tipped the tour guides and staff on-board but tipping in Europe is very different
Where did we visit? What did we see? What did we learn? What’s it like doing a river cruise with a 12-year old?
Day 1.
Arrived in Munich after transferring through Zurich. Took a transfer to Vilshofen where we boarded the beautiful AmaMagna.
Spent the day resting and relaxing and exploring the ship. The ship is absolutely gorgeous and after exclusively ocean cruising, it was interesting to see the differences. So much smaller and more intimate an environment (and the Magna is the largest river cruise ship!)
Madelyn is a big fan of: sorbet as a palate cleaner at dinner, drinking all the Fanta she can, the delicious hot chocolate and trying to make designs in it, playing games on the Mac in our room, macarons (the coconut ones) dipped in chocolate
She tried: coconut shrimp cake, fried rice balls, lots of different desserts
We are heading to Passau tomorrow!
Day 2:
Passau in the afternoon : walking tour and some shopping. Madelyn fell in love with her nutella donut.
We slept through breakfast and woke up for an event and then fell back asleep through lunch. Marios, an amazing crew member, had the kitchen open just for us so we wouldn’t be hungry going into Passau.
Christmas tree decorating at night
Up super late watching Sound of Music
What Madelyn learned:
- university is free
- the pointy churches were pointing up to heaven and they believed the earth to be flat earth flat. Dome was when they knew world was round “something to do with Jesus”
- Arts festival: they color tiles every year and they keep those painted tiles for the next arts festival
- Three rivers go through Passau - Danube and “something and something”
(she also made quite a few comments about the sweets)
Day 3:
Mondsee: visiting the church from the Sound of Music, trees where the kids were climbing in the Sound of Music, seeing the house from the Sound of Music
Salzburg: tour, Christmas markets, Alps, birthplace of Mozart
Christmas dinner and celebration and Santa visit with presents. Left our right shoe outside the door for Santa to leave a surprise
Day 4: Christmas
Santa came and left us some chocolate in our boots.
Melk in the morning - visited the gorgeous Melk Abbey. Unfortunately no photos were allowed inside but what a gorgeous site!
Scenic cruising with lunch down the Wachu Valley while we watched Tilly (other daughter at home) open her Christmas presents on Facetime
Durnstein in the afternoon - we were supposed to hike to the top of the fortress but a white Christmas prevented that from happening so we explored the charming tiny town of Durnstein, home to only 86 residents
They had a special wine event this night at the local winery but since neither Madelyn or I drink wine… Spent the evening cuddling in bed and watching The Santa Clause.
Day 5: Vienna
Morning: tour of Vienna which is just stunning. It amazes us to think that these are the streets that people walk on daily and not something “special” … Vienna is definitely a city we could spend more time exploring. Unfortunately so much was closed due to the holiday.
Christmas markets:
- Maria Theresia Square
- Schonbrunn Palace
- Rathaus Square at night 
Each of the markets was different and listed above in order of size. Rathaus was huge and we wished we had had more time to explore all the lights on the beautiful grounds. The other two were smaller markets. Each had its own unique feel. We liked these markets better than the markets in Salzburg but we still wanted more handmade.
We didn’t purchase much… an ornament for our tree, a journal for Madelyn to give her friend, some beautiful smelling wood balls (like a natural potpourri), a necklace for me (as I try to purchase a piece of jewelry from each trip) and a small gold globe for my office. All were made locally so we did find some locally made!
Madelyn and I tried langos after seeing so many people carrying them around at the market and long lines… which is perhaps our new favorite thing (it’s like a fried bread with garlic).
Day 6: Bratislava
We hiked up to the castle and explored a bit and did a short tour of the town … I found Bratislava to be much more quaint feeling than Vienna and it really was charming.
At night we had onboard entertainment from local performers from Bratislava who were phenomenal to watch.
Madelyn tried Bratislava’s answer to coke - Kofola - and liked it. Our fantastic waiter has been great about recommending different things for us to try in each destination!
Day 7: Budapest
We did a tour of Budapest including this gorgeous church that has both Islam and Catholic influence. Later we did a Christmas market where we got more langos and tried a stuffed chimney cake! Yum! Ended the night with some traditional Entertainment.
Budapest stole my heart (and Madelyn’s). It is like a fairytale come true. I want to come back wearing a princess gown with my own personal photographer! We didn’t get nearly enough time here and cannot wait to visit again someday.
Today we fly home with incredible memories and hope to come back soon!
WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO?
There are river cruises all over the world from many different cruise operators - including the US! AmaWaterways goes to Europe, Vietnam & Cambodia, Egypt, Africa, and Colombia! They have cruises specialized towards wine lovers & Christmas Markets (what we did!). If you're a golfer, they've even got a cruise for you!
Feeling VERY adventurous - they have incredible extended Seven River Cruises in Europe in 2023 which visit 13 countries!