Table Of Content
The crew made the experience even more memorable by serving Rüdesheimer coffee (more on this adult beverage later) and an elaborate barbeque lunch on the sun deck. I enjoyed sampling local wines and viewing the terraced vineyards, but one of my favorite experiences was exploring Rüdesheim after dark. We strolled around the Old Town and down Drosselgasse, a narrow cobblestone street lined with restaurants, wine bars, taverns, and boutiques. Our group listened to live music and visited the Rüdesheimer Schloss for authentic Rüdesheimer coffee, a potent beverage made with local Asbach brandy and sugar and topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. I was impressed with the consistently high quality of our meals and the personalized, attentive service on the AmaLucia. AmaLucia’s dining areas include the Main Restaurant, the panoramic Al Fresco Terrace, and the elegant Chef’s Table complimentary dining venue.
Unforgettable Land Packages
While only 4% of the country’s residents work in agriculture, France is the third largest wine producer in the world. Another favorite area of AmaKrisitna is the Sundeck, which has an outdoor pool and pool bar for when the weather is nice. The ship also has a fitness room with assorted workout equipment, including weights, and a track around part of the Sundeck. One of the most impactful visions of the ship is when you enter and see the circular elevator flanked by two winding staircases. When you sail the Colors of Provence itinerary with AmaWaterways, you travel on the Rhône River in the South of France. Shopping at boutiques along the Rue du Dôme, the Rue des Juifs, and in Petite France was a treat.
➤ Read Our Extensive AmaWaterways Colors of Provence Excursions Review
The alternative is finding the herbs at specialty upscale spice towns in old town centers or in souvenir shops that sell a variety of keepsakes and trinkets. The highlight is the small towns and cities you visit in Provence, not far from the Rhone River, not necessarily the countryside. If you love science, you’ll be intrigued to know that the cruise passes three nuclear power plants.
Amping Up Wellness And Staying Active
The sun deck offers loungers in both sun and shade, and a large seating area at the bow is equipped with comfortable couches, tables, and chairs perfect for taking in the panoramic scenic views. Toward the end of my trip, I sat on a stoop enjoying a mango gelato after a long walking tour of Riquewihr, a fairy-tale medieval French town. I had sweated my way down the Rhine for the past week, but it was exactly the kind of vacation I needed. For someone like me, whose mind is constantly racing with worries, staying active allowed me to be more present and connected—even when I was being shown up by people twice my age. Those moments in a new destination, when the responsibilities dissipate, make travel—and the sweat—so rewarding.
Day 13
Other times, the river’s water levels may be too low to sail because there is insufficient water beneath the boat and the riverbed. The best thing to do is extend your river cruise for time on land with a pre or post-cruise extension. Dan and I did this, and it’s when we really immersed ourselves in French cuisine. While 180M tourists in France are French people discovering their own culture (because the different areas of France vastly vary from one another), most of the fellow cruisers onboard AmaKristina were American and British.
Featured Video
The change included more logistics and coordination than most guests probably realized. As such, the guests boarded buses to reach the boat from Tournon after our morning tours; the ship was further along the Rhone River after our excursions than where we disembarked that morning. As soon as the guests disembarked AmaKristina in Tournon, the ship sailed away to make it to the next location. This smart move was the captain’s solution to deal with the strike and stay on course for our Colors of Provence itinerary.
Day 10
One of the newest ships in the company’s fleet, it offers two dining options (a main restaurant and the dinner-only Chef’s Table, which seats 32 guests), a spa, a walking track, and complimentary beer and wine. This well-preserved city is set along the scenic Neckar River and is home to Germany’s oldest and most renowned university. We started by taking a guided visit through the ancient ruins of Heidelberg Castle, a royal Renaissance palace built with stunning red sandstone. The world-famous fortress towers above the Neckar Valley and its cellars contain the Heidelberg Tun, the world’s largest wine barrel.
10 of 316 AmaWaterways Rhine River Cruise Reviews
From the meandering Main to the UNESCO-designated Upper Middle Rhine Valley with its multitude of castles dotting its shores to the vineyard-clad hills of the Moselle, enjoy Europe at its most picturesque. All along the way, gain an intimate understanding of the history and culture of the places you visit. Grand cities blend in perfect harmony with their historic past and their progressive future. Experience the deep-rooted holiday traditions of Europe at its most festive time of year and get caught up in the magic of the holidays with visits to some of the world’s most timeless Christmas Markets. Warm up with a mug of steamy glühwein while at the Cologne Christmas Market located in front of its UNESCO-designated Gothic cathedral.
AmaWaterways Expands Combination River Cruise Offerings - Luxury Travel Advisor
AmaWaterways Expands Combination River Cruise Offerings.
Posted: Wed, 11 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Swiss Alps & Rhine Castles
Nuclear power is the primary way most of the towns in Provence get power. The third largest wine region of the 14 in France is the Rhône area, which has 175K acres of vineyards. In addition, as we explain in more depth below, be sure to go on the Paul Bocuse Les Halles Market Food Tour in Lyon if you’re an epicurean or even the slightest bit interested in French food and drinks. It’s an included tour option on the AmaWaterways Colors of Provence cruise. There is a nice variety of cruise excursions you can choose from that focus on French food and wine. Onboard, you’ll find French wine and some French-inspired food options here and there.
Another unexpected Rhone River challenge had nothing to do with water levels; it had to do with the locks being affected by a strike! During the cruise, the captain smartly adjusted our day's schedule in Tournon to avoid the lock workers' strike. Baguettes are less than €1 per piece at any market or supermarket you visit in France. Our favorite grocery shop in France is Carrefour; most any sizable French city has one. The next afternoon, we enjoyed a beautiful sail through the Rhone River valley after our morning in Vienne.
AmaWaterways Opens Reservations for 2025 River Cruises - Travel Agent Central
AmaWaterways Opens Reservations for 2025 River Cruises.
Posted: Wed, 16 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The cities we visited during this tour and AmaWaterways's service — especially in guided tours and their ability to pivot during a strike — were standouts. In a year that happened to have taken us to the South of France multiple times, this was a phenomenal conclusion to our three cruise vacations in a charming country. That’s why we had to get this herb blend during our Colors of Provence river cruise! Finding Herbs de Provence blend in most of the towns we visited was easy.
During previous trips in recent years, we were affected by a Lufthansa airline strike before our barge cruise with European Waterways and again for our Bordeaux summer river cruise with Viking. But for a truly French experience in the culinary sense, we recommend booking some restaurant experiences on your own in addition to the excursions offered. You will not feel immersed in French cuisine when you sail on this cruise, like during a land trip to Provence.
While AmaWaterways offers some cheese onboard, we found it wasn’t as authentic as the cheese you can get on land. Our Colors of Provence cruise with AmaWaterways was a vacation for the books! Many itineraries travel between Amsterdam and Basel in Switzerland, and some incorporate other rivers as well. Standing on AmaLucia’s sun deck, I was mesmerized by the awe-inspiring scenery complete with picturesque towns, hillside vineyards, and 30 stunning castles and fortresses lining the river. Our knowledgeable cruise manager provided expert commentary on the Upper Middle Rhine Valley’s castles, the area’s stories and legends, the massive Loreley Rock, and the iconic statue that bears the siren’s name.
No comments:
Post a Comment