Amazing destinations, a wealth of cultural sites, enriching excursions, mouth-watering cuisine and sumptuous accommodations. River cruises are all those things and more but to truly immerse you in the experience, we thought it would be a good idea to share with you the day-by-day observations of a river cruiser. Natalie Ford recently set sail on a Rhone River cruise with AMA Waterways and in this first in a series of blogs, we join her as she begins her journey on the AMADagio.
Day 1
The alarm goes off at 04:30, I hit snooze and a few minutes later, wake up in a startled panic, thinking I had slept through and missed the flight! Of course I didn’t and a smooth and efficient check in later, I fly to Lyon to begin my journey on the Rhone River.
The transfer time from the airport to the ship is approximately 45 minutes by coach. As we approach the ship, I start to get that excited feeling that I always get when I am going to board a ship – you know the one that wakes you up early on your birthday or Christmas Day? Or is that just me? We were greeted by a talented gentleman playing the accordion, who serenaded us as we walked up the gangway to the ship. The double doors opened and we were welcomed by the immaculate crew with beaming smiles. My shoulders dropped and instantly I felt relaxed.
We were given hot towels and shown into the lounge. We couldn’t access to our cabins until 15:00, so we enjoyed the light lunch of soup and sandwiches that were available in the main lounge; it’s surprising how hungry travelling makes you. The main lounge has a selection of inviting sofas, warm, rich colours and tones which all complement each other and are framed by panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows showing the stunning views of the Rhone River and Lyon – our home port for the evening. The main lounge is the hub of the ship and there is a complimentary coffee and tea station with every type of tea you can think of and the main bar area is staffed ready. The lounge has a piano for the resident pianist and a dance floor, which I am sure I will make use of whilst on-board.
15:00 quickly came around and I was shown to my cabin. Luggage was already waiting inside and I was shown how to use the TV system, which includes complimentary movies, music and even internet for staying in touch. The cabin is very spacious and well equipped with plenty of wardrobe space. One of the highlights is the French balcony which I cannot resist opening, I would definitely recommend you to upgrade where possible and enjoy the views.
In tomorrow’s RiverVoyages blog, Natalie takes a tour of her ship and gets her first taste of AMA Waterways’ cuisine.
