A first-time river cruise experience on the Danube

I’ll start by prefacing this story with a revelation—I’m a first-time cruiser. My good friend and travel companion, Roger, had one ocean cruise under his belt. Two 40-something buddies and first-time river cruisers were about to set sail on the Danube River aboard the AmaMagna for AmaWaterways’ Best of the Danube sailing.

This 7-night roundtrip river cruise from Budapest features stops in Bratislava, Vienna, Linz and more. Scenic cruising is the highlight of this itinerary (there is so much to see right outside your window), with multiple daily excursion options including a Melk Abbey tour and a Vienna Woods hike to get you closer to the heart of each city you visit. 

But before we dive into the onboard AmaWaterways experience, let’s talk about our pre-cruise experience at our new favorite city, Budapest.

Pre-cruise greatest hits at Aria Budapest

We chose to spend some pre-cruise nights at the stunning Aria Budapest. This allowed us to see the city, as well as have a more relaxed start to our trip. We were determined to explore Budapest to the max. This was a bonus vacation within a vacation.

Aria Budapest was named TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice No. 1 Hotel in the World in 2017. This luxury hotel boasts a collection of accolades, and it still ranks among the best hotels in Europe. But how would it hold up as a home base for exploring the amazing city of Budapest? Let me count the ways.

Aria Budapest is located right next to St. Stephen’s Basilica, in the heart of the city. As someone who’s very much a "music person," I was intrigued to learn that the hotel has different wings representing various genres of music. Naturally, I had my fingers crossed for the contemporary wing (Mick Jagger room, anyone?), but I was more than content with our classical wing room. The musically themed macarons in our room were a nice touch (yes, even the sweets have musical names).

Aria Budapest is a music lover’s dream, with meticulous attention to detail. Glass awnings above each room showcase caricatures of famous musicians, while piano-key flooring in the Music Garden leads to a true masterpiece—the Bogányi piano. Evenings bring a wine and cheese reception with live performances by local musicians around the futuristic-looking piano. Mornings offer a fantastic, complimentary breakfast in the same space.

But, as much as we loved the hotel and the wonderful ambiance and tunes, we couldn’t stay inside the entire time. There was a city waiting for us to explore.

Cruise pre-game in Budapest

Why not start right outside of our hotel? St. Stephen’s Basilica’s stunning façade and dome are right there. Inside, you’ll find many relics, none more famous than St. Stephen’s “Holy Right” mummified hand. The climb to the dome’s terrace is worth it for the panoramic city views.

Other sightseeing highlights include the interactive Retro Museum, which offers a hands-on look at Budapest’s Communist history. We also walked to Buda Castle, the Hungarian Parliament Building and Matthias Church. Unfortunately, construction at Gellért Hill blocked a closer look at the Freedom Statue. Seeing the city in its present vibrant state was juxtaposed with monumental reminders of its complicated past.
 
The final Budapest adventure walk was to the Széchenyi Baths, with hopes that the therapeutic waters would be a soothing reward, despite the February temps. The outdoor thermal waters were perfect in the winter cold. The massive complex offers pools and saunas of all temperatures and sizes, and despite being there on a weekend, it never felt crowded. Do this at least once in Budapest; your body will thank you later.

Refreshed, we stumbled upon the random, quirky and free Cats Museum Budapest. While there are no actual cats, there are fun cat-themed art and souvenirs. This was yet another example of Budapest’s cool, eclectic charm. We ended the day by seeing a UK band perform at A38, a former Ukrainian cargo ship turned floating venue.

Thanks to Aria Budapest’s sauna and pool facilities, we were able to fully recover and recuperate before our river cruise. A toast at the rooftop Skybar was in order, with magical city evening views and perfectly crafted cocktails in tow. (We also learned it’s impolite to cheer by clinking glasses, a custom dating back to the 1848 Hungarian revolution.)

The AmaWaterways experience on the Danube

The beauty of this new Danube River itinerary is it starts and ends in Budapest. We took full advantage of both pre-cruise nights in Budapest and made notes of anything we missed for our eventual return.

From the moment we arrived at the dock where the AmaMagna was located, it was clear that we were about to experience something special. Twice the width of a typical European river ship, it feels like a small floating city with resort amenities.

The ship’s lobby felt like a boutique hotel that you knew you were going to love. The check-in process was a breeze, and we were ready to see our room.

There are 98 staterooms on the ship, and ours was far more spacious than we expected. The interior features refined, elegant natural wood tones. Our second-level stateroom had plenty of closet space, a cozy couch and a sleek touchscreen dashboard that let us control the lights, temperature, and even the level of privacy of the curtains. The bathroom featured dual sinks and a modern walk-in shower. Best of all, the large windows slid open to our private balcony, which became the perfect vantage point for capturing many of the incredible photos we took throughout the week.

We joined the other guests in the AmaMagna’s Lounge for an informative welcome, staff introduction and safety briefing brought to us by Cruise-Director-extraordinaire Martina Valachova. On the way to the Lounge, a rose was handed to every woman entering, a classy touch. Martina’s boisterous personality was only outmatched by her extensive knowledge of this region and cruise itinerary. The service level for the experience became apparent right away—crew members were anywhere you looked. My wine glass was never empty.

One second, we were drinking the finest Hungarian wines and learning about all the great places we’d visit on this weeklong adventure and the next, we’re moving. I was surprised at how quiet the engine was for a ship of this size. I couldn’t tell we were moving until I saw Budapest flashing past the AmaMagna windows.

Biking in Bratislava, hiking in Vienna & more

With this (and all) AmaWaterways sailings, you can customize your excursions in advance, and unlike other cruise lines, they were all included—except for an evening concert in Vienna. Each day offered multiple options, clearly labeled by difficulty level. The local certified guides were top-notch, chosen as much for their expertise as for their awesome personalities.

The obvious choice for us in Bratislava, Slovakia was biking. We rode past castles, bridges, an observation deck and restaurant shaped like a UFO and trekked offroad to tour a WWII bunker.

During our stop in Dürnstein and the Wachau Valley, one of our favorite tour guides, Yolo (yes, that’s his real name), who spoke with an amazing Welsh and Austrian accent, warned us of ABC-fatigue. But “another bloody castle/church” was exactly why we took this tour. Enter Dürnstein Abbey’s and its unique blue steeple.

On our guided tour of the Melk Abbey, a huge Baroque monastery and UNESCO World Heritage Site, no photos were allowed. Luckily, the mental images of the grandiose church and the Harry Potter-esque library will last. Yolo recommended great local wines & spirits and local artisan goodies that caused some luggage content weight shifts upon our return.

Next up was a full-day Salzburg tour. Many in our group were big "Sound of Music" fans, though we had never seen it. As first-timers, we paid tribute to one of the world’s first rock stars, Mozart, with a visit to his actual birthplace, and explored the Museum der Moderne Monchsberg, where an elevator ride to the top floor revealed stunning city views. After a long day, a kismet encounter with the Red Bull (headquartered in Austria) street team set the tone for a very peppy evening.

Important note: We picked an excursion each day because we wanted to, but we could have been just as happy staying aboard the AmaMagna, sipping wine on our balcony. That’s the beauty of these excursions, you could do them all, do your own thing, or do nothing.

In Vienna, we rode past the red carpet entrance for the Vienna Opera Ball, taking place that evening. Lacking tickets to that show, we instead toured the city center by horse carriage. That evening, most cruisers were on their way to an optional Mozart & Strauss classical concert. We still wanted to explore more of Vienna, so we self-curated a tour of the city’s best local bars. Vulcania and Funky Monkey bars filled our classical music void with excellent prices, lively music, frosty drinks and friendly patrons and bartenders.

The next day in Vienna, we set out for a challenging 6-mile Vienna Woods hike with an expert guide. Perhaps the classical concert (or the wine reception beforehand) did a number on my fellow cruisers, and there were only a handful of hikers present for this excursion. I loved knowing that even if only one of us showed up, the excursion would proceed. The lucky ones toured vineyards, climbed hills and even met a donkey at a small farm in the Woods.

Our final stop would be in Budapest, the city we had already fallen in love with. Sailing past all of the beautiful buildings and bridges we had enjoyed during our pre-cruise nights was a surreal experience. We only had a few more things on our list to see here. We visited the poignant Terror Museum to learn about Hungary’s past regimes. An early evening return to the Szimpla Ruin bar proved successful and we witnessed a DJ performance, an acoustic singer and lots of cool art in all its diverse rooms. I’m glad that we saved this perfect slice of Budapest for last.

What makes AmaWaterways so special?

From the moment you walk onto the AmaMagna, everything feels luxurious. It took me 3-4 days to learn the intricacies of the ship, but there were well-lit signs everywhere that helped show the way. After our daily tours, we were welcomed back with an authentic “Welcome home” from the crew and a warm, velvety fruit tea, perfect for the February weather. Onboard, you’ll find four restaurants, a lounge where meetings and nightly entertainment take place and a gym.

A conversation with our Cruise Director, Martina, gave us a deeper look into the AmaWaterways experience. I loved hearing that the AmaWaterways owners “are actively involved in the river cruising process. They not only care about the clients and the product, but they choose the river cruises they would take themselves, which makes my job easy and wonderful.”

This new itinerary we were sailing was designed by AmaWaterways co-founder, Rudi Schreiner, naming it his top choice for 2025. “It's focused on more cruising time, allowing guests to enjoy the scenery, and it’s a perfect mix of cities like Vienna, Budapest, and Bratislava, combined with ancient villages." Martina summed it up perfectly: “It’s about providing an intimate experience where guests can truly connect with the destinations.” AmaWaterways’ mission statement, "Every season is completely different, and you will love them,” has us ready to come back this summer.

Of course, we never wanted to have too much fun at Sip & Sail (it’s very easy thanks to our excellent bartenders) or too much wine during dinner because there were other, more active things to do on the ship. There’s a walking track, pool and hot tub on the AmaMagna Sun Deck, but also something pretty unique for a river cruise—pickleball. How about casually dropping this one at the next dinner party: ”My first pickleball game onboard was at sunset, docked in Slovakia.”

At Sip & Sail hour, you’ll chat about and toast to (no clinking!) the day’s activities. Wine and beer are always available at no extra cost, but Sip & Sail is where you can enjoy complimentary cocktails and mocktails (there’s a special one every night).

Eat and drink everything on the AmaMagna, trust us!

The meals we had on the AmaMagna were the highlight of the sailing. Everything was fresh and while we were on excursions, locally sourced ingredients used in our meals were brought onboard daily. The Main Dining Room was always a hit. Every meal was noteworthy. Every detail of every meal was put together with passion and love on the AmaMagna.

It’s no coincidence that Ama means “love” in Spanish because this sentiment permeates every facet of the dining experience. The eclectic entrées for both lunch and dinner could feature a local flare depending on which city we were docked in. Standouts included slow-braised Black Angus short ribs, oven-roasted turkey breast, vegetarian selections like spinach ricotta tortellini, and more “local” options like slow-roasted Hungarian Mangalica pork tenderloin and veal schnitzel.

The soups were made with the same fresh ingredients and included creamy leek, French onion and vegetable soups and consommés varieties, as well as more exotic options, like a pho bar for lunch one day. Soups are my culinary kryptonite and I’m not ashamed to say that I tried them all and was never disappointed.

Dinners featured a red and white wine Hungarian wine pairing. The menu was of 5-star caliber and varied daily, with options for even the most discerning palettes. From our very first meal, the staff recited the dietary restrictions we messaged. There were three other dining options to experience besides the Main Dining Room, but reservations are required to dine at these, again, at no additional charge.

Jimmy’s Restaurant pays homage to AmaWaterways’ co-founder, Jimmy Murphy, and the meals are served family style. The long wooden tables allowed us to chat with other cruisers. If you want more of any dish, you can just ask your waiter.

Al Fresco restaurant has a set menu and numerous amuse-bouche courses (you do get to choose your appetizer and entrees). Al Fresco is also the place for late-night snacks like goulash (my new favorite food) plus gastropub favorites like wieners, horseradish and spicy mustard. If you missed a meal in the Main Dining Room, you could pop into Al Fresco for a bite almost any time.

We saved the best for last. Chef’s Table was both an art studio and a fine dining experience. The open-kitchen atmosphere puts you close to the action of preparation and plating and each course was more exciting and tastier than the last. This was, by far, our favorite meal of the voyage.

Take us back to the AmaMagna lounge ASAP

Our onboard musicians for the week, Richard and Anna, were so masterful in their crafts that they could sing jazz standards during the day and then belt out Disco and '80s hits in the evenings. Their chemistry was undeniable, so it was no surprise that they were engaged to be married soon.

In addition to the mini-concerts, there were fun events like a 3D-card-making class (AmaWaterways will mail them for you) and music trivia nights that were the perfect precursors for the nightly dancefloor eruption.

The second night in Vienna was a farewell celebration during the penultimate Sip & Sail hour. Martina was back to MC during the festivities and re-introduced the captain of the ship, Christian, and the other stars of the week, the amazing staff. There were so many different countries of origin mentioned for the staff members that we lost count.

We sailed, we sipped, we loved

I know many companies specialize in European river cruising, but, for us, AmaWaterways has set a high bar for this type of experience, AmaWaterways has come up with the perfect balance of planned vs. free time. 

I also had the pleasure of speaking with AmaWaterways’ Chief Marketing Officer, Michal Maguire, about what makes sailing with AmaWaterways so special. While I don’t have ocean cruise experience for comparison, I can imagine that the sheer number of guests on those ships might be overwhelming for that kind of cruise.

AmaWaterways, however, takes a different approach. “We treat everyone the same, whether you’re a first-timer or a veteran. Our goal is for every guest to have an amazing experience, no matter their level of cruising experience,” Michal shared. “The smaller ships and personalized service, like having a cruise manager, make it different.” This experience didn’t just sell us on river cruising—it made us lifelong AmaWaterways cruisers. With discounts for past cruisers for future sailings, we might be heading to Colombia next.