Sailing on the AmaMora in August 2021

Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

I am sure many of you, especially the folks who have a river cruise scheduled in 2021 want to know what the experience will be like.

So, here is our report

Our Airport Experience Flying Frankfurt

We flew on United Airlines from Houston. We flew first class in Polaris class. It was required to wear masks at all times except to eat and drink, even when sleeping.

It is amazing how quickly you forget some travel skills after an 18 month absence. We have TSA pre check (it’s awesome) but I forgot to tell them of my hip replacement, so as always I have to go through special screening device. In the old days, I would have remembered.

Prior to boarding the plane, we had to show passport and vaccination card. Even though we had electronic tickets on our I-phones, when we checked our 2 suitcases, we had them print out boarding passes. Probably a good idea, as at gate the agents marked OK on our boarding passes.

First class travel has really changed since COVID for food and beverage service. For dinner, I had braised beef short ribs. There no longer are courses served—everything comes at once. Anne had ravioli and her dish was much better than mine. The meat of my dish was very tough and with a small bowl of gravy, I was in a constant battle to avoid dripping on my shirt which I won only because my cloth napkin protected me from a couple of dribbles.

Wine is served in plastic cups. My mash potatoes were real but soupy with just a little too much liquid added. The salad was good and the frozen mango sherbet in a cardboard cup was refreshing and tasty.

My Malbec was OK but not great and I was offered a second glass but declined. Anne had champagne and put her sherbet in it—it is amazing how she upgrades food and drink!

My grades for the flight—food D+, service B+, comfort A-.

Getting to the Ship

We arrived by train and taxi after spending 3 days in Switzerland.

Here is our train report:

After landing in Frankfurt, and a very long walk (a quick note—our gate had one area of steps and even though there is an elevator it was a little bit of a struggle with our carry on bags as we walked up the steps) we went through security very easily. The only extra document is vaccination card and you must remove mask briefly so guards can see your face. Passport and vaccination card was all that was required— there were no health questions to enter Germany at the border control point.

Frankfurt airport is huge, our flight was delayed for about 40 minutes and finding the long distance train was very hard. With 2 rolling suitcases and Anne’s small rolling carry-on, the escalators were a challenge for me with trying to handle the two 24” rolling suitcases. After about 25 minutes of walking, we finally got to the right track. Luckily for us the train was about 15 minutes late, so we made our first of 3 train connections.

Our second train went well from Mannheim to Basel with one minor exception. Upon approaching Basel, we got off at Basel Bad and quickly realized our mistake and almost missed scrambling back for the short 8 minute ride. The train conductor helped us load up—still we are too heavy for quick loading and unloading but for a 20 day trip it may be the cost of having enough clothes and travel items. Perhaps the saying bring half as much things and twice as much money is great travel advice.

The 3rd train was another challenge. We missed our desired train by 3 minutes but knew there was another in an hour. We had a great ride to Lucerne and after a short walk to our hotel, we have arrived after about 20+ hours.

Daily Life on the AmaMora

Since this is our 18th cruise on AmaWaterways, we can give you a very good comparison on what has changed.

Here are some photos I took on the AmaMora in 2018 on a quick visit with permission of the captain as it was docked next to the AmaCello.

Boarding was easy. A temperature check and passports, vaccination card with the security guard, a warm welcome by the pursor Adam who we have sailed with before and a quick document check and off to cabin 204.

The only changes onboard are masks in public areas, no bar stools at the bar, and some plastic dividers in the lounge.

There are 2 pictures at the end of the blog of the lounge changes.

My Final Thoughts

We believe travel is safe. It is different but there are some advantages to traveling now. Less crowded, only minor inconveniences, and travel folks are welcoming you back with open arms.

What a great adventure—just another reason we love the Old World of Europe so much! We hope you enjoyed these pictures and our report as much as we enjoyed seeing them during our travels.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts. We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe. We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you. We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip. You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience. And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process. We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you! We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel. Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com. We want to help you: Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations! Your journey begins here!

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 49 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

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