I recently took a five day cruise on the Amadeus Royal, cruising from Strasbourg along to Amsterdam. I wasn't quite sure what to expect on a Saga river cruise, but I am happy to say that I loved every minute.
Saga, Amadeus Royal
Embarking on the Amadeus Royal in Strasbourg, we were shown directly to our cabins. Mine had a large circular window and was very comfortable in size and decor.
Cuisine
The wonderful meals were gourmet delights, consisting of four courses and inclusive wine, perfectly selected to compliment the various dishes. Breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, evening meals and late night snacks were all included.
Enjoying the Views
I could go on and on about the wonderful staff that took such great care of us, the magical regenerating massages, the relaxing on the sun deck watching beautiful scenery pass by, and the excitement of passing through locks, all the while sipping a cocktail!
But the best of all was having to only unpack once and yet seeing so many beautiful places that I probably would never get to visit on a planned holiday.
Our cruise included a daily excursion, and the local guides were top notch, with their humour and wealth of knowledge of the places we visited. They were full of character and kept us amused and intrigued throughout the tours.
Optional Excursions
For those passengers wishing to do something else, there were optional excursions that we could purchase, for instance, a six hour excursion to the Black Forest, including lunch, would only cost about forty pounds.
We saw gorgeous little places with loads of history, glorious old castles and the quaintest little towns, where we stopped for coffee, enjoyed a spot of shopping, or just roamed around, taking in the views and savoring the wonderful aromas of the local bakeries.
We also stopped in the larger cities and, in order for us not to walk too far, the daily excursion included either a Noddy train trip or a canal cruise. This gave us a good orientation for later on, when we had free time to discover them at our own pace.
Quite a few clients on board were couples, but it was great to see quite a few solo travellers, who seemed to fit in and make friends with the other passengers. No one seemed to be left out or uncomfortable about travelling alone.
Summary
Our cruise was for five nights, including stops in Colmar, Alsace, Mainz, Heidelberg, Boppard and Amsterdam. One thing that I am most certain of is that five nights was definitely not enough. I would recommend 11 to 14 nights, to immerse yourself in all the delights of river cruising!
