Carly-ann’s Blog…
Culture, sunsets and wine, along the Lower Danube Day 1 When I was told I had the opportunity to experience our Black Sea Voyage on the Danube River I was thrilled! I have been lucky enough to experience a few nights cruising on the Rhine and more recently in November I spent five days cruising on the upper Danube where I spent time in Budapest and Vienna. So when the chance came for me to cruise further down the river from Budapest to Bucharest and see parts of Eastern Europe, I of course jumped at the chance and I wasn’t disappointed… We flew direct from Luton airport into Budapest, arriving at around 1pm. As I had previously visited Budapest I already knew that the transfer from the airport to the port took no longer than 30 minutes so it was great to know we would be meeting the beautiful AmaCerto in no time. The weather was beautiful too, it’s always that little bit more exciting when you arrive in a destination and the sun is shining – it puts you in a relaxed holiday mood When we arrived at the ship, as always it looked stunning and I couldn’t wait to get on board. We were greeted by crew that were smiling as they welcomed us and helped us with our luggage. We were advised we could check in from 3pm and were asked to relax in the lounge where there was a light lunch and refreshments available for us. We were told our luggage would be kept safely until they were ready. We took this time to have a little look around the ship and it was a perfect opportunity to see the top deck where the sun was shining over fantastic views of Budapest. When 3pm came, those who were already on board were called to check in and it was a smooth and hassle-free experience, taking no longer than 5 minutes whilst we were handed our room key and told some vital information about the on board experience. We were then showed to our cabin and our luggage was carried for us. The cabin we stayed in was a D category cabin which had two very large picture windows bringing in lots of light and was very spacious. We had a double bed and our cabin also had an infotainment system which was not only a full working computer with a keyboard (wifi is complimentary throughout the entire ship) but also showed all the latest movies on demand and had a music library. Our bathroom was beautiful with a huge shower cubicle with an over- head power shower! After we had settled in we decided to stroll into town for the remainder of the afternoon. We took some time taking in some of the sights and did a little bit of shopping in the quaint shops. We were certainly looking forward to seeing the city by night and experiencing AmaWaterways' Illuminations cruise along the bank of the river. When we returned to the ship we got ready for dinner and met the rest of the passengers in the lounge area for a welcome cocktail with the crew. We were greeted by the captain and his officers when we arrived who all welcomed us on board the cruise. The Cruise director introduced himself to all the passengers and then proceeded to introduce the crew who would be looking after us over the next week. We were informed of all the relevant
information we may need during the next seven days such as information about excursions and activities and we also listened to a safety talk to make sure everyone was well informed on how to be safe during their cruise. We then made our way down to dinner where we experienced our first (of many) beautiful dining experiences on board. We felt like royalty as we were shown to our table for two and shown the menu that was filled with options for us to choose from. We were also very spoilt with the free-flowing wine on offer, and we toasted to our first relaxing night on board as we looked forward to many more to come. After dinner we all made our way to the top deck with blankets and wine in hand for AmaWaterways’ exclusive ‘Illuminations Cruise’ where we cruised by the riverfront to view the parliament building and the Liberty Statue which are all beautifully lit up in the evening.
After dinner we retired to our cabin as it had been a long day of travelling. Tomorrow we would arrive in Mohacs…..
Day 2 As this was our first full day on board we decided to take the chance to explore the ship and enjoy some free time on the top deck. As we headed down to breakfast, it didn’t take long to realise that the sun was shining and it was set to be a lovely sunny day. Breakfast was served from 7:30am to 9:30am every day with early risers’ breakfast served in the lounge from 6:30am. When we arrived in the main dining room the friendly waitress advised us of our options and that we could help our self to the hot buffet or we could order from the menu. You really are spoilt for choice here and it’s very hard to make a decision on what you want without eating a little bit of everything. The hot buffet had everything from sausages to hash
browns and there was an array of cereals for you to choose from as well as fruit and porridge. If you decided you wanted to order something from the kitchen you could order Eggs Benedict, Poached eggs, Breakfast for Kings (which is a very fancy Full English) and much more. If you fancied starting the morning in style you could also enjoy a Champagne breakfast which is all complimentary. It’s safe to say we were very satisfied with the breakfast experience After breakfast we explored the ship, visiting the fitness room and hair salon as well as, in the same area, the speciality restaurant Erlebnis which is situated at the back of the ship. We were told when we checked in that we could eat in here once during the week and it could hold up to 30 guests - after seeing how beautiful it was we decided to book in there for the following night. We decided (as we’d had a big breakfast) that today we would take advantage of the light lunch served in the lounge instead of having a full lunch in the main dining area. Here we helped ourselves to a tasty soup which they change daily and there were small sandwiches for us to choose from, as well as cakes and patisseries. After lunch we decided to join the afternoon excursion which was a wine tasting trip to sample some aromatic, spicy wines from the vineyards of Villany. We made our way by coach to the cellar where the wine is made and the winery here is a family owned business set in a beautiful hillside location, views from the winery were very scenic - a picture-perfect setting. We were taken down to the cellar by our tour guide where there were some nibbles set out on barrels as well as five wine glasses for each of us. We were then offered five different types of Hungarian wine to taste, three red, one rose and one white. After the excursion we were given a little while to explore the vineyard where we managed to get some beautiful pictures of the views.
Once we had returned to the ship it was time to get ready for our evening in the speciality restaurant Erlebnis which we had booked with the receptionist the previous day. The menu in
this restaurant is slightly different to that in the main dining room as it is a tasting menu which includes six courses of small dishes for you to try. The restaurant itself is set out in tables of four with one larger table in the centre and the kitchen has glass walls so you can see the chef preparing your dinner making it a really interactive dining experience. As the restaurant is situated towards the back of the ship there are also great views out of the floor to ceiling glass doors which make it even more magical. After dinner we opted for an early night and headed to bed with a night cap, the problem is that the beds are so comfy you just can’t wait to get in them…..!
Day 3 Already knowing that the weather was meant to be nice today, we wanted to make the most of it and woke around 8am for an earlyish breakfast before joining the morning excursion. We had two choices this morning and we could either choose a walking tour of Vukovar in Croatia where we had docked or a wine tasting experience in the small town of llok. We decided as we had already done the wine tasting the day before we would do the walking tour this morning. With the majority of the excursions there are different levels available for you to choose, for example there is a red group which is an ‘Active walkers’ group who will be quicker walkers and are more likely to see more during the tour, then there are other groups such as ‘Slow walkers’ and ‘Late starters’ and this means you get to take things at a pace that suits you and also share your experience with other like-minded people.
During the walking tour we were taken around by our guide who was actually from Vukovar and you could tell was very passionate about the history and culture of the town where she had grown up. Our first stop was the Ovcara memorial which is a monument representing those who lost their lives during Croatia’s struggle for independence and it opened in 20 th November 2006. At times, it was rather chilling to remember those who did lose their lives here; there was a short video which showed the destruction of the town of Vukovar and
residents leaving the city carrying their belongings which gives you an idea how serious the situation was. We then made our way back to the ship where lunch was served whilst we sailed to our next port of call, Novi Sad, in Serbia. During lunch we passed some beautiful towns and it’s surprising how relaxing it is cruising down the river while looking out at the scenery. There is also the fact that there is no movement at all whilst you are sailing, you really do just glide down the river and don’t even know you’ve moved off sometimes! As we arrived in Novi Sad that afternoon the sun was still shining and as we had docked right in the centre of town we decided to take a nice walk into town to find a park we could sit in and enjoy the sunshine. We firstly explored the small town and found the Petrovaradin Fortress which is now home to a hotel, museum and artists’ studios. The Fortress took 88 years in total to build and is a very impressive building in size. We then found a quaint park where some local music was being played and decided to sit down on a blanket on the grass and enjoy the sun. That evening the wine on the menu was a local Chardonnay and we had asked if there was any alternative we can try and our lovely waiter offered us a bottle of Riesling to try instead which was wonderful. We had been sitting in a similar place most nights (you can sit where you like to dine) and had got to know our waiter well so he knew exactly what type of wine we enjoyed. It’s this attention to detail and care that makes your overall experience so enjoyable on board.
Day 4 We had been advised a few days before that this part of the cruise was one to look forward to and a real highlight of the itinerary. With this in mind we woke early and after breakfast headed to the top deck where all the action was to take place. Quite naively, I didn’t really know what to expect of the ‘Iron Gates’ and how exactly we would be cruising through them. All I had been told was that the captain dedicated a full day cruising to this for two reasons, one because it takes about that time to make your way fully through the stretch comfortably and two, there is so much beautiful scenery to see during the entire transit – and for that there is no better place to be than the top deck.
Around 11am we were told by the cruise director that this was where the Danube began to narrow and this was when we would see some of the breath-taking sights. We were cruising between Serbia and Romania and the banks were lined with astonishing rocks which towered over your head, it really was a spectacular sight. We came to learn from the cruise director who was giving information from a microphone towards the front of the ship that the ‘Iron Gates’ was actually a metaphor for two things – one, the narrow gorges and the surrounding rocks that look almost likes gates as you cruise through and two, the Iron Gate Dam between Romania and Serbia which was built in 1964 and opened in 1972 to try and tame the most ferocious part of the Danube river. When we cruised through the dam it was so interesting to see how a ship of that size transits through a lock and how precise the captain must be as he manoeuvres the ship through such a small opening. From the top deck you can see the narrow space between the wall and the ship and it’s very interesting to watch the lock empty its water and the ship lower with it so we can continue on our journey. It’s all very clever indeed! With a day dedicated to cruising down the river and the sun beaming down it seemed silly not to take full advantage of the swimming pool situated on the top deck. The generoussized pool is heated which means you can enjoy it even in the cooler months when the weather isn’t quite as warm as it was today. The pool also has a very convenient swim up bar so you can enjoy a cocktail or glass of wine whilst you’re in the pool cruising down the river which is exactly the sort of thing you should be doing on your holiday!
To finish an already fantastic day of cruising the crew hosted a fabulous ice cream party on the top deck with every kind of ice cream on offer, there was also a different topping for every flavour; we really were in heaven here! As the evening came we enjoyed dinner on board and headed to the top deck to take in the beautiful sunset as we wondered what the next day would bring…
Day 5 Day 5 and we cruised into our fifth country of the itinerary, it’s amazing to think that we saw and experienced so many different countries during one cruise. This really is the great thing about river cruising, you are able to see so many diverse and wonderful places within one trip with the added luxury of only unpacking once. As we continued on our Eastern European adventure we found ourselves in Vidin in Bulgaria. That morning we decided to go on a bike ride around the town using the bicycles which AmaWaterways carry on board. They normally carry between 30 to 35 bicycles and you can either take the bikes into town yourself or join one of the guided bike tours they provide in certain towns during the cruise. We had decided to do our own thing today and asked the helpful staff at reception if there were some bicycles free for us to take into town. Within minutes we were provided with two bicycles and helmets and some good advice as to where to go for some nice bike routes and pleasant scenery.
After our bike ride we made our way back to the ship for some lunch before we sailed late afternoon towards Bucharest. That evening we were invited to enjoy a captain’s cocktail before dinner in the lounge as it was our penultimate night, which was a chance to thank all of the crew for their dedication, hard-work and outstanding effort so far. One by one the captain invited out members of the crew, introducing them and their role on board, we then clapped and thanked each person individually. This really is a fantastic time on board and everyone agrees it is very important to thank the crew as without them we would not have had such a fantastic holiday experience.
After dinner we enjoyed entertainment from a group of young, local Bulgarian dancers who performed in the lounge area for guests. We then headed to what quickly became our favourite place on board, the top deck. Here we witnessed some of the best sunsets I have ever seen, and as we sailed down the river we took this opportunity to take some beautiful shots so we wouldn’t forget
Day 6 When we awoke we were already docked in our final destination of the cruise… Giurgiu. We were disembarking a day early from the cruise so decided that we would join the morning excursion which took us into Bucharest town and go from there to the airport to fly home. We enjoyed our last breakfast on board today, and as it was our last we decided to go all out and try the champagne breakfast accompanied by eggs benedict which we ordered from the menu. The food was delicious and really set us up for the busy day ahead. As we had settled our on board account the night before, checking out didn’t take us very long at all and we had time to say goodbye to the wonderful crew who had all come out to say farewell to us as we disembarked (even though we were the only ones getting off). Very kindly, our cruise director had offered for us to join the rest of the passengers on the morning excursion in Bucharest and take our cases on the coach with us before we headed to the airport. This meant we could enjoy a morning of sight-seeing before we left and experience a leisurely morning in Bucharest before we headed home. The coach transfer from Giurgiu to Bucharest took us around one hour and our first stop was the Open Air Museum where we were invited to learn about the history of Romania and see the different architecture of houses which Romanians would have inhabited throughout history. The outdoor museum was beautifully designed and picturesque paths lead you from one house to the next. We were first shown a house built solely by wood that would have been home to a wealthy family years ago. We were told that there were several ways to recognise that this kind of house was owned by a wealthy family, the first is the whether they
had any out-houses or no - if they had buildings like barns and other houses on their property this generally meant that they were a rich family. Another thing that would give this away would be the size of their front gate – the rule was, the bigger the gate, the richer the family. We were then given free time to explore the museum and look round the different types of houses, each had been re-built in exactly the same way they would have looked hundreds of years ago and even the interiors were designed in the same way with furniture in-keeping with that era which we are able to go and see inside. After the museum we all boarded the coach as we made our way to the next stop which was a church in the centre of Bucharest. Our tour guide talked to us about the importance of religion in Romania and how it played a big part in the every-day life of the people there. We were given the opportunity to go into the church which was beautifully designed with gold ornaments and decoration.
After this we made our way to the restaurant where we would be having lunch. Before doing so, our tour guide gave us a tour of the town on the coach, ensuring that we got to see some of the beautiful sights and monuments before we left. The restaurant we arrived at was a tradition Romanian restaurant and all 100 of us were able to fit inside. We were welcomed into the restaurant by a gentleman playing the violin as a female singer sang traditional Romanian songs. When we were seated we were offered wine and local dishes to try as well as an appetiser which consisted of a mixture of vegetables such as pickled onions and grapes - very different to what we are used to but enjoyable nonetheless.
After lunch we had to unfortunately say our goodbyes and make our way to the airport, taking a short taxi ride around 15 minutes. We had a fantastic cruise and made lots of lovely memories to take away with us. As always AmaWaterways offered us a flawless holiday which we will never forget … …Until next time!
Carly-ann