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As AmaWaterways' 23rd ship, AmaMora encompasses the best offerings of the European fleet, with a focus on fitness, food and shore excursions. Compared to some other river cruise lines, there's more choices of guided tours (up to four options per day) and fun ways to keep fit and active.
One of the ship's greatest attractions is its wellness program, led by a qualified wellness coach. Every day sees multiple exercise classes, ranging from easy stretching to high-intensity circuits, as well as the thoroughly enjoyable Champagne yoga in the sun. Escorted jogs and brisk walks are held ashore, along with hiking and cycling in most ports of call.
Shore excursions also range from gentle, such as walking and wine tasting, to challenging, like a trek through Germany's Black Forest. For independent explorers, the ship carries a fleet of bicycles, which can be borrowed for riverside rides, and there's always free time to look around after tours, too.
Although it's identical to sister ship AmaLea, AmaMora has one point of difference: The Chef's Table restaurant is slightly larger, seating 34 people, and it boasts the line's first retractable aft veranda. This would be perfect for alfresco dining; alas, it's not often possible as the ship usually sails through the evening and the balcony can only extend when the ship is docked.
The main restaurant and lounge also serve food all day and night, so nobody will go hungry or thirsty. Passengers can enjoy an all-day tapas menu, afternoon tea and late-night bar snacks on top of the usual three meals a day. Wine, beer and soft drinks are complimentary during lunch and dinner, plus a bonus happy hour (which adds free cocktails) and a couple of special events. It's more than enough for most people.
AmaMora is a visually pleasing, comfortable and casual ship with a friendly ambience and a good-humoured, proficient crew in all departments. Entertainment is low-key but can get lively at the disco night and trivia. On those evenings, nonparticipants will have nowhere quiet to relax indoors; luckily, the cabins are pleasant and spacious enough to unwind in private and enjoy the view from your bed or balcony.
AmaMora hosts a few specialty sailings, such as Adventures by Disney cruises, when its interconnecting and triple-occupancy rooms become useful for families. All other departures are aimed at adults. An extensive range of wine cruises, organized with partner vineyards, also make this lovely ship a top choice for oenophiles
Dress code
Daytime: Dress casually and comfortably during the day. Most passengers wear jeans, shorts, T-shirts, athletic gear and flat shoes on shore excursions and at breakfast and lunch. Due to Europe's variable weather, it's a good idea to bring a hat, sunglasses, poncho or rain jacket, sweater and a small backpack for carrying water, camera, phone and other necessities. Two umbrellas are provided in each cabin.
Evening: There is no formal night and no requirement for a jacket and tie. At dinner, men wear nice trousers and a collared shirt; women wear a dress or pants and a top. High heels are rarely seen onboard the ship so flat shoes are fine. At the farewell dinner, held on the second-last night, some people dress up a bit more but it is not essential.
Not Permitted: Shorts are discouraged in the restaurant. Swimwear is allowed only on the top deck and pool.
AmaMora Inclusions
Included with your cruise fare:
Not included with your cruise fare:
Shore Excursions
Complimentary shore excursions are offered in each port to explore the destination on land. In some ports there is only one option, such as a canal sightseeing cruise in Amsterdam, but most ports have two to four options, including an active one. In Rüdesheim, for example, passengers can choose from a guided vineyard hike, bike tour, wine tasting or a ride in the gondola (cable car) providing aerial views of the region.
Bike tours, from 14 to 21 miles, take three to four hours along mostly flat paths but have some small hills, bridges and streets to cross.
Hikes are often uphill and challenging.
Walking tours are divided into gentle, regular and active groups. At two ports, a coach trip is required to reach the destination, which may not even be in the same country. For example, in Breisach, it's a 45-minute drive to Riquewihr (France) or Freiburg (Germany).
In the big city ports, AmaWaterways offers additional experiences that cost extra, such as a classical music concert in Vienna.
Passengers can also do their own thing by walking into the riverside villages or catching the line's free shuttle buses. There is usually some free time after the organized shore excursions for cruisers who want to wander around, do some shopping or stay ashore for lunch. Excursions can be booked before sailing but changes may be made onboard after hearing the options explained at the predinner port talks. Quietvox headsets are provided for passengers to easily listen to local guides. Umbrellas, walking sticks and folding cane seats can also be borrowed for use ashore.
Daytime and Evening Entertainment
Little time is spent onboard AmaMora during the day, as most passengers are exploring the destination on shore excursions. The ship has a small library off the lounge with some board games, a few books and a selection of news printouts from several countries. Crossword puzzles are available in the lobby. In-cabin movies are also available on-demand for no extra charge. In the evening, the lounge has a resident musician or guest entertainers performing classical or country music. Special events may include a music quiz, film trivia, a disco night and a soul night.
Enrichment
Presented by the cruise director, the onboard program is limited to port talks about the upcoming destinations, commentary along the Rhine Gorge and a lecture about "France–Germany: A Difficult Partnership." Enrichment is more likely to come from local guides on shore excursions. When AmaMora is hosting a wine cruise, experts are recruited to lead specialty classes and tastings.
AmaMora Bars and Lounges
There is only one main lounge, which is used for quiet relaxation during the day and socializing at night, It starts filling up before dinner at the Sip & Sail happy hour, when house wine, beer and spirits are complimentary. After dinner, a smaller number of passengers adjourn to the bar for trivia or live music.
Lounge & Bar (Violin Deck): As the largest public space on the ship, the lounge hosts the predinner port talks, captain's welcome and farewell drinks, light meals, afternoon tea and nightly entertainment. The décor is colourful, brightened up by floral carpets, flowers, vibrantly patterned furniture and large windows wrapping the room. Long couches, love seats and armchairs are arranged into small and large groups, with coffee tables and higher tables to eat at. Peanuts, pretzels, cookies and gluten-free snacks are always available, along with a menu of more substantial bar snacks that can be ordered from the waiters or bartender. The full-service bar features wine, beer, spirits, cocktails and soft drinks for a fee (except during the complimentary happy hour). The lounge opens to an alfresco covered area with seating at the front of the ship.
Pool Bar (Sun Deck): AmaMora's pool has a bar set up with bottles of liquor and swim-up barstools submerged underwater.
AmaMora Outside Recreation
The Sun Deck is a lovely spot to relax on a sunny day. Plentiful seating includes different types of chairs, reclining loungers and long sofas with comfy cushions, tables, umbrellas and canopies for shade. The heated pool has a swim-up bar and four barstools; it's not big enough to do laps but it's bigger than a plunge pool. There is also a giant chess set and a walking/jogging track (eight laps to a mile; closed between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m.). Fitness classes are held on the Sun Deck if the weather is pleasant. Smoking is permitted downwind in the aft area.
AmaMora Services
The reception desk, in the main lobby, is where passengers can ask questions, set up onboard accounts, book spa and salon appointments, get shore excursion colour cards and swipe their room key when leaving and returning to the ship. Opposite and up a flight of stairs are the desks for the hotel manager and cruise manager, who can assist with booking shore excursions. An onboard shop sells jewellery, souvenirs, toiletries and AmaWaterways-branded clothing. A glass lift runs between the passenger decks, restaurant and Sun Deck. With its dedicated programming, AmaWaterways has more commitment to wellness than most river cruise lines; wellness is a passion of line co-owner Kristin Karst. While the facilities are limited on AmaMora, a dedicated wellness coach, a massage therapist and a hairdresser are onboard.
Spa
On the Piano Deck is a small room for relaxing (not remedial) massages for a reasonable fee for 60 minutes or 30 minutes. We found the therapist's pressure to be too light but this may suit other people. AmaMora also has a small salon that offers hair washing, cutting and styling services. Book early because the spa and salon have limited appointments, especially outside shore excursion hours when most cruisers are aboard the ship.
Fitness
AmaMora has a cabin-sized fitness room on the Piano Deck. It has two treadmills, two stationary bikes, light weights, yoga mats and exercise balls, as well as water and towels. For a better workout in a group, AmaMora has a wide range of exercise classes run by a wellness coach with fitness qualifications. Active options include stretching and core strengthening sessions, circuit training, resistance band classes, line dancing and yoga (including Champagne yoga on the Sun Deck on a sunny day, where participants can drink wine). In almost every port, it is possible to borrow the ship's bicycles for a nonguided ride along the riverside or join a guided cycling tour or hiking tours. The wellness coach may also lead jogging, brisk walking and digestive walks after some meals. Pace is adjusted to the people in each group, but you will definitely get a good workout if that is your goal.
AmaMora's cuisine is designed for the Western tastes of its clientele, along with some regional specialties, such as schnitzel and goulash when sailing through Austria and Hungary.
Breakfast and lunch are buffets with a few items cooked to order, while a four-course dinner is served to your table. Dietary preferences and restrictions can also be accommodated by informing staff in advance. AmaWaterways is the only major river cruise line to be part of the prestigious Chaîne des Rôtisseurs food and wine society. Not every dish on AmaMora is world-class gourmet but are of high quality and well-prepared.
A special event, the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Dinner, is held once per cruise in the main restaurant. Everyone also gets the opportunity to experience a seven-course tasting menu at the more intimate Chef's Table.
Beer, wine and soft drinks are complimentary during lunch and dinner and generously poured. Many wines are sourced from the regions of the itinerary, such as Riesling from Austria. If you don't like the nightly selection offered by your waiter, you can ask for another varietal.
Main Restaurant (Cello Deck): The main dining room has booths that seat up to four people and tables configured for two to eight, all offering river views. You can sit wherever you want and change tables (and dining companions) every day if you please. Couples or solo travellers who want to sit alone should get down early to nab one of the tables for two; similarly, large groups should not linger too long at happy hour if they want to be seated together. The restaurant is always busy and lively, especially at dinnertime.
Breakfast and lunch are buffet-style, but some dishes can be ordered from your waiter. To avoid the rush, don't turn up as soon as the restaurant opens; you usually have two hours to choose when to eat. Breakfast features scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, pancakes, cheeses, yogurt, nuts, cereal, sliced meats, a made-to-order omelette station, and sweet pastries and jams. Diners can help themselves to juices and sparkling wine, while waiters will bring tea and coffee to the table. Passengers can also order from a menu of oatmeal, waffles and other types of egg dishes.
Lunch consists of salads, sandwiches, soup, an assortment of bread, cold cuts and cheese, fruit and cake. The lunch menu includes a burger, steak sandwich and chicken ciabatta sandwich, which can be ordered from the waiters.
Dinner requires more punctuality as there is only one sitting, entirely served by waiters, so everyone at the same table dines at the same time. The rotating menu has four courses (appetizer, soup, main and dessert) with two or three options for each. There is also a selection of always-available dishes, such as grilled entrecote steak or chicken breast with Caesar salad, plus a basket of bread. A cheese plate is also available as an alternative, or in addition, to the sweet desserts. Portion sizes are sensible so a four-course meal is doable for most appetites, although you are free to have one course or five courses by ordering extras.
Chef's Table (Violin Deck): Open for dinner only, this stand-alone venue at the aft of the ship seats 34 diners for a more intimate affair -- a romantic vibe for couples or like a private dinner party for groups. The restaurant boasts the line's first retractable balcony, allowing people to dine alfresco if the ship isn't sailing that evening, but this didn't happen on our cruise. Watching the ship's wake as it sails off into the sunset is still a sensational view, though. Behind you, the chefs are also visible while they cook in the glass-walled kitchen. The seven-course tasting menu at Chef's Table is complimentary and available to book at least once per cruise for all passengers. The food is the same every night of the cruise and reservations are required. While the focus is on seafood and meat, the menu can be adjusted for the vegetarians and vegans with advance notice. These visually striking dishes may include a feta cheese panna cotta, braised beef in porcini sauce and a nougat gateau with green apple sorbet. The matching wines are fancier, too, such as a peppery Gruner Veltliner and a Wachau Valley Zweigelt.
Lounge Bar (Violin Deck): The lounge offers food from morning till late. In the hour before and after breakfast, freshly baked pastries are available. At lunch, for those who don't want to go into the restaurant, there is a selection of sandwiches, salads, a soup, two entrées, dessert and cheese. Cakes and tarts are offered in the afternoon for tea time, and cookies (including gluten-free) are available 24 hours. Late-night snacks are also laid out during the evening entertainment. In between all of these scheduled snacks, passengers can order from the all-day tapas menu from the bartender. At any time of day or night, they can also help themselves to tea, specialty coffees and hot chocolate from the hot beverage station located on the starboard side of the Violin Deck at the entrance to the lounge.
Room Service: Room service is only available to passengers in suites. The limited menu includes coffee, tea and continental breakfast. For other passengers, staff can bring food or drinks to your cabin if you are sick.
AmaMora's cabins are relatively spacious for a river cruise ship. The majority has a twin balcony configuration, which means both a French balcony (floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors) and an outdoor balcony with two chairs and a small table. Each cabin has a queen bed, which can be separated into two twin beds, with an underbed storage drawer and enough space for two suitcases, bedside drawers, two lamps and overhead reading lamps. Linens include four pillows, two cushions, white cotton sheets and a white duvet, with two blankets stored in the closet for extra warmth in winter.
Other furnishings include a closet; a desk/vanity area with chair, telephone, lamp, two small drawers and two shelves; a mini-fridge stocked with free bottled water; a small glass table and a second chair; and a full-length mirror and wall mirror.
The room is equipped with an ice bucket and wineglasses, two robes and pairs of slippers, two umbrellas, a hair dryer, code-operated safe, AmaWaterways postcards and stationery, alarm clock and two Quietvox personal audio devices for use during shore excursions. An iMac desktop computer can be used as a TV and for internet (Wi-Fi is free and pretty good speeds for a river ship). Channels are BBC World, Sky News, CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg Europe, Discovery, Animal Planet, TLC, VH1, National Geographic and channels with movies (Premiere, Family, Sundance TV), sports (soccer, golf) and ship information (safety, bridge cam, announcements, daily activities). There is a selection of free movies, television series and albums of various music genres.
A wall-mounted touch-screen iPad is used to control the room temperature and lights, including mood lighting. At night, you can turn on a less harsh blue lighting system in the bathroom. To turn off the iPad, touch the Standby button.
Power outlets include 220-volt, two-pronged European-style; one or two American-style outlets, including one by the bed; a 110V outlet and two bedside USB outlets. The computer screen also has two USB outlets.
Bathrooms are compact and modern with white tiled floors and walls, brown cabinets, granite countertops and shelving with adequate storage for toiletries. Hydro brand shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and lotion are provided, along with towels, washcloths, shower caps, vanity sets and sewing repair kits. The shower has glass doors, an overhead-style rain showerhead and a detachable showerhead, a small shelf, plus a handy shaving step in the corner, which could also be used to hold toiletries. Water pressure is strong and it heats up very quickly. (Only the higher category suites have a bathtub.) There is a large mirror and a magnifying makeup mirror, towel rack and hair dryer. A small window looks into the cabin; this can be switched to frosted for privacy or kept clear to let in the natural daylight.
At turn-down service every evening, tomorrow's program is left on the bed and a bite-size chocolate on each pillow.
Riverview: The lower Piano Deck (Deck 1) is home to 11 cabins, each measuring 160 square feet, with water-level views through twin windows that don't open.
French Balcony: On the Cello Deck (Deck 2) and Violin Deck (Deck 3) are 18 cabins with 155 to 170 square feet of space and a French balcony. The larger rooms have two chairs in front of the window.
Twin Balconies: Also located on the Cello and Violin Decks, these cabins (there are 45 in all) range in size from 210 to 235 square feet and have two balconies each -- one French and one outdoor. The outdoor balcony has two padded chairs and a small table. For families, 12 rooms feature a chair that folds out into a twin bed, which would suit a child. A further 12 cabins can be connected via an adjoining internal door for groups traveling together.
Suite: At 350 square feet, suites are the largest rooms on the Violin Deck; they have a small living area with two armchairs and a coffee table, a larger desk, extra storage cupboards and a couch that converts into a two-person pull-out bed. All four suites feature both a French balcony and an outside balcony with two padded chairs and a drinks table. The bathroom is larger and has a bathtub and a shower. The bedroom area, which is separated by a slatted divider, has a queen bed facing the TV and French balcony.
