ON BOARD THE SHIP:
WHAT TIME IS CHECK-IN?
Approximately 4pm on Embarkation Day. If you arrive early you can leave your bags with the concierge and explore Oporto until check-in time.
WHAT TIME IS CHECK-OUT? Approximately 9:30am on Disembarkation Day, earlier if you prefer.
WHAT LANGUAGE WILL THE CREW SPEAK? The official Cruise language is English. Your crew will be international and multi-lingual so if you want to practice your French, Portuguese, Croatian or Romanian you’ll have plenty of opportunity to do so.
HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL BE ON THE SHIP? A maximum of 156 passengers and 51 crew. That’s a crew to passenger ratio of 1 to 2.7 so you'll be well taken care of. We've never been on a ship with full-capacity since some rooms are reserved by singles. Ship info is here
WHERE WILL THE OTHER PASSENGERS BE FROM? AmaWaterways has a worldwide audience but the mix is typically 85% American, 10% British, 10% Other European and 5% South American.
HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL BE IN “OUR GROUP”? We have 15 cabins on hold with potential for more. We’re hoping for between 22 and 40 people.
WHAT IS THE TYPICAL AGE GROUP? 40 - 85 year-old active adults with the large majority between 55 and 72. There are no activities geared toward children so don't expect to see any children or multi-generational families on board.
ARE THERE CHOICES OF STATEROOMS? Yes, there are 6 price/cabin size levels on 3 decks ranging from 161 sq. ft. panoramic fixed-window rooms to 323 sq. ft. ones with outside balconies. To see room diagrams, photos and prices click here
ANY BEDDING OPTIONS? Yes, twin beds or one queen size bed.
DOES IT MATTER WHICH SIDE OF THE SHIP MY STATEROOM IS ON? We'll sail from the Atlantic Ocean to the Spanish border and back so you'll see both sides of the river regardless of which side your stateroom is on. There are cocktail tables on the bow and on the sun deck with 180° to 360° views. The glass-walled cocktail lounge is also available for scenic viewing.
WHAT EXTRA AMENITIES ARE ON BOARD? The ship has a fitness room, a walking track, a Wellness Host leading exercise classes, a massage room, hair salon, plus a sun deck with a heated pool and swim-up bar. Bicycles are available for exercising or exploring villages on your own. In addition to the AmaWaterways Cruise Manager, we'll have our own exclusive onboard Expanding Horizons Escort/Tour Manager to offer personalized service, advice and assistance with any special needs.
IS THERE LAUNDRY SERVICE ON BOARD? Yes, there is daily laundry service on board, available on Days 1 through 6 of your cruise and it is extremely reasonable, much less expensive than at U.S. hotels.
ARE THERE ON-BOARD EDUCATIONAL LECTURES? The Cruise Director will give orientation talks each evening on the following day's excursions to help you decide which is of most interest to you.
FOR OUR LIMITED GROUP, Betsy and Peter Spann will give educational talks during 2 or 3 wine dinners and tastings and will be available daily to answer questions and talk about regional or any other wines.
IS THERE NIGHTLY ENTERTAINMENT? Yes. A house piano player/singer is on board, playing each evening. On most nights an additional local group will be on board for an after-dinner show in the cocktail lounge. On previous cruises we've been treated to a group performing under the stars on the sun deck - absolutely magical! There's also a large selection of first run films available on your in-room flat screen TV plus free wi-fi throughout the ship.
IS THERE A GYM/EXERCISE CLASS? Yes, a typical hotel-style gym with machines & dumb bells, plus stretching and aerobics classes every morning with a trained exercise specialist.
IS THERE A CHANCE OF GETTING SEA-SICKNESS? This is very unlikely. We’ll be on an inland waterway with dams to control flow, not open ocean so the feeling is more like being on a small lake. Traffic and boat speeds are strictly controlled. When passing ships there may be a small wake but nothing significant.