Read our day-by-day account to see if a river cruise at Christmastime is right for your family
When my kids were younger, we spent every Christmas either at home or traveling to Grandma’s house halfway across the country. But as my boys got older and Christmas morning lost a little bit of its magic, we started traveling over the holidays. Now – with my 19-year-old son in college and my 17-year-old son with a jam-packed school and sports schedule – the holidays have become one of the only times of the year that we can travel together. And I’m painfully aware that as the years go by, we may not be spending our holidays together at all. Pass me the tissues, would you please?
So despite the added cost and crowds that come with traveling over the Christmas, my husband and I have made it a priority to experience memorable holidays. In the past few years, we’ve spent Christmas morning in Austria, New Zealand, and the Galápagos Islands. We’ve even spent Christmas at the other pole in Antarctica! Now that was a white Christmas! This year, we took a festive Christmas market cruise along the Danube River with AmaWaterways through Hungary, Austria, and Germany.
To learn all about AmaWaterways – from the size of the cabins to the quality of the food to the cost – click here. But to learn more about the Christmas cruise in particular, read on as we sail from Budapest to Vienna and beyond.
Day 1
The Christmas Markets of the Danube cruise sets off from Budapest, Hungary, nicknamed the Queen of the Danube. As the cruise line suggested, my family and I flew in the day before so as not to miss boarding the ship the following afternoon at 3 p.m. That night, we strolled the stalls of the iconic Christmas market at Vörösmarty Square with its handcrafted goods, mulled wine, and chimney cakes, a Christmas market staple. We also walked to nearby St. Stephen’s Basilica to take in its Advent market. As we’d learn from the Christmas markets in both Budapest and Vienna, it’s really more about the food and drink at these markets than it is the gifts. And those chimney cakes? It’s more fun to watch them being made than actually eating them. In my family’s opinion, elephant ears have chimney cakes beat.
KidTripster Tip: I know that the cruise line strongly suggests that you get to your departure city a day early, but I wish that we wouldn’t have. With our itinerary, the ship spent two nights in Budapest, so – worst case scenario – even if our flight had been delayed, we could have boarded the second day. By arriving on the same day as embarkment, we would have saved the cost of a night’s lodging.
Since we didn’t board until the afternoon, we decided to visit one of Budapest’s thermal baths, Gellért Spa, known for its art nouveau architecture. The plan was for my husband and I to get a couple’s massage while the boys entertained themselves in the numerous thermal pools. However, after 30 minutes, the boys left and walked back to the hotel. They described the pools as overrated, oversized hot tubs. Honestly, I had to agree. Do yourself a favor and save your money, as it can be pricey.
After a disappointing morning, we were more than ready to board the 433-foot AmaLea, our home for the next week. We were warmly greeted at the dock where a steward quickly grabbed our luggage and led us to the ship’s lobby where Christmas had exploded in the best way possible with floor to ceiling decorations. The outside rail of the ship was lined with greenery, adding to the holiday vibe.
Our cabin steward showed us to our staterooms. My sons shared one cabin with two twin beds; my husband and I shared another cabin with one queen bed. We were pleasantly surprised to find the largest cabin and bathroom that we’d ever had on board a ship. The room had AmaWaterways signature double balconies – a French balcony off the interior seating area and an outside balcony adjacent to the sleeping area. Unfortunately, cold temperatures would prevent us from taking full advantage of the outside space during our cruise. The room had ample storage and a high-tech panel that controlled the lighting and climate. The bathroom was large with a rainfall shower head, more storage, and a magnifying makeup mirror on a swivel arm.
After unpacking, all the passengers gathered in the main lounge for tapas and desserts, a sign of the never-ending food options to come. The cruise manager made introductions, and the captain gave a very quick safety talk (where thankfully, we didn’t have to grab life jackets and go outside) before making a champagne toast. Every woman on board was presented with a red rose on her way to dinner.
KidTripster Tip: Before dinner, I placed the rose in an ice bucket in my cabin. When I returned later, I found that the cabin steward had placed the rose in a vase during turn-down service. That’s the kind of attention to detail that we saw exhibited by the staff the entire week.
Dinner was a delicious, multi-course affair accompanied by strolling violinists. My boys raved about the food, and the scenery was pretty impressive, too. The crew had perfectly timed our move from one dock to another dock in Budapest to coincide with the lighting of the majestic Parliament building. From the water, it was an amazing sight!
Exhausted, we fell into bed immediately after dinner and were instantly asleep.
KidTripster Tip: Free Wi-Fi is available on the ship. Don’t forget to download the AmaWaterways app on your phone. Here you can access the Daily Cruiser newsletter with the next day’s itinerary. You also can track the ship’s route in real time.
Day 2
Our first full day aboard the AmaLea started early… really early. On a ship with 135 passengers, my family of four appeared to be the first ones up. We found ourselves in the small gym at 4:30 a.m.! Afterwards, I went for a jog around the Sun Deck track overlooking Budapest. It was cold but a good excuse for me to keep moving. Later, I would find out that guests aren’t allowed to use the track until 8 a.m., so as not to disturb guests on the Violin Deck below. Sorry!
After the early riser breakfast and the main breakfast (Yes, you read that correctly. We’d already had two meals before 9 a.m.!), we prepared for our day’s city tour. On AmaWaterways, you can select the level of activity that you prefer. On this day, the relaxed pace and regular pace tours would be a combination of bus riding and walking with the relaxed option geared to passengers will mobility issues. The third option was the active pace. This tour was all walking and included a short climb to Buda Castle. We opted for this tour with more physical exertion. Again, we had to justify those two breakfasts!
AmaWaterways employs a QuietVox system on its tours. Here’s how it works: In each cabin, you’ll find a QuietVox controller sitting in a charger with an earpiece. You take this device with you to meet your guide. Each passenger is assigned a color based on his or her specific tour; your guide will be holding a sign of the same color. The sign is embedded with some kind of receiver. When you touch your QuietVox to the sign, you’ll be able to hear your designated guide through the earpiece. This way, you can walk several people behind your guide on a tour but still hear every word he or she says. Genius!
On our 3-hour walking tour, our guide imparted more Hungarian history than my kids probably wanted to know, but they appreciated that the guide didn’t constantly stop and talk but instead kept the tour moving. Their ears perked up a bit more when he described present-day life in Budapest. We crossed the Cszéchenyi Chain Bridge and climbed the hill to Buda Castle, which was completely ruined in World War II and reconstructed by the post-war, Communist government. We stopped at Matthias Church in the heart of the Castle District and marveled at the colorful roof tiles. Inside, we learned the intriguing story of how the structure has served as both a mosque and Catholic church. This district was busy with tourists filing out of tour buses with selfie sticks; we were glad to be on foot. We headed back across to the bridge and pass the haunting Shoes on the Danube Promenade, a memorial to thousands of Jews who were executed along the riverbank during World War II. Next, we viewed the enormous Parliament building from the outside, which we had seen lit the night before. With a quick walk through the Christmas market at Vörösmarty Square, we arrived back at the ship. My husband’s watch recorded 19,000 steps.
For dinner, we headed to The Chef’s Table, the specialty restaurant at the stern of the ship. Decked out for the holidays, this intimate space overlooked a glassed room where sous chef Panda Arianto single-handedly prepared an innovative and exquisitely-presented 7-course meal. While we weren’t really able to see his every move, we certainly enjoyed every bite. The service, too, was impeccable. While my sons enthusiastically approved of every meal on our AmaWaterways cruise, this one was their favorite.
KidTripster Tip: Unlike on other cruise lines, there’s no extra charge for this culinary experience. And while you could sign up to eat here multiple times, know that the menu is exactly the same every night. I’d recommend doing it once and then enjoying the variety of cuisine offered in the main dining room.
Day 3
We had a free morning today on the ship as we made our way to Vienna, Austria. I decided to take a fitness class from our Wellness Host, Alex. The class was just me and one other person, so it was more like a private session. Surprisingly, not many passengers took advantage of the various fitness sessions on board. Perhaps during the summer when the sessions are held on the Sun Deck, they entice more passengers. Afterwards, I took a short run on deck while we moved through one of the many locks on the voyage.
KidTripster Tip: During the morning, the housekeeping staff will tidy up your room and replenish towels and toiletries. They return in the evening, again to clean and turn down the bed. The stewards were always friendly and accommodating. Kudos to them!
In the afternoon, we arrived in Vienna. Rather than a walking-bus tour, we opted for the more active bike tour. Each AmaWaterways ship carries a fleet of bikes, including kid sizes. Our local guide lead us through Prater Park and the streets of Central Vienna to the The Hofburg, the former imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty, situated in the city’s Old Quarter. Today, it’s the official residence and office of the President of Austria. This section of Vienna feels elegant and sophisticated. During the holiday season, lights that look like crystal chandeliers hang above the cobblestone streets where tourists ride in regal horse-drawn carriages. We had about 45 minutes of free time in this area – enough time to grab a coffee and walk by the Spanish Riding School, home of the famed Lipizzaner Stallions. We then hopped back on our bikes and rode the 3-1/2 miles back to the ship.
KidTripster Tip: In retrospect, I would have liked to see a performance of the Lipizzaner Stallions. Since we were going to be overnight in Vienna, we theoretically could have tried to coordinate tickets. We just would have had to manage our own transportation. I consider this to have been a missed opportunity.
KidTripster Tip: There’s not a specific age restriction on the bike tours. It really depends on your child’s ability and confidence on a bike. On this particular tour which did involve some biking in traffic, we had a 7 year old on the trip.
In the late afternoon, my husband and I clued into a daily event that previously escaped our notice: the complimentary, sip-and-sail cocktail. That afternoon’s offering: a pretty pink cosmo. Know that all other mixed drinks on the cruise do cost money. Beer and wine during lunch and dinner are complimentary. We happily sipped our free drinks while listening to Kesimir, the ship’s pianist who had an incredible repertoire, nearly all played my memory!
KidTripster Tip: Would you like a second sip-and-sail cocktail? Just ask!
Since we were in Vienna, I couldn’t resist ordering schnitzel and the chef’s reimagined apple strudel at dinner. It was at this meal that my younger son declared that the best part of an AmaWaterways cruise is “the food!”
In the evening, passengers could attend a concert in the city, featuring the music of Mozart and Strauss, for extra fee of €70 (about $78) per person. Instead, we opted to visit the iconic Rathaus Christmas Market. While the bustling Christmas market is large, it’s mostly food and drink stalls. It’s hard to justify spending any money on snacks when you’re stuffed with food from the ship that you’ve already paid for. We considered renting ice skates at the unique rink here – really more like intertwining lanes of ice – but man, Austrians skate so quickly! We decided that we weren’t up to the task.
On this night, my 17-year-old son opted to stay back on the ship and hit the gym. Later in the lounge, two passengers in their 80s invited him to join them in a game of Scrabble. He later told me that they had “mad skills.” I admit, thinking of him getting schooled by a couple of octogenarians brought a smile to my face.
After a cold and wet evening at the Christmas market, we were greeted by warm goulash and a smorgasbord of desserts in the lounge when we returned. Maybe I should have stayed back to work out more, too!
KidTripster Tip: Let’s talk about the weather in Europe this time of year. Honestly, I’d hoped for snow, but locals will tell you that haven’t had a white Christmas in years. Instead, most of the time, the weather was cold, blustery, and rainy. This night at the Christmas market, it was a sea of umbrellas. As much as I enjoyed the sights and sounds of the Christmas season, I think that we’d have enjoyed a summer cruise with blue skies even more. It’s something to consider when booking.
Day 4
This morning, we awoke to truly miserable weather conditions. Since it was raining sideways, we opted out of the bike tour and instead visited Schönbrunn Palace, the summer home of Habsburg royal family complete with 1,441 rooms. While a guide provided information on the bus ride to the palace, the time here was unstructured. My husband and boys attempted to pay the extra fee to enter the (dry) palace, but there was unfortunately a 45-minute wait. I walked the very small Christmas market in front of the palace and then headed to the muddy gardens. In the end, we all ended up hiking up the hill overlooking the grounds where Empress Maria Theresa had built an opulent she-shed. The guide told us that it was her retreat from her 16 (yes, 16!) children.
KidTripster Tip: AmaWaterways contracts with local guides in each of the ports. We found all of our guides to be knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their towns and cities. The cruise line recommends that you tip your guide €2 (about $2) per person and your driver €1 (about $1) per person, but it’s completely up to your discretion.
Soaked to bone from our outing to Schönbrunn, we truly appreciated our hot lunch of pasta Bolognese. It was yet another dish that was spot on! After an afternoon nap, we gathered in the lounge to play a few board games. Then our cruise manager David gave a presentation on baroque; turns out, when David is not cruising, he’s a history professor in Salzburg. Dinner was a parade of one exquisitely-beautiful plate after another.
KidTripster Tip: A word about seating at meals: On AmaWaterways ships, it’s open seating, meaning you and your family can sit wherever you’d like. However, know that the tables are configured as 4- and 6-tops. So if you’re a family of four, you can choose to sit by yourselves or be joined by a couple. If you’re a family of five, you’ll likely be eating alone, unless there’s a single passenger willing to join your table.
After dinner, we enjoyed a special treat. Local musicians – two violinist and one guitarist – performed for about an hour in the main lounge: Bach, Vivaldi, and yes, even Queen. For an encore, they chose the William Tell Overture. They were exceedingly talented.
Day 5
Finally, we basked in a day of sunshine! And it was just in time, as we reached the section of the Danube that you see in the brochures. To be honest, the riverbanks from Budapest to Vienna with their barren trees and nondescript landscape aren’t that picturesque. However, Dürnstein was charming. The town with its ornate blue and white church steeple and tolling bell welcomes hordes of tourists during the summer, but on this day – Christmas Eve – the streets were nearly empty.
We chose the apricot tasting tour as our shore excursion. About 100,000 apricot trees grow in the Wachau Valley (also known for its white wine), each yielding a half metric ton of fruit. With all those apricots, they’ve had to get creative! Our guide lead us to an unremarkable room around the corner from a shop, specializing in apricot products. We tasted apricot schnapps (40 proof and not really drinkable), apricot liqueur (much better), chocolate-covered apricots, apricot jam, and apricots kernels, pits that have been roasted to release the dangerous cyanide inside. The boys found the tasting only mildly interesting. However, I was relieved to find out that we had more than enough free time after the tour to climb to Dürnstein Castle overlooking the town. Here, King Richard I of England, also known as Richard the Lionheart, was held captive by the Austrians for six months after the Third Crusade. He only was released after England paid an enormous ransom for his return. The view from the fortress was Instagram-worthy, especially because we were blessed with blue skies.
Back on board, the ship’s pastry chef invited passengers to The Chef’s Table restaurant after lunch, where gingerbread cookies were laid out for decorating. We spent the rest of the afternoon playing Scrabble and Euchre and watching the scenery float by.
While it’s technically an Austrian tradition on December 6, we were instructed to leave our shoes outside our cabin on Christmas Eve night. In the morning, we’d find out if we’d been naughty or nice – either St. Nick would leave gifts or Krampus, his devilish traveling companion, would leave the Ruten, bundles of birch twigs apparently used to swat children who misbehave! Thankfully, we would find chocolate treats the next morning.
Day 6
We woke up on Christmas Day to find ourselves at the dock in Linz. Wet, windy, and gray, we switched our bike tour to a city tour. Honestly, the tour was a bit of a bust. We enjoyed the guide, but the city itself didn’t offer much of interest.
Some passengers had opted for a full day tour of Salzburg about an hour away. If you haven’t been to Salzburg and taken in The Sound of Music sights, I highly recommend it. Because we had visited Salzburg, we decided to board a bus for an afternoon trip to Česky Krumlov, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in neighboring Czech Republic, a country we’d never been to. Česky Krumlov is a well-preserved, walled medieval town with its own 13th-century castle. As you first approach, it’s quite impressive. I was quite surprised to learn from our tour guide that no one actually lives in this town anymore. It’s really a collection of coffee shops, restaurants, souvenir shops, and a few museums (including, strangely, the Museum of Torture) that exist to service the throngs of tourists hunting for the best Instagram locations – admittedly, us among them. Our guide lead us through the town and up to the castle for about an hour. We were then given two hours of free time… way too much free time, if you ask my family. We’re not souvenir shoppers, so after taking our photos, we plopped down in coffee shop with free WiFi for hot chocolates and a coffee drink called a Bombardino.
Relieved to return, we were greeted by the ship’s cheerful staff with hot beverages in hand. Later, we topped off the holiday with Christmas cocktails, dinner, and caroling with our fellow passengers and crew in the lounge. I, unfortunately, could not convince my teens to join the conga line to the tune, Feliz Navidad. Finally, Santa arrived on his sleigh (a decorated, motorized scooter) with a gift for every passenger. Mine was a miniature version of a wood-carved winter scene that I’d been admiring in the lobby. As for Santa, we’re still debating his identify, but I’m pretty sure it was our Wellness Host, Alex.
Day 7
Perhaps our favorite port from a scenic perspective, Passau in Germany sits at the confluence of three rivers: the Danube, Inn, and Ilz. The homes that line the streets are like pastel crayons standing in a Crayola box. Several church steeples rise from its center, and up on the hill, you can climb to Veste Oberhaus, a fortress founded in 1219 with a killer panoramic view. Instead, we hopped on bikes with our local guide and headed out of town. Quiet and peaceful, we followed the Inn River and crossed a power dam into Austria. Nope, no passports required! We continued to follow the river to the small town of Wernstein. There, the boys stood on a bridge with one foot in Austria and one foot in Germany. In all, we biked about 16 miles.
Embracing the fact that we were in Bavaria, the kitchen served sausages, sauerkraut, pretzels, and beer for those who wanted to partake. After lunch, we had a guest on board who gave a really interesting talk on Bavaria, past and present.
KidTripster Tip: It took me a while to figure it out, but if you what solitude, a view, and another latte machine on board, head to the stern of the ship. During the day, you can sit in The Chef’s Table restaurant. The windows here run floor to ceiling, and the room is bathed in sunlight.
As is the case with every small ship cruise, the cruise manager stole a feel moments to talk about gratuities. On AmaWaterways, the tips are split among the entire crew – those whom you have daily contact with and those whom you never see but are responsible for keeping the ship moving. While tipping isn’t mandatory, it’s suggested that you tip €100 (about $111) per passenger for a 7-day European cruise. If you’re on the AmaMagna, the tip recommendation is €120 (about $134) per passenger. In addition, you’re asked to tip the cruise manager separately at €25 (about $28) per passenger for a 7-day European cruise. Honestly, we had such fabulous, attentive service every day of this cruise, I didn’t hesitate to tip.
KidTripster Tip: It’s not necessary to have cash on hand. Tips can be charged on a credit card at the end of the cruise.
Finally, we arrived in Vilshofen where – despite the fact that it was December – the AmaWaterways crew erected a beer tent at the dock for an Oktoberfest celebration. The festivities included a bartender pouring draft beer, hot pretzels, and an authentic oompah band. Our cruise manager David even posed in his lederhosen for photos with passengers.
The evening ended with applause for the crew and a toast from the captain… and one more delicious dinner topped with a decadent dessert.
Day 8
As we disembarked AmaWaterways Amalea, my family and I reflected on how much we enjoyed our time on the Danube. The luxurious ship, the attentive staff, and the superb food were definitely the highlights for us. The only downside had to do with the weather, something that AmaWaterways, of course, can not control; but weather does play a part in how much you’ll enjoy your shore excursions.
I think the sweet spot for river cruising with kids is age 7 through 13. Kids of this age have a natural curiosity about different cultures and are more likely to embrace the history-focused excursions. They also still enjoy spending time with you, their parents. That being said, if you’re traveling with a multi-generational group (think Grandma and Grandpa), I think kids of all ages would enjoy the family time.
KidTripster TIp: There is a minimum age to sail with AmaWaterways, depending on the location. For Europe, children under 4 years old are not permitted on board. In addition, AmaWaterways doesn’t recommend the cruise for children, ages 4 to 7.
For more information on the cost of an AmaWaterways river cruise, click here.
This writer received a complimentary cruise for the purpose of this review. However, all opinions expressed are her own.
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