We were invited by AmaWaterways to experience our first river cruise aboard AmaSerena. The River Cruise Masterclass FAM Trip #AmaRiverMC was a trade only event with just under 100 travel agents onboard. AmaWaterways had brought three ships to Amsterdam for the CLIA River Cruise Conference 2026 and launch of AmaSofia.
We were allocated stateroom 317 on Violin Deck, this is a BA category 210 sq ft. I loved the double balcony aspect, we could sit out in a sheltered area, or sit inside in with French balcony sliding doors. The bed was very comfortable, made up with a light duvet. There were fleecy blankets in the wardrobe if a warmer layer was needed. We were also offered sheets instead of the duvet if preferred. I was disappointed with the pillow quality and there didn’t appear to be a pillow menu. To be fair I didn’t mention this to our steward at the time, so I’m not sure if there were any alternatives. It’s an issue I face generally when travelling and may have to consider packing my memory foam ergonomic pillow to take with me in the future. The shower room has a window which can be made transparent or not with the flick of a switch. The toilet had an automatic night light feature which is useful. The shower was fantastic, with hot water and a good pressure. A decent hairdryer is provided, the plug outside the shower room worked with drying your hair looking at the mirror on the inside of the wardrobe door. Important to free up the shower room when getting ready and sharing your stateroom. The television had a selection of news, films and entertainment channels available in English language. Lots of hanging space and hangers in the wardrobes. We did have need for the umbrellas, but not the shoehorn! I liked that we had two lounge chairs for chilling by the balcony, they were also comfortable for woking at the desk or coffee table.
We experienced both the Chef’s Table and Journey’s Restaurant during our cruise. For breakfast there is a light hot & cold buffet available in the Lark Lounge. At the main restaurant there is a large buffet selection as well as the à la carte menu. The restaurant has a selection of seating options with booths, round and square tables. Guests have all 4 options available to them for lunch, a snack menu at the Lark Lounge, an Italian menu at the Chef’s Table, a large buffet selection in Journey’s plus the à la carte menu. For evening dining, the choice is the tasting menu at the Chef’s Table or the á la carte menu in Journey’s. The waiting staff were very helpful with any allergies or preferences of guests. We don’t have any, but dined with others who did and they were easily accommodated. The quality of food was excellent and portion sizes good. We love the farm to table focus, as well as their inclusion of local dishes and produce.
Our 3 night river cruise itinerary from Amsterdam included ports of call in Dordrecht, Rotterdam and Zaandam.
It was liberating to simply step off the ship into the city without the need to navigate passenger terminals or border control as with many ocean cruises. We were quite tempted by the small group bike excursions, which are very popular and usually with Ama’s own fleet of bikes. In the end we went for the walking tours which were picturesque and informative. All excursions are included.
Evening entertainment was a mixture of a tunes played by a young pianist called Richie, Alex the wellness instructor with some fun dance moves and Jackie a vibrant singer from Rotterdam who had everyone on the dance floor.
It was very generous of AmaWaterways to offer this personal experience. We were able to spend some quality time getting to know their ship, crew and trade team. We also attended a couple of masterclasses and a fireside chat. We gained a real insight into river cruising and their brand values from attending he River Cruise Masterclass FAM Trip. Needless to say, we are looking forward to working more closely with AmaWaterways in the future.
We had a pre cruise stay at the Room Mate Aitana hotel, and a post cruise stay at the Mövenpick Amsterdam City Centre. Both are fabulous waterfront hotels with river views and an easy stroll to Amsterdam City Station for transport connections. We booked them the opposite away around to our embarkation / disembarkation points! I hasten to add we were aware of this, but took advantage of the better hotel rates on those dates for both locations.Â
Want to know more about river cruising? Or the difference between ocean and river cruising? Tempted to book a river cruise? We’re here to help.
