The river Rhine onboard the AmaStella
NELIA G. NERI
SINCE childhood, I’ve always had this romantic notion on rivers because the impressionable six-year-old that I was fell in love with the first stanza of a simple poem my Mama taught me which went this way...
Dark brown is the river. Golden is the sand. It flows along forever, With trees on either hand.
My fascination for rivers has remained through the years, and my first big thrill was when I had a short interlude at the oft-written-about river Rhine during my first visit to Germany decades ago. At that time, a week-long Rhine river cruise was not yet on the horizon and I was just happy to see the fabled Rhine so dreamy-looking in the midst of hills and valleys.
Times have changed and river cruising has now come of age. An avid ocean cruiser, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was much difference between the two kinds of cruises, and if river cruising could be a suitable alternative. I got my answer when I took AmaWaterways’ seven-night Captivating Rhine cruise from Amsterdam, Netherlands, to Basel, Switzerland, onboard the AmaStella. I was in excellent company with cruise queen Aida Uy of Cebu Fortune Travel (the preferred agent of AmaWaterways in Cebu), and good friend Angelita Dy of Grand Hope Travel.
Built in 2016, the AmaStella is a modern vessel designed to give its guests the comforts and conveniences which make for an exceptional and enjoyable river cruise. I loved my suite with its twin balconies - the French and the outside balcony where I spent time gazing into the spell-binding scenery of castles on hills, old-fashioned church steeples, quaint villages and towering trees. Well, of course the necessary amenities were all onboard... Entertainment on Demand, free high-speed internet access, Wi-Fi, movies, music, among them. Another thing, the bathroom was spacious, definitely more roomy than those in ocean cruises.
AmaStella accommodates about 150 passengers and its action place is the sundeck with a heated pool, walking track, fitness room and swimup bar. Entertainment venue for the nightly events is the Main Lounge off the front desk. It has a comfy set-up with a specialty coffee station and wellstocked bar. And not to forget, there is a gift shop, as well as a massage and hair salon.
We boarded the AmaStella in Amsterdam on a beautiful mid-morning Monday in May after a 13-hour flight from Singapore. Our trip began with the SilkAir flight from Cebu (3+hours) and continued on Singapore Airlines (SIA). The wait for the connecting flight at SIA’s Silver Kris Lounge was most pleasant and we enjoyed the varied choices of food and drinks, plus complete bathroom facilities for freshening up. As for the long haul flight itself, I was very relaxed in the wide seat which completely turned into a flat bed when I decided to sleep. Yes, the Business class sections of SIA and SilkAir provide the luxuries essential for a superior onboard experience including a select menu, movies on demand, soothing music and all! Both sectors of our trip were smooth and comfortable, thanks to the excellent service of both carriers!
I didn’t imagine that checking in on a river cruise would be a breeze because I’ve been used to the long lines and hassle at the checkin counters of ocean cruises. This was one glaring difference I noted and then there were more... the cozy feel of the much smaller ship... the leisurely “one-seating” dining... the intimacy at the lounge during the evening entertainment ... the friendly air of the compact sun deck ... Everything spelled E-AS-E.