Hollywood, CA

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Video Clip: Click to Watch

Aaron Saunders, Cruise Expert and Travel Writer who runs the From the Deck Chair blog on Ralph Grizzle's popular Avid Cruiser website, went on his first European river cruise, in December 2011, after going on a wide-range of big ship cruises over the years. Based in Vancouver, Canada, Saunders went on a Christmas Time River Cruise with AmaWaterways and was thoroughly impressed by everything associated with the experience. He concluded the article by asking "why did it take me so long to discover river cruising? And more importantly: when can I return?"

During the cruise he posted over 150 high quality pictures of AmaWaterways luxury river cruise ship, MS AmaLyra, and the many scenes of Christmas Time in Europe on his From the Deck Chair blog site. Aaron Saunders really takes the time to get first rate images that are framed correctly, tack sharp and worth saving. After returning home, he was booked on a number of radio shows around the country to talk about his first river cruise, AmaWaterways and the experience of celebrating Christmas on a cruise through the heart of Europe.

Delighted with his first foray into river cruising, Saunders penned a feature article for the Sunday, January 8 edition of The Province newspaper, which is based in Vancouver, about his AmaWaterways European Christmas Time River Cruise. In the first paragraphs of the article, entitled River Cruise Vessel Steals Holiday Show: Exacting, Friendly Service Makes Trip Memorable, Saunders sets the stage with background on AmaWaterways and his involvement.



"Vancouver -- The journey down the river features some stunning views, both natural and man-made. The greatest cruise is the one that has the ability to surprise and delight you, regardless of how many times you've sailed. So when my friends at Vancouver-based Cruise Experts Travel (http://www.cruiseexpertstravel.com ) called in late October and asked if I'd like to take a river cruise, I jumped at the chance, largely because I'd never taken one before. And seconds after I stepped on-board in the historic German city of Nuremberg, I knew I was in for a good thing.

"At one week in length, my mid-December "Christmas Time Cruise" aboard AmaWaterways (www.amawaterways.com) beautiful, 2009-built AmaLyra was designed to explore some of the finest Christmas markets in Europe, sailing down the Danube from Nuremberg to Budapest. If you've never been to one, they are amazing. The spicy aroma of Gluhwein, a type of mulled wine, fills the air, along with fresh pine and the smells of Lebkuchen (German gingerbread) and bratwurst"



Saunders then went to say that while partaking in the Christmas time in Europe was fantastic, the real crown of his vacation was everything encountered aboard AmaWaterways fantastic river cruise ship, MS AmaLyra. Calling the service "as exacting as it is friendly," he explained how his allergy to nuts prompted the crew, without any urging, to prepare "a special batch of nut-free cookies and chocolates that were replaced daily in my suite. I felt like a king would have, if he were on a river cruise"

Praising the "generously proportioned" suites, he was pleased with the large bathroom and roomy shower with doors that veterans of big ship cruises, who have struggled with unwieldy shower curtains, would appreciate. AmaWaterways Chairman and co-owner, Jimmy Murphy, has said on many radio shows that being able to pick up fallen soap in the shower without opening the door is just one of the many vital and luxurious amenities considered in the design of AmaWaterways river cruise ships.

Finding it "tough to leave" his suite, Aaron Saunders enjoyed the French Balcony and found it "useful even at this late time of year to take pictures and gauge the temperature outside" While a majority of the suites have the French Balcony, he recommended upgrading to the larger version, which is 255 square feet as opposed to 170, as they "feature a full French balcony and a floor-to-ceiling glass window adjacent to the sitting area"

AmaWaterways features free-flowing regional wines, beer, spirits and soda at dinner and champagne at breakfast, a policy which enables a more relaxed and comfortable dining experience amongst guests who are probably meeting for the first time. In order to create a more genuine vacation food experience, fresh fish, produce and meat are acquired along the route from established vendors, thus leading Saunders to note that "local culinary specialties are served alongside spectacular cuisine that's probably best described as a fusion of European and North American tastes"

Taking the dining experience as a "reminder to me that a cruise ship doesn't have to have fifteen different restaurants to serve up something for everyone," this observant travel journalist commented that this "theme extends to the entire AmaWaterways on-board product" Saunders noted that complimentary bicycles are available and almost all shore excursions are free of charge, but he didn't have the space to mention that escorted bike shore excursions are available during warmer months and that walking shore excursion tours are broken up into fast and slow versions, the latter designed for those who enjoy a more deliberate pace.

He challenged the pre-conception that river cruising is boring ant presented a list of sights seen in one day that included a "walking tour of the fairy tale-esque German city of Passau," shopping at the colorful Christmas Market in the city center which was followed with a lovely afternoon cruise down the beautiful Danube River to Linz, Austria. Saunders topped off it off by departing the ship to enjoy some Gluhwein at the Hauptplatz Christmas Market and then asked his readers, "How many other Wednesdays in December can compare to that?"

He wrapped up the article by mentioning his visit to Regensburg and its incredibly romantic Christmas Market, touring the impressive Benedictine abbey in Melk, spending many hours "waltzing around the amazing city of Vienna" and getting a chance to roam around the both sides of the Hungarian capital Budapest, those being Buda and Pest.

Aaron Saunders finished up his terrific article with these poignant final thoughts. "Coupled with the warm, festive atmosphere and tremendous service aboard the AmaLyra, it was as if Christmas had come a week early. I met a couple who were on their fourth Christmas markets river cruise. They don't do Christmas gifts anymore, choosing instead to take themselves to Europe for a week of festive bliss.

"As I flew home from Budapest, I wondered to myself: why did it take me so long to discover river cruising? And more importantly: when can I return?"

AmaWaterways Christmas Time River Cruise Slide Show from Sue Downes, Australian Travel Writer:



About Aarson Saunders and his blog, From the Deck Chair:



I started From the Deck Chair in September 2009 because I was disappointed in how many cruise sites focused on the same ships doing the same old itineraries. There's a sea of unique, interesting and fantastic ships out there that are deserving of as much attention as the big newsmakers like Oasis of the Seas and Norwegian Epic.

I also started this site as a way to share my cruise photography and interest in the interior design of cruise ships, which I am extremely passionate about, with a wide array of readers. Believe it or not, I still pay for most of my cruises out of my own pocket. From time to time, however, I have been fortunate to have sailed as a guest of various cruise lines in order to better experience first-hand a particular ship, itinerary, or feature.

It is a responsibility I take very seriously. No one ever tells me what to write, or how to write it, nor am I ever paid to write something. Sometimes, I do make the occasional typo or mistake, which I do correct (usually, readers spot it long before I do!)

Believe me, I have a great time on any cruise – but unlike most passengers, I am up at 5:00 am most mornings taking photographs, in order to showcase public rooms when most people are still asleep. I make a point to experience as much as I can, and then write my thoughts and observations down that day.

Which means I spend a good two-to-three hours each evening with my laptop open, writing. Which means I'm not just cruising, I'm also working.

When I dislike something, I try to make every effort to offer constructive criticism. Simply coming back here and writing "it sucked, I'm never sailing (insert cruise line here) again!" doesn't do anyone any good. If the situation is particularly worrisome, I try to involve the cruise line in order to get their opinion. Sometimes, bad things happen on good cruises, and it is important to get all the facts first.

On the flip side, when I find something I am passionate about, I tend to champion it. I make no apologies for this. If I am excited about an itinerary, ship, or line, I'll shout it from the rooftops.

One thing that has always driven me nuts about mainstream "print" travel writing is that there has to be an angle. Often, this deals with food or wine and concentrates very little on the cruise experience itself. Articles like that bore me very easily, and I make every attempt to concentrate on the actual cruise.

And isn't that what we're all here for – the cruise experience?



About AmaWaterways



AmaWaterways Included Features:

7 Nights Deluxe Cruise Accommodations in an Outside Stateroom; Most staterooms with large French Balconies;Jewish Heritage Tours with specialized guides; Daily Sightseeing Program as outlined in the Itinerary; Infotainment System in all Staterooms with Free Internet, Hollywood Hit Movies, Music Library and English Language TV Stations; Terry Bathrobes and White-on-white plush Bedding in all Staterooms; Superb Dining with all Meals included on board; Free-flowing Red & White Wines from Europe's great Wine Regions, beer and soft drinks with every Dinner on board the Ship; Bottled Water in every stateroom replenished daily; Cocktail Reception, Welcome Dinner & Captain's Gala Dinner; Special Highlights including Folklore, Dances, Lectures, Theme Dinners, onboard Music Performances and afternoon & evening Piano Music; Use of Bicycles to explore on your own; Services of a Professional Cruise Manager; All English Language on board in a non-smoking Environment (smoking permitted only on the Sun Deck); All Transfers included with the Purchase of Cruise, Land & Air package; All local Taxes

AmaWaterways experienced a growth filled and award winning 2010. First their fleet is rapidly expanding while existing ships are retrofitted with the latest amenities and inventions; secondly AmaWaterways' unparalleled on-board services were fine tuned for the highest customer satisfaction, and lastly a slate of new itineraries and specialty programs and such as the Wine River Cruise, were explored and tested for possible addition to an already stellar product line. Such factors are why AmaWaterways won two Magellan Awards from Travel Weekly, an Award of Excellence form Luxury Travel Advisor, a Cruise Passenger Readers Choice Award in Australia for Best River Ship and was recognized for its Twitter account that put AmaWaterways on the list of "The Top 25 Online Cruise Vacation Influencers" by Influencers in Travel.

Award-winning AmaWaterways provides luxurious, all-inclusive river cruise vacations on the world's great waterways. Founded in 2002 by cruise industry pioneer Rudi Schreiner, cruise line executive Kristin Karst and Jimmy Murphy, founder of Brendan Vacations, AmaWaterways operates its innovative, custom-designed vessels on the Danube, Rhine, Main and Mosel rivers in Europe; the Volga-Baltic Waterway in Russia and the Mekong River in Vietnam and Cambodia.

The AmaWaterways fleet in Europe features amenities such as spacious staterooms with French balconies or revolutionary "Twin Balconies"; plush down bedding, marble-appointed baths; complimentary high-speed Internet and Wi-Fi; first-run hit Hollywood movies; complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks with dinner, complimentary bottled water; gourmet dining in multiple venues (MS AmaBella); nightly entertainment; complimentary small group shore excursions tailored to passengers' desired walking pace; guided bicycle tours and much more.

In 2011, AmaWaterways will introduce the new 161-passenger MS AmaVerde in Europe, the newly-redesigned 212-passenger MS AmaKatarina on the Volga-Baltic Waterway in Russia and the new 124-passenger MS AmaLotus on the Mekong River in Vietnam and Cambodia, increasing its luxurious fleet of river cruise vessels to 12.

For more information about AmaWaterways, go to www.amawaterways.com or call 800-626-0126

For media interviews contact Promotion in Motion at 323-461-3921 or office@promotioninmotion.net

Brad Butler

Promotion in Motion

Hollywood, CA

323-461-3921

First Url: Aaron Saunders From the Deck Chair Cruising Blog

Second Url: AmaWaterways PR Website