APT RIVER CRUISES – CRUISING THE DANUBE WITH APT’S MAGNIFICENT EUROPE RIVER CRUISE

I recently experienced a taster cruise of APT’s Magnificent Europe River Cruise along the Danube, between Vienna and Regensburg- read our APT river cruises  Danube River Cruise Review.

This APT river cruise itinerary is part of APT’s Luxury River Cruising Collection, and is a fifteen-day luxury river cruise sailing between Amsterdam and Budapest, and boasts a range of inclusive features such as:

Possibly as it was a longer river cruise, most of the passengers onboard were predominantly Australian, with some New Zealanders and even a few Singaporeans, and were friendly; there seemed to be a relaxed feel onboard.

The APT Signature Experiences represent once-in-a-lifetime moments, unique opportunities or exclusive access to some of Europe’s most enchanting attractions. These included experiences on APT River Cruises allow you to discover each destination in greater depth – and would be impossible to organise if you were travelling on your own, and include:

You can follow in the footsteps of the Habsburg Empire on this imperial rail journey. Enjoy a glass of sparkling wine before boarding the private steam train. Onboard you can see inside some of its ornately adorned carriages from the early 1900s and enjoy lunch served on board. On arrival in Budapest, see the opulent Royal Waiting Room. Operates on all departures between April and September.

Exclusive to APT River Cruises, Princess Heide von Hohenzollern graciously welcomes APT river cruises guests into her home, Namedy Castle. After wandering about the castle and its manicured gardens, you are treated to a classical piano recital, a highlight on this Danube river cruise.

At Vienna’s City Palace, owned by the princely family of Liechtenstein, APT river cruises guests will be welcomed at a lavish cocktail reception. Then enjoy a private concert of superb arias, an orchestral performance of Mozart and Strauss masterpieces, and music from members of the Mozart Boys’ Choir.

Amaverde is a stylish, spacious and well-appointed river vessel, resplendent in airy colours and with beautiful flowers tastefully dotted around. Most of the cabins offer two balconies: one French window balcony, and the other a traditional balcony where you can sit, relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery as you glide down Europe’s waterways. The Sun Deck boasts a delightfully warm pool which, even in November, people were enjoying!

For dining, the main restaurants are the Verde Grill and Bella Cucina; essentially two halves of one large restaurant, they offer slightly different menus for dinner (Bella Cucina offers cuisine with an Italian influence), although it is perfectly possible to ask for a starter or soup from one menu and a main course or dessert from the other.

The menus on APT River Cruises generally are influenced by the cruises destinations you are visiting, and the wines are also regional specialties, changing daily (and I must say they were superb!).

Breakfast and lunch were a mixture of buffet and a la carte offerings. For breakfast, I really enjoyed the fruit smoothies which differed each day. For lunch and dinner, there were a selection of options where were always available, and a selection of options which differed daily. Each menu clearly marked whether there were any allergies to be considered.

Afternoon tea, late night snacks and a lighter breakfast or lunch are also on offer in the bar and lounge.

However, the piece de resistance for onboard dining on our APT river cruises Danube river cruise was the Chef’s Table. Reservations are required for dinner at the Chef’s Table, but there are no additional fees incurred. An intimate dining experience for only about 30 guests (or less), the chef cooks right in front of your eyes behind a glass pane. You’re welcomed into the restaurant with a cocktail and a ‘Chef’s Welcome’ appetiser, before tucking into your remaining courses.

On our APT River Cruise we stayed overnight in Vienna, which afforded plenty of free time to explore this wonderful city further, as well as enjoying a guided city tour in the afternoon, and a ‘Freedom of Choice’ excursion the following morning. The ‘Freedom of Choice’ excursions had such diversity of interest – from a baroque palace and monarchs to communism, and horses; it was quite tricky to pick!

Many people went on the Schönbrunn Palace excursion, and came back very impressed. I went on the excursion to the Spanish Riding School, which began with a presentation in the lounge by our guide, Wolfgang, who was genuinely enthusiastic about horses, was very comprehensive and also humourous.

We had up to two hours to spend watching the horses in their morning exercise, but there was also the flexibility to join Wolfgang on a guided walking tour after an hour, or to enjoy some free time. The third excursion was a fuller-day excursion to Bratislava, looking into its Communist history.

However, the highlight of Vienna would be APT river cruises ‘Royal Invitation’ to a drinks reception and private classical concert showcasing the very best of Mozart and Strauss in the City Palace. The setting was sublime – magnificent in the baroque style and dazzling with gold leaf and chandeliers you certainly wouldn’t want the Trotter brothers to clean – the hostess was charming, and the performers immensely talented.

I also felt that the duration of the concert was perfect – not too long for those (like myself) who would not usually choose to listen to classical music for themselves, but not missing out any musical gems. However, it was quite a tight turnaround between returning from the afternoon city tour and dinner, which had been moved to an earlier time for the City Palace.

On our APT river cruise, we sailed from Vienna quite late in the evening, so there was plenty of opportunity to spend free time in Vienna.

From there, we visited  Dürnstein  – made famous as the castle (now ruins) which held King Richard the Lionheart captive on his return from one of many crusades, and for its picturesque blue church – for a few hours of free time ashore in the morning, before cruising the scenic Wachau Valley (complete with an onion tart and a glass of Sekt on the Sun Deck) to  Melk .

In Melk, there was a choice of a guided tour of its magnificent and famous Abbey, or a guided tour of the town itself.

Following Melk, we arrived in  Passau  for a truly unique and exclusive highlight: APT’s Royal Invitation aboard the Majestic Imperator to Salzburg and Linz, easily my favourite part of the whole trip. A faithful replica of Emperor Franz Josef’s late 19th century imperial train for the exclusive use of APT, this was an unforgettable train journey in sumptuous luxury. Each coach was appointed differently, but each boasted regal brocades, and it felt like stepping back in time to the golden age of travel. Welcomed with a glass of sekt, and traditional Austrian cakes which were once the Emperor’s favourites, our journey to  Salzburg  simply flew by.

Once in Salzburg, we enjoyed a city tour – there were many places of interest to be noted for Mozart or Sound of Music fans! – before some free time. Back aboard the train, we enjoyed more sekt and wine, as well as savoury snacks, and onboard entertainment with ‘The Sound of Austria’ serenading us with tunes from The Magic Flute and The Sound of Music, before arriving in Linz. (from 2023 the train experience will be the Grand Empress Steam Train to Budapest)

Unfortunately, as is sometimes the case with river cruising, the water levels had become increasingly low until it was no longer possible to sail any further. However, the cruise director handled things brilliantly, explaining to the passengers the potential situation several days ahead, and keeping them updated constantly. For us, as we were returning to England after the Regensburg city tour, it merely meant that we had to bring our suitcases to the coach to be transferred to a minibus taking us from Regensburg to Munich airport. For the rest of the passengers staying on, it meant that they would have to change ships the next day, but as they happened to be transferring to Amaverde’s identical sister ship, it was the best-case scenario.

For me, the duration of time spent at destinations was well balanced on this APT River Cruise. The choice of excursions was varied, the quality of tour guides was very good (they were informative and humorous, and thanks to the use of QuietVoxes it wasn’t necessary to huddle round them to hear them!), and the exclusive invitations made the experiences extra special; particularly the Majestic Imperator to Salzburg and Linz. Onboard, the food was good quality and varied from breakfast through to dinner, but the Chef’s Table is unmissable!

Learn more about APT River Cruises