Have you fallen in love with a ship at first sight?
Sleek lines suggests that she is nimble craft, awaiting the touch of a pilot. The mast soars. Birds wheel and fuss. Flags flutter. And then the engines fire. It reaches you not as a roar but a rumble, the kind that is felt more than it is heard. You sense her leap to life in the soles of your feet. She is ready to churn the deep. You love such a ship and know she can fly.
I experienced none of these feelings when I met the AmaVerde.
The AmaVerde tied up in Vilshofen.
She lolled next to the quay, nearly hidden by it. A plaque announced the place: Vilshofen an der Donau. The AmaVerde was hardly sinuous, more squatty and compact. Boxy even. Her flags hung down limply. The wheelhouse (as I would later learn) could be pumped up or down from a nest, raised or lowered like the hand of a hesitant third-grader. Mechanical arms on each corner did the work, should a question arise. The flag-bearing antenna was similarly retractable.
This was a European riverboat, the kind you might find plying the waters of the Rhine or the Seine or the Rhône, or here, on the Danube. I found it odd looking, but I had never been on one before.
She was a low-slung affair.
I should have known better. Dutch shipbuilders have been in the seafaring business for quite a while now and have a pretty good idea about what they are doing. They built the AmaVerde perfectly for her task.
She needs to float on flatwater carrying as many people as possible as efficiently and comfortably as possible. The barge model is ideal. Space, not speed is a priority.
The topdeck is a great place to lounge and enjoy the scenery. We were, however, sternly warned when passing under low bridges “to keep our hands and feet inside the ride at all times.”
And speaking of space . . .
The AmaVerde is really long. 443 feet to be exact: a football field and a half. This length allows her to carry nearly 200 persons, passengers and crew.
She is really skinny. With a beam of 38 feet she can squeeze through locks with just inches (or centimeters) to spare.
She is really short. Three living decks covered by a topdeck hold rows of berths and public spaces. The first deck is nearly underwater. From outside, only a row of portholes suggest its existence. The other decks have large windows and small balconies, perfect for morning coffee.
The 80 staterooms of the AmaVerde can house 160 passengers.
The dining room, lounge, and other public spaces are well arranged and comfortable.
The AmaVerde is no ocean liner, but the Danube is no ocean. And a smaller and more intimate passenger list suggests a less harried experience.
We gathered with our fellow passengers in the lounge for the muster drill. The captain introduced himself and the cruise director. Like the ship, he was crisp and short (I think he was from Bulgaria). The director was a tall blonde Austrian, made taller by her red high heels. Mimosas were served all around to encourage laughter at his bad jokes.
Some details of the parent company, AmaWaterways, were revealed.* I liked what I heard, especially the part about how the inclusive our cruise package was. There would be no hidden charges.
Later, in the dining area, Vicki and I settled into the routine of ordering the “Chef’s Recommendation.” This was an easy choice since we struggled to decipher the menu. We wanted to engage the cuisine of eastern Europe. We would get our chance. The kitchen would prepare dishes specific to each region as we passed through it (little did I know that this would include escargot!).
Afterwards we retired to our cabin. It was spacious and lovely. We studied the excursion selections (especially the bicycle tours) unpacked and made the space our own. The ships engines hummed underfoot and the Bavarian countryside slowly slipped by our sliding glass doors.
I’m not sure what I expected, but a fella might learn to love a ship like this.
*To learn more about AmaWaterways, find their website here: https://www.amawaterways.com/
Bible Land Explorer is adding a new adventure to our offerings. We will be hosting an African safari in 2023. Between July 27 and August 5 we will return to the big game parks in Tanzania, including the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire. We will four-wheel drive and tent camp (or “glamp,” really!) in the Serengeti and follow the Great Migration of the wildebeest. It is one of the wonders of the natural world. This expedition is already half-full. If you are interested in signing on for a wild time, click here or contact BibleLandExplorer@gmail.com.