Amsterdam captures my heart on any given visit, but for it to be the embarkation point for a river cruise, made it even more captivating. Cruising is one of the ways I like to spend my vacations, but after a week sailing the Rhine and Mosel Rivers with Amadeus Waterways, river cruising has shot to the top of my list of favorite-ways-to-travel.

Arriving in Amsterdam (a few days earlier than my scheduled cruise), I checked into the Hotel Estherea. This charming four-star, seventy-room boutique hotel, established in a renovated building from the seventeenth century, fronts the Singel Canal. Hotel Estherea is perfectly located on a quiet street within walking distance to all the main sights in Amsterdam—Anne Frank House, Red Light District, Dam Square, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Central Station, Begijnhof, and Rembrandt Square.

The day of embarkation, walking from Hotel Estherea to the river cruise ship (and rolling my High Sierra wheeled duffel) on a crisp spring afternoon, only took twenty minutes. Once I caught sight of the Amadeus Amadagio (the ship that would be home for the next week) my pace increased with excitement. She looked beautiful! 

Walking up the gangplank and straight into the lobby, the ship’s crew was waiting to greet and assist newly arriving passengers. The check-in procedure was professional and efficient; and within minutes, my cabin steward for the week was explaining the features of my spacious and well-appointed stateroom. The question now was if I would have enough willpower to drag myself away from the Infotainment system (free internet, satellite TV, movies and music), in my exquisitely decorated stateroom with all the amenities of a fine hotel, long enough to participate in the daily sightseeing excursions.

Thoroughly excited, it was time to investigate the rest of the ship and see what else she had to offer. Unlike Mega Ocean liners that boast up to fourteen decks, the Amadeus Amadagio river cruise ship has just three decks and could be quickly explored—there would be no getting lost or spending a week locating the dining room. The Amadeus Amadagio (built in 2006) deck plan includes: a sun-deck; 20 bikes for passenger use; one elevator; one restaurant; two lounges; gym; sauna; massage and beauty salon; seventy-one staterooms (maximum 148 passengers).