Some of our incredible team and top-selling agents at the Travel Village Group flew out to Amsterdam for a voyage with Amadeus River Cruises. They sailed down the Rhine river onboard the Amadeus Queen and visited places such as Amsterdam, Rudesheim, Strasbourg and Brussels. Our team experienced the beautiful ship and exceptional service from the Amadeus crew, alongside an incredible selection of shore excursions and dining options.
At the Travel Village Group, we believe the best way to gain extensive knowledge about river cruising products is to experience it personally and immerse yourself in the destinations.
We asked the team to share their experience onboard Amadeus Queen:
The Amadeus Queen is a beautiful ship and I loved every minute onboard. One thing that really impressed me was how light and airy the ship felt particularly on the lower decks and in the centre of the ship with the clever use of lighting, doors and windows. The cabins were spacious and even had a walk-in wardrobe – very impressive. Plus, lovely Ritual products in the bathrooms. The Crew were incredibly professional, courteous and friendly at all times and really looked after us. The food! What can I say? It was really good – you certainly don’t go hungry on a river cruise!
These trips are always a great opportunity to view a product as a customer and really get a feel for it. This particular trip was even more valuable as it enabled me to get to know The Travel Village Group owners better as well as other members of the team. This was really important to me as a fairly new member of the TVG family!
Heather Tarrant – Travel Professional
The Amadeus Queen was a beautiful ship, I especially loved the interior. I liked that there were fewer passengers on board as it made it more of an intimate sailing. My favourite excursion was the windmills at Kinderdijk. It was a gorgeous sunny day for a canal boat ride and a tour around one of the interesting windmills. This fam trip was an amazing opportunity for me to build better relationships with my colleagues and get to know everyone better!
Millie Jackson – Customer Care Team
The Amadeus Queen was perfect. The pool onboard is a real asset, especially when the roof opens up in the warmer weather and you can relax whilst taking in the scenery. Both the food and the service was 5 star quality. Nothing was ever too much for the crew. The benefits of the fam trips are crucial to gain knowledge on the product you are selling, plus it was great to build stronger relationships with members of the Amadeus team.
Denise Marsden – Customer Care Team
There is nothing not to love about river cruising with Amadeus! We were spoiled morning till night with the most incredible cuisine, fine wines and exceptional service. The cabins were spacious, modern and spotlessly clean. The excursion list was fabulous and we were guided by local experts to really immerse yourself in the destination. Free time at each port of call allowed us the opportunity to explore and relax at our own pace.
Jayne Nelson – Travel Professional
From embarkation, the Amadeus crew were warm and welcoming. The cruise was a food lover’s paradise with every table in a prime location for views of the river. I loved the excursions, they allowed me to step off the ship straight into charming towns you wouldn’t normally visit. I’m an early bird so as I wandered outside early in the morning, the staff had a cup of tea ready and waiting for me. I loved the personal touches. There isn’t one thing I could fault!
Lisa Brook – Call Centre Sales Manager
This was my first river cruise experience and it was unforgettable! The Amadeus Queen is a fabulous modern ship and I was truly spoiled from morning till night, especially with a 5-course meal each evening. There’s so much to love about river cruising: great entertainment, stunning destinations on your doorstep, excellent food, guided tours. I can’t wait to do it again.
Claire Stone – Travel Professional
This was my 1st time river cruising, although I have done many ocean cruises so I was looking forward to comparing how they differed. I loved The Amadeus Queen and the fact she only held 162 passengers. The ship was stunning, elegantly styled and the cabins were spacious with everything you needed. The bathroom was impressive compared to the bathrooms on the ocean cruises I have been on and I loved the walk in wardrobe!
The ship was easy to navigate your way around and the food was well presented with wine flowing. I noticed that you could be as private as you wanted if you wanted that intimate experience or join in and make friends.
I particularly liked the museum we visited in Middleburg where we learned about the 1953 North Spring Floods and the devastation it caused. I hadn’t heard the story before and did not realise that most of the Netherlands is sat below sea level. Very interesting and emotional. We also had a bike ride one day and rode around Arnheim at our leisure.
I loved getting to know some colleagues and building relationships with Fred Holidays who really did look after us from start to finish. Without going on this trip, I would have continued to believe that River cruising was boring and for old people – Totally not!
Pat Curtis – Travel Professional
I had a great time on Amadeus Queen, and I thought that the ship was really bright and airy. The food was amazing, a real variety, and each day I was served a new favourite. The staff were also fantastic, really friendly and attentive. I loved the pool and Amadeus Lounge, it was a lovely place to relax away from the main lounge.
It was great to spend time with other members of the team. Especially being still quite new, it was great to put faces to some of those I’ve dealt with in the care team, plus getting to know Phil and Paula better.
Maria Hedley – Travel Professional
I didn’t know what to expect from river cruising as this was something I have never experienced but the ship was amazing, so clean and luxurious and the staff looked after us amazingly.
It was lovely to spend some time with the team and my belly hurt from laughing so much, it was great to put faces to names. Phil and Paula were so kind and generous on the trip and Phil playing the piano every night was amazing, it got us all up singing and dancing.
The food on board was amazing, there were loads of choices and it was really well presented. The wine was flowing at every meal time and again was perfect.
My favourite place we went was Gent. The sun was shining and the city was beautiful. We toured the castle in the morning and climbed to the top and saw all the sites before going back to the ship for lunch. We then went back out for chocolate and beer tasting, a brilliant way to end our half of the trip.
Sam Bonney – Customer Care Team
The ship as a whole was a modern comfortable vessel, interior designed by Owner Martina Lufner and offered a comfortable yet impeccably gracious ambiance. There were lovely spacious public areas with fab options for viewing the ever-changing scenery. My favourite was the walk-in wardrobe. It offered loads of space, and great for keeping the cabin tidy.
The pool! What a great use of the back of the ship, a lovely quiet comfortable relaxing place to pass the time away with the bonus of a retractable roof for sunny days. The bar and drinks station make it a great venue for a private function for groups.
The staff were some of the best I have come across, nothing was too much trouble and they appeared to love working onboard. It was an honour to meet Corina Luftner, who took the time out to come and have dinner with us.
There was an excellent choice of menus, I was impressed that they offered a buffet or restaurant at both Breakfast & Lunch. My personal favourite was our private dining experience which would be a fab option for private groups.
Keukenhof Gardens is a must if you love tulips! It’s only open 60 days a year so if you can visit, I would highly recommend it. Plus, excursions are an optional extra on Amadeus. I like the flexibility of choosing which shore excursions to do and exploring the ports at your one leisure.
What a team! This was a fab opportunity to meet the Travel Village Group family. I really appreciated all the time and investment that went into making this trip the fab experience it was. Big Shout out to our hosts Fred Olsen travel and the owners, the Luftner family, the level of attention! Thank you to Phil, Paula and John who invested valuable time and money into making sure every member of the team was catered for and allowed to experience in their own way.
Phil, Paula & John who invested valuable time and money into showcasing this fab (fairly unknown product), making sure every member of the team was catered for and allowed to experience in their own way.
Lesley MacDonald – Luxury Travel Specialist
Find out more about the ship and our team’s experiences here!
