Trip Report: ABD "Food & Wine" Rhine River Cruise - September 21-28, 2023

[Abrakadabra]

Intro
Hello! We just returned from the Adventures By Disney Rhine River Cruise. This was the Adult-Exclusive Food & Wine Sailing of September 21 - 28. 2023. On these trips, the excursions and other activities are coordinated by ABD, while all other shipboard functions including food, wine, and running the ship itself, are handled by the ship's owner, AMA Waterways. (We were on the AMA Siena). Since to my knowledge there has not been a trip report posted about this particular itinerary since the 2018 Inaugural F&W cruise, this report will attempt to describe the ways in which it has changed since that first sailing.

I just completed the ABD post-trip survey, and hidden among all the marketing questions there were only a few small boxes into which you could type a maximum of 500 characters. So it is obvious that ABD doesn't really care about what we thought about the trip, but rather they just want to know how to attract their customers to the next one. So this report is my attempt to get our thoughts out into the world. It's not a trip report in the usual sense, with day-by-day recollections and photos, but rather an overall reflection on the entire trip. I can give more specifics if you wish, but other Rhine cruise trip reports you may find here on the DIS and elsewhere pretty much cover all the details.

In summary, we were very disappointed in the food and wine aspects of this cruise. Based on the trip report from 2018, we had been led to believe there would be culinary experts on board who would travel on the excursions with us, would help to teach and explain the various cuisines and wines we would be tasting, and that there would ample opportunities for learning and culinary exploration. We had read about vineyard walks and guided wine tastings, and experiences such as evening concerts in the towns we visited along the way. Unfortunately, most of those aspects have been stripped from the program, and what we were left with was basically the standard ABD Rhine River cruise excursion itinerary. While we were told by the lead ABD Adventure Guide that the changes had been made based on previous traveler feedback, I am pretty sure that economics have also played a part as well. And perhaps our hopes were just a little too high that ABD would be able to make this a trip that truly stood out above all the other Rhine cruise company offerings.

So basically, this is a warning to future travelers - if all you want is a fun adults-only trip down the Rhine with magnificent scenery and where the food is decent and the wine and beer are free-flowing, then perhaps this is the trip for you. But if you are hoping to actually learn something new about the food and wine of the regions you are traveling through, then you should look elsewhere. Rather than a "Food and Wine" experience, this was really no more than an expensive "Booze Cruise" down the river.

 

[Abrakadabra]

About Us
Before I go on, perhaps it would help to know something about us. First of all, we actually are big Disney fans, but Disney theming is not necessarily the primary attraction for us when traveling. My wife and I were traveling alone on this trip, but in the past our two children (now fully grown) have always traveled with us on our Disney experiences. We joined DVC in 1999 (we own points at BWV and BWV), and we have taken 10 cruises on DCL (mostly on the Magic and Wonder). Our early cruises were confined to the Caribbean, but as the kids got older, we ventured to the Mediterranean (twice), Alaska, and Scandinavia. On DCL, we dined at Palo as often as possible, and always made it point to attend the cooking classes and wine and spirits tastings onboard whenever they were offered. We always found new and interesting wines to enjoy from the ship's premium wine list, and came to know our waiters and the chefs on board as well, having interesting conversations with them about their native cuisines and cultures.

We also loved the learning experiences that were provided on the longer cruises, especially on the non-Caribbean itineraries. Whether it was onboard lectures by knowledgeable experts, or onshore excursions led by excellent local guides, we always came away with the feeling that we had learned so much about not only the places we visited and their history, but also a lot about their cuisine and culture as well.

And one caveat. We are inveterate foodies and wine lovers. We go out to eat at interesting (and often high-end) restaurants on a regular basis. We have our own home wine cellar. None of which is to brag, but just to say that when we see something branded as "Food and Wine", we have pretty high expectations.

The Rhine Reality
We had heard many good things about ABD trips, so when we decided we would like to travel the Rhine, the "Food & Wine" adventure looked like it was right up our alley. We had already had so many good experiences on DCL that we figured ABD would provide more of the same. In addition, the AMA Waterways website has a whole section about their wine cruises, which feature premium wines, vineyard experiences, and knowledgeable food and wine pairings. In the trip report from the 2018 Food & Wine cruise, it described how there would be a Disney chef and a Disney-trained sommelier on board who would dine with us, travel on excursions with us, and even lead guided tastings on board the ship. Although it was not mentioned in that report, based on our DCL experience (as well as the existence of AMAs wine -focused programs), we assumed there would be premium-level wines onboard to select from and taste (even if an upcharge was perhaps required). We also assumed that the nightly menus would coordinate with the cuisine of the regions we were traveling through. But alas, none of that turned out to be true.

And lest I be pegged here as a "Debbie Downer", I will say that outside of the concerns that I will elaborate further on, we thoroughly enjoyed the Rhine experience for what it was. The ship was spotless and run in the most efficient manner possible, the onboard cuisine was (mostly) enjoyable, the towns we visited were very scenic and historically interesting, and the ABD guides were top-notch - always aiming to please. And because the beer and wine were always free at meals, there was no issue when we wanted to bring our own wine to the table that we had purchased while in port. I don't see how any other cruise company could do a better job in the actual details of running the ship and providing a comfortable and pleasant experience for their guests.

 

[Abrakadabra]

About the Ship
The Ama Siena is a beautiful ship that was christened in August 2021. There are several reviews and pictures of it available via a simple Google search, so I won't go into too much detail, but suffice to say that it is well laid out, easy to navigate, and the "double balcony" feature found in many rooms is quite pleasant (one regular outdoor balcony with two chairs, and a "French" balcony, which is essentially two sliding doors which open directly onto an outside railing).

While traveling on the Rhine, it is sometimes necessary to dock "side-by-side" with another ship, so there may be occasions where your balcony looks directly into the stateroom of the other ship (and therefore you will want to keep your curtains closed), but these were actually fairly rare on our sailing since tourist traffic is lower at the end of September. Another interesting aspect of the Rhine, especially in the upper reaches, is the necessity of travelling through locks, due to the significant elevation changes of the river. And since the modern boats are all built to the maximum width the locks will allow, suffice to say it's an interesting experience to be on the balcony when the water is drained from the lock you are currently sitting in, and suddenly there is a wet and slimy wall in front of you. Mind your head and hands!

One thing that AMA Waterways touts about their ship is the "fleet of bicycles" that are supposedly available for use while in ports. However, other than one specific bicycle excursion, I never saw anyone take a bicycle out, and when we actually inquired about using one when we had some free time on the afternoon we were docked in Speyer, we were told they weren't available.

About the ABD Guides
We had four guides from Adventures by Disney, and they were responsible for guiding the guests through all of the excursions as well as holding a nightly briefing before dinner about the next day's activities. All were young and very outgoing (as fully expected of a Disney employee), but each had their own backstory and personality:

• Byron (from Kentucky) was the lead Guide, and could be considered one of the founder's of the ABD Rhine Cruise, as he was on the inaugural sailing as well as almost every sailing since. He has also been involved in the planning of most of the excursions and activities. He works for Disney full-time, and can be found working in the Magic Kingdom when not guiding ABD Adventures.
• Daniel (from Dusseldorf, Germany) was the second-most experienced Guide on the ship and has been doing the Rhine cruises almost as long as Byron. He shared some very poignant moments about what it has been like growing up German and his difficulty becoming comfortable with that identity.
• Clement (from Paris, France) was the most soft-spoken of the Guides, but also seemed to have the most knowledge about food and wine (he led the cheese tasting session in Riquewihr). He is also a musical theater aficionado, and not a bad singer himself.
• Damien (from Lyon, France) was friendly and always smiling, even though he always seemed to be one that the others always dunked on. But get him aside 1-on-1 and his knowledge and intellect were impressive.

As I said, all four guides were friendly and outgoing and would be right at home in any customer-facing position in a Disney park. However, sometimes they came across as just a little "too happy", especially when it came to discussing an area's troubled history, or when you just wanted to kick back and savor the experience you were personally having. Sometimes they were just too "on stage".

The area where they were especially lacking, however, was in their knowledge of what this particular trip was supposed to be all about - food and wine. While Clement lead the cheese tasting in Riquewihr and displayed considerable knowledge and love of one of his native country's most famous exports, none of the Guides knew much about wine, or even admitted that they even particularly liked wine. What we really missed was a truly knowledgeable culinary guide, one who could speak in-depth about wine and food, comparing and contrasting what we were currently tasting with those from other parts of the world, or one who could talk about methods of production, or the culinary and oenological history of a region. Instead, all we got was a running joke about the large quantity of bottles of wine our cruise had consumed at dinner.
Perhaps the issue is that they were all just a little too young, and have not yet developed the experienced palate that someone who has actually worked in the food and wine industry for a number of years would have. This is where we missed having those specialists on board.

 

[Abrakadabra]

About the AMA Waterways Staff
As for the AMA staff, most of the management were competent and spoke passable English. We rarely heard from the Cruise Manager, and we heard from the Hotel Manager only during her nightly readings of the evening's dinner menu (complete with grandiloquently strained prose). Evidently, the Maitre'D was not confident enough in his public speaking, so he had the Hotel Manager do it. We did, however, hear from the Maitre'D as he visited each table in the Dining Room, and he was as accommodating as could be expected. The Wait Staff had some issues (see below) but in general were competent and efficient. Our Housekeeper was friendly and very quick. The laundry service was reasonably priced and efficient.

About the Food and Wine Onboard
AMA Waterways prides itself on its "award-winning" cuisine and actually has the credentials to prove it. In general, the quality of the food and its preparation was top-notch. Where the dining experience fell down was in the menu selection, wine selection, and service. The food, taken by itself, was actually very expertly presented and attractive to look at. It tasted good as well, but pretty much as expected. There were none of those "OMG" moments where you were transported to another level of the senses. Sauces were mostly just serviceable and not very memorable. My main complaint is that there was no noticeable connection of the food with the locales we were visiting. We may as well have been dining at a nice restaurant in any major city of the world. Other than the canned reading of the menu in the briefing before dinner, there was never any explanation of the ingredients, preparation, or relevance to the local culture.

The wine selection at dinner was laughable for what was touted as a "Food and Wine" cruise. There was only one white and one red wine presented for the entire meal, and the bottles were of no better than "grocery store" quality. There was never any explanation of why the wines were chosen, other than that they sometimes came from the region we were visiting that day. When asked, the servers knew nothing about the wines, and actually seemed surprised when we wanted to switch from white to red in the middle of the meal to better match the next course. There were never any aperitif or dessert wines offered.

Service was competent, but language was often a barrier and we frequently needed to correct certain aspects of the service. There were obvious coordination issues between the staff, sometimes at dinner, but more often at breakfast and lunch. If a request was made to a server who was not tasked with that particular function, it would often be ignored and the request would need to be repeated to the "correct" server, once he or she reappeared.

We did not have any special dietary needs ourselves, but some of our fellow diners who did had a really hard time obtaining acceptable food. Special dietary needs should not be an issue in this day and age, especially on a premium trip such as this.



Chef's Table
AMA Waterways has a featured dining experience called the Chef's Table. It is conducted in a separate dining room at the aft of the ship. We participated on the second night of the cruise. Everyone who wanted had an opportunity to attend on one of the nights of the cruise. Signups were conducted once you boarded the ship on Day 1. It may have been possible to dine at Chef's Table on more than one evening, but the menu was the same each night, so we didn't bother to ask.

The meal consisted of 7 courses, each meticulously prepared in an immediately adjacent, glass-walled kitchen and presented on oblong plates. The individual dishes were tasty and well-prepared. However, again there were only two wines (a red and a white) presented for the entire meal. No consideration was made in the matching of the wines with the food. We also were never given any description of the dishes or their preparation (other than what was written on the menu). What the chef was doing behind the glass was never discussed and was basically impossible to really see. But the most egregious issue is that the Chef's Table dining area sits directly over the ship's engine room. At one point during the meal, the ship had to slow down as we were approaching a lock, and all of the glasses and tableware on our table began to violently shake for a good five minutes. It was so bad that I was in the process of standing up to leave altogether when the shaking suddenly stopped. The meal was certainly a memorable experience, but not in the way that I think was intended.

La Chaîne des Rotisseurs
AMA Waterways is a proud member of the Chaine des Rotisseurs, a renowned gastronomic society that dates back to the 1200's, so of course we had a "Chaine" dinner while onboard. However, if they had not specifically pointed it out, I would not have recognized it as being any different than any of the other meals - good food paired with mediocre wine.

 

[Abrakadabra]

Additional Thoughts About the "Food & Wine" Theme
Beyond what AMA Waterways provided, ABD basically did nothing to improve the "food and wine" experience on this trip. Most of the excursions were taken directly from the standard ABD Rhine trips, and for some of them, especially the wine tasting events, I felt we were cheated by having an experience that was much more crowded than normal.
There were no wine-focused tasting/learning events offered on the ship at all. There were only two on-board food demonstrations: one on how to make apple strudel, and one on macarons. Nothing else. (And the macarons were done when mostly everyone was off the ship). In Rüdesheim, we had no "vineyard walk", which was an activity explicitly mentioned in the Adventure Handbook. All we got was a very impersonal tasting in a large, musty cellar where we could not hear the speaker and it was impossible to ask questions.

AMA Waterways' advertised wine experience and expertise was basically AWOL on this trip. Why could we not have better quality wines on board? We would even have been willing to pay an upcharge. The wines made available for purchase (by the bottle only) on a separate list were all unremarkable and extremely young.

Previous "F&W" trips had evening experiences such as an organ concert in town, or guided wine tastings on board. Instead, what we got (on individual nights) were a lounge piano player, Trivia night (with no food or wine content!), a lounge singer, a one-man rock band, Karaoke night, Bingo(!), and a Dutch comedian. How about something more related to the theme of the cruise? Or just a little talk on the history or culture of the place we were going to visit the next day? You could offer more than one option. The ship is not that small.

On the 45 minute bus ride back from Riquewihr, while riding through the world-famous vineyards of Alsace, we got no explanation or stories about the local culture and industry. Instead we were treated to our Guide's long and truly cringe-worthy story about his unhealthy obsession with Taylor Swift!

And finally, to add insult to injury, unlike previous cruises, we did not even get to experience the spaghetti ice cream on board. If we wanted it, we had to buy it ourselves while walking in Heidelberg.

In Conclusion
When I first started this trip report, I had intended to do a day-by-day summary of the trip, with pictures, as is the norm. But on reflection, the other Rhine trip reports pretty much covered the same experiences that we had, so I feel no need to duplicate those. And in fact, we actually did NOT get to experience several of the events that were detailed in the 2018 Food & Wine Cruise trip report, so I have nothing I can say about those. Overall, I'm glad we made the trip, it was fun and interesting, but we have come away from it feeling just a little bit cheated by ABD, and that is something that we have rarely felt in our experiences with any Disney product. I wish only better things for you and yours in your future Disney encounters.

P.S. - My wife and I did get to experience two pre-trip nights in Paris, and two post-trip nights in Amsterdam. We had excellent meals both nights in Paris in small intimate cafes where the food was delicious, authentic, and reasonably priced, and the wine was delicious. In Amsterdam, we actually ate at Restaurant Hemelse Modder on both nights, simply because we loved their delicious, locally-sourced cuisine, AND the fact that they poured a specially selected wine with each and every course (including dessert!). We both agree that those meals were the true highlight of our entire trip!

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

I am really happy you took the time to do this post. It is sad to hear that the food and wine portion of the cruise was so poor. We were actually signed up for this cruise in 2021 (or 2022?) but ended up canceling when a COVIC upsurge in Europe resulted in a bunch of cancelled ports. It sounds like we dodged a bullet. I am not a foodie or wine connoisseur, but I enjoy both, and I would have been very disappointed by what you describe. What is the point of a food and wine cruise if you aren't getting special meals and more numerous and special wines chosen for the specific meal or pairing? Also I would have expected more food/wine focused excursions as well. It sounds as if marketing decided "food and wine" would sell well and they did nothing special to modify the typical cruise. We hadn't gotten around to rebooking but now we'll look elsewhere if it's a food and wine experience we are going for. I'm also surprised that you only had 4 ABD guides. I thought there was 8? Have they cut back on that as well or were there not many people on your trip?

 

[Abrakadabra]

We had 114 guests (+ 4 guides) on the ship. I think they usually cruise with 6 guides, but since this was adults only, they didn't need the extra 2 to handle the kids.

 

[aggiedog]

Thank you for taking the time to post all this. It does sound like this was ABD without kids, and that's it. As a fellow foodie, I'd be disappointed too.

 

[AquaDame]

• Damien (from Lyon, France) was friendly and always smiling, even though he always seemed to be one that the others always dunked on. But get him aside 1-on-1 and his knowledge and intellect were impressive.

none of the Guides knew much about wine, or even admitted that they even particularly liked wine.

Out of curiosity did you spend much time with Damien..? He was one of our guides on our Arctic cruise earlier this year and I'm shocked this is the same person. He confided with us one morning he'd had a nightmare that his apartment lost power to his wine fridge and he considered calling the person watching for him to make sure it was alright... he absolutely enjoys wine! He told us there are two types of wine in France... the kind you sip, and the kind you ship.

I would be utterly disappointed to book a special sailing and have it not be special at all... what a miss!

 

[disnygirl55]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts - my husband and I were on this cruise as well. We had a great time, but I would rank it below our DCL cruises. Those have been in concierge however, so not sure whether it's fair to compare the service and special touches. However, the Rhine Food & Wine was a great experience through a part of the world that we have not been to since we lived for a couple of years in Germany in the early 90s. I didn't expect that we would have Scott Hunnel or any other distinguished special guests as they did for the inaugural cruises in 2018, so I didn't miss that part. However, I did miss the special evening activities such as the organ concert and the spaghetti ice cream. I fully expected those. We were busy enough that I didn't remember the organ concert until after the cruise, but I felt a bit cheated, like you, that we were directed to several places in which we could buy our own spaghetti ice cream. Boo! We loved the four Adventure Guides very much and didn't have a problem with their delivery - they were so personable and welcoming - and the guides were our favorite part of the trip other than meeting other adventurers with whom we made a connection. It was fun to see the same people on our excursions, when dining, and in the lounge for the evening events. We are foodies and wine connoisseurs as well - and I expressed our disappointment in the survey in not having specific lectures or other events specifically to learn more about the wines of the region or at last have some tastings on the ship. That said, it was very easy to buy a bottle or two in each port to enjoy on our verandah in the evenings - no questions or declarations or anything when bringing purchases back onto the ship - unlike a DCL cruise. I agree that the food was very good, though standard. We did not go hungry or feel unsatisfied for sure. The omelet station at breakfast was a great standard omelet bar with several available ingredients. Plus, my husband was able to ask for grilled tomatoes at every breakfast, which the kitchen prepared happily even though they were not on the menu. I heard a conversation (not sure if it was the same adventure guest you had mentioned) where she had asked to speak with someone knowledgeable in the kitchen about her dietary needs. They refused her request and promised that they would find something suitably "vegan" for her meals - and they wound up bringing two items that she did not eat because she didn't enjoy. I heard her say to the maitre d' that it would have been an avoided situation if they had let her speak to the chef or sous chef in the first place as requested. That was a little awkward - I felt badly for her as well as the wait staff. I think there may have been some language barrier that could have influenced the refusal of the conversation.

I agree that the wine at dinner (red or white) was nothing special. I wish Disney could have influenced that a bit more. It didn't make me want to stay and linger with another glass. One big disappointment was that on one of the few lunches that we ate onboard the ship, I asked the waitress for a glass of wine to take back to our stateroom since we had a few hours free before dinner, and she poured me such a small glass. - a half pour, I would guess. That was surprising, but it never happened that way at any other time. Maybe it was the waitress for that meal. I'm sure she would have poured more if I'd pushed the issue, but since it wasn't a favorite type of wine for me, I didn't bother. There were usually pretty standard cabernet sauvignon wines for the red, and I prefer Pinot Noir for a red wine.

Things that I especially loved about the trip: most of the ports (Riquewihr, Heidelberg, Rudesheim) were spectacular and scenic. We had such a great time in these small-ish towns. The cathedrals in Strasbourg and Cologne were majestic, but it seemed like after we toured the cathedrals, we were stuck waiting for more than an hour to go back to the bus. The cruise through the Rhine gorge to see the castles was a highlight. My husband and I each took a bottle of wine, some glasses, and snacks up to the top viewing deck and were in good company with most other adventurers doing the same. It was a nice afternoon. I understand that due to the shorter days, the October cruise doesn't usually see all the castles while it's still daylight, so I feel sorry for the folks going in October if that holds true.

As a caution to other adventurers, you should know that the amount of walking it took to get back to either a bus or the ship in port was extreme. We logged over 5 miles every day. I know that some groups really struggled with it, especially when it was fairly warm outside. That seems like a good healthy amount of steps, but it wasn't spread throughout the course of a day like when you're at home. It was usually undertaken in about 3 hours or so. Phew! I liked the "local guides" that Disney hired to take us around some of these cities and sites, but not all of them were created equally. We had a guide in Cologne, I think it was, that couldn't get his audio "Quietvox" to work correctly, so we missed out of learning a lot about the city. It was frankly a bit of a relief when we ended that tour. Went to the Rembrandt house in Amsterdam and would NOT recommend that one. They only owned one small Rembrandt painting - everything else was done by his students or contemporaries - the house was too small for touring groups, the air conditioning was not working so it was stifling in there, and everything from the furnishings to the appearance in the rooms was a re-creation, and not originally owned by Rembrandt. Not their fault (it was interesting to learn more about his life, still) but not worth choosing as an excursion, I feel.

On final reflection, I wouldn't do this cruise again. However, I feel there are a lot of people out there like us who would really enjoy it at least once. There is a decadence in unpacking once and visiting several countries and cities over the course of a week. Some of the beauty and history will nearly bring tears to your eyes. Although I love children, it made the cruise much more enjoyable with only adult activities (at least for us). We have plans in the future for one other river cruise that interests us (adults-only Danube) as well as a land-based adventure - but I think we will remain more excited about our DCL cruises.

Thanks for starting us off - you brought up some very fun memories for us!

 

[aggiedog]

AMA has several Rhine itineraries, including wine-centric itineraries, that are much cheaper than the ABD version. I'm not sure that selling this as a Wine and Food cruise is anything but baiting adults. :/ Just calling it an adult only ABD would have been more truthful, as it sounds like it checked all the ABD boxes, just not the wine and food.

 

[MeDisney]

Thank your for this report. I feel like the food on ABD trips have been a disappointment in general post COVID. We generally have enjoyed the food in older trips. But the last ABD we took made us question if they are cutting back on quality. We also select trips based on food and this Rhine cruise was one we were considering.

 

[Eastridge]

Thanks for your report. It doesn't sound like the food and wine was any better than a normal ABD Rhine cruise, or that you even had significantly more or better food/wine experiences than the normal cruise. On my ABD Rhine cruise, there was macaroon making and wine tasting in a cavern.

It also seems this trip is now missing the organ concert and spaghetti ice cream. While those may be small things, they helped make the trip special. The people who provided the spaghetti ice cream onboard claimed to be the ones who invented it. And there was the fun of getting out of the way of 40 kids pushing and shoving to get the first servings. I have pictures of that at
https://www.disboards.com/threads/notes-on-july-23-2018-rhine-river-cruise.3708961/

I wouldn't expect the ABD guides to be food or wine experts, and they can't drink while on duty. But based on the description, I would have expected a chef and sommelier to be on board. Byron was one of the guides on my trip.

In general, the food on the ABD trips I have been on has been fine, but not at the level of high-end restaurants. Nothing comparable to Palo & Remy on the cruise ships.

The German wine on the Ama ship was "quality wine" level, not a higher classification like Kabinett.