Amsterdam → The Rhine, November 6, 2025
We had waited years for this moment. Europe, by boat, was soon not to be merely a dream, but a reality.
At least a year of poring over online brochures, watching other people’s castle videos, and saying “someday.” And then, on a crisp Thursday afternoon in early November 2025, someday finally arrived. Sarah had planned, prepared, researched, planned some more, and laid the perfect foundation for our trip. I was the blessed beneficiary of all her hard work—and boy, did she deliver on her investment.
We rolled our suitcases toward the ship, where the crew promptly took them and delivered them straight to our room. Across the gangway at Amsterdam’s PTA cruise terminal (docked at LP 4, Veemkade in the historic Piet Hein Buildings), we paused for a quick welcome-aboard photo before stepping onto the stunning AmaSiena—all sleek lines, warm wood, and those signature AmaWaterways accents glowing in the late-autumn sun. We were treated to a light snack lunch in the lounge before heading to our room to begin settling in for the adventure Sarah had so meticulously planned!
The crew greeted us like long-lost family, and within minutes, we were personally escorted to Room 227 on Cello Deck by none other than the hotel manager, Alexandra Taflan. She mentioned her cabin was nearby and pointed out a little-known coffee station just up the stairs in the Chef’s Table room—her favorite first stop in the morning, and conveniently just feet from ours for that early caffeine fix.
We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering in a happy daze:
- the retractable-roof heated saltwater pool (already in use by some brave soul in November, complete with a swim-up bar!)
- the sun deck walking track, putting green, and giant chess board
- the cozy library nook
- the intimate Chef’s Table restaurant glowing at the aft
- the main lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows framing Amsterdam’s skyline
Everything felt intimate, polished, and quietly luxurious—only 106 guests on a ship built for 156, with a crew of 51 ensuring personalized service.
Little did we know that the God of all weather was about to spoil us rotten for the entire week—sunshine and 55–60 °F almost every single day in November. (Everyone kept saying it was the best weather, and it truly was.)
Little did we know that the famous Rhine Gorge “castle day” would greet us with low-hanging clouds drifting between the vineyards, golden and rust-colored leaves on fire in the soft light, and mist curling around turreted hilltops like a Brothers Grimm painting come to life. Even Captain Iwan van Reede and Cruise Director Petrus van der Heijden stepped out of their posts to run around the sun deck with their phones, snapping photos. Petrus announced over the onboard loudspeakers how magical this trip down the Rhine was that day. It was a combination of fall foliage, magical clouds partially obscuring the castles that dotted the landscapes this morning. We all just stood there speechless—some moments simply can’t be scheduled or paid for; they’re gifts.
Little did we know we’d be sipping complimentary Rüdesheimer Kaffee while gliding past the Loreley Rock, touring a 15th-century knight’s manor filled with self-playing orchestrions at Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet, strolling the streets of quaint Colmar, wandering Strasbourg’s Petite France at twilight, and standing under Heidelberg Castle as the sun turned the ruins rose-gold.
At that point, on embarkation afternoon, it was all just pretty pictures in a brochure—hopes and dreams and “wouldn’t it be amazing if…” daydreams.
We’d already had some great experiences, but what was to come was even more profound:
- Amsterdam’s golden-age masterpieces at the Rijksmuseum, like Rembrandt’s The Night Watch and Vermeer’s The Milkmaid
- The quiet power of the Anne Frank House, with its free audio tour evoking the emotional weight of history
- Cologne Cathedral’s twin spires piercing the sky, paired with Kölsch at Peters Brauhaus
- Mechanical music boxes dancing in Rüdesheim
- Half-timbered fairy-tale streets in Colmar
- Christmas markets just starting to twinkle in Strasbourg
They were still just names on an itinerary.
Our three nights in Amsterdam (at the quirky-cool Hendrick’s Hotel, a 25-room boutique hideaway in two 17th-century canal houses at Prins Hendrikkade 138-139, steps from Central Station) had already been the perfect overture: canal walks at dusk, Bitterballen at the Rijksmuseum café (not Sarah’s favorite), and the hush that falls over the Anne Frank House when the audio guide stops talking. It felt like Europe was gently easing us into the week ahead.
But as we stood on the sun deck that first evening, watching Amsterdam’s lights begin to sparkle on the water while the crew cast off the lines, we had no idea how breathtaking the photographs our cameras (and hearts) would collect over the next seven days.
We only knew one thing for certain: we had finally said yes to the river, and the river was about to say yes right back—in ways more beautiful than we could have ever scripted.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I filmed the entire trip in glorious 360° with the Insta360 X3. That little camera rode in my pocket every single day, so now you can literally stand right beside us and look anywhere you want: spin around in the middle of the Rhine Gorge while castles drift by, peek behind you on the Cologne cathedral steps, crane your neck up at Heidelberg’s ruined towers, or watch the winemaker pour Riesling while we’re busy staring at the view.
The craziest part? Even we are still discovering things we missed the first time. Stuff that was happening right behind us while we were busy gasping at what was in front. It’s like living the trip twice, only better the second time! Many of the 360° videos are now organized and uploading (slowly but surely) to YouTube.
Grab your phone and come walk the entire journey with us:
See you inside the bubble!
Youtube Playlists (more to come) the camera was rolling in 5.7K 360°. By the time we got home we had collected more than 1.1 terabytes of raw video. That will take a while to get through!
P.S.
I definitely earned a few curious stares with that little black orb on the end of a selfie stick. Most folks had no clue what it was; some politely asked, others just side-eyed it like I was carrying an alien probe. Maybe one or more German’s whispered, “Das ist keine normale Kamera…” (That’s not a normal camera…)
Sarah’s running joke the whole week and a few photo’s as evidence:
The only time that camera left my hand was when a fresh stroopwafel appeared. Priorities! It only took a few minutes and the camera was back out!
But now we get to relive every castle, every canal, every bite of warm caramel waffle in full 360°… totally worth looking like the weird camera guy for seven days straight.
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