AMADEUS River Cruises

AMADEUS is the river fleet of the Lüftner family, an Austrian firm with its roots in Innsbruck and several decades on the water. That ownership shows in the detail. The ships are built to the company's own specification, the hospitality has a Central European formality to it, and the kitchens lean towards the regions passing outside the window.

The Danube is home ground, from the Wachau valley through Vienna and Budapest, and the fleet also works the Rhine, Main and Moselle, the Dutch and Belgian waterways in spring, and the Rhône and Saône in France. Life on board is unhurried and fairly traditional: a panorama lounge, a sun deck, an evening of music after dinner. The passenger mix is international, with English and German spoken throughout.