We spent a week cruising on the Rhine with A-ROSA SENA and got to know some of the most beautiful places in the Netherlands & Belgium. From Cologne, our route took us via Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Dordrecht to Antwerp. Exciting places with lots to discover! And this river cruise was our first cruise as a family of four. We were therefore very excited about the A-ROSA SENA with its unique family cabin and the great Kids Club.
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About A-ROSA Flussschiff GmbH
A-ROSA Flussschiff GmbH is a German shipping company and one of the leading European premium providers of city cruises on the Danube, Douro, Rhône/Saône, Rhine/Main/Moselle and Seine. Here you can find an overview of all current A-ROSA river cruises. A-ROSA was founded in 2000 as part of Deutsche Seereederei GmbH and began operations in 2002, initially with two ships on the Danube. The company responded to the growing demand for river cruises by steadily expanding its fleet and sailing areas. The distinctive fleet consists of thirteen modern ships that meet the latest safety and environmental standards: A-ROSA ALVA, A-ROSA AQUA, A-ROSA BELLA, A-ROSA BRAVA, A-ROSA DONNA, A-ROSA FLORA, A-ROSA LUNA, A-ROSA MIA, A-ROSA RIVA, A-ROSA SENA, A-ROSA SILVA, A-ROSA STELLA and A-ROSA VIVA. In September 2023, A-ROSA Flussschiff GmbH was able to expand its fleet to 15 ships. Due to the short-term takeover, the two premium ships built in 2009 will initially sail on the Rhine from the beginning of April 2024 under the names A-ROSA ALEA and A-ROSA CLEA.
On the A-ROSA river cruise ships, it is particularly nice to watch the fascinating scenery pass by on the sun deck or in the lounge. Thanks to the often central berths, the distances to the cities served are only a stone’s throw away.
Also interesting:
A-ROSA BELLA: Our river cruise on the Danube
A-ROSA VIVA: Our river cruise on the Seine
A-ROSA SILVA: Our river cruise on the Main & Rhine
Our itinerary “Rhine Experience Amsterdam & Rotterdam 2023”
We spent a week cruising the Rhine on the A-ROSA SENA from Cologne and got to know some beautiful places in the Netherlands and Belgium as part of our Rhine Experience Amsterdam & Rotterdam 2023 trip. The first stop on our river cruise was the canal city of Amsterdam. As we already knew the metropolis well from previous visits, we made a self-organized excursion to neighbouring Haarlem. We then went on to Rotterdam, which is known for its modern architecture and international port. From here, our boat took us on to Dordrecht and the world-famous windmills of Kinderdijk. The grand finale was an exploratory tour of the Belgian port city of Antwerp before heading back to Cologne.
Rhine Experience Amsterdam & Rotterdam 2023
The river cruise ship A-ROSA SENA
After getting to know the A-ROSA BELLA, the A-ROSA SILVA and the A-ROSA VIVA on our last river cruises with A-ROSA, we were particularly pleased that we were able to sail on the newest ship in the A-ROSA fleet on this year’s river cruise: the A-ROSA SENA.
Start of our river cruise with A-ROSA in Cologne
Interesting facts about the ship A-ROSA SENA
The newbuild A-ROSA SENA has been part of the A-ROSA fleet since June 2022 and was therefore just 1 year old when we started our trip on the ship. We had never been on such a new ship before and we were really excited to see what awaited us.
What we particularly liked: The A-ROSA SENA is innovative at all levels thanks to state-of-the-art technology. The ship is the ideal choice for passengers who want to combine their cruise with future-oriented travel. The E-Motion Ship is equipped with a hybrid drive with an electric motor and battery storage. During the journey, diesel consumption is reduced as far as possible and surplus energy is stored. This means that it can also temporarily run purely electrically, taking guests to the next port of call virtually emission-free and silently. Thanks to this and other innovative technologies, the A-ROSA SENA won first place in the German Award for Sustainability Projects 2022 in the “Service – Mobility” category.
The deck and cabin plan
With a length of 135 meters, a width of 17.7 meters and 5 decks, the A-ROSA SENA has been Europe’s largest river cruise ship since 2022. WOW! A total of 280 guests can stay on board in 119 balcony cabins, 7 balcony suites, 2 barrier-free cabins or 12 family cabins.
The standard cabins on board the A-ROSA SENA have a size of 21 square meters – so you have plenty of space and lots of freedom. On our previous river cruises, the cabins were around 14 to 15 square meters in size. That is a clear difference.
The deck plan of the AROSA Sena
Our family cabin
On our trip, we were accommodated in one of the 28 square meter family cabins, which can accommodate up to five people. The cabins are totally spacious, equipped with plenty of storage space and cleverly laid out: There is a double bed, a bunk bed, a sofa bed and a baby travel cot for us. The room is also equipped with a large closet, a desk and a cute seating area with cool fish wallpaper. We really liked the color scheme and the maritime motifs and felt very comfortable from the very first minute. The bathroom is equipped with two washbasins, a large shower and a separate WC.
All 12 family cabins are located on deck 1, right next to the Kids Club and the SPA-ROSA. Advantage: The Kids Club is not far away and the families are “among themselves”. The only thing we found a bit unfortunate was that the cabins unfortunately do not have a balcony due to their location on deck 1, but windows in the upper part of the cabin (not floor-to-ceiling). We had our room on the port side, i.e. on the left-hand side in the direction of travel. And with oncoming ships or on stormy days on the Markermeer, the waves crash directly against the window, which can sometimes be very loud. Otherwise, of course, you can also watch the passing landscape from the family cabins 🙂
Kids Club
The large Family Area with a stationary Kids Club is located on deck 1. A paradise for children! The Kids Club is open at all times and offers a varied entertainment program for kids and teens, especially during the vacation periods.
We explored the Kids Club together with our daughter on the very first day. As we were on an A-ROSA family cruise, there were special offers for children during the trip. A daily program provided information about when which craft activity was planned, when a treasure hunt would take place, how to bake pizza together and when to dance at the children’s disco. The activities were accompanied by two childcare workers. Not a day really went by when we weren’t at the Kids Club. Our daughter didn’t want to leave 😉 We made a few things (friendship bracelets, pirate hats, treasure chests etc.), painted a lot, looked at and read the books available and our daughter slid like a madwoman dozens of times.
Visually, we also really liked it here: The maritime design with pirates, underwater motifs and ship elements simply looks great. The Kids Club is a great retreat for children, where they can try out their creativity, make friends and where fun and action are guaranteed.
Sun deck
Numerous outdoor areas and the spacious sun deck on the A-ROSA SENA invite you to enjoy the decelerating landscape cinema to the full with a delicious drink. The Up & Down Bar on deck 5, which can be lowered and raised again within a few seconds, for example on low bridges etc., is really innovative. We particularly liked the outdoor area CAPTAIN’S VIEW which is located at the very front on deck 4 – from here you have a fantastic view!
2 outdoor pools
Two heated pools on the sun deck invite you to take a dip. We’ve never had that on a river cruise before either. Adults can cool off in the 23 square meter pool and children in their own shallow pool. The children’s pool is even covered with an awning and has water spray cannons at each corner. Totally cool!
The SPA-ROSA
The spacious SPA-ROSA with sauna, whirlpool, ice grotto, heat bench, relaxation room, treatment rooms and fitness area is located on deck 1. We have to admit that unfortunately we didn’t actually use the benefits of the SPA-ROSA once… we were more on the other side of the deck – in the Kids Club 😉
Food on board A-ROSA SENA
Simply delicious! That sums up the food on board the A-ROSA SENA quite well. In our booked Premium all-inclusive rate, we were spoiled with varied breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets as well as high-quality drinks. There was even a separate children’s buffet at lunchtime and in the evening.
What we found very cool: There are table reservations for families in the restaurant, i.e. you can choose a table at the beginning of the trip, which is firmly booked for the respective cabin during the trip. We found this to be a huge advantage, because finding a free table for 2 adults and 2 children and perhaps a baby carriage in a full restaurant would often not have been so easy. Only families and guests celebrating a special occasion (birthday, wedding anniversary, etc.) can enjoy this.
There is also an à la carte restaurant on board, the SENA Grill, which mainly serves grilled meat and fish specialties.
Of course, there is ALWAYS room for dessert after the main course. And there were some really tasty things in the buffet restaurant. Sometimes desserts were even freshly prepared, such as waffles, poffertjes etc.
Other facilities on board
The public areas on board the A-ROSA SENA are very spacious. The Panorama Lounge is THE meeting place for all guests: here you can have a drink at the bar, enjoy the passing landscape cinema in the cozy armchairs or shake a leg on the dance floor in the evening. Entertainment formats with various guest artists are also offered here from time to time. There is also a small on-board store and the Connect Lounge, where you can borrow games and books, for example. In any case, you will never be bored on board. There is something to discover on every corner here.
A river cruise with toddler (3 years) & baby (5 months) – Our experience report
The A-ROSA SENA is a ship for the whole family – whether baby, toddler, parents or grandma & grandpa. Everything is super innovative and lovingly designed. Everyone is guaranteed to feel at home here straight away! It was the perfect family trip for us. We felt very comfortable in our 28 m² family cabin, we really liked the activity program for children and the Kids Club itself, and all the staff were totally child-friendly. Simply great! There were a total of 24 children on board during this trip, so you were never alone in the Kids Club and the children were able to play together.
All travel reports of our river cruise with A-ROSA
Our 7-day river cruise "Rhine Experience Amsterdam & Rotterdam 2023" with A-ROSA SENA took us through 3 countries from Cologne via Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Dordrecht to Antwerp. A really great trip with major cities, natural highlights and UNESCO World Heritage Sites - a perfect combination for us.
» A-ROSA SENA - Rhine Experience Amsterdam & Rotterdam 2023» Amsterdam - The most famous sights and photo spots
» Haarlem - Sights & photo spots - A day trip from Amsterdam
» Rotterdam - The most beautiful sights & photo spots
» Dordrecht - Sights & our tour of the city
» Kinderdijk - The 19 windmills of Kinderdijk in Holland (UNESCO)
» Antwerp - The most beautiful sights in one day
» Cologne - The most beautiful sights & photo spots