AmaWaterways wine cruises add a unique epicurean dimension to a variety of itineraries at no additional cost. Join one of these wine cruises with a special wine host and be treated to a menu of exclusive wine and culinary experiences designed to delve deeper into the wonderful flavors and tastes of Europe.
European cities transform into majestic winter wonderlands for the holiday season – and we invite you to experience all their splendor with us. In addition to our variety of daily excursions, you will also have the opportunity to visit festive Christmas Markets in select destinations and participate in nostalgic traditions.
Maximize your Christmas experience by embarking at the height of the holiday market season with daily or near-daily visits to Christmas Markets.
Get "just a taste" of the holidays in mid-November or late December with visits to one or two Christmas Markets during your river cruise.
We are pleased to offer guests the opportunity to experience Floriade in 2022 while sailing along the Rhine River and Dutch and Belgian Waterways between April 14 and October 9. Right outside Amsterdam, this rare experience calls for its visitors to “explore, touch and change” as part of their journey into Floriade – which is set to feature stunning gardens, innovative sustainable gardening exhibits, live entertainment, talk shows, souvenirs and food stalls.
We invite you to join our incredible cruise on the Rhône with a Latin Touch, featuring bilingual cruise managers, daily tours with Spanish-speaking guides, Latin-inspired music nights and other distinctive elements.
Explore the rich history of classical music along the Danube River where famous composers lived, worked and performed. Plus, be treated to a variety of live performances on this melodious journey.
Based on the overwhelmingly positive response received from the announcement of our first-ever “Soulful Experience” on the Rhône River in 2023, we are delighted to announce four new opportunities for guests to celebrate their heritage and discover Black history and culture along the rivers with us in 2024.
Join award-winning television host and travel expert, Samantha Brown, Godmother of AmaMagna, as we cruise through four countries along the Danube River. Special events and Travel Talks are included on this exclusive sailing.
Join Chef Joanne Weir, award-winning cookbook author, restaurant owner and host of PBS television series “Plates & Places” as she hosts a special 7-night Flavors of Burgundy river cruise.
We invite you to join our incredible cruise on the Danube with a Latin Touch, featuring bilingual cruise managers, daily tours with Spanish-speaking guides, Latin-inspired music nights and other distinctive elements.
Based on the overwhelmingly positive response received from the announcement of our first-ever “Soulful Experience” on the Rhône River in 2023, we are delighted to announce four new opportunities for guests to celebrate their heritage and discover Black history and culture along the rivers with us in 2025
Explore the rich history of classical and folkloric music along the Danube River where famous composers lived, worked and performed. Plus, be treated to a variety of live performances on this melodious journey.
Countries Visited: Austria, Hungary, Slovakia
Join award-winning television host and travel expert, Samantha Brown, Godmother of AmaMagna, as we cruise through five countries along the Danube River. Special events and Travel Talks are included on this exclusive sailing.
We invite our loyal past guests to join us once again on these special Loyalty Cruises, offering unique experiences in multiple ports, commemorative gifts, and many more surprises and delights.
Imagine if there was a way to combine luxury river cruising on the iconic Danube with the opportunity to indulge your passion and play golf. We have created the perfect package to enable you to do just that with our Exclusive Concierge Golf Program. Discover Europe, complete with award winning cuisine, incredible service and a choice of excursions in every port, as well as up to 5 rounds of golf at some of the leading championship courses on the continent.
AmaWaterways’ Exclusive Concierge Golf Program is available on select Magna on the Danube cruises sailing aboard the AmaMagna.
Hello! "I'm Kristin Karst, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of AmaWaterways and I'm passionate about river cruising. Each month, I love to share with you my thoughts, personal stories, travel tips and latest news on the people and places that help turn every mile of our guests' river cruise experience into one of their most cherished memories!"
That’s right, penguins aren’t only found in Antarctica. South Africa is home to a veritable sanctuary of these tuxedoed birds – and it is one of the few places in the world where you can get up-close to them in their natural habitat and perhaps even join in for a swim! See the penguins of South Africa for yourself on our Discover Africa, Rivers & Rails of Africa and Wildlife and the Falls itineraries.
The Boulders Beach Penguins
Over 2000 South African penguins make Boulders Beach their home. It is a marine protected area and is part of the scenic Cape Point Peninsula near Cape Town and the Table Mountains National Park. Set in a rugged peninsula with beautiful inlets on the southernmost coast of the continent, the beach has always been a popular destination. Wooden boardwalks stretch through dense vegetation and granite boulders that are over 540 million years old.
Wandering tourists can pose for photos with the waddling penguins, who often let people approach as close to three feet. It is the only spot in Africa to see penguins like this. Just don’t try to touch them – they have sharp beaks. Sometimes called the “Jackass” penguin for its loud donkey-like bray, you may hear them before you see them as you first enter the beach.
Odd Birds in the Sand
The bird differentiates itself from its Antarctic, Australian and South American cousins with a distinctive black facial mask and pink patches of skin above the eyes. They are also one of the few penguins to live in non-icy waters. Most African penguins live on the much cooler Atlantic side of the ocean. Their traditional black and white plumage – as unique to each individual as a fingerprint – is the perfect camouflaging foil for predators. A white chest and belly hides them from aquatic threats – and their black feathers protect them from any perils above.
Recent Arrivals
It wasn’t until 1983 that the first pair of penguins were spotted here, thought to have migrated from one of 24 island colonies between Namibia and Algoa Bay (including the aptly-named Penguin Islands). Warmer temperatures, a reduction of nearby predators and a dwindling food supply (penguins feed primarily on squid and fish) probably first brought the penguins here, closer inland than False Bay, known for its Great White Sharks.
A Mate for Life
Still, African penguins are currently an endangered species. The numbers of their decline in the wild are staggering. Overall populations have declined by as much as 95% since pre-industrial times. At the beginning of the 19th century, roughly 4 million penguins existed. A century later, in 1910, only 1.5 million were left. In the last fifty years alone, the population’s suffered an eighty-percent loss of breeding pairs. And ‘breeding pairs’ are important because penguins are monogamous animals and pair for life with their chosen mate. Romance is alive and well in the penguin kingdom.
Visit these penguins before or after our Discover Africa, Rivers & Rails of Africa and Wildlife and the Falls itineraries.