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.
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.
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 2025
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 you to join our incredible cruise on the Douro with a Latin Touch, featuring bilingual cruise managers, daily tours with Spanish-speaking guides, Latin-inspired music nights and other distinctive elements.
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!"
For centuries the vast, sweeping plains of the Hungarian Puszta have been managed by cowboy-like csikós -- but with a distinctive flair neither Will Rogers nor Annie Oakley ever mastered. Reminiscent of the showmanship and dexterity of Buffalo Bill’s popular Wild West shows, the European csikós have a style all their own. Wearing royal blue pantaloons, black vests and a wide-brimmed black hat, these modern-day wranglers look more like British sea captains than American cowboys – so leave the jeans, fringe jackets and Stetsons at home (or at least on the ship). Discover the history of csikós and the Hungarian Puszta on our Grand Danube sailing.
Where the Wild West Meets Hungary
Of course, despite the differences between American and Hungarian cowboys, the similarities are striking and fun to compare. Much like our heroes of the Wild West, Hungarian csikós have long been romanticized in legend and folklore. A trip into the vast grassland of the Puszta (once considered arid wasteland but now teeming with exciting wildlife) offers us a glimpse into Hungary’s provincial past.
An Equestrian Performance
Feel the ground shake from the fierce galloping of hooves? Are you amazed by the grace and athletic prowess of the csikós? So have generations that’ve come before. For thousands of years, csikós lived and worked on the open frontier, herding as many as a thousand cattle across open prairie lands in treks constantly fraught with danger. Whether the attacker was a band of robbers or a pack of wolves, it was the csikós’ job to shepherd his herd safely to market. Many of the stunts that now entertain tourists were once necessary for survival: riding bareback, standing with one foot on the backs of two horses, or lying down flat in the reeds to hide. Of course, the most impressive and exciting to watch is a uniquely Hungarian equestrian feat called the Pustza Five. A rider stands astride on the rumps of two horses, steering with his reins three additional horses in front of him. Witness this incredible equestrian performance on our included Puszta excursion.
Conserving the Great Hungarian Plain
For animal lovers, the special treat of visiting the Puszta must certainly lie in applauding the wildlife conservation breakthroughs being undertaken here. The Puszta is one of Europe’s largest expanses of protected land, with over 200,000 acres of treeless plains, low forests and freshwater marshes for animals to graze and roam free. And that they are. Over the past few years, scientists have revived such ancient species as the nearly extinct Przewaski’s horse (pronounced shuh-VAL-skee, sometimes called the ‘P-horse’) and the previously extinct and massively-horned Auroch cattle, giving them a home of their own in the nearby Hungarian wild.
Witness the dramatic antics of Hungarian cowboys while exploring the Puszta – only on our 14-night Grand Danube itinerary, available on several of our ships, including our award-winning AmaMagna.