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!"
Setting the Scene: European Travel - Holiday Season 2021
When travel advisor Mike K. and his husband Pat planned their Christmas Markets on the Rhine journey in 2021, they were looking forward to their second river cruise with AmaWaterways and to spending some extra time in Amsterdam and Zurich before and after their sailing. To show his clients how wonderful it felt to be out in the world again, Mike had been “pioneering” international travel throughout the year – this cruise would be his fifth.
But in the days leading up to Mike and Pat’s departure, Covid restrictions tightened in Europe and, several of the famed Christmas Markets were cancelled and The Netherlands announced a temporary lockdown. The men were faced with a difficult decision: should they move forward with their much-anticipated Christmas sailing or spend the holiday once again back at their Virginia home?
Change of Plans
Fortunately, according to Mike, AmaWaterways made their decision easy. “Our sales rep assured me that the Operations Team was working on adjustments to our itinerary and that the sailing would go on,” said Mike. “The day before our flight, she told me they’d rescheduled our pre-cruise land package and we would be staying at a lovely hotel in Brussels. Our entire itinerary was reconfirmed by email as we sat in the airport lounge on departure day. It was phenomenal that they were able to rearrange everything within a matter of hours over the weekend and communicate it all to us. That took a lot of commitment from their teams in Europe and in their headquarters and made a great start to our vacation.”
Behind the Scenes
AmaWaterways’ Operations Team has always planned for unexpected situations that could arise along the rivers and anticipates every possible scenario, creating a Plan B, and in some cases, a Plan C for every single itinerary they create. During the past couple of years, that anticipation and preparedness has only been enhanced as global teams work together to coordinate alternative arrangements, including new embarkation ports as well as new flights and hotels if needed. Individuals from the Air, Operations and Marketing teams work around the clock to communicate changes to both travel advisors and their guests through all means necessary, whether by email or personal phone call, and as soon as possible. Once on board, the Cruise Manager and crew step in and ensure guests are informed, feel safe and have a wonderful time.
A Consistent and Capable Cruise Manager
In addition to being wowed at AmaWaterways’ swift adjustments to their plans, Mike was full of praise for the way in which the same Cruise Manager traveled with the group on their pre-cruise land package in Brussels through their Rhine River cruise and even accompanied them on their post-cruise land package in Switzerland. “I love the way Ama does this, ensuring you have the same person taking care of you all the way through your journey,” he shared. “In Brussels, our Cruise Manager Nikola was ‘flying by the seat of his pants’, but he made our experience there feel seamless.”
Mike was similarly delighted by Nikola’s commitment to his guests. In fact, Nikola shared insider information including a tip on where Mike could buy a beloved beverage nearby without paying a tourist’s mark-up. He also quickly arranged for a scooter to help Mike navigate on longer walking tours with ease.
“Home” For the Holidays
Although they missed the Christmas Markets on shore, the ship was beautifully decorated and a festive holiday atmosphere was ever-present on board. Not only did a special visitor in a jolly red suit arrive on Christmas Eve, but tree decorating was encouraged, and Pat found the Christmas “pickle,” winning a decorative item the couple will proudly display next Christmas. “The crew made us feel like we were at home celebrating the holiday even though we were thousands of miles away,” recalled Mike fondly. “We really enjoyed the whole atmosphere and feeling like part of their family.”
Although other guests made the personal decision to cancel the same Christmas Markets departure, Mike and Pat were so appreciative of the opportunity to continue with their plans and make new memories with their AmaWaterways family. As Mike professed, “The world is too big, and we have too much left to see.”
Join AmaWaterways for a Christmas Markets river cruise and contact your travel advisor to take advantage of special limited-time offers!