Our Story
Unforgettable river journeys since 2002
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Our Story
Proudly celebrating more than 23 years cruising the world’s most legendary rivers through Europe, Asia, Africa and South America, AmaWaterways was founded in 2002 by three families. However, our river cruise story began well before that.
1975
Vienna-born student Rudi Schreiner traveled to South America for a journalism assignment on the Amazon. It was here he designed his first ship, a raft that would take him up and down the river during the next 7 months, fueling his passion for exploring the world.
2002
Rudi teamed up with co-founders Kristin Karst and Jimmy Murphy to start AmaWaterways.
2006
Our first custom-built river cruise ship, AmaDagio, was christened by Godmother Sheila Murphy, wife of our late Co-Founder, Jimmy Murphy. We also added a complimentary fleet of bicycles on board select ships.
2017
Our Wellness Program debuted in Europe with dedicated Wellness Hosts leading classes on board throughout the day.
2019
Our extraordinary AmaMagna, twice the width of traditional river cruise ships and featuring four unique dining venues, made history with her debut on the Danube River.
2025
AmaWaterways released a collection of new Specialty River Cruises and pioneered the first luxury cruises on Colombia’s magnificent Magdalena River.
2025
We also welcomed Catherine Powell as our new CEO.
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