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!"
Heart of the Festival of Lights
The story of Hanukkah goes, during the second century B.C., Judah the Maccabee and his four brothers stepped forward and restored the Jewish Holy Temple in Jerusalem. At the temple, they lit a golden menorah, a seven-branched candelabra, with oil that should have lasted only for a day. Instead, the oil miraculously lasted for eight.
To commemorate this remarkable miracle, each of the eight days of Hanukkah culminates with lighting a menorah as a dedication to this ancient incandescent tale. Observers light a Hanukkiah, which contains nine branches – different from the traditional menorah in the Hanukkah story, although many commonly refer to it as the same. The ninth branch on the Hanukkiah, the attendant candle known as the Shamash, is used to light the remaining eight candles. Candles are placed in the same way as the Hebrew language is written and read, right to left, while the kindling of the candles is performed from left to right. Traditional blessings in Hebrew are recited as the candles are lit.
Celebrating the Season with Delights
Traditional Hanukkah foods often revolve around oil as a reminder of its ancient marvel. It is customary for holiday dishes to be fried in oil, hence observers often cooking up crispy latkes (or potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jam-filled donuts sprinkled with a layer of powdered sugar). During Hanukkah, gelt, chocolate coins wrapped in silver or gold, are also commonly given out to children.
“Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made it out of clay.” This memorable singsong melody is inspired by a custom in the spirit of this holiday: the dreidel game. The dreidel is a four-sided spinning top, each side displaying the four Hebrew letters nun, gimmel, hei and shin. Together, the letters form the symbolic phrase, “A great miracle happened there.” Children twirl their dreidels in excitement as they hope to win the game for all the gelt.
Sharing the Night in Light
Usually falling in December, Hanukkah lands on a different date each year as it follows the lunar calendar. Jewish communities around the world celebrate the commencement of Hanukkah with the first lighting of the menorah.
Often described as a “minor” festival, this Jewish holiday has made a large impact around the world as it transcends through cultures. In the United States, observers typically give gifts – one each night for many children – and eat latkes. Public candle lighting ceremonies are held in many cities throughout the world, including in major cities in Austria, Germany and Hungary, some of which guests on our Danube and Rhine River itineraries may be able to attend as part of their own personal exploration during Hanukkah.
You can discover more Jewish history, holidays and culture within the Jewish quarters of European cities such as Vienna, Austria; Budapest, Hungary; and Amsterdam, Netherlands as part of your leisure time on many of our river cruise itineraries. We hope you can join us on your next river cruise during Hanukkah as we celebrate with electric menorahs and prepare reibekuchen, or German potato pancakes – fit for the winter holidays. We wish you a Hanukkah Sameach!
Plan your river journey with us during Hanukkah:
2024 Sailings During Hanukkah (December 25, 2024 - January 2, 2025)
2025 Sailings During Hanukkah (December 14-21, 2025)