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!"
Wade Korzan and Leo Starico head up AmaWaterways’ European Office in Basel, Switzerland, and are responsible for hiring our exceptionally hard-working Cruise Managers (or as we call them, our AmaWaterways Brand Ambassadors). We sat down with Wade and Leo while they were visiting the U.S. office to hear exactly how these extraordinary individuals are selected.
How many people apply to become Cruise Managers with AmaWaterways?
We receive hundreds of resumes. Approximately between 8-12 are hired each year, depending on our needs for the season.
Are all of AmaWaterways’ Cruise Managers from Europe?
We have a very diverse team from all over the world, encompassing different nationalities, backgrounds and even ages. Some are in their 20s, some are almost in their 70s. We believe it makes our cruises richer for our guests. In fact, our Basel office is also comprised of people of different backgrounds: German, American, Argentinian, Spanish, Swiss, Albanian, Dutch, Polish, Serbian, Romanian and Dutch! It’s all about finding people that connect with each other who can, in turn, connect with our guests.
Describe the interview process.
It’s quite extensive! I started interviewing candidates for 2025 in November of 2023! Candidates first submit their resumes and an introduction video to me, and if we can see their sparkle in their video, we will invite them for an online interview. All going well, this will be followed by two, three, or four more online meetings with me before we would move on to the next step.
Define “sparkle.”
It’s a quality that isn’t tangible. It can’t be defined. You can see it in their eyes and feel an overwhelming positive energy radiating from that person.
What else do you look for in candidates?
Creativity and resourcefulness. We also have a concept we cover in training called “FLEPS”: Family, Love, Enthusiasm, Passion and Sparkle.
If a potential Cruise Manager has these qualities, what happens next?
In the second stage of the interview process, candidates are invited to take part in one of our river cruises. They will attend every information briefing, destination presentation and onboard event, and they will also go on daily excursions. As you can imagine, for us to bring someone on a cruise, we have to be very confident in their potential. After a week onboard, we get feedback from the crew and Cruise Manager on their ship and if all is overwhelmingly positive, I meet with the candidate again to get their feedback, to see how quickly they learned and to understand how much they absorbed. Taking all of this into consideration as well as their “sparkle,” they will be invited to take part in our training and preparation for the Cruise Manager position. The training takes place each January and February and lasts for six weeks. All new team members must pass the training and final exam in order to proceed. The training also involves going on two more of our cruises to ensure they are experts on the itineraries to which they are assigned.
No matter what time of day it is, Cruise Managers always seem to be welcoming guests back on board, signing people up for excursions, handling last-minute change, etc. How do they do it all?
We teach them techniques for “being everywhere all the time” and for being as visible, accessible and approachable as possible during your cruise. And they’re happy to do so because their primary goal is to ensure that guests have the most memorable river cruise experience.
During your river cruise and throughout your pre/post-river cruise land programs, AmaWaterways’ Cruise Managers are there to support you, share their expertise and ensure you have a memorable experience.
We are delighted to announce the beloved Cruise Managers who will be on board select European river cruises departing later this year. Join one of your favorites for another unforgettable experience – or perhaps meet another exceptional Cruise Manager who many loyal guests hold dear.