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!"
A young Pablo moved to Barcelona with his family at the tender age of 14. Spending most of his formative years here, he intermingled with the hip, new bohemian crowd that was bursting with new ideas and breaking out of conventional norms. Uncover the city forever changed Picasso when adding the pre/post-river cruise land package to our Colors of Provence and Essence of Burgundy & Provence itineraries.
El Quatre Gats: An Artist’s Hub
El Quatre Gats is one of the most exciting stops. Artists of all types frequented this artist-owned, avant-garde café, which opened in 1897 and quickly became a popular hotspot among modernist circles. Picasso was often here with his friends, where conversations were said to swirl around wine, women and art with piano music being played in the background fast and furiously. Concerts, art exhibits, literary gatherings and other performances were frequent and kept the atmosphere lively. In 1899, Picasso designed the cover art which is still used on the menu and held his first one-man show in the main room in 1900. Another well-known painting, “Ramon Casas and Pere Romeu on a Tandem” painted by café co-owner Ramon Casas, was painted specifically for the interior of El Quatre Gats. Currently hanging in the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona, a copy still takes center stage in the café. The inscription reads “To ride a bicycle, you can’t go with your back straight,” befitting the spirit of a bar who took inspiration from Paris’ famed Le Chat Noir café. Take a page out of Picasso’s playbook and pop in for a drink, food, or El Quatre Gats’ specialty – “food of the spirit.”
Inspiring Les Demoiselles d’Avignon
Carrer d’Avinyó is now a hipster hangout with high-class stores but at the turn of the 20th century, it was one of Picasso’s hangouts – and back then, Barcelona’s red-light district. In 1907, Picasso would go on to paint five nude sex workers from a brothel on this street – and change the face of art forever. A masterpiece that has left a profound impression on generations of artists, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon is widely considered to be the painting that began Cubism. The ladies and the brothel are long gone, with fashionable stores like Happy Socks and American Apparel now in their place. Shop while you take in the history of one of art’s most indelible images.
The Museu Picasso
This dedicated museum, right in Barcelona, shows an impressive collection of Picassos, with over 4,000 works by the artist. The collection holds many works from his formative years, such as his Blue Period. While Picasso is famously known as a cubist artist, the Museu Picasso highlights his pre-cubist works, including two of his first major works, The First Communion and Science and Charity.
Leaving Spain
Picasso ultimately moved to Paris in 1904, but he continued to be inspired by Barcelona all his life, returning several times until Francisco Franco took control of Spain in the late 30’s. Known for some of his powerful political works (and notably Guernica), Picasso vowed not to set foot in Spain while the fascist dictator remained in power. He stayed true to his word, never again returning to his homeland even as he continued a series of anti-Franco works.
Why Reserve Our Optional Land Packages in Barcelona
Add bonus time in Barcelona to your Essence of Burgundy & Provence and Colors of Provence river cruises! Make the most of your international airfare and indulge your wanderlust by exploring this beautiful gem in Spain. Whether you’re interested in brilliant works of Gothic architecture, such as the Sagrada Familia; are an art enthusiast or simply wish to extend your journey, this 3-night land package, which includes an excursion to Montserrat Mountain, is sure to inspire you.
What’s Included in Your Optional Land Package