Ama Waterways

Ama Waterways

AMA WATERWAYS RIVER CRUISES

“An Ama Waterways river cruise is about more than the destination – it’s the journey. We invite you to take one of our European river cruises, Asia river cruises, or Africa river cruises and see the world in luxury and comfort. River cruising Europe with Ama Waterways is an excellent way to explore a destination. Discover local culture and sights on included tours, and then hop back on your luxurious river cruise ship and sail to the next stunning city or charming town. Included in the fares of our river cruises are shore excursions in every port of call; all dining on board (including The Chef’s Table specialty restaurant); fine wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner; internet access and Wi-Fi; and bicycles that you can use to explore on your own or join our guided bike tours. In Europe, you can take one of our Danube river cruises, or one of our Rhine river cruises. We also offer river cruises in France and Portugal. We hope that you enjoy exploring our many itineraries in Europe, Asia and Africa, and look forward to welcoming you aboard soon.

EXPERIENCE THE LUXURY OF MORE

Ama Waterways, we love what we do — providing our guests with the best travel experiences possible. In fact, “Ama” is derived from the Latin word for “love.” It is a concept that permeates every aspect of our river cruises, from the design of our ships to the development of our itineraries to the high levels of service we deliver to our guests. It is a philosophy that drives our attention to detail, constant innovation and culture of always making our guests our top priority. It is the reason our guests all have a story about why it was the best cruise they’ve ever taken. When you sail with Ama Waterways, you will experience the luxury of more – more ways to discover, more ways to indulge and more onboard amenities. With an award-winning fleet, critically acclaimed dining and unique tour options, you will have the trip of a lifetime on our cruises.

Most of the staterooms on our fleet feature not just one, but two private balconies — a French balcony and a full outside balcony. Together, they provide a unique panoramic view of the beautiful sights along the river and maximize the natural light coming in. With twin balconies, you can enjoy the river however you like.

ROOMS

Our ships are your floating sanctuary. That’s why we chose to carry fewer guests (at most 164), so that we could make your staterooms larger and provide more amenities. With fewer people on board, public spaces like restaurants and lounges are never crowded, and accommodations range from 160 square feet all the way up to 350 square feet.

INCLUDED TOURS

We realize that our guests have different tastes, so we’ve developed a menu of shore excursions in every port of call. In many destinations, you’ll be free to choose from one of several options — all of which are included in your cruise fare. There’s always a city tour designed to show you all the renowned highlights and landmarks in grand capitals and charming villages alike. Is it your first time in Vienna? Opt for an unforgettable exploration of the major sights led by a local, English-speaking guide that is well-versed in history and culture. Have you already been to Nuremberg? Instead of taking the city tour, indulge in a bratwurst and beer tasting on one of our Special Interest Tours, which are specially designed to place you in the midst of local life. We also offer different tour paces: Gentle, regular and active. The choice is yours.

ACTIVE WAYS TO DISCOVER

With Ama Waterways, you have the option of exploring Europe’s amazing sights like the locals do. We were the first river cruise line to carry an entire fleet of complimentary bicycles on board, so you can experience biking alongside enchanting riverside pathways and in city centers. Whether you feel like joining one of our exclusive guided bike tours, or want to go discover on your own, there are many ways for you to explore on two wheels during your cruise. The beauty of Europe doesn’t just lie in its architecture and landmarks – there are also breathtaking things to be seen when you venture out into nature. That’s why we’ve designed special guided hikes that will take you a bit off the beaten path in some very beautiful destinations like the Wachau Valley. These unique, active tour options are included in the cruise fare so that you have more choices when it comes to how you prefer to explore.

DINING

Ama Waterways was invited to be a member of La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs – a prestigious international culinary society – and with good reason. Our expert chefs craft menus that feature exquisite, locally-inspired cuisine as well as traditional Western offerings. We are the only river cruise line that has The Chef’s Table, an intimate specialty restaurant where you can watch the chef prepare a lavish dinner right in front of you. Each meal is specially paired with premium local reds and whites from Europe’s renowned wine regions, with new selections each night. There’s also sparkling wine and fresh juice with breakfast, menu service during lunch, as well as delicious tapas and snacks in the Main Lounge between meals. All onboard dining, as well as unlimited wine and beer with lunch and dinner, is included so you can indulge whenever and however you’d like.

SERVICE

A proactive, personalized approach to exceeding expectations is a hallmark of the Ama Waterways experience. Since we have a higher staff-to-guest ratio (1 staff member for every 3 guests) on our ships, our team can fully dedicate themselves to providing each of our guests with the highest level of service. From the time you book your cruise to the time you board your flight home, you will be treated to an exceptional hospitality experience. At Ama Waterways, we only hire the best of the best. Each member of our crew — whether it’s a stateroom steward or a Cruise Manager — is an expertly-trained professional with a passion for what they do and a commitment to excellence. We consider our guests part of the Ama Waterways family, and we work hard to make sure you feel that way the entire time you’re with us. What’s more, you’ll have the same highly-trained Cruise Manager during both your cruise and land program.

WAYS TO RELAX

With fewer guests on board, we have space for luxurious amenities. Relax with a massage after a day of exploring, stay in shape with our fitness room and watch castles go by while enjoying a cocktail and taking a dip in our sun deck pool with a swim-up bar.

ENTERTAINMENT

Whether it’s traditional Bavarian music, a local quartet or contemporary piano favorites, you will enjoy an eclectic schedule of onboard entertainment every night.

STAYING IN TOUCH

While on your cruise, you’ll want to share all the pictures you take of everything you see and do. And, you also want to stay in touch with your friends and family back home. That’s why we provide free internet access and Wi-Fi when you’re aboard. Your stateroom also has a computer that you can use in case you didn’t bring your mobile device, or just want to sit down at a desk to surf the web.

INNOVATION

Our river cruise line has always been inspired by a vision of innovation. Among other things, Ama Waterways was the first to offer twin-balcony (a French balcony and outside balcony) staterooms, include a specialty restaurant, carry a fleet of bicycles on board and offer a broad selection of tours. Our ships are uniquely designed to minimize the impact of water levels on the river, featuring low drafts for when there isn’t enough water, and specially engineered wheelhouses for when there is too much water.

CRUISE OPTIONS

We offer unique itineraries that let travelers delve even deeper in to the rich history and culture of Europe. Our Wine Cruises are the perfect way to add an epicurean dimension to your journey, with bonus wine-related excursions and even a wine expert on board. Or, you can get into the holiday spirit like never before on one of our Christmas Markets cruises.

OUR STORY

Ama Waterways was founded in 2002 by three families, but our river cruise story began well before that. President Rudi Schreiner was born in Vienna, at the heart of the Danube. His love of design drew him to architecture, but his even greater love of travel drew him to places far and wide. In 1975, he traveled to South America for a journalism assignment on the Amazon. It was here that he designed his first ship, using what he could find to build a raft that would take him up and down the river during the next 7 months. Soon thereafter he started working in travel, creating unique tour experiences in Europe.

A Turning Point

When the Rhine-Main-Danube canal was built in 1992, Rudi realized the potential for touring as many as 13 European countries by river. He started the North American operations for many of today’s major river cruise companies, developing itineraries and ships that would become the templates for what we know river cruising to be today. After years of success as a driving force in the industry, Rudi decided to start his own venture — one that would provide guests with a higher standard of luxury travel by river. That’s when he teamed up with Kristin Karst and Jimmy Murphy to start Ama Waterways.

A Team of Pioneers

Kristin was born in Germany and brings extensive experience in travel, river cruising and customer service to the company in her role as Executive Vice President. Jimmy Murphy was a brilliant travel entrepreneur, having built Brendan Vacations, one of the most successful tour operators in the U.S. Jimmy’s son, Gary, who also played a major part at Brendan, is now Vice President of Sales at Ama.

The Story Continues

In 2002, it was Rudi, Kristin and Jimmy working to make their dream of Ama Waterways come true. Now, just 14 years later, Ama is an award-winning cruise line whose fleet will number 21 ships in 2017. Through it all, we have remained family owned and operated, and the owners continue to have a hands-on approach to management. Rudi, who was recognized by travel agents nationwide as the “Most Innovative River Cruise Executive” the last 2 years in a row, directly oversees the design and construction of new ships every year. Kristin and Gary consistently lend their belief in building strong personal relationships and providing exceptional customer service. And together, they work to ensure that our company is committed to offering the most exceptional river cruises in the industry.”

Courtesy of Ama Waterways