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Embark on a journey that caters to discerning tastes and highlights the decadent French flavors throughout the Burgundy region. Enjoy crisp wine tastings in beautiful destinations such as Seurre, Tournus, Mâcon and Lyon. Blend a passion for the good life with culture, art, architecture and the timeless landscapes of Northern France.
RHINE, MAIN, AND MOSELLE RIVERS
That’s when he teamed up with Kristin Karst and Jimmy Murphy to start AmaWaterways. More INNOVATIONAmaWaterways has always been inspired by a vision of innovation. Among other things, AmaWaterways 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.
Choose Viking if you want more sun deck or outdoor space to lounge
AmaWaterways boats feature small (one-room) spas, where moderately priced massages are offered, and salons along with fitness centers, which are moderately used. They also have heated swimming pools with swimup bars that are surprisingly large for a river line. Pools feature underwater stools so passengers can sit at the bar and watch the scenery go by.
Related Cruises
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. AmaWaterways has 25 ships offering river cruises to Europe, Vietnam, Myanmar (Burma) and Africa. The ships that sail in Europe are similarly designed and can accommodate about 164 passengers. Like Viking's Longships, most of AmaWaterways' European ships are 443 feet long, the maximum length to make it through the lock systems on Rhine and Danube cruises.
That’s why AmaWaterways provides 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. Cabin categories for Viking and AmaWaterways are pretty similar and vary from a standard riverview cabin with small windows all the way to suites with French and walk-out balconies. Ama's cabins in virtually every category are slightly bigger than Viking's.
With either line, passengers will find plenty of room for lounging, whether outdoors on the top deck or inside in the ships' lounges. Both lines offer concierge services, books to borrow on topics like history or tourism, comfortable bars for drinks and dancing and top-deck walking tracks and giant chess boards. Ships on both lines feature elevators, and some Viking ships have sun deck herb gardens, which chefs use daily. The ships even have a "gluten-free corner," where passengers can find snacks at all hours of the day. Trying to decide whether you want to sail AmaWaterways vs. Viking River Cruises is tricky. After all, both look pretty similar from the outside, both cater (and market) to North American passengers and both sail on virtually all of the world's major rivers -- they even include many of the same ports.
AmaWaterways adds agent course for Rhine, Main and Moselle cruises - Travel Weekly
AmaWaterways adds agent course for Rhine, Main and Moselle cruises.
Posted: Wed, 04 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Grand River Cruises
Both lines sail on the Danube, Rhine, Moselle, Main, Rhone, Seine, Garonne, Elbe, Dordogne and Douro in Europe, and both offer Christmas markets cruises. In 2023 it will launch a series of 46-night sailings through Europe on four ships and in 2024 will become the first line to offer sailings on Colombia's Magdalena River. With both lines, exotic itineraries in Asia Africa often combine longer land tours with time on the rivers. For river cruises in 2024 and 2025, AmaWaterways is not requiring proof of Covid-19 vaccination to board our ships. All guests traveling with AmaWaterways remain responsible for ensuring they meet the travel entry requirements for each country they plan to visit before, during or after their river cruise.
Reservations for our specialty tasting menu at The Chef's Table specialty restaurant can be made once you are on board the ship. The Chef's Table is available throughout Europe, in Egypt and on the Mekong River. Embark in Paris and discover Les Andelys, the beaches of Normandy, medieval Rouen, and more of Paris before transferring by train to Dijon to board your next AmaWaterways ship.
Choose AmaWaterways if you have allergies or dietary restrictions
At AmaWaterways, 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 AmaWaterways, 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.
At night, the Aquavit Terrace serves a set menu that can be enjoyed as often as you'd like throughout your cruise. No need to dress for dinner here, and passengers don't have to show up at a set time, either. Throughout your river cruise it is likely the ship will be docked next to one or two other river ships. During this time, your view from your stateroom may temporarily be obscured by a neighboring ship. It is important to note that in these cases, disembarkation/embarkation may include walking through the adjacent ship(s) lobby or Sun Deck to reach the shore. More WAYS TO RELAX & BE ENTERTAINEDWith fewer guests on board, AmaWaterways has space for luxurious amenities.
Color palates are subdued, relying on shades of gray, cream and steel blue along with neutral woods. Decor is punctuated by Scandinavian art (paintings of old Norwegian sailing vessels, for example). Both cruise lines use a QuietVox system during excursions, where the tour guide speaks into a headset while passengers listen on receivers.
Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners who list cruise pricing on Cruise Critic are required to provide prices for cruise only or cruise packages, per person, double occupancy, and are based on specific cabin types and sailing dates, and may not be available for all cabin types/sailings. When you book with one of our partners, please be sure to check their site for a full disclosure of all applicable fees as required by the U.S. River cruising is a relaxing, immersive and thoroughly enjoyable form of travel where you can enjoy ever-changing scenery along the banks of waterways such as the Danube, Rhine, Seine, Douro, Volga and Yangtze. 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. Viking and Ama both include enrichment programs during their sailings, and the offerings are comparable.
The Main River (pronounced like “mine”), one of Europe’s most influential trade routes, traces the path of innovation across Germany. On select Rhine itineraries, including AmaWaterways’ 7-night Rhine & Moselle Splendors cruises, you will be treated to an exclusive visit to Lahneck Castle in Lahnstein, Germany. Once defended by the Knights Templar, this excursion offers a glimpse into the castle’s past as you are guided through its storied halls during an evening tour illuminated by candlelight. A Team of PioneersKristin 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 AmaWaterways.
