The Ultimate Guide To AmaWaterways

AmaWaterways is the complete package. It offers curated cruise experiences on luxurious contemporary ships, daily included excursions tailored to guests’ needs, fine dining, and enriching entertainment.

Its ships have a relaxed atmosphere with more spacious staterooms than most other lines, sailing all Europe’s major routes and some off the beaten track. It also has ships designed specifically for Egypt’s River Nile, the Mekong in Southeast Asia, Colombia’s Magdalena River, and Africa’s Chobe River.

Sumptuous breakfast buffets, healthy lunches, and gourmet dinners feature locally sourced ingredients and regional dishes, as well as Western favorites. It’s the first river cruise line to belong to gourmet societies La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs and Tables et Auberges de France.

AmaWaterways provides everything you need to totally relax: massage and spa rooms, gyms and sun deck pools, and excursions ranging from guided cycle rides and hikes to gentle walking tours – even for late-risers.

AmaWaterways has 23 ships in Europe, sailing major rivers from the Danube to the Douro in 15 countries, with AmaSofia arriving in 2026 to bring it up to 24. A second ship will also launch on the Mekong in Vietnam and Cambodia in 2026, AmaMaya, to join its French colonial-styled sister ship, AmaDara.

You’ll also find two ships on the River Nile in Egypt, AmaDahlia and AmaLilia, offering a modern take on traditional cruising for just 72 or 82 guests. There’s a distinct safari look to AmaWaterways’ Zambezi Queen, an elegant floating hotel for just 28 passengers on Africa’s Chobe River, while two stunning new 60 and 62-guest ships, AmaMagdalena and AmaMelodia, will sail Colombia’s Magdalena River from March.

Amawaterways is famous for its spacious staterooms and suites — they were the first river cruise line to offer twin balcony staterooms, with a full-size step-out balcony and a separate French balcony.

All its European ships feature a comfortable lounge bar with panoramic views and a spacious dining room big enough to take an average of 156 guests. Its Sun Deck is fitted with stylish contemporary loungers and a little heated pool or whirlpool — while some AmaWaterways ships even have a small putting green. Onboard, you’ll also find a modern fitness room, a tiny hair salon, and a treatment room for massages.

All cabins boast lavish marble bathrooms, complimentary toiletries, slippers and robes, a mini-fridge, and a large TV with complimentary films plus European and American news and sports channels — while stateroom beds are usually available as queen-sized or twin.

Launched in 2019, AmaMagna is AmaWaterways’ flagship, sailing along the Danube at twice the width of a traditional European river ship — yet still only carries 196 guests (very spacious for its size) as more than half of its staterooms are sweeping suites.

At the top of the tree, you’ll find its Owner’s Suite (measuring 710 sq ft) with a king-sized bed and walk-in wardrobe, a large living area, a bar, plus a dining table and chairs. The luxurious bathroom has a large shower, a separate bath, and dual sinks. There’s even a guest bathroom.

Onboard, you’ll also find a chic cinema where movies on demand and major sporting events such as Wimbledon tennis and World Cup football matches are screened, a large Zen Wellness Studio (with a juice bar), two cozy massage rooms, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and space for circuit training, yoga, and HIIT classes — plus spinning bikes overlooking the river at the back of the ship. AmaMagna even has a full-sized pickleball court, another river cruise first.

Across its fleet, AmaWaterways ships have been designed to suit the 16 rivers and waterways they sail across. Its two ships for Colombia’s Magdalena River, AmaMagdelena and AmaMaya, carry just 60 passengers and feature a Sun Deck (with a small heated pool), a spacious Fitness Room with weights and treadmills, a massage room, and a restaurant serving Latin American food as well as Western cuisine.

Meanwhile, its two Nile River ships, AmaDahlia and AmaLilia, are for 72 passengers with 16 sumptuous suites, an expansive Sun Deck with a pool surrounded by plump sun loungers. Its Main Lounge, mid-century styled Main Restaurant, and The Chef’s Al Fresco specialty restaurant on a terrace at the back of Jasmine Deck give it a luxury hotel feel.

AmaWaterways’ two Mekong River ships, AmaDara and (soon-to-arrive) AmaMaya, take 124 passengers and have a French colonial vibe onboard. In the Saigon Lounge, you’ll find varnished woods, floor-to-ceiling windows, and rattan-backed armchairs. While up by the Sun Deck Pool, you can relax under shaded loungers or swirl down to the onboard Sadec Spa with three treatment rooms where you can have a honey facial, manicure, and pedicure or a range of massages, including hot stone therapeutic massage. There’s also a Fitness Room with cardio and weight machines among the gym equipment.

AmaWaterways also charters the Zambezi Queen to sail the Chobe River, carrying just 28 guests in 14 large staterooms. These have windows the entire width of each cabin that open onto sweeping balconies, perfect for watching animals that come down to the river. The glass-walled Dining Room and convivial Lounge are on the top deck, including an open-topped Sun Deck with loungers and a Plunge Pool.

AmaWaterways is perfect for solos and couples but is also well-equipped for families. It was the world’s first river cruise line to have connecting staterooms — introduced on AmaSerena in 2015. Now, eight sister ships, including AmaMagna, AmaKristina, and AmaStella, offer these — including triple and quad accommodation, with the demand for multi-generation holidays.

Onboard, you’ll find small-group fitness classes such as yoga, tai chi, or meditation, led by Wellness Hosts, often on the sundeck before a decadent breakfast. Some even have Champagne Yoga sessions where you hold a filled glass of house bubbly to enhance your core strength and improve your balance — drinking it afterward is, of course, optional.

Meander to your cozy Main Lounge and curl up with a book and a coffee or glass of wine, stretch out on a Sun Deck lounger next to a bubbling whirlpool and swim-up bar, or visit the spa for a gentle oil massage or a cut and blowdry in the hair salon.

Evening entertainment starts with a pianist playing easy listening tunes — from film themes to Ratpack classics — in the lounge with aperitifs, but after dinner (waiter-served and three or four courses), local musicians, singers, and sometimes dancers (from ballet to folk or flamenco) provide the entertainment for several nights of each cruise.

AmaWaterways is a member of international gourmet societies La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs and Tables et Auberges de France, demonstrating AmaWaterways’ commitment to fine cuisine. Each cruise includes a Chaine des Rotisseurs dinner, and AmaWaterways is listed in the Tables et Auberges de France guide. It has also won several awards, including Cruise Critic’s 2015 Best For Onboard Dining. 

Lunch and dinner always feature local wine and beer, such as Espumante and Port in Portugal or Bitburger beer from Germany when sailing the Rhine, plus vegetarian and gluten-free options.

Start your day with an impressive buffet breakfast in the Main Dining Room, grazing on French and Danish pastries, cold cuts of ham and salami, cheese such as French Brie, Tomme de Savoie, and Emmental as well as made-to-order omelets, American or British-style bacon, fried, poached or scrambled eggs and fresh-cooked hash browns. Alternatively, there’s a grab-and-go Bistro Breakfast (introduced in 2024) for a quick croissant or a plate of scrambled eggs.

Lunch in the Main Restaurant is à la carte, with courses such as French truffle pasta, beef bourguignon, and desserts including Mille-Feuille or fresh fruit. Alternatively, you can choose small plates served around midday, tapas-style, such as baba ganoush, Serrano ham, and chorizo. Light lunches, including salads, soups, and sandwiches, can be ordered in the lounge, with complimentary tea, coffee, and tapas-style snacks available throughout the day.

Afternoon tea is served in the Main Lounge, featuring fresh teapots — English Breakfast and Earl Grey are popular. There are also finger sandwiches such as Parma ham and cucumber, luscious cakes from mini eclairs to lemon drizzle, and American-style cookies.

Some AmaWaterways ships also have a complimentary Chef’s Table where you can watch chefs in a glass-fronted galley prepare your 7-course meal. Menus may include Cod Fillet with Beurre Blanc and Crayfish Cake or Porcini Ravioli with Truffle Mousseline. You’ll find this on AmaMagna, which has two additional restaurants: Jimmy’s Wine Bar and Restaurant, serving family-style dinners, and Al Fresco, specializing in vegetarian dishes from Green Pea Soup to Pasta Primavera.

AmaWaterways is also a member of La Connétablie de Guyenne — the third oldest vinous brotherhood in France’s wine capital of Bordeaux. This prestigious organization plays a part in AmaWaterway’s choice of fine wines served onboard, such as Rieslings from Austria’s Wachau Valley and Sauternes from Bordeaux, France’s wine country. 

AmaWaterways sails in Europe, Vietnam, Cambodia, Africa, and Colombia – but it’s in Europe that most of its ships are based, offering several itineraries on the Danube, Rhine, Moselle, Rhône, Saône, Seine, Dordogne, Garonne, and Douro.

The Danube is Europe’s second-longest river, and itineraries are usually split between the Upper and Lower Danube. The Upper section flows through Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary, with cruises calling at three capitals – Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest – and also takes in Unesco-listed Wachau Valley in Austria. The Lower Danube runs from Budapest in Hungary through Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania. This less well-known stretch includes scenic sailing through the Iron Gate gorges between the Carpathian and Balkan mountains.

The Rhine is only half the length of the Danube but flows through six countries, from the Swiss Alps to Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, France, and the Netherlands. It’s known for its dramatic hilltop castles, medieval towns, and vineyards. It includes significant cities such as Amsterdam, Cologne, Heidelberg, Strasbourg, and Basel.

Often, the Rhine is combined with a few days on its tributary, the Moselle River, from Luxembourg into Germany, where Trier has fascinating Roman ruins, and Cochem is home to a fairytale castle. The Moselle Valley is also popular for wine-tasting cruises thanks to its many vineyards.

The Rhône and Saône in France are often combined in one-week sailings or are destinations in their own right. AmaWaterways runs itineraries from Burgundy’s Dijon south through the gastronomic city of Lyon, where the two rivers meet, and down into Arles in Provence, where 19th-century artists Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gaugin and Pablo Picasso all lived. The Saône is particularly known for its wineries and medieval towns, such as the walled city of Beaune, while the Rhône not only has vineyards to visit but also Roman ruins in Vienne and the stunning architecture of Avignon’s 14th-century Papal Palace.

The Seine is possibly France’s most famous river, with cruises between Paris and Le Havre on the Normandy coast. Among the many highlights are Giverny and a visit to the home and gorgeous gardens by Impressionist artist Claude Monet. The medieval city of Rouen, with its outstanding cathedral, is another stand-out experience, as is the pretty Honfleur harbor and excursions to the Normandy Landing beaches.

The Dordogne and Garonne rivers are also usually combined for cruises that focus on Bordeaux’s famous vineyards, visiting towns such as St-Emilion, Cadillac, and, of course, Unesco-listed Bordeaux – which is like a mini Paris full of art galleries, museums, mansions, famous wine cellars, and fabulous food. Wine tasting is virtually a daily requirement.

The Douro in Portugal is another wine lover’s dream destination, particularly if they like port. Cruises run through the Unesco-listed Douro Valley from Porto, a cosmopolitan city just a few miles from the Atlantic coast, to sleepy Vega de Terron on the Spanish border. Much of the attraction is experiencing the river’s steep gorges lined with olive tree plantations and steeply terraced vineyards.

Cruises along the Mekong often run from Ho Chi Minh City – formerly Saigon – in Vietnam to Siem Reap in Cambodia. The countryside is lush and the weather tropical, while the sights are unique – from colorful markets to extraordinary palaces and temples such as Cambodia’s Phnom Penh’s Silver Pagoda and its ancient Angkor Wat Hindu-Budhist temple complex.

The Nile in Egypt is a living history book of ancient wonders. Most itineraries start with a hotel stay in Cairo to see the Pyramids and world-renowned Egyptian Museum before a flight to Luxor to see giant temples, avenues of carved sphinxes, the tombs of kings and queens, and exotic souks and street markets.

In South America, cruises on Colombia’s Magdalena River run between Barranquilla and Cartagena, where there are Spanish colonial towns such as Mompax – founded in 1540 as a Spanish trading post – and Unesco-listed Cartagena with its colonial architecture and totally tropical Caribbean vibe.

You’ll find a plethora of immersive excursions available every day, ranging from expert-guided tours in cities such as Vienna and Budapest to guided bike tours along the Danube through Austria’s Wachau Valley, a Unesco World Heritage site. Or, opt for bratwurst and beer tastings in Nuremberg’s oldest brewery, the Altstadthof.

So, if you already know a city pretty well, you have plenty of choices — there are even some options for later tours if you want to sleep in. These take you to the same places but start an hour later and are a little less intense, perhaps missing one or two of the less important sights.

Travelers wanting something a bit more demanding than a gentle stroll can join adrenaline-pumping hikes or bike rides. On the Danube, you can join a hike up the hill above Durnstein to the ruined fortress — Durnstein Castle — where Richard the Lionheart was held to ransom, while in Vienna, there’s a guided bike ride along the Danube Canal and through meadows into the city and its famous Ringstrasse Boulevard.

• Alternative meal choices not on the menu are always available if you have allergies, prefer vegetarian or vegan dishes, or need to follow a low-sodium or gluten-free diet.
• Although AmaWaterways ships do not have a kosher kitchen, you can talk to the culinary team once you’re onboard about kosher-friendly meals.
• Each ship has a few canes with small sports seats and Nordic walking sticks for guests with mobility problems to borrow.
• Don’t miss out on the free fitness classes led by professionally trained Wellness Hosts on most AmaWaterways ships.
• Talk to your Cruise Manager for recommendations on shops, bars, and restaurants to visit if you want to explore independently.
• Hair straighteners and curling irons can be borrowed, and hairdryers are in cabins on every AmaWaterways ship, so, for safety reasons, please don’t take your own.
• Tipping is left to your discretion, but 100 Euros per cruise, per guest, is recommended to be divided among all crew, with an extra 25 Euros for Cruise Managers – who are not part of the crew.