AmaWaterways river cruises, planned around how you actually want to travel.
Luxury small-ship river cruising on the Danube, Rhine, Rhône, Seine, Douro, Nile, Mekong, and Chobe. Here is what AmaWaterways actually is, which river fits you, and why most of our clients book it through an advisor.
Led by Sarah Riley and Melissa Eck, our river-cruise specialists — with the wider Travel Squad Vacations team supporting every booking.
- AmaWaterways is a luxury river cruise line founded in 2002, sailing roughly 25+ small ships on European, Egyptian, Asian, African, and South American rivers.
- Best for couples, multigenerational families, and small friend groups who want destination-led travel with included excursions, regional wine, and wellness on board.
- Strongest in Europe — Danube, Rhine, Rhône, Seine, and Douro — with standout long-haul programs on the Nile, the Mekong, and Southern Africa's Chobe.
- All-inclusive in the ways most travelers care about: meals, wine with lunch and dinner, daily excursions, and Wi-Fi are baked into the fare.
- Pricing is the same direct or through an advisor — we help match you to the right river, ship, and departure date, and structure the pre- and post-cruise hotels.
What is AmaWaterways?
AmaWaterways is a luxury river cruise line founded in 2002 by Rudi Schreiner, Kristin Karst, and the late Jimmy Murphy. Its fleet of roughly two dozen small ships sails the rivers of Europe — Danube, Rhine, Main, Moselle, Rhône, Seine, Garonne, Dordogne, and Douro — plus dedicated programs on the Nile, the Mekong, Southern Africa's Chobe and Zambezi, and Colombia's Magdalena.
Each ship typically carries 150 to 190 guests, with twin-balcony staterooms, multiple dining venues including the no-extra-cost Chef's Table, and an unusually serious approach to wellness for a river line — dedicated Wellness Hosts, twice daily fitness classes, and bikes available to borrow in most European ports.
Fares include meals, regional wines with lunch and dinner, daily shore excursions in each port (often with classic, gentle, and active options), onboard Wi-Fi, and onboard programming. Airfare, gratuities, certain premium drinks, and pre- and post-cruise hotels are extra — which is where an advisor most often adds value.
Who AmaWaterways is best for — and who it isn't.
- Couples and small friend groups planning a first European river trip.
- Food, wine, and wellness-focused travelers who want included regional pairings.
- Multigenerational families on the dedicated family-friendly summer departures.
- Travelers who want to unpack once and see four to seven cities calmly.
- Active travelers who like the option to hike, bike, or kayak in port.
- Travelers who want big-ship amenities — casinos, waterslides, Broadway shows.
- Party and nightlife-focused travelers — river ships are quiet after dinner.
- Backpacker price points — river cruising is premium-tier and priced accordingly.
- Anyone unwilling to walk on cobblestones or board a bus for shore time.
- Travelers who want totally independent days with no included excursions.
New to river cruising? Read our guide to the best AmaWaterways itinerary for first-time river cruisers.
Flagship rivers, by region.
The river decides the trip more than the season does. Here is what each one is actually like.
Danube — Vienna, Budapest & the Wachau
The flagship European itinerary: typically Budapest to Vilshofen (or reverse), with stops in Vienna, Bratislava, Dürnstein, Melk, and the vineyards of the Wachau Valley. Best first river cruise for most travelers, and the route that anchors the Christmas Markets season in November and December.
Rhine, Main & Moselle
Castles, vineyards, and walled medieval towns from Amsterdam to Basel, with side itineraries on the Moselle and Main. Tulip Time sailings in April are a Travel Squad favorite, and the Romantic Rhine in summer is one of the most photographable stretches of river in Europe.
Seine, Rhône, Garonne & Douro
France and Portugal in slow motion. The Seine pairs Paris with the Normandy beaches, the Rhône links Lyon with Provence, the Garonne and Dordogne weave through Bordeaux's wine country, and the Douro is the line's most intimate ship for serious wine travelers.
Nile, Egypt
AmaWaterways' Nile program runs aboard the AmaDahlia between Luxor and Aswan, paired with land stays in Cairo and visits to the Pyramids, Karnak, and Abu Simbel. A strong fit for travelers who want Egypt with the logistics, English-speaking Egyptologists, and security handled.
Mekong — Vietnam & Cambodia
Saigon to Siem Reap (or reverse) aboard a purpose-built Mekong ship, with floating markets, stilt-house villages, and a multi-night land extension to Angkor Wat. Pairs well with Hanoi and Halong Bay pre- or post-cruise for a fuller Southeast Asia trip.
Chobe, Zambezi & Magdalena
Southern Africa pairs the Zambezi Queen on the Chobe river with safari time in Botswana and a Victoria Falls extension — one of the most unusual safari-plus-water trips out there. Newer to the lineup, the Magdalena program in Colombia takes a small ship into a region most river cruisers haven't yet considered.
What AmaWaterways does unusually well.
Food & wine done seriously
Multiple dining venues on most ships, including the Chef's Table specialty restaurant at no extra cost. Regional wines with lunch and dinner, themed Wine Host departures with vintners on board, and dedicated wine itineraries on the Douro, Rhône, and Bordeaux rivers.
Wellness on board
AmaWaterways is unusually serious about wellness for a river line: a dedicated Wellness Host on most European sailings, twice-daily fitness classes, hiking and biking shore options, and bikes available to borrow at most ports.
Small ships, big windows
Most European ships carry 150–190 guests with twin-balcony staterooms (a French balcony plus an outside balcony in one room). Long, light-filled public spaces and a heated sun-deck pool make even rainy days on the river feel restful.
Active shore options
Every port typically offers at least three excursion choices — a classic walking tour, a gentle pace option, and an active option (hiking, biking, kayaking, market visit). That choice is what makes the line work for couples and families with different energy levels.
Get a personalized AmaWaterways recommendation.
Tell us who is traveling, what kind of pace you want, and the regions on your list. Sarah, Melissa, and the team will come back with the right river, ship, cabin category, and a short list of departures that actually fit.
Plan My AmaWaterways TripWhy book AmaWaterways with a travel advisor.
AmaWaterways pricing is identical whether you book direct or through us. The difference is what surrounds the booking.
Match the right river to the right traveler
The Danube is not the Mekong, and the Douro is not the Rhine. We start with how you travel — pace, food preferences, mobility, time on land vs. on the ship — and back into the right river before we even talk dates.
Cabin category that actually matters
Twin-balcony staterooms, French balcony only, single staterooms, and the Owner's Suites all sail differently. We translate the deck plan into how the room will actually feel on your specific ship and itinerary.
Departure date strategy
Christmas Markets, Tulip Time, Wine Host departures, wellness sailings, and family-friendly summer dates each pull a different crowd and a different price. We use what we know from supplier contacts to steer you to the date that fits.
Pre- and post-cruise hotels
Most river cruises end in cities you should spend an extra night or two in — Prague, Amsterdam, Paris, Lisbon, Cairo, Bangkok. We build the hotels, transfers, and private touring so the trip doesn't end the moment the ship docks.
Solo, group, and themed sailings
We coordinate full-ship buyouts, multigenerational family groups, themed Wine Host sailings, and solo-friendly departures — and we host a flagship Christmas Markets cruise on AmaLea each November.
How AmaWaterways compares.
AmaWaterways vs ocean cruising
River cruising on AmaWaterways docks in the heart of cities and towns, carries a few hundred guests instead of a few thousand, and treats the destination — not the ship — as the main event. You trade waterslides and Broadway-scale shows for daily walking tours, regional cuisine, and the ability to step off the ship into the middle of Vienna or Lyon. For travelers focused on Europe, Egypt, or Southeast Asia, river usually wins.
AmaWaterways vs other river cruise lines
AmaWaterways' closest peers are Uniworld (more boutique, more design-forward), Viking (larger fleet, more uniform product, no kids), and Avalon (open balcony staterooms, slightly more relaxed). AmaWaterways' edge is the combination of wellness, multiple dining venues including the Chef's Table at no extra cost, and twin-balcony staterooms. The right choice usually comes down to a specific itinerary and date, not the brand.
AmaWaterways vs planning Europe yourself
DIY gives you total control — at the price of your hours, your hotel changes, and your luggage logistics. AmaWaterways unpacks you once and moves your hotel down the river while you sleep. For travelers covering four to seven cities in a week, the river ship is almost always the calmer and more rested way to do it.
Sarah Riley and Melissa Eck lead AmaWaterways planning at Travel Squad Vacations.
Sarah hosts our annual Christmas Markets sailing aboard AmaLea and coordinates themed Wine Host departures across the Danube, Rhine, and Douro. Melissa plans AmaWaterways' luxury European programs — Tulip Time, Romantic Danube, Enchanting Rhine — and pairs them with land programs in Paris, Prague, and the Wachau Valley. The wider Travel Squad Vacations team supports every booking.
How we know this stuff
This page is written and curated by Travel Squad Vacations advisors who book and host AmaWaterways river cruises every year, including our flagship Christmas Markets sailing aboard AmaLea. We work directly with AmaWaterways through advisor channels, with access to product experts, BDMs, and sales teams that direct consumers don't reach. That access, combined with first-hand sailings and ongoing feedback from clients, is what we use to help you decide whether AmaWaterways is the right fit — and which river, ship, and departure to pick.
AmaWaterways questions.
What is AmaWaterways?
AmaWaterways is a luxury river cruise line founded in 2002 that operates a fleet of small, modern river ships on rivers in Europe, Egypt, Southeast Asia, Southern Africa, and Colombia.
Its cruises pair port-intensive itineraries with included excursions, regional cuisine, and onboard wellness — yoga, fitness, and active shore options — across ships that typically carry around 150 to 190 guests.
Is AmaWaterways a luxury river cruise line?
Yes. AmaWaterways sits in the premium-to-luxury tier of river cruising — comparable to Uniworld and a step above mass-market river lines in dining, service ratios, and ship finishes.
Fares include most meals, regional wines with lunch and dinner, daily excursions, Wi-Fi, and onboard activities. It is genuinely all-inclusive in the way most travelers care about, even if a few extras (premium spirits, spa, certain specialty excursions) are not.
Where does AmaWaterways sail?
AmaWaterways' largest concentration of itineraries is in Europe — the Danube, Rhine, Main, Moselle, Rhône, Seine, Garonne, Dordogne, Douro, and Dutch and Belgian waterways — plus dedicated programs on the Nile in Egypt, the Mekong in Vietnam and Cambodia, the Chobe and Zambezi in Southern Africa, and the Magdalena in Colombia.
Each region uses ships built for that waterway, so the experience varies meaningfully by river.
Is AmaWaterways good for first-time river cruisers?
Yes — AmaWaterways is one of the most reliable first river cruises you can book, especially on the Danube or the Rhine. Itineraries are well-paced, English-speaking, and lean heavily on included shore excursions, so first-timers don't have to plan ports themselves.
The ships are small enough to feel intimate (around 150–190 guests) but new enough to feel modern, and the cruise director model means there is always someone on board orienting the group.
What is included in an AmaWaterways river cruise fare?
On a typical European AmaWaterways itinerary, the fare includes your stateroom, all meals on board, regional wines and beer with lunch and dinner, daily shore excursions in each port (often with active and gentle options), onboard Wi-Fi, port charges, and onboard entertainment and wellness programming.
Not included: airfare, gratuities for crew and local guides, pre- and post-cruise hotels, certain premium drinks, spa services, and optional specialty excursions. We walk every client through what is and isn't included before booking.
Should I book AmaWaterways with a travel advisor?
Yes — booking AmaWaterways through an advisor costs the same as booking direct, and the advisor adds itinerary fit, cabin selection, departure-date strategy, and a real person to call if anything moves.
For river cruising specifically, the biggest value is matching you to the right river, the right ship class, and the right time of year — plus structuring pre- and post-cruise hotels in gateway cities like Prague, Amsterdam, Paris, Lisbon, or Cairo.
How is AmaWaterways different from ocean cruising?
River cruising on AmaWaterways docks in the center of cities and towns instead of an industrial port, carries a few hundred guests instead of a few thousand, and treats the destination — not the ship — as the main event.
You trade the rock-climbing walls and Broadway-scale shows of an ocean ship for daily walking tours, regional food and wine, and the ability to step off the ship into the heart of Vienna, Budapest, Cologne, or Lyon.
More AmaWaterways guides
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