You’ve probably heard of AMA Waterways, but you might be wondering how they are different than other river cruise companies. AMA is a family-run company, with their head office is in the US (California). They are celebrating their 20th Anniversary this year, and have some interesting booking incentives as part of that celebration – but more on that in a minute.
All the river cruise companies that we work with in Europe offer a luxury guest experience, so they are LESS differentiated than the ocean cruise lines. This means you’ll have a fantastic experience regardless of who you travel with, but it does make it confusing if you’re trying to make a decision between river cruise lines.
AMA operates on all the main European waterways, as well as Egypt, Viet Nam/Cambodia, South Africa, and Columbia. They do a number of themed cruises each year, so they are a good choice if you’d like to do a Wine- or Golf- themed river cruise. AMA Waterways fares include transfers, a choice of shore excursion in every port, beer/wine with meals, wifi on the ship, and in some cases – FLIGHTS! (more on that below)
When we’ve travelled with AMA Waterways, here’s a few things that stood out for us:
- The Rooms – there are window rooms available for those looking for the best possible price, but most of the rooms on decks 2 and 3 are combination veranda and French balcony (you get both!). So the room feels much larger.
- The Wellness Coordinator – each sailing has a crew member on board that can lead more active shore excursions, as well as offering included fitness, yoga and pilates classes on board the ship There is also a small gym on board for those who wish to stay active.
- Bicycles for Borrowing – it’s nice to be able to go for a bike ride right off the ship in your spare time.
- Happy Hour – Beer and wine is included with your meals, and for the hour or so before they start seating for dinner, there is a happy hour in the main lounge where your drinks are also included. It’s a small thing, but a nice touch.
- A Choice of Shore Excursions – in most ports of call, you have a choice between 2, 3 or 4 different included activities. This works really well if you’re travelling with group of people that may have different interests.
- Trip Extensions – There are some interesting pre- and post- cruise land packages, and on many of those, the cruise manager travels with you on the extension.
Now the moment you’ve been waiting for!
For a limited time, AMA Waterways is offering free round-trip flights on ALL their European and Mekong itineraries for sailings in 2022. If you would rather fly on points, or otherwise prefer to do your own air, you can choose a 20% discount off the cruise fare instead of the free flights.
With oil prices on the ascent, the price of flights in the next several months is a big variable with travel, so this is really a great opportunity to travel to Europe this fall (or over the holidays), and have this uncertainty removed.
Here are a few examples that INCLUDE free flights in the price.
Rhine River between Amsterdam and Basel (or reverse) – 8 days
Visit the Netherlands, France, Germany, and Switzerland.
- Sept $4199 per person, Oct $3699 pp, Nov $3199 pp, Dec $3499 pp
- All prices include round-trip economy air.
- If you go in September, you can visit the Floriade Expo in Holland
- 4-day trip extension to Zurich and Lucerne and/or 2-nights Amsterdam available.
- Departures on October 27 and November 3 & 10 are Wine Cruise, hosted by a wine industry expert, and including special tours, as well as wine tastings and pairings.
Lower Danube between Budapest and Giurgiu (Romania) – 8 days
Visit Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania.
- September $4199 per person, October $3799 pp, November $3399 pp
- All prices include round-trip economy air.
- Trip extensions pre/post cruise available in Vienna, Brasov, Bucharest, and/or Istabul
Douro River in Portugal – Round-trip Porto – 8 days
Visit Entre-os-Rios, Regua, Pinhao, Barca D’alva, Vega de Terron.
- August $4099 per person, September $4299 pp, October $3799 pp, November $3599 pp
- All prices include round-trip economy air.
- Pre/post trip extensions to Lisbon and/or Madrid for 3-nights available.
- Departures on August 6 & 13, and November 5 are Wine Cruise, hosted by a wine industry expert, and including special tours, as well as wine tastings and pairings.
France – Round-trip Paris to Normandy – 8 days
Visit Paris, Versailles, Les Andelys, Le Havre, Rouen, Normandy Beaches, Vernon (for Monet’s Gardens), Conflans.
- Sept $4299 per person, Oct $3799 pp, Nov $3599 pp
- All prices include round-trip economy air.
- Pre/post trip extension for 2-nights in Paris available.
- Departures on October 29 and November 3 are Wine Cruise, hosted by a wine industry expert, and including special tours, as well as wine tastings and pairings.
Danube on AMA Magna between Vilshofen (Bavaria) and Budapest for 8 nights
What sets Magna apart is that it is twice as wide as the other ships on river, so your cabin will be larger, and there is more space per passenger than other river ships out there.
Visit Bratislava, Vienna, Krems (for Wachau Valley), Linz, and Passau
- September $4499 per person, October $3999 pp, November $3499 pp, December $3799 pp
- All prices include round-trip economy air.
- Pre/post trip extensions Budapest and Prague available.
- Departure on November 13th is a Wine Cruise, hosted by a wine industry expert, and including special tours, as well as wine tastings and pairings.
Mekong River to Viet Nam and Cambodia
Travel between Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap for 8 days
- Departures in October, November or December starting at $3099.
- Pre/post trip extensions to Hanoi, Siem Reap, Ho Chi Minh City, and/or Ha Long Bay
- All prices include round-trip economy air.
All of the above cruises INCLUDE round-trip flights, airport transfers, a choice of shore excursion in every port, beer/wine with meals and a daily happy hour, specialty dining, and wifi on the ship.
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If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help! Click here or call 800-876-0168 to get in touch today.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sue Bradley
Sue Bradley
