Not your average river cruise ship
AmaWaterways’ addition for 2019 is larger, roomier, more luxurious
The first river cruise I ever took was nearly seven years ago; a Christmas Markets cruise along the Danube with AmaWaterways (cruise.center/ama). The ship I sailed on was the petite AmaLyra; a classy, cosy ship holding just 146 passengers that was built in 2009.
AmaWaterways continued to innovate throughout the intervening years, but innovation doesn’t come easy on the rivers of Europe. Ships are severely limited in terms of their physical dimensions thanks to shallow waters, low-hanging bridges and narrow locks. So while the technology and features aboard river cruise ships have changed dramatically since my first sailing in the winter of 2011, the actual size of the ship hasn’t varied much.
AmaWaterways is poised to change that next year, however, when it introduces its most revolutionary new-build to date: the 194-guest AmaMagna.
As the name implies, AmaMagna is no ordinary river cruise ship. It’s about twice as wide as current ships out there, with an ocean liner-esque width of 72 feet (about 22 metres). And all that extra space is allowing AmaWaterways’ design team really go to town.
To start with, AmaMagna will have four separate dining venues: a main restaurant, the Chef ’s Table Restaurant, the Al Fresco Restaurant and Jimmy’s Wine Bar, named in honour of the late Jimmy Murphy who, along with Rudi Schreiner and Kristin Karst, founded AmaWaterways.
Most river cruise ships have one, perhaps two dining venues. To have four different options installs a dramatic amount of choice on this new river cruise ship.
Another new dramatic choice can be found at the stern, where AmaMagna will feature its own water sports platform, complete with a small Sundowner boat that will take passengers on river tours free of charge.
“As the luxury river cruise market evolves, we plan to continue paving the way as an innovative industry leader. While this new concept has been in the works for us for some time, we believe that now is the perfect moment to introduce this very special ship,” said Rudi Schreiner, president its 98 staterooms are designated as suites measuring between 355 and 710 square feet (33 to 66 square metres), akin to a lavish land-based hotel or a swanky ultra-luxury cruise ship. All staterooms and suites will feature stylish decor and plenty of natural wood accents, in keeping with the graceful interior decor scheme AmaWaterways has developed over the past years. Suites will feature full outside balconies, open seating areas and luxurious bathrooms equipped with walk-in showers and double sinks. The ship’s massive Owner’s Suite will even offer a spa-style bathtub.
Because of its increased width, AmaMagna will be confined to the river Danube — no real hardship when you consider that places like Vienna and Budapest will be on its list of stops, along with cosy locales like Melk, Austria and Passau, Germany.
AmaMagna’s itineraries include Romantic Danube, Melodies of the Danube and Christmas Markets on the Danube; the latter of which I will be particularly keen to try.
There really is no bad river cruise; the entire market operates from a very upscale position when compared to ocean cruises or even land-based hotels. But from the Danube to Southeast Asia’s Mekong, I’ve always found my AmaWaterways sailings to be particularly charming. From the wonderful on-board crews to the ship’s soothing design and the focus on providing an authentic, regionally minded travel experience, AmaWaterways offers a lot to like.
With AmaMagna on the horizon, those seeing more choice than ever on a river cruise will surely be impressed.
AmaMagna debuts in May of 2019, and its first itineraries are available for booking now.
Happy cruising. Visit portsandbows.com, sponsored by Expedia CruiseShipCenters, 1-800-707-7327, www.cruiseshipcenters.com, for daily updates on the latest cruise news, best deals and behind-the-scenes stories from the industry. You can also sign up for an email newsletter on the site for even more cruise information. Aaron Saunders may be contacted directly at portsandbowsaaron@gmail.com