AmaWaterways wine cruises add a unique epicurean dimension to a variety of itineraries at no additional cost. Join one of these wine cruises with a special wine host and be treated to a menu of exclusive wine and culinary experiences designed to delve deeper into the wonderful flavors and tastes of Europe.
European cities transform into majestic winter wonderlands for the holiday season – and we invite you to experience all their splendor with us. In addition to our variety of daily excursions, you will also have the opportunity to visit festive Christmas Markets in select destinations and participate in nostalgic traditions.
Maximize your Christmas experience by embarking at the height of the holiday market season with daily or near-daily visits to Christmas Markets.
Get "just a taste" of the holidays in mid-November or late December with visits to one or two Christmas Markets during your river cruise.
Christmas onboard experience and Christmas Markets on shore
Christmas onboard experience and local seasonal splendors
We are pleased to offer guests the opportunity to experience Floriade in 2022 while sailing along the Rhine River and Dutch and Belgian Waterways between April 14 and October 9. Right outside Amsterdam, this rare experience calls for its visitors to “explore, touch and change” as part of their journey into Floriade – which is set to feature stunning gardens, innovative sustainable gardening exhibits, live entertainment, talk shows, souvenirs and food stalls.
We invite you to join our incredible cruise on the Rhône with a Latin Touch, featuring bilingual cruise managers, daily tours with Spanish-speaking guides, Latin-inspired music nights and other distinctive elements.
Based on the overwhelmingly positive response received from the announcement of our first-ever “Soulful Experience” on the Rhône River in 2023, we are delighted to announce four new opportunities for guests to celebrate their heritage and discover Black history and culture along the rivers with us in 2024.
Join award-winning television host and travel expert, Samantha Brown, Godmother of AmaMagna, as we cruise through four countries along the Danube River. Special events and Travel Talks are included on this exclusive sailing.
Join Chef Joanne Weir, award-winning cookbook author, restaurant owner and host of PBS television series “Plates & Places” as she hosts a special 7-night Flavors of Burgundy river cruise.
We invite you to join our incredible cruise on the Danube with a Latin Touch, featuring bilingual cruise managers, daily tours with Spanish-speaking guides, Latin-inspired music nights and other distinctive elements.
Explore the rich history of classical music along the Danube River where famous composers lived, worked and performed. Plus, be treated to a variety of live performances on this melodious journey.
Blend your passion for travel with your affinity for enjoying a “cold one” as you learn more about Europe’s rich brewing traditions and cultural connections on an immersive beer-themed river cruise. Support local brewing communities with a lively beer culture such as Düsseldorf and Cologne along the Rhine River, and Bruges and Utrecht along the Dutch and Belgian Waterways. Meet fellow beer enthusiasts from around the world and raise your glass to regional flavors.
Recently awarded Cruise Critic’s “Best for Active Cruisers” award and the first river cruise line to offer a fleet of bicycles, AmaWaterways has long offered opportunities for guests to enhance their best selves on board and on shore, with Wellness Hosts offering a complimentary Wellness Program on select ships beginning in 2017. Now, we are taking our holistic approach to wellness even further with two special dedicated Celebration of Wellness River Cruises.
Debuting in 2025, our Best of the Danube (Celebration of Music) sailings have been enhanced with specially curated excursions highlighting the rich musical histories of Budapest, Bratislava, Salzburg and Vienna. Deepen your passion for music as you are treated to a variety of included live performances and unique tours along the Danube River.
Based on the overwhelmingly positive response received from the announcement of our first-ever “Soulful Experience” on the Rhône River in 2023, we are delighted to announce four new opportunities for guests to celebrate their heritage and discover Black history and culture along the rivers with us in 2025
Join award-winning television host and travel expert, Samantha Brown, Godmother of AmaMagna, as we cruise through five countries along the Danube River. Special events and Travel Talks are included on this exclusive sailing.
We invite you to join our incredible cruise on the Douro with a Latin Touch, featuring bilingual cruise managers, daily tours with Spanish-speaking guides, Latin-inspired music nights and other distinctive elements.
AmaWaterways is thrilled to announce a new alliance with Smithsonian Journeys, the travel program of the Smithsonian Institution and a leader in authentic and enriching small-group travel. Our new shared collection of European sailings provides opportunities to engage with a variety of Smithsonian Journeys Experts. Chosen for their charisma and expertise, these extremely knowledgeable individuals have dedicated entire careers to pursuing their passions and will offer incredible insights to ensure your journey is as captivating as it is meaningful.
We invite our loyal past guests to join us once again on these special Loyalty Cruises, offering unique experiences in multiple ports, commemorative gifts, and many more surprises and delights.
Imagine if there was a way to combine luxury river cruising on the iconic Danube with the opportunity to indulge your passion and play golf. We have created the perfect package to enable you to do just that with our Exclusive Concierge Golf Program. Discover Europe, complete with award winning cuisine, incredible service and a choice of excursions in every port, as well as up to 5 rounds of golf at some of the leading championship courses on the continent.
AmaWaterways’ Exclusive Concierge Golf Program is available on select Magna on the Danube cruises sailing aboard the AmaMagna.
Hello! "I'm Kristin Karst, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of AmaWaterways and I'm passionate about river cruising. Each month, I love to share with you my thoughts, personal stories, travel tips and latest news on the people and places that help turn every mile of our guests' river cruise experience into one of their most cherished memories!"
Meghan F., business professional and mother of three, describes the impact that a getaway on the AmaCerto with three fellow moms of three had on their well-being, and how they were able to disconnect for the week.
Meghan’s Recommended Highlights & Excursions on the Danube
Budapest, Hungary: We had never been to Hungary or Eastern Europe before, so we really got to see something new and different while strolling through the city together. The monuments and museums in the Castle Hill district were standouts.
Bratislava, Slovakia: The “Tastes of Slovakia” Special Interest Tour gave us a chance to sample some delicious local beer and cheese pairings at a pub. Toasting to our friendship and connecting with the locals was a real highlight for us.
Vienna, Austria: We chose the “Imperial Vienna” tour and the architecture in Vienna was incredible. I was blown away by the ornate buildings. We also stopped along the way to taste some traditional apple strudel at a restaurant recommended by our Cruise Manager during our free time — sure enough, it was incredible!
Salzburg, Austria: We loved stopping at Mondsee, which is where the wedding scene in The Sound of Music was filmed. Seeing it up close like that when we had grown up watching the movie was unreal. When we returned home, we all reconnected and watched the movie with our kids.
Top Reasons to Do a Girlfriend Getaway River Cruise
Quality Time: Nowadays, spending quality time together with my friends is hard to come by. We all live in the same neighborhood and our kids are close, so we see each other regularly, but it’s not always quality time. Our river cruise experience was amazing because it gave us a chance to have uninterrupted time together instead of just seeing each other on the fly.
Take A Break: With three kids each, my friends and I really needed some girl time to relax and catch up kid-free. This was a great opportunity for us to sit down, have a glass of wine, and nurture our relationships with each other where the focus was entirely on us.
Time to Recharge: With the luxury of space on board, it was never difficult for me to find a corner to myself, and then go back and have these great uninterrupted conversations with my close friends.
Enhancing Our Best Selves: The wellness activities gave us the opportunity to get our blood pumping and our Wellness Host was entertaining. Plus, a couple of my friends are true foodies, and we were all impressed by the quality of the food on board and how many options were available. You could have pretty much anything you wanted, and The Chef’s Table was fun because we could see everything that went into preparing the food for us.
In Conclusion
Would you recommend an AmaWaterways Danube River cruise to other girlfriends?
We’ve told so many people about how river cruising with AmaWaterways is the best-kept secret in travel, and we are already talking about what river we will experience next. We really enjoyed being able to relax while we traveled and waking up in a new place each day. It was so easy and low-stress. As heads of our households, it was great to have someone else coordinate our schedules and plans. The flexibility and variety were very important to us. We’ve been talking so much about this experience that now our husbands want us to bring them along next time!
Discover the Danube in all of its splendor on our Melodies of the Danube river cruise like Meghan and her girlfriends or choose from one of our other Danube River cruise options for the getaway of a lifetime.