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!"
What inspired you to book a Christmas Markets cruise with AmaWaterways?
My mother insisted on taking me and my wife Susan (who absolutely loves everything about Christmas) along with my sister, to experience the Christmas Markets. My wife and I had never been on a river cruise and had never visited Europe before, so we were thrilled to be able to go on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure with my family.
Was the atmosphere on board the ship full of holiday spirit?
The ship was decorated beautifully for Christmas, with Christmas trees, lots of lights, Christmas ornaments and evergreen trimmings, and even a wreath on every cabin door. And we were always welcomed back on board with a cheerful greeting and something to drink and eat in the reception area or in the Main Lounge, whether it was a hot gluhwein or glass of wine, with cookies, pastries, sausages or something for a snack.
Were there any instances in which the crew went above and beyond?
Everyone was very friendly and made a special effort to make sure that we were enjoying ourselves. Any questions or concerns that we had were answered or taken care of very quickly. As an example, we asked if we could use a wheelchair to take my mother on a couple of the tours and they were very happy to arrange it.
Tell us about some crew members you really connected with.
Our Cruise Manager, Uwe, was very personable, always available, extremely helpful and full of information. Our usual waiter, Milos, took special care in seeing that we had everything we needed and more in the dining room. And Captain Jack was always happy to answer questions about navigating the ship.
Were there any special holiday events?
The Christmas tree decorating party was a lot of fun, and the visit from Santa and caroling by the staff was great. A very special touch was having Uwe recite “Twas the Night Before Christmas” and tell us all about his family’s Christmas traditions growing up.
And were the Christmas Markets as magical as described?
They were amazing! We visited Christmas markets in Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg, Regensburg, Nuremberg and finally in Prague, and each had its own charm. It truly was a magical atmosphere and it was wonderful to see all the families gathered together to enjoy the Christmas spirit.
Tell us what you enjoyed the most about the markets.
The food! We had to try the amazing variety of sausages everywhere we went…and the gluhwein and the pretzels and the roasted chestnuts! We loved that each market had its own special mugs for gluhwein and hot chocolate and we took quite a collection home with us. We enjoyed searching for and buying different ornaments from each market for our Christmas tree at home. The Thurn & Taxis Royal Christmas market in Regensburg was magically decorated. In Vienna, the Rathaus/City Hall Christmas market was beautiful, especially at night, and was full of families celebrating the festive season.
Anything you want to add?
The Christmas Markets are not to be missed! Do not hesitate. Book with AmaWaterways and make sure you add on a couple of days in Prague either pre- or post-river cruise. For us, it was a wonderful way to cap off our first trip to Europe.
Ready to reserve your next Christmas Markets Cruise with AmaWaterways?
Learn more about our Christmas Markets river cruises along the enchanting Rhine and Danube rivers.