AmaWaterways: what it is, how it works, and what to expect
Cruise guide · Updated 2026 · Premium river cruising · Europe · Mekong · Nile · Chobe · Colombia · 31 ships · Twin balcony staterooms · La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs · AmaMagna · Expanding to 50+ ships by
AmaWaterways is the most awarded river cruise line in the world and the largest dedicated luxury river cruise company measured by fleet size. Founded in 2002 in Calabasas, California, by three river cruise pioneers, Rudi Schreiner, Kristin Karst, and the late Jimmy Murphy, it has grown from a single ship on the Danube to a fleet of 31 vessels sailing the rivers of Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa, Egypt, and since 2025 South America, with an order book that will take the fleet past 50 ships by 2032.
It is the only river cruise line inducted into La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, the oldest and most prestigious gastronomic society in the world. It introduced the twin-balcony stateroom, a design feature that every other river cruise line has since copied. Its flagship, AmaMagna, is twice the width of any other ship on the Danube. And in 2026, it is mid-way through the most aggressive expansion in its history.
This guide covers AmaWaterways’ founding and leadership transition to CEO Catherine Powell, the fleet and river programmes across six global regions, the twin-balcony stateroom, the inclusions model and what is specifically not included, AmaMagna and its four dining venues, La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs and the culinary identity, the wellness programme, the excursion structure, the Adventures by Disney partnership, and how AmaWaterways compares to the river cruise competition.
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A brief history of AmaWaterways
Rudi Schreiner was born in Austria and spent his career building expertise in European river cruise operations before co-founding the company in 2002 with Kristin Karst, a German-born river cruise executive, and Jimmy Murphy, an Irish-American travel industry veteran who became the company’s commercial architect and the name behind AmaMagna’s Jimmy’s Wine Bar. The company launched originally as Amadeus Waterways and rebranded as AmaWaterways in 2008.
The first fully owned ship, AmaDagio, debuted in 2006. The fleet grew steadily through the following decade, with the 2012 launch of AmaCerto introducing the twin-balcony stateroom that has since become the defining AmaWaterways design signature: a stateroom with both a full step-out balcony and a French balcony, giving guests two different ways to engage with the passing river landscape from the same cabin. In 2015, Adventures by Disney began chartering AmaWaterways ships for family-focused Danube and Rhine itineraries. In 2017, the line expanded its wellness programme fleet-wide and launched AmaKristina on the Rhône with connecting and triple-occupancy cabins for multigenerational families. In 2019, AmaMagna entered service on the Danube as the widest river cruise ship in the world.
Jimmy Murphy died in 2019. Jimmy’s Wine Bar and Restaurant on AmaMagna, the ship that debuted the same year, is named in his honour. Rudi Schreiner moved to Chairman of the Board in July 2025, with Kristin Karst becoming Global Brand Ambassador. Catherine Powell, a former Disney and Airbnb executive, joined as President in February 2025 and became CEO on July 1, 2025, the most significant leadership transition in the company’s history.
In March 2024, L Catterton, a multinational private equity firm with over 33 billion dollars in assets under management, announced it had agreed to acquire a major stake in AmaWaterways, providing the capital for the most ambitious fleet expansion in river cruise history. In September 2025, AmaWaterways ordered eight new riverboats for European delivery, building on an earlier order, with a stated plan to expand the fleet past 50 ships by 2032.
AmaWaterways is headquartered in Calabasas, California, with European operational offices across the river cruise network. It joined La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, the French gastronomic society founded in 1248, in 2011 as the first and still only river cruise line to receive this invitation, a membership awarded to institutions that demonstrate world-class culinary excellence.
The fleet in 2026: 31 ships, six regions
AmaWaterways operates 31 ships in 2026 across six river regions, with new ships joining both established and new-to-cruise waterways throughout the year.
Europe: the core programme
The majority of the fleet sails European rivers, with purpose-built ships on the Danube, Rhine, Moselle, Main, Seine, Rhône, Saône, Douro (Portugal), Dordogne, and Dutch and Belgian waterways. Most European ships are 135 metres long, carrying approximately 150 to 164 guests in 76 to 82 staterooms on four decks. This scale is determined by the lock systems on European rivers, which impose physical limits on the width and length of vessels that can transit. All European ships are designed to the maximum dimensions that allow passage through the most restrictive locks on their assigned river.
New ships joining the European fleet in 2026 and through the expansion include AmaSofia on the Rhine and Danube (2026), with additional ships arriving annually through 2032. The 2026 fleet refresh programme, announced in March 2026, adds fleet-wide stateroom upgrades including new linens, bathrobes and slippers, Marie-Stella-Maris bathroom amenities, a redesigned principal bar lounge called The Lark with an all-day dining menu, and Italian luncheon menus at The Chef’s Table.
AmaMagna is the flagship and the exception to the standard European river ship format. At twice the width of traditional European river vessels, 135 metres long and 22 metres wide, she operates exclusively on the Danube, which is wide enough to accommodate her dimensions. She carries 196 guests across 98 staterooms ranging from 355 to 710 square feet in the standard categories and Grand Suites. The additional width provides four dining venues rather than the standard two, a Zen Wellness Studio with fitness area, two massage rooms, and a beauty salon, a Sky Bar, a heated pool and jacuzzi on the sun deck, an aft marina platform with kayaks and Zodiacs (a first for river cruising), outdoor spin bikes, a pickleball court, and a small cinema. AmaMagna’s suite cabins are the largest standard stateroom accommodations on any European river ship. A sister ship, AmaRudi, is on order for 2027.
Southeast Asia: Mekong River (Vietnam and Cambodia)
AmaWaterways operates all-suite vessels on the Mekong, including AmaDara (2015) and AmaKaia (2026), carrying approximately 60 guests each in fully suite configurations. All-suite Mekong ships serve the lower Mekong between Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap, including visits to Angkor Wat, floating villages, Buddhist temples, and the Tonle Sap Lake. AmaMaya, a new Mekong ship with 60 staterooms, is on order for 2027. Gratuities are included in the fare on Mekong itineraries, a distinction from the European programme.
Africa: Chobe River (Botswana)
The Africa programme combines a three-night Chobe River cruise in Botswana with land-based safari programmes in destinations including Victoria Falls and Kenya. The Chobe River ships carry approximately 28 guests, producing the most intimate experience in the fleet. Wildlife viewed from the river includes elephants, hippos, crocodiles, and the extraordinary bird life of the Okavango watershed. An additional Chobe River ship is under construction, scheduled to join the programme before 2032.
Egypt: Nile River
AmaWaterways operates three Nile ships: AmaDahlia (2021), AmaLilia (2024), and AmaNubia, which debuts in September 2026 with 38 staterooms. The Nile programme sails between Luxor and Aswan, visiting the Valley of the Kings, Karnak Temple, Kom Ombo, Edfu, and the temples of Abu Simbel. Gratuities are included on Nile itineraries.
Colombia: Magdalena River
AmaMagdalena and AmaMelodia, both launched in 2024 and 2025 respectively, operate two 7-night itineraries between Barranquilla and Cartagena de Indias on the Magdalena River, the first river cruise programme ever operated on this waterway. Each ship carries 64 guests. The programme includes kayaking, hiking, wildlife viewing, and immersion in Colombian culture, cuisine, and natural landscapes. AmaWaterways was the first international river cruise line to operate in Colombia.
AmaWaterways fleet at a glance (2026)
European rivers (Danube, Rhine, Moselle, Main, Seine, Rhône, Saône, Douro, Dordogne, Belgian and Dutch waterways): approximately 23 ships, 150 to 164 guests per ship except AmaMagna at 196
AmaMagna: 196 guests, double-width Danube flagship, 355 to 710 square-foot cabins, four dining venues, aft marina, 2019
Mekong River (Vietnam and Cambodia): all-suite ships, approximately 60 guests, AmaDara and AmaKaia
Chobe River (Africa): approximately 28 guests, safari combination programmes
Nile River (Egypt): AmaDahlia, AmaLilia, AmaNubia (September 2026), 36 to 38 staterooms each
Magdalena River (Colombia): AmaMagdalena and AmaMelodia, 64 guests each, 2024 to 2025
Total: 31 ships in 2026, expanding to 50-plus by 2032
The twin-balcony stateroom: the defining design innovation
The twin-balcony stateroom, introduced on AmaCerto in 2012, is AmaWaterways’ most consequential design contribution to river cruising and the feature most consistently cited by returning guests. It is not a double balcony or a larger balcony. It is two balconies on the same cabin:
A French balcony, which is floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open fully to allow fresh air and unobstructed views while the guest remains indoors on an upholstered bench seat or sofa positioned directly against the glass. This is the balcony that works in all weather: guests sit in the warmth of the cabin with the full river panorama in front of them, the glass open, effectively outside without being subject to wind or rain.
A full step-out balcony on the same cabin, accessible from a second door, with two chairs and a small table from which guests can sit outdoors when conditions allow. This is the balcony for a warm afternoon on the Rhine or a sunset on the Douro.
Every other major river cruise line has since introduced a version of this design. AmaWaterways originated it, and their execution remains among the best in the market: the French balcony bench is generously upholstered, the glass panel is large enough to produce a genuinely panoramic view, and the positioning of the furniture ensures that the river is always the focal point of the cabin regardless of which balcony configuration the guest prefers.
Stateroom categories on standard European ships run from the entry River View cabin (a large window rather than any balcony, on the lowest deck) through French Balcony, Balcony, Deluxe Balcony with the twin-balcony design, to suites at the top. Suites occupy upper decks and typically offer the full twin-balcony design with additional square footage. On AmaMagna, suite categories run from 355 square feet in the entry Deluxe Balcony Stateroom through Grand Suites at 710 square feet with separate living areas, double-sink bathrooms, walk-in showers, and bathtubs.
What is and is not included
AmaWaterways describes its fares as “highly inclusive” rather than fully all-inclusive, an accurate and honest distinction that matters for budgeting.
Included on all AmaWaterways European sailings:
All meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the main restaurant, plus The Chef’s Table specialty restaurant at no surcharge (reservations required)
Afternoon tea and snacks in the main lounge throughout the day and late evening
Unlimited regional wines paired to each meal, plus beer and soft drinks at lunch and dinner
Sparkling wine and fresh juice at breakfast
The Sip and Sail cocktail hour each evening before dinner: complimentary wines, beers, soft drinks, spirits, and cocktails from a dedicated menu, plus a special drink of the day
All included shore excursions in small groups with English-speaking local guides, at three activity levels: Gentle Walkers, Active Walkers, and Late Starters (a morning departure for guests who prefer a slower start)
Complimentary bicycles at each port for independent exploration
Wi-Fi throughout the ship and in staterooms
Fitness classes led by the onboard Wellness Host
Evening entertainment including local musicians and performers
Dedicated Cruise Manager to manage the day-to-day programme
Not included on European and Colombian sailings:
Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks outside of mealtimes and the cocktail hour: spirits, premium wines, and beers at any other time of day are charged separately at the bar
Gratuities: not automatically charged but expected, typically 12 to 15 euros per guest per day on European sailings. Gratuities are included on Mekong and Nile sailings
Spa treatments (spa facility access is included; individual treatments charged)
Optional premium excursions beyond the standard included programme
The bar model requires particular attention for guests comparing AmaWaterways to competitors like Scenic, which includes unlimited premium spirits throughout the day in the base fare. On an AmaWaterways sailing, a guest who wants cocktails at 3pm or a glass of wine before the cocktail hour will pay for it. The difference in total daily cost between the two models, for a guest who drinks moderately throughout the day, can be meaningful.
La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs and the culinary identity
La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs is the oldest and largest international gastronomic society in the world, founded in Paris in 1248 as the guild of goose roasters, the royal cooks who prepared birds for the French court. Membership today is by invitation to individuals and institutions that demonstrate world-class culinary excellence, and it encompasses Michelin-starred restaurants, palace hotels, and the most distinguished food and wine figures globally. AmaWaterways was the first river cruise line ever invited to join. No other river cruise line holds this membership.
The practical expression of the membership on board is an annual La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Dinner, a gala evening on every European sailing at which guests experience a multi-course menu prepared to the society’s standards and paired with wines selected specifically for the occasion. Beyond the gala dinner, the membership shapes the overall culinary philosophy: menus are regionally inspired and locally sourced, rotating to reflect the ingredients of the river region currently being sailed. European Culinary Director Primus Perchtold holds three gold medals from the European Championship of Culinary Art.
The Chef’s Table is the signature specialty dining experience on all AmaWaterways ships, available at no surcharge by reservation. It is an intimate, open-kitchen restaurant seating approximately 24 guests, where a multi-course tasting menu is prepared in view of the diners with wine pairings from regional European producers. The 2026 fleet refresh adds Italian luncheon menus to The Chef’s Table on select ships.
AmaMagna’s four dining venues expand the standard two-venue configuration to four: the main restaurant (open-seating breakfast, lunch, and dinner), The Chef’s Table, the Al Fresco Restaurant (retractable windows, outdoor terrace), and Jimmy’s Wine Bar and Restaurant (family-style venue with casual dining throughout the day, named for late co-founder Jimmy Murphy). All four venues are available to all guests at no surcharge.
The wellness programme
The AmaWaterways Wellness Programme, piloted in 2017 and expanded fleet-wide, is among the most developed health and fitness offerings in river cruising. Each European ship carries a dedicated Wellness Host, a certified fitness and wellness professional who leads daily classes including yoga, stretching, meditation, and cardiovascular workouts on deck or in the fitness area. The programme connects to the excursion programme: active and bike excursions are designated as Wellness Excursions, and the Wellness Host accompanies select hikes and cycling tours.
On AmaMagna, the Zen Wellness Studio offers a large dedicated group fitness area, two treatment rooms, a beauty salon with manicure, pedicure, and hairdressing services, a juice bar, and outdoor spin bikes on the sun deck. The standard European fleet ships carry spa treatment rooms with massage services (charged separately), hair salon facilities, and the fitness area, all smaller in scale than AmaMagna but present on every ship.
The excursion structure
AmaWaterways includes at least one guided shore excursion in every port of call as part of the standard fare, with most ports offering multiple excursion options at different activity levels. The three-level system distinguishes AmaWaterways from competitors who offer a single guided walk:
Gentle Walkers covers tours at a relaxed pace with minimal walking, appropriate for guests with mobility considerations. Active Walkers operates at a standard guided walking pace with more ground covered. The Late Starters option departs later in the morning, allowing guests who prefer not to be off the ship at 8am to join a separate group without missing the destination entirely. At most ports, a guided cycling excursion or hike is also offered at no surcharge as a more active alternative to the walking tour. Complimentary bikes are available at every port for independent exploration. Limited Edition Tours, included in the fare, offer more specific immersive experiences: beer tasting at an old Nuremberg brewery, Belgian waffle discovery in Antwerp, hidden spots in Vienna, wine tastings in the Wachau Valley.
Adventures by Disney and family river cruising
Since 2015, Adventures by Disney has chartered AmaWaterways ships for family-focused Danube and Rhine itineraries, creating Disney-themed cruise experiences with Disney onboard entertainment, Disney-branded shore excursions including Christmas Market visits, and Disney storytelling woven through the programme. These are fully chartered departures, not regular AmaWaterways sailings with Disney activities added: the entire ship is operated by Adventures by Disney for those specific departures, with Disney pricing, Disney booking terms, and Disney’s all-inclusive package structure.
The partnership reflects AmaWaterways’ structural openness to family travel, which is reinforced by AmaKristina’s connecting and triple-occupancy cabins for multigenerational groups and by the solo cabin provisions on select ships.
How AmaWaterways compares to river cruise competitors
AmaWaterways
Best for: The widest river programme globally with 31 ships and the broadest route coverage in Europe, the twin-balcony stateroom design originated by AmaWaterways and the best execution of the format in the market, La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs culinary membership, AmaMagna for guests who want the most spacious Danube experience at a river cruise price point, and inclusion of shore excursions at multiple activity levels with the most activity-diverse programme in river cruising. Strong solo traveller offering with dedicated cabins on select ships and regular reduced supplement promotions.
Viking River Cruises
Best for: The largest river cruise fleet in the world, the most recognisable brand in river cruising for the North American market, adults-only sailings with no children under 18, the Aquavit Terrace and River Café dining concepts, and the most comprehensively bundled fare structure including silver spirits package options. A slightly more formal and Scandinavian-flavoured atmosphere than AmaWaterways.
Scenic
Best for: The most fully all-inclusive river cruise fare in the premium segment, covering unlimited premium spirits throughout the day, butler service in every cabin, the Scenic Tailormade App with 240-plus shore tour options, and a stocked mini-bar in every cabin. A higher price point than AmaWaterways by approximately 500 to 1,000 dollars per person on comparable itineraries, with a more completely bundled product.
Emerald Cruises
Best for: The sister brand to Scenic at a lower price point, the EmeraldACTIVE included excursion programme for active travellers, and a similar river network to AmaWaterways at a more accessible entry fare. Less culinary prestige than AmaWaterways but a similar inclusions model.
Avalon Waterways
Best for: A comparable premium river cruise product at a slightly lower price point, the Open-Air Balcony panoramic window design that slides open up to seven feet wide, and the Avalon Choice three-format excursion programme with Classic, Active, and Discovery options at every port. Part of the Globus family of brands alongside Globus, Cosmos, and Monograms. Less culinary prestige than AmaWaterways; stronger activity excursion variety.
Aqua Expeditions (Mekong and Amazon)
Best for: Ultra-luxury river cruising at 16 to 40 guests with celebrity chef programmes and a one-to-one crew ratio on specific remote rivers (Amazon, Mekong, Chobe alternatives). A different category entirely from AmaWaterways: less itinerary breadth, more concentrated luxury, no European programme.
Who AmaWaterways is best suited for
AmaWaterways works best for a specific and very large profile of traveller, and the excursion-inclusive, activity-diverse format does most of the filtering.
Guests for whom river cruising is specifically about Europe: the castle-lined Rhine, the Danube capitals from Passau through Vienna and Budapest, the Douro valley vineyards, the Rhône-Saône cheese and wine route, and the Seine through Normandy. AmaWaterways offers more European river options in more combinations than any competitor.
Active travellers who want guided cycling and hiking as the main excursion format, not as an optional add-on. The AmaWaterways excursion programme has more active options per port than any comparable line.
Culinary travellers who value La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs membership as a genuine marker of food quality and who want The Chef’s Table specialty dining experience included in the fare.
Families and multigenerational groups who want a river cruise product that can accommodate different ages in the same cabin (connecting rooms on AmaKristina) and different activity levels in the same port (the three-tier excursion system).
Guests attracted to AmaMagna who want the widest staterooms on European rivers, four dining venues, and the aft marina platform, all at a river cruise price point rather than an ocean cruise equivalent.
Travellers specifically seeking the Colombia Magdalena River programme, the only international luxury river cruise product operating in South America outside the Amazon.
AmaWaterways is less suited to guests who want a fully open bar throughout the day included in the base fare without an additional charge (Scenic is the direct competitor for this), those who want a polar or ocean expedition product, or travellers for whom the most completely butler-serviced product is the priority.
Frequently asked questions
Is AmaWaterways fully all-inclusive?
AmaWaterways describes its fares as highly inclusive, not fully all-inclusive. All meals, The Chef’s Table specialty dining, unlimited wines at meals, the Sip and Sail cocktail hour, beer and soft drinks at meals, Wi-Fi, shore excursions, and fitness classes are included. Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks outside mealtimes and the cocktail hour, gratuities on European and Colombian sailings, spa treatments, and premium optional excursions are charged separately. Gratuities are included on Mekong and Nile sailings.
What is the twin-balcony stateroom?
The twin-balcony stateroom, introduced by AmaWaterways on AmaCerto in 2012, provides two separate balcony configurations in a single cabin: a French balcony with floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open fully to create an indoor-outdoor experience on a cushioned bench, and a full step-out balcony with chairs and a table for sitting outdoors when conditions allow. Every other major river cruise line has since introduced a version of this design. AmaWaterways originated it and it remains the signature design feature of the brand.
What is La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs and why does it matter?
La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs is an international gastronomic society founded in Paris in 1248, membership in which is by invitation and recognises world-class culinary excellence. AmaWaterways is the only river cruise line ever invited to join. The practical expression on board includes the annual La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Gala Dinner on every European sailing and the culinary philosophy that shapes daily menus, regional wine pairings, and The Chef’s Table tasting menu programme.
What is AmaMagna and what makes it different?
AmaMagna is the AmaWaterways flagship on the Danube, the widest river cruise ship in the world at twice the beam of standard European river vessels. She carries 196 guests in staterooms ranging from 355 to 710 square feet, four dining venues (main restaurant, The Chef’s Table, Al Fresco Restaurant, and Jimmy’s Wine Bar), a Zen Wellness Studio, an aft marina platform with kayaks and Zodiacs, a pickleball court, outdoor spin bikes, and a cinema. A sister ship, AmaRudi, arrives in 2027. AmaMagna operates exclusively on the Danube, the only European river wide enough to accommodate her dimensions.
What is the expansion plan to 50-plus ships by 2032?
In September 2025, AmaWaterways ordered eight new riverboats for European delivery, building on previous orders and setting a stated target of more than 50 ships by 2032. Confirmed additions include AmaSofia on the Rhine and Danube (2026), AmaNubia on the Nile (September 2026), AmaRudi on the Danube (2027), AmaFiora on the Rhine (2027), AmaMaya on the Mekong (2027), AmaClara on the Rhône (2028), AmaGaia on the Douro (2028), AmaCleo on the Nile (2028), and additional Chobe River capacity. The expansion is backed by the L Catterton private equity investment completed in 2024.
Who leads AmaWaterways in 2026?
Catherine Powell, a former Disney and Airbnb executive, became CEO of AmaWaterways on July 1, 2025. Rudi Schreiner, the Austrian-born co-founder who built the company from 2002, moved to Chairman of the Board. Kristin Karst, the German-born co-founder, serves as Global Brand Ambassador. The leadership transition marks the first time in the company’s history that a CEO has been appointed from outside the founding team.
Plan an AmaWaterways Cruise with ÆRIA Voyages
Every AmaWaterways voyage is shaped by the river, the itinerary, and the ship. I help clients navigate those choices: from matching the right European river and itinerary to their travel interests, to explaining whether AmaMagna or a standard European ship is the better fit, to advising on the Mekong, Nile, Chobe, or Colombia programmes for guests whose interests extend beyond Europe.
If you are curious about pricing, current availability, or whether AmaWaterways is the right fit for your travel vision, I would be glad to talk it through.
Yvan Junior Blanchette
Travel & Cruise Specialist
ÆRIA Voyages📩 yvanblanchette@aeriavoyages.com
📞 1-888-460-3388
🌐 aeriavoyages.com
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