“We are at the forefront of being an innovator and trendsetter in river cruising,” says Kristin Karst, co-owner and executive v.p. of AmaWaterways, proudly. The river cruise line, she points out, really stepped up the river cruise product when it entered the market, and they’ve been looking nowhere but forward ever since. It was a big deal when they were the first to introduce bicycles on board—and now the line has 25 complimentary bicycles aboard all European ships for guests to use on their own or on escorted bike tours. They also initiated the inclusion of complimentary wine with dinner, with Karst noting that, “we felt that wine is part of the culture; when you sit together it opens up the conversation, and people don’t worry about who is paying the bill.” And keeping the innovation fresh, next year the line is going to introduce cocktail hour prior to dinner. Karst says that it’s AmaWaterways’ “philosophy to really serve our guests. Others might say, ‘no, that’s when the bar makes the highest revenue,’ but for us it was, ‘ok, we give this hour complimentary to our guests.’”
The line is also the first river cruise line inducted into the invitation-only La Chaine des Rotisseurs culinary organization. In fact, award-winning cuisine is one of AmaWaterways’ points of distinction. The line offers traditional and regionally inspired cuisine, of course, but there’s also the highly acclaimed Chef’s Table; culinary classes; a taste or “bite” of the region, such as a chocolate treat in Heidelberg; food-focused shore excursions; and vineyard visits, among a host of other culinary-inspired delights.
AmaWaterways has always been very innovative in its offerings. The collaboration with Adventures By Disney will build a whole new market of future river cruisers. The new Bordeaux itineraries will be a welcome addition to the river cruisers who have ‘done it all.’
– Candie Steinman,
Dream Vacations Franchise Owner
The Wellness Factor
As much as cuisine is part of any great vacation, wellness is at the forefront of today’s vacation niches, and AmaWaterways is looking beyond its bicycle excursions, adding more hiking tours such as the Bratislava Castle Hike and Mount Pipet in Vienne, France. Next year, they’ll up the ante with the rollout across the entire European fleet of a Wellness Program; it will preview on the AmaLyra this year. It involves refined menus, group exercises—Pilates, meditation, “maybe a running class on shore while we are anchored,” says Karst—and nutritional information sessions with a dedicated coach. Right now, says Karst, for many vacationers “it’s all about wellness”; speaking to that, the cruise line offers gluten-free and vegetarian options; vitamin shots for breakfast; and, says Karst, “we cater to all the allergies.”
New Ships
Named after Karst, the christening ceremony for the AmaKristina (sailing the Rhine) is this month—with Karst herself as the godmother, of course. Additionally, “the AmaLea will debut in 2018 on the Danube, and in 2019,” she says, “we plan to build two ships for Europe. One will be another sister ship, and the other will have lots of innovations (that’s all I can say for now). We’re also heading to India; we want to build a ship there that will debut in late 2018 or early 2019.” And the line is returning to Myanmar fall 2018.
“We want to provide even more options,” says Karst when asked where she sees AmaWaterways five years from now. “Provide lots of choices so guests can pick and choose. River cruising always had this perception that it’s this mass herding—one ship and everyone goes in one direction. That’s no longer true. Yes, you can participate in all of these things we offer, but there are also all of these other wonderful things that we recommend and you can do it on your own.”
CONTACT INFORMATION
AmaWaterways
Tel: (800) 626-0126
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: AmaWaterways.com
