Editorial note: TPG's Andrea Rotondo accepted a free trip from AmaWaterways to experience the differences between ocean and river cruising. The opinions expressed below are entirely hers and weren’t subject to review by the line.
I'm the trip planner in my circle of friends. It makes sense. I work for The Points Guy and have spent the past few decades traveling the world to find the places that spark joy for all kinds of people.
After our last friends' sojourn (to Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava, Slovakia), we wondered if a European river cruise might be right for our next trip. I've sailed dozens of oceangoing ships through the years, but had never stepped foot on the deck of a riverboat. It was time to change that. Enter AmaWaterways.
My husband and I booked AmaWaterways' Enchanting Rhine seven-night itinerary, embarking in Basel, Switzerland, so we could learn about river cruises and determine if they are right for us (a couple in our mid-50s) — and our friends — in the future.
Here are my thoughts.
Compelling river cruise itineraries
If you don't have a friend or family member who plans your vacations, and you don't have a trusted travel adviser, the thought of planning a multidestination tour on your own may feel intimidating.
AmaWaterways solves this predicament by offering an array of itineraries across the globe that eliminate trip-planning guesswork — whether this is your first trip abroad or your 40th.
AmaWaterways may be best known for its Europe river cruises, but the company also offers voyages to these more far-flung locales:
- Asia (Vietnam and Cambodia on the Mekong)
- Africa (Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Tanzania)
- Egypt (along the Nile)
- Colombia (along the Magdalena River)
Of course, if you're dreaming of a fairy-tale European getaway with visits to castles and cathedrals, AmaWaterways will spoil you with choice, including journeys on these rivers:
- Danube (Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Croatia)
- Rhine (France, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland)
- Main and Moselle (France, Luxembourg and Germany)
- Seine (France)
- Rhone and Saone (France, Switzerland and Spain)
- Dordogne and Garonne (France and Spain)
- Douro (Portugal and Spain)
- Dutch and Belgian waterways (Netherlands and Belgium)
While most people launch their river cruise adventures on the Danube, we were more intrigued by the Enchanting Rhine voyage.
The quintessential storybook ports of call sealed the deal for us.
Day 1: Embark in Basel, Switzerland
Day 2: Breisach, Germany, for Colmar, France, or an exploration of Breisach itself
Day 3: Strasbourg, France
Day 4: Ludwigshafen, Germany, for Heidelberg ...
... and Rudesheim.
Day 5: Rudesheim, Germany, plus scenic sailing of the Rhine Gorge ...
... and Lahnstein, Germany, for a visit to the medieval Lahneck Castle.
Day 6: Dusseldorf, Germany, for Cologne and Dusseldorf
Day 7: Amsterdam
Day 8: Disembarkation in Amsterdam
White-glove service from start to finish
Though we didn't have time for the precruise add-on, AmaWaterways offers land packages. In our case, it was an optional three-day, two-night adventure that included two nights at a Zurich hotel, a tour of the city, transfer to Lake Lucerne, a scenic lake cruise and visit to Mount Rigi, and an overnight in a hotel near the lake before transferring to Basel for cruise embarkation. We met several cruisers who did the precruise package and loved it.
The cruise manager for our voyage, Dutchman Petrus van der Heijden, joined guests who booked the precruise activities. He toured with them along with local guides, so travelers didn't have to plan a thing. It was all taken care of for them.
All passengers who booked transfers with AmaWaterways, whether they took the precruise package or not, were greeted at the airport and taken right to their hotel or directly to the ship. No need to figure out the best way to get from point A to B. It's all worked out ahead of time, and guests have AmaWaterways' support throughout the journey.
And, while we all hope nothing goes wrong on our vacation, it's reassuring to know that someone will be there to help you. One woman on our sailing arrived in Europe a few days before the cruise and took a nasty spill. She ended up injured, treated at the hospital and walking with a leg brace and a cane. That was after her luggage was lost by the airline, too. The cruise manager sprang into action to stay in contact with the airline. He tracked down her bags and also rearranged her shore excursions to ensure she would still see as many of the sites as possible — even if she had to explore at a slightly slower pace.
AmaWaterways offers its shore excursions in three "flavors": active (walking faster and covering more distance), regular (moderate walking pace with some brief stops at sites) and gentle (for those who want to see the major sites but need to take it slower and avoid difficult-to-navigate terrain).
The buses AmaWaterways uses for all tours are comfortable and new, with excellent air conditioning. We never felt crowded during the transfers.
Hikes and bike rides are also available, so guests can truly customize a tour plan that lets them get to know a destination on their own terms.
Once on board, guests meet the ship's management team, including the captain, cruise manager, hotel manager, executive chef, maitre d', first housekeeper and wellness host. The maitre d' and chef hosted a gathering on embarkation day to personally meet with any guests with dietary restrictions or allergies to ensure a customized dining experience was tailored to their needs.
Throughout the cruise, the entire staff was available for whatever came up and were always ready with a smile that felt warm and authentic (something that's reassuring when far from home).
If planning a big trip feels overwhelming, AmaWaterways has got you covered and will take care of every detail on your behalf. No need to research the best sightseeing spots at your destinations. Nor do you need to reserve restaurants or figure out how to book coveted timed museum tickets.
And if you're like me and always plan every detail for everyone else, having AmaWaterways take over that task is a welcome indulgence! I felt like a princess all week long.
Beautiful, yet comfortable, ships
By 2026, the line will have more than 30 ships sailing rivers across Europe, Asia, Africa (including Egypt) and Colombia.
I sailed the 156-passenger AmaLucia. I chose that ship, in part, because my great-grandmother's name was Lucia. I felt that coincidence would impart some good luck on the journey.
AmaLucia is one of the line's newest ships and has sailed Europe's waterways since 2021. However, AmaWaterways will launch brand-new vessels — AmaSofia (sailing the Rhine and Danube) and AmaKaia (sailing the Mekong) — in 2026.
With just four decks, 78 cabins and 51 crew members, AmaLucia is intimate, yet offers top-notch amenities. There's a small pool on the sundeck, a massage room, a beauty salon, a fitness center (with two stationary bikes, a treadmill, some free weights and other gear), a small shop and a lounge. Ama also offers bikes for guests to use on shore excursions and in port on their own.
The ship is 443 feet long and 38 feet wide, so it can navigate the locks of the Rhine. If anyone in your group is an engineer or just loves to watch intricate mechanics, transiting the locks is a wonderful experience. It added so much to our trip.
We booked an AA-category cabin on the Violin Deck (right under the sundeck). At 235 square feet, it was spacious and well designed for our needs. The cabin offered both a French balcony with a sliding door and a sit-out balcony, both of which allowed for picture-perfect views of the riverbank scenery.
The bathroom impressed us and was far better than what we've seen on most ocean ships. It was large, and a clever window (which could be transparent or frosted at the touch of a button) brought light into the space.
The public spaces on board the ship were also lovely, with the lounge being the central gathering place. The bartenders were friendly and always available to mix a drink.
Meals are served in the main dining room, The Chef's Table restaurant or the bistro, which consists of a few tables at the front of the lounge.
Many couples and groups traveling together enjoyed the large tables at the main restaurant, but it was also possible to get tables for two and four.
If you're a foodie, reserve a special night out at The Chef's Table. The service was exquisite, and the intimate setting is lovely.
A pianist played here during the Sip and Sail cocktail hour (with a complimentary alcoholic and nonalcoholic drink of the day on offer) as well as in the evenings.
Other musicians also performed on different evenings, including a solo musician singing tunes from the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and a classical string group that also incorporated movie soundtracks into its performance. We also enjoyed a lecture about the Rhine River and the history that unfolded along its shores, going back centuries.
The top sundeck was another popular place to spend time. It has a walking/running track, a fairly large heated pool (by riverboat standards), loungers, chairs and tables — some shaded and some in full sun. There's also a large-scale chessboard and a Jenga game.
Destination immersion
An AmaWaterways cruise includes a choice of shore excursions in every port, along with free time at many of its most popular destinations. My husband and I often book private tour guides when we travel — alone or with friends and family — so we've learned what separates excellent guides from those who do the minimum.
World-class guides are first and foremost passionate about the places they show you. They have great energy and are excited to introduce you to one of their favorite places.
They not only know the history of what's happened there but can also explain the context and why it should matter to us now. They form bonds with their group early by asking leading questions, maintaining eye contact and sizing up each participant.
For example, my husband carries a pretty intricate camera rig. Good guides will point out excellent viewpoints for shots and tell us about places we can visit on our own later. And, on group tours, a great guide will proactively suggest that we hang back a bit from the crowd to get our shots as he or she keeps an eye on us to make sure we don't get separated from the group.
Our guides were excellent at nearly every port we visited. In France, our guide Vlad made Strasbourg and its Notre Dame Cathedral come alive — not only with stories about different points in history but also of his own life that he forged here when moving to the city from Chile years ago to go to university and become an accredited historian and guide. He made us want to return to Strasbourg.
In Heidelberg, our witty guide made us laugh throughout the day as she explained why the castle fortress was built and talked about the people who lived and loved there.
Sometimes, however, destination immersion has nothing to do with a guided tour. Instead, it's about spending time walking among locals, talking with them and participating in local festivals or traditions.
Heidelberg stood out for us, in part because of our guide but also because we had free time to walk around the village, stop to try some local delicacies and talk to the shopkeepers and barkeeps.
In Rudesheim, after visiting the interesting Siegfried's Mechanisches Musikkabinett (a quirky museum showcasing odd, mechanical musical instruments of the past), we happened upon an outdoor festival. We grabbed a local beer and some currywurst, sat at a picnic table with some locals, and listened to a rock band play many American songs we grew up with as well as German favorites.
We communicated with our tablemates with a combination of our limited knowledge of German, their better command of English and charade-style gestures. We laughed together while watching their fellow townspeople on the dance floor. We walked back to the ship, which was docked there overnight, feeling lucky to get a peek into the lives of the people who live there.
Finally, AmaWaterways always leverages local events for its guests. We happened to pick a sailing smack-dab in the middle of Sail Amsterdam, which happens only once every 10 years. It meant we couldn't dock as close to Amsterdam as AmaWaterways ships usually do, but our tour started and ended in the perfect spot on the waterfront to see hundreds of boats sail by. I didn't even know Sail Amsterdam existed until embarkation day, and it turned out to be a highlight of our cruise.
Bottom line and some river cruise advice
After one sailing, I'm convinced AmaWaterways can be the solution for a wide range of people, including couples, groups traveling together and even solo travelers who are willing to mix and mingle and make friends on board.
If you don't find an itinerary — from Europe to Asia to Africa and, now, even Colombia — that interests you, you've probably been just about everywhere already. Even if you have seen some of these destinations, a river cruise allows you to experience them in a markedly different way. We loved seeing scenic byways and industrial passages, both of which gave us insight into how locals live.
If you do decide to give an AmaWaterways river cruise a shot, here's my advice:
- Book your own airfare. While having AmaWaterways meet you at the destination airport is nice, you're a The Points Guy reader, so you know that you can get the best airfare deal — especially for business- or first-class flights — by using points and miles. Book your own flights, and you can always purchase AmaWaterways' airport-to-hotel/ship transfers separately.
- Take the precruise land tour. If you have time, consider booking the precruise add-on. You'll see some additional places, get to know your shipmates and bond with the cruise manager (who also accompanies you on these add-on trips) before you even set foot on board.
- Consider group travel. Book a river cruise with friends or family. Many groups were on board our voyage, which boosted the energy level during meals and on tours. Several times, we wished some of our besties were on board with us.
- Be open to meeting new people. Don't worry if you travel solo or as a couple. Everyone on board was well-traveled, interesting and kind. We dined at a table for two once or twice, and also joined other travelers; it was fun to hear about their lives and the places they've visited that they felt were special.
- Don't stress about which shore excursion to book. AmaWaterways' ships are not large. You're traveling with a small group of people, and that means there's more flexibility in everything you do. You can usually change your mind about the tours you booked a day or two in advance — or even just a few hours before the guide arrives (depending on availability).
- Don't skip scenic cruising. I wish we had stayed on board when the ship sailed between Monheim and Dusseldorf, when most passengers left the ship for tours. We had loved the scenic Rhine Gorge sailing earlier in the trip, sitting on the top deck with everyone else oohing and aahing over the castle fortresses — 30 of them — as we sailed from Rudesheim to Lahnstein. If I did it again, I would swap the half-day Cologne walking tour for more time on board.
- Try a local snack, wine or beer in each port of call. Most AmaWaterways tours include some free time in port. We enjoyed people-watching at outdoor cafes as well as shopping for specialty sweets, breads, cheeses and wine while on land. We liked having some snacks in the room for late-night munchies when we wanted to augment what was available in the lounge (cookies, homemade protein bars, trail mix and the like). During all voyages, AmaWaterways will also offer some regional culinary specialties on board, so be sure to try them. In our case, we enjoyed the German lunch, which included soft pretzels, white sausage, pork knuckle and sauerkraut, for example.
AmaWaterways is a special river cruise company. AmaLucia's crew members seemed genuinely happy, enjoying each other's camaraderie and the company of passengers.
It felt like a family, and it was easy to settle in on Day 1 and take in the sights without needing to plan or make big decisions. That was the best part for me — knowing that every single day would include something special and that some of it would be an unexpected surprise. That doesn't happen often when I travel (since I'm usually the one who plans it all for everyone else). I truly treasured those surprise moments on this vacation.
Whether you're looking to book a traditional Christmas market tour in Europe, a safari cruise in Africa or a journey along Colombia's Magdalena River, AmaWaterways should be on your short list.
