AmaWaterways is right to give AmaRudi’s extra width to public spaces

AmaRudi’s extra width will go into public spaces without increasing the stateroom count. I like that choice. More room to relax, eat and spend an evening is a useful reason to build a bigger river ship.

Scheduled for 2027, the 196-guest vessel will be AmaWaterways’ second double-width ship on the Danube. It is part of an expansion that would take the company beyond 50 ships by 2032, with newbuilds planned for the Nile, Mekong, Danube, Rhine and Douro.

The fleet target is ambitious. But AmaRudi’s design decision deserves more attention than the headline ship count, particularly because its size comes with a clear restriction: it will be confined to the Danube.

More room onboard, fewer deployment options

Vahali Shipyards in Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia, is building AmaRudi, which will measure 135 meters long and approximately 22 meters wide. Its 98 staterooms will range from about 355 to 710 square feet.

The ship follows AmaMagna, which entered service in 2019 with the same passenger capacity and double-width dimensions. AmaWaterways is returning to that format.

“There will be more room to relax, more dining options, expanded wellness facilities,” Chief Executive Officer Catherine Powell told Cruise Industry News in an interview for its 2027 European River Market Report. AmaRudi will also have a dedicated entertainment venue and a full-sized pickleball court on the Sun Deck.

The entertainment venue strikes me as a more consequential addition than the pickleball court. A dedicated place to spend an evening gives that extra width a purpose beyond a larger cabin. The promised dining and wellness space strengthens the case.

AmaRudi will also be the fleet’s first ship named after a man, honoring co-founder and chairman Rudi Schreiner. He founded AmaWaterways in 2002 with Kristin Karst and Jimmy Murphy.

The fleet plan reaches beyond the named ships

AmaWaterways listed 31 ships in its 2025 press kit. Its 2028 European season announcement projects a fleet of 38, with reservations for that season opened to Australian and New Zealand travelers in September 2026.

“We have plans to expand thoughtfully into new markets outside of Europe,” Powell said. Europe remains central to the business, while she reported that the Nile, Mekong, Chobe and Magdalena were performing particularly well.

In Egypt, AmaNubia will debut with 38 staterooms, followed by additional Nile capacity from AmaCleo, scheduled for 2027. That year will also bring the 60-stateroom AmaMaya to the Mekong and the 76-stateroom AmaFiora to the Rhine.

AmaGaia is scheduled to join the Douro program in 2028, alongside AmaMaria’s introduction in Europe. AmaMaria’s river is unclear. The fleet schedule accompanying Powell’s interview lists the Danube, while the 2028 booking announcement places it on the Rhine.

“Across the Rhine and Douro, we’re continuing to invest in the destinations our guests want to experience,” Steve Richards, managing director for Australia and New Zealand, said in the season announcement.

The publicly outlined newbuild schedule runs through 2028. The more-than-50-ship target extends another four years, so the named deliveries explain only part of the longer-term plan.

What else is changing on the rivers

AmaWaterways is adding operating time as well as ships. Selected Rhine and Danube itineraries now include February departures, while Portugal sailings continue into December, including holiday and New Year’s departures.

The 2028 European program will add 10- and 11-night Elegance of Burgundy & Provence itineraries on the Rhône and Saône, with longer stays in port. Those sailings are scheduled for selected July and August departures.

North America remains the company’s largest source market. Powell said business from the United Kingdom and Australia was growing, and reported more first-time river cruisers, younger guests, multigenerational groups and solo travelers.

The line has used docking locations such as Zaandam instead of central Amsterdam. “It’s a short transfer for our guests, but it helps reduce congestion,” Powell said, adding that the alternative introduces passengers to a destination they might otherwise miss.

AmaRudi makes a concrete bargain: more space onboard in exchange for less deployment flexibility. A ship tied to one river needs to give passengers a good reason to choose it. Comfortable public spaces would do more to convince me than the novelty of being double-width.