AmaWaterways Brings Cooking With Mamie to Paris & Normandy Cruises
River cruise lines are leaning deeper into intimate, locally rooted experiences as travelers look beyond sightseeing for a more personal connection to destination culture.
AmaWaterways has introduced Cooking with Mamie, a French culinary program led by local grandmothers, on its Paris & Normandy itinerary aboard AmaDante and AmaLyra. The experience combines included onboard dessert sessions for groups of up to 10 guests with an optional macaron workshop in Paris for travelers adding pre- or post-cruise land programs.
AmaWaterways developed the offering with Atelier des Mamies, which hosts the shore-side portion at its Montmartre workshop. Catherine Powell, chief executive officer at AmaWaterways, said Cooking with Mamie is intended to bring “local traditions to life in a very personal way” both onboard and ashore.
Small-group cooking added on two river ships
On the ships, a French grandmother boards in Paris. She leads guests through classic dessert preparation. The company cited tarte Tatin and madeleines as examples of the recipes guests prepare during the small-group sessions.
The onboard sessions are included for guests sailing the Paris & Normandy itinerary. AmaWaterways did not list a separate launch date beyond making the program available, and the announcement did not include a price for the optional Paris workshop.
Paris land-program guests can add macaron class
The shore-side element, Le Macaron: A Parisian Patisserie Experience, is available to guests taking AmaWaterways’ pre- or post-cruise land programs in Paris. Participants visit Atelier des Mamies’ workshop in Montmartre and make macarons alongside a French grandmother.
For now, the company has not announced plans to extend Cooking with Mamie beyond AmaDante, AmaLyra or the Paris & Normandy itinerary.
