AmaWaterways Opens 2028 Bookings With Four New River Ships
AmaMaria will enter Rhine service with 76 staterooms in a redesigned layout modeled on sister ship AmaFiora, scheduled to debut in April 2027.
AmaWaterways has opened bookings for its full 2028 river cruise program, with four new ships planned for the Rhine, Douro and Chobe rivers. Two of the additions will operate in Portugal, where the line will continue its extended sailing season into November and December.
The additions will bring AmaWaterways’ Douro offering to four vessels and give it a second ship on the Chobe. The company, which operates approximately 29 river cruise ships, has also announced plans to exceed 50 vessels by 2032.
“We’re always looking ahead and thinking about how we can continue to evolve the AmaWaterways experience and bring our guests closer to the destinations they visit,” said AmaWaterways Chief Executive Officer Catherine Powell.
New ships for three river markets
AmaMaria will enter service on the Rhine with 76 staterooms. Its redesigned layout will follow that of sister ship AmaFiora, which is scheduled to debut in April 2027.
On the Douro, AmaGaia and another, as-yet-unnamed newbuild will join AmaDouro and AmaSintra. The Portuguese expansion forms part of a broader newbuild program that also includes vessels for the Nile, Mekong and Danube.
On the Chobe River between Botswana and Namibia, the new vessel will operate alongside the 28-guest Zambezi Queen.
Powell told Cruise Industry News that the Nile, Mekong, Chobe and Magdalena were performing particularly well, although Europe remained the core of the business. The 2028 collection includes sailings in Colombia, Egypt and Vietnam, as well as the company’s European and African programs.
Longer French sailings and new land packages
The new Elegance of Burgundy & Provence itinerary will offer 10- and 11-night departures aboard AmaCello in July and August 2028. Sailing the Rhône and Saône, the program will provide longer port calls focused on the regions’ wine areas, historic towns and culinary traditions.
AmaWaterways is also adding pre- and post-cruise land stays. A three-night Krakow stay following Best of the Danube sailings will include a city tour with a visit to Schindler’s Factory and a full-day excursion to Auschwitz.
A two-night Nuremberg package will be available before or after six itineraries: Iconic Christmas Markets, Blue Danube Discovery, Medieval Treasures, Europe’s Rivers & Castles, Magical Christmas Markets of Germany, and Legendary Danube. Activities will include visits to the Imperial Castle and the city’s art bunkers, plus a walking tour of Bayreuth that includes its UNESCO-listed opera house.
Guests on selected Tulip Time and Best of Holland & Belgium sailings will be able to add three nights in Brussels. In France, AmaWaterways will offer new two-night packages in Lyon, Aix-en-Provence and Dijon.
Additional two-night stays in Basel and Luxembourg will complement Rhine and Moselle journeys. Porto gets a package of the same length for itineraries starting or finishing in the city.
The 2028 program will also offer free-time and self-guided experiences in selected cities across more than 70 ports. Powell described the aim as giving travelers “the freedom to wander a little further, discover a neighborhood or simply get a feel for what it’s like to be there.”
