Exploring Europe by river is a unique and rapidly growing favorite trend for people who want to enjoy Europe in a leisurely yet extraordinary way.

We have clients sailing on the AMA Magna next Spring. They’re starting in Prague for three nights on a pre-cruise land package, then beginning their cruise in Vilshofen, and sailing down the Danube to Budapest. This is one of the best river cruise itineraries you could sail!

But let’s talk about the ship they will be sailing on – as it is a destination onto its own!

The AMA Magna is one of the newest, most unique river cruise ships offered now. It is literally double the width of most existing European river cruise ships offered, and it is gorgeous. Additionally, while it’s twice as big as most, the number of passengers onboard is only about 20% more! Think about that for a moment! Let’s take a stroll through it together!

Upon arrival, you are greeted warmly by all the staff. You slowly board your floating home for the next week, and are excited to see how elegant and beautiful it is. And while river cruise ships are not known to be particularly spacious – as it is almost all about the destinations you are visiting, you will be pleasantly surprised.

Check in takes just a few minutes and if your stateroom is ready, you will be whisked away by yet another friendly staff member, who will chat with you along the way, as he carries your luggage alone.

When we visited the AMA Magna, we had the privilege of seeing several stateroom categories, as there is a price point for everyone. First, the staterooms themselves. You may have chosen to be on the lower deck, that has fixed windows only, or you may choose the main or upper decks, where you can enjoy beautiful views from your room or suite via their balconies. Here is a sample of the stateroom on the lower deck with fixed windows. Even in the smallest of rooms, there is a beautiful restroom and ample closet space.

Most staterooms on the AMA Magna have balconies. Here are a few more rooms photos of those rooms.

And then there are the suites, which offer a sitting area in addition to the balcony. These are fantastic for people who want to be able to stretch out and relax in their own space while still enjoying views of the cities they are floating past. Since you actually do have itineraries that sail during the day, this is an added bonus of splurging on a more spacious room or suite with a balcony. This is especially true if you are an introvert and/or really enjoy the luxury of time alone. But it you prefer being out and out, are very social, and/or just want to save the money, there are many public areas with amazing views as well. It’s really your preference.

The AMA Magna has four different restaurant choices, so you can experience a variety of dining experiences during your time onboard. Dining, however, is not the same as you would find on an ocean cruise line. As a member of an exclusive international culinary society, AMA Waterways treats you to an elevated dining experience in each of its restaurants. Below is just one example of what dinner might look like! And do yourself a favor. Make sure to spend one night enjoying the Chef’s Table. What a treat. If you do, please share your experience and photos with me.

As I mentioned before, river cruising has a very strong focus on the cities and destinations being visited, so you won’t find a lot of bells and whistles on the ships themselves that you may find on major ocean cruise lines. That said, the AMA Magna has created some beautiful spaces to enjoy your leisure time while sailing. One of these spaces is the beautiful and very spacious sun deck, with pool, hot tub, sun loungers, a bar, and a full sized pickleball court. There is also an elevator that allows access to the sun deck, which is unusual, as most ships only have elevators that go to the upper deck, stopping shy of the sun deck.

Just a few more shots of the public areas of the AMA Magna.

And last but not least, we had the opportunity to meet one of the co-founders of AMA Waterways, Kristen Karst, during the River Cruise Expo as well as Alex Pinelo, the Senior Vice President of Sales. It was like meeting friends, not just colleagues. They clearly care about their business and the clients they serve, so it feels like a privilege to work with their company.

To learn more about AMA Waterways and cruising on the AMA Magna, please feel free to reach out to us at Global Getaways or email dtgainor@gmail.com.