Meals, wine and beer with lunch and dinner, excursions in every port and WiFi in the fare. Plus KVI Travel's own AmaRudi charter, Budapest to Vilshofen, November 21 to 28, 2027, from $4,499 per person.
Ocean or river changes everything else. A river ship carries a hundred or so guests, docks in the middle of town, and moves at the pace of the scenery. You unpack once and wake up in a new city. It suits couples, multi-generation families and anyone who wants Europe without the transfers.
AmaWaterways is the river line I work with most, partly because my host agency KVI Travel charters its own AmaWaterways ship, and partly because of what is already in the fare.
In AmaWaterways' own words, from its AmaMagna page: "Your cruise includes all meals, beer and wine with lunch and dinner, a daily Sip & Sail cocktail hour, excursions in every port, and Wi-Fi throughout the ship. Premium beverages, gratuities, and optional tours may be additional." Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free preferences are accommodated, the dress code is relaxed with a jacket welcome but not required at dinner, and there are bicycles on board for guided rides and your own exploring.
AmaMagna is twice the width of a traditional European river ship and sails only the Danube. It has 98 rooms and suites in eight categories, from 355 to 710 square feet, with full balconies on the suites, six Grand Suites at about 474 square feet and an Owner's Suite at 710. Four included restaurants: the Main Restaurant, The Chef's Table with a multi-course tasting menu in an open kitchen, Jimmy's for family-style dining, and Al Fresco for vegetable-forward cooking with river views. The Zen Wellness Studio has a Wellness Host, a juice bar and two massage rooms; the Sun Deck has a pool, a whirlpool and a full size pickleball court. Select rooms connect, and triple and quad occupancy is available on request.
My host agency KVI Travel has chartered AmaRudi, brand new for 2027, for November 21 to 28, 2027, Budapest to Vilshofen. Seven nights on the Danube through Bratislava, Vienna, the Wachau Valley, Linz and Passau, with the Christmas markets open in every one of them. A charter means the whole ship is KVI's: 196 guests in 98 staterooms, the passenger list is KVI clients, and the extras are set by KVI.
KVI's exclusive rates start at $4,499 per person for Category E, and KVI prices the categories 25 to 40 percent below comparable market rates. The rate includes the cruise, port charges, daily guided shore excursions, four onboard dining venues with unlimited wine, beer and soft drinks at dinner, a Vienna by Night illuminations tour, a Wachau Valley wine tasting, a welcome reception and Gluhwein evening, KVI hosted events through the week, and a US Thanksgiving dinner on November 25. There is also a shipwide Christmas Mystery: a fellow guest "vanishes" on night one, clues unfold at every port, and solving it enters you for a $10,000 cash grand prize.
Celebrity River Cruises launches in August 2027 with five all-suite ships on the Danube and the Rhine, with all meals, beverages including alcohol, Wi-Fi, entertainment and one shore excursion a day in the fare, plus butler service in suites. Inaugural seasons sell out on anticipation, so if a 2027 European river sailing is on your list it is worth a conversation now. Details on my Celebrity Cruises page.
Uniworld and other river lines send me their offers weekly, and I book whichever ship fits your dates and budget. Rhine, Danube, Rhone and Seine in Europe; Nile, Mekong and Chobe further afield. Tell me the region and the month and I will come back with two or three real options.
AmaWaterways' own site: amawaterways.com.
Photos courtesy of AmaWaterways.
AmaWaterways states that the cruise includes all meals, beer and wine with lunch and dinner, a daily Sip and Sail cocktail hour, excursions in every port, and Wi-Fi throughout the ship. Premium beverages, gratuities and optional tours may be additional.
River cruise interline rates are rarer than ocean, and the offers change. Tell me your airline and the sailing you want and I will check what is available; otherwise I book the best current promotion, which on river cruises is often an early booking or solo traveler offer.
My host agency KVI Travel has chartered the new AmaWaterways ship AmaRudi for November 21 to 28, 2027, Budapest to Vilshofen. KVI exclusive rates start at $4,499 per person and include the cruise, port charges, daily guided excursions, a Thanksgiving dinner and KVI hosted events. Bookings deposited by December 31, 2026 get $500 off per cabin. Ask me for the current cabin list.
Often better than an ocean cruise for people who worry about seasickness or big crowds. The ships are small, the water is calm, and you are in a city almost every day. The trade-off is fewer onboard facilities and a higher price per night than a mass-market ocean ship.
Yes. On AmaMagna, for example, select staterooms connect on request and there are triple and quadruple occupancy options. Tell me the ages and I will steer you to the right ship and sailing.
AmaWaterways says its team adjusts plans when water levels require it, using sister ships, overland transfers or schedule changes so the journey continues. It is rare, and it is one reason to book with an advisor who is watching your sailing.
Tell me the dates you are thinking about and who is traveling. I answer within 24 hours with a priced option, not a brochure. Tell me the month and the river and I will come back with two or three real options.