Tag Archives: AmaWaterways

AmaWaterways to launch new Mekong vessel

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By Michelle Baran
AmaWaterways will introduce a new 124-passenger ship, the AmaDara, on the Mekong River in 2015.

The AmaDara will join its sister ship, the 124-passenger AmaLotus, which Ama introduced in 2011. It will replace the 94-passenger La Marguerite, which Ama introduced on the Mekong in 2009.

The AmaDara is slated to make its inaugural sailing on Aug. 17, 2015, and will sail as part of a 16-day river cruise and land tour through Vietnam and Cambodia.

The vessel will feature French colonial-style décor accented by Mekong design elements within the air-conditioned cabins and public spaces.

The ship’s outside-facing staterooms and suites range between 226 and 452 square feet and feature Ama’s twin balcony concept, which consists of a French balcony adjacent to a step-out balcony.

The vessel will have two restaurants that will serve Western-style cuisine alongside regionally inspired dishes. Onboard entertainment will include folk dances, live musical performances, cultural discussions and themed dinners.

There will be a salon and spa services; a sun deck and swimming pool; a fitness center; and a complimentary in-room infotainment system with internet, music, movies and English-language television programming.

Complimentary wine will be available with lunch and dinner, and complimentary house spirits, local beer, soft drinks and bottled water will be offered all day. Complimentary bottled water will be provided daily in all staterooms.

No break in river lines’ France fever

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By Michelle Baran
InsightThere appears to be no end in sight to the growth in demand for river cruising in France. Last fall, I wrote about river cruise companies that were adding more capacity throughout the country for 2014, and the trend is continuing into 2015.

Avalon Waterways announced this week that it will increase its France capacity for 2015 by 95%. The company is putting its 128-passenger Avalon Poetry II, christened last month in Dordrecht, Netherlands, on the Saone and Rhone rivers in 2015; and the 128-passenger Avalon Tapestry II, launching next year, will sail France’s Seine River.

That comes after an already huge christening season in France that saw Viking put three new ships in Provence, Uniworld launch its new S.S. Catherine there as well, and both companies introduce one vessel each in Bordeaux (Viking a newbuild and Uniworld a repositioned vessel).MichelleBaran

“We are very excited about the growth opportunity in France,” said Richard Marnell, Viking’s senior vice president of marketing. “Because of strong demand already this season, we have decided to increase capacity on those two itineraries in 2015. We will add a second ship, Viking Rinda, in Bordeaux, and a fourth ship on Portraits of Southern France, Viking Delling, which will be new for 2015.

“We also continue to see strong demand for our other itineraries in France and are nearly sold out for the entire summer season,” added Marnell.

AmaWaterways, Tauck and Scenic Cruises all repositioned vessels to France this year as well.

Direct-to-consumer operator Grand Circle Cruise Line announced last month that it was getting in on the France action too, having acquired the River Cloud II (from Sea Cloud Cruises), a 90-passenger ship that will operate a new itinerary in Bordeaux beginning in March.

And let’s not forget the little 96-passenger paddlewheeler, Loire Princess, that French river cruise company CroisiEurope plans on introducing on France’s Loire River next April.

So, what’s the deal? Are river cruise lines running out of space on the Danube? Or are river cruise passengers just embracing France with a new fervor? Guessing it might be a bit of both.

Themes breathe new life into river routes

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By Michelle Baran
Insight It isn’t easy to reinvent the wheel, so one has to give it to the river cruise lines for getting creative with itineraries that go up and down the same rivers week in and week out by crafting unique and engaging themed departures.

River cruise companies have been toying with themed river cruises for years —holiday-themed winter cruises came onto the scene several years ago as a way to extend the river cruise season and continue to be a mainstay in all the river cruise lines’ brochures — but they’re getting more innovative with themes and definitely having more fun with it.

AmaWaterways’ wine-themed cruises have become so popular that the line now dedicates an entire brochure to its In Celebration of Wine cruises. The company also hosts Jewish heritage cruises, chocolate-themed cruises and even knitting cruises: AmaWaterways will have a “Knitting New Year’s Cruise” this year on the Danube, which will showcase the latest in luxury yarns, forums on fashion trends, and classes on new stitch patterns and techniques. The knitting cruise was suggested by one of AmaWaterways’ travel agent partners and will be hosted by Barry Klein, owner of Trendsetter Yarns in Los Angeles. MichelleBaran

For 2014, Avalon Waterways increased its special-interest cruises by 30% to meet demand, adding beer-tasting, golf, wellness and World War I history cruises to an already innovative roster of themed cruises. They also offer cruises based around the themes of art and impressionism, authors, food, wine, music, Jewish heritage and history. Tauck, too, has culinary, art and music-themed cruises.

There are also themes that are more timely, such as the 70th anniversary of D-Day, which many river cruise lines have incorporated into their France itineraries, including Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection.

And stateside, American river cruise lines have endless themes to enhance their Mississippi and Pacific Northwest river itineraries. The American Queen Steamboat Co. has cruises centered on baseball legends, Mardi Gras, music of the 1950s and 1960s, Elvis, bourbon and bluegrass, and many others.

American Cruise Lines has Mark Twain, Lewis and Clark and Civil War cruises, and for the American foodie, lobster cruises and crabfest cruises.

Not convinced by river cruising? Perhaps you’ll be lured in by your love of shellfish … or knitting … or bourbon. Pick your poison.