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AmaWaterways Unveils new AmaDahlia Ship for Nile River Cruises

3/9/2020

1 Comment

 
Amawaterways AmaDahlia rendering
The 68-passenger AmaDahlia will offer voyages on the Nile River in Egypt. Rendering courtesy of AmaWaterways.
By John Roberts
AmaWaterways has announced a new river ship, AmaDahlia, that will sail in Egypt on the Nile River, beginning in September 2021.
Fast-growing AmaWaterways' 25th river cruise vessel will offer an 11-night cruise and land adventure that includes a seven-night round-trip river cruise from Luxor. That river portion is paired with a three-night stay before your cruise and a one-night post-cruise luxury experience in Cairo at Four Seasons, Cairo at The First Residence.
This immersive "Secrets of Egypt and the Nile" itinerary gives you the chance to experience the ancient wonders of Egypt in a hassle-free and comfortable way. The ship serves as your wonderful home base as you sail along the iconic Nile River, and your tours are led by expert guides who will help you discover the incredible history and culture that comes to life when explore the mesmerizing sites around Egypt.
"We are excited to be coming back to the legendary Nile and introducing a new river cruise experience in Egypt," said Rudi Schreiner, president and co-founder of AmaWaterways. "Everything about this new ship and curated itinerary reflects AmaWaterways' focus on delivering luxurious accommodations, delectable cuisine and enriching experiences designed to engage with local communities and historic sites."
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The newest addition to the AmaWaterways fleet, AmaDahlia will bring you through the heart of Egypt where you experience the waterway that is central and vital to so many communities. Passengers will find themselves surrounded by flourishing palm trees, fertile plantations and millennia-old attractions -- many of which are designated UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Top attractions include the Great Hypostyle Hall at the Karnak Temple, the Temple of Luxor and the fascinating Valley of the Kings and Queens. You also will get exclusive private access to the Tomb of Queen Nefertari and a Nubian village.
In Cairo, you'll have access to all the historic and cultural gems of this great capital city and region. Come face-to-face with Egyptian treasures like the 4,000-year-old Great Sphinx and Pyramids of Giza, the Egyptian Museum (featuring the exquisite collections of King Tut) and a private tour of the principal workplace of the president of Egypt, the Abdeen Presidential Palace, considered one of the most luxurious palaces in the world.
"Egypt is rich with culture and history, and deserves its ranking as one of the most fascinating destinations in the world," said Kristin Karst, executive vice president and co-founder of AmaWaterways. "We continuously search for new ways to expand our offerings, bringing new experiences to our loyal repeat guests as well as attracting new luxury travelers in search of adventure and exploration."
AmaDahlia is a smaller ship, and it will carry up to 68 passengers. So, you get an intimate experience cruising with your fellow travelers. The ship will feature 34 luxurious staterooms, 24 of which are spacious balcony suites measuring up to 430 square feet. Onboard amenities include a sun deck bar and swimming pool, fitness room, hair and nail salon, two massage rooms and two restaurants, The Main Restaurant and The Chef's Table (offering a seven-course tasting menu).
Expect nightly entertainment that reflects the heritage of Egypt. These include belly dancing, a Galabeya (a traditional Egyptian gown) party and a Darawish (whirling dervish) show.
The river cruise, sailing round trip from Luxor, and Cairo program -- with intra-Egypt flights between Cairo and Luxor -- will operate seasonally from September through to May each year. To complement this immersive 11-night cruise and land adventure, these cruise deals will be offered with optional extensions. You can book one of the pre-cruise programs: three nights in Dubai or four nights in Jordan (Amman and Petra). AmaWaterways also has a post-cruise package: four nights in Israel (Jerusalem).
Have you been to Egypt? This new AmaWaterways' river ship and program sounds like the ideal way to see all the top sites in comfort and style.

Thanks for reading,
JR
Subscribe today to get the latest reviews, tips and tricks to help you have your best adventure ever.

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AmaMagna Will Convince Die-Hard Ocean Cruisers to Try Rivers

7/23/2019

2 Comments

 
AmaMagna ship from AmaWaterways
The innovative AmaMagna is double the width of the traditional European river cruise ship.
By John Roberts
AmaMagna is a sensation.
That's what happens when you break the mold and stand out from the crowd.
People take notice.
AmaWaterways knew this would be the case when it designed its double-wide Danube River ship. AmaMagna is still as tall and as long as the other vessels on the rivers in Europe, but at 72 feet across, the width creates a new look and new opportunities for cruisers to enjoy when taking a voyage on this ship.
In reality, the extra space allows for great added features, but the cruise ship still has a familiar feel once you're onboard. That is, it's just a few more strides across from one side to the other, and you certainly aren't going to get lost while looking for the lounge or your cabin.
However, the added width gives AmaMagna a majestic air as you cruise or when pulling up to a port city or village. You'll notice passengers and crew from the other ships and residents ashore take notice of this grand vessel.
I sailed for a week on AmaMagna, from Budapest to Vilshofen, Germany, and noted that the ship's innovative spaces take river cruising to a new level.
Budapest Parliament Building on view from AmaMagna
We started our cruise in Budapest and got a nice view of the iconic Parliament Building as we sailed.
AmaMagna owns a look and feel of a luxury boutique hotel, which is just what AmaWaterways is going for with this groundbreaking design. In fact, AmaMagna might be just what longtime ocean cruisers have been looking for if they are eyeing their first river cruise. The ship is the closest thing I have seen to a small ocean or expedition ship experience -- but on the rivers.
AmaMagna carries 196 passengers. This compares with about 158 for the line's other ships and up to 190 on Viking River Cruises' fleet of Longships. So, the space-per-passenger ratio on AmaMagna is quite generous in the public areas and the staterooms.
I was especially excited to sail on the ship because of the Zen Wellness Studio, a first-of-its-kind full-scale fitness center at the back of the ship. AmaWaterways dedicated a healthy amount of space to offer a slew of fitness classes and spa treatments. These classes take place not only in the Zen Wellness Studio but also in the fresh air up top on the Sun Deck in a "Yoga Tent" space.
AmaWaterways has long been the industry leader in fitness options. The line placed Wellness Hosts on its ships years ago, and the line's Wellness Program is fully realized on AmaMagna with a fitness center that holds two treadmills, a large studio space with free weights, exercise mats, rowing machine and exercise bikes.
On the back deck, just off the studio space, four spin cycles are available for spin classes led by the Wellness Host in the great outdoors, with amazing views while sailing or sitting in port. Our Wellness Host Tiago had full classes for spin, yoga, Pilates and line dancing classes all week. Colleen and I even went for a jog around Linz, Austria, one afternoon with Tiago, who also leads shore walks and onboard post-lunch "digestive" walks.
AmaMagna also carries a giant fleet of eight-speed cruiser bikes. These are used for organized bike tours, and there are likely to be several scheduled during each cruise. You also are free to check them out for your own use when in port, and we took advantage to go for long rides in Budapest (out to Margaret Island in the middle of the Danube) and in Vienna (also to its city island Donauinsel).
A relaxation room is located next to the fitness studio in the Zen Wellness Center. This space has a fresh-juice bar and chairs and tables with views out the back to enjoy some quiet time or wait for your massage treatment.
Pop-up bar on AmaMagna
The pop-up bar on AmaMagna is well stocked with refreshments.
AmaMagna offers four restaurants, the traditional Main Restaurant and three reservations-required alternative venues. The Chef's Table is a multicourse meal and a is also a favorite on other AmaWaterways' ships. Passengers have new choices, though, with The Al Fresco eatery at the front of the ship beyond the lounge on Deck 3. This is an intimate place for up to 24 people, and you get a set menu of fresh and healthy cuisine, while dining with amazing views at the bow of the ship.
Jimmy's Wine Bar and Restaurant down on Deck 1 and next to The Chef's Table offers a more casual family-style choice. The menu is the same as what is served in The Main Dining room each night, and you get all the choices and courses to share with larger groups of family and friends.
If you have enjoyed a river cruise before, you will notice a few other things that stand out on AmaMagna.
The large Sun Deck is spacious and a fantastic place to chill out during afternoon sailing sessions or to take in magical night-time views of the Parliament Building in Budapest. There are dozens of spaces to find to relax in the sun or under the shade of a canopy. The heated pool/hot tub area was our favorite, day or night. This is also where you can find the pop-up bar, with a bartender ready to serve you a cocktail or beer.
Pool and hot tub on AmaMagna
You could often find me right here during the cruise. The pool and hot tub are inviting, day and night, especially when you have the nice weather that we had during our week onboard.

Check out our gallery for all the amazing spots on AmaMagna.

AmaMagna also features a few other river cruise industry firsts. An elevator to the Sun Deck is a fantastic addition that makes the area accessible for people with mobility issues. Also, the ship has a large marina -- or sports platform -- at water level at the back of the ship. A Sundowner yacht is stored here and can be launched for scenic exploration of the Danube, carrying up to 12 passengers at a time. The marina is also a spot that can be used for kayak launches and as a gathering spot for special sunset cocktail events.
Between the twin libraries in the ship's lower lounge area, just before The Alfresco, you'll find The Cinema. That's right, the ship features a large theater with a big screen. Movies are shown here nightly, and kids of all ages like to use the video gaming system. We also watched major sport events like Wimbledon tennis matches and the Women's World Cup final in there.
There is also a complimentary guest laundry room down on Deck 1, with two washers, two dryers and detergent -- along with a baskets and an ironing board.
It's all of these extras on AmaMagna that set the ship apart from the masses on the rivers and give cruisers a nice variety of spaces and activities. Closer to a small-ship luxury ocean experience, perhaps.
It really is a fun way to explore the Danube and surrounding cities like Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Passau and Nuremberg.
What do you think? Does AmaMagna sound like it's just the kind of ship that would get you to try your first river cruise? Let us know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading,
JR
Subscribe today to get the latest reviews, tips and tricks to help you have your best adventure ever.

2 Comments

Backroads Designs More Active Cruise Ship Adventures

2/1/2019

0 Comments

 
Backroads biking in Europe
Backroads, a pioneer in active and adventure travel, is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2019.
By John Roberts

Backroads, our favorite active-travel tour company, has unveiled its new lineup of ocean and river cruise adventures. These voyages take you to top destinations like Alaska, New Zealand, Antarctica, Iceland, Japan, the Dalmatian Coast and the Baltic Sea.

Over the next two years, Backroads is set to feature more than 250 ocean and river cruises, along with additional "Full Ship Celebration" cruises on the Danube River and the Douro River in Portugal.

Backroads developed active cruises to offer a new way for adventure enthusiasts to travel the world. The first product was the company's "Active River Cruises" in 2015.

Participants in Backroads' adventure itineraries live aboard the ship at night and spend the days actively exploring a region, going at their own pace and connecting with residents in a way no other cruise experience offers.

By sailing on small ships, you get access remote ports for unique immersive experiences in the surrounding areas. Onboard, travelers enjoy private cocktail and wine tastings, delicious dining with wine included, full access to ship amenities and personalized service from the ship crew and Backroads trip leaders. Backroads has teamed up with the best small luxury cruise companies -- AmaWaterways, Ponant and KleinTours -- to curate one-of-a-kind journeys.
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Backroads has partnerships with cruise lines that bring active travelers onto one-of-a-kin adventures aboard cruise ships, like Ponant's Le Lyrial.
I have done two Danube River cruises with Backroads and AmaWaterways, both hiking and biking along the waterway and into the countryside and cities in the region.

Both were among the most-rewarding travel experiences I have enjoyed.

"There is something very special about exploring a region by both water and land," Backroads President and Founder Tom Hale says. "When we first launched our active river cruises, I could never have imagined their popularity with Backroads guests.

"This year, we're rolling out some fabulous small-ship ocean cruises, so Backroads guests can enjoy all the amenities on the ships, while exploring the nooks and crannies of popular destinations across the world."

Backroads Small-Ship Experiences 
In 2018, Backroads debuted its first small-ship cruise tour to Iceland. The company now offers adventures in the Baltics, Venice to Croatia, New Zealand, Antarctica, Japan and the Galapagos in 2019 and 2020.

Backroads' intimate ocean cruises offer thoroughly planned active trips with expert ship- and land-based support teams. Trip leaders, activity guides and dedicated onshore vehicle support members take care of all of your needs during the program, so passengers are supported to explore as they wish.

The "Full Ship Celebration" departures on the Danube and Douro Rivers are unique sailings on which all passengers aboard the ship are Backroads travelers. This offers a cool opportunity to share your common interest in exploring the world actively with other like-minded travelers. All equipment and activities are included in the trip price.

The Active Ocean Cruises
Alaska Multi-Adventure (launching in 2020)
Antarctica Multi-Adventure
Baltic Sea Biking
Galapagos Multi-Adventure
Iceland Walking & Hiking
Japan Walking & Hiking
New Zealand Multi-Adventure
Venice to Croatia Biking

The Active River Cruises
Danube River Biking (Plus Full Ship Celebration)
Douro River Biking, Walking and Hiking (Plus Full Ship Celebration)
Galapagos, Andes and Amazon Walking and Hiking
Rhine River Biking   
Seine River Biking
That's quite a lineup. Which of these would you like to try?

Thanks for reading,
 
JR
Subscribe today to get the latest reviews, tips and tricks to help you have your best adventure ever.

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