Maximize your Christmas experience by embarking at the height of the holiday market season with daily or near-daily visits to Christmas Markets.
Get "just a taste" of the holidays in mid-November or late December with visits to one or two Christmas Markets during your river cruise.
We are pleased to offer guests the opportunity to experience Floriade in 2022 while sailing along the Rhine River and Dutch and Belgian Waterways between April 14 and October 9. Right outside Amsterdam, this rare experience calls for its visitors to “explore, touch and change” as part of their journey into Floriade – which is set to feature stunning gardens, innovative sustainable gardening exhibits, live entertainment, talk shows, souvenirs and food stalls.
We invite you to join our incredible cruise on the Rhône with a Latin Touch, featuring bilingual cruise managers, daily tours with Spanish-speaking guides, Latin-inspired music nights and other distinctive elements.
Based on the overwhelmingly positive response received from the announcement of our first-ever “Soulful Experience” on the Rhône River in 2023, we are delighted to announce four new opportunities for guests to celebrate their heritage and discover Black history and culture along the rivers with us in 2024.
Join award-winning television host and travel expert, Samantha Brown, Godmother of AmaMagna, as we cruise through four countries along the Danube River. Special events and Travel Talks are included on this exclusive sailing.
We invite you to join our incredible cruise on the Danube with a Latin Touch, featuring bilingual cruise managers, daily tours with Spanish-speaking guides, Latin-inspired music nights and other distinctive elements.
Explore the rich history of classical music along the Danube River where famous composers lived, worked and performed. Plus, be treated to a variety of live performances on this melodious journey.
Based on the overwhelmingly positive response received from the announcement of our first-ever “Soulful Experience” on the Rhône River in 2023, we are delighted to announce four new opportunities for guests to celebrate their heritage and discover Black history and culture along the rivers with us in 2025
Join award-winning television host and travel expert, Samantha Brown, Godmother of AmaMagna, as we cruise through five countries along the Danube River. Special events and Travel Talks are included on this exclusive sailing.
We invite you to join our incredible cruise on the Douro with a Latin Touch, featuring bilingual cruise managers, daily tours with Spanish-speaking guides, Latin-inspired music nights and other distinctive elements.
We invite our loyal past guests to join us once again on these special Loyalty Cruises, offering unique experiences in multiple ports, commemorative gifts, and many more surprises and delights.
Imagine if there was a way to combine luxury river cruising on the Danube with the opportunity to indulge your passion and play golf? We have created the perfect package to enable you to do just that! Our exclusive Concierge Golf Programme includes 7 nights onboard one of the highest rated ships in Europe, complete with award winning cuisine, a choice of excursions in every port and our unique Twin Balconies, as well as up to 5 rounds of golf at some of the leading championship courses on the continent. Our Programme takes you straight from your ship to the course and back making your golfing experience seamless – Golf and River Cruise truly is a marriage made in heaven.
Hello! "I'm Kristin Karst, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of AmaWaterways and I'm passionate about river cruising. Each month, I love to share with you my thoughts, personal stories, travel tips and latest news on the people and places that help turn every mile of our guests' river cruise experience into one of their most cherished memories!"
Our Holiday Cruises encompass our specially curated Christmas Markets sailings at the height of the Advent season, as well as our early and late season “Taste of Christmas Markets” cruises, and New Year’s cruises. No matter which of these journeys you reserve, we include extra special touches to ensure your holiday is one to remember.
What’s Included
In addition to the wonderful experiences and amenities available during your river cruise, both on board and ashore, our holiday cruise traditions help make memories you will savor forever.
On one night during each cruise, guests are encouraged to leave slippers we provide outside their stateroom door. Upon waking up the next morning, they’ll find their shoes filled with treats by our AmaWaterways elves!
Tinsel and garland and baubles, oh my! Guests are invited to help adorn onboard trees with festive décor. The first to find the glass pickle ornament within the tree wins a prize!
A festive assortment of seasonal cookies awaits guests in their staterooms on Christmas Eve.
Between our luxurious onboard gala and local celebrations, there’s nothing quite like a New Year’s cruise with AmaWaterways.
While many Christmas Markets throughout Europe feature illuminated trees, hot mulled wine in collectible mugs, and vendors selling ornaments and other trinkets, each city boasts its own unique traditions and charms. Below are just a handful of some of our favorite holiday markets.
The Budapest Christmas Market is Hungary’s largest, overtaking the cobblestone of Vorosmarty Square. Its strict “handcrafted-only” policy makes it an ideal shopping spot for one-of-a-kind gifts.
Christmas Market itineraries that include Budapest:
Situated in front of Vienna’s impressive 19th-century town hall, Christkindlmarkt boasts awe-inspiring decorations that illuminate the city, as well as festive choir music and more than 150 vendor stalls.
Christmas Market itineraries that include Vienna:
Strasbourg—the self-proclaimed “Capital of Christmas”—has the oldest, largest and most famous Christmas market in France, the Marchés de Noël, chock-full of stuffed storks, a cherished icon of the city.
Christmas Market itineraries that include Strasbourg:
One of the largest and most popular in all of Europe, Nuremberg’s 400-year-old Christmas market offers live music, distinctive hand-crafted souvenirs, a nostalgic carousel and a children’s steam train.
Christmas Market itineraries that include Nuremberg:
With its fairytale-like turret, the 18th-century Thurn und Taxis palace is the backdrop of Bavaria’s most romantic Christmas market. Fresh dumplings in vanilla sauce are a not-to-be-missed seasonal specialty.
Christmas Market itineraries that include Regensburg:
Mouthwatering pan-fried Reibekuchen—potato pancakes served with applesauce—is a specialty at Cologne’s Christmas market, twinkling in the shadow of the city’s elaborate landmark cathedral.
Christmas Market itineraries that include Cologne:
Get inspired for your Holiday River Cruise itinerary by reading the stories below.