Global Luxury Travel Network Honors AmaWaterways at 34th Annual Virtuoso Travel Week
CALABASAS, CA – (August 25, 2022) – Award-winning luxury river cruise line AmaWaterwaystoday proudly announced its recognition as Best River Cruise Line by the global luxury travel network, Virtuoso®. Members of the AmaWaterways team, including Alex Pinelo, senior vice president of sales, Janet Bava, chief marketing officer, Gary Murphy, co-owner and board member, and Elizabeth Contreras, national accounts manager, attended the 34th annual Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas from August 13-19 and were elated to accept the award voted on by Virtuoso’s network of top luxury travel advisors.
“Our relationships with our valued travel advisor partners at Virtuoso are extremely important to us and we are so proud to once again be recognized by them as the Best River Cruise Line,” said Pinelo. “This 9th year distinction means so much to everyone at AmaWaterways as it truly reflects our team’s dedication to delivering the best possible river cruise experiences while maintaining and nurturing the strong personal connections that drive luxury sales for Virtuoso advisors.”
Thousands of top luxury travel professionals, providers and prominent figures from over one hundred countries gathered together to celebrate the network’s superlative travel advisors, agencies and partners and witness the unveiling of the 2022 Virtuoso Luminaries, Legends and Leaders awards. These awards allow peers and colleagues in the travel industry to honor each other’s excellence – creating a unique and meaningful recognition of their contribution. Partners of the network cast their votes for agencies and advisors, while agency members select partner winners.
“Being recognized as Virtuoso’s Best River Cruise Line is a huge honor, which our members hold in a high regard,” said Matthew D. Upchurch, Chairman and CEO of Virtuoso. “Despite the uncertainties and obstacles that the travel industry has faced throughout the last few years, AmaWaterways has continued to raise the bar with exceptional experiences for our clients and unfaltering support for our travel advisors. This 2022 award once again signifies the company’s deep commitment to its travel partners and its loyal guests.”
Throughout the last 20 years, AmaWaterways has served as a transformative leader in the river cruising industry by introducing innovative ship design, creating enriching and immersive itineraries, and providing award-winning, locally sourced fine cuisine with attentive guest service. Looking ahead, the company will continue to set industry standards for unforgettable voyages with the debut of the river cruise industry’s longest itinerary – the Seven River Journey – taking guests through 14 countries over 45 or 46 nights in spring, summer and fall 2023. In addition, in 2024, AmaWaterways will be the first river cruise line to launch operations in Colombia and will expand its fleet in Egypt with a second ship, AmaLilia.
“Spending the week discussing business opportunities with Virtuoso advisors was so incredibly enriching,” said Bava. “We consider ourselves ‘business partners’ not ‘suppliers’ and having Virtuoso members vote us their Best River Cruise Line again this year was the icing on the cake of a tremendously productive week. We are extremely grateful for the trust and honor this award represents.”
For more information, visit AmaWaterways.com. To book an AmaWaterways river cruise for a client, visit AmaWaterways.com or call 1.800.626.0126. Follow AmaWaterways on Facebook at Facebook.com/AmaWaterways, Instagram @AmaWaterways, Twitter @AmaWaterways, and YouTube at YouTube.com/AmaWaterways.
About AmaWaterways
Family-owned and operated for 20 years, AmaWaterways offers unparalleled river cruise experiences with 26 custom-designed ships sailing Europe’s Danube, Douro, Rhine, Moselle, Main, Rhône, Saône, Seine, Garonne and Dordogne Rivers, and Dutch and Belgian Waterways; Southeast Asia’s Mekong River; Africa’s Chobe River; Egypt’s Nile River and Colombia’s Magdalena River (2024).Co-founded and led by pioneering river cruise executives Rudi Schreiner and Kristin Karst, the company is renowned for its extraordinarily warm and welcoming crew; innovative and sustainable ship design; its wellness activities including a wide choice of included small group shore excursions featuring biking and hiking options; and its award-winning, locally sourced cuisine with complimentary fine wine. Modern, spacious and tastefully decorated, most ships welcome an average of just 150 guests and feature onboard amenities such as a stunning Main Lounge, specialty Chef’s Table restaurant, hair and massage salons, a Sun Deck walking track with heated outdoor swimming pools with swim-up bars. AmaWaterways leads the river cruise industry in innovation highlighted with the launch of the revolutionary AmaMagna, and the introduction of the history-making Seven River Journey itineraries. The company also offers a variety of themed sailings and brand relationships, with sailings geared towards active travelers and families as well as group and charter options.
With the highest-rated ships in Europe according to the third edition of Berlitz: River Cruising in Europe & the USA, AmaWaterways has received countless honors and accolades including Travel + Leisure’s2020 World’s Best Award for “Best River Cruise Line” and Departures’ 2020 Legend Award for “Best Luxury Cruising Experiences This Year.” In addition, 20 ships in AmaWaterways’ European fleet have received the prestigious Green Award certification for industry-leading safety, quality and environmental performance.