AmaKristina Takes Top Spot Out of 320 River Ships
CALABASAS, CA – (June 1, 2018) – AmaWaterways today announced that its ships have earned six of the top ten positions in the much-anticipated third edition of the Berlitz: River Cruising in Europe & the USAtravel guide. Securing this year’s coveted number one spot, due in part to outstanding cuisine and service, is AmaKristina, the namesake of AmaWaterways’ Co-Owner and Executive Vice President Kristin Karst.
For the 2018-2019 edition of Berlitz: River Cruising in Europe & the USA, author Douglas Ward, widely regarded as the world’s foremost independent authority on cruising and cruise ships, evaluated 320 river ships. AmaWaterways’ ships outranked the competition in total points covering the categories of hardware, accommodations, cuisine, service and miscellaneous, underscoring the company’s commitment to delivering the highest quality product and guest service to the market.
“On behalf of our entire AmaWaterways family, we are so incredibly thrilled to be recognized once again as a leader in the river cruise industry by Douglas Ward,” said Karst. “It is especially humbling for me as AmaKristina receives the top ranking this year. I am so proud of everything we have accomplished at AmaWaterways over the years, and I look forward to a bright future ahead, as we continue evolving our product and delivering unforgettable vacation memories to travelers from around the world.”
In the guide, which will be released in the U.S. in July, Ward applauded AmaWaterways for its top-rated cuisine and friendly guest service, stating”AmaWaterways spends considerably more on high quality food ingredients and wine and on hotel crew service training than any other river cruise company. The company is also known to offer the highest levels of customer care and friendliness in the river cruise industry.”
Receiving the top four-star plus rating in the book were eleven ships — AmaBella, AmaCerto, AmaKristina, AmaPrima, AmaReina, AmaSerena, AmaSonata, AmaStella, AmaVenita, AmaVerde and AmaViola. AmaLea, AmaWaterways’ 20th ship, joined the fleet in March of this year and will be evaluated in the next edition of the guide. The company’s innovative and highly-anticipated new ship AmaMagna – set to debut in 2019 – is highlighted in this year’s guide as a ‘stunning, double-width rivership’ having ‘oodles of space, comfort and pizzazz.’
For more information or to book an AmaWaterways river cruise, contact a travel professional, visit www.AmaWaterways.com or call (800) 626-0126. Follow AmaWaterways on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AmaWaterways, Instagram @AmaWaterways and Twitter @AmaWaterways.
About AmaWaterways
A family-owned company celebrating 16 years on the river, AmaWaterways offers unforgettable river cruises with 23 ships in 2019 sailing Europe’s Danube, Rhine, Moselle, Main, Rhone, Seine, Garonne, Dordogne, Dutch and Belgian Waterways and Douro Rivers, Southeast Asia’s Mekong and Africa’s Chobe River. The company is renowned for its innovative stateroom design featuring unique “twin balconies”; its wide choice of included shore excursions featuring biking and hiking options for the active traveler; and its award-winning dining—including The Chef’s Table specialty restaurant as well as complimentary fine wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner. Modern, spacious and tastefully decorated, each ship features onboard amenities such as hair and massage salons and a fitness room, and many have heated outdoor swimming pools with swim-up bars. AmaWaterways leads the river cruise industry in innovation including the 2019 launch of AmaMagna,a new dimension in luxury river cruising at twice the width of traditional river ships plus a variety of themed sailings and brand relationships, offering group or chartered sailings geared towards active travelers and families.
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 Town & Country River Cruise Awards as “Best Overall,” “Best for Food,” “Best for Onboard Activities” and “Best for On-Shore Activities,” as well as 2017 AFAR and Recommend magazine Reader’s Choice Awards for “Best River Cruise Line.”
About the Author
Widely regarded as the world’s top authority on cruising and cruise ships, Douglas Ward has completed over 6,200 days on ships and riverships on almost 1100 cruises, 158 transatlantic crossings, and countless Panama Canal transits, shipyard visits, ship-naming ceremonies and maiden voyages. Often described as a maritime Sherlock Holmes, Ward leaves no stone unturned in his 200 sea days each year, examining everything from the fluffiness of the towels to the quality of the china and silverware, and from the welcome aboard to the disembarkation process.