Celebrating 18 years on the river, family-owned and operated AmaWaterways was founded in 2002 by three families; however, our river cruise story began well before that. Co-Founder and President Rudi Schreiner was born in Vienna, at the heart of the Danube. His love of design drew him to architecture, but his even greater love of travel drew him to places far and wide. In 1975, he traveled to South America for a journalism assignment on the Amazon. It was here he designed his first ship, using what he could find to build a raft that would take him up and down the river during the next 7 months. Soon thereafter, he started working in travel, creating unique tour experiences in Europe.

A TURNING POINT

Rudi started the North American operations for many of today’s major river cruise companies, developing itineraries and ships that would become the templates for what we know river cruising to be today. After years of success as a driving force in the industry, Rudi decided to start his own venture — one that would provide guests with a higher standard of luxury travel by river. That’s when he teamed up with Co-Owners and Co-Founders Kristin Karst and Jimmy Murphy to start AmaWaterways.

In 2016, Rudi was inducted into the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Hall of Fame and was honored with their Lifetime Achievement Award for his years of devotion to the river cruising industry.

A TEAM OF PIONEERS

Kristin was born in Germany and brings extensive experience in travel, river cruising and customer service to the company in her role as Executive Vice President. Jimmy Murphy was a brilliant travel entrepreneur, having built Brendan Vacations, one of the most successful tour operators in the U.S. Jimmy’s son, Gary, who also played a major part at Brendan, is now Senior Vice President of Sales at AmaWaterways. Together with Rudi, a true team of pioneers emerged.

THE STORY CONTINUES

From the beginning, our goal was to create a river cruise company that we ourselves would enjoy. To us, that meant the highest-quality, locally sourced food and wine; elegantly appointed ships with staterooms offering maximum views to enjoy the ever-changing countryside; and a crew who goes above and beyond, treating every guest like they are part of OUR family.

With that in mind, for 18 years, we have been building one-of-a-kind ships with added comforts and conveniences ranging from our signature view-enhancing twin balconies to the one-and-only Chef’s Table specialty restaurant to our award-winning AmaMagna – redefining the river cruise experience. While 2020 is proving to be a challenging year for travel, our company is financially strong and our ships and crew are well prepared to welcome our guests back on the rivers as soon as it is safe to do so. For 2021, we are excited to continue our commitment to innovation with five new itineraries in Europe, three new ships, the debut of a new exotic itinerary on Egypt’s Nile River and more.

Why River Cruise

After an extended period at home, we share in your anticipation of creating magical memories through travel – and river cruising is the ideal way to bring your dreams to fruition. With the highest-rated ships in Europe according to the third edition of Berlitz: River Cruising in Europe & the USA, we have received countless honors and accolades. Discover up to five countries during one unforgettable journey in Europe, Asia or Africa on a river cruise that provides you with the luxury of so much more.