AmaWaterways • Rhine River cruise review • European river cruise • AmaWaterways review • River Cruise review • Rhine River cruise 2025 • Best river cruises 2025 • River cruise tips • AmaWaterways ships
Planning an AmaWaterways river cruise? This complete AmaWaterways shore excursions guide for 2025 walks you through everything you need to know about included tours—especially if you’re an active traveler interested in walking tours, guided hikes, or cycling excursions.
We’ll show you how to preview excursions before booking, understand AmaWaterways’ activity levels, and know what to expect once you’re booked and on board. From how to use the AmaWaterways app to reserve your tours, to what’s actually available in cities like Strasbourg, Mainz, and Cologne, this video will help you make the most of your trip.
Unlike Viking River Cruises, AmaWaterways includes more than one shore excursion option per port, and lets you explore destinations your way. That flexibility was a game-changer for us.
In this video, we’ll cover:
• How to research AmaWaterways excursions before booking
• Included excursions: walking, cycling, and hiking options
• Activity levels (1–5) and what they really mean
• Booking through the AmaWaterways app and common mistakes
• Tips for free time and shopping during excursions
• What to pack and how to prepare
• Tipping guidelines for local guides and drivers
• Our honest opinion on what worked and what surprised us
This is not a sponsored video—we’re just sharing our experience to help you feel confident and informed. Whether you’re cruising for the first time or returning to the rivers of Europe, we hope this gives you practical insight and tips to plan better.
📌 Make sure to subscribe for more cruise reviews, planning tips, and updates from the world of river and ocean cruising. All proceeds from our channel are donated to charity, so your support truly makes a difference.
Quick Reference: Ships Covered in This Video and More
AmaWaterways Vessels (Europe fleet)
AmaBella • AmaCerto • AmaCello • AmaDante • AmaDara • AmaDolce • AmaKristina • AmaLea • AmaLucy • AmaMora • AmaPrima • AmaReina • AmaSerena • AmaSonata • AmaStella • AmaVenita • AmaLucia • AmaMagna (Danube only) • AmaVerde • AmaViola
@amawaterways
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Products Featured in This Video
All items below are gear we used on our cruises. We’re Amazon Associates; if you purchase through these links we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, and 100 % of channel profits go to charity.
Visit our Amazon Travel and Cruise Essentials Store where we add products daily! https://amzn.to/3HvEeiY
Magnetic hooks – they stick to the walls on many cruises but not Ama. Helps to hang hats, bags, wet clothes, lanyards, swimsuit etc. 100lb are the best size. 👉🏼 https://amzn.to/3sV8xcB
Fleece and Jackets
Women’s black fleece 👉🏼 https://amzn.to/4edWdZw
Women’s black Avalanche raincoat 👉🏼 https://amzn.to/4gq6lA5
Security
Travelon Classic Messenger Bag 👉🏼 https://amzn.to/3B79tB2
Helly Hensen rolltop backpack 👉🏼 https://amzn.to/43bxp25
Phone Tether 👉🏼 https://amzn.to/3xj5OhR
Accessories
Knirps compact umbrella 👉🏼 https://amzn.to/49XWlgG
Earth Breeze Detergent sheets 👉🏼https://amzn.to/4mThZWY
Downy Wrinkle Release Spray 👉🏼 https://amzn.to/3GVrMwi
Airfly Bluetooth transmitter for Quietvox 👉🏼 https://amzn.to/47UXIdF
Universal Adapter with USB C 👉🏼 https://amzn.to/3caR7CO
Magifying suction cup mirror 👉🏼 https://amzn.to/3DnwSMr
HiBag Compression Bags 👉🏼 https://amzn.to/3Gqlnsq
Bagail Compression Packing Cubes 👉🏼 https://bit.ly/4ljepVE
Filmed using DJI Osmo Mobile Gimbal 👉🏼 https://amzn.to/3MpJdVX
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Timestamps
00:00 Intro & Why We Made This Video
00:47 Who’s on Board
01:42 Food
03:07 Wine & Drinks
05:02 Excursions
07:54 Cabins
11:30 Ship Design
14:28 Entertainment
15:41 Dining-Room Style
16:50 Price & Value
19:50 Final Payment Policy
21:27 Overall Winner & How to Choose
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Make meaningful and healthy travel happen. See you on the next voyage!
#AmaWaterways #vikingcruises #rivercruise #RhineRiver #BestRiverCruises2025 #cruiseship #CruiseTips #CruiseReview #RiverCruise #europeanrivercruises #CruiseExcursions
20 Comments
So helpful!
Do you two have any aspirations for the Amazon, Galapagos or Easter Island? I’m exclusively an expedition guy, and am eager to live vicariously through your adventures.
This was such good info. Thank you!
Thanks! Useful information for our first AmaWaterways cruise, Decmber 2026.
Very helpful for deciding on which cruise line to book. Thank you.
Thank you for this extremely helpful video! My wife and I are celebrating our 50th anniversary this year. We are booked on the Romantic Danube on the AmaSonata in early November, with a 3-night pre-cruise stay in Prague. I'm usually not keen on using phone apps for cruises or tours, but you convinced me I need to do this for Ama — and thanks for the great suggestion to take screen shots of my reservation choices from the app! The overview and brochure from the website is a fantastic preview giving us time to do some research and have our selections lined up when the 60-day pre-cruise timer starts. We are excited about taking this trip and can't wait to go!😁
Thank you very informative!
I took a trip with a friend on AmaPrima in 2018, tulip time in The Netherlands and Belgium. I was 65 and she was 80 and, although healthy and still working full time, she was a slow walker. Keep in mind that the Gentle level also refers to a more flat terrain, not necessarily just the predicted pace. In most places, we had no trouble keeping up with the small group as the leader was able to keep an eye on everyone. But at one stop in the city of Bruges, we were in quite a large crowd which seemed to prefer going faster and my friend struggled to keep up. My advice is to Speak Up and get to the front of the group by the guide to better control the pace if things are getting a bit too fast for comfort. Overall, we loved our trip and felt that AmaWaterways does an excellent job in caring for its guests.
On bike tours, do they have different size bikes? My interest would be for kids about 4ft tall (approx 8 yhears old)
Sorry- Viking question. Does Viking give you docking times in order to book private excursions?
So informative right from the start! Thank you! Looking forward to our first river cruise this November on Amaserena.
Great video! Question….On the walking tours, are you able to leave the tour to have more "free time" and meet back with them to catch the bus back to the ship?
Great information! Thank you.
Wow, great video. We're going on an AMA Waterways cruise next year and this addresses many of our concerns.
I'm looking at the AMAWaterways Fairytales cruise for April, 2027. Your river cruise videos are very helpful and informative. Thanks so much for making the effort to produce and upload these videos.
As a polite suggestion, consider featuring yourself talking to the camera. You seem very likable and this would help people to get to know you which would likely lead to more views. Some channels, like Disney Food Blog, do fine with only narration, but I think the cruise audience like to get to know their hosts. Life Well Cruised and Emma Cruises are good examples.
Thanks again.
This is very helpful
Thanks, this is so helpful. We just booked the enchanted Rhine late October 2027 for our 40th. Looking forward to it. We’re on the Amalucia and after viewing a few of your videos we know we made the right choice. Cheers
Are you aware of E-bike or pedal assist bike tours from Ama or Viking tours. It doesn't appear that there are any but wanted to double check with you since your info is so thorough. Thank you.
Excellent video! Very helpful for my planning
Good video and a voice I can actually stand. Great figure for modeling.