While some avid travelers contemplate the safety of river cruising, Kristin Karst, co-founder, Los Angeles-based AmaWaterways, wants to assure them management worked hard to make the decision to indulge in a European cruise an easy one. “We’ve put into practice the safety and health protocols aboard the AmaSiena we established several months earlier while we operated (during 2020) in a smaller capacity with German travelers aboard our AmaKristina,” said Karst, the day after the formal christening of the new AmaSiena ship. “We took those successful protocols and implemented them here once American travelers were allowed to return to Europe.”

With this concern out of the way, we can focus on the AmaSiena ship itself, along with the bells, whistles and various luxuries travelers will enjoy between ports of call. When viewing the ship and shipboard experience as a whole, AmaSiena appears to embody the line’s focus on keeping cruising relevant for Generation X and older millennials. Within the boat, engineered by Dutch river cruise shipbuilding company Kamphuisen, vibrant décor with elements of Art Deco, Mid-Century Modern and Scandinavian influences beautifully frame the outdoor scenery.

The design theme, true to AmaWaterways form, expands into private staterooms and cabins on the second and third deck. While there are few things in the cabins that could be improved (i.e. stateroom layouts may be a little small for two people, a need for more storage), the beds are plush, water pressure is good and the in-room toiletries are delightful and sustainably sourced. There’s also a good chance AmaWaterways’ evolving target audience will spend more time in the public areas and will be out on excursions.

A big part of the cruise experience is the people, and AmaSiena cruise manager Martina Valachova represents a more relaxed approach to guiding passengers. Beyond providing guidance on the excursions, her upbeat demeanor and warmth sets the tone for the rest of the crew in enforcing COVID-era safety standards and explaining new sanitation practices. Her delivery in her witty PA announcements positions the necessities of masking up, pre-meal temperature checks and pre-departure COVID tests as extensions of the safety protocols that existed in the “before times.” As there’s always the possibility that some of the outside guides leading land excursions may not be a good fit, Valachova encourages guests to open up if she senses even the slightest discontentment, recognizing passengers are increasingly likely to be closer to her age.

The food aboard AmaSiena also reflects the changing tastes of travelers. While the signature Chef’s Table tasting dinners and Chaîne des Rôtisseurs nights are still in place, what is now coming out of the kitchen for omnivores and increased offerings for vegetarians and vegans in this cruise sets a much higher bar for river cruise fare. Behind the scenes, Culinary Director Robert Kellerhals and his team revamped the food program to ensure everything made for vegetarian and vegan guests will appeal to all guests as well as be in alignment with AmaWaterways’ new emphasis on health and wellness (anchored by a “wellness host”). Culinary highlights include perfectly executed vegetable soups, fresh fish mains and eclectic appetizers that match with the culture of each port of call.

Another nifty new addition in AmaWaterways’ long-term goals of optimal sustainable cruising and connecting to younger guests is its MyAmaCruise app. While saving paper and cutting stateroom clutter, it puts the whole itinerary and each day’s activities into a manageable format. Its GPS feature puts the geography into sharper context and proves to be useful offshore as well. While providing postcards and postage for guests is still a perk, the app shifts that idea into an e-postcard/social media format. A Share My Cruise feature enables passengers to stay in touch with family and friends.

AmaSiena

Ama Waterways