Nicole Edenedo
AmaWaterways has its hands full for the next couple of years with all the ships the river cruise line is welcoming into its fleet, not to mention the new destinations and itineraries that will follow.
You've probably heard by now that the river cruise line plans to build a second AmaMagna ship, which is nearly twice the size of a regular river cruise vessel. That construction is expected to start this year.
And while there's no projected launch date for the second AmaMagna's keel-laying or its arrival, AmaWaterways executive vice president and co-founder Kristin Karst announced at Travel Leaders Network Edge conference earlier this month that the company would welcome nine new ships between 2024 and 2026.
One of those ships, the AmaLilia, already launched earlier this year in Egypt. Here's what we know about the eight other ships joining the AmaWaterways fleet.
First in Colombia: AmaMagdalena AmaMelodia
The AmaMagdalena and the AmaMelodia, the first ships AmaWaterways will sail in Colombia, have new launch dates.
The AmaMagdalena is now slated to debut in January, and the launch of the AmaMelodia will follow a few months later.
Both ships will sail Colombia's Magdalena River between Cartagena and Barranquilla, offering two seven-night itineraries, Magic of Colombia and Wonders of Colombia.
Both itineraries have several pre- and post-cruise extension options, from a two-night, pre-cruise stay in Cartagena to an eight-night, pre- and post-cruise package with stays in Medellin, Cartagena and Panama.
The ships were originally scheduled to debut this year, but dates had to be pushed back due to delays that president Rudi Schreiner said stemmed from the lengthy administrative process of building the infrastructure needed to support river cruising there, and the company's decision to bring in European shipbuilders to help with construction.
Schreiner said the production schedule was back on track and that the new 2025 dates are "likely going to happen."
More in Portugal: AmaSintra
Bookings for Douro River sailings in Portugal have been through the roof, according to Schriener, who says that itineraries along this river, along with sailings on the Rhine, are among the company's most in-demand this year.
To meet the continued demand for Portugal, AmaWaterways is launching a third ship on the Douro next year, the AmaSintra.
The AmaSintra will join the line's two other sister ships sailing there, the AmaDouro and the AmaVida.
Currently, AmaWaterways offers two seven-night itineraries there: Enticing Douro and Flavors of Portugal and Spain, both of which offer pre- or post-cruise extension options. Enticing Douro has a three-night, pre-cruise extension in Lisbon, while Flavors of Portugal and Spain offers a three-night, pre-cruise stay in Lisbon and a three-night, post-cruise stay in Madrid.
Returning from Charter: AmaStella, AmaVenita and AmaReina in Europe
Three AmaWaterways ships are returning to the fleet in 2025 on the Danube and Rhine rivers.
The AmaStella, the AmaVenita and the AmaReina were previously built for and chartered by Australian Pacific Touring, who had leased the ships for many years.
But Schreiner said the lease agreement ends later this year, and AmaWaterways will take possession of the ships in November.
"Those three ships are coming back into our fleet in 2025, and once we get the ships back in November they will go through major renovation and we will start operations again in March," Schreiner said. "It will take three months, roughly, to rebuild those ships."
The AmaStella and AmaVenita will sail on the Rhine, while the AmaReina will sail on the Danube.
A new build: AmaSofia in Europe
AmaSofia is one of the latest new builds AmaWaterways said would join its European fleet, in May 2026.
The AmaSofia will offer 31 departures in 2026 along the Rhine and Danube rivers, including a variety of Christmas market cruises on the Danube.
The ship's inaugural itinerary will be a 14-night journey sailing between Amsterdam and Budapest.
AmaMaya in Southeast Asia
The AmaMaya will set sail on the Mekong River between Cambodia and Vietnam beginning in August 2026. It will be the second ship AmaWaterways adds to the Mekong River; it currently operates the AmaDara, which launched in 2015. The AmaMaya will be a sister ship to the 124-passenger AmaDara.
AmaWaterways is planning a sister ship to the Mekong River-based AmaDara, pictured. Photo Credit: AmaWaterways
The AmaMaya was just announced this month. The ship had originally been named the AmaKaia, but Schreiner said due to a conflict with the name of another ship -- Scenic Group's upcoming Emerald Kaia -- the line decided to avoid any overlap and changed the name to AmaMaya.
The AmaMaya will sail the line's two seven-night itineraries, Charms of the Mekong and Riches of the Mekong, both of which also offer multiple pre- and post-cruise extension packages in Vietnam and Cambodia.