Welcome to my newest obsession – AmaWaterways! AmaWaterways offer river cruises in Europe, Africa, and Asia, and are ticking all the right boxes: not only are they solo-traveller-friendly, but they’re also family-friendly with a minimum age of only 4 years old on their Europe river cruises and (drumroll, please) interconnecting cabins on some of their ships! This is the first time I’ve seen interconnecting cabins in the river cruise space, and I’m so excited to tell you about them!

Whether you’re planning a family holiday from grandparents to grandchildren, or looking for a solo escape, AmaWaterways has the perfect itinerary for you. Let me tell you a bit more about them, and about their current deals!

Why River Cruise?

River cruises offer a unique way to explore multiple destinations with ease and style, and there are so many reasons to love them! First, let’s talk about convenience. Unlike ocean cruises, river cruises often dock right in the heart of cities, allowing you to hop off and start your adventure without any fuss.

Think less about the word “cruise”, and more about a floating hotel – in Europe especially, where historic towns were built around waterways, as that’s how goods and people were transported from place to place. On a typical day you’ll wake up in the morning to find you’ve docked right in the middle of a new town, and can stroll straight off the ship and go where you please!

Another great thing about river cruises is the intimacy and personal attention you get onboard. You’ll find that staff will be quick to remember your name and your preferences, like your drink order or how you like your eggs at breakfast. Every guest feels like a VIP, no matter which stateroom category you’re booked in!

For those who love stress-free travel, river cruises are a dream come true. You don’t have to worry about packing and unpacking at every stop or missing a train; your floating hotel brings you to each new destination in comfort. Plus, with AmaWaterways including all meals, alcoholic drinks during mealtimes, and up to six shore excursions a day, it’s easy to indulge and enjoy without watching your wallet!

And let’s not forget the breathtaking scenery you’ll enjoy while cruising along. Whether it’s the historic castles along the Rhine or the lush landscapes of the Mekong, the view from your cabin or the sundeck is always postcard-worthy.

Perfect for Multi-Generational Holidays

Multi-generational cruising is getting more popular as families seek stress-free holidays to suit all their loved ones. AmaWaterways excels at this, with included shore excursions covering a broad range of interests and activity levels, private dining spaces available for groups to use, lawn games on the sun deck, and boatloads (ha) more to keep everybody entertained.

One of the standout features of AmaWaterways’ river cruises is the availability of interconnecting cabins on certain ships. This setup allows families to enjoy shared spaces while maintaining individual retreats. Parents can monitor children easily, while grandparents have their own quiet sanctuary. The flexibility of interconnecting cabins is perfect for families who value both proximity and personal space.

As well as interconnecting cabins, some ships also have triple- and quadruple-share staterooms, allowing for families with young children to share one room – again, this is the first time I’ve personally seen this in river cruising, so I’m very excited about it!

A huge item on my future bucket list is a Christmas Markets river cruise in early/mid December with my parents, my husband and (future) children. I found Europe’s Christmas Markets to be full of magic and wonder when I visited in my mid-twenties – I can’t imagine how incredible it would be from a child’s perspective! I’ll definitely be travelling with AmaWaterways on this trip, for all of the reasons above, as well as the fact that they are amazing at decorating their ships for the holidays!

AmaWaterways’ Triple Savings Offer

AmaWaterways’ Triple Savings offer allows you to save on your Europe river cruise fare and enhance your onboard experience! Book eligible 2025 and 2026 sailings by 30 September and receive:
– a $3000 discount per stateroom
– $100 bonus onboard credit per stateroom
– a complimentary stateroom upgrade

Terms and conditions apply – let me know which itinerary or dates you’re looking at and I’ll find a deal for you!

AmaWaterways’ Solo Travellers’ Offers

AmaWaterways love solo travellers! They have 3 great ways for you to save on your next solo trip:

10% Solo Supplement
Book select 2025 Europe river cruises and only pay 10% Single Supplement! Applicable to all stateroom categories (excluding suites), book by September 30, 2025.

Solo Stateroom Savings
AmaWaterways have select ships in Europe with a limited number of specially-designed solo staterooms with French balconies! Book a solo stateroom and pay only the cruise fare – no extra solo supplement on top!

Base Category Savings
25% Single Supplement is available on fixed-window staterooms on all Europe sailings and Category C staterooms on all Mekong sailings (subject to availability).

Booking AmaWaterways

Like any other holiday, you can contact me any time to lock in your AmaWaterways journey! However, if you dive into their website and find the perfect itinerary and you want to lock it in right away, I have good news for you: AmaWaterways and I have co-created a public booking website!

By following this link you’ll be able to browse AmaWaterways’ full range of river cruises and current offers, and if you find something you love and want to lock it in, there’s no need to wait. You can go right ahead and book it via the Jo Paterson Travel x AmaWaterways site, and I will be able to manage and assist with your booking should you need anything at all.

If you prefer not to book your cruise via the website, don’t worry, you can still reach out to me for assistance or advice anytime! There is no logistical difference between you booking via the Jo Paterson Travel x AmaWaterways site versus me placing a hold on a cabin and doing the legwork for you, and I am happy to provide any level of assistance you would like!

Let me know if you have any questions that haven’t been answered in this post! As always, happy travels!