When AmaMagna hit the Danube River with its first cruises in May, 2019, the innovative vessel broke the mold for AmaWaterways and the European river cruise industry overall.
AmaWaterways’ co-founder Rudi Schreiner built AmaMagna as a double-wide ship (72 feet), giving the vessel loads of additional space to house new venues and features, while also offering passengers more room to roam during their voyages.
AmaMagna was christened July 11 during a ceremony in Grein, Austria, with godmother and travel icon Samantha Brown performing the honors of officially welcoming the ship to the AmaWaterways fleet.
Cruise Addicts sailed from Budapest, Hungary, to Vilshofen, Germany, and discovered some of the best things about AmaMagna that will get cruisers excited to sail this bold ship.
All that Space
The ship is twice as wide as the standard European river ship, but the passenger capacity is only 196 (just about 20 percent more than other AmaWaterways’ ships). The design and low passenger count give AmaMagna a feel of a small ocean cruise ship as you wander through the expansive spaces. Hallways and corridors are much wider, allowing them to even accommodate display cases of art and hanging art.
Most staterooms are suites, with 355 square feet of space and large walkout balconies. The lounge area is divided into an upper lounge with the bar and dance floor and “lower lounge” spaces on each side of the ship toward the front of the third deck. These quieter nooks also serve as the ship’s library, with small faux fireplaces and cozy seating offering a pleasant atmosphere.
Couches, tables and chairs also are available on in the main atrium area, so passengers have a variety of serene spaces to choose for relaxing, reading, chatting with friends or playing games.
Of course, the Sun Deck is much larger, too, and it’s filled with chairs and loungers, some under canopies.
Four Restaurants
In addition to The Main Restaurant and The Chef’s Table, which are longtime AmaWaterways’ staples, AmaMagna features two other restaurants that require reservations and give cruisers a nice variety for their dining choices.
Jimmy’s Wine Bar honors late AmaWaterways’ co-founder Jimmy Murphy and serves a family style meal for larger groups of friends and family in a warm and casual space. The venue can accommodate up to 60, and the menu is the same one that is offered in the main dining room but all of the choices are brought out to share.
The Al Fresco eatery seats up to 24 passengers and serves a set menu (you order an appetizer and a main course) at the bow of the ship on Deck 3. This restaurant is a great choice for a more quiet and intimate meal for two to four people. The Al Fresco restaurant has wonderful panoramic views through its windows and also serves lighter breakfasts and lunches, as well as tapas throughout the day.
Zen Wellness Studio
Gyms on river cruise ships are typically quaint little spaces – if the ships have them at all (Viking River Cruises’ ships don’t). These austere fitness centers give it a nice try with a treadmill (again maybe) exercise bike and a few hand weights and exercise mats. It’s understandable. Space is at a premium on your standard river vessels.
AmaMagna, however, dedicated a huge amount of space to a full-fledged fitness center and spa area. The ship’s revolutionary Zen Wellness Studio is in keeping with the line’s longtime commitment to offering wonderful health and wellness options to its active cruisers. The facility on AmaMagna is at the back of Deck 3 with windows that open for fresh air. The gym has two treadmills, two exercise bikes, a rowing machine, weight bench, dumbbells, exercise ball and mats and a Technogym Kinesis wall unit cable resistance training system. There are also four spin bikes outside on the back deck for classes with amazing views of the river.
Next door to the gym is a relaxation room with a juice bar. Treatment rooms here offer manicures and massages.
A Cinema
Yes, the ship has a theater room with a big screen. The Cinema is located between the ship’s twin fireside libraries located at each side of the ship’s lower lounge area at the front of Deck 3. The Cinema has a gaming system for kids of all ages to play video games, and nightly movies and other programming is available in the facility. During our sailing, passengers watched the women’s World Cup final and Wimbledon tennis matches.
The Sports Deck
AmaMagna features a sports marina, a first for a river ship. The sports platform at the back of the ship offers a teak decking area from which water activities can be launched. AmaWaterways says the space offers the potential to host cocktail parties for dozens of cruisers. The ship also carries a Sundowner yacht that carries 10 to 12 people for leisure sailing excursions around the Danube.
An Elevator to the Sun Deck
In another industry first, AmaMagna was built with an elevator that reaches all floors, including the Sun Deck. This feature allows cruisers with mobility issues to easily get up top to enjoy one of the best spaces on any river ship. This is the ideal spot for relaxing in a lounger, enjoying the pool and watching the world glide by.
Guest Laundry Room
A laundry facility on the first deck has two washers and two dryers, a folding table, ironing board and laundry baskets. Plus, it’s complimentary to use.
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