Luxury River Cruise Company Extends its Appreciation to Travel Advisors for Industry Awards Received This Year
CALABASAS, Calif. – (December 20, 2023) – Leading river cruise line AmaWaterways is proud to celebrate a successful 2023 with record setting results and an abundance of esteemed awards granted by the travel industry. A pioneer in river cruising, AmaWaterways continuously achieves significant recognition for the immersive experiences offered to its guests as well as the sales and marketing support supplied to its valued travel partners.
“2023 was another record setting year for AmaWaterways in terms of guests travelling on board our ships, revenue generated and commissions paid to our travel partners,” says Rudi Schreiner, co-founder and president of AmaWaterways. “It’s exciting to see this pattern of strong growth in demand for river cruising continuing as our 2024 sales are almost 40% ahead when compared to 2023 results at the same time last year. Based on the strong demand we are seeing for groups, charters and part-charters, 2025 is also shaping up to be an excellent year reflecting a 20 percent increase in capacity on the Rhine, Danube and Douro rivers in Europe, two new ships on the Magdalena River in Colombia and an additional ship on the Nile.”
Highlighting the brand’s dedication and commitment to excellence, AmaWaterways garnered over 30 industry accolades in 2023, including:
- ASTA (American Society of Travel Advisors) “Partner Company of the Year”; “River Cruise Partner of the Year”; “Supplier Partner Representative of the Year” as well as “Supplier Medal of Excellence” (Kristin Karst)
- AAA “River Cruise Partner of the Year’’
- Ensemble “River Cruise Partner of the Year’’
- Uniglobe Travel Center “River Cruise Partner of the Year’’
- Travel Leaders Network P.O.P Award for “Sales Achievement Award’’ and “Most Creative in Marketing’’ (Canada)
- Nexion “River Cruise Partner of the Year’’ and “Best Overall Supplier of the Year’’
- Travel Quest Network “River Cruise Partner of the Year’’
- The Travel Agent Next Door “Most Supportive River Cruise Partner’’
- Travel Only “Top Preferred Supplier Award in River Cruise”
- Montecito Village Travel “River Cruise Line of the Year’’
- Gifted Travel Network “Distinguished Partner of the Year’’ and ‘’Most Engaged Preferred Partner of the Year’’
- Association of Black Travel Professionals Summit “Diversity Partner of the Year”
- The Affluent Traveler Collection Symposium “Luxury Specialty Cruise Partner of the Year”
- Network of Entrepreneurs Selling Travel’s Nest Fest “Best River Cruise Line”
“Receiving the recognition that these awards bring us means the world to everyone at AmaWaterways,” said Kristin Karst, co-founder and executive vice-president. ‘’We are so appreciative of the love and support that they represent, and we never lose sight of the fact that our current success and positive outlook for 2024 and 2025 wouldn’t be possible without the trust and support of our travel advisor partners.’’
For two decades, AmaWaterways has reshaped the river cruise industry by creating innovative ship designs, on board wellness activities and immersive and active onshore excursions. Renowned for its award-winning cuisine focused on fresh, regional food and wine, and generous offering of included excursions, AmaWaterways ensures guests develop a deeper and more nuanced appreciation for a country, its history, culture and people throughout their journey. Recognized for its dedication to culinary excellence.
The above awards and accolades received from industry partners are a testament to AmaWaterways commitment to staying attuned to emerging trends and evolving preferences of discerning travelers. The company will embark on new journeys like Colombia for 2024, while continuing to focus on being inclusive to guests of all ages, interests and backgrounds, as additional dates for 2024 and 2025 have already been announced for the Soulful Experience cruises highlighting Black history and culture and new dates for Latin Touch cruises for 2025 are soon to be announced.
“We also take this opportunity to thank the readers of the travel trade publications who have voted us their favorite river cruise partner in many areas including Best Cuisine, Best River Cruise Ship (AmaMagna), Best River Cruise for Solos, Best River Cruise for Families and Best River Cruise Sales and Support,” said Karst. “There are so many new travel advisors joining the industry and we are so pleased that they are also recognizing us by voting for us through their favorite publications.”
A full listing of awards, travel partner and travel trade publications, are posted on AmaWaterways website.
To reserve an AmaWaterways river cruise for a client, call 1-800-626-0126 or visit AmaWaterways.com. Follow AmaWaterways on Facebook at Facebook.com/AmaWaterways, Instagram @AmaWaterways, Twitter @AmaWaterways, and YouTube at YouTube.com/AmaWaterways.
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MEDIA NOTE: A hi-res image can be found HERE.
About AmaWaterways
Family-owned and operated for more than 21 years, AmaWaterways offers unparalleled river cruise experiences with 29 custom-designed ships sailing Europe’s Danube, Douro, Rhine, Moselle, Main, Rhône, Saône, Seine, Garonne and Dordogne Rivers, and Dutch and Belgian Waterways; Southeast Asia’s Mekong River; Africa’s Chobe River; Egypt’s Nile River and Colombia’s Magdalena River (2024). Co-founded by pioneering river cruise executives Rudi Schreiner, Kristin Karst and Jimmy Murphy, the company is renowned for its warm and welcoming crew; innovative and sustainable ship design; wellness activities (including a wide choice of included small group shore excursions featuring biking and hiking options); and award-winning, locally sourced cuisine paired with complimentary fine wine. Modern, spacious and tastefully decorated, most AmaWaterways ships welcome an average of just 150 guests and feature onboard amenities such as a stunning Main Lounge, specialty Chef’s Table restaurant, hair and massage salons, Sun Deck walking track, and heated outdoor swimming pools with swim-up bars. AmaWaterways leads the river cruise industry in innovation, highlighted by the launch of the revolutionary AmaMagna. The company also offers a variety of themed sailings and brand relationships, with sailings geared towards active travelers and families, as well as group and charter options.
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