A Danube River cruise aboard the revolutionary, double-wide AmaMagna

AmaWaterways’ AmaMagna, which entered service in May 2019, is a game changer in the river cruising world. It’s twice the width of conventional river cruise vessels—72 feet vs. 36 feet—making it the largest river cruise ship sailing on European waters. 

Its expanded size allows for some features more common on oceangoing vessels than on river cruise ships: four restaurants, an elevator, two bars, two lounges, a 26-seat cinema, and a water-sports deck to launch watercraft. AmaMagna’s cabins are spacious, ranging from 205 square feet to 710 square feet for the Owner’s Suite.

How do these features and the ship’s size impact the riverboat experience, traditionally thought of as an intimate one? My husband, Barry, and I were about to find out as we boarded the vessel in Vilshofen, Germany, for a seven-night “Romantic Danube” sailing to Budapest, Hungary. We were to learn how those enhanced features influenced every aspect of the journey.

Our 355-square-foot cabin—larger than an average-size hotel room of 330 square feet—felt roomy and came with a full-size balcony, a king-size bed, deep drawers and floor-to-ceiling cabinets, and a large bathroom with a glass-enclosed shower and two sinks.

It also held a full-size couch and coffee table, a desk, and tech goodies, such as a flat-screen television with on-demand TV shows, music, and movies; a desktop iMac with Internet access; and an iPad to control climate, lighting, and “mood.” 

AmaWaterways cofounders Rudi Schreiner and Kristin Karst have influenced the ship’s menus, adding lighter cuisine and vegetarian options. The kitchen can adapt to food allergies and dietary restrictions, and can cook up dishes for guests of different nationalities. It’s a feat, considering the kitchen serves more than 780 meals a day to the crew and the passengers.

A bigger ship meant more restaurants than usual on a river cruise, and the AmaMagna offers four: On Day 1, Barry and I ordered Nebraska beef striploin in the ship’s Main Restaurant. On Day 2, we dined on skin-grilled pike perch at The Chef’s Table restaurant. On Day 3, we joined other passengers at a large communal table to share courses of spring rolls, rack of lamb, and crepe Suzette at Jimmy’s Wine Bar and Restaurant. On Day 5, after several days of gorging on rich, multicourse meals, Barry and I opted for simpler veggie fare, such as an artfully crafted tomato tart at the airy Al Fresco Restaurant at the ship’s bow.

The meals and the wines served with them showcased the cuisine and traditions of the ports we visited in Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary. We paired bread dumplings with a local riesling for lunch in Austria, for example, and savored beef goulash with a wine from Chateau Teleki Villanyi in Hungary.

With all the eating we were doing, I craved opportunities for physical activity, and the AmaMagna delivered. At the aft of the ship in the Zen Wellness studio, I signed up for one of the daily pre-breakfast yoga classes. (Core-strengthening and resistance-band classes and extra-cost personal training sessions were also available.) But I passed on the studio’s treadmills, exercise bikes, and weights, preferring instead to soak in glorious river views from the track that circles the double-wide sundeck atop the ship.

A bigger ship, I learned, doesn’t necessarily mean a bigger environmental footprint. The AmaMagna relies on a solar-heating system and is powered by 10 fuel-efficient hybrid electric engines. “We can sail with fuel; we can sail with hybrid fuel and electric together; and we can sail with just electric power,” Captain Jan de Bruijn, who commanded the ship on our sailing. The ship also has a vacuum sewage disposal and processing system (a bit noisy when used) with filtration to manage waste.

Still, the ship’s heftier weight and girth present navigational challenges. For example, it takes more time to stop the ship, de Bruijn said. Its size limits its itineraries to the Danube, whose locks can accommodate its width. Passage under bridges and through locks are a tight squeeze, sometimes with just inches to spare.

Another day, we borrowed bicycles and helmets from the ship’s fleet and set off on our own, spending an idyllic afternoon riding amid the sun-kissed vineyards of Austria’s Wachau valley and tasting grüner-veltliner, the country’s most widely planted wine grape. One evening, we tasted wines in a 600-year-old wine cellar in Krems, Austria. In our final port of Budapest, we took a bus tour of the Hungarian capital.

Even with a larger capacity of 196 passengers, the ship didn’t feel crowded. (The line's AmaLea, by contrast, can carry 156 passengers.) Nor did the AmaMagna's size diminish the crew's personal touch.

The staff was friendly and attentive (crew members handed us cool, moist towels as we returned hot and sweaty from shore excursions). They went out of their way to be kind. I celebrated a birthday during our cruise and was delighted to find a card in our cabin from the seemingly tireless and cheerful cruise manager and other crew members. On the bed was a gift from the housekeeping staff: towels shaped into a swan.

By the end of the week, Barry and I concluded that the ship’s size and amenities did change the river cruise experience—for the better. The AmaMagna delivered on its state-of-the-art billing, but still felt like a favorite pair of slippers, cozy and comfortable. 

Vani Rangachar is digital content editor for AAA Explorer and Westways.