Looking to sail on a European river cruise and not sure which line is best? Here at rivercruisecomparison.com we've brought you a Riverside vs AmaWaterways head-to-head matchup. Does either of these river cruise lines get your knock out vote? Let us know in the comments below.
Round 1: Pricing & Booking Policies
Price comparisons with Riverside are a little harder than most cruise lines due to the options available when booking. First, Riverside operates far fewer ships so there are less direct matches for comparison. Second, Riverside offers four booking “tiers” that range from cruise only fares (no excursions or alcoholic drinks included) to an all-inclusive option. When selecting the Riverside tier that most closely matches to AmaWaterways’ experience, we find that the pricing with Riverside tends to come in slightly less than AmaWaterways. But Riverside is still in its first few years of operating European river cruises, so we expect their future pricing will increase at a faster rate than AmaWaterways if demand for their product grows and ships are filled closer to capacity.
When booked far enough in advance, Riverside offers a 10% early booking discount. They have also offered an onboard credit booking incentive from time-to-time. AmaWaterways offers a wider variety of sales throughout the year that range from reduced cruise fares, free cabin upgrades, prepaid gratuities, airfare promotions, and pre-/post-land package specials. One thing to note with Riverside is that they do not offer pre-/post-land packages, air arrangements, or insurance options through the cruise line – though each of those can easily be arranged separately through your travel advisor.
AmaWaterways offers free beer and wine at lunch and dinner, as well as a one-hour pre-dinner window where guests can choose from a drink menu of select complimentary mixed drinks, wines, and beers. With Riverside, what drinks are/are not included will depend on what booking “tier” you purchased. If your booking package does not include your beverage of choice, you can certainly purchase for a cost while on board.
Riverside includes gratuities in their cruise fare, while AmaWaterways does not.
Deposits for both lines have limited refundable timelines, which eventually become fully non-refundable. Riverside requires a 10% deposit per cabin, while AmaWaterways typically requires an $800 deposit per cabin. The deadline for making final payment for both lines require full payment at 90 days prior to your sail date.
Traveling solo? If so, both Riverside and AmaWaterways offer options that are not going to penalize you. Riverside is currently offering no single supplement on any of their entry level cabins on their lowest level. AmaWaterways offers a reduced 50% (or less) single supplement on many cabins. On some ships they also offer at least a few cabins per sailing with no single supplement at all. Finally, AmaWaterways does have a few ships where special solo cabins (smaller rooms at 140 square feet) are sold at their own rate.
Looking to travel with kids under 18? Riverside has no minimum age requirement, while AmaWaterways allows children 4 years and older onboard. Those under the age of 18 must be accompanied by, and share a cabin with, a parent, legal guardian, or responsible adult over the age of 21.
AmaWaterways offers a discount for returning guests, while Riverside currently does not.
Verdict for this round of Riverside vs AmaWaterways:
For some, AmaWaterways will win this round by default if Riverside does not offer the specific sailing of interest due to their small fleet of ships. But when there is a sailing on each line to compare, it might end up being an extremely hard choice to make. When converting the pricing to a daily average, Riverside might come out slightly less than AmaWaterways. Other areas where Riverside might prevail is if you are sailing with children less than 4 years of age, or want a sailing less than 7 nights in duration.
Round 2: Cabins & Onboard Amenities
If design aesthetic is important to you, then you have some slight differences between both cruise lines to consider. Riverside presents an opulent, refined elegance with a serene color palette and a blend of traditional and contemporary design elements. Both the Ravel and Debussy ships are identical, with the Mozart having design differences due to the extra wide size of the ship. AmaWaterways presents a less traditional and more contemporary interior design, with a refined European elegance and rich color palette. Their ships are not uniform in layout, but their design aesthetic is common across all their European cruise ships.
Cabin sizes offered by each line can vary quite a bit, but the most common cabins on each line are very similar in square footage – between 194 and 215 square feet for Riverside and 170 and 235 square feet for AmaWaterways. Both lines have an outlier in the world of European river cruise ships, with each having a ship almost double in width to the average river cruise ship (Mozart for Riverside and AmaMagna for AmaWaterways). The extra space allows for larger cabins across the board (as well as more generous public spaces and additional bars and restaurants).
All of Riverside’s ships have elevator access to the lowest deck for cabins, while some (not all) of AmaWaterways’ have elevator access to all cabin floors. Both cruise lines have some limited options for connecting rooms, and AmaWaterways even has a few ships that they state can hold 3 people – a rarity in the world of river cruising.
Onboard amenities are similar for both lines. Both have free Wi-Fi, onboard bicycles, fitness room, massage services, and a hair salon (only some ships with AmaWaterways).
AmaWaterways offers a Wellness Program on each of its ships, where a Wellness Host will lead morning and afternoon yoga, stretches, etc. The host will also lead any hiking and biking excursions. Currently, Riverside does not offer an official Wellness Program but their salon, pool, and fitness room offerings are larger and more robust than what AmaWaterways provides.
Verdict for this round of Riverside vs AmaWaterways:
This round probably ends in a split verdict, with very few meaningful differences between each cruise line. The Wellness Program might tip the scale for some towards AmaWaterways, while the more robust spa and fitness offerings with Riverside might make the difference for others.
Round 3: Excursions
AmaWaterways offers you several included excursions in each port at no extra charge. You will likely have an option for a basic city tour (by foot or bus), a hike or bike option, and a more culturally immersive option such as a visit to a local landmark, museum, or concert. They will also offer a handful of extra excursions that you can opt to take (for an additional charge). With Riverside, your excursions are only included if you have booked into one of their pricing “tiers” that included them (though you can book individually on the ship at an extra cost). When comparing the type and quality of excursions, AmaWaterways offers a few options that are more immersive than what Riverside offers.
Verdict for this round of Riverside vs AmaWaterways:
The clear winner for this round is AmaWaterways. They offer a well-rounded set of excursions to choose from, with a greater emphasis on locally immersive experiences. As a new cruise line, Riverside is still building relationships with vendors. The excursions offered tend to be more basic and less elevated experiences. As time goes on, the quantity and quality of Riverside’s offerings should increase.
Round 4: Dining Experience
Food is probably one of the most talked about comparisons when selecting a river cruise. The problem with this is that dining experiences are subjective, and mostly dependent on the execution by onboard staff (both front and back of the house). For every traveler that says they absolutely loved their food on either of these lines, you will find another who complains about the experience. So, comparisons are really about an overall impression on the consistency of service across each cruise line’s fleet.
Both Riverside and AmaWaterways offer buffet-style dining for breakfast and lunch, as well as some limited full-service ordering during both meals. Dinners on both lines are multi-course affairs with at least two or three options to choose from for each course. Special diet requests can be accommodated on either cruise line. Both lines market themselves as offering locally sourced ingredients, with dishes inspired by the places visited during the cruise. Riverside provides continental breakfast, lunch, and dinner through room service, while AmaWaterways does not offer any type of room service at all.
Both Riverside and AmaWaterways offer a unique dining experience on each sailing. Riverside’s Vintage Room provides guests with a unique, memorable 7-course menu paired with high quality wines. The Vintage Room is only offered on certain nights, must be reserved in advance, and comes with an additional per person charge. AmaWaterways’ Chef’s Table provides an intimate, gastronomic experience where guests observe the chef cooking in an exhibition kitchen, and experience a multi-course tasting menu. It comes at no additional charge but is limited to one dining experience per sailing.
What do critics and travelers say? In 2021, AmaWaterways became the first river cruise line to be inducted into Tables et Auberges de France, a French association that celebrates regional flavors and locally sourced ingredients. AmaWaterways has also been a member of La Confrérie de la Chaînedes Rôtisseurs since 2011. In 2024, AmaWaterways came in at number 10 on Food & Wine's Global Tastemakers list (only one other river cruise line made the list - Viking at number 8). While Riverside is new to European river cruising, they have made a splash with their culinary offerings – even earning the top spot for river cruises from a major cruise critic website in 2023. Feedback from clients tends to support this recognition, with their wine selection getting high marks.
Verdict for this round of Riverside vs AmaWaterways:
Both Riverside and AmaWaterways are probably tops in the river cruise market for onboard dining experiences. While many will likely call this matchup a draw, we are giving the winning edge to Riverside for having room service at all mealtimes, and because they have made a mark for themselves with their dining experience in such a short period of time.
The Verdict: Who Wins this Head-to-Head Matchup?
With both cruise lines ending several of the rounds with somewhat of a split decision, AmaWaterways’ easy win in Round 3 helps tip the scale of this matchup – with the overall match going to...AmaWaterways!
Want to learn more about river cruising? Visit us at rivercruisecomparison.com where you can review our comparisons of the best river cruise lines that sail throughout Europe, learn more about the European rivers you can sail on, and browse our special offers to save a little money on your next sailing. And don't forget to take our one-of-a-kind quiz that will match you to the cruise line best suited to you and your preferences!
Comments