PHOTO: Amadeus Silver, here sailing on the Danube, will be features on Amras' river cruise offerings. (courtesy of Amras Cruises)
Amras Cruises, a new Boston-based company representing river cruise products, made its debut this past week offering 16 European river cruise departures for North American travelers on Amadeus by Luftner Cruises' vessels.
The new venture represents the most recent effort by a European-based river cruise company to cater specifically to customers in the U.S. AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways, Tauck, Viking Cruises and Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, all based in the U.S., currently dominate the U.S. market for European river cruises here.
But other European-based river cruise companies have begun targeting U.S. customers over the past three years, including A-Rosa and CroisiEurope. Scenic Cruises, an Australian company offering European river cruises, also is now making a major effort to attract North American guests as well.
This also is not the first time that Amadeus has targeted U.S. customers. In November 2012 Amadeus was the first client for Optriant, a company set up by Preferred Hospitality Group to represent non-hotel travel products and destinations.
Dr. Wolfgang Luftner, Amadeus' founder and president, said his company has now ended its affiliation with Optriant in favor of its new deal with Amras. Amadeus has a fleet of 11 river ships with another vessel set to debut this April.
Amras will begin this year by offering two Amadeus departures: "2014 Christmas Markets on the Rhine" and "2014 Christmas Markets on the Danube." But in 2015 it will expand its inventory with 16 customizable itineraries on European rivers.
Amras is marketing Amadeus' river cruise product by highlighting its crews trained in traditional Austrian hospitality, known as Gemütlichkeit, as well as customizable options.
"We recognize that the river cruise industry has become very cookie cutter and that there is definitely demand for a more customizable travel experience," said Rudi Joham, Amras' president and managing director. "When traveling with us, our guests will have more opportunities to explore, either independently or part of an escorted group, or to combine multiple itineraries."
"The Amras philosophy is to include as much as possible into the cruise and land price, so an Amras traveler can travel worry free," Joham added. "There's no need to think about gratuities, or which shore excursion to buy, or whether or not to have that afternoon Viennese coffee. It's all included. At your service."
For 2015 Amras will offer Amadeus cruises on the Seine, Saone, Rhone, Moselle, Rhine, Main and Danube rivers. Many of the sailings will be on the Amadeus Silver, recently named the "2013 River Ship of the Year" by Germany's Kreuzfahrtguide.
Amras also will offer cruises on the Amadeus Silver II, a sister ship set to debut in April, which will travel through Holland and Belgium and down the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers.
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