AmaWaterways' Kristin Karst on 'The Luxury of Choice'

River cruisers are probably familiar with AmaWaterways Executive Vice President and Co-Founder Kristin Karst. She’s an industry pioneer and one of its most tireless advocates. Known for her approachable style and strong agent relationships, Karst is the linchpin in the 16-year-old company’s growth.

Vacation Agent spoke with Karst about the line’s latest updates and key selling points, including its appeal to the family market.

AmaWaterways was one of the first river cruise lines to see the potential of the family market. Tell us how that came about.

We have always seen families coming aboard our ships. Rudi (Rudi Schreiner, the line’s president and co-founder) and I are quite often on board. We’ve seen up to 20 kids at a time on the Christmas sailings. Last year, we even had one family of 58 on board. It was amazing.

In 2016 we started to build ships with connecting staterooms, which are quite popular with families. We offered connecting rooms on AmaViola and AmaStella. In 2017 we offered them on AmaKristina and now, on our newest ship, AmaLea. AmaMagna and AmaMora will have connecting rooms when they debut in 2019.

Why is river cruising an appealing option for families?

You have beautiful times of the year, such as the Christmas Market season. It really does bring the magic of Europe to life. Of course, everything is included when you cruise. The choices we offer on board are very attractive to families. The grandparents might do a city tour. The parents might want to do a more active hiking tour or a culinary tour. The kids might want to do a bike ride. Then, everyone comes together for meals.

AmaWaterways offers stress-free, convenient and customized river cruises for the individual needs of families. We call it the luxury of choice.

Tell us about your partnership with Adventures by Disney to offer river cruises designed specifically for families.

Adventures by Disney realized that the river cruise experience could be a successful vacation option for families. So, we developed a program together. We began the relationship with them in 2016 with a Danube charter. In 2017, we added the Rhine River, and we will add the Seine River in 2019. It’s a partnership that is working very well. It’s fantastic for both sides.

We provide the ship, the crew and the cruise manager. We design the nautical schedules so that the ships spend longer times in port. Adventures by Disney designs their own shore excursions. There are eight Adventures by Disney guides on board. They group the kids by age and have lunch or dinner with them. When the parents are at the Chef’s Table in the evening, the kids will have dinner together.

Later, they might watch a movie night with popcorn. We have children’s menus with all the things they want, such as pizza and hot dogs. There are so many wonderful things to do on the ship. On excursions, the kids might wear costumes when they go to a castle. The affiliation with Disney is a great endorsement for us—and it’s a sign that river cruising is something families will enjoy.

In 2019, AmaWaterways is introducing AmaMagna, which is almost twice the width of other river vessels in Europe. What can you tell us about the ship?

AmaMagna will offer much more space than other ships, so there is more to love. It is an attractive option for their ocean cruise clients who may think river cruise ships are too small.

This ship will carry 196 guests, which is only about 18 percent more than on our other ships. But, guests will have so much more personal space, more leisure space and more space for health and wellness.

Everything on board AmaMagna is state-of-the-art, and the engines are environmentally friendly.

What are some of the ship’s notable features and amenities?

First of all, the majority of our cabins are 350 square feet. We also have six Grand suites, at 474 square feet, and one Owner’s Suite, at 710 square feet. The suites have pullout sofas and can accommodate up to four. Families can take two rooms with connecting doors.

For dining, we have the main restaurant and also Jimmy’s Wine Bar. It can seat up to 65 guests on banquettes. We will have the same menu as in the main restaurant, but it will be offered on sharing plates so that everyone can taste everything. We also have The Chef’s Table and an al fresco restaurant serving farm-to-table cuisine.

In the evening, we will have entertainment in Jimmy’s and activities in other venues. AmaMagna will also have a watersports platform. Families or wedding parties can take our Sundowner excursion boats for private excursions along the banks of the river. We are also offering a Concierge Golf Program with AmaMagna. There are so many beautiful courses that your guests can visit from the Danube.

AmaWaterways will debut two more ships in 2019. What can you tell us about them?

AmaMora, a sister ship to AmaLea and AmaKristina, will sail on the Rhine from Amsterdam to Basel. AmaDouro is coming to the Douro River in Portugal. We have such a strong demand in Portugal that we needed this new ship, which will sail roundtrip from Porto.