Super-sized Ships: Exciting Times On The Danube

#XperienceTravelTheTaylorWay

A rendering of AmaMagna. Courtesy of AmaWaterways

You may have missed the news last week. AmaWaterways is going big. The company is building a double-wide river cruiser for the Danube.

Construction on AmaMagna started in March. The new ship will set sail in 2019. It will be interesting to see what AmaWaterways brings to the table – or rather, to the Danube. With the expanded space, AmaWaterways can include more features on AmaMagna than are on its current fleet.

Some of those features that river cruisers may find attractive: alternative al fresco dining; a heated sundeck swimming pool, whirlpool and sky bar; an expanded spa area as well as AmaWaterways’ largest fitness room ever; and an open-water sports platform, the first of its kind for river cruising, with zodiac boats, canoes and recreational equipment.

Comparisons to Crystal Mozart come to mind. At roughly 75 feet across, Crystal Mozart can cruise upstream only a little beyond Passau, Germany. It’s too wide to transit the narrow locks of the Main-Danube Canal, which means Crystal Mozart’s itineraries are limited to the Danube, as will be AmaMagna’s itineraries. That’s not a deal-breaker. There’s quite a lot of beauty, as well as many marquee cities, along the Danube.

Crystal Mozart will have a double-wide competitor come 2019. © 2016 Ralph Grizzle

While Crystal Mozart carries 158 guests in 78 staterooms and suites, AmaMagna will carry 194 in 97 staterooms. Crystal Mozart operates with 91 crew. It’s not likely that AmaWaterways will replicate Crystal’s 1:1.75 crew-to-guest ratio. To achieve the same crew-to-guest ratio, AmaMagna would require close to 110 crew. AmaWaterways typically operates with a 1:3 crew-to-guest ratio, which means we can expect around 65 crew on AmaMagna.

AmaMagna will feature larger staterooms than Crystal Mozart. Most of AmaMagna’s staterooms will measure more than 300 square feet, compared to 219 square feet for most of the staterooms on Crystal Mozart. Penthouse Suites on Crystal Mozart, however, measure 330 square feet, and Mozart’s two-bedroom Crystal Suites measure a staggering 883 square feet.

Staterooms will be roomy on AmaMagna. Courtesy of AmaWaterways

With two years remaining before its launch, AmaMagna is an exciting develop for AmaWaterways and for river cruisers like you and me. I, for one, will be watching for future announcements about what AmaWaterways’ super-sized ship will bring to the Danube. Stay tuned.

The post Super-sized Ships: Exciting Times On The Danube appeared first on River Cruise Advisor.

from River Cruise Advisor http://ift.tt/2qlrPUK Visit Taylor & Co. Travel’s AllInclusive website at http://ift.tt/2ndHCGE for all your travel, wedding & accessory needs, and to book your River Cruise Xperience or Destination Wedding!!!
via IFTTT