family vacation Archives - Alaska to Mickey

Ama Waterways July 6, 2020

Getting to Know the AmaMagna!

AmaMagna River Cruises down the Danube River are wonderful for couples or the family!

AmaWaterways has a deep passion for creating the best river cruise vacation experience for each guest. From carefully selected excursions to the gourmet menus to the little details on each ship their dedication to you shines through. “Ama” means love and it is at the heart of everything that they do!

Already in service were over 20 fabulous river cruise ships but AmaWaterways wanted to up the ante with the AmaMagna. With twice the width of other traditional European river ships, they have the ability to add some well-loved amenities. But, take note, this ship is twice the width but not twice the amount of passengers which means a little more elbow room (or social distance ability) for everyone. So, read on to find out how the AmaMagna might be the perfect river cruise ship for two or the whole family!

Sky Bar - Sunset DeckAmaMagna - Amawaterways

Herbs Garden on SunDeckAmaMagna - Amawaterways

Main Lounge Starboard - Deck 3AmaMagna - Amawaterways

Top: Sun Deck Pool and Spa bar/Sun Deck Herb Garden
Middle: Main Lobby and Atrium/Main Lounge
Bottom: Main Lounge Bar/Upper Lounge

AmaMagna’s Additional Amenities

More Spacious Suites

The Grand Suite aboard the AmaMagna could fit the family on a river cruise. — Grand Suite – Room #309 Deck 3 Starboard AmaMagna – Amawaterways

Suite aboard the AmaMagna sleeps up to four for your family river cruise. — Suite Cat. SA – Room #313 – Deck 3 Starboard AmaMagna – Amawaterways

Stateroom aboard the AmaMagna — Stateroom Cat. AA – Room #326 – Deck 3 Portside AmaMagna – Amawaterways

By doubling the width of this ship they are able to provide even more suites than a regular ship. In fact, more than half of the staterooms are suites with the bulk of them measuring a huge 355 sq. ft. In addition, there are six Grand Suites with 474 sq. ft and the one massive Owners Suite that is a whopping 710 sq. ft! The extra room is perfect for sleeping up to 4 guests. And, of course, they are fabulous not just for the space but also the elegant, relaxing decor.

Stateroom Features

In-room temperature control
Spacious bathrooms with multi-jet showerheads
Large wardrobe, full-length mirror, hair dryer, safe and direct-dial telephone
Flat-screen TV that also works as a computer
Entertainment on Demand system providing complimentary TV, movies and music library
Complimentary bottled water replenished daily
Complimentary internet and Wi-Fi
Desk and chair

Additional Dining Venues

Every ship will have a Main Restaurant and The Chef’s Table but the AmaMagna introduces two additional delicious new venues–Jimmy’s and the Al Fresco Restaurant.

Jimmy's family style restaurant aboard an AmaMagna river cruise. — Jimmy’s

Jimmy’s is a family-style restaurant named after the late co-owner Jimmy Murphy. The Al Fresco Restaurant features vegetable-forward cuisine at this refreshing outdoor space. Both restaurants continue the AmaWaterways tradition of exquisite locally sourced cuisine.

Al Fresco Restaurant aboard AmaMagna river cruise. — Al Fresco Restaurant

Check out this article by food and wine writer, Hana Lee S. She not only tells her thoughts about the dining aboard the AmaMagna but a little about the food you will find in the towns along the Danube.

Zen Wellness Studio

In this expanded fitness center the opportunity to transform your body, mind, and soul awaits! Enjoy the view as you cycle on the deck outside the fitness center. Group classes led by a professionally trained wellness host are scheduled throughout your cruise. After working up a good sweat take some time to rehydrate at the juice bar with some fresh-squeezed juice. To really relax, schedule a soothing massage in one of two treatment rooms.

Movie Cinema

The AmaMagna also offers a movie cinema onboard featuring family films. During the day you will even find video games to entertain all ages of guests. Just another reason why the AmaMagna is a fantastic river cruise ship for the family!

AmaMagna is a River Cruise for families

This is one of the reasons I love AmaWaterways! Helping families, including multi-generational, connect and make memories is one of my passions as a travel advisor.

AmaWaterways definitely created AmaMagna with families in mind to river cruise together. There are multiple suites that have up to triple or quad occupancy or have the capability of connecting so the whole family can be together. Up on the deck everyone in the whole family can enjoy the pool or giant chess set. Of course, there is the cinema and video games that will definitely appeal to the younger crowd.

Worried about what your kids might want to eat? Burgers, pizza and other comfort foods are served or can be requested for lunch or dinner.

Since port days are an integral part of a river cruise there are excursions available for different abilities. Traveling with young children or family members who don’t move quite as quickly? A gentle excursion might be for you. If you are an adventurous bunch, you might want a bike tour of the town and countryside and they even have bikes for children to ride.

Check out this interview of Denisse M. telling about the things her family loved from their trip aboard the AmaMagna. She traveled with her parents, husband, and two teenage daughters.

This is a great video highlighting the great features of the AmaMagna as well as why it is so fantastic for family groups.

AmaMagna Itineraries

You can sail down the Danube on the AmaMagna almost all year around. Enjoy spring flowers, the warmth of summer, the colors of fall and the traditions of Christmas. Any time is a great time to sail the Danube!

Magna on the Danube

Budapest, Hungary
Bratislava, Slovakia
Vienna, Krems/Spitz, and Linz, Austria
Passau and Vilshofen, Germany

Christmas Markets on the Danube

Budapest, Hungary
Bratislava, Slovakia
Vienna, Weissenkirchen, Melk, and Linz, Austria
Passau and Vilshofen, Germany

Current Special: Book by 9/30/2020 (for 2021) and receive free air or companion air*!

*economy air from select cities

Have more questions about (or want to book) the AmaMagna or an AmaWaterways river cruise for you or your family? Contact me!

Happy travels to you…until we meet again!

Here are some other links that might interest you:

Cruising April 20, 2020

Planning a Family Reunion? Consider a Cruise

A Cruise is a Good Family Reunion Vacation!

Right now we are not able to travel, not able to see friends, not able to see family. While we are able to connect with family through online chats it is just not the same as being right there with them. This is a difficult time for so many people due to separation from loved ones, working in stressful environments saving lives, and uncertainty about the future. When we get through all this, and we will, you might want to plan a family vacation to reunite with the ones you love and have been away from. A cruise might be just the vacation you need!

The last couple of cruises we have taken have been with extended family from different parts of the country. Cruises provide an excellent opportunity for families to reconnect and make memories. Read on and discover why a cruise makes a good family reunion vacation!

Why a cruise is good family vacation option

What makes a Cruise Good for Family Reunions

Accomodations for every family size and budget

One reason a cruise is a good family reunion vacation is that there are many different types of accommodations to fit every budget. Every family in your group has the opportunity to book a room that fits their needs. For budget-conscious family members, less expensive inside cabins are available. For family members who like to be pampered on their vacations, they can choose concierge cabins or suites. Single, double and triple cabins are convenient options for smaller families. Large families might enjoy staterooms that sleep 5 or 6 which are on some ships. Plus there is always the option for each family to spread out a little while still being close in connecting cabins. The possibilities are vast and flexible.

A Good Value

Often cruises provide good value for your money. Everything is included for a wonderful vacation–exceptional accommodations, gourmet dining, and extensive onboard activities. Plus, cruise lines offer promotions at different times for free specialty dining, kids sailing free, or other perks.

Activities for Everyone

Ocean Cruises

Onboard ocean cruises there are activities of many different kinds that will appeal to all ages of your family. Having options for all different family members makes a cruise a good family reunion possibility.

For the kids, most ocean cruises ships have a specific program for them with their own area on the ship. The youth programs are even divided out by ages so teens and pre-teens don’t have to hang out with little kids. Age-appropriate events and activities are planned for each group.

For the adults, there is so much to do I can’t even list it all. Many planned activities during the day include deck parties, games in the sports courts, fitness classes, destination lectures, trivia, meet-ups, introductions to spa experiences, tournaments in the casino, bingo and so much more. In the evening, nightlife varies throughout the bars, lounges, theaters, and casino.

For families, there are scheduled events so families can have fun together. There might be games on the deck or sports courts, craft times, trivia or events in the youth areas. Each cruise line will have fun family activities but I will say that Disney Cruise Line puts a special focus on creating events and activities to bring families together.

River Cruises

River cruise ship activities depend on the cruise line. Some cater to families and therefore have activities for all ages (think Adventures by Disney with AmaWaterways) and some are only for adults (think Viking). But, on a river cruise the emphasis is on the ports and getting out to explore the country. Port excursions are included and on some lines (especially AmaWaterways) there is a nice variety of options that fit different activity levels.

Time together and time apart

Ocean cruise ships offer the opportunity for families to have as much time together and time apart as they wish. This is another benefit that makes a cruise a good family reunion vacation option. Part or all of your family can plan activities together during the day, plan to hang out in the same place, or just expect to see each other in passing throughout the day. You can arrange to eat all your meals together or only one a day as a time for everyone to catch up. In the evening, you can all attend the featured show together and then go your separate ways for the rest of the night. How much togetherness is all up to each family and what fits for them. Even on port days you can plan excursions together each stop, some stops, or separately. There is so much flexibility. This makes a cruise so fantastic for family reunions!

River cruises are similar but a little bit different. Each day is a port day. Every river cruise line differs but most plan a variety of shore excursions each day depending on activity level or interest. This is a fantastic opportunity for family members to have the outing each person (or family) wants and then everyone can reconvene for dinner that evening to share about their adventures.

Effortless Dining

So often it is very difficult to eat all together as a family. A cruise makes it so easy! Your family is assigned to the same tables in the same dining room each night (except Disney Cruise Line which as rotational dining). In the main dining rooms, they have very large tables that can seat 10, 12 or sometimes more. Plus, tables are fairly close together so if you need a few to seat your whole family you still within a nice distance. Another great feature is the diverse menu which can satisfy all members of your family. And, there is no having to deal with splitting up the bill.

Just so you know, eating in the main dining room each night is not required. The main dining room just guarantees a place for your family to be all together. The decision is up to each family.

Convenient Family Communication

If you are out of the country at a resort, communication between families can be difficult and expensive. Depending on your cruise line, ship communication with families aboard can be really easy. Cruise lines have apps that travelers can download and use for free while onboard. Often they have a communication feature that allows you to send messages to other family members. Currently, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity offer this free on select ships. Disney Cruise Line, Holland America and Princess also have this feature at no additional cost. Norwegian and Carnival have a nominal fee to enable the messaging feature to their apps.

Easy planning

Well, planning is easy if you use a travel advisor. Your travel advisor will help you to pick the best cruise for your family based on the cruise line, destinations, promotions and Once you finalize the ship and itinerary, your travel advisor will also help by keeping track of the needs of each family. Often your travel advisor will create a particular group so that everyone can communicate important information before the cruise.

Do you have other reasons you enjoy a cruise for your family reunion? Let me know in the comments!

Happy travels to you…until we meet again!

Is a River Cruise Right For My Family?

While a river cruise might not be the perfect vacation for every family, it is definitely a great option for many! Whether you are traveling with just immediate family or a multi-generational expedition and river cruise just might fit the bill for every member. Read on and find out if a river cruise is right for your family!

Who might love a River Cruise:

Families with older children (usually about 8 and up) unless choosing family-specific cruise/cruise line with planned children’s activities
Adult families
Families who love the ease of unpacking only once, and ease of disembarking the ship in port
Families who love to spend a few days in one country (rather than one day) to be able to explore more of the history, culture, and geography
Families wanting to visit small towns and local life as well as major tourist attractions
Families who want to engage more with the places they are visiting and not on ship activities
Families who want to be part of a “family” on their vacation and get to know the other families who are traveling with them
Families who desire incredible food with options from the local area
Families who would like an included excursion to introduce the area before going out to explore on their own
Families who want to choose the activity level of their excursions
Families prone to motion sickness (river cruises have very little movement when compared to an ocean cruise)

Who might not love a River Cruise:

Families with young children
Families wanting vast children’s programming and babysitting
Families who thoroughly enjoy participating in a host of activities onboard the ship
Larger Families who need/want to stay in the same room
Families who really want a pool deck with a large pool

A very important part of a family river cruise is picking the correct cruise line and itinerary. Some lines cater to families better than others with specifically designed activities on specific sailings during the year.

Cruise Lines that might be a fantastic option for your family:

Adventures by Disney (on AmaWaterways) is an amazing river cruise option. Disney certainly knows how to elevate a vacation experience from great to out of this world! They carefully craft the itineraries with special activities onboard and onshore that kids and adults will love. Every detail is taken care of so that you can truly relax and enjoy your family. For adults who want to experience the top-notch Disney customer service and pampering but without children can book adult-only Adventure by Disney river cruises. Note of caution: Don’t expect to see any Disney characters just some very funloving Adventure Guides.

AmaWaterways is another nice option. Some of their ships have 3 and 4 person staterooms for families and features that will appeal to the younger set. They provide excursions of different activity levels so families can tailor their adventures to their needs. These cruises are probably more enjoyable for families with children 8 and up.

Tauck’s Bridges family journeys offer hugely popular river cruises during school breaks–summer and Christmas. These family designed river adventures can take you through much of Europe, or to the Galapagos. They also have land journeys on which you can experience Latin America, Africa or Alaska.

Uniworld might corner the market for luxury river cruise travel but that doesn’t mean they don’t know how to make a cruise fun for kids. Family-oriented cruises are scheduled around school breaks. Activities are designed to help children engage with the culture and country around them as well as being a lot of fun. They get pretty creative with their adventures for kids. Also included are kid-friendly menus, a special dinner table just for young travelers on specific nights, Young travelers lounge, movie nights and “learn the lingo” activities. To top it all off Uniworld offers a 25% discount for kids (ages 4-17) fares.

Have more questions about whether a river cruise is right for you or your family? About which cruise line would be best?

Contact Alaska to Mickey Vacations for answers!