​AmaWaterways vs Viking River Cruises | Rhine River Cruise Comparison & Review | Best European Line?

​AmaWaterways vs Viking River Cruises | Rhine River Cruise Comparison & Review | Best European Line?

Just a reminder that all proceeds from our channel are donated to charity. Please help us help others by giving us a thumbs up, commenting, or subscribing to our channel. Your support makes a difference. [Music] We’ve had the chance to sail the Rine with both Amma Waterways and Viking just months apart. And many of you asked us to compare the two. So, in this video, we’re breaking down 10 key differences and sharing which cruise line won each category based on our firsthand experience. And stick around to the end where we’ll reveal our overall winner. Let’s kick things off with number 10, demographics. And this one might help you figure out who you’ll be traveling with. Amma Waterways draws a slightly younger crowd with average ages often in the mid50s to early 60s depending on the itinerary. Children over the age of four are welcome, though you won’t see many. There are no kids clubs or family entertainment, but AMA does appeal more to an active traveler crowd, including multigenerational groups or younger couples. Viking River Cruises tends to attract a more mature audience with the average passenger in their late 60s to early 70s. Viking is also strictly 18 and older, so if you’re looking for a cruise without children and a quieter onboard atmosphere, that’s a big plus. For us, the slightly younger and more active traveler crowd on Amma waterways made our experience feel more energetic and aligned with our pace. So, when it comes to demographics, the winner in our book is Amma Waterways. Coming in at number nine, food. On Amma waterways, we found more variety at lunch, including daily appetizers for the table and freshly baked breads. The breakfast buffet offered more diversity and little touches like daily afternoon tea, fresh cheeses, olives, and savory tapas available throughout the day added to the experience. The chef’s table dinner was also a highlight. a multicourse tasting menu included in the cruise fair. Regardless of when or where we ate, the presentation was lovely with interesting table wear and plating. On Viking, the food was also very good. The soup stood out as consistently excellent. The breads were just as enjoyable, and we appreciated the effort that went into the regional specialty dinners, especially the German theme night, which felt like a lively event with more of a celebratory feel than on Amma. So, while we enjoyed dining on both lines, the winner for food, thanks to the variety, European touches, and overall presentation, is Amma Waterways. For more detail, check out our full dining guides that you can find on our channel, including photos and menus. If you can’t read the menus, you can always email us for better images. Let’s move on to wine and drinks. An important part of the onboard experience for many travelers. Amma includes beer, wine, and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, and their sip and sail happy hour is a nice bonus. Before dinner each evening, guests can enjoy a selection of complimentary cocktails, beer, wine, and spirits in the lounge, which is something Viking doesn’t offer. This adds a casual, social vibe to the pre-dinner experience. Both lines offer regional beer selections with meals, but we didn’t find significant differences worth highlighting. However, while sailing the Rine with Amma, we found the wine selections, both included and premium, to be underwhelming. And surprisingly, the premium list was quite limited. So even though the happy hour is a great feature, the overall wine program didn’t match our expectations. Viking also includes beer, wine, and soft drinks at lunch and dinner. But what stood out to us was the quality and range of the wines, especially for a Ryan River cruise. The premium wine list was much more extensive, and the included wines were consistently enjoyable. Perhaps it’s because Viking has its own private label wines in Germany. Maybe. So, another nice touch, Viking offers local schnaps tastings on multiple nights, not just once. A fun and cultural addition we appreciated. While they don’t have a dedicated happy hour, the wine served with meals felt like more of a highlight on Viking. It’s important to note that we sailed the Ry River on each line, so the difference in wine quality wasn’t due to the region. It was due to the cruise lines wine program itself. So, which cruise line had us raising our glass in approval? Since we love wine, our pick for this category is Viking. For more detail, check out our full dining guides that you can find on our channel, including photos and menus. If you can’t read the menus, you can always email us for better images. Let’s move on from sipping to strolling because coming in at number seven, it’s time to talk about excursions. For many travelers, the excursions are the heart of a river cruise experience. And this is where Amma waterways really shines for active guests like us. On Amma, you’ll generally have a few included options in every port. Most days, there’s a general walking tour or a day visit to a cultural point of interest, but also an opportunity to go hiking or on a bike ride. You don’t have to be a triathlete to enjoy them, but it’s perfect if you like getting your steps in and soaking in the scenery. Even the walking tours usually offer three pace levels: gentle, regular, and active. Choosing active might mean walking into town instead of taking the bus like we did in Strasburg, or it might just mean keeping up a faster pace with fewer stops. The point is, you choose and it’s all included. Now, compare that with Viking. You typically get one included excursion per port, usually a walking tour with no pace options. And that pace, it’s set by the slowest person in the group. It’s luck of the draw. That said, Viking did impress us with its Jewish heritage content. On several stops, they offered optional excursions focused on local Jewish history and even work these stories into their included tours. It felt thoughtful and intentional. On Amma, we noticed a lack of this. Our guides didn’t even mention Holocaust related history in places where it seemed appropriate, like when we passed over stumbling stones without any explanation. We found this emphasis on Jewish heritage deeply meaningful. And we weren’t alone. Several fellow passengers shared how much they appreciated Vikings thoughtful inclusion of this important history. Viking does offer optional excursions and sometimes these include active options like ebiking, but those always come at an extra cost, often around $100 or more per person. That’s something to consider when comparing value. Now, in Amama, there are no optional excursions available through the cruise line. So, what you see listed is what you get. If there’s something specific you want to see that’s not on the schedule, you’ll need to arrange it on your own, which can be tricky on a river cruise. Docking times often vary because of river traffic or lock delays. So, coordinating a private tour comes with risk and uncertainty. That’s something worth thinking about depending on your travel style. So, who wins when it comes to excursions? For us, the winner is Ammo Waterways. Having multiple included choices in most ports and the ability to select the pace that fits your energy level makes a big difference, especially for active travelers like us. We loved being able to hike, bike, or take a faster paced walking tour without paying extra. While Viking did a great job with cultural depth in some places like Jewish Heritage Content, we feel Amma offers more flexibility and physical variety which really fit our style. Coming in at number six, let’s talk about cabins. Just like with excursions, there are some pretty noticeable differences between Viking and Amma waterways when it comes to state rooms. And depending on your preferences, you might feel strongly one way or the other. Let’s start with Amma waterways, where we typically book a fixed window or French balcony cabin rather than a suite. What stood out to us right away was the brighter, more welcoming decor. The cabins felt warm and inviting, not overly sleek or sterile, and small touches like table lamps by the bed really added to the cozy ambiance. The bathrooms on Amma also had some clear advantages. They were larger overall with better storage, including cabinets that helped us keep things neat. The shower included both a rainfall head and a handheld nozzle, which we appreciated. Storage in the main cabin area, however, is more limited. There aren’t traditional drawers, just the small ones in the nightstands. That said, Emma makes smart use of the space with underbed pullout drawers, which we found really helpful. Now, let’s look at Viking. The decor here is sleek and Scandinavian with a more muted and monotone palette. It’s elegant and modern, but felt a bit cooler and less personal to us. Viking cabins do offer better storage in the main area, including actual drawers, which we appreciated. And if you like to stay organized like we do, here’s a tip. Magnetic hooks work perfectly on Viking walls, but not on Amma. We use them all the time, and we’ll drop a link below for the ones we travel with. When it comes to the balcony cabins, which are very popular on river cruises, we really preferred Amma’s twin balcony design. You get a French balcony and a full stepout balcony, which gives you a wall of windows, bringing in more light and making the room feel more spacious. The bathroom is larger in this category, whereas on Viking, the bathroom is the same as every other stateateroom except suites. We even prefer Amma waterways French balcony rooms because they are a bit larger than Vikings. The fixed window stateaterooms, which are the entry-level cabins on both lines, are pretty comparable in layout and feel. For those considering a suite, Viking has the edge. They offer two suite types, veranda and explorer suites with better layouts and real separation between living and sleeping areas. AMA only has one suite category and it’s a studio style layout with no privacy between the spaces aside from the bathroom. The only other note we’ll add is that the in room entertainment and connectivity on Viking fell short. TV channels often failed to load and the Wi-Fi speed was extremely slow. While this might not matter much on a busy river cruise, for some staying connected is important to us, especially when we’re working on the go to bring you videos like this. The difference in quality between the two lines just a few months apart was surprisingly noticeable. We’ll be diving into some key differences in capacity and pricing later in our countdown, but when it comes to cabins, the winner for us is Amma Waterways. If you’ve seen our room tours, you know we usually book a French balcony or even a standard fixed window stateateroom to stretch our cruise budget and make more use of the beautiful common areas on board. Emma’s brighter decor, smarter bathroom layouts, and thoughtful details throughout the cabin make them a better fit for how we travel. While we admire the twin balcony design, we typically don’t choose it. And on Viking, we’ve actually found the French balcony stateaterooms to feel a little too tight for the price. As we said in number six, we typically book smaller stateaterooms and rely more on the shared spaces around the ship. So, how that space is designed and what’s available really matters to us. That brings us to number five, ship design. While most river cruise ships in Europe are similar in size due to lock and bridge constraints, how that space is used can vary significantly between cruise lines. Amma waterways does have one notable exception, the Amma Magna, which is twice as wide as a standard vessel, but only sails on the Danube. Still, even within the standard size limits, we noticed a few key differences that really mattered to us. Let’s start with ALMA waterways, whose ships generally carry 158 passengers and 79 cabins, supported by a crew of 49. What stands out is how Amma chooses to allocate that space. Instead of squeezing in extra cabins, AMA builds in additional public spaces that enhance the onboard experience. a fitness center, a massage and treatment room, a hair salon, the chef’s table, specialty restaurant, and even a small pool on the sund deck. For travelers like us, these design choices make a real difference. We make use of the fitness center, and while the pool may be small, we’ve actually used it for swim workouts with a tether. For others, it’s a relaxing place to cool off or enjoy the swim up bar during warmer weather. We also love the forward sund deck lounge area outfitted with cushioned chairs and tables, perfect for relaxing and enjoying the scenery. On Viking long ships, all vessels are built to a standardized design, 95 cabins accommodating 190 passengers with a crew of 50. To make space for the extra cabins, Viking does away with some of the wellness and dining spaces you’ll find on Amma. That means no fitness center, no spa room, no pool, and no second specialty restaurant. What Viking does with that space is add more cabins overall, including two larger explorer suites located at the back of the ship. We also have to give Viking credit for their beautifully designed Aquavit terrace, an open air seating and dining space at the bow. It’s a highlight of the ship and one of the few truly alfresco dining options in river cruising. Amma has an open casual indoor dining space adjacent to the main restaurant that’s available for breakfast and lunch, but it’s not open air. While both ships are elegant and thoughtfully designed, for us the winner is Ama Waterways. We truly enjoy Vikings Aquavit Terrace. It’s a beautiful place to relax and their explorer suites are impressive. But what makes the difference for us is how Amma Waterways uses its space to include features that really enhance our experience. a fitness center, the chef’s table, restaurant, and even a small pool. These shared spaces align with our active lifestyle and how we like to cruise, and they’re made possible in part by having fewer cabins on board, a trade-off we’re happy to make. All right, number four on our list is one you might not think about right away, but it really shaped our experience on board. Let’s talk about entertainment and how we spend our evenings. This is where Viking really surprised us in the best way. As we talked about in the last section, we really value common spaces and how they’re used, not just for relaxing, but also for bringing people together. That’s why onboard entertainment and social activities matter to us. One thing we really enjoyed on Viking was the interactive passenger events like trivia nights after dinner. These were offered every few evenings and gave us the chance to actually engage with other guests rather than just be spectators. On our Amma waterways cruises, evening programming lean more toward performances like guest singers or musicians, which some travelers may prefer, but we like the more casual participatory vibe on Viking. Both lines have a resident piano player providing background music in the lounge, and both bring on occasional local performers or enrichment speakers. But what really stood out to us was how much connection and camaraderie developed among Viking passengers. Those little social touches made a big difference in how the crews felt. For us, Viking wins this one for creating more natural opportunities to interact and connect with others on board. From social evenings to shared meals, let’s talk about the dining atmosphere on board. We already mentioned how much we enjoyed Vikings Aquavet Terrace for Alfresco dining, but we also want to highlight the main dining room. It’s open, bright, and has a relaxed yet refined feel that we really appreciated. On Amma waterways, the dining room has a cozier feel. And while the chef’s table restaurant is a standout feature that we really enjoyed, it’s not part of the daily dining experience, it’s typically offered just once per cruise. What impressed us in terms of day-to-day dining was the versatility of seating in the main dining room. Whether we wanted a quiet table for two or a larger table to socialize, there were usually options available without needing to ask or wait. While many passengers love the ability to choose how social they want to be at each meal, we actually prefer the consistent layout and larger shared tables on Viking, which match the friendly interactive atmosphere we appreciated throughout the cruise. So, while Amma may be the winner for those who like dining flexibility for us, the overall experience combined with the airy setting and Aquavit terrace makes Viking the winner again here. After discussing the dining experiences on board, let’s delve into a topic that’s often top of mind when planning a river cruise, the cost. While Vikings Base Fair may appear lower at first glance, there’s more to consider. Amma offers more variety and promotions and often has multiple discounts running at the same time, including luxury land packages. Finding special offers on both the Amma waterways and Viking websites isn’t very straightforward. So, this may be a great time to consider working with a travel agent who knows where to look. But to help you navigate it on your own, we recorded our screens to show exactly how to locate these deals. Both websites have a section labeled special offers. And while it’s not always easy to uncover the best discounts, they are there if you know where to click. Let’s start with Amma Waterways where we personally prefer the included land extensions. On our last cruise, we experienced one of these packages, and it truly felt luxurious with upscale hotels and guided tours included every day. What’s more, Amma often allows you to combine these land extensions with sale fairs, which adds even more value. Daily touring isn’t part of Vikings basic land packages, which we’ve discussed in detail in our Viking extension guide. Vikings offers usually aren’t dramatic price cuts, but more often include things like low deposits or reduced or free airfare, as you can see here. For some travelers, that can be a great value. But for travelers like us who prefer to book our own flights because of airline loyalty and the control it gives us over schedules, airfare specials aren’t that appealing. So, while Viking may highlight these kinds of promotions, it’s important to look beyond the headline offer and consider what actually fits your travel style. Here’s a quick comparison of two Christmastime Rin River cruises on Amma waterways. A 7-day cruise from Basil to Amsterdam with a 4ight land extension in Switzerland, including tours every day, came to $12,76 for a balcony cabin. We compared that to a similar itinerary on Viking with a balcony stateroom and a twoight extension in Switzerland, but with no tours included, and the cost was $10,396. So, in our opinion, that $1,500 difference isn’t huge when you consider Amma Waterways is giving you two additional days and daily guided tours. And if you were wondering, yes. We also clicked through Vikings current air promotion, and honestly, the pricing wasn’t very appealing to us. So, when it comes to pricing for us, neither line is a clear winner. The base fair on Viking may sometimes look lower at first glance, but Amma Waterways tends to offer more variety in their promotions and more frequent discounts. Still, the reality is that the prices are often quite similar, especially once you factor in what’s included. What really matters is knowing what’s most important to you. Whether that’s more included excursions, luxury land extensions, flight deals, or flexibility and planning. And that brings us to our number one difference between these two cruise lines. And honestly, the one that means the most to us and many of our friends who cruise. If you’ve seen our Viking River cruise series, you already know our number one complaint with Viking is their early final payment requirement. For us, this is the biggest difference between Viking and Amma and the one that has the greatest impact on whether or not we choose to book. Viking requires final payment much earlier than most other cruise lines. In fact, we’ve been asked to pay as much as 18 months in advance. While refunds are possible, it’s still a lot of money to have tied up for such a long time, especially when plans can change. And this policy doesn’t just apply to river cruises. It’s consistent across all Viking sailings, including ocean and expedition cruises. Here’s an example from Vikings website for the limited time offers we showed you earlier in this video. For 2025 cruises, you must pay in full by May 31st, 2025 or at the time of booking if you’re within 120 days of departure. For 2026, full payment is due by August 31st, 2025. For 2027, you’ll need to pay by February 15, 2026. Viking does not publicly disclose a standardized final payment policy outside of limited time offers, which makes it difficult to plan unless you’re booking under one of their current promotions. In contrast, AMA Waterways has a clearly stated policy. Final payment is due 90 days before departure for most cruises. So, for clarity and flexibility, Ama Waterways takes the win. So, let’s wrap things up with a quick review of how the two river cruise lines compared for us and more importantly, which one came out on top. When it comes to who’s on board, we felt Amma waterways was a better fit for us. The passengers were generally younger and more active, and that really matched our style of travel. Food was another area where Amma came out ahead. The specialty restaurant was a highlight, and we thought the variety and presentation of meals overall were more impressive. Now, in the category of wine and drinks, Viking actually surprised us in a good way. While we did enjoy Amma’s sip and Sale cocktail hour, Viking offered better quality wines both at lunch and dinner, and even their premium options felt like a real step up. In terms of excursions, AMA also won us over. All excursions are included and we appreciated that they offered active options like cycling and hiking as well as different pace groups for walking tours. For cabins, AMA took the lead again. We loved the brighter decor, the better bathroom layout, and generally larger rooms. While Viking does have beautiful suites, we don’t typically travel in suites, so Amma’s standard stateaterooms made more of an impression. When looking at ship design, Amma stood out for making better use of space. Because they have fewer cabins, there’s room for things like a fitness center, a small pool, and even a second dining venue. All things we used and enjoyed during our cruise. But entertainment is where Viking shine. They had more engaging activities like trivia and social events, which created a fun, interactive atmosphere in the evenings. The dining room setup on Viking was another thing we really liked. The larger tables made it easy to meet other guests and we absolutely loved having the option to dine Alfresco on the Aquavit terrace. As for price and value, we found that neither cruise line had a clear edge. Promotions vary, but once we compared the inclusions and final cost, the prices really ended up being pretty equal. So, for this one, we’d call it a tie. But the biggest difference for us, and one we’ve mentioned before in our Viking River Cruise videos, is the final payment policy. Amma Waterways clearly wins here. They stick to a standard 90-day final payment deadline, while Viking often asks for full payment many months, even up to a year and a half or more in advance. That’s a major commitment, and it’s one of our least favorite parts of booking with Viking. So when we tally it up, Amma Waterways came out on top in seven of our 10 categories. Viking one and two, and we had one tie. In the end, both cruise lines offer excellent experiences, and you honestly can’t go wrong. But for us, and for many of our friends who travel the same way, we found that Amma waterways better fit our preferences. If things like more active excursions, better payment terms, and areas like a fitness center matter to you, you’ll probably feel the same. Of course, if your top priorities are wine quality or meeting other passengers when dining, Viking might be a better match. It all comes down to what’s most important to you. Let us know what you think in the comments below. We’d love to hear your thoughts. We hope you enjoyed our friendly comparison between Amma waterways and Viking River Cruises based on our experiences sailing the Ry River, just several months apart. Always remember to make meaningful and healthy travel happen. We’ll see you next time.

AmaWaterways vs Viking • Rhine River cruise review • European river cruise comparison • AmaWaterways review • Viking River Cruises review • Rhine River cruise 2025 • Best river cruises 2025 • River cruise tips • Viking longships • AmaWaterways ships

Planning a Rhine River cruise and can’t decide between the two biggest names in the game? After sailing the Rhine only a few months apart—first with Viking River Cruises aboard Viking Sigyn and then with AmaWaterways aboard AmaLucia—we put the lines head-to-head in ten key categories: who’s on board, excursions, food, wine & drinks, cabins, ship design, entertainment, dining-room style, price & value, and final-payment policy. In this video you’ll see side-by-side footage, hear our honest opinions, and learn which line came out on top for our travel style. Spoiler: there’s no single “best” cruise line—just the one that fits you best.

What You’ll Learn in This Video
How the passenger mix and onboard vibe differ
Why AmaWaterways’ excursions felt more flexible and activity-focused
The surprise category Viking wins (hint:🍷)
Cabin layouts, storage, and the twin-balcony concept explained
Why fewer cabins on Ama ships translate to more public space
Viking’s trivia nights vs. Ama’s performance evenings
The real story on pricing, promos, and final-payment timelines
Our overall winner—and how to decide which line matches your priorities
Why Trust This Review?
We sailed the exact same Rhine itinerary—Basel to Amsterdam—on both lines within one season. We paid our own way, received no compensation from either cruise line, and donate all channel revenue to charity. Everything you see and hear comes from firsthand experience.

Quick Reference: Ships Covered in This Video
AmaWaterways Vessels (Europe fleet)
AmaBella • AmaCerto • AmaCello • AmaDante • AmaDara • AmaDolce • AmaKristina • AmaLea • AmaLucy • AmaMora • AmaPrima • AmaReina • AmaSerena • AmaSonata • AmaStella • AmaVenita • AmaLucia • AmaMagna (Danube only) • AmaVerde • AmaViola

Viking Longships (Europe fleet)
Viking Aegir • Viking Alruna • Viking Alsvin • Viking Atla • Viking Baldur • Viking Bragi • Viking Buri • Viking Delling • Viking Egir • Viking Egil • Viking Einar • Viking Eir • Viking Embla • Viking Forseti • Viking Freya • Viking Gefjon • Viking Gersemi • Viking Gullveig • Viking Gymir • Viking Heimdal • Viking Herja • Viking Hermod • Viking Hervor • Viking Hild • Viking Hlin • Viking Idi • Viking Idun • Viking Ingvi • Viking Jarl • Viking Kadlin • Viking Kara • Viking Kvasir • Viking Lif • Viking Lofn • Viking Magni • Viking Mani • Viking Sigyn • Viking Modi • Viking Njord • Viking Rinda • Viking Rolf • Viking Sigrun • Viking Skadi • Viking Skirnir • Viking Tialfi • Viking Tir • Viking Tor • Viking Ullur • Viking Vali • Viking Var • Viking Ve • Viking Vidar • Viking Vilhjalm • Viking Vili

Deals & Special Offers: How to Find Them
Both websites hide the good deals deep in the “Special Offers” pages. We screen-recorded the exact clicks so you can follow along. Remember, Ama often bundles complimentary land extensions (Zurich, Lucerne, Prague) with cruise discounts, while Viking usually promotes reduced-or-free air or limited-time 2-for-1 fares. If hunting down promos sounds daunting, a river-cruise-savvy travel advisor can save hours—and money.
 @VikingCruises   @amawaterways 

Products Featured in This Video
All items below are gear we used on both cruises. We’re Amazon Associates; if you purchase through these links we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, and 100 % of channel profits go to charity.

Magnetic Hooks (100 lb) – https://amzn.to/3sV8xcB
Airfly Pro for QuiteVox — https://amzn.to/43Nqwnn
Women’s Black Fleece – https://amzn.to/4edWdZw
Men’s Brooks Waterproof Running Jacket – https://sovrn.co/10srqlf
Travelon Classic Messenger Bag – https://amzn.to/3B79tB2
Cole Haan Zerogrand Stitchlite – https://amzn.to/3TseHgU
Osprey Daypack – https://amzn.to/3B0xWrn
…and dozens more in our Cruise Essentials Store: https://amzn.to/3HvEeiY

Timestamps
00:00 Intro & Why We Made This Video
00:47 Who’s on Board
01:42 Food
03:07 Wine & Drinks
05:02 Excursions
07:54 Cabins
11:30 Ship Design
14:28 Entertainment
15:41 Dining-Room Style
16:50 Price & Value
19:50 Final Payment Policy
21:27 Overall Winner & How to Choose

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Make meaningful and healthy travel happen. See you on the next voyage!

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