The luxury river cruise brand AmaWaterways announced it had resumed passenger shipping operations in Europe via charter cruises on AmaKristina with German tourists.
As the first USA-based river cruise line to resume voyages, AmaWaterways is implementing enhanced onboard health and safety protocols.
Kristin Karst, executive vice president and co-founder of AmaWaterways said that as the proud Godmother of the award-winning AmaKristina, the river ship was honored to be their "very first river cruise ship to set sail in Europe this summer.
“Although many countries continue to have travel restrictions in place, we have begun operating a series of sailings for European guests, in collaboration with an established German tour operator, e-hoi.
"With these sailings, we have been able to put into practice and perfect our enhanced health and safety protocols while demonstrating that travelers can enjoy our unforgettable river cruise vacations with peace of mind.”
The new shipboard procedures of AmaWaterways reflect the in-depth recommendations contained within the EU Healthy Gateways guidelines, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), IG RiverCruise, and other authorities. The health and safety protocols are aimed to protect passengers’ and crew members’ wellbeing while delivering a friendly experience for which the line is known.
Pre-boarding health questionnaires are required, based on current regulations. Guests and crew are subject to daily temperature checks.
AmaWaterways' crew has received in-depth updated training. Each vessel will have a designated Public Health Officer overseeing the application of the specific protocols.
While AmaWaterways’ ships are normally with passenger capacity ~150, current EU regulations limit riverboats to max capacity 100 passengers. Crew are required to wear face masks at all times while passengers must wear masks only while moving around the cruise ship.