AmaKaia

Specifications of AmaKaia

Year of build2026 new ship
BuilderHai Minh Shipyard / Saigon Shipyards Co Ltd (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)
ClassMekong river cruiser
Speed9 kn / 17 km/h / 10 mph
Length (LOA)92 m / 302 ft
Gross Tonnage2420 gt
Passengers62 - 124
Crew50
Decks4
Cabins62
Decks with cabins3
Sister-shipsAmaDara
Christened bytba
OwnerIndochina Sails
OperatorAMAwaterways Asia

AmaKaia Review

Review of AmaKaia

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The 2026-built RV AmaKaia cruises on the Mekong River in Vietnam and Cambodia, departing from homeports Hanoi, Saigon, and Kampong Cham. AmaKaia shares the same itinerary with the fleetmates AmaDara (2015-launched sistership) and AmaLotus (2011).

These vessels are owned by Indochina Sails (a subsidiary of Huong Hai Junks) and operated under charter by AmaWaterways, one of the world's largest river cruise companies.

RV AmaKaia cruise ship (Mekong River, Cambodia-Vietnam)

Among the newest Mekong cruisers, AmaKaia offers modern comforts, all-outside cabins with Twin Balconies, spacious public areas, and premium hotel-style amenities.

Cabins

All AmaKaia's staterooms (62 total) are outside (riverview) cabins, each fitted with a Twin Balcony that combines a French Balcony (sliding glass door with a railing) and a full-size, step-out veranda.

Cabin amenities include hotel-style beds, individual air-conditioning, a small table with two chairs on the balcony, ample wardrobe space, a writing desk, and a seating area. Each stateroom features a private bathroom with a glass-door shower, luxury bath amenities, and a hairdryer, along with a vanity area, onboard phone, mini-bar, and personal safe. Complimentary fresh fruit and bottled water are replenished daily.

AmaKaia's staterooms include 48 Twin Balcony cabins and 14 Suites (including 2 Owner’s Suites) across 5 categories.

Cabin Types/Categories (number, location), from highest to lowest:

  • Suites - Luxury/LS (x2, Deck 3, 450 ft² / 42 m²) and Suite/SU (x12, Deck 3, 330 ft² / 30 m²)
  • Balcony Staterooms - A (x18, Deck 2), B (x26, Decks 1-2-3), and C (x4, Deck 1) - all 226 ft² / 21 m²
  • All staterooms include a full-size step-out balcony combined with a French balcony window.

Shipboard Facilities

The ship's dining venues include the Mekong Restaurant (main dining room) and the Tarantula Grill (specialty restaurant). AmaKaia offers both Asian and Western cuisine, all prepared by local chefs. Breakfast is buffet-style, lunch includes salads, hot entrées, soups, and desserts, and dinner is a multi-course meal with entrée selections. Complimentary beer and wine are served with lunch and dinner, and soft drinks and house-brand spirits are also included.

AmaKaia's facilities also include the Saigon Lounge (with shows, enrichment programs, a library, and a bar), Panoramic Lounge (forward-facing), Kaia Lobby (embarkation area, gift shop), wellness facilities (Gym/fitness center, Spa/massage rooms, Beauty Salon) and a top deck sundeck with a swimming pool, bar, and shaded seating/observation area.

On the Service Deck (Mekong Deck) are all staff/crew cabins, the crew lounge/dining room, storage areas (water, food supplies), the boat's Infirmary/Medical Facility.

On Tonle Deck are the Mekong Restaurant/Main Dining Room (connected to an open-air terrace with comfortable seating), the 2-deck-high, open-floor designed Atrium Lobby (Reception Desk, Cruise Director's Desk, Gift Shop) and the boat's embarkation area (with entryways on both starboard and portside).

On Saigon Deck are the Saigon Lounge/Show Lounge & Bar, the Library (inside the Saigon Lounge), the Tarantula Grill (aft restaurant/specialty dining venue), the full-service Spa Massage Rooms (served by certified masseuses).

On Sadec Deck are the Gym/Fitness Room and the Hair Salon. They are both aft-facing and have panoramic floor-ceiling windows for enjoying the riverside scenery views. Forward on Sadec Deck is the Sun Deck/Pool Deck housing the swimming pool (heated-water pool) surrounded by a large shaded seating area and smaller sunbathing areas with loungers and chairs. The pool deck area is served by its own Bar offering complimentary refreshing drinks and snacks. In front of the Pool Deck is the Navigation Bridge/Wheelhouse.

Itineraries

MS AmaKaia operates luxury Mekong Delta cruises in Vietnam and Cambodia on one-way routes, with year-round departures from Hanoi and Siem Reap. Below are the themed itineraries:

  • "VIETNAM, CAMBODIA AND RICHES OF THE MEKONG" – a 15-day journey (7-day cruise segment) from Hanoi to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), embarking in Siem Reap, and the reverse. It includes 22 complimentary excursions, 2-night stays in Hanoi and Saigon, and a 1-night Ha Long Bay boat cruise.
  • 7-night/8-day Mekong cruise segment – sailing from Siem Reap to Saigon or vice versa. Includes 14 complimentary excursions but no hotel stays in Vietnam or Cambodia.
  • Vietnam departures include a flight transfer from Hanoi to Siem Reap.

Additional itinerary details:

  • Spend 2 nights in Hanoi, overnight in Ha Long Bay. Travel to Siem Reap for a 3-night stay before the Mekong cruise. End the journey with a 2-night stay in Saigon.
  • 16-day itinerary includes visits to Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Siem Reap, Tonle Sap Lake, Kampong-Chhnang, Koh Chen, Kampong-Tralach, Phnom Penh, Tan Chau, Sa Dec, Xeo Quyt, and Cai Be.
  • Countries visited: Cambodia and Vietnam

The following table shows AmaKaia's 7-night/8-day itinerary (2019-introduced) between Saigon and Kampong Cham, with prices starting from ~USD 1800 per person (double occupancy):

Date / TimePort
DAY 1Departing from Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
DAY 2Cai Be, Mekong Delta, Vietnam
DAY 2Sa Dec, Mekong Delta, Vietnam
DAY 3Tan Chau, Mekong Delta, Vietnam
DAY 4Phnom Penh, Cambodia
DAY 5Oudong, Cambodia
DAY 5Kampong Tralach, Cambodia
DAY 5Phnom Penh, Cambodia
DAY 6Koh Oknha Tey/Silk Island, Cambodia
DAY 7Angkor Ban, Cambodia
DAY 8-9 (overnight)Arriving in Kampong Cham, Cambodia

AmaKaia cruise fares include house-brand alcohol (wine, beer, spirits), water and soft drinks, Wi-Fi, land tours and excursions, all transfers, live evening entertainment (performed by local musicians and dancers), as well as daily enrichment lectures and cultural discussions.

Prices are per person, based on double occupancy. Listed rates are indicative and may vary based on travel agency promotions, group bookings, special offers, or last-minute deals. AmaWaterways also offers discount airfare packages on major airlines with no additional charges for flight deviations.

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