AmaDouro, Enticing Douro ex Porto Return

7 Night Cruise sailing from Porto roundtrip aboard AmaDouro.

Rambling vineyards and charming native farms cling to the steep sides of the Douro River Valley, creating an incomparable backdrop to one of Europe’s most unspoiled regions and to Port country— the world’s oldest demarcated wine region. Sail roundtrip from Porto, the beautiful “City of Bridges”; visit Regua, the ‘capital’ of the Douro Valley; and marvel at Salamanca, the UNESCO-designated “Golden City.” Taste wines from historic wineries and soak up the genuine beauty of one of Europe’s most unadulterated landscapes.

COUNTRIES: Portugal, Spain

RIVERS: Douro

The popularity of Portugal and Spain’s Douro Valley cannot be ignored—that’s why we are pleased to debut our newest Douro River ship, the spectacular AmaDouro, in 2019. Like our other ships, the AmaDouro will feature spacious, elegantly appointed staterooms, most of which will include balconies to take in views of the breathtaking hills and terraced vineyards along the river. Staterooms will also include Entertainment-On-Demand, featuring free high-speed Internet access, unlimited Wi-Fi, movies, music and English language TV stations; climate-controlled air conditioning; and an in-room safe. Currently being designed, the AmaDouro’s Panoramic Lounge will be a stylish and inviting space for a drink and our nightly entertainment. The ship also features a massage room, fitness room, Sun Deck swimming pool and a gift shop, as well as the culinary delights of the Main Restaurant, where you’ll be able to sample the region’s famous Port wine.

Their Story
Proudly celebrating more than 21 years on the river, family-owned and operated AmaWaterways was founded in 2002 by three families; however, their river cruise story began well before that. Co-Founder and President Rudi Schreiner was born in Vienna, at the heart of the Danube. His love of design drew him to architecture, but his even greater love of travel drew him to places far and wide. In 1975, he travelled to South America for a journalism assignment on the Amazon. It was here he designed his first ship, using what he could find to build a raft that would take him up and down the river during the next 7 months. Soon thereafter, he started working in travel, creating unique tour experiences in Europe.

A Turning Point
Rudi started the North American operations for many of today’s major river cruise companies, developing itineraries and ships that would become the templates for what we know river cruising to be today. After years of success as a driving force in the industry, Rudi decided to start his own venture — one that would provide guests with a higher standard of luxury travel by river. That’s when he teamed up with Co-Owners and Co-Founders Kristin Karst and Jimmy Murphy to start AmaWaterways.

In 2016, Rudi was inducted into the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Hall of Fame and was honoured with their Lifetime Achievement Award for his years of devotion to the river cruising industry.

A Team of Pioneers
Kristin was born in Germany and brings extensive experience in travel, river cruising and customer service to the company in her role as Executive Vice President. Jimmy Murphy was a brilliant travel entrepreneur, having built Brendan Vacations, one of the most successful tour operators in the U.S. Jimmy’s son, Gary, who also played a major part at Brendan, took on an executive sales role at AmaWaterways. Together with Rudi, a true team of pioneers emerged.

The Story Continues
From the beginning, their goal was to create a river cruise company that they themselves would enjoy. To then, that meant the highest-quality, locally sourced food and wine; elegantly appointed ships with staterooms offering maximum views to enjoy the ever-changing countryside; and a crew who goes above and beyond, treating every guest like they are part of THEIR family.

With that in mind, for two wonderful decades, they have been building one-of-a-kind ships with added comforts and conveniences ranging from our signature view-enhancing twin balconies to the Chef’s Table specialty restaurant to their award-winning AmaMagna – redefining the river cruise experience. They continue to lead the way in innovation, pioneering the first sailings on Colombia’s Magdalena River in 2025. As they look ahead to the future, they are more committed than ever to offering innovative and sustainable ways for their guests to experience the rich culture and history found along the banks of the world’s most iconic rivers.