Second ship for Nile cruises planned

Something very old, something very new…

A new addition to AmaWaterways fleet will enable passengers to view many storied reminders of yesteryear, with the company planning to place a second vessel on the Nile in 2024, having the upcoming the AmaLilia joining the AmaDahlia on sailings that begin with three nights in Cairo, followed by seven on the Nile and then one more in Cairo.

Passengers can book optional flights to interior Egypt’s dramatic archeological site of Abu Simbel if they wish.

Sandra Gardiner, AmaWaterways’ director of sales in this country, says the decision to add a second vessel was prompted by growing interest in a country home to the world’s most famous archeological sites.

“The AmaDahlia was selling out so we quickly realized we needed to meet the demands of our guests. I think people want to do something different. They want something more exotic,” says Gardiner, adding Egypt easily fits the exotic description.

AmaWaterways — which now has 26 vessels sailing in different parts of the world — restarted its Egypt program in September 2021.

While in Cairo, clients will see such dramatic attractions as the Sphinx and the Pyramids. Both Nile vessels will call at archeological sites along the Nile, including Luxor, where they’ll be able to enter the tomb of prominent ancient Egyptian monarch Queen Nefertari, an experience Gardiner says is unavailable to most Luxor visitors but is one that AmaWaterways offers clients thanks to a “savvy” AmaWaterways official.

AmaWaterways’ Nile sailings offer passengers an onboard Egyptologist, while ship decor recalls ancient Egypt and both Egyptian and Western food will be served onboard, prompting Gardiner to declare that AmaWaterways offers Egypt clients a “full immersion into the Egyptian experience.”

Meanwhile, 2024 will also see AmaWaterways launch its Colombia program, becoming the first cruise company to take people into the Colombian interior. The company will offer the coastal cities of Barranquilla and Cartagena — which has an old quarter that has received UNESCO World Heritage Site status — on seven-night Magdalena River cruises that will use the AmaMagdalena and AmaMelodia.

Gardiner says AmaWaterways’ owners viewed the Magadalena, “loved it and decided to build a program around it.”

Among attractions for those booking the Magdalena will be wildlife viewings and regional culture. Bookings can be made now.

Gardiner notes that AmaWaterways last year started its Chobe cruises featuring Namibia and Botswana and Mekong River sailings, taking people to Vietnam and Cambodia. Both programs are doing well, she reports.

Gardiner also says that AmaWaterways has added a third BDM for this country and adds it continues to maintain a strong relationship with travel agents.

“Virtually all of our business comes from our travel advisor partners so  we thank them for their continued support,” she says.