Top River Cruise Line Showdown: Viking vs. AmaWaterways

If you've heard anything about river cruise lines, the names "Viking" and "AmaWaterways" likely sound familiar. We break down the key differences between and similarities between these two leading river cruise lines. Join us as we discuss ship design, dining experiences, excursion options, pricing, and the target audience for each option. 

With firsthand experiences, we provide insights to help you choose the right river cruise for your needs. Spoiler alert: the best cruise option of the two for you may not be what you initially thought! 

Here are some helpful resources for you that go along with this episode: 

VIKING: 

• Bordeaux River Cruise Review on Viking Forseti
• Our Experience on a Viking Douro River Cruise (In-Depth Review)
• My Viking Journey: What to Expect After Booking a Cruise (Before You Sail)
• Viking Christmas River Cruise with Dazzling Markets Along the Danube

AMAWATERWAYS:

• AmaWaterways Mekong River Cruise Review: 30 Unexpected Surprises
• Rhone River Cruise Review: AmaWaterways Colors of Provence
• AmaWaterways Colors of Provence Excursions during a Rhone River Cruise
• AmaWaterways Food Review (with Drinks) on AmaKristina

Want to grab our complimentary Essential River Cruise Budgeting Guide? Head over to Small Ship Cruise Talk, scroll halfway down the page to a blue box where you'll find the signup form, and claim your copy!

Chapters

• 0:00 What You'll Gain from the Two Top River Cruise Lines Showdown
• 2:57 Comparing Ship Designs & Amenities
• 7:39 Food Quality on Viking & AmaWaterways
• 11:05 Alcohol Policy Compared for Both Cruise Lines
• 13:04 Dining Venues on Each Cruise Line
• 14:13 Viking vs. AmaWaterways Dress Code & Laundry Services
• 16:09 What Excursions are Like with Viking & AmaWaterways
• 21:24 Cruise Fare Inclusions
• 22:19 Price Points & Value Comparison
• 26:06 Who Each Cruise Line is Best For

Transcript

Dan (00:35)

Welcome back to another edition of Small Ship Cruise Talk. On this episode, we are going to discuss the differences between the top two river cruise lines. That's Viking and AmaWaterways. 

Mikkel (00:49)

We are talking ship design, food, tours, pricing, and more to help you choose the right river cruise experience for you. And we are gonna tell you a breakdown of what makes each line fantastic, who it is good for, especially if you are just starting on your river cruise vacation journey, or if you're looking to try a different river cruise line than you have been on.

And we have been on both. So Dan and I are really looking forward to giving you our firsthand perspective on these two river cruise leaders.

Dan (01:28)

Before we jump into that, let's take a moment to read a five-star review. So this review is coming in from AimLover and they say, "This show is amazing. I had no idea what a small ship cruise was. I never really had any interest in being on a huge ship in the middle of the ocean with thousands of people and rogue waves. But now I know that there is so many alternatives with beautiful views, great food, a lot less people, and close to the shore. I'm sold! I can't wait to try some out." Thanks AimLover.

Mikkel (02:03)

That is so exciting to me. We so appreciate your five-star review. If you are listening and have not reviewed us, please feel free to and we will read it on the air. And what I really love about this review is that it's exactly what our goal is to make people aware of this incredible vacation option. So let's dive in to Viking and AmaWaterways starting with, dun dun dun, ship interiors, amenities and the vibe of each river cruise line. Viking, I would say, is the most well-known, would you agree?

Dan (02:40)

Definitely most well-known. They spend a copious amount of money on marketing dollars. Anytime you turn on PBS, you see Viking. And really, it almost feels like it becomes like the Xerox of the cruise industry, right? So I gotta make a Xerox or Kleenex, right? It just becomes a generic, I'm going on a river cruise, I'm going on a Viking cruise.

Mikkel (03:02)

So like when people think of river cruise, they feel like it's synonymous with the name Viking is I didn't know if you were saying like a Xerox carbon copy or just like that becomes a brand name instead of calling it a tissue, you call it a Kleenex.

Dan (03:14)

Right, exactly. Like any cell phone becomes an iPhone, right?

Mikkel (03:19)

Yes, 100%. That's true. I catch myself saying iPhone when I mean cell phone for people to be inclusive of Android.

So they definitely are the most well-known, now that Dan and I have talked that out for you to hear, and they do have the most river cruise ships of any cruise line right now. So that's going to mean you have more options for itineraries and dates. AmaWaterways is not far behind that, but just to make you aware of that overall. As they are a Norwegian cruise line, they have a sleek, minimalist Scandinavian design on their ships and this has been true of any of the various Viking ships we've been on. Very clean, modern. 

Dan and I really like Scandinavian design, but we're going to contrast that to AmaWaterways in a minute. Open airy public spaces with lots of wood finishes and neutral tones and the lounges are always inviting. That's true of both river cruise lines and designed for relaxing, quiet conversation... On Viking Longships in Europe, there's often a library on board. The only time we have experienced that not being true was on the Douro River because the river cruise ships need to be a little smaller to navigate that river. But in general, they have an onboard library. In terms of capacity, Viking Longships are 190 guests. Amawaterways, a similar ship size like AmaLea that sails in Europe, has 156 passengers.

Dan (04:49)

When we start to look into Ama and just the interiors and the feeling is much, in my opinion, is much cozier and more, it feels more like a boutique hotel almost. There's richer color palettes, more decorative touches. I mean, sometimes on some of the ships that I've been on, I feel like it's almost a little too much at times where on Viking, it feels like a little too less at times. So definitely get two distinct feels on both of these ships or both of these cruise lines. Ama also, they typically have a pool on board and a hot tub in the case of AmaMagna, because it's a double-wide ship. There's usually a fitness room on board, which there isn't on Viking.

In summary, I would say that Viking has a more modern, minimalist feel, while Ama is a bit warmer, more comforting, they both have their audiences, really.

Mikkel (05:50)

Yeah, and I'm just thinking about putting myself back on those ships. And the Viking Longships have a really pretty staircase and an elevator as well. So did the Ama ships. So that's a wash too. A lot of these things are like kind of your personal preference, not what one has over the other. But like Dan said, something like a fitness room, it doesn't exist

Viking ships so there's nothing to compare because it doesn't exist. Whereas a staircase exists on both ships. And they're very pretty for what some might call a stair casing photo to post on your social media, or just a vacation memory. But on AmaWaterways, it's a little more sweeping around the cylindrical elevator in the middle and on Viking the elevator's off to the side and it's a straight staircase. So they both exist. It's just different. 

And another thing that I just thought of, which is really nice for the AmaWaterways experience is - one of my favorite things because I so believe in handwritten notes still - is that you can write postcards on board. They have complimentary postcards with AmaWaterways on them and the destination for where you are, the itinerary. And if you hand them to the front desk, they will mail them for you.

Dan (07:02)

Yeah, that is a nice touch. Now let's talk about what everybody's favorite topic is with cruising, and that is the dining.

Mikkel (07:10)

Yes. Yum yum.

Dan (07:11)

Food. With Viking, I found it's pretty consistent quality, European-inspired menus. In my opinion, I don't think there was that many home runs with the food, but it was consistently good. There was some standouts and some hits and some misses, but it's consistent.

Mikkel (07:34)

I would say with that, nothing stands out in my mind as very bad or very good. So consistent and good. I like that. Like, it's not a roller coaster in a good way. It's just kind of smooth sailing along the horizon, so to speak, with the food creativity and the taste. I'd rather more things stand out, but they just didn't.

Dan (07:55)

Yeah. Yeah, I would say it's like a good solid seven.

Mikkel (08:03)

I like this on a scale of 1 to 10. I like that. OK.

Dan (08:05)

Right. It's like…hmm, it's a seven.

Mikkel (08:09)

So what did you think of Ama from a scale of 1 to 10, and why?

Dan (08:12)

Well, that's where it gets interesting because some of the meals and some of the ships that we've been on with Ama, I'm thinking are eight and nines. But then there's others that are like sixes.

Mikkel (08:22)

Ooh, I like that. But to your point, I think that the food on Viking on the Douro river ship - we were on Viking Torgil - was better than our experience on Viking...

Dan (08:41)

Forseti.

Mikkel (08:42)

Thank you.

Look, we finish each other's words. So cute. 

Yes, on Viking Forseti. So I don't know if that means it's inconsistent across the ships or it's just it's getting better over time because even our post pandemic Viking Forseti cruise was not great. But you know, we were, as everyone should be forgiving in a post pandemic world retraining staff and coming back into tourism and everything.

And it was better on Viking on the Douro River, which was a couple months ago. And there were years in between that.

Dan (09:17)

All right, and it all depends on the staff, the kitchen staff, the chef. There's so many different variables. So keep in mind, when we talk about the food or talk about experiences such as a gym and not having a gym, that's pretty fixed. But food is always fluctuating, and these are just overviews of our combined experiences.

Mikkel (09:37)

That's a great point. And I also want to point out that one of our favorite things to do in Europe, especially is to go to grocery stores and get stuff to have snacks and such on the ships. With all river cruise lines we've experienced - except for Riverside, actually, that is better than any other river cruise line with having snacks out in my opinion - between meals, if you want snacks, I would say buy some to have in your room if you're a very noshy person. And I love having the ability to bring food back on board. You could do that on a big cruise ship too. It might be a little harder because you have to go through security. But on a small ship, you could just walk on board with anything you bought in the grocery store. Nobody checks you or anything. There's no need to. And that's true for wine. You can get wine at a vineyard and bring it back on the ship.

So I like that aspect about both cruise lines and both cruise lines will let you do that. Which brings me to the alcohol policy on the ships or the alcohol that's included or what you can upgrade. One of the great things about Viking and AmaWaterways is that they include beer and wine with lunch and dinner. I've even seen some bubbly at breakfast if you want to make a mimosa or anything.

And with Ama, they have an included sip and sail, kind of a happy hour before dinner. I think that's a really nice thing. They include more, I would say, from the get go. One of the really unique things about our Mekong River cruise on AmaDara with AmaWaterways was that in Southeast Asia, which was from Cambodia to Vietnam or the reverse, they also include all the alcohol outside of dinner and lunch, which is really nice because nothing hits the spot to me like an ice cold beer when you get back on the ship from an excursion. They include great mixable, you know, gins and vodkas. If you want something upgraded, you could, you know, pay for a premium liquor drink. 

But with Viking, either a la carte pricing for cocktails, which AmaWaterways has a la carte for certain things too, they don't have a Silver Spirits package, for example, or a drinks package like Viking. Viking's drinks package is called the Silver Spirits package and that is an extra cost that you add onto your cruise. It's $27 per person per day. 

And there's two things to keep in mind that are important about this. Number one, you have to add it for every day of the cruise. You can't just add it for three days out of seven, for example. And the second thing is that you have to add it for every person in your stateroom. So if there's two of you cruising, you can't just have one of you add it. It's not an option. It has to be both of you. I would say if you aren't going to get three or more cocktails a day, it's not worth it. Pay a la carte. If you are and you like drinking on vacation, then consider adding it.

And then in terms of the dining venues, it's an interesting this versus that. They both have multiple options. 

Viking has the Aquavit Terrace, which is kind of like a small dining area off of the front of the ship that's indoor and outdoor. Limited tables. You'll quickly notice it's almost like a competition of who can claim the table fastest because it is limited seating when you are on one of their longships. So it's a nice option. The menu is just slightly pared down from what the main dining room has. 

Whereas on Ama ships, they have something special called the Chef's Table and that is also included in your cruise fare. And it is a set multi course menu with wine pairings. And it is in a beautiful dining venue on the ship.

And it is a lovely evening, especially if you want to get a little more dressed up. You don't have to, but you can. But a lovely evening with a different environment and additional restaurants. So both cruise ships include these dining options. You don't have to pay extra. They're just different from each other.

Dan (13:39)

Moving on, you mentioned something there when you're talking about the dress code and how to show up for dinner, how to show up on the ship. And both of them are really the same. It's casual, but well put together. Like you want to avoid shorts at dinner. Do you want to put shoes on, you know, be right, It is vacation, but it is a shared space. Right.

Mikkel (14:00)

You don't want to be a hobo. Yeah, class it up, people.

Dan (14:09)

Put your shoes on.

Mikkel (14:10)

Put your shoes on.

Dan (14:12)

But overall, you're going to dress like you're gonna be comfortable, but also presentable, because you are in public.

Mikkel (14:20)

In terms of clothing, you brought up something that I love, a self-serve laundry area of the ship. The only ship of Ama Waterways that we have found that has this is AmaMagna, the double-wide ship. It's a nice feature that cruises on the Danube in Europe. Again, it's a wash because no pun intended.

Most Amawadaways, Amawadaway, third time's a charm.

Most AmaWaterways cruise ships do not have self-serve laundry with the exception of AmaMagna, but that's true of Viking too. They don't have self-serve laundry either. So if you are looking for self-serve laundry on a river cruise ship in Viking versus AmaWaterways, either AmaMagna is your only option or nothing. The way that you can do laundry is by sending it out. So you can put it in a laundry bag in the room and fill out the little, you know, what would you call it? Like ticket for what you want washed and what there is and send it out. So sending it out is an option on both ships. That's pretty much your only option, I would say, with the exception of AmaMagna.

Dan (15:26)

And there is a cost associated with that.

Mikkel (15:28)

Thank you. True.

Dan (15:30)

We talked about what life is like on board, both cruise lines. Now let's talk about the excursions. Wherever we go, we usually see the other ship's excursions kind of cross our paths. So if we're on a Viking ship and we're on an excursion, it's like, there's an Ama group and vice versa, right?

I don't think they're doing anything wildly different on these cruises, especially in Europe. However, there are some subtleties and differences in between the offerings as far as how they work. So for Viking, for example, there's one tour included per port. It's typically a walking tour or a panoramic bus tour or something like that. Optional excursions for a fee. They'll let you know all about those. Don't worry, they'll tell you all about them, a lot.

Mikkel (16:15)

Yeah.

And that's something I didn't like on the ship. I didn't feel it as strongly on Viking on the Douro River on Viking Torgil. And they have five ships on the Douro River. So we were on Torgil, but they're all essentially carbon copies of each other. I don't like being sold to constantly. What was your feeling about that on the Douro River? Because on Forseti, it was like constant, but that wss a couple years ago. So I wonder if they toned it down because of guest feedback.

Dan (16:41)

That's an interesting point. I'll come back to the guest feedback point. I thought on the Douro, it was toned down, but it was still there. They were still letting you know there’s still room available for tomorrow's port, excursion, this and that, it's an extra charge. So it felt a little less salesy, but it was kind of always on in the background.

Mikkel (17:02)

Mm-hmm.

Dan (17:03)

There was an interesting, remember when we were leaving, I think it was Porto or no, I'm sorry. We were leaving Lisbon and the woman that was running the excursion, our guide made a comment cause she was talking too much or she felt like she was talking too much. And she's, and she said, "Oh, Viking doesn't want us to talk for more than 20 minutes." And, I thought that was, well, a that's brilliant. And thank you. ⁓

Mikkel (17:18)

Yes. Thank you. Yes.

Dan (17:30)

but also she had kind of alluded to that it was because of guest feedback. So It's an interesting, just an interesting observation that I do think Viking is listening and that's my only example to back up that point, but I just thought it was an interesting aside.

Mikkel (17:34)

Yes, you're 100 % right.

Yeah, and that's not to say AmaWaterways isn't listening because they are and we've spoken to their co-founders Rudi and Kristin ourselves sitting down with them on a cruise talking to them. They listened to feedback for sure. But you're right on Viking, that was such a nice thing to hear that that was because of guest feedback and there are a few things that are more frustrating than a long bus ride back and the tour guide will not stop talking. There's something about when you give somebody a mic and they just talk, talk, talk, the whole time and it is exhausting.

Dan (18:21)

Yeah, it's a lot.

Mikkel (18:23)

A lot.

Dan (18:24)

Anyways, back to excursions.

Last point I have about excursions is Viking has less options for, let's say more physically demanding tours. So if you want to go hiking or do an aggressive bike ride, or something like that, the organized excursions through Viking may not be to your preference.

However, you can always curate your own excursion or own adventure off the ship and make it...

Mikkel (18:48)

...your own.

Dan (18:48)

Yeah,

Mikkel (18:50)

When we were on Viking Forseti, there was that one couple that didn't do a single excursion that was included… Wait, I take that back, did one. They did 99 % of their own excursions they had arranged in every port with the exception of the Cognac tasting that they signed up for.

Dan (19:06)

Yes, yes.

Mikkel (19:08)

With AmaWaterways, an important point is that they include multiple tour options in the morning and afternoon when you're in a port. Whereas Viking includes one tour per port, like you said.

AmaWaterways, there are multiple options, which I really appreciate. And I think this is probably where - just a guess, I don't know this for sure - the price point that we're going to talk about, the differentiation comes in because Ama is a little more expensive. Additionally, because there's less people on an AmaWaterways ship compared to the same itineraries with Viking. So you're kind of paying a minimal cost difference for the additional excursion options with AmaWaterways - that Sip & Sail included, beverage prices and a better crew to passenger ratio.

And again, driving the Point Home like you alluded to and mentioned that AmaWaterways has bikes on board that the crew puts on the shore when you're in a port, that if an organized tour isn't using them, you're welcome to try the bikes out yourself. And they also have more strenuous hiking tours, whereas Viking typically only has two levels, like a easy gentle walkers group and then the normal walking group that isn't even really strenuous at all.

So I would say Amawaterways wins on more choices and more flexibility, and they offer more variety for different activity levels. Whereas Viking keeps it simple and has more "optional" quote unquote tours that you actually pay extra for. So I guess that's why they call it optional. You don't have to do them if you don't want to. And if you don't want to do any of them, with either cruise line, you can do your own thing.

Let's talk about inclusions with both. So we talked about the wine and beer with lunch and dinner. That includes soft drinks as well with both cruise lines. Both cruise lines also have a self-serve coffee and tea bar that is open 24-7 that has some cookies and such available at all times. And both have free Wi-Fi on board. We've never been on a river cruise ship that doesn't offer free Wi-Fi.

The other thing that I want to mention about AmaWaterways along with the fitness room on board that Viking doesn't have is that it includes fitness classes on board. So if you're into a little stretch class in the morning or some Pilates, AmaWaterways has that and Viking doesn't. I think that about covers the inclusions with both, along with those postcards that I think are really fun that I mentioned earlier.

Dan (21:42)

All right, finally, let's talk about one of the key most important pieces of all of this equation, and that is price and value.

Overall, I would say Viking has a more appealing price point and plenty of promotions and they frequently advertise those promotions and you can usually find a deal of some sort.

Probably their biggest one that always sticks out in my mind is free airfare. That's a popular promotion they run. Just keep in mind if you see that, the airfare is a limited choice. It may not be exactly what you're looking for. You might have to do some early mornings or some late nights in there. So just keep that in mind. ⁓

Mikkel (22:22)

You mean in terms of the departure time and also layovers? Yeah, so we found with Viking airfare that if you want to fly your preferred airline somewhere, it might not be one of their airlines that they offer. So that's only to say be a consumer, especially if you have a travel agent. Ask the travel agent what airlines it includes before you commit to the airfare.

Because alternatively you could just book the airfare on your own. And on that note, both cruise lines offer complimentary transfers if you arrive and depart the same day that the cruise starts and the same day the cruise leaves. Now we often extend pre and post and we definitely do not recommend getting to a cruise the day it leaves. 

The only exception is if it's in port for multiple days in the same port. Like we're going on a cruise soon and it's in Amsterdam for two days and we know Amsterdam really well. So we're going to get there the day the cruise boards. But both include those transfers if you do come on the same day. So that's a wash too. But that was just on the note of transportation.

And if you need a good travel agent recommendation, we have awesome travel agents that we recommend. So check out the show notes and don't hesitate to reach out to us if you need help booking your trip and you don't want to deal with airfare and everything. You can just ask an expert, our preferred travel agents about that.

Dan (23:48)

Price point and value: We talked about Viking, let's talk about AmaWaterways. They're sometimes slightly more expensive upfront, but they often include more, such as cocktail hour or tours and some of the amenities that are on board. It's a good value for active travelers and foodies alike, because you're just going to have, again, in my opinion, a more robust and deeper experience in those two areas on Ama.

Mikkel (24:17)

Yeah, I couldn't agree with you more. I love the word robust because it does feel like the experience is more robust. And in terms of price comparison, we compared for May of next year for incredibly similar itineraries on the Danube River. And the price difference was approximately $900. So it started at $3,100 for Viking. And for AmaWaterways, it was just under $4,000.

So it's very similar. And again, I wholeheartedly believe that that very minimal price difference is warranted because of the inclusions that AmaWaterways does for the price. In terms of deposits and payments and everything, it's very similar. 

In terms of the online experience after you book, if you want to log into your account to book excursions and such, it's very comparable. So I would say a wash in those two regards. I would say in summary, Viking appeals to those wanting a value proposition or maybe a lower price point if you're starting out with river cruising and you want to try it. However, consider the value that Ama packs in for more inclusions per dollar.

So let's talk about overall high level. Who do you think that each cruise line is good for. I had mentioned Viking was good for first time cruisers, but what else?

Dan (25:42)

It feels like Viking is the trusted authority, right? So it's, I agree with you with that first time cruisers where like, I want to try this out and it's a low barrier to entry cause I'm comfortable or I've heard of Viking in the past. Also, I think Viking is going to be good for people that are looking for a quiet kind of refined environment. Maybe not as active options. Like we said, no workout rooms or bikes on the ship. One thing too, would say is Viking is really good for cultural enrichment and it feels like they do a good job at kind of seamlessly bringing it all together into a trip.

Mikkel (26:02)

Yeah, quiet. Mm-hmm.

Mikkel (26:24)

Yeah, I agree with you. And also, I want to touch on A lot of people say A-M-A. You know this is my pet peeve. It's not "AMA Waterways," it's "Ama." And the reason I want to bring that up is because "Ama" means love. And I feel like in Ama, the warmth and the love can be felt surrounding you like a hug. The crew is both on great

Dan (26:33)

Hmm.

Mikkel (26:51)

cruise lines, but I really feel that I'm wrapped in a hug when I'm on AmaWaterways. It's just sort of a little bit more of an elevated experience at every turn.

And I think maybe some of that is because we know that the owners are so passionate and forward facing and you can find them commenting on LinkedIn posts maybe, or you can find them injected in some of the social media. Whereas the head of Viking is in interviews and such as well, especially if you look at some of their "edutainment," education/entertainment on their website, which is a really great library. I just feel like there's a little bit of a warm hug with Ama and that goes with the name maybe to me that Ama means love.

Dan (27:38)

Yeah, I could see that. But even the design of the ships on Viking - it's Scandinavian, it's a little cleaner. It's a little bit more minimal. So even the physical space is different. I think you and I have talked about that idea, like spaces take on the people that inhabit it and vice versa. You know? 

Mikkel (27:58)

And maybe that's because it's Norway and the personality of Norway, which we love Norway so much. We've been there several times. But also Rudi and Kristin are Austrian and German respectively. So maybe you're right. Maybe it's almost like the ships and the brands take on the persona of the founders.

Dan (28:16)

Yep. 

Mikkel (28:17)

Well said.

Okay, well, I think that about wraps it up. I hope that you gained some great perspectives on both cruise lines. I will fully admit that we sail on both and we appreciate both for their pros and we know that their cons can always be improved and they are taking action to get better and better every day. Both cruise lines have more ships on order in the future and they are not going anywhere anytime soon, which we are grateful for.

Please be sure to check out the show notes for links to our firsthand experiences on both cruise lines in depth, including food and dining reviews and adventures in places like the Mekong River on Ama was with Amadara in the Mekong River. Or the Douro River or in Bordeaux on Viking.

So we have some great articles. Oh! We also have AmaKristina, our experience in...

Dan (29:11)

France!

Mikkel (29:12)

So check out our show notes. We have a wealth of resources for you.

Dan (29:16)

Our next episode, we're going to head to Iceland and talk about our cruise with Windstar. We're also going to discuss pre and post city tours of Reykjavik and how to best leverage your days before and after your cruise in Iceland.

Mikkel (29:31)

Thanks so much for joining us!