ASTA Names AmaWaterways ‘River Cruise Partner of the Year’

PHOTO: The AmaKristina is the line’s newest ship. (photo by Jason Leppert)

The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) named AmaWaterways River Cruise Partner of the Year at its global convention.

Kristin Karst, executive vice president and co-owner of AmaWaterways, along with Gary Murphy, vice president of sales and co-owner, were both in San Diego to accept the award. 

“Receiving this recognition from ASTA is such a validation of the hard work and incredible customer care delivered by our AmaWaterways employees in our office, in the field and onboard our 20 ships,” said Karst. 

“This year marks our 15th anniversary and we could not have come this far without the tremendous support we have received from the travel agent community. We thank ASTA for this accolade and are excited to see our relationship grow moving forward,” added Karst. 

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As the cruise line celebrates this milestone, a host of new programs have launched to take the river cruise experience to the next level. 

“We are so proud and grateful for the support we have received from the travel agent community as we grow our fleet and introduce new exciting onboard services, like our wellness program,” said Murphy. “We value the hard work and dedication of this important group and will continue to provide our full support through innovative co-op marketing programs and educational resources to help each of them succeed.”

The new wellness program recently debuted onboard the AmaLyra’s Paris Normandy sailings. The program is led by sports scientist Selina Wank and features four to six daily classes with low-impact morning stretches and yoga as well as more strenuous activities such as cardio, core strengthening and circuit training.

There will also be onboard discussion groups that focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle on and off the ship with topics such as healthy eating, relaxation techniques and more. Plans call for a further roll out of the wellness program as well.

READ MORE: AmaWaterways Celebrating 15 Great Years

AmaWaterways will soon welcome the AmaLea to its fleet. The sister ship to the AmaKristina, the new vessel will debut in May of 2018. Filomena Andre, vice president for AAA Travel Products Services, will serve as godmother. 

In 2019, AmaWaterways will debut an innovative new concept on the rivers with the AmaMagna. The ship is specially designed for the Danube River and will be larger and wider than other ships, allowing it to have a sports deck, generous personal space for guests, more dining venues and a wider variety of onboard events.