By
Alex Smith |
River cruise line AmaWaterways is to resume operation in Europe with a series of charter sailings onboard AmaKristina in Germany.
The cruise line will welcome local guests while implementing enhanced health and safety protocols onboard its ship. Guests and crew will be required to complete pre-boarding health questionnaires and daily temperature checks. The crew has received updated training, and the ship will have a designated public health officer to oversee the application of these protocols.
“As the proud godmother of our award-winning AmaKristina, I am honoured that she was our very first river cruise ships to set sail in Europe this summer,” said Kristin Karst, executive vice president and co-founder of AmaWaterways. “Although many countries continue to have travel restrictions in place, we have begun operating a series of sailings for European guests, in collaboration with an established German tour operator, e-hoi. With these sailings, we have been able to put into practice and perfect our enhanced health and safety protocols while demonstrating that travellers can enjoy our unforgettable river cruise vacations with peace of mind.”
The ship will also be limited to a maximum of 100 guests to ensure the main restaurant and the speciality Chef’s Table restaurant can seat them at a safe distance. Crew will be required to wear masks at all times, as will guests when moving around the ship. In addition, AmaWaterways has installed plexiglass dividers in lounge areas to allow for social distancing and will provide Quietvox commentary systems to allow guests to hear guides on shore excursions while also social distancing.
The new measures have been introduced in line with the recommendations of the EU Healthy Gateways guidelines, the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization and IG RiverCruise.
“Since we started AmaWaterways 18 years ago, we’ve been passionate about creating luxurious, authentic and inspiring river cruises for every traveller,” said Karst. “The personal connections and warm service experienced during an AmaWaterways river cruise remain as important as ever to us, and the new health and safety protocols just add additional peace of mind for our guests while onboard.”