When you see AmaMagna for the first time, your eyes are drawn to her size. She is a big river ship and almost twice the width of a normal European river cruise ship. However, that’s only the tip of the iceberg. AmaMagna is more than her size, she represents the embodiment of the passion and vision by the owners of AmaWaterways.
Key to this is the fact that despite her double-width design, AmaMagna only accommodates 40 extra passengers, giving guests an unparalleled amount of space. She also represents an evolution of AmaWaterways design, with a striking, yet contemporary feel across the ship.
Open spaces for all
When you walk onto AmaMagna you are greeted by a large open atrium, with light woods and a contemporary feel. Here you’ll find reception and the various departments on board to discuss shore excursions or any other queries you may have. At the centre of the atrium you’ll find two large staircases and a couple of trees – that’s how big the space is. At the base of the atrium area you’ll also find a large shop selling a variety of wares, trinkets and merchandise.
At the very heart of the ship you’ll find the chic, split -level lounge. Firstly, the main lounge space which features a large bar, dance floor and room for a band. You’ll find plenty of seating for couples and groups, with comfortable, yet daringly designed chairs and sofas. Despite its size, it all still feels really cosy and welcoming. As we sailed during Christmas, the ship was also adorned with decorations, which helped to make it feel even more cosy. There is also coffee and tea making facilities available.
Off the main lounge are two identical small lounge-libraries. These are very intimate spaces, with more comfortable chic seating, a ‘fireplace’ and library space. Honestly, I could curl up here for hours happily. In fact, despite her size, AmaMagna is incredibly good at carving out nooks and crannies everywhere where you can enjoy the ship however you see fit. Also hidden at the front you’ll find another unique offering for AmaMagna, a fully-fledged cinema room, featuring a giant LED TV and on demand films, services and video games.
Wellness at heart
AmaWaterways is already known for its enrichment and wellness programmes, with Wellness Hosts on a number of its ships. AmaMagna takes this even further with a large dedicated space allocated to health and wellbeing.
Firstly, there is the Zen Wellness Studio. This is a multi-functional health and wellness space complete with juice bar, retractable windows, and large studio area perfect for circuit training, Yoga, cardio and other classes, at no extra charge. There is also plenty of gym equipment available and a number of spinning bikes that overlook the wake of the ship.
Given the size of the ship, more space has been given over to wellness services. There are also two massage rooms on board, together with hairdressers that offers hair styling and other beauty treatments.
Take to the water
Another unique feature to AmaMagna is her water sports platform. She is the first and only river cruise ships to have a sports platform, which includes a Sundowner vessel which offers a range of unique excursions, at no extra cost. I would really love to try this at some point.
On top of the world
Compared to other river ships, the top deck on board AmaMagna feels truly palatial. It’s a massive space. Like many other ships, it features a lot of loungers and a variety of spaced-out seating. There is also a herb garden, which is used by the chefs on board for various meals, a golf putting course and giant chess. There is even a pop-up sky bar and unique to AmaMagna, a lift that takes you up from the Atrium.
The pièce de résistance has to be the on-board heated pool and jacuzzi. Perfect any time of year to sit back and enjoy the world go by.
AmaMagna really does redefine river cruising. It truly makes a difference having access to facilities such as this on board a river ship, especially coming from my experience of ocean. I could easily see this ship appealing to all sorts of people, whether you’ve sailed on a river cruise before or not.
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