“AMAWATERWAYS has experienced tremendous growth in the past few years, and 2011 promises to be our most successful year on record,” said Rudi Schreiner, president of AMAWATERWAYS. “More and more travelers are discovering that river cruising truly is the best way to experience Europe, Russia and Southeast Asia.”

In Europe, AMAWATERWAYS is launching the AMAVERDE, sister ship of the AMABELLA, which was christened this year.

These new 161-passengervessels feature staterooms that average 214 square feet each, with the majority of them boasting double balconies.  The ships also offer several dining options, including an intimate private chef’s table restaurant that seats 24 guests, a wine bar and two restaurants.

The ships also house a library with a fireplace and a heated swimming pool on the Sun Deck. The exclusive “Infotainment” system offers complimentary high-speed Internet access and complimentary first-run Hollywood movies. All AMAWATERWAYS vessels have complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the ship.

Next spring will also mark the debut of the completely redesigned AMAKATARINA on Russia’s Volga-Baltic Waterway. Guests on the culture-rich Moscow to St. Petersburg “Russian Waterways” itinerary will have a choice of 10 different stateroom categories, including four different suite categories and accommodations up to 432 square feet in size. Seventy-six staterooms aboard AMAKATARINA feature balconies, and the lavishly appointed vessel will also include an alternative restaurant, conference hall, sauna and solarium.

In 2011, the new AMALOTUS will join LA MARGUERITE on the Mekong River in Vietnam and Cambodia, offering 7-night cruises from Siem Reap, Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The 124-passenger AMALOTUS will feature 226 square-foot deluxe staterooms.  More than 82 percent of the staterooms have balconies. Junior suites are 290 square feet of space and suites are 452 square feet each.

AMAWATERWAYS will continue to offer its popular itineraries throughout Europe on the Danube, Main, Rhine and Mosel rivers. Many itineraries will take advantage of the Koblenz Flower Show, which will take place from April to October of 2011. New for 2011 is a sweeping “From the North Sea to the Black Sea” for a grand tour of Europe and  “Melodies of the Danube,” featuring a 7-night cruise from Budapest to Vishofen followed by a 3-night stay in Munich.

For more details, visit www.amawaterways.com.

Viking River Cruises has introduced a new 15-day itinerary on the Mekong River through Vietnam and Cambodia for its 2010-2011 sailing season.

Viking is the second U.S. river cruise company to introduce a Mekong River program.

AMAWATERWAYS first introduced sailings on the Mekong River in September 2009, when the 92-passenger La Marguerite was launched. Earlier this year, AMAWATERWAYS announced that it plans to introduce a second 124-passenger ship on the Mekong that will launch in summer 2011.

AMAWATERWAYS has been bullish about the market from the get-go. Rudi Schreiner, president of AMAWATERWAYS, has said the market can handle additional capacity.

And now, Viking is following suit.

“Our guests have requested that we expand to other destinations so they can experience even more of the world,” said Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen. “With the addition of this new Mekong River program, Viking now offers itineraries in six regions.”

Viking has partnered with Pandaw River Cruises, a Singapore-based river cruise line with head offices in Scotland, to charter the 66-passenger RV Tonle.

The Tonle was built in 2002 with 28 deluxe and 10 single outside facing staterooms. The cabins all have air conditioning, private bathrooms, safes and hair dryers. The ship also features a sun deck with a shaded sitting area, a restaurant with panoramic viewing windows, observation bar and lounge, library, onboard boutique and

Viking’s 15-day Magnificent Mekong itinerary includes stops in Hanoi, Sa Dec, Cai Be and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, as well as Siem Reap, Angkor Wat, Kampong Thom, Kampong Cham, Tonle Sap and Phnom Penh in Cambodia.

There is one departure on Dec. 27 in 2010, followed by 17 departures in 2011.

Cruise prices start at $3,399 per person, based on double occupancy. Pricing includes accommodations, all onboard meals, daily guided shore excursions and port charges. Viking also offers extensions to Ha Long Bay, Vietnam or Bangkok, Thailand.

“We are proud to launch this new Mekong River program and know that it will soon become a favorite of both past and new Viking guests,” said Hagen.

And, she’s off! Avalon Waterways christened its tenth ship, the Avalon Luminary, at a ceremony in the fishing village of Hoorn in the Netherlands last week.

The 138-passenger ship was christened on July 30 by its godmother, Kristi Jones, president of travel agency consortium Virtuoso.

The Avalon Luminary features 65 staterooms and four junior suites. The ship’s staterooms measure 172 square feet, and 90% have floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding glass doors. The junior suites are 258 square feet each.

The Luminary cabins also feature flat screen televisions, Comfort Collection by Avalon bedding, a mini-bar, safe, laundry and ironing services. The ship has a fitness room, library, hair salon and gift shop, as well as a club lounge, Jacuzzi and a Sky Grill for open-air lunches on the sky deck.

Arriving from the Den Breejen Shipyard in Holland, the Avalon Luminary marks the company’s tenth new ship in Europe since 2004.

In attendance at the christening were Thomas Ritter, CEO of Seehandlung, the financing company for the Avalon Luminary; the ship’s captain Michael Hoffman; as well as Patrick Clark, managing director of Avalon Waterways.

“Inspired by design, our ships are crafted to entice all five senses,” said Clark. “Some enhancements, including deluxe woven carpeting, bathrobes and slippers and premium L’Occitane products in our staterooms are subtle. Other offerings, such as Avalon-branded premium bedding, large staterooms and a perfect balance of warm interiors with natural lighting and panoramic views are distinctive and unexpected.  Combined, all elements provide travelers with a unique feeling of space, freedom and comfort.”

Following the christening, the new vessel set sail on an inaugural Romantic Rhine cruise.  The Luminary will sail the two 9-day itineraries between Amsterdam and Basel, and between Zurich and Amsterdam (both called Romantic Rhine) for the remainder of 2010. The ship will also sail Christmas in the Heart of Germany, Christmastime in Germany & Austria and Christmastime on the Danube.

The Luminary is already 92% sold for 2010.

In 2011, the Avalon Luminary will sail more than 10 Avalon itineraries throughout Europe, including the Tulip Time Cruise, Central European Experience, Magnificent Europe, The Blue Danube Discovery, The Legendary Danube, Windmills, Vineyards & Paris and a wine-themed cruise on the Rhine and Moselle rivers.

The Avalon Luminary is the sister ship to the Avalon Felicity, launched in May 2010, Avalon Creativity, launched in August 2009, and Avalon Affinity, launched in May 2009.

In May 2011, Avalon will be launching the Avalon Panorama, marking a new design for Avalon ships with 200-square-foot suites on the top two decks featuring floor-to-ceiling panorama balcony doors.

Avalon will be retiring the 178-passenger Avalon Artistry, which was built in 2004, and the 176-passenger Avalon Poetry, built in 2005, at the end of this year.

The story is especially poignant for me after cruising the Mekong on AMAWATERWAYS La Marguerite.

In Phnom Penh, Cambodia, we visited the Killing Fields as well as the torture camp known as S-21.

For me, it was important that my daughter and I saw the Killing Fields and the torture camp so that we would never forget the atrocities committed there, just as it is important to see holocaust memorials and museums. Nonetheless, it was a gut-wrenching day in Phnom Penh, especially when confronted with a tree against which babies were beaten to death.

The New York Times article was of particular interest, and I admit some disappointment in such a light sentence for such horrible crimes.

A grim but necessary morning in Phnom Penh. We visited one of the Khmer Rouge's many 'Killing Fields,' where the renegade regime committed genocidal atrocities during its rule from 1975 to 1979. Our guide (pictured) told us how his father was captured and imprisoned by the Khmer Rouge and how out of thousands at S-31, was only one of six to survive. How? He noticed that the Khmer Rouge used hundreds of padlocks to incarcerate prisoners but had no system to organize the keys, so they were forced to cut the locks with bolt-cutters each time they took a prisoner away (for interrogation and torture likely). Upon arriving at S-31, our guide's father told the guards he could pick the locks, saving the padlocks for future use. Although he had never picked a lock before, he had observed someone doing so years before. Each morning at a cafe in Phnom Penh, the father had watched a shopkeeper pick a padlock to enter his store. In a test before the prison commander, the father succeeded in unlocking 7 of 10 padlocks. As a worker in the prison, he was no longer treated in the same way as prisoners. However, he was shackled each day. Never mind that he could pick the lock any time he wanted to. After the Khmer Rouge was toppled, his father returned to the village where he had been given up for dead.

At The Killing Fields In Phnom Penh. It is estimated that the Khmer Rouge exterminated as much as one third of Cambodian's population between 1975 and 1979.

Phnom Penh's Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is situated at the site of the notorious Security Prison 21 (or S-21). A former high school, S-21 was used a prison and torture chambers during the Khmer Rouge's rule of Cambodia.

Small prison cells at Phnom Penh's Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, situated on the site of the notorious Security Prison 21 (or S-21). A former high school, S-21 was used a prison and torture chambers during the Khmer Rouge's rule of Cambodia.

Powered by the TravelAge West magazine, these awards target and celebrate innovation in the fields of cruise, tour operator, airline, hotel & resort and destination travel.

From high-end décor that’s chic to complimentary Internet access in every stateroom, AMALYRA does not leave its guests yearning for ultra-modern conveniences or comfortable accommodations.

• Cabin sizes are comfortable, at 170 square feet each.
• More than 82 percent of cabins feature French balconies.
• Beds boasts feather-soft down duvets.
• Get a spa-like experience in marble bathrooms – not to mention the terrycloth robes and slippers to make the soothing experience complete.
• Flat-screen TV deliver first-run Hollywood flicks right in the comfort of your cabin.
• Shipwide Wi-Fi access.

From European dining service to a fitness center to burn those calories consumed, AMALYRA features the amenities of luxury ocean-going vessels.

For those who need activity on their cruises, take a dip in the whirlpool, go walking on the track on the Sun Deck or hop on a bike to explore riverside villages. AMAWATERWAYS also offers complimentary city tours on all of its vessels.

The Avid Cruiser’s Ralph Grizzle talks with the Kristin Karst, vice president of AMAWATERWAYS, about why river cruising is such a great way to see Europe.

Adventures by Disney, The Walt Disney Co.’s family tour program, has introduced an Egypt itinerary in 2011 that includes cruising the Nile River.

In 2011, Adventures by Disney, which offers family vacations around the world, will be adding an eight-day “Egypt: Pyramids, Pharaohs & Ancient Treasures” vacation, which begins with three days in Cairo followed by a three-day cruise on the Nile River aboard the ship Tulip. An additional night in Cairo finishes the trip.

A second 10-day itinerary adds two days in Sharm el Sheikh, a resort destination at the tip of the Sinai Peninsula at the Red Sea.

While the itineraries include traditional sites such as the Pyramids, and important temples such as Luxor, Edfu and Karnak, they also include kid-friendly activities such as a ride on a horse and carriage through Luxor, an Egyptian cooking class and a Disney movie night onboard.

The Tulip is a 77-passenger Nile river ship owned by the Cairo, Egypt-based Wings Group. It was built in 1999 and renovated in 2009. It has five decks, on which there are 56 cabins, including 16 suites. There are four suite categories, including two royal panoramic suites, eight jacuzzi suites, four junior suites, and two executive suites.

Billed as a five-star vessel, the Tulip also has a rooftop pool (pictured), sundeck, pool cafe and bar, a lounge, restaurant, health club, spa, games lounge and gift shop.

There is internet service as well as laundry and dry cleaning services on board.

There are four scheduled departures for the eight-day itinerary in 2011 between April 19 and Dec. 27. An additional departure is scheduled for April 2012. There are five scheduled departures for the 10-day Egypt itinerary between April 26 and Dec. 20. Two additional departures are scheduled in 2012, one in March and one in April.

Prices range from $3,999 to $5,249 for adults (based on double occupancy) for the eight-day itinerary; and from $4,999 to $6,289 for adults (based on double occupancy) for the 10-day trip.

My friend Gary McLaughlin, a professional videographer, has produced a couple of informative and inspirational videos featuring AMAWATERWAYS Mekong River cruises. I cruised with AMAWATERWAYS  on the Mekong this past spring, and the cruise definitely rated as one of the top travel experiences of my life. You can see my articles at a mini-site on River Cruise Advisor, Cruising The Mekong. Meantime, enjoy Gary’s videos. The top video is titled, Mekong River Cruises by AMAWATERWAYS. The video below features AMAWATERWAYS Vietnam & Cambodia Highlights. Enjoy!

A wine-lovers dream cruise! AMAWATERWAYS will cruise along the Wine, er, make that Rhine and Mosel rivers on a wine cruise this coming November. In Bernkastel, pictured, visit the castle ruin overlooking the city center of half-timbered buildings and cobblestone streets.

AMAWATERWAYS will offer a “Vineyards of the Rhine and Mosel” cruise this fall, departing November 12, 2010, on the luxurious MS AMALEGRO.

The special 7-night itinerary includes visits to world-famous wineries, off-site dinners hosted by renowned winemakers, onboard lectures and more.  Hosted by AMAWATERWAYS President Rudi Schreiner, the 7-night cruise will travel from Amsterdam to Trier, Germany, followed by three nights in Paris.

Accompanying the cruise will be winemaker Jim Clendenen, owner of the internationally-acclaimed Au Bon Climat winery in Santa Maria, California and Archie McLaren, founder and chairman of the Central Coast Wine Classic.  A portion of the cruise proceeds will be donated to charities supported by the Central Coast Wine Classic, one of the country’s preeminent wine auctions.

Moselle River cruises offer wine tastings in such wine villages as Cochem, settled by the Celts and later by Romans before being granted a town charter in 1332.

Cruise Highlights Include Dinners & Wine Tastings

Highlights of the “Vineyards of the Rhine and Mosel” itinerary include a dinner and wine tasting with a representative from the renown Georg Breuer winery at the Ruedesheimer Schloss in Rudesheim, Germany.  The scenic Rhine Gorge town of Rudesheim is famous for its quaint wine taverns and surrounding vineyards, including the family-owned Breuer estate.

In Koblenz, guests will discover a 2,000-year old wine town at the confluence of the Mosel and Rhine Rivers.

Mosying Along The Mosel

Continuing through the Mosel river valley, the world’s steepest vineyards and certainly one of the world’s most beautiful rivers, picturesque villages and charming wine towns appear at every turn. During the cruise from Koblenz to the riverside wine town of Winnigen, guests will enjoy an exceptional luncheon, with menu items paired with wines from the Heymann-Lowenstein winery.

In Cochem, guests will discover perfectly preserved timber-framed homes, medieval squares and the spectacular Reichsburg Castle perched above the Mosel.  A welcoming wine fest awaits in the Mosel town of Zell, famous for its “Zeller Schwarze Katz” (Black Cat) wine.

An evening wine tasting in a local underground wine cellar showcases the area’s famous varietals.  In Bernkastel, guests will enjoy a walking tour followed by a wine tasting at the Wine Museum hosted by Michael Stahlmann from the famous Dr. Loosen winery.   Strategically located in the heart of the Mosel wine-producing region, Bernkastel boasts more than 500 years of documented wine history, and is known as “the international town of vine and wine.”

Situated on the Moselle River is the Romanesque city of Trier, Germany’s oldest city and also one that claims to be 1,300 years older than Rome itself. Trier's Porta Nigra (Black Gate) dates from the 2nd century, when Trier was a Roman city.

Of course, throughout the cruise, guests will enjoy gourmet dining accompanied by complimentary local wines (plus beer and soft drinks) at dinner.  Additional AMAWATERWAYS amenities include French Balconies, complimentary 3G high-speed Internet and Wi-Fi; complimentary first-run Hollywood films; complimentary specialty coffees and bottled water, a fleet of bicycles on board plus much more.

After the 7-night cruise, guests will head to Luxembourg for a city tour of the Grand Duchy, followed by a high-speed TGV transfer to Paris.  The three-night stay in the City of Lights includes a guided city tour, plus an exclusive excursion to the Champagne region.

Viking River Cruises has added four new Christmas itineraries for 2010.

Each of the 10-day programs will sail through the heart of Germany on either the Rhine or Danube Rivers during the Christmas holiday, with an emphasis on the region’s festive Christmas markets.

The four additional Christmas itineraries are:

• Winter on the Danube, from Nuremberg to Budapest, Dec. 18
• Winter Rhineland, from Amsterdam to Basel, Dec. 19
• Winter Holiday, from Nuremberg to Vienna, Dec. 19
• European Winter Sojourn, from Budapest to Passau, Dec. 18 or 19

“Christmas is such a special season in Europe that we wanted to share that with our guests,” said Richard Marnell, Viking’s senior vice president of marketing. “And because these itineraries offer such a great value, they make a great opportunity for families and friends to travel together for the ultimate Christmas getaway.”

Christmas cruise prices start at $1,622 per person.