Growing a quality river cruise brand

Rudi Schreiner explains AmaWaterways' successful newbuild, itinerary planning and onboard strategy
Growing a quality river cruise brand

By Rebecca Gibson |


This article was first published in the Autumn/Winter 2016 issue of International Cruise & Ferry Review. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed.

Summer is Rudi Schreiner’s favourite time of year; it’s when he gets the chance to officially welcome new ships to AmaWaterways’ river cruise fleet. Like most operators, AmaWaterways previously christened new vessels when they were first delivered by the shipyard, but the past eight newbuilds have sailed several inaugural voyages before being officially named in June or July in Vilshofen, Germany.

“Summer christenings in Vilshofen are ideal – it’s warm, the vessels can berth in the city centre and the friendly locals know how to party,” remarks Schreiner, adding that the line invites around 300 guests, including Vilshofen locals, the city mayor and abbot, European business partners and of course, the ship’s godmother, passengers and crew.

“After the ship arrives in Vilshofen accompanied by music, we host a champagne reception on a covered patio area and, following several speeches and entertainment, the captain receives Vilshofen’s flag, we sign the city’s ceremonial Golden Book and 12 Bavarians in traditional lederhosen fire a gun salute from the top deck before the godmother smashes the champagne bottle,” Schreiner says. “Guests and locals love the festivities and they can tour the ship.”

On 14 and 15 June 2016, Vilshofen hosted christening ceremonies for AmaStella and AmaViola, which have been sailing since the end of March and April respectively. Both vessels were built at Vahali Shipyard in Zasavica, Serbia as part of a series that started with AmaCerto in 2012. In an AmaWaterways first, the 158-passenger newbuilds feature 12 interconnecting staterooms designed for multi-generational groups and families.

“The family market isn’t traditionally our domain, but we’ve introduced these staterooms to cater to the clientele of our partner Adventures by Disney, which began operating five consecutive family-themed charters on AmaViola this June,” explains Schreiner, noting that all accommodation features AmaWaterways’ signature twin balconies. “More guests are requesting upper deck cabins so we’ve expanded the hair salon, spa and fitness area and moved it to the lower deck, enabling us to cater to the growing number of guests who want to improve their health, fitness and general wellbeing.”

Dining menus and experiences have also been upgraded. “We’ve created healthier menus and vegan dishes, and have offered the Chef’s Table dining experience for three years, allowing every guest to enjoy one complimentary meal during their cruise,” says Schreiner. “Last winter I worked with our executive chefs to create a new tasting menu for the Chef’s Table comprising appetisers, a sorbet intermezzo, main courses and desserts, all imbued with local flavours from the destinations we visit. The menu, which was introduced this summer, is paired with carefully selected wines.”

Although most river cruise operators are rapidly expanding their fleets, particularly in Europe, AmaWaterways has only launched one or two ships per year in Europe since 2006. Every other year, it debuts an additional ship in exotic regions like Africa, Burma or on the Mekong in Asia.

“I’ve never been a fan of expanding too rapidly and even when demand grew after the 2008 recession, I stuck steadfastly to my one- or two-ship strategy,” explains Schreiner. “Any new ship must be better than the last and market trends continuously evolve, so I like to take time to ensure we’re offering more innovation with every newbuild. For example, the staterooms on the newer ships are almost as big as the suites on our first eight ships because consumers are looking for more space and luxury.”

Next year, AmaWaterways will launch AmaKristina. Certainly, Schreiner hopes that AmaKristina will be even better than AmaStella and AmaViola when she debuts.

“While AmaKristina is modelled on AmaStella and AmaViola and will offer guest favourites such as our twin-balconies and the Chef’s Table, she also has a few new features and will have a different colour palette and atmosphere,” he says. “We took delivery of her on 28 April at the Vahali Shipyard in Serbia, and then she was towed by tug to the Netherlands for final interior outfitting before her March 2017 debut.”

Schreiner is confident that regular fleet renewal is just one of several factors that helps AmaWaterways to remain competitive.

“Both our loyal guests and first-time cruisers are delighted by the high quality staterooms and services, the breadth of the cuisine, our varied itineraries and wide choice of all-inclusive shore excursions, and our excellent value for money,” he says. “People think river cruises are for older retired people who just admire the scenery, but our guests can be as active as they like. For example, when we dock in Linz, Austria, guests can tour the city, spend a day or afternoon in Salzburg, visit Český Krumlov in the Czech Republic, head to the Austrian Lake District, or take walking or bicycle tours along the Danube. We do everything we can to cater to the preferences of individual guests.”

AmaWaterways also regularly considers expanding to new markets. “Although central Europe is still the most popular destination with our guests, I’m always looking at where else in the world we can help them to discover,” he says. “I’ve been exploring the possibility of building a vessel for Myanmar and the Ganges in India for some time and I’ve not given up on entering China once the air and environment is cleaner. Although we cancelled our Russia plans following the recent invasion of Ukraine, we’re now reconsidering the region, while Zambezi Queen, which had a rough time during the 2014 Ebola crisis, is now back on track and almost at full capacity for both 2016 and 2017.”

Unlike many river cruise operators who were hit by restrictions in Europe due to heavy rains and unusually high river levels last June, AmaWaterways was able to continue operations with only minimal issues.

“After more than 20 years, I’m very familiar with what can happen in our destinations at specific times of the year, so we always build ships with low draft and take time to fully analyse the markets and work closely with ports when planning itineraries to avoid these issues,” says Schreiner. “Sometimes this means we have to sacrifice certain opportunities, but it’s worth it in the long-term because customers always appreciate a reliable service. I’ve been in this industry for almost 24 years and seen everything from war and terrorism, to health crises and financial recessions, but you always have to remain positive and look for the opportunities in everything, even if they’re hard to see at first!”

 

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