In 2021, AmaWaterways inaugurated a new concept in river cruising – and now it’s taking its Seven River Journey to a new level. Cruise lovers may be familiar with ‘Grand Voyages’ in ocean cruising, which are extended, sometimes months-long seafaring journeys. AmaWaterways’ Seven River Journeys are a river cruising equivalent.

But here’s the twist: where ocean cruising Grand Voyages see a single ship sailing across seas and oceans, AmaWaterways’ original Seven River Journeys had the Seven River group of guests changing ships between rivers.

Its newest version of Seven River Journeys, scheduled for 2024, changes all that.

For the first time, guests will be able to take a European river cruise that sails the complete length of the Rhine and Danube Rivers – including the rarely-cruised Danube Delta region leading to the Black Sea – all on board a single ship. It’s a 49-day river cruise that takes an ocean Grand Voyage concept to the rivers of Europe.

AmaWaterways tells me it’s seeing more and more demand from guests for longer cruises – that’s a trend across all types of cruising as travellers stuck at home during the pandemic really want to stretch their wings! And this Seven River Journey concept allows AmaWaterways to deliver, with maximum cruising and minimum of fuss, as there’s no need to change ships.

Beginning in 2024, guests will sail entirely on board the AmaMora from the North Sea all the way to the Black Sea. The cruise transits 15 countries along the way between Amsterdam and Giurgiu, Romania. The 15 countries are: The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, and for the first time, Moldova, along their rivers and canals: the Rhine, Scheldt, Maas, Main, Moselle, and Danube, as well as the history-making Main-Danube Canal, where modern-day river cruising was born.

Seven River Journeys are ‘Grand Voyages,’ indeed! But AmaWaterways has managed to fit two of the 49-day sailings into the European river cruising season: one departing in the Spring, and another in the Summer.

Between explorations of historic towns, villages and vineyards, and immersion into local culture and modern lifestyles of destinations along the way, guests will also enjoy life on board their dedicated river cruise ship, the AmaMora. It’s an award-winning, twin-balcony ship that includes locally-influenced fine dining and wines and cultural performances in its onboard lifestyle. The AmaMora also has a sun deck, pool with swim-up bar, fitness room and complimentary bicycles guests can borrow to explore on their own where the ship docks along its 7-river route.