AmaWaterways is reveling in the success of being pioneers in the Colombia luxury river cruise market, with the US-based company driven by the destination’s vibrant culture, rich biodiversity, unique product and potential route expansion.Speaking with LATTE in Sydney this morning, Kristin Karst, AmaWaterways Co-Founder and Global Brand Ambassador, said the brand’s entry to South America has meant a “revolution” for Colombian locals.For background, AmaWaterways began operation in Colombia in April this year. The program was originally earmarked to commence in late 2023, but experienced a few hiccups — a common occurrence for cruise lines entering an all-new market with brand-new hardware.AmaMagdalena operates two seven-night itineraries between Cartagena and Barranquilla (and vice versa), unlocking the cultures, colours and tastes of the ports of Calamar, Palenque, Mompox, Magangue, Santa Barbara de Pinto and more.Subscribe to LATTE Cruise’s free eNewsletter to keep up to date with everything in the luxury cruise space.Karst tells LATTE that the Colombia program was initially conceived five years ago during the COVID pandemic by partner, Rudi Schreiner — AmaWaterways’ fellow Co-Founder and most recent CEO.AmaMagdalena is stenciled on AmaWaterways’ European fleet, but on a paired-back scale with a capacity of just 60 guests (instead of 130-140 passengers in Europe) and with two restaurants (versus four).“It’s small, it’s intimate, but it’s very similar to our European vessels,” Karst says, noting signature twin balcony staterooms on the vessel are complemented by four suites and a rooftop swimming pool.After the initial shipyard was sourced in Cartagena, an election and change of power in Colombia saw AmaWaterwayssource a new shipyard, which delivered AmaMagdalena earlier this year, a few months later than anticipated.
She says the program has been selling “extremely well”, appealing to not only the active traveller but AmaWaterways’ past passengers, new-to-brand, couples, solo-travellers, multigenerational audiences, and up to 80-year-olds.
“For the locals, our arrival meant truly a revolution,” Karst says.
“It’s a change of life because everyone who was involved in the shipbuilding project, from the shipyard, to the workers there, from the artists, and the local farmers where we purchase local produce.”Karst is equally enthusiastic about AmaWaterways’ crew members, cruise managers, guides who operate the four excursion boats that sail with AmaMagdalena, all locally sourced. Further, the artwork onboard has been purchased from street artists in Getsemani, the art district of Cartagena.
“It’sa very active river cruise. It’s an immersion into the culture and it is doing extremely well.”
“Everyone who looks into this product, no matter if they are from North America, Australia, even countries in Latin America. And having such diverse cultures onboard makes great dinner conversations,” she adds.Karst notes that there are over 400 varieties of fruits in Colombia, meaning guests will have the opportunity to eat something fresh at breakfast each day that they will have never encountered anywhere else in the world. Colombia also has more avian species than the combined birdlife of the USA and Canada.“It’s one of the most biodiverse countries in the world.”“There’s a great emphasis on Colombia’s chocolate (it has some of the finest chocolate in the world), and of course, the coffee culture.”Colombia is also of appeal to AmaWaterways’ more mature market, who may be deterred by the prospect of long-haul flights from the US to Europe, Asia or Africa, with the distance much closer for guests based in Florida and California.“At the same time, we see guests who are first-timers with our brand, who discover AmaWaterways through our river cruise program in Colombia, and then they what to explore the destination on the river. They are maybe the more authentic guest driven by purpose and they want to create a difference, and we certainly do that.”
And, at least for the time being, AmaWaterways has the destination exclusively to itself.
“We are still the only ones. I haven’t seen any other operator expressing interest in the destination.”
Quizzed if expansion beyond the Magdalena River was an option in the future in or around Colombia, Karst said there are options close to the Venezuelan border, but due to safety issues, “we wouldn’t go there at the moment.”A second ship in Colombia, AmaMelodia, remains on track for delivery in October this year. Karst tells LATTE a Godmother for the slightly larger ship (64-guest) is yet to be announced but hints that she may follow in the footsteps of AmaMagdalena’s godmother, Marianna Schlegel Donado, an interior designer, entrepreneur and Colombian.
