VILSHOFEN, Germany — It’s hard to think that a rather simple concept — a river cruise through Europe — could be improved upon so steadily.
And yet it seems that with each new river cruise ship, the river cruise lines prove to their passengers, and themselves, that the product can be endlessly enhanced, even if just little by little.
The latest example of this phenomenon is Ama Waterways’ new 164-passenger vessel, the Amacerto, christened here May 16 by CLIA CEO Christine Duffy.
The Amacerto defines the company’s newest class of vessels in Europe as well as some of the latest trends in river cruise ships.
Trend No. 1: Balconies
Whether passengers use them or not, balconies have become a must on new river ships. The Amacerto features a new indoor/outdoor balcony concept in 49 of its 82 cabins.
With a French balcony adjacent to an actual balcony, only a small part of the interior cabin space is sacrificed. The French balcony area is devoted to a small indoor seating area.
Trend No. 2: Light
Through more and larger windows and skylights wherever possible, river cruise ships are being flooded with natural light to counter the restricted height of the ships and, consequently, the restricted height of the decks.
The Amacerto’s lobby has a skylight, and the lounges at the bow and aft of the ship are encompassed by walls of glass that lighten and brighten the public spaces.
Trend No. 3: Interior design
With each new ship, interiors are more closely mimicking the latest trends in interior design. Along those lines, the Amacerto features textured wallpaper, colorful carpeting and upholstery and modern artwork and design elements.
The ship’s neutral palettes of white and tans, which are enhanced with pops of warm colors like mauve and red, lend a sense of brightness and cleanliness. The cabins feature marble bathrooms and a marble table.
Recessed lighting in the cabin ceilings, and soft lighting along the wallpapered hallways also add to the sleek, modern design.
A library and lounge area off the Amacerto’s reception area, with glowing faux fireplaces and long, soft couches, is another example of pushing the interior design envelope on river cruise ships.
There are also sleek, cushioned seats on the sun deck that create a bistro lounge feel alfresco.
Trend No. 4: Dining
The Amacerto has really maximized the amount of dining options a river cruise ship can provide. While many lines have toyed with the concept of a small, casual dining area at the aft of the ship, the Amacerto has created a full-fledged second restaurant at the aft, called Erlebnis.
It’s a chef’s-table venue with its own menu, where diners can see the chef cooking in a glass-enclosed kitchen. There is also casual dining on the sun deck, weather permitting.
Additionally, the main dining room features two semi-enclosed, 12-person rooms near the entrance that currently serve the same menu as the dining room but that could eventually house themed restaurants with unique menus, according to Ama executives. (They mentioned possibilities for these spaces ranging from sushi to tapas to a wine bar with an Alpine lodge theme.)
And while it doesn’t count as dining, the Amacerto has a pool on the sun deck with a swim-up bar.
Trend No. 5: Bikes
River cruise lines have long grappled with whether and how to offer bikes to passengers.
Ama has offered bikes to passengers for several years, but now the company provides guides and official bike tours in certain destinations, an option that was a big hit with passengers on the Amacerto christening cruise last week.
Follow Michelle Baran on Twitter @mbtravelweekly.