While most European river cruise companies have declined to follow Crystal and AmaWaterways' lead in launching megaships, German operator A-Rosa is jumping into the game with a four-deck vessel to be launched in 2021.
The family-focused river line last week announced the signing of a contract with Concordia Damen for the ship, which will sail the Rhine.
Unlike the AmaMagna, which at 24 meters is double the width of traditional European river ships, and the Crystal Mozart, which is nearly that wide at 22.8 meters, the new A-Rosa vessel will be somewhere between them at nearly 17.7 meters, but will have a fourth deck to allow for more and bigger spaces.
Because of their width, the AmaMagna - which, when it starts sailing in May, will be the biggest passenger ship on the European waterways - and the Crystal Mozart can only sail the lower Danube. Other operators have resisted following the bigger ship trend, saying anything wider prevents them from sailing through many of Europe's locks and canals, and that they prefer to have the flexibility to move their vessels across Europe's different waterways.
And while the A-Rosa ship will sail the Rhine rather than the lower Danube, the fourth deck will limit it to areas without the bridges that traditional three-deck ships are designed to fit under.
The company said the new vessel will be used mainly on the northern Rhine, sailing between Cologne and Amsterdam with stops in Rotterdam, Bruges and Antwerp.
It will have 140 cabins, a number of which are designed for families at 226 square feet with larger bathrooms and separate sleeping and living areas. It will also have two pools, one that is shallow for children, as well as a children's dining area and kids club with free childcare on during school holidays
The AmaMagna, on the other hand, is more like a floating luxury hotel with just 98 luxury cabins, ranging from 355 to more than 700 square feet.
Other upscale and luxury lines have been increasing their cabin sizes slightly in new and renovated ships while reducing overall cabin counts to meet demand for larger and more luxurious accommodations. But the AmaMagna and the new A-Rosa also offer more public spaces. The AmaMagna, for instance has a fitness center with a spa and room for group exercise classes, a water sports platform, a large heated pool, whirlpool and pop-up sky bar.
The AmaMagna also comes at a premium price point. And since her May launch will mark her first season, it remains unclear how popular she will be. The industry, however, will no doubt be watching her very closely.