AmaWaterways
Reviews and Complaints

I booked a cruise for summer of 2021, but had to cancel because I haven't been vaccinated. They gave me a credit for 50%, but now I'm trying to get a full credit because they're holding onto my money and only allowing vaccinated people to board their ships. It's not fair because the countries they sail to have already lifted their entry requirements. It feels like discrimination. It's really hard to reach someone on the phone to request a full credit.

I booked a river cruise with AmaWaterways - specifically the Rhine for five nights. However, everything got messed up and we were delayed and eventually had to cancel the trip. We had already paid the full amount, which was over $10,000, and now they keep pushing back their refund policy. The latest update we received is that we won't get our money back until the end of the year. It's really unprofessional of them to hold onto our money for over two years. Our opinion of this company has been tarnished, and we have no desire to go on a cruise anymore. It's surprising to see that they are still accepting reservations for cruises in May and June, considering how uncertain the pandemic situation is.

I paid $800 deposit for a cruise with AmaWaterways. I decided to cancel and paid an additional $350 for insurance to ensure that I would get my $800 deposit back if I cancelled in 2021. However, they are not willing to refund the money. I made the booking on 05/13 for a sailing date of 06/29. I cancelled the cruise because of Covid, which was 90-120 days before the sailing date. AmaWaterways penalized me $800 for cancelling before 121 days prior to sailing. They had informed us that if we paid the extra $350 for insurance and rebooked for 2021, we could get our deposit back as long as we cancelled within 121+ days prior to sailing. In November , we cancelled our 2021 booking due to ongoing concerns about Covid, but AMA is refusing to refund any of our money. We ended up giving them a total of $1150. It's really disappointing to be ripped off like this, especially when we had to cancel because of Covid, which is not our fault.

We booked round-trip flights for 2 with Amawaterways. The total cost was undisclosed and we paid for it. We booked and paid for business class on the way there and Economy Premium on the way back. However, Amawaterways booked Economy Plus for the return instead of Economy Premium. We prefer Economy Premium, but will accept Economy Plus with a refund of the difference. We've attempted to contact Amawaterways via email without success and requested a phone call to discuss, but they haven't reached out. Our first flight is on April 7, and time is running short to resolve this.

I paid a *** deposit through Destiny International Travel agency to take a group European river cruise in 8. I was notified In March the cruise was being postponed to 8/22, cruising on a different boat and at an additional fee. I am not available to cruise in 8/22. I requested a 100% refund on March 30th and placed a dispute with my credit card co. I was talked into dropping the dispute stating I would get *** I asked for an additional *** credit. I have not received any funds. Where is my money? I didn't receive any services or goods. Why are the entitled to my money when I received nothing in return. No one has been in contact with me from this company. I've requested to speak to Destiny International travel agency's Ama Waterways representative on numerous occasions. Please help me resolve this dispute by retrieving my funds. Thank you.

I had to cancel my cruise not once, but twice, and I still haven't received my refund. I paid the full fare in November , a whopping $***, for my March cruise. They canceled it and offered us a credit for a future cruise, which we accepted. However, we had to pay an additional $160 for insurance when we rebooked for July. But guess what? They canceled the July cruise on May 8th. We requested a full refund, and they acknowledged it on May 14th. They did return the $160 insurance cost, but they are still holding onto over $10,000 for more than 6 months now. It shouldn't take them 30, 50, or 90 days to issue a refund through PayPal or credit card (I used PayPal when I had a business). It literally takes 90 seconds. I want my money back, $***. They are making interest off of it, and I'm paying interest on it. I understand the pandemic, but I have my own needs too, and that money could cover my mortgage for 6 months. This is outrageous, and honestly, I'm tired of calling them and asking politely.

On 2/28, we booked an AMA Waterways European Cruise with an initial deposit. When the pandemic began in March, and AMA Waterways required our next payment. Our airline, hotels and all related travel had been cancelled, but AMA had not, yet, cancelled their cruise. Our travel agent advised that our only option would be to purchase AMA's travel insurance. So, we paid an additional fee for their "Travel Waiver Plus." This waiver is a cancel for any reason voucher valid for 24 months beyond the date of cancellation. We were pressured to make the decision of paying the next down payment which was due, or purchasing the Travel Waiver Plus. Now, as the Omicron variants continue, because I am immunocompromised, we are still unable to travel. We understand that the additional fee will not be refunded, but would like our initial deposit returned. We tried to offer our voucher, to others, but we could not find any interest. Correspondence with AMA is uploaded. We hope you will assist in the return of our deposit. Thank you.

My river cruise on 4/1 got canceled. I rescheduled it for 4/9. I got this insurance called "Cancel for any Reason" but it's not what it seems. When my Rhine River/Land trip for *** got canceled on 4/1, I rebooked the same cruise for 4/9 and it cost me ***. I had a *** credit and a %15 Future Cruise Credit. I also got this "cancel for any reason" insurance for the new booking. Now I want to cancel the new trip and get a full refund for my original trip because I don't think Covid 19 will be under control in Europe next spring. My travel agent told me I can't get a refund because the original price I paid and the %15 FCC don't have any cash value. They sent me an email with bullet points explaining this, but I wouldn't have agreed if it was explained properly. They also told me that the additional "cancel for any reason" insurance only covers the cancellation fees, not the cost of the trip. AMA told me that my FCC is valid until 12/31/22. It's too much money to wait for a company to hold onto for over two years. I want a full refund for the original cost of my cruise.

Amawaterways cancelled all River Cruises till April 25 and gave us a full refund. Our air/land portion starts on April 23, but they won't refund us. We booked this Danube River Cruise in Aug 2019. Amawaterways booked the air and land package. It cost $***. Because of the Coronavirus, on March 1, they offered and we bought "cancel for any reason" insurance for $350 for my husband and me through our booking agent ***. This insurance lets us cancel for any reason until 24 hours before the trip. On March 9, we decided to cancel. We got some money back and some future trip credit. Yesterday, on March 12, they offered full refunds for cruises departing till April 25. Our flight leaves on April 23 and our land tour starts on the 24th. They say we aren't entitled to a full refund because our River portion starts on April 26. I explained my position to our booking agent through emails and she dismissed it. In a follow-up email, I was polite and thanked her, but then I saw how other River Cruise companies were being generous. They are giving full refunds till April 30 without needing to buy the CFAR insurance. And my husband and I think our trip booked through them starts on April 23! We believe we deserve a full refund. We have trip credits totaling $***. We want this money refunded to us. I know this is a tough time. The negative response to my request has made me question this company's honesty.

I've been talking to the complaint department at AmaWaterways (with Jane from customer relations: reservation ID XXXXXXXX). She hasn't offered anything but excuses, twisting the facts, and credits for future trips. It all started when AmaWaterways didn't follow through on their promise to transfer us from the airport. Our only option was to change our flight departure from September 15 to September 16 and stay in a hotel in the meantime to catch the 6:30 a.m. flight. I trusted AmaWaterways and my travel agent to handle the arrangements, and they did. They never asked for my approval and added the costs to a guest invoice, which was a long document with lots of charges, credits, and various expenses for different parts of the trip. The hotel stay in between flights cost over a thousand dollars, including a limo and a luxury hotel. I didn't find out the hotel cost until I checked out at 4:00 a.m. to catch the limo to the airport. We realized that we had actually passed the airport on our way to downtown. It seems like AmaWaterways couldn't find a hotel near the airport or suggest that I make the arrangements myself. My travel agent from AmaWaterways was completely useless in protecting our interests throughout this ordeal. A first-class train ticket from A to B costs around $200, but AmaWaterways' only defense is that the costs were included in the invoice they sent me. The majority of the limo charge was bundled with the hotel charge. I didn't closely examine the invoice until after the trip had started. I then asked the cruise manager, John, about the charges. He contacted AmaWaterways and said I would receive an email explaining the charges, but I never heard anything. I think AmaWaterways should be required to include a warning on their invoices: CAVEAT EMPTOR!

In October , I contacted AmaWaterways to take advantage of their special offer for "Frontline Heroes". I was then contacted by a subcontractor called BonVoyage Travel, and I booked 2 cabins for the "Gems of Southeast Europe" cruise on 4/13/22 for $*** per cabin. On 10/25, I paid a $*** deposit ($800 per cabin). On 11/3, I was told that the ship/voyage we had paid deposits for had been rented out to another company. They asked if we could switch to the Romantic Danube trip on 4/15/22. We agreed to the change and received new invoices on 11/3/31. The price increased to $4,118 per cabin because the cabin class we had chosen was not available. On 11/16, a representative from BonVoyage Travel emailed us, informing us that we had been booked on the Melodies of Danube cruise, which was going in the opposite direction of the Romantic Danube cruise. They also mentioned that we would receive a $100 shipboard credit per person. The invoice was dated 11/9, even though we were not informed until 11/16. I asked about staying on the Romantic Danube cruise, but was told that the ship had been rented out completely once again. I reached out to inquire about honoring the original pricing, as the company had changed the itinerary and voyages after giving us a quote. On 11/18, they honored the original pricing and we received an invoice on 12/3. On 12/6, after discussing with the other people traveling with me, we decided that we wanted our deposits refunded. We were concerned that the itinerary they had placed us on was not the original plan, and we were worried that changes would continue to be made without our consent or notification. I called AmaWaterways, who told me to contact BonVoyage Travel. They informed me that only 50% of the deposit would be refunded due to AmaWaterways' cancellation policy. I would like a 100% refund for the deposit, as AmaWaterways changed our itinerary multiple times after we had paid the deposit. The changes did not include the same countries or start/end points.