AmaWaterways will host “Sip & Sail” for travel journalists and media on March 2, 2023, to reveal the details of its highly anticipated Magdalena River cruises. The virtual event will provide attendees with an overview of the cruise lines’ plans for the first Colombian river cruise on the Magdalena River.
Hosted by co-founders Rudy Schreiner and Kristin Karst, media are invited to join AmaWaterways to access exclusive information on the latest ships, routes, and events along the Magdalena River. The event will take place on March 2, 2023, at 11:00 AM PDT/2:00 PM. EST. Media can RSVP via the Facebook event or join the event live on AmaWaterways YouTube.
Click here to watch the event live on YouTube!
MEET THE CO-HOSTS
Co-founder and President of AmaWaterways, Rudi Schreiner:
Co-host and Vienna, born in Austria, Rudi Schreiner graduated from university with an MBA degree. After graduating, Schreiner spent the next few months researching a river raft that sailed along the Amazon River in Peru. This was Schreiner’s first river cruise experience. Rudy Schreiner’s research contributed significantly to the creation of river cruising. Over the years, Schreiner has served in several leadership positions at several river cruise companies.
In 2002, Rudy Schreiner teamed up with Christine Karst and Jimmy Murphy to create AmaWaterways. The combination of Schreiner’s passion for river cruising and the completion of the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal in 1992 made AmaWaterways a leader in all things river cruising. His efforts have been recognized with various awards over the years, including the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from Travel Weekly, the “Travel Vanguard Award” from AFAR Media and the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).
AmaWaterwise Co-Founder and Executive Vice President, Christine Karst:
Christine Karst, a co-host and German native from Dresden, has contributed significantly to modernizing the river cruise experience. Karst has also become one of the leading executives in the river cruise industry. Karst holds a degree in hospitality and business management and an MBA from the University of Dresden. Shortly thereafter, Karst was employed by American Express, but parted ways with the company after eight years. In 1999, she moved to the United States and immersed herself in the river cruise industry. Three short years later, she co-founded AmaWaterwise with Rudy Schreiner and Jimmy Murphy.
Christine Karst brought her considerable knowledge of European rivers, along with European history, culture and tradition. Karst continues to provide first-class customer service and assistance to the entire travel advisor community. She has also received various awards, including being named by Inc. magazine. named one of the “Top 100 Female Founders” in 2020.
About AmaWaterways
AmaWaterways is currently celebrating 20 years in business, offering passengers the ultimate river cruise experience. Their fleet includes 26 specially designed ships sailing to destinations such as Europe’s Danube, Douro, Rhine, Moselle, Main, Rhône, Saone, Seine, Garonne and Dordogne rivers, as well as Dutch and Belgian waterways; the Mekong River in Southeast Asia; Africa’s Chobe River; Egypt’s Nile River. In 2024, the cruise line is extremely excited to introduce a new itinerary that will sail Colombia’s historic Magdalena River.
AmaWaterways has received various awards during its 20 years in business, including Insight Guide: River Cruising’s “Top Rated Ships” in Europe and the USA. AmaWaterways has also received the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) “River Cruise Partner of the Year” award for the past seven years.
From the beginning, our goal was to create a river cruise company that we ourselves would enjoy. To us, that meant the highest-quality, locally sourced food and wine; elegantly appointed ships with staterooms offering maximum views to enjoy the ever-changing countryside; and a crew who goes above and beyond, treating every guest like they are part of OUR family.
With that in mind, for two wonderful decades, we have been building one-of-a-kind ships with added comforts and conveniences ranging from our signature view-enhancing twin balconies to the one-and-only Chef’s Table specialty restaurant to our award-winning AmaMagna – redefining the river cruise experience. We continue to lead the way in innovation, offering our first-ever Heritage on the River cruises with Ancestry, the history-making debut of our Seven River Journeys in 2023, and pioneering the first sailings on Colombia’s Magdalena River in 2024. As we look ahead to the next 20 years, we are more committed than ever to offering innovative and sustainable ways for our guests to experience the rich culture and history found along the banks of the world’s most iconic rivers.