AmaSonata

About AmaSonata

AmaSonata is an AmaWaterways river ship built in 2014 for the Danube. She carries up to 162 guests across 81 cabins, served by a crew of 51, and sails a programme of 7-night itineraries through some of Central Europe’s most rewarding river scenery — from the grand boulevards of Budapest and Vienna to the fortified villages of the Wachau valley and the medieval lanes of Regensburg. The intimacy of river cruising is what she is built for: the ship fits the waterway, the ports come to you, and the scale keeps the experience personal.

Dining on AmaSonata

Two included restaurants give the ship a culinary range that punches well above its size. The Main Restaurant operates on open seating, so there are no fixed dinner times and no assigned tables — guests choose when they sit and who they join, with regional cuisine served against a backdrop of passing riverbanks. For something more theatrical, The Chef’s Table offers a multi-course tasting menu prepared in front of you in an intimate setting, with personalised attention throughout — and like the main restaurant, it is included in the cruise fare at no extra charge.

Between meals, the Specialty Coffee & Tea Station runs on a self-service basis throughout the day, also at no cost.

On board AmaSonata

The Main Lounge is the social heart of the ship — a fully stocked bar, evening entertainment and daytime talks on the ports ahead make it the natural gathering point before and after each day ashore. Up on the Sun Deck, unobstructed views make this the place to be as the ship moves through the Wachau gorge or rounds a bend into Vienna. The deck also carries a heated pool with a swim-up bar and a walking track for a morning run with a view.

For those who want to stay active, the Fitness Centre is equipped with cardio and strength-training machines, and use is complimentary. The Massage & Hair Salon offers treatments at an additional charge. A Library provides a quieter refuge with books and games, while the Gift Shop stocks souvenirs and essentials. One particularly useful touch for a river ship: AmaSonata carries a complimentary bicycle fleet, so guests can pedal off independently into the towns and countryside the ship calls at, without booking a guided tour.

Cabins on AmaSonata

The ship’s 81 cabins span 10 grades across three families: two grades of outside cabin, one balcony grade and seven suite grades. The range means there is a cabin to match a wide spread of budgets and preferences, from a well-appointed outside room to a suite with its own configuration — the full breakdown, with deck plans, lives on the AmaSonata cabins and deck plans page.

Fares on AmaSonata

AmaWaterways offers its Danube sailings under a few different fare types. The standard AmaWaterways River Cruise Fare is the core tariff and covers the inclusions confirmed at booking. River Cruise Offers provides a starting point for comparing itineraries across the line’s European programme, with full details confirmed when you book. The Solo Traveler Specials fare is designed with solo guests in mind — a practical option worth exploring for anyone travelling alone, with specifics confirmed at the time of booking. CruiseAway’s cruise experts can walk you through which fare suits your plans.

Where AmaSonata sails

All 17 sailings currently on sale are on the Danube River, running as 7-night itineraries from Budapest, Vilshofen or Nuremberg. The routes cover the river’s most celebrated stretch — through Austria, Slovakia and Germany — and the programme runs in spring and late autumn, so these are seasonal departures rather than year-round.

The largest programme departs Budapest westbound, calling at Bratislava, Vienna, Dürnstein, Melk, Linz, Passau, Regensburg and Nuremberg on a one-way routing that ends in either Nuremberg or Vilshofen. Seven sailings run on this route between November 2026 and November 2028, mostly in March, April, May and November, from A$2,983pp*.

The Vilshofen to Budapest route runs the river in the other direction — eastbound through Passau, Linz, Weissenkirchen in der Wachau, Bratislava and Vienna before arriving in Budapest. Four sailings are on sale on this routing, in March and November, from A$3,736pp*.

A round-trip from Budapest — calling at Vienna, Bratislava, Melk, Linz and the Wachau — runs in May and December on three departures between May 2027 and May 2028, from A$4,888pp*.

Finally, three departures run Nuremberg to Budapest, calling at Regensburg, Passau, Linz, the Wachau valley, Dürnstein, Melk and Vienna, in November, December and May, from A$5,463pp*.

Because every AmaSonata sailing departs from Hungary or Germany, the cruise is the middle of a longer trip — CruiseAway books the flights, the hotel either side and the transfers, as one complete holiday.

Who AmaSonata suits

AmaSonata is built purely for river cruising: a compact ship that fits the Danube’s locks and channels, with ports close enough to explore on foot or by bicycle. She suits travellers who want the rhythm of a river journey — waking up in a new city each morning, joining a guided walk or cycling off independently — without the scale of an ocean vessel. The included bicycle fleet makes self-guided exploration genuinely easy.

The AmaWaterways fleet

AmaWaterways operates river ships across Europe, South America, South East Asia and beyond. The ships that sail the Danube alongside AmaSonata include AmaVerde, AmaBella, AmaReina, AmaLea, AmaMora, AmaMagna and AmaRudi.

On the Rhine, the fleet includes AmaSofia, AmaFiora, AmaPrima, AmaLucia, AmaViola, AmaSiena, AmaCerto, AmaVenita, AmaStella and AmaSerena. The Rhône is served by AmaCello and AmaKristina; Portugal by AmaVida, AmaDouro and AmaSintra; South America by AmaMagdalena and AmaMelodia; South East Asia by AmaDara and AmaMaya; Egypt’s Nile by AmaCleo; France by AmaDante; and the Garonne by AmaDolce. The full AmaWaterways fleet and cruise programme is on the line’s own page.

Why book AmaSonata with CruiseAway

CruiseAway’s cruise experts know the AmaWaterways programme in detail and can help you compare routes, fare types and cabin grades to find the right combination. Because the Danube departures are in Hungary and Germany, we build the whole trip — flights from Australia, hotels in Budapest or Nuremberg either side of the cruise, and all transfers — on a single booking through our DreamAway Packages, so there is nothing to arrange separately. And our Best Price Guarantee means you can book with confidence.

Common questions about AmaSonata

How many guests does AmaSonata carry?

AmaSonata carries a maximum of 162 guests across 81 cabins, served by a crew of 51. The guest-to-crew ratio is a defining feature of the AmaWaterways product and keeps service attentive throughout the voyage.

Which cities does AmaSonata call at on the Danube?

Depending on the route and direction, AmaSonata calls at a combination of Budapest, Vienna, Bratislava, Linz, Passau, Melk, Dürnstein, the Wachau valley, Regensburg and Nuremberg. Not every port appears on every sailing — the specific itinerary varies by departure, and the route descriptions above show which ports feature on which programme.

When does AmaSonata sail?

The current programme runs from November 2026 through to late 2028, with sailings concentrated in March, April, May, November and December. This is a seasonal river programme rather than a year-round schedule, so departure dates are worth checking early if you have a specific month in mind.

Can I travel to the Danube as part of a package holiday?

Yes — because all AmaSonata sailings depart from Budapest, Vilshofen or Nuremberg, CruiseAway puts together the flights, hotel nights either side and all transfers as a single holiday booking. You can speak with our cruise experts to shape the whole trip around your preferred dates and cabin grade.

What cabin types are available on AmaSonata?

AmaSonata offers 10 cabin grades across outside, balcony and suite categories. The full breakdown — including what each grade includes and where it sits on the ship — is on the AmaSonata cabins and deck plans page.