Amadeus River Cruises cruise policies
Amadeus River Cruises Policies: Deposits, Final Payment, Cancellation, Gratuities, Dress Code and Age Rules
Every booking rule that affects your wallet or your packing list, on one page: what you pay when you book, when the balance is due, what it costs to cancel, what the fare already covers, what to wear at dinner and who can sail. Figures are Amadeus's own, from the General Terms and Conditions and the Know Before You Go guide published by Amadeus River Cruises LLC for bookings made in the United States.
Deposit
Amadeus takes a percentage deposit rather than a flat amount: 10% of the cruise fare per person secures a confirmed reservation. The deposit is payable by check, wire transfer, ACH or most major credit cards, and when you book more than one cruise the deposit and payment rules apply to each cruise separately.
| Cruise length | Deposit |
|---|---|
| Any length, any ship | 10% of the cruise fare per person |
| Pre- and post-cruise land packages and excursion packages | Added to the cruise booking; Amadeus does not publish a separate deposit for them |
Good to know
- The deposit is the minimum cancellation charge from the moment you pay it: Amadeus keeps the full 10% whenever a booking is cancelled, even 121 days or more before departure.
- Travel insurance is not included in the fare. Amadeus sells the WorldTrips Atlas Cruiser Platinum plan to U.S. residents (except Washington and New York) and recommends buying it with the deposit; bought within 14 days of the deposit it adds a pre-existing conditions waiver.
- Amadeus can raise a published price before departure to cover transportation cost increases such as fuel, docking fees or currency fluctuations that were not known when the price was published.
- Children aged 14 and under need Amadeus's consent before the booking is made, so tell us the ages when you ask for a quote.
Final payment
The balance is due no later than 120 days before the departure date, which is earlier than most ocean lines and a month earlier than many river lines. Amadeus can cancel any reservation whose payment has not arrived by the due date.
Standard schedule
| Cruise length | Balance due |
|---|---|
| Any length, any ship | 120 days before departure |
| Booked inside 120 days | Amadeus's terms do not state a rule; in practice the full fare is due at booking because the balance deadline has already passed |
Good to know
- The cruise fare includes port taxes, embarkation, disembarkation and lock fees, gratuities on board, Wi-Fi, bottled water, and wine, draft beer, soda and coffee or tea with lunch and dinner.
- Shore excursions are not in the fare. Amadeus sells up to four excursion packages per cruise (A, B, the all-inclusive C and, from 2027, the active S package) at 15% off when booked before the cruise, and any tour can be bought on board at the regular price.
- Airfare and transfers are not part of the standard cruise fare on the U.S. program; pre- and post-cruise land packages are sold separately.
- Amadeus accepts check, wire transfer, ACH and most major credit cards.
Cancellation charges
Charges are a percentage of the total cruise fare per person and depend on the day Amadeus receives your written cancellation by email, counted in the time zone of the departure port. The scale is steep: half the fare is gone once you are inside 120 days, and everything inside 60 days. Cancellation invoices are due on receipt.
All Amadeus cruises booked in the United States
Every ship and itinerary, including Christmas market and other winter sailings.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Any length | 121 days or more | 10% of the cruise fare per person (the full deposit) |
| Any length | 120 to 90 days | 50% of the cruise fare per person |
| Any length | 89 to 60 days | 80% of the cruise fare per person |
| Any length | 59 days or fewer | 100% of the cruise fare and any additional services booked, no refund |
Good to know
- Cancellations must be in writing by email to Amadeus River Cruises LLC: tell SmartCruiser and we send it the same day, and the charge is set by the day Amadeus receives it.
- Name changes cost $36 per change once the deposit has been received; Amadeus publishes no other change fee, and a change of sailing date is handled as a cancellation and rebooking.
- There is no refund or pro rata refund for unused cruise services, including when a guest leaves the ship early or fails to show.
- Amadeus can cancel a departure for too few passengers (fewer than 80 booked) up to two weeks before departure, or for a material unforeseen cost increase up to four weeks before, and refunds every payment received in both cases.
- Refunds go back to the original payment method, or to SmartCruiser when we made the payment for you, and we pass them straight on.
- Because the deposit is never refundable and the scale reaches 50% four months out, Amadeus strongly recommends travel insurance; the plan it sells reimburses up to 100% of the insured trip cost for covered reasons and offers a cancel-for-any-reason upgrade.
Gratuities
On the U.S. program, gratuities for the ship's staff and crew are included in the cruise fare, which Amadeus states in both its amenities list and its Know Before You Go guide. Nothing is added to the shipboard account at the end of the cruise, and extra tipping is optional.
| Stateroom | Daily gratuity |
|---|---|
| Ship's staff and crew, every stateroom and suite | Included in the cruise fare |
| Extra recognition for outstanding service | Optional; envelopes are provided on board |
| Local guides and drivers on excursions | Not included and at your discretion; Amadeus publishes no suggested amount |
Good to know
- Cruises sold through Amadeus's European program (Lüftner Cruises) do not include gratuities, and older third-party listings quote a daily tip of a few euros per person; that is why you may see a per-day figure elsewhere. For a booking made in the United States the fare covers it.
- The onboard currency is the euro. Drinks outside lunch and dinner, excursions bought on board, spa treatments, laundry and shop purchases go on your shipboard account, which you settle at the end of the cruise in cash (euros, U.S. dollars, British pounds or Swiss francs accepted) or with Visa, Mastercard or Diners Club. There is no ATM on board.
- Wine, draft beer, soft drinks and coffee or tea are served with lunch and dinner at no charge; coffee and tea are free around the clock in the Amadeus Club and each suite has an espresso machine.
Dress code
No formal nights on an Amadeus ship. Smart casual is acceptable at every meal, and the Captain's Dinner during the cruise is, in Amadeus's words, an opportunity to dress up should you desire.
Daytime and excursions
Casual: jeans, shorts and comfortable walking shoes for cobblestones and uneven ground. Pack layers, a hat and a rain jacket; European weather changes quickly.
Dinner (smart casual)
Nice slacks and a shirt for men, casual dresses or slacks and a blouse for women. No shorts at dinner; jackets and ties are not required.
Captain's Dinner
Dress up if you like: a jacket, a cocktail dress or a smart outfit. Many guests, especially Europeans, do; it is never required.
Dress Your Best nights
| Cruise length | Formal nights |
|---|---|
| Any length | 0; one Captain's Dinner (Gala Dinner) per cruise, dressing up optional |
House rules
- Shorts are not appropriate in the restaurant at dinner.
- Churches and cathedrals on excursions often require covered shoulders and knees; carry a light layer.
- Smoking and vaping are not permitted anywhere inside the ship; the only smoking areas are the sun deck and the River Terrace. Smoking in a stateroom costs a cleaning penalty of €375 per passenger.
- Electricity on board is 230 volts, 50 Hz European standard; bring a two-pin adapter (reception lends them) and a converter for anything that is not dual voltage.
Age rules
Amadeus welcomes children but does not run a family program, and its U.S. terms set two rules: younger children need the company's consent before booking, and every minor shares a cabin with an adult. Age is counted at the time of travel.
Minimum age to sail without a parent or guardian
| Departure | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Every sailing | 18; guests aged 17 and younger must travel with a parent, legal guardian or an adult over 21 in the same cabin |
Stateroom assignment
Minors aged 17 and younger must be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or an adult over 21 who shares the same cabin, and Amadeus requires a signed liability waiver for every minor. Children aged 14 and under may only be booked with Amadeus's prior consent, requested before the reservation is made. Some ships have a connecting-door family cabin option; Amadeus publishes no children's facilities, children's program or reduced child fare.
Infants
| Sailing | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| All sailings | Amadeus publishes no minimum age; children 14 and under are carried only with the company's prior consent, requested before booking |
Drinking age
| Departure or destination | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| All sailings (Europe) | Amadeus publishes no drinking age; the ships sail in Europe, where the legal age is set by the country the ship is in, and the bar serves guests of legal age |
Good to know
- Every guest must be able to walk the gangways, stairs and ramps without assistance: motorized scooters and wheelchairs are not permitted on board, other walking aids may be restricted, and anyone with restricted mobility must tell Amadeus before booking.
- The ships are small (up to about 160 guests) and, as Amadeus warns, often tie up alongside other vessels, so reaching shore can mean walking through another ship; docking locations can also change at short notice on a port authority's decision.
- Passports must be valid for six months after the cruise ends; U.S. citizens need no visa for the countries visited, and the ETIAS travel authorization is expected to apply from 2027.
- Amadeus publishes no pregnancy policy; ask us before booking and we confirm with the line.
- The Amadeus Cruiser Club is free to join after your first cruise (18 and over): members get a €30 per person onboard welcome bonus, €50 after three cruises and €100 after seven, plus upgrades and a spa treatment at the higher tiers.
How SmartCruiser handles the fine print for you
- We put your 120 day final payment date on our calendar and remind you before it, so a booking never cancels by accident; Amadeus's deadline is earlier than most lines and easy to miss.
- Before final payment we watch your sailing for Amadeus promotions and reprice the booking when the line allows it.
- Amadeus takes cancellations in writing only, so we handle cancellations, name changes and stateroom moves with Amadeus directly and tell you the exact charge before you decide.
- Excursion packages, pre- and post-cruise land stays, travel insurance and your Amadeus Cruiser Club membership go on your invoice if you want them, and we check the children's ages with Amadeus before we book.
- SmartCruiser adds bonus onboard credit on top of Amadeus's own offers on every sailing, not available booking direct. Ask for it when you call 1-800-444-1560.
Last verified October 14, 2026 against Amadeus River Cruises's own pages: General Terms and Conditions, Amadeus River Cruises LLC (U.S.), Know Before You Go: cruising tips (gratuities, dress code, smoking, currency, Wi-Fi), AMADEUS Amenities: what the fare includes, Excursions and excursion packages, Travel insurance (WorldTrips Atlas Cruiser Platinum), AMADEUS Cruiser Club, Imprint: Lüftner Cruises GmbH, Innsbruck, and Amadeus River Cruises LLC, Chicago, Lüftner Cruises 2026 Travel Terms and Conditions (European program, for comparison), Travel Market Report, final payment policies by line (August 26, 2026). Amadeus River Cruises is the brand of Lüftner Cruises GmbH, a family-owned company based in Innsbruck, Austria, that owns and operates the Amadeus fleet. Cruises sold in the United States are booked through Amadeus River Cruises LLC in Chicago, which acts as sales agent, and the deposit, payment and cancellation terms on this page are that company's General Terms and Conditions, governed by Illinois law with disputes heard in Chicago. Lüftner publishes different booking conditions for cruises sold in Europe (a 10% deposit, balance 20 days before departure, and a cancellation scale that tops out at 90%), and the United Kingdom office has its own terms again; those do not apply to a booking made in the United States. Policies change; the cruise line's ticket contract and the terms on your booking confirmation govern.
Questions
Amadeus River Cruises policy FAQ
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What is the drinking age on an Amadeus ship?
Ask a Amadeus River Cruises specialist
Deposits, deadlines, cancellations and what to pack: one call and it is handled, with SmartCruiser's bonus onboard credit on your booking.