Lower the window, lean out, and let Vienna drift past your bed.
Amadeus is the Luftner family’s line from Innsbruck, Austria, river cruising since 1983, and its newest ships (Amadeus Silver, Imperial, Cara, Nova and Riva) have the trick everyone remembers: floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows that drop at the touch of a button, so the whole cabin becomes a balcony. It sails the Danube from Passau to Budapest and on to the Black Sea, the Rhine, Main and Moselle, the Seine and Rhone, and the Dutch and Belgian waterways in tulip season, and it suits travelers who want classic, well-run European river cruising at a sensible price. SmartCruiser shows all 151 Amadeus sailings with taxes and fees included, puts the SmartCruiser picks first and adds SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit per stateroom where the line allows it; sailings marked fares by phone we quote the same way, taxes and fees included.
Three ways to sail with Amadeus
Pick a style and the list below filters to it; every card still shows taxes and fees in the price.
The Danube
- Passau to Budapest in 7 nights with Vienna, Bratislava, Melk and the Wachau valley
- Amadeus is Austrian, so Vienna is a home port, not a stop
- Longer sailings continue through the Iron Gates to Bucharest and the Black Sea
Best for: first river cruises, music and architecture lovers, Christmas markets
Rhine, Main and Moselle
- Amsterdam to Basel past the Lorelei and the castles of the Middle Rhine
- Moselle sailings add Cochem, Bernkastel and Trier, the prettiest wine river in Germany
- Main and Main-Danube Canal sailings link Amsterdam to Vienna or Budapest in 14 nights
Best for: wine towns, half-timbered villages, the big Amsterdam to Budapest crossing
Seine and Rhone
- Paris round trip through Normandy to Rouen, Honfleur and the D-Day beaches
- Lyon to Arles through Burgundy and Provence on the Amadeus Provence
- Smaller ships, 140 guests, and French menus on board
Best for: Francophiles, pairing a cruise with Paris or Lyon, second river cruises
Amadeus deals: SmartCruiser picks first
Every Amadeus sailing, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings, bonus onboard credit, a Special SmartCruiser rate, or a senior, resident or police & fire fare that beats the public price. Below them, every other sailing with full sorting.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery Amadeus sailing
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Where Amadeus sails
Pick a river and the list above filters to it; the 14-night Amsterdam to Budapest sailings appear under both the Rhine and the Danube.
Lines you may also like
If Amadeus is on your shortlist, these lines sail the same rivers and are worth pricing side by side.
When to go
Amadeus sails late March to early January; the tulip cruises are spring only and the Christmas markets fill first.
Amadeus questions we answer every day
What is included in an Amadeus fare?
All meals on board with wine, beer and soft drinks at lunch and dinner, a welcome cocktail and captain’s dinner, Wi-Fi, bicycles, and a guided walk or coach tour in most ports. Gratuities, the all-day drinks package and a few premium excursions are extra; air is often bundled in the line’s current offer.
How big are the ships and the cabins?
Amadeus ships carry 140 to 162 guests on three passenger decks. Standard cabins are about 172 square feet; those on the Strauss deck have the drop-down panoramic windows, Mozart deck suites are 284 square feet with a walk-out balcony, and the lower Haydn deck has fixed windows at river level and the lowest fares.
Who does Amadeus suit?
Couples and friends who want classic European river cruising, Austrian hospitality and a quieter ship, without paying for butlers and all-inclusive drinks they will not use. Most guests are 55 to 75, a mix of Americans, Canadians, Australians and Europeans, and every tour is in English.
What happens with high or low water?
A few weeks a year, usually late summer or early spring, a stretch of the Rhine or Danube cannot be navigated. Amadeus coaches around it or swaps you to a sister ship and the itinerary continues. Spring and fall are the lowest risk, and the Seine and Rhone are rarely affected.
Do I need a passport or visa?
A US passport valid at least three months beyond your return date. No visa is needed for stays under 90 days in the EU, though the ETIAS travel authorization will apply once it launches; the Black Sea sailings add Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania, which also admit US passports visa-free. We send the current rules with your confirmation.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotel extensions, gratuities and premium excursions are extra. Where a sailing shows fares by phone, we quote it the same way, with taxes and fees included.
Talk to an Amadeus specialist
Tell us the river and the month and we price every Amadeus departure against the other lines, with the SmartCruiser bonus on top and taxes and fees in the price. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.