Amadeus River Cruises · All Amadeus River Cruises ships · 135-meter Amadeus series (Rhine and Danube)

Amadeus Imperial: ship guide

Casually elegant 2020 Danube ship with 12 balcony suites and a redesigned entrance.

Best for: Travelers who want the classic Danube week from Passau or Budapest on a recent ship with more balcony suites than most of the fleet and all the Amadeus inclusions. Sails from Passau, Budapest, Nuremberg in 2026 and 2027.

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Amadeus Imperial
Amadeus Imperial
168guests at double occupancy
46crew
4decks
2020entered service
443 ftlong
84staterooms

About Amadeus Imperial

Amadeus Imperial was delivered in 2020 and is the largest of the current 443-foot Amadeus ships by capacity, with 72 outside cabins and 12 Amadeus Suites for a maximum of 168 guests and a crew of about 46 across four decks. Amadeus sums her up as casually elegant: tradition and modern comfort together, with a newly redesigned entrance area, the signature drop-down panoramic windows on the Mozart and Strauss decks and walk-out balconies on every suite.

Days on board revolve around the Panorama Restaurant, the Panorama Bar where there is live music and a themed evening most nights, the Amadeus Club for an after-dinner glass of wine with jazz or classical music, and the open-air River Terrace lounge in the bow. The sun deck is the place for the Wachau Valley and the Danube bend, and the fitness room, free bicycles and e-bikes cover the active side. Wine, draft beer and soft drinks are included at lunch and dinner, and gratuities and Wi-Fi are in the fare.

For 2026 and 2027 Amadeus Imperial is a Danube ship. She sails eight-day Danube Rhapsody round trips from Passau to Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava, the Classical Danube between Budapest and Passau with Salzburg and the Wachau, and in late November and December the Magic of Advent from Nuremberg to Vienna, a Christmas cruise and a New Year’s Eve cruise from Passau. She suits travelers who want the classic Danube week on a well-run, recent ship with more suites than most of her sisters.

  • 12 Amadeus Suites of 284 square feet with walk-out exterior balconies and an espresso machine
  • Full-width drop-down panoramic windows in every Mozart and Strauss deck cabin
  • Newly redesigned entrance and reception area
  • Open-air River Terrace lounge in the bow and a full-length sun deck
  • Panorama Bar with live music and themed evenings, and the Amadeus Club wine lounge
  • Café Vienna coffee corner, a feature Amadeus lists for the Imperial and the newer ships
  • Wine, draft beer, soft drinks and coffee or tea included with lunch and dinner; gratuities, Wi-Fi, bikes and e-bikes included
  • Classic Danube weeks from Passau and Budapest plus Advent, Christmas and New Year’s Eve cruises

Staterooms and suites

Amadeus Suite (Mozart Deck)

284 square feet with a walk-out exterior balcony, a separate seating area, the Amadeus Signature Bed as a double or twin, walk-in wardrobe, espresso machine, minibar, bathrobes and slippers and Rituals toiletries; 12 suites on this ship.

A-1 Cabin (Mozart Deck)

188 square feet on the top cabin deck with a full-width drop-down panoramic window, walk-in shower, walk-in wardrobe and minibar.

B-1 and B-4 Cabins (Strauss Deck)

188 square feet on the middle deck with the same drop-down panoramic window, walk-in shower and walk-in wardrobe as the A cabins at a lower fare.

C-1 and C-4 Cabins (Haydn Deck)

172 square feet on the lowest deck with a fixed panoramic window, walk-in shower and a double or twin bed; the value category with the same meals and excursions.

All staterooms

Every cabin is an outside cabin with a flat-screen TV, individual climate control, in-room safe, hair dryer, direct-dial phone and Rituals bath products; connecting family cabins can be requested on select ships.

Amadeus Imperial deck plans

Deck by deck, straight from our booking engine: the plan, the stateroom categories on that deck and the public rooms. Pick a deck.

Sun Deck plan

Sun Deck

Chess Board, Lido Bar.

Plans are the cruise line’s current drawings as supplied to our booking engine. Layouts change with refurbishments; your SmartCruiser advisor confirms the exact stateroom when you book.

On board Amadeus Imperial

Sun Deck
Sun Deck
River Terrace
River Terrace
Reception
Reception
Panorama Restaurant
Panorama Restaurant
Panorama Bar
Panorama Bar
Imperial Lobby
Imperial Lobby
Fitness Room
Fitness Room
Amadeus Club
Amadeus Club
Sun Deck
Sun Deck
River Terrace
River Terrace
Reception
Reception
Panorama Restaurant
Panorama Restaurant

Dining on Amadeus Imperial

Panorama RestaurantIncluded

The main restaurant serves the breakfast buffet, lunch with menu choices and regional buffet specialties, and a served multi-course dinner each evening with wine pairings and vegetarian options.

Panorama BarIncluded

Early-riser breakfast and a light buffet lunch by day; cocktails, live music, lectures and themed evenings at night, with drinks between meals charged to your onboard account.

Amadeus ClubIncluded

A quiet lounge with coffee and tea 24 hours a day, books and board games, and evening wine with jazz or classical music.

Café ViennaIncluded

Viennese coffee specialties and Austrian pastries in the afternoon.

Sun DeckIncluded

Al fresco lunches, wine and cocktails outdoors when weather and bridge heights allow.

Drinks policyIncluded

Hand-selected wines, draft beer, soft drinks and coffee or tea are included with every lunch and dinner, plus a welcome cocktail reception and afternoon tea; coffee and tea are free all day and other bar and minibar drinks are charged.

Entertainment and activities

  • Sun deck with loungers and shaded seating, plus the open-air River Terrace lounge in the bow
  • Panorama Bar live music, dancing and themed evenings
  • Lectures, cooking demonstrations and local folklore or classical performances brought on board in port
  • Amadeus Club for reading, board games and quiet evenings with a glass of wine
  • Fitness room open 24 hours with cardio and training equipment
  • Free bicycles with helmets and complimentary e-bikes on the Danube
  • Guided shore excursions in every port with the wireless Amadeus audio system, rated 1 to 5 for walking
  • Welcome dinner, captain’s gala farewell dinner and the New Year’s Eve gala and party on the winter sailings

Families and who it suits

Amadeus publishes no minimum age on its cruising-tips page and has no children’s program on board; Imperial is an adult-oriented ship, and connecting family cabins exist on select ships on request only, so check with SmartCruiser before booking a child.

Best for: Travelers who want the classic Danube week from Passau or Budapest on a recent ship with more balcony suites than most of the fleet and all the Amadeus inclusions.

Sails from: Passau, Budapest, Nuremberg · Regions: Danube, Main-Danube Canal

Amadeus Imperial questions we answer every day

How big is Amadeus Imperial?
Amadeus Imperial is 443 feet long and 37 feet wide with four decks, delivered in 2020 for a maximum of 168 guests in 72 outside cabins and 12 suites, with a crew of about 46. She shares the hull dimensions of the whole modern Amadeus fleet, so she passes the same Danube locks and docks in the same central berths as her sisters.
Where does Amadeus Imperial sail in 2026 and 2027?
Only on the Danube. The two summer and fall itineraries are the eight-day Danube Rhapsody round trip from Passau to Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava, and the eight-day Classical Danube from Budapest to Passau with Salzburg and the Wachau Valley. From late November she sails the seven-day Magic of Advent from Nuremberg to Vienna along the Main-Danube Canal, then a Christmas cruise and a New Year’s Eve cruise round trip from Passau.
Which cabins are best on Amadeus Imperial?
Imperial has 12 Amadeus Suites, more than Cara, with a walk-out balcony, a seating area and an espresso machine, and they are the pick for the Danube bend and the Wachau. The A cabins on the Mozart Deck and the B cabins on the Strauss Deck have the full-width drop-down panoramic window, which makes the cabin feel like an open balcony. C cabins on the Haydn Deck have fixed windows and the best fares.
What is included on Amadeus Imperial?
All meals, wine, draft beer, soft drinks and coffee or tea with lunch and dinner, afternoon tea, late-night snacks, a guided excursion in most ports with wireless headsets, Wi-Fi, bicycles and e-bikes, port taxes, lock fees and all gratuities. Bar drinks between meals and optional excursions are extra. SmartCruiser adds bonus onboard credit on sailings where Amadeus allows it, not available when you book direct.
What does casually elegant mean on Amadeus Imperial?
It is the line’s own description and it matches the dress code: smart casual at every meal, no jackets or ties required, with the captain’s gala dinner the one evening most guests dress up. Dining is one open seating in the Panorama Restaurant, the lounge entertainment is live music and local performers rather than production shows, and the onboard language is English with a multilingual cruise director.
How does Amadeus Imperial compare with the newer Amadeus ships?
She has the same cabin sizes, drop-down windows and suite balconies as the Cara, Riva and Nova, and the same inclusions. The differences are that Nova, Aurea and Mira add hybrid propulsion and a heated sun-deck pool, and Imperial carries up to 168 guests against 158 on the newest ships. If your dates fit her Danube program, she is a strong value.

Facts checked against Amadeus River Cruises: Amadeus Imperial, Amadeus River Cruises: Suites and Staterooms, Amadeus River Cruises: Culinary Experience, Amadeus River Cruises: Amadeus Amenities on October 14, 2026. Ship details change with refurbishments; your SmartCruiser advisor confirms the current layout when you book.

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Every Amadeus Imperial departure the cruise line is selling, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. SmartCruiser picks at the top are sailings where booking with us gets you something extra. Stack the filters, then sort by lowest price, best value per night or sail date.

Every Amadeus Imperial sailing

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Prices 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. Onboard credit shown on a sailing is per stateroom and applies to the lowest category offered unless stated otherwise.