- Headquarters
- Innsbruck, Austria
- Founded
- 2006
- Fleet
- 15 ships, family-owned and operated
- Loyalty
- Amadeus Club
Amadeus is the cruise brand of Lüftner Cruises, an Innsbruck family shipowner that has been building and running Danube vessels since 1979. Every hull is owned outright and every crew is directly employed, which produces a consistency most chartered fleets cannot match.
About Amadeus River Cruises
The modern Panorama generation — Star, Queen, Imperial, Cara and Nova — carries roughly 150 to 170 guests behind drop-down panorama window walls, with a river terrace, an Amadeus Club lounge and a sun deck with a walking track.
The older Classic vessels are smaller and more traditional, with French balconies rather than window walls, and they work the itineraries where lock and bridge dimensions rule out the newer ships.
The Austrian identity is not marketing dressing. Galleys are run to Austrian and Bavarian traditions, the wine list leans Wachau and Burgenland, and the onboard programme is built around classical concerts in Vienna, Salzburg and Budapest.
The line sells strongly in German-speaking Europe and the UK, so the guest mix is more European than the American-led brands — a genuine difference in atmosphere as well as in the languages spoken at dinner.
Fleet
8 published ship profiles — more coverage rolling out.
Launched 2019
Amadeus Star
A Panorama-class Danube ship with drop-down window walls, a river terrace and the Amadeus Club lounge aft.
Launched 2018
Amadeus Queen
A Rhine Panorama-class ship with a sun-deck walking track, shuffleboard and Austrian galley traditions.
Launched 2020
Amadeus Imperial
A Danube Panorama-class ship with the fleet's largest suites and a strong classical-music programme.
Launched 2021
Amadeus Cara
A Rhine and Dutch-waterways Panorama ship with a slightly lower capacity and larger public rooms per guest.
Launched 2022
Amadeus Nova
The newest Panorama-class hull, with the fleet's latest cabin technology and an enlarged sun deck.
Launched 2013
Amadeus Silver
A Classic-generation ship with French balconies rather than window walls, working the Rhine and Danube.
Launched 2009
Amadeus Diamond
A shorter Classic ship suited to the upper Danube and low-water conditions.
Launched 2011
Amadeus Brilliant
A Classic-generation Rhine and Moselle ship with French balconies and a full-length sun deck.
Ship Classes
Compare the Amadeus River Cruises fleet at a glance — classes, ship highlights, and who each is best suited to.
Showing 2 of 2 classes
| Class | Introduced | Tonnage | Capacity | Ships | Highlight | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amadeus Panorama Class | 2016 | ~3,000 GT | 150–172 guests | Amadeus Star, Amadeus Queen, Amadeus Imperial, Amadeus Cara, Amadeus Nova | The modern generation — drop-down panorama window walls, a river terrace and the Amadeus Club lounge aft. | — |
| Amadeus Classic Class | 2005 | ~2,500 GT | 126–150 guests | Amadeus Silver, Amadeus Diamond, Amadeus Brilliant | The earlier, smaller vessels — French balconies rather than window walls, and dimensions suited to the Elbe and the upper Danube. | — |
Ship class · 2016
Amadeus Panorama Class
The modern generation — drop-down panorama window walls, a river terrace and the Amadeus Club lounge aft.
View classShip class · 2005
Amadeus Classic Class
The earlier, smaller vessels — French balconies rather than window walls, and dimensions suited to the Elbe and the upper Danube.
View classOnboard Experiences
Suite enclaves, fare tiers, and signature onboard products.
Loyalty Programme — Amadeus Club
The Amadeus Club recognises returning guests with a graduated booking discount and a welcome amenity from the second voyage onwards.
There are no points and no tiers to chase; the programme also extends a modest credit when a subsequent voyage is booked on board.
Destinations
The Danube is the home river, from Passau and Vienna through Budapest and on to the Iron Gates and the Danube Delta.
The fleet also works the Rhine, Main, Moselle, Elbe, Seine, Rhône, Douro and the Dutch and Belgian waterways in spring.
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