- Launched
- 2009
- Gross tonnage
- ~600 GT
- Passengers
- 28 guests
- Crew
- 20
- Length
- 42 m
- Home port
- Chobe, Botswana
The Zambezi Queen is the smallest vessel AmaWaterways sells, a 28-guest safari boat on the Chobe river between Botswana and Namibia.
Suites are all river-facing with private balconies, and the whole vessel operates as a floating safari lodge rather than a cruise ship.
The daily rhythm is twice-daily activity: a boat safari at dawn and a game drive in Chobe National Park in the afternoon, or the reverse.
Chobe carries one of the largest elephant populations in Africa, and the river approach puts guests at water level among them.
The vessel is sold as part of longer Southern Africa programmes taking in Victoria Falls, Cape Town and the Kruger.
Highlights
Floating safari lodge
28 guests in river-facing suites with private balconies.
Twice-daily game activity
Boat safaris at dawn and Chobe game drives in the afternoon.
Elephant country
Water-level access to one of Africa's largest elephant populations.
Accommodation
Cabin types and classes
Category E/D stateroom
Lower-deck cabin of around 15 sq m with a fixed window, twin or queen configuration and a full bathroom.
French Balcony stateroom
Around 16 sq m with a floor-to-ceiling sliding door and railed threshold on the middle deck.
Twin Balcony stateroom
The line's signature — around 19 sq m with both an outside step-out balcony and a French balcony in the same room.
Suite
Around 33 to 46 sq m with a separate seating area, twin balconies, an enlarged bathroom and priority Chef's Table reservations.
AmaMagna Grand Suite
Around 65 sq m on AmaMagna with a full living room, dining table and outsized balcony — four times a standard river stateroom.
Connecting and solo cabins
Connecting pairs for families and a small number of dedicated single staterooms with no supplement on selected departures.
Food and drink
Dining options
Included in your fare
Main restaurant
Open-seating dining with a regional menu, an always-available list and daily vegetarian options.
The Chef's Table
Complimentary speciality restaurant at the stern with an open galley, a set tasting menu and paired wines. Reservation required.
Breakfast and lunch buffets
Full buffet plus made-to-order eggs, an omelette station and a carving counter at lunch.
Sip & Savor and afternoon tea
Complimentary hors d'oeuvres and drinks in the lounge each afternoon.
Speciality restaurants (charged)
Jimmy's Wine Bar
On AmaMagna only — a chef's-choice small-plates venue named for the late co-founder, included in the fare.
Al Fresco Restaurant
On AmaMagna only — a glass-enclosed outdoor venue for lunch and dinner, included in the fare.
Every dining venue in the fleet, including the Chef's Table, is included in the fare — there are no cover charges.
Venue line-up reflects the AmaWaterways standard; the exact restaurants aboard Zambezi Queen vary with the ship's class and most recent refit.
On board
Entertainment
Live music
A resident pianist or duo in the main lounge each evening plus a themed local performance once per itinerary.
Port talks and lectures
Daily briefings from the cruise manager plus guest lecturers on selected sailings.
Wellness programme
Daily yoga, stretch and circuit classes led by the ship's Wellness Host, on the sun deck or in the studio.
Pool, cinema and games
A heated sun-deck pool with swim-up bar on most hulls, a small cinema and games in the lounge.
Bars
Drinks packages
Included with meals
Regional wines, local beers and soft drinks with lunch and dinner at no charge.
Sip & Savor hour
Complimentary cocktails, wines and hors d'oeuvres in the lounge each afternoon.
Premium beverage package
All-day spirits, cocktails and premium wines, charged per person per day and available on European sailings.
Speciality coffee
Complimentary espresso, cappuccino and tea throughout the day.
Ashore
Excursions
At least one guided excursion is included in every port, usually with a choice of gentle, regular and active options. Bicycles and e-bikes are carried aboard the European fleet for guided rides and independent use.
Gentle walking tours
Slower-paced guided walks with shorter distances and more seated stops.
Guided bike tours
Led rides from the ship's own fleet, usually 15 to 25 km on towpaths and level ground.
Hiking tours
Moderate to strenuous walks with elevation, led by the ship's Wellness Host.
Special Interest tours
Food markets, wine cellars, cookery classes and craft workshops, most included.
Optional premium excursions
Concerts, further-afield coach tours and private experiences, charged separately.
Value
What the fare includes — and what it doesn't
Included
- Daily guided excursions with gentle, regular and active options
- All onboard meals including the Chef's Table
- Regional wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner
- Complimentary Sip & Savor hour each afternoon
- Bicycles and e-bikes on the European fleet
- Wi-Fi, port charges and the wellness programme
Not included
- Airfare and transfers unless booked as a package
- The all-day premium beverage package
- Optional premium excursions
- Spa treatments on ships carrying a therapist
- Gratuities for crew and local guides
Connectivity
Wi-Fi at sea
Technology
Shore-based cellular aggregation with onboard Wi-Fi distribution
Included in the fare?
Included in the fare for all guests, with unlimited use and no device cap.
Standard Wi-Fi
Browsing, email, messaging and social media throughout the ship, included.
Streaming and calling
Workable in urban moorings; expect degradation in remote stretches and inside locks.
AmaMagna and the newest European hulls carry stronger onboard distribution, but all ships depend on land-based mobile coverage.
Same class
Sister ships

Launched 2022
AmaDahlia
The Nile ship — 72 guests, unusually large suites and private Egyptologist-led access at every site.

Launched 2015
AmaDara
The Mekong ship — 124 guests, a colonial-style interior and a shore programme built around village life.

Launched 2024
AmaMagdalena
The Colombian ship — 60 guests on the Magdalena, the first purpose-built river cruise vessel on the river.
Cruise line
Explore the brand
AmaWaterways
The active, food-led river line — daily guided cycling and hiking, a Chaîne des Rôtisseurs dining programme and the twin-hull AmaMagna.
AmaWaterways (parent group)
The founder-owned American river operator behind AmaWaterways, built around wellness, cycling and a serious wine programme rather than scale.