Travelers who want a smaller, quieter ship on the Seine, Rhine or Bordeaux rivers.
Think twice if: Older 2008-2009 ships with French balconies only and no pool (whirlpool instead).
See her Europe sailings ↓ · Where is she now? → · AmaWaterways's page for this ship →
What she's like
Docks close to the town centre in most ports. Under 200 guests, so no lines and no tender boats.
English; announcements and lectures in English. Sold mainly to North Americans in USD (fleet file).
Our judgment, from $ (budget) to $$$$$ (ultra-luxury).
All meals; wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner; daily Sip & Sail cocktail hour before dinner in Europe; Wi-Fi; every excursion in Europe (up to six guided tours a day, small groups); port charges in US prices. Not included: premium drinks, gratuities, some tours on select sailings.
Minimum age 4; under 5 not recommended; no kids' programs or childcare; under-18s share a cabin with an adult
Comfortable and casually elegant; something dressier for Welcome and Farewell dinners
Where she sails in Europe
Seine
We don't have her sailing-by-sailing schedule yet. See the line's site for dates.
What it costs beyond the fare
| Tips for the crew | Not included. Suggested: crew EUR 125 per guest per 7-night cruise (about EUR 18/day; EUR 145 on AmaMagna) plus Cruise Manager EUR 30 (about EUR 4/day) †; Added to your bill automatically? No; can be prepaid |
|---|---|
| Drinks package | Not offered as a named package on FAQ; premium drinks and imported wines sold by the drink |
| Wifi | included |
| Specialty restaurants | The Chef's Table restaurant on most Europe ships; reserve once on board; no surcharge stated |
| Money on board | EUR (cash or credit card; no Amex or prepaid cards) |
† From an independent source, not the line itself. Confirm with the line or your travel agent before you book.
How tipping and money work on a European cruise → · Build a full trip budget →
Her restaurants · 2 included, 0 extra
| Where to eat | Cost |
|---|---|
| Main Restaurant | Included |
| The Chef's Table | Included |
Which cabin to book, and which to avoid
| Cabin type | Size | Decks |
|---|---|---|
| Suite (S): French Balcony | 255 sq ft | Violin Deck |
| Category A (A): French Balcony | 170 sq ft | Violin Deck |
| Category B (B): French Balcony | 170 sq ft | Violin Deck, Cello Deck |
| Category C (C): French Balcony | 170 sq ft | Violin Deck, Cello Deck |
| Single (B1): French Balcony | 140 sq ft | Cello Deck |
| Category D (D): Fixed Windows | 170 sq ft | Piano Deck |
| Category E (E): Fixed Windows | 170 sq ft | Piano Deck |
Good to know before you pick
- The lift does not reach the lowest cabin deck. Guests in those cabins use the stairs.
- The lift does not reach the sun deck.
- Violin Deck (3) cabins sit below the Sun Deck walking track, per plan positions
- If stairs are hard for you, avoid the Piano Deck: the elevator does not reach it.
- Single cabins on this ship were offered without a single supplement in past promotions (Wikipedia, secondary).
- Cabins with windows that don't open: 1 (Piano Deck): D/E fixed windows.
If you use a wheelchair or walk with difficulty
AmaLyra features an elevator and wide public areas to make moving around easier. Some staterooms are specially designed for guests with mobility needs, and the crew is always available to offer assistance both on board and during shore excursions, ensuring you feel comfortable and supported througho Elevator reaches main decks on Europe ships but not the Sun Deck; notify in writing as early as possible; 'accessible facilities may not be available' on board or ashore. Telecoil induction loops on request. Elevators: Elevator midship; reaches Violin and Cello Decks only, not the Sun or Piano Deck (plan note and ship page) Our accessibility guide →
Find your way around
Our own deck plans, drawn from the line's official plan: tap a deck to see it from above, with what's at the front, middle and back of the ship. Use “Find on board” to light up every deck with a pool, a bar or a restaurant. Not to scale.
- Deck 4 · Sun Deck , Walking track (aft and midship); Whirlpool; Wheelhouse; Sun Deck & The Deck Club
- Deck 3 · Violin Deck , The Chef's Table; Massage; Fitness; French-balcony cabins; Elevator; Reception; Boutique; The Lark Lounge & Bar; Bow seating area
- Deck 2 · Cello Deck , French-balcony cabins; Elevator; Journeys Restaurant
- Deck 1 · Piano Deck , Fixed-window cabins (D, E)
Open AmaWaterways's official deck plan →
Deck Plans tab on the ship page
What to book, and when
Booking, check-in and reservations
Deposit $400 per person (Europe). Final payment 90 days before travel. Complete the 'Your Cruise Check-In' portal before departure, including independent flight/hotel details. Boarding from 3 p.m. in Europe.
Paying and cancelling
$200 at 121+ days, $400 at 120-90, 35% at 89-60, 50% at 59-31, 100% from 30 days (Europe). Optional Travel Waiver Plus allows cancel for any reason up to 31 days out.
Tips for her Europe sailings
Ships often 'double dock' side by side, so you may walk through another ship's lobby and use narrow gangways. Christmas Markets, wine and beer theme sailings offered.
Where she docks
Not stated as town centre; line warns of double docking and alternate docking locations in water problems
If the river is too high or too low
Contingency plans: alternate docking locations, modified excursions, or ship swaps
How much walking on the included tours
Choice of gentle walking tours, active hikes or bike rides each port; audio headsets provided
Low bridges and the sun deck
Not addressed on official FAQ; Sun deck can be closed by crew under low bridges. †
The ship in numbers
- Cruise line
- AmaWaterways
- Kind of ship
- River
- Built
- 2009
- Guests
- 140
- Crew
- 45
- Cabins
- 71
- Guest decks
- 4
- Length
- 110 m (361 ft)
- Width
- 11 m (36 ft)
- Flag
- Switzerland
- Class
- AmaCello class (360 ft / 110 m, 140 guests)
- Ship number
- ENI 02331266
- Sister ships
- AmaCello, AmaDante, AmaDolce
- In Europe 2026–27
- Seine
Highlights
- Sun Deck: whirlpool, walking track
- Smaller 360 ft ship with French balconies rather than twin balconies
- Fares include meals, wine and beer with lunch and dinner, Wi-Fi and shore excursions (per ship FAQ)
- Elevator: reaches Violin and Cello Deck
- Rivers: Seine
More pictures
Sources & what we could not confirm · 7 sources · checked 2026-11
- AmaWaterways: AmaLyra ship page
- Wikipedia: AmaWaterways (secondary)
- VesselFinder (registry aggregator)
- AmaWaterways Help FAQ
- AmaWaterways Terms & Conditions
- Cruise Director: AmaWaterways gratuities (secondary)
- Amacello deck plans on the AmaWaterways ship page (deck images and stateroom cards)
- Class label is ours (AmaWaterways publishes class names only for some ships, e.g. "Concerto-class" on the AmaVenita page).
- Year built from Wikipedia fleet table (secondary); AmaWaterways ship page does not state it.
- Flag and beam from VesselFinder (registry aggregator).
- Official FAQ gives 144 guests (AmaDolce) / 144 guests in 72 staterooms (AmaLyra); spec line says 140 / 71.
- AmaWaterways: Suggested gratuity euro amounts are from a secondary site; AmaWaterways shows them only in its My Cruise portal.
- Deck plan: Single cabins (B1) are probably the two differently coloured Cello Deck cabins 221/223, but the image has no legend