AmaWaterways Adds Fourth Investor
by Daniel McCarthy
AmaVida.
River cruise company AmaWaterways has secured an investment from New York-based travel and hospitality group Certares LP.
Certares, which also has invested in American Express Global Business Travel and the Travel Leaders Group, joins Rudi Schreiner and Kristin Karst, Robert McGeary and Gary Murphy as the company’s fourth investor.
“Rudi, Kristin, the Murphys and the McGearys have built the leading luxury river cruising company in the industry and we are honored to join them in support of this next chapter of the company’s development,” managing partner of Certares Colin Farmer said in a statement.
AmaWaterways celebrated the debut of its latest ship—along with its 15th anniversary—when AmaKristina was christened at a ceremony in Lahstein, Germany last week .
It was originally founded by Schreiner, Karst and McGeary in 2002. Murphy, the former president of Brendan Vacations, joined the company in 2009.
Since its launch, AmaWaterways has grown its fleet to 20 ships sailing all over the world including in Europe, Africa, Burma, Cambodia and Vietnam.
“We look forward to continuing our growth in the river cruising market with the support of our new partners and our family partners. We are proud of the company we have built over the last 15 years,” Schreiner said in a statement.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
