AmaWaterways’ Newest Ship Suffers Engine Failure on Inaugural Journey
by Dori Saltzman
Sarah Little, the godmother of AmaSofia, speaking to attendees at the ship’s christening in Amsterdam. Photo: Dori Saltzman
Just days after AmaWaterways christened its newest ship, the AmaSofia, in Amsterdam, the ship suffered critical engine failure in two of its three engines, bringing its inaugural voyage to a literal stop.
The disruption began on Wednesday, with the AmaSofia coming to a complete stop on the Rhine River on the way to Rüdesheim. As a result, the ship had to be towed to Koblenz, where guests had the opportunity to explore the city.
The ship then overnighted in Koblenz and departed the next morning for scenic Rhine cruising, but one hour into the sailing the decision was made to stop.
According to passengers onboard, they were informed during a meeting shortly later that the AmaSofia would have to return to the shipyard in the Netherlands for repairs. Passengers were given the choice to transfer to another ship, stay on the AmaSofia for two days and do bus tours everywhere, or depart the ship. Anyone who chose to go home early was offered compensation to cover any change fees the airlines imposed.
“I cannot speak highly enough about the way Ama has handled this entire situation,” said Kimberly Mossner, owner of Castaway Cruises & Travel LLC, commenting on a post in the 2026 ASTA River Expo Facebook group. Mossner was a passenger on the post-Expo FAM on AmaSofia “The captain, cruise manager, and staff are heart broken. They have gone over and above to make the best of an unfortunate situation.”
“The true testament of a partnership is how a company deals with adversity. The AmaWaterways team shone,” Jackie Friedman, president of Nexion, told TMR from onboard the AmaViola. “From the captain to the cruise manager, to the shoreside team, everyone was totally transparent, and informed all guests about what was going on. We were towed to Koblenz so that the guests could enjoy the destination while the technical and nautical teams worked to try and resolve the issue. The AmaWaterways operations team quickly arranged for excursions to maximize the guest experience.
“The AmaWaterways team had worked through the night to make alternative arrangements. Some of us were taken by bus to Strasbourg to board the AmaViola. For me, it was an added bonus to get reunited with my ‘godship.’ Others were accommodated on the AmaPrima and a third group was accommodated on a two day bus tour. We will all be reunited at a Basel hotel the last night to enjoy a final dinner together.
“I was so impressed with how the situation was handled by the Ama team. All guests onboard were offered a free cruise for a future sailing. I am proud to say that the advisors onboard were totally professional and empathetic,” Friedman said.
The next departure of the AmaSofia, which is a full revenue cruise, has not been canceled, but passengers will not be sailing on the AmaSofia. Instead, they will spend a night at the Movenpick in Basel, then transfer to the AmaStella, on which they will do a Tulip Time cruise rather than a Rhine River cruise.
“We are currently addressing a technical issue affecting the ship. In the meantime, our team are ensuring our guests are given the opportunity to continue their experience of the Rhine with a localized shore itinerary. We are grateful to be able to make thoughtful arrangements so our guests can continue traveling with us and enjoying our beautiful destinations,” a spokesperson for AmaWaterways told TMR.
It is unclear how long the AmaSofia will be out of operation.
