CRUISE GPS
Filling the Soul
Filling the Soul
On a Soulful Experience sailing with AmaWaterways, river travel is rich
in culture, celebration, and connection.
How do you make one of the world’s most beloved styles of cruising even more compelling? AmaWaterways has found the answer with its Soulful Experiences—thoughtfully curated river cruises that layer Black history and culture into its most popular itineraries. On board and ashore, everything from dining to exploring is filtered through an inclusive lens, creating journeys that resonate deeply with guests. For 2026, Soulful Experiences are offered on six sailings (expanding to 10 in 2027), with itineraries in Vietnam, Colombia, Egypt, and Portugal.
Choosing a Soulful Experience requires no compromise. The ships are the same with every journey—elegant, intimate, and designed for comfort—with spacious staterooms featuring twin balconies and a boutique-hotel design, and ample spaces to unwind and watch the scenery unfold. Each sailing is an intimate gathering, with less than 150 guests onboard, where a shared curiosity and perspective help conversations flow easily and friendships form quickly.
Every meal tells a story.
On a Soulful Experience, dining becomes an experience of its own. Alongside AmaWaterways’ acclaimed wines and regionally inspired cuisine, each Soulful Experience sailing in Europe features a Juneteenth celebration curated by James Beard Award winner, author, and restaurateur Alexander Smalls. The multi-course dinner is both a celebration and a reflection—an immersive exploration of the heritage of the Black and African diaspora, expressed through flavor, memory, and tradition.
The excursions are designed to enlighten and educate.
The always-included shore experiences are equally enriching, with many different paces. These specialized itineraries are built upon AmaWaterways’ existing routes, preserving every iconic stop while introducing thoughtful cultural enhancements. On the 11-night Secrets of Egypt & the Nile itinerary, for instance, travelers still experience the Grand Egyptian Museum and visit a Nubian village, yet the Soulful Experience edition adds a Nubian cooking class and a visit to the Nubian Cultural Center, offering new context and connection at every turn.
The journey extends beyond the river.
The experience doesn’t end when the ship docks. Most Soulful Experiences itineraries incorporate stays before or after the river cruise designed to make the most of your travels. In the Douro Valley, three nights in Lisbon brings guests into the storybook Pena Palace in Sintra. In Colombia, a three-night stay in Panama includes an excursion to the Panama Canal. And on the Mekong, extended programs explore central Vietnam—an invitation to linger, and to let the journey last a little longer.
Discover journeys that move you.
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Jessika's enduring passion for travel began on Pine Island in South Florida, where the beauty of the Gulf of Mexico and later the majestic mountains of Wyoming instilled in her a love for exploring new horizons. Growing up near Yellowstone National Park fueled her adventurous spirit, embracing places others dream of visiting. Her journey commenced in 2001 with Cody Trolley Tours, sharing the charm of her hometown in Wyoming.
Her career took a transformative turn in 2010 with Holland America Line, where she thrived as a Librarian, Travel Guide, and Assistant Shore Excursion Manager, traveling across all seven continents, and visiting nearly seventy countries. Meeting her Dutch husband, Marcel, along the way, Jessika embraced life on land and at sea, driven by a shared passion for cultural immersion and exploration.
By 2024, Jessika embraced her role as a Travel Advisor, with a focus on world cruise travel. She revels in crafting seamless back-to-back itineraries for retirees and s ...