AMAWATERWAYS christened the Amadolce, a new river cruise ship that will predominantly service the Australian market this year, in Durnstein, Austria on May 20.

Australia Pacific Touring (APT) has chartered the vessel for the Australian market for most of 2009.

With the launch of the Amadolce, AMA has reached its goal of building six new ships over the last three years. The 148-passenger Amadolce was christened six weeks after its sister vessel the Amalyra.

Like all AMA ships, the Amadolce offers complimentary Wi-Fi; 170-square foot cabins (82% of which have French balconies); down duvets; flat-screen TVs; and marble-appointed bathrooms, among other amenities. Wine is free with meals, served in the ship’s restaurant.

AMA vessels also feature a fitness center, beauty salon, whirlpool, walking track on the top deck and bicycles for passengers.

The Amalyra and Amadolce both have 71 staterooms at 170 square feet each and four junior suites at 255 square feet each, just like their sister ships — the Amadagio, Amalegro, Amacello and Amadante.

AMA bills itself as a deluxe river cruise operator and it’s safe to say the company’s ships and service would appeal to the discerning traveler.

Of the cabins and suites, 82 percent feature French balconies. The ship has complimentary WiFi in the cabins and in the lounge areas (the WiFi actually works for the most part, which should not be taken for granted on river cruise ships — occasionally a river cruise company will tout WiFi, but service and connectivity kinks still need to be ironed out).

The ships’ restaurants, where all three daily meals are served either buffet style or table service for dinners, feature tables that accommodate as few as two and as many as 10 people. Complimentary wine is poured with the three-course dinners.

The lounges are open and airy with a bar and piano. The sun decks feature a track (a good reason to perhaps reconsider whether to book the top deck) and whirlpool, and the fitness center includes a sauna. There are also a hairdresser and masseuse on each ship.

Two amenities AMA ships have that some of its competitors don’t are an aft lounge dining option, essentially a light dinner alternative to the more formal restaurant setting, and bicycles that can be used for shore excursions.

The bikes create an altogether different, more active and more engaging river cruising experience. AMA carries between 25 and 30 bikes on board, with helmets and locks, for passengers who wish to ride at any of the destinations, or between destinations.