AmaWaterways announced a new partnership with Ancestry to provide an opportunity for guests to discover details pertaining to their specific family history while river cruising. With an uptick in consumers embracing heritage travel, the Ancestry Experience package allows travelers to further personalize and enrich their river cruise experience through pre-cruise private consultation and family history research, onboard presentations and curated excursions accompanied by an expert genealogist throughout the cruise.

AmaKristina. © 2017 Mike Louagie

The first cruise in the series, Heritage on the River: Your Personalized Ancestry Experience, will depart July 30, 2022, on board the 156-guest AmaStella. Guests will embark in Amsterdam on a seven-night river cruise along the Rhine River, visiting Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland while tracing their roots and following along in their ancestors’ footsteps.

This Ancestry experience begins as soon as the river cruise reservation is made with AmaWaterways. Each guest who signs up will be matched with an expert from AncestryProGenealogists, Ancestry’s professional research division, who will conduct a one-hour welcome call to discuss aspects of their family that are of particular interest. From there, the genealogist will conduct a five-hour consultation and research phase delving into family background and identifying places of interest that the guest may visit or pass by during their river cruise.

Once on board, an expert genealogist will offer presentations to provide insight into what life was like for guests’ ancestors and highlight the types of records that are available for them to learn more. As guests travel through different regions where their ancestors lived, the genealogist will explain the history behind those areas, providing an unparalleled understanding of the past and a glimpse of their ancestors’ everyday lives.

Rounding out this enriching experience, each guest will also receive a private onboard consultation with the expert genealogist to review their own family tree. They will also have the opportunity to enjoy an Ancestry-specific group excursion with their expert genealogist. In certain cases, travelers can delve even deeper with an optional add-on of an Ancestral Home Visit accompanied by an expert genealogist.

Reservations for the July 30, 2022, Heritage on the River: Your Personalized Ancestry Experience are now open, with prices starting from US$5,399. Reserve any AmaWaterways river cruise through Europe and customize your personalized heritage experience with Ancestry, from a pre-journey consultation with your expert genealogist to an Ancestral Home Visit for an additional fee.