Live From ILTM: Cutting Through the "Sea of Sameness"—Catherine Powell's Vision for AmaWaterways

AmaWaterways is expanding river cruising's appeal beyond its traditional audience, drawing in solo travelers, active families, and wellness-focused guests who are discovering this style of travel for the first time. In this ILTM (International Luxury Travel Market) episode, recorded live in Cannes, Catherine Powell, the new CEO of AmaWaterways, joins Afar editor in chief Julia Cosgrove to reveal the brand's fresh visual identity and expansion plans, including eight new European ships and pioneering Colombian routes. Catherine brings expertise from Disney Parks and Airbnb to the family-founded company, applying her knowledge of memorable guest experiences to river cruising. Under her leadership since early 2025, AmaWaterways is cutting through the "sea of sameness" with distinctive branding and curated experiences, from Smithsonian journeys to Soulful Experiences cruises celebrating Black culture. The conversation also explores the brand's pioneering spirit—and how it maintains intimacy while scaling. What You'll Learn AmaWaterways is launching several new ships through 2027, including the AmaRudi (named after co-founder Rudi Schreiner) Every AmaWaterways ship has a dedicated wellness host leading programs from morning yoga to differentiated hiking levels for "gentle walkers" and active adventurers The brand offers specialized cruises including Adventures by Disney partnerships, Soulful Experiences, Latin Touch, and Smithsonian Journeys to connect like-minded travelers Solo travelers are thoughtfully accommodated with dedicated tours, strategic table arrangements with a fifth chair, and inclusive programming during holidays Key Moments [1:59] Catherine unveils AmaWaterways' brand refresh at ILTM, explaining the need to stand out in a market full of "blue and gold sameness" [4:26] Discussion of Catherine's Disney and Airbnb background: deconstructing hospitality to its core elements of welcome, communication, care, and surprise [6:18] Julia shares her personal experience sailing with young children, highlighting how crew members embodied the family-founded company's warmth [13:35] What wellness on board looks and feels like [16:31] Catherine's vision for innovation: from Colombia's Magdalena River infrastructure to using AI to enhance rather than replace human connections Resources Visit the AmaWaterways website for cruise information and bookings Explore our river cruise coverage featuring AmaWaterways on afar.com Discover ILTM Cannes where this conversation was recorded Stay Connected Sign up⁠ for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. Sign up for our podcast newsletter, ⁠⁠Behind the Mic⁠⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. Explore our other podcasts, ⁠Unpacked,⁠ where we dig into the trickiest topics in travel, and ⁠⁠Travel Tales⁠⁠, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us. View From Afar is part of ⁠⁠Airwave Media⁠⁠'s podcast network. Please contact ⁠⁠[e-mail]⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast. This ILTM special series was recorded live in Cannes, France. View From Afar is a production of Afar. The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices