AmaSofia Christening Ceremony
Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert
Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist
During the last day of the 2026 ASTA river Cruise Expo, we got to witness the christening ceremony of the AmaSofia in Amsterdam.
It was awesome and it certainly was a highlight of the Expo.
Ship Christening Ceremonies
Ship christening ceremonies are a long-standing maritime tradition. Blessing the vessels are designed to bring good luck to the ship and protect the crew.
The key elements of the ceremony are:
1) The Sponsor: A woman is historically chosen to be the sponsor, who formally names the ship and smashes the bottle.
2) The Bottle: Champagne is most common, though other liquids have been used in the past.
3) The Blessing: Words of protection are spoken, usually by an ordained clergy member.
The AmaWaterways AmaSofia Ceremony
AmaWaterways officially christened its newest ship, the AmaSofia, on March 14, 2026, in Amsterdam during the 2026 ASTA River Cruise Expo.
5 AmaWaterways Captains in front of the AmaSofia wheelhouse for the ceremony
Kirstin Karst (left) and Catherine Powell before the ceremony
The Blessing
A member of the clergy, Bastiaan van Rooijen, started the ceremony after a lively performance by a Columbian drum band, part of the AmaWaterways entertainers’ employees on the Magdalena River in Columbia.
His blessing was sincere and oftered protection during to the ship for all its voyages. He explained that “Ama” means love and”Sofia” means wisdom.
The priest speaking during the blessing.
A rainbow appeared during the blessing of the AmaSofia—a very good omen!
The Ceremony and Remarks
Here is a summary of remarks by AmaWaterways CEO Catherine Powell (as reported on one of the Cruise Critic publications):
“Ships come to life through people, from the crew who pour pride into every detail, the guests who celebrate life’s moments on board to the travel advisors who inspire those journeys in the first place.”
“We are especially honored to have Sarah Little serve as Godmother of AmaSofia. Her leadership and advocacy for travel advisors represent everything we value as a company, and it feels incredibly meaningful to have her guide AmaSofia into her future surrounded by so many members of the advisor community.”
Wade Kazan serverd as the Master of Ceremonies. He manages all cruise managers in Europe for AmaWaterways. He left the podium after introducing CEO Catherine Powell.
Kristin Karst, also an AmaWaterways Godmother, told the crowd “It is truley a very, very, moving moment. 20 years ago, we christened our first ship, the AmaDagio, here in Amsterdam. And today it is my pleasure to have Sarah Little—she is your travel advisor representative. name the AmaSofia.”
Kristin Karst, Co-founder and Brand Ambassador of AmaWaterways, during her remarks
Godmother Sarah Little, Senior Vice President of Business Development in ASTA, finished the ceremony with her interesting perspective of rivers and their meaning.
In her remarks, she encouraged all to remain curious and explore new challenges. She reminded the attendees that rivers are powerful, not because the rush, but because they keep moving forward, curious to see what is around the next bend. “May we all keep moving forward, may we stay curious and may the AmaSofia carry the spirit of discovery for many years to come”.
She then named the ship and smashed the champagne bottle, to a thunderous applause.
After Godmother Sara Little finished her remarks, Kristin Karst invited the other AmaWaterways Godmothers to the stage
Attendees: Over 1,200 travel advisors, along with AmaWaterways executives including CEO Catherine Powell and Co-Founder Kristin Karst. Also, 6 previous Godmothers for AmaWaterways ships were present for the ceremony.
The Godmothers on the stage.
Some AmaSofia Features
The vessel features include updated branding and will sail the Rhine and Danube rivers. AmaSofia is the first ship in Europe to feature AmaWaterways' new, refreshed brand colors.
She is a 135 meter ship with a passenger capacity of 154. We will provide a ship tour and review in next weeks’ blog.
3 AmaWaterways ships rafted. From left to right the AmaSofia, the AmaVenita and the AmaPrima.
The Drone Show
Later that night, the celebration continued. In a spectacular aerial display, using over 300 drones for a light show, it was a dazzling finish to the Expo. Here are some pictures:
The drone windmill
A big Thank You to All
The AmaSofia in lights
The final drone message—it was a great 2026 ASTA River Cruise Expo
Our Final Thoughts
It was an amazing event. We wish the AmaSofia a great life on the rivers of Europe and hope one day you get the chance to sail on her. We are ready to help when you are ready to travel.
We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts. We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe. We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you. We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.
When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip. You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience. And, you want someone who can help you with the decision-making process. We think we have all these qualities.
Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you! We will provide you with high quality, expertly planned travel. Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@visitdd.com . We want to help you: Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations! Your journey begins here!
ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management. Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 30 years’ experience in the travel industry. Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA. Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations. She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors. An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.
HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 55 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). His last major certificate is a Verified Travel Advisor (VTA) certificate earned from the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:
AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
CLIA Riverview Certificate
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Riverside Luxury Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Brit Agent
