Calabasas-based AmaWaterways has partnered with Ancestry.com to provide river cruise trips through Europe that highlight sights of ancestral significance to passengers, using genealogical research to curate the experience for each traveler.
The Ancestry Experience trip will put travelers with a genealogist from Ancestry’s professional research division to conduct a five-hour pre-cruise consultation and complete family tree tracing to determine which locations along the cruise itinerary may be of particular interest to passengers, according to a statement by AmaWaterways.
As guests travel through different regions where their ancestors lived, the genealogist will travel with them and explain the history behind those areas, preparing onboard presentations and excursions based on research. The presentations are designed 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 through Ancestry’s services.“Having grown up along the legendary Elbe River in Germany, I am personally overjoyed by this new collaboration that provides our guests with a unique opportunity to connect with their European roots, through personalized research and specially curated experiences,” Kristin Karst, executive vice president and co-founder of AmaWaterways, said in a statement.The first excursion of the partnership will leave July 30, with tickets for the Ancestry Experience starting at $5,399 per passenger. The 156-passenger AmaStella vessel will travel through Amsterdam, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland in an eight-day voyage.
Heritage travel excursions have been increasing in popularity as at-home DNA kits have become more widespread. A study done by Airbnb found that 50 percent of U.S. tourists have traveled to at least one country of their ancestry, with travelers ages 60 to 90 being the most likely to take ancestry trips.
Ancestry on Itinerary for River Trips
