Mat McLachlan’s flagship 2027 Signature River Cruise will sail on AmaWaterways’ newest ship, AmaSofia, giving history-focused travellers the chance to explore Europe’s most significant battlefields aboard a brand‑new luxury vessel. Launching in Spring 2026, AmaSofia will host the September 2027 voyage through Holland and Belgium, timed to major World War I and II anniversaries.
The eight-day itinerary has been scheduled around key dates in military history. Guests will visit the WWI battlefields of the Ypres Salient and attend the Menin Gate in Ypres on the 110th anniversary of the Battle of Menin Road, then spend two days exploring key sites from WWII’s Operation Market Garden, including the famous “Bridge Too Far”, over the anniversary of the largest airborne operation in history. The cruise also takes in Waterloo, where Napoleon fought his final, era‑defining battle.
Menin Gate
The 2027 program also extends to Asia, with the Riches of the Mekong and Vietnam War cruise in August 2027 operating on another new AmaWaterways ship, AmaMaya.
Alongside Mekong cultural highlights and Vietnam War sites, guests can add a five-day land extension to the Cu Chi Tunnels, Ho Chi Minh City, Vung Tau and the Long Tan Cross, including commemorations on Vietnam Veterans Day at the site of the Battle of Long Tan.
Additional departures, including the Anzac Day 2027: Holland & Belgium cruise and a D-Day Anniversary Cruise will also operate on AmaWaterways vessels, combining all-inclusive river cruising with Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours’ specialist storytelling.
All History Cruises are fully escorted by expert historians, many of them published authors and battlefield specialists, and are built around travelling on significant anniversaries with dedicated commemorative events.
A key focus is “minimal travel, maximum history,” with shore excursion sites generally within about 40 minutes’ coach travel of the ship to maximise time on the ground.
Guests can choose from exclusive, historian-led battlefield excursions and AmaWaterways’ regular cultural tours, while enjoying luxurious stateroom accommodation and the line’s all-inclusive onboard experience.
