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Itineraries of the Zambezi Queen

Price and Availability Notice
Prices displayed are provided for informational purposes only. They reflect the rates in effect at the time of their most recent update and are shown in Canadian dollars, per person, based on double occupancy, unless otherwise specified.

Supplier rates, exchange rates, taxes and fees, room or cabin categories, and promotions are subject to change at any time. The applicable price is the one confirmed by a travel advisor at the time of booking, subject to availability. Only the confirmed price shall be considered valid.

It is the traveler's responsibility to confirm the price, inclusions, and applicable terms and conditions before making a reservation. While every effort is made to keep our content up to date, transmission, display, or pricing errors may occur. In such cases, the correct price will be communicated to the traveler before any booking is confirmed. Certain terms, restrictions, and exclusions may apply.

decks plans

Deck 3

Upper Deck
Zambezi Queen Pont 3

Deck 2

Main Deck
Zambezi Queen Pont 2

Deck 1

Lower Deck
Zambezi Queen Pont 1

Technical specifications

  • Classe:  Africa
  • Passengers:  28
  • Decks:  3
  • Length:  46 m
  • Width:  8 m

History

  • 2009: Année de construction

A ship that does not belong to the line

Let us start with the point the rest of the web passes over. Zambezi Queen is not part of the AmaWaterways fleet. It belongs to a conservation-minded hotel group, which operates it itself. AmaWaterways charters it and folds it into its African packages.

Why that matters to you: the crew, the service and the standards aboard are the operator's, not the ones you know from the line's European ships. Your travel contract, however, stays with us and with the tour operator selling the package. If something goes wrong, it is us you come to. We prefer to tell you that in advance rather than let you find out on the spot.

A floating hotel on the Chobe

This is not a cruise ship in the usual sense. It is a fourteen-cabin floating hotel that moves along a stretch of some twenty kilometres of the Chobe, on the border between Botswana and Namibia. It has no itinerary with port calls: the captain positions the vessel according to the movements of the wildlife and the hour of the day.

That is exactly what makes it interesting. The elephants come down to drink at dusk, the hippos hold the quiet arms of the river, and you watch them from your balcony rather than from a four-wheel drive. Twenty-eight guests at most, on a river where the land lodges take hundreds.

What the package covers, and what it does not

Meals, standard drinks and the wildlife-watching outings by small craft are included, as are airport transfers. A community levy per night is charged separately: it goes to the riverside communities, and it is one of the reasons this kind of operation still exists.

Gratuities are not included. The operator describes them as discretionary, which matches the rule applied across all the line's destinations.

The ships in the fleet

AmaDahlia and AmaLilia serve the Nile, AmaDara the Mekong, and AmaMagdalena the Colombian Magdalena. Those, unlike this one, do belong to the line.

The Quebec framework

Voyages AquaTerra holds a licence from Quebec's Office de la protection du consommateur. Your payments go into a trust account, and the Compensation Fund for Customers of Travel Agents covers the situations set out in the Travel Agents Act, including a supplier's failure. The cover has defined limits, best explained to you before you pay a deposit.

Allow a connection, often two on distant itineraries, and a hotel night before embarkation. That night is not a luxury: it is the margin that absorbs a delayed flight.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. It belongs to a conservation-minded hotel group, which operates it itself. AmaWaterways charters it and folds it into its African packages.
Because the crew, the service and the standards aboard are the operator's, not those of the line's European ships. Your travel contract, however, stays with us.
To us. Your contract is with the agency and with the tour operator selling the package, whoever operates the vessel itself on the river.
On the Chobe, on the border between Botswana and Namibia. It moves along a stretch of some twenty kilometres, with no itinerary of fixed calls.
No, not in the usual sense. The captain positions the vessel according to the movements of the wildlife and the hour of the day, which is precisely the point of the formula.
Twenty-eight at most, in 14 cabins. On a river where the land lodges take hundreds, the difference in experience is considerable.
Elephants coming down to drink at dusk, hippos in the quiet arms of the river, and abundant birdlife. You watch them from your balcony rather than from a vehicle.
In 2009, with a refurbishment in 2019 according to the sources consulted. That information does not appear on the page of the line that markets it.
An amount per night charged separately, which goes to the riverside communities. It is one of the reasons this kind of operation still exists on this river.
It is the custom, and it is not included in the fare. The line suggests a separate amount for the crew and for the people running things ashore.
Meals, standard drinks, the wildlife-watching outings by small craft and airport transfers. The community levy and gratuities stay outside it.
Because it is the margin that absorbs a delayed flight. A river ship does not wait for you, and catching up with a missed departure costs more than a hotel night.
The minimum age is stricter on the African journeys than on the line's other destinations. Have it confirmed for the date you want before booking.
The dry season concentrates the wildlife around the river, which makes watching easier. Your advisor will give you the precise window for the year.
Yes, as soon as the booking is made here. Licence, trust account and Compensation Fund apply whatever country the ship sails in.
  • #Luxury cruise
  • #Private balcony suite
  • #River safari
  • #Wildlife viewing
  • #Sundeck plunge pool
  • #Spa/whirlpool
  • #Panoramic bar/lounge
  • #Air?conditioned lounge & dining room
  • #Library
  • #On?board gift shop
  • #Complimentary Wi?Fi
  • #Boat safari excursions
  • #African?themed dinner
  • #Elevator
  • #Observation deck
  • #Complimentary South African wines
  • #Massage treatments
  • #Open?air lounge
  • #Pool plunge
  • #Eco?friendly navigation
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