Kristin Karst

A native of Dresden, Germany, Kristin Karst has become one of the leading executives in the river cruise industry. After obtaining her degree in Hospitality Management and receiving her master’s from the University of Dresden, Kristin worked for American Express in Germany and Switzerland for eight years before relocating to the United States and entering the river cruise industry in 1999. In 2002, together with Rudi Schreiner and Jimmy Murphy, she co-founded AmaWaterways. Through her leadership skills, entrepreneurial spirit, and passion for innovation, Kristin continues to leverage her European heritage and commitment to personalized customer service to successfully shape the products and services of the company, while emerging as one of strongest supporters and advocates of the travel advisor community. She has been profiled in many top-tier travel trade and consumer publications and received the prestigious “Travel Vanguard Award” by AFAR Media, the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from Travel Weekly and was named one of the Top 100 Female Founders by Inc. Magazine. Kristin also recently received the Partner Representative of the Year Award from the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) for the third consecutive year.