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Avalon Waterways itinerary options are categorized into 3 classifications (CLASSIC, ACTIVE, DISCOVERY) allowing customers to tailor their cruise according to personal preferences, special interests, and activity level. The DISCOVERY programs target specific interests (like painting workshops and cooking classes) themed on the region's culture. ACTIVE programs target more energetic passengers and include options like guided jogging tours, cycling, hiking, paddling. CLASSIC programs are based on lectures (history- and culture-themed) and walking tours guided by professional local experts. All Avalon riverboats feature a quiet propulsion system and outside accommodations - among the largest of the river fleets. Avalon staterooms are relaxing and comfortable, with floor-to-ceiling glass doors, satellite TV, hotel-quality beds, bathrooms with full-sized showers, and even private balconies.
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Avalon also offers quite a few two-top tables so that couples feel comfortable dining, although they are often combined as the cruise itinerary progresses and people meet. Continental breakfast can be delivered to a stateroom each morning without charge. Avalon Waterways is proud to proclaim that on average they offer cruisers the largest staterooms of all river cruise lines. Their Suite Ships are made up with a majority of suites with panoramic French balconies. These rooms are on average 30 percent larger than most river cruise staterooms. Aside from being spacious, Avalon Waterways’ staterooms are comfortable with specialized bedding and L’Occitane en Provence toiletries.
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Avalon Waterways Christens New Douro River Ship, Avalon Alegria - TravelPulse
Avalon Waterways Christens New Douro River Ship, Avalon Alegria.
Posted: Mon, 01 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Other company executives include Scott Nisbet (CEO-Chief Executive Officer), Steve Born (CMO-Chief Marketing Officer), Camille Olivere (CSO-Chief Sales Officer).
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The ship, with its 14-night Magnificent Europe itinerary between Budapest and Amsterdam (except for shorter Christmas market sailings), appeals to retired Americans and Canadians, with an average age of about 60. The ship has also been heavily marketed in Australia and New Zealand, whose citizens tend to take longer vacations when visiting Europe. About 50 percent of Panorama's existing bookings are Australians, which may skew the average age lower, as Avalon's passengers are typically only about 25 percent Australian. The mostly Eastern European staff was generally efficient and pleasant, although not all spoke fluent English.
When the glass wall is slid open, you have the feeling of being on a balcony even though it's not a balcony, as you can sit in the seating area at the edge of the now-open wall. While not every cabin on Avalon vessels in Europe is configured this way, a large portion are. Avalon calls these view-facing cabins with walls of glass Panorama Suites, and they can make up roughly 80% of the cabins on many of the line's vessels. It's a view I wouldn't have if I were lounging in bed on most other river ships in Europe — at least, if I had my back to the headboard. In 2024 the company introduced the newbuild boat Avalon Alegria which is deployed year-round on the Douro River in Portugal. Departures are from Lisbon, with land travel/bus transfers to Oporto/Leixoes.
Night Festive Time On The Romantic RhineDetails
Avalon shares the flavors of the world with the freshest local ingredients prepared by our talented chefs and served in your choice of venues on board. Our Avalon FlexDining® approach to onboard dining experiences has tossed out the idea of restrictive seating times in limited settings. Choose from options like a breezy al fresco lunch at the Sky Grill, an elegant four-course dinner in the glass-walled Panorama Dining Room, or a more casual culinary setting in the Panorama Bistro.
River cruise lines cancel European sailings after Austria locks down borders
These could include visits to local performances or inviting local performers aboard the ship. A recent five-night preview cruise on the Rhine and Moselle rivers was a nice taste of what passengers will experience on Panorama's usual 14-night sailings between Amsterdam and Budapest. (Shorter Christmas market cruises will also be offered.) The ship docks at a different place each day and cruises mostly at night, with daytime sailings confined to exceptionally scenic portions of the journey. Included morning walking tours instantly familiarize passengers with the typically small towns, and within a few hours, it's easy to feel a real affinity for each village's markets, churches and riverfront walking paths. “We have 19 small ships and riverboats sailing across the country in 2024, plus more boats and new itineraries coming in late 2024 and 2025,” said Alexa Paolella, manager of public relations for ACL. “American is growing and growing, and U.S. river cruising is becoming bigger than ever before, in part because American has re-invented the market in the U.S. by also offering small ships that cruise coastal itineraries just like the river cruises."
Review of Avalon Waterways
Still, many passengers may feel more comfortable among fellow peers dressing in business casual. In warmer weather, many travelers wear shorts on excursions, but if you tend to get chilly, pants or a light jacket are great to have. Theme nights are rare, and throughout the day, passengers are relaxed and comfortable in their attire. Your local guide on a river cruise can be a bit of a gamble; the quality can vary, depending on whom the line hires. Because Globus employs guides for its tour business as well as its river cruises, the company is often able to get the best for Avalon Waterways in an area because they can offer them the most consistent employment. Still, many river lines design their river ships with balconies attached to cabins despite such limitations, as they believe it's what customers want.
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American Cruise Lines (ACL), meanwhile, has also witnessed a record-breaking wave season in 2024 for domestic cruises. With an overwhelming world of choices, we understand you may need some personal assistance to plan your perfect vacation. From finding the right destination to choosing the best departure date, we're here to help.
Besides the bed placement, Avalon's floor-to-ceiling French balconies that open the width of the room are also a differentiator. Cabins with balconies are all the rage in cruising, of course, and cruisers think that's what they want. You want to see the scenery of the river bank as it rolls by, preferably from the comfort of your bed. It's not just the view-facing beds in Avalon cabins that win my adoration. It's the use of an almost complete wall of glass along the view-side of many Avalon rooms to frame the passing scenery. The Avalon cruise company became known worldwide with its unprecedented fleet expansion (see in the itinerary section / at least one new ship per year).
It’s hard to know where Avalon Panorama SuitesSM end and the view begins! That’s because no other river cruise fleet offers you a view of the world like Avalon Suite Ships®. Featuring the widest-opening, wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows in river cruising, your Avalon Panorama Suite is actually river cruising’s only Open–Air Balcony® — with living space that’s 30% larger than the industry standard.
The line has hosted Outlander author Diana Gabaldon, along with Canadian singer-songwriter Jann Arden (Could I Be Your Girl; Insensitive) several times now. These voyages have proven so popular that Avalon hosts them every few years or so. TPG's Gene Sloan is reporting live this week from a preview sailing aboard Avalon Alegria, Avalon Waterways' first vessel on Portugal's Douro River.
With the new itineraries are also introduced all-suite newbuild riverboats (with open-air, floor-ceiling balconies) and new shore excursions and onboard activities. Avalon caters to English-speaking travelers from North America, the U.K. The average age of passengers is mid-50s to 60s, but the mix varies by itinerary, and on four- and five-night cruises, you'll find more 40-something travelers and others trying out river cruises for the first time. Children ages 8 and older are welcome onboard, but there is no formal youth program.
Staterooms have windows but they’re significantly smaller, and they don’t open. Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion. The 102-passenger river vessel is sailing up Portugal's famously lovely Douro Valley, and I'm being treated to an ever-moving scene of rolling hills, vineyards and centuries-old towns. In 2019, the company introduced the so-called FlexDining on all boats in the fleet. The company's headquarters (as part of the Globus family) are in the USA (Littleton, Colorado). Avalon's current President is Pam Hoffee (promoted from Managing Director in May 2022).
Avalon Waterways offers premium, upscale river cruises to destinations around the world with a fleet that includes some of the newest, most innovative and most spacious river ships you'll find anywhere. It has two full decks of Avalon’s signature Panorama Suites, which create an unforgettable indoor/outdoor sailing experience. These suites feature wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling sliding windows. Each includes a seating area with an adjustable-height table, a large desk and a choice of mattress toppers to adjust the bed’s firmness. Cabins have angled walls that allow for beds to face the room’s windows so guests can lay back in bed and enjoy the view.
In designing its Panorama Suites on river ships without balconies but with stellar views through walls of glass, Avalon has bucked the trend in river cruise cabin design — and in just the right way. It's the highlight feature of a cabin type that is perfect in just about every way. At 200 square feet, Panorama Suites are larger than most standard cabins on European river ships. They have comfy beds and elegant bathrooms with spacious showers. The company uses small ships, and their guests do receive personalized service in absolutely no crowd. Avalon makes it easy to enjoy the beauty of destinations, as they include guided sightseeing tours and shore excursions in the basic fares.
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