It's a day for cheering and partying on Avalon Vista--Photo by Wallace Immen
WALLACE IMMEN on AvidCruiser.com
Like all great fairy tales, the events unfolding had a building sense of enchantment.
The ceremony to launch Avalon Waterways’ two newest Panorama-class ships was a rare event, even for a cruise industry that is christening ships regularly. Side by side, the ships were decked stem to stern with flowers, balloons and bunting.
And as the day progressed so did the weather, from grey to brilliantly sunny. How could it not with two godmothers on hand to make sure that the clouds evaporated before the long awaited event?
Vivacious and energetic Canadian cruise industry innovator and publisher Vanessa Lee was the godmother of the Avalon Vista, while dynamic Nicole Mazza, of the U.S. agency Travelsavers would do the honors for Avalon Visionary.
Having godmothers is a long tradition I really hadn’t understood until now. They’re guiding spirits and since ships are always referred to as “she,” it’s appropriate that women be chosen to see them on their way into the world. Women add glamour and class to the occasion as well.
Would you really rather have a ship christened by a godfather?
Read the rest of the story An Auspicious Start for Avalon’s Two New River Ships.
If you’ve never taken a river cruise before, chances are you’re asking yourself one very important question, and it goes like this: The ship looks so small. Will I be bored?
Most river cruise ships only have a single lounge. So will you be bored? Read on. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders
That’s the very question I asked myself before I took my first river cruise — though admittedly the thought hadn’t occurred to me until I was racing at 37,000 feet across the Atlantic on my way to Germany. A bit too late, perhaps?
For the uninitiated and those who’ve sailed on cruise ships that feature dozens of different bars, lounges and dining options, the deck plans of a river cruise ship aren’t encouraging at first glance. Typically, there’s a single lounge, situated all the way forward, along with a single dining room, a reception area and a sun deck. Depending on the ship, you could have a small internet center, gymnasium, spa, or even an aft-facing lounge. And that’s pretty much it. It’s enough to make a die-hard cruise fan run screaming back to their 18-deck floating palaces — until they take a closer look.
AmaWaterways' beautiful AmaLyra during a stop in Melk, Austria. Photo © 2011 Aaron Saunders
Unlike mega cruise ships, which can hold two, three or even four thousand guests, a typical river cruise ship carries between 100 and 200 guests. To put it in perspective, there’s a good possibility that 100 guests will show up for trivia on ships like Oasis of the Seas. With such a low passenger count, you just don’t need 38 bars and 47 lounges – one or two will get the job done.
River cruise lines also have some other important factors at play: They’d probably make their vessels longer and taller if they could, but they’re limited by the restrictive dimensions of the many locks they must transit and bridges they pass under as they sail the waterways of Europe. In some cases, there may be only inches of clearance under the ship’s keel and above her sun deck, which is designed to collapse entirely to allow passage under the lowest bridges. Even the ship’s wheelhouse can be hydraulically lowered into the superstructure, leaving just enough room for the Captain to poke his head out of the roof.
The cozy Aft Lounge onboard the AmaLyra provides games, comfortable seating, a guest printer, and even bar service to compliment the stunning views. Photo © 2011 Aaron Saunders
My biggest surprise awaited me at the dock in Nuremberg, Germany, where I boarded AmaWaterways’ AmaLyra: she was surprisingly big, and just as long as other deep-ocean cruise ship’s I’ve sailed. And frankly, I found that she’s just as spacious and comfortable as any megaship — just smaller overall. If you’ve never sailed on a small ship before, get ready: Not battling crowds for everything becomes very enjoyable very fast.
So was I bored? Far from it; in fact, my time aboard my first river cruise ranks as my most active voyage to-date — and I like to do a lot on my deep-ocean cruises.
There was truly something for every taste aboard the AmaLyra. At breakfast, there were so many types of Marmelade alone that I couldn't fit them all in a single frame. Photo © 2011 Aaron Saunders
In a typical day, I’d wake up around 7 a.m. and amble down to the Restaurant for breakfast, which could take anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour if I was seated with friends. Tours typically began at 8:30 a.m. or 9 a.m., and we’d spend the better part of the day on-tour.
In the afternoon, we’d reboard the ship for lunch and scenic cruising to our next port of call. Lunch would be a leisurely affair taking roughly one hour, after which I’d chat with new friends in the lounge or head on up to the Sun Deck to take some photos and maybe re-arrange the pieces on the gigantic chess set.
Coming ashore in ports like Linz, Austria, provides endless opportunities for exploration. Photo courtesy of the City of Linz.
Later in the afternoon, we’d dock at our next port of call, and it was time once again to get off and go on a tour that could last anywhere from two hours to five, depending on what we chose to do. Then, there’d be time to explore on our own. On some evenings, if time allowed, I’d eat in places like Linz and Vienna to take in some of the local culture, but most of the time I’d make my way back to the ship for dinner.
After dinner, evening entertainment was offered in the lounge. Rather than being staid and boring, this was a lively affair, and almost the entire passenger compliment retired to the lounge after dinner to chat and have fun. And fun we had – some nights, it was well after midnight before I made my way back to my cabin – and I was travelling solo!
Dinner aboard Avalon Panorama. Photo courtesy of Avalon Waterways
Therein lies the brilliance of river cruising: The ships are small and intimate enough that you get to know everyone. There’s a certain family style atmosphere that fosters aboard a river cruise ship that just isn’t possible on larger vessels. Have you ever been on a megaship and struck up a great conversation with someone one evening, only to never see them again for the rest of the voyage? There’s no danger of that happening on a river cruise.
Will you be bored? Not unless you choose to be!
Tomorrow is a big day for Avalon Waterways as the line stands poised to christen not one, but two, brand-new river cruise vessels in the Dutch town of Enkhuisen: the Avalon Visionary and Avalon Vista. But unlike many recent launches in the river cruise industry, there’s two important distinctions that set tomorrow’s event apart from the rest.
Avalon Vista will be a direct sister to 2011's Avalon Panorama. Photo courtesy of Avalon Waterways.
Though their names sound similar, Avalon Visionary and Avalon Vista are not sister ships. At 443 feet in length, Avalon Vista is the newest sister to Avalon Panorama, which set a new benchmark for comfort and amenities when she set sail for Avalon Waterways last year. At the top of the innovations list was the inclusion of two full decks of balcony suites featuring a Wall-to-Wall Panoramic Window that opens to create a unique Open-Air balcony.
Avalon Felicity cruising the waterways of Holland. The new Avalon Visionary is a sister to this classic ship. Photo courtesy of Avalon Waterways.
Avalon Visionary, on the other hand, is slightly smaller at 361 square feet and is directly descended from Avalon’s Felicity and Luminary, both of which were constructed in 2010. But don’t let their smaller size fool you: These are still some of the most comfortable ships afloat, with wall-to-wall panoramic windows throughout and staterooms and suites that offer both river view and French Balcony staterooms.
So why construct one ship built on a newer class of vessel and one built upon an older design? There are good answers for both. The introduction of another Panorama-Class vessel allows Avalon Waterways to continue to expand and improve upon last year’s successful launch, while Avalon Visionary represents a tried-and-true design for the line that remains extremely popular with passengers.
One of the marble suite bathrooms aboard Avalon Panorama, sister to Avalon Vista. Photo courtesy of Avalon Waterways
River cruise lines face some limitations that remain exclusive to their industry, though. Unlike deep-ocean cruise lines, river cruise ships must be constructed to exact specifications in order to transit the numerous locks that line the waterways of Europe, while at the same time having a draft shallow enough to clear the riverbed, and yet still meet minimum vertical height requirements in order to clear the passenger, traffic and railway bridges that line their routes.
Avalon Waterways seems to understand these hardware limitations, which is why Friday’s christening comes on the heels of some important announcements from the line. Instead of relating to the ships, the announcements concern something Avalon Waterways has vastly more control over: The entire cruise experience.
By spring 2013, Avalon Waterways will have implemented a whole host of improvements geared toward enhancing the experience of its passengers, and the company started by diversifying its shore excursion offerings. In addition to the customary tour choices ashore, Avalon Waterways will be offering tours geared toward first-time visitors who prefer to be guided every step of the way, and those who’d like a brief orientation followed by time to go off on their own. Nordic walking sticks will be provided on each ship for those who’d prefer to do a little off-the-beaten-path wandering.
Onboard the ships, guests will be able to choose to opt-out of the more traditional (and time-consuming) dinner service, feasting instead on a light dinner offered in various ports along the cruise and featuring numerous local specialties.
Dining arboard Avalon's new Suite Ships. Photo courtesy of Avalon Waterways.
Foodies will be pleased to know that at least once per cruise, a local chef will be brought on board to whip up some local culinary specialties.
Rolling out on its newest vessels, Avalon’s improvements and enhancements are just a few of the things the line is focused on implementing by next spring.
For Avalon Waterways, the launch of two new ships is a proud occasion indeed, but the continued improvements and additions to its onboard programs are what will likely keep guests coming back time after time.
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