Riding the “waves” of numerous travel industry experts, who have
named river cruising as one of the most popular travel trends for
2007, Avalon Waterways is proud to announce the addition of two new
ships to its fleet. The Avalon Tranquility and Avalon Imagery were
christened this spring in Trier and Nuremberg, respectively, just
days before beginning their inaugural season on Europe’s waterways.
The christenings occurred amidst the highest demand for river
cruises in the company’s history more than 90 percent of the Avalon
Imagery’s staterooms and 85 percent of the Avalon Tranquility’s
staterooms have already been sold for the 2007 season.
Sister ships to the Avalon Tapestry, which was christened in
2006, this family of vessels features new architectural and
technological elements, designed to enhance travelers’ cruising
experience. All three ships incorporate the Silent Drive System
(SDS), which places the navigational bridge in the stern and away
from the passenger compartment allowing for a smoother and quieter
cruise experience than traditional small ships, as well as more
spacious interior designs. Because of the SDS, the Sky Deck is also
more spacious than those of other European river cruise vessels,
providing a vast area for outdoor activities, sightseeing and
relaxing. Just like the Avalon Tapestry, the lounge and restaurant
are both located at the front of the Avalon Tranquility and Avalon
Imagery, offering spectacular, unobstructed views of the passing
landscape. Additionally, the new ships include a new feature an
outside observation deck, just forward of the main lounge, which
allows passengers an up-close-and-personal experience as the ship
enters locks and passes under bridges.
“With the launch of the Avalon Tranquility and Avalon Imagery,
we’re continuing to lead the phenomenal trend of river cruising by
introducing the most modern ships, built specially for North
American travelers,” said Patrick Clark, managing director for
Avalon Waterways. “We remain confident that the demand for river
cruising will continue to grow. We already have plans for
additional ships in 2008 and 2009, and we’ve also expanded our
offerings around the world, including new cruise itineraries in hot
destinations such as China, Egypt and the Galapagos Islands.”
Each stateroom aboard the new Avalon vessels faces outside and
features spacious closets, individual climate control, satellite
TV, a hair dryer and a modern bathroom with shower. In addition,
the ships boast nonsmoking interiors, an exercise room, fitness
center and hair salon. Finally, as is the case with all Avalon
Waterways ships, the Avalon Tranquility and Avalon Imagery also
provide wine with dinner and a full team of English-speaking staff
members.
The lineup of 2007 cruise vacations for Avalon Tranquility and
Avalon Imagery include “Waltzing the Danube,” “Legendary Danube,”
“Jewels of Central Europe” (new for 2007), “Central European
Experience” (new for 2007), “Magnificent Europe,” “The Blue Danube
Discovery” and “Christmastime Cruise.”
As a member of the Globus family of brands, Avalon Waterways is
backed with more than 75 years of experience taking travelers
around the world. The privately held company has offices worldwide
with its U.S. distributor based in Littleton, Colo.
877-797-8791
www.avalonwaterways.com/agents
