At the end of March, Avalon Waterways christened the Avalon Felicity in Volendam, a Netherlands fishing village. Canadian operatic soprano Measha Brueggergosman was the ship’s godmother.
Felicity has 65 staterooms and four junior suites, all with flat-screen televisions, large closets, a flexible bed design (beds may be configured as two twins or one queen), Egyptian-cotton linens, a minibar and a safe. Ship amenities include laundry and ironing services, a fully equipped fitness room, a library, a hair salon and a gift shop, as well as a club lounge and a large Jacuzzi. Open-air dining is available daily at lunchtime on the Sky Deck Grill.
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Patrick Clark and Avalon Felicity’s godmother Measha Brueggergosman // © 2010 Avalon Waterways
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The company’s ninth new ship in Europe since 2004, Felicity sailed an inaugural Romantic Rhine cruise after the christening ceremony.
“Our approach of deploying new vessels, complete with the next generation of design and amenities, has not just added capacity in Europe and around the world, it has energized the small ship cruise category,” said Patrick Clark, managing director of Avalon Waterways. “Our ships are modern in design, showcasing contemporary appointments and state-of-the art technology. They also house the largest staterooms available. All staterooms measure 172 square feet and 90 percent boast floor-to-ceiling windows and panoramic sliding-glass doors, while our Junior Suites are a spacious 258 square feet.”
The new vessel is sailing the nine-day Romantic Rhine itinerary from Basel, Switzerland, to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, through October, with an optional Oberammergau Passion Play extension. Guided sightseeing in Cologne and
Koblenz, Germany, and Strasbourg, France, are included in the cruise as is a visit to Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum in Rudesheim, Germany.
The Felicity follows a similar itinerary from Zurich, Switzerland, to Amsterdam through October. Rates, exclusive of airfare, begin at $2,289, although much of the 2010 season has already sold out.
Avalon Waterways
www.avalonwaterways.com
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