Review: Avalon View

With the christening of Avalon View on the Danube River back in April, Avalon Waterways now has 14 of its signature Suite Ships on Europe’s waterways — marking the expansion of a buzzy brand at an especially noteworthy moment.

First, the backstory: The 166-passenger ship, known for its roomy suites and interior open-air balconies, was scheduled to launch in April 2020, but was delayed two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Most of us onboard the four-night Vienna to Budapest sailing (called A Taste of the Danube – Eastbound), including broadcast journalist and godmother Meredith Viera, had been on lockdown — just like Avalon View.

As Avalon Waterways’ president, Pam Hoffee, framed it: “This year represents a new beginning for all of us — a chance to get back to the world and all its wonders. The possibilities, and the opportunities, are wide open.”

The VIP piece is not only in the nuts and bolts. It’s in the excursions, the in-depth experiences that go deeper, the surprise-and-delight moments.

Avalon stepped up that messaging in May with the launch of its “Cruising Elevated” branding campaign featuring “Outlander” star Graham McTavish on streaming platforms such as Roku, Discovery and Hulu.

What Sets Avalon Waterways (and Avalon View) Apart  

Passengers have always appreciated Avalon’s ships for what’s baked into them: 200-square-foot suites that are 30% larger than the industry’s average; wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling windows that open 11 feet wide; and beds that face the window and the ever-changing view —  “A view with a room,” as Avalon put it.

In addition to its 65 Panorama suites, Avalon View also has two 300-square-foot Royal suites, and, on the bottom deck, 16 staterooms at 172 square feet (with two windows that do not open).

But it’s the frosting on the cake that enriches the Avalon cruising experience, according to Joshua Harrell, chief marketing officer of Georgia-based WorldVia Travel Group/Travel Quest Network.

"The VIP piece is not only in the nuts and bolts,” he said about the 443-foot-long ship. “It’s in the excursions, the in-depth experiences that go deeper, the surprise-and-delight moments. There’s such energy, it’s sexy.”

Classic, Active and Discovery Itinerary Styles Offer Something for Everyone

Nothing sums that energy up more than the “Active & Discovery” itineraries that Avalon introduced in 2017, a robust offering of up to four shore excursions per day that involve a physically active way to experience the destination. An Adventure Host accompanies passengers on the hiking, biking, paddling, jogging and e-bicycling tours that typically feature a much-enjoyed wine tasting as a topper. My favorite active tour on our sailing? A hike through vineyards in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava with plenty of pauses for sampling local wines.

Avalon View is offering eight Active & Discovery itineraries on the Danube this year and in 2023, representing dozens of departures. Some include overnight stays in cities such as Budapest and Prague. This year, those itineraries account for 25% of the fleet’s departures from May through October, up from 4% one year ago. 

It's notable, too, that every cruise offers “classic,” “active” and “discovery” options. A classic excursion, like my horse-drawn carriage ride through Vienna, takes in iconic and historic sites. One of the active options, on the other hand, offered a three-hour guided bike ride through Vienna that covers far more ground than one could cover on foot. And discovery tours, always interactive, feature painting, cooking and traditional dance workshops.    

With 47 crew and a passenger-to-crew ratio of 3.5-to-1, there’s also a lot of handholding on Avalon View — much appreciated at a time when COVID-19 remains a consideration for some. As an example, when I sailed in April, one of the crew — the Adventure Host, in fact — gave me a COVID-19 test the night before my return flight to the U.S. so that I would comply with the former government regulations. That, to me, is an elevated touch.

Avalon View will sail the Lower Danube through 2022 and expand into the Upper Danube in 2023. A few departures on the Rhine are also in the works.