Over the next few months I鈥檓 going to feature five river cruise lines 鈥� one at a time. This week, the first one out of the hat is Avalon Waterways.
Translating ocean-cruise speak into river-cruise speak can be difficult. Although river lines use the star system, it doesn鈥檛 quite match up with ocean vessels that have a more more-established resum茅.
Patrick Clark, managing director of Avalon, points out that since there are only five major lines in Europe, the range from top to bottom is a much closer ranking than in ocean cruising. So the competition to create a distinct brand is tough 鈥� and essential.
Three years ago, Avalon set its compass on 鈥渁ll-suite ships.鈥� They feature one large state room and, since 2011, all Avalon鈥檚 new ships are 鈥渁ll-suite.鈥�
鈥淥ur suites have open-air French balconies, extra-large sliding glass doors with seven-by-10-foot openings,鈥� Clark says.
He believes the cabins are聽among the industry鈥檚 roomiest, with 80 per cent of them either 200-square-foot Panorama Suites or 300-square-foot Royal Suites.
鈥淣o other European river cruise line can say this.鈥� he says.
This type of room offers the opportunity to have beds that face the water, and there鈥檚 nothing like eating breakfast in bed and watching the world go by.
鈥淎nother clear point of difference,鈥� says Clark, 鈥渋s our larger bathrooms.鈥�
Size is not their only unique feature 鈥� they have multi-coloured towels, ending any argument about whose towel is whose.
鈥淲e have had such tremendous success with our all-suite ships,鈥� Clark adds, 鈥渢hat we will be launching three more in the spring: the 128-passenger Avalon Poetry II, the 166-passenger Avalon Illumination and the Avalon Impression, bringing the聽number of Panorama Class ships to eight, with more planned for 2015.鈥�
Avalon is a partially inclusive line. Wine and beer are only offered at dinner, and soft drinks at lunch and dinner. All tours are complimentary. Suggested gratuities, according to Clark, are about $126 a week.
Who goes on Avalon ships?
鈥淕enerally,鈥� says Clark, our聽passenger complement is 55聽per cent U.S. citizens, 15 per cent are Canadians.鈥�
Avalon now has a U.K. office and is spreading its bows around the world. The newest cruises are in Peru, on the Amazon, Yarapa, Yanalipa and Ucayali rivers. Starting in February, passengers are only on these chartered ships for four days, with a guided聽expedition starting in聽Lima.
In some parts of the world, Clark says, 鈥渨e start off chartering ships, building the business before sustaining our own ship.鈥�
On how he would rate Avalon鈥檚 ships, Clark says: 鈥淚f I was comparing them to ocean-going ships, probably in the premium category.鈥�
Clark doesn鈥檛 expect to see many first-time cruisers.
鈥淢ost of our passengers come from the ocean-going ships; in our case, from lines like Celebrity and Princess.鈥�
Europe and Asia are well-covered by Avalon, which has a smaller presence on South America and U.S. rivers.
鈥淎t this time,鈥� Clark says, 鈥渨e聽are not considering our own ship in the U.S.鈥�
He says the massive building by major river lines in Europe has meant having to make slight adjustments to schedules.
鈥淲ith more barges and more聽cruise ships on the river, it鈥檚 taking a little longer to negotiate locks,鈥� he explains. 鈥淩ather than wait at the locks, we advise our captains to slow down, offering more time for viewing.鈥�
鈥淩iver cruising is growing at聽blinding speed,鈥� says Clark, 鈥渂ut聽keep in mind that one departure of a large ocean ship equals a whole year of departures for one river ship. However, we keep聽building, and passengers keep booking. The 55-plus demographic continues to grow, and so do we.鈥�
