River Cruising Just Got a Whole Lot More Personal. Introducing ... "Avalon Choice."

LITTLETON, Colo., April 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Pushing the river cruise boundaries once again, in 2013, Avalon Waterways is introducing Avalon Choice(SM) – an entirely new concept in river cruising.  Avalon Choice gives river cruisers the freedom to personalize their cruise, from beginning to end.

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On the heels of revealing plans for two more Suite Ships for 2013, giving cruisers the chance to choose from a fleet of new, newer or newest elegant and contemporary ships, "Now, and only with Avalon, at every turn, cruisers will enjoy the luxury of choice," said Patrick Clark, managing director for Avalon Waterways.  "From deciding what and where to eat, to selecting room configuration and cruising style; from choosing on-land discoveries and onboard enrichments to making online, pre-sail customizations via MyAvalon, in 2013, with Avalon, every experience – and every nuance – is up to our cruisers."

AVALON CHOICE EXCURSIONS.  DISCOVERY, BY YOUR DESIGN.
"Our traveler research tells us that both the destination and excursions offered are priorities when selecting a river cruise itinerary," said Clark.  "Now, we're enhancing our guest experiences and discovery opportunities with new Avalon Choice Excursions."

In 2013, with Avalon, how cruisers choose to experience each culture is up to them.  For the first time:

• They can choose from three tour types: NEW Essential Sightseeing, Traditional Sightseeing and Leisurely Sightseeing.  Essential Sightseeing gives travelers a basic orientation with the must-sees, then time to explore on their own.  Traditional offers cruisers the great on-shore sightseeing they've always enjoyed.  And Leisurely Sightseeing takes things slower, allowing cruisers to take it all in. 
• Travelers can get even more active on vacation.  In addition to offering guided bike excursions in several European ports, NEW for 2013, Avalon is also providing Nordic walking sticks for active guests looking for an extra spring in their step.
• Also new for 2013, travelers can select an alternative sightseeing experience, with help from our NEW Guest Services team, allowing them to focus on special interests.

OUR CUISINE IS CHOICE.  SO ARE THE WAYS TO ENJOY IT.
With the introduction of Avalon Choice Dining, at every meal, cruisers will have the ability to choose from a multitude of dining experiences throughout each day – from experiencing the local culture through cuisine at special culinary events to a la carte dining – and multiple venues on board and off.

Choose Where:
Engaging Venues:  Clark says, "In addition to enjoying breakfast, lunch and four- or five-course dinner in an elegant dining room surrounded by panoramic windows, Avalon travelers can take pleasure in a light dinner with local specialties and regional wines in the NEW, charming Panorama Bistro.  This is in addition to the already popular al fresco lunches at the outdoor Sky Bistro.  And for those travelers lounging in their rooms, continental breakfast is available via room service."

Also for 2013, in some cities, Avalon's NEW Guest Services team will offer travelers on-shore dining options, encouraging them to enjoy the local culture, through food, off-ship.

Choose What:
Special Culinary Events:  Avalon also offers travelers a menu of special culinary events on cruise. 

• They can toast the start of their grand river cruise at a five-course Welcome Dinner, meet the ship's captain at a Captain's Reception with complimentary sparkling wine and canapes and even return to the ship after a full day of sightseeing to relax with Afternoon Tea. 
• And, NEW for 2013, foodies will have access to "tastings," sampling the destinations' famous delicacies. 
• Also NEW in the coming year, local chefs will come on board to delight travelers with local dishes.

A La Carte Dining:  "Whether our cruisers are craving a big plate that's brimming over or a small, healthy entree, Avalon offers a vast variety of a la carte dining choices and delectable local recipes at each meal," said Clark.  "It's an approach that encourages travelers to enjoy their favorite dishes, try new recipes and savor their entire dining experience."

Choose When:
In addition to giving them a choice of venues and cuisines, Avalon offers cruisers the chance to choose when they want to dine with everything from daily early- and late-riser breakfasts to Night Fare, served at 10:30 PM.

CHOOSE A BLISS, CHOOSE A COMFORT, CHOOSE A BETTER ONBOARD EXPERIENCE.
"Day and night, on our ships, Avalon travelers can choose to relax and take in the views thanks to the comfort afforded by their new home-away-from-home," said Clark.  "Or they can choose to be entertained and enlightened, by way of our NEW Culture & Cruise program." 

Next year, as part of the new Avalon Choice program, guests can attend exclusive onboard Culture & Cruise activities – like food, beer and wine tastings, demonstrations by local artisans and talks by local experts about the areas through which they're traveling.  The cruise line also brings local entertainers on-ship so guests can gain a full appreciation of each region and culture.

"With Avalon Choice, we're not just designing our ships and cruises with our travelers in mind," said Clark.  "We are developing them for our cruisers to design and customize themselves.  In short, we're elevating Avalon beyond the ordinary river cruise experience by helping our travelers create an extraordinary small ship cruise vacation."

ABOUT AVALON WATERWAYS
Award-winning Avalon Waterways offers travelers the youngest, most innovative fleet of ships in Europe, China, Southeast Asia, Egypt and the Galapagos.  Our travelers have inspired us to utilize more than 80 years of travel expertise to design the best river cruise experience possible.  We've taken everything special about river cruising and made it even better—down to the last detail.  Our views are panoramic and spaces large and inviting; comfort is king and dining both personal and flexible.  And, thanks to our partnership with Globus, our itineraries are legendary.  By design, Avalon cruisers are privy to all-inclusive access to a destination, including guided sightseeing in every port, VIP entry into key destinations and unparalleled cultural immersion and storytelling thanks to highly skilled Cruise and Tour Directors.  In addition to countless trade accolades, Avalon Waterways has garnered some of the industry's most prestigious honors: Among them, the river cruise company was voted the Best River Cruise Line in 2010 by Cruise Critic editors, among the top 5 river cruise lines in Travel + Leisure's 2011 World's Best Awards and Conde Nast Traveler's 2011 Reader's Choice Awards; the river cruse line was also chosen as the "Best Value in River Cruising" by Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel.  Avalon Waterways is part of the Globus family of brands. 

Consumers can book an Avalon Waterways vacation or request brochures by visiting a preferred travel agent or by calling the following toll free number: 1.877.380.1535.  For more information, please visit www.avalonwaterways.com.  Travel agents can request Avalon Waterways brochures by calling toll free 1.800.221.0090 or visiting www.globusfamilypartner.com.

SOURCE Avalon Waterways