Page 14 - 2020 European River Cruise Market Report
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Avalon
Waterways
Room With
A View
The Avalon Imagery II
When riverboat balco- Panorama Our primary, unique, selling
nies came into vogue feature is the view.
a decade ago Avalon The first Panorama-class boat
Waterways had a big decision launched in 2011, and now they a little table so you can have your
to make. Unlike ocean-going comprise the entirety of Avalon’s breakfast there. You can use it in the
cruise ships, riverboat sizes are 14 Europe-based vessels. The line same way you would use a balcony
limited by riverbanks and lock also operates two Panorama-class but when you close it, you have that
systems. Cabins can, realistical- Avalon-branded boats with outside entire use of the room. It was a very
ly, only be so big, and a balcony ownership on the Mekong, and innovative design.”
eats into that footage. To side- charters boats on the Ganges and
step the problem, Avalon created Amazon. Like its sister ships, the 2020-new-
their Panorama Suites, said Pam buildAvalon View features beds fac-
Hoffee, the company’s managing “This was an expectation from ing the wall of windows.
director. ocean cruise guests. People want
balconies. So we had a big internal “You can lay in bed and see the
“We made a decision to con- debate: Do we want balconies? We view. And in river cruising, that’s
figure our staterooms with a full really talked a long time, looked at one of the main reasons you go on
wall of glass. So the Panorama guests, looked at use of space,” she a cruise. Unlike ocean cruising –
Suites have a full 11-foot-wide, said. The Panorama-class suites are where there are beautiful views if
wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling, glass 200 square feet in Europe and 245 you like looking at water – in river
wall that can open seven feet. So square feet in Asia. cruising you’re looking at scenery
basically it becomes a balcony,” all the time.”
Hoffee said. “Our primary, unique, “So, if you want to have a balcony
selling feature is the view.” experience, you can, by opening Total capacity took a hit by re-
that wall seven feet and sitting in the tiring three ships in 2019 for one
love seat or the chair. And there’s newbuild in 2020. Hoffee declined
60 Cruise Industry News: 2020 European River Cruise Market Report
