Recommend November 2010 - (Page 30)

RIVER CRuISING for 2011 “Travel agents who haven’t embraced river cruising are missing out on an income-earning sector of the travel industry and one with a track record of high customer satisfaction.” Patrick Clark, Managing Director, Avalon Waterways “AMAWaterways has realized its success by establishing close ties with the travel agent community,” says Schreiner. “We have expanded our commission structure to make sure that compensation is reflective of the service and guidance agents provide to their customers.” avalon waterways Avalon Waterways, part of the Globus family of brands, is looking forward to a gala party in May 2011: the launch of its Avalon Panorama, the industry’s first “suite ship.” Panorama differs from its current ships in that it will feature 64 newly designed, 200-sq.-ft. suites on the top two decks. Each has a seating area adjacent to an 11-ft.-wide, floor-toceiling panoramic window, with the idea of converting the entire suite into a sort of open-air balcony when the window is open, and epic views even when the window is closed. The design team also added marble bathrooms; new Avalon-branded “Comfort Collection” bedding and love seats in the suites, which will also have fresh flowers in each cabin, and premium L’Occitane products. Panorama’s public areas will include a club, main lounge and dining room, a hair salon and a Sky Deck with pool and bistro for outdoor grilled lunches, and more expansive fitness room and facilities than on other Avalon ships. Suites, as well as 17 staterooms (measuring 172 sq. ft.) on the lower deck, have flat-screen TVs, mini-bars, safes and laundry and ironing services. The new ship will cruise on the 14-night Magnificent Europe itinerary between Amsterdam to Budapest for most of 2011, as well as the Christmas market itineraries. According to Clark, his company will “upgrade its river cruise fleet to guarantee that all passengers experience the same luxury experience we are pursuing.” Those enhancements include orthopedic mattresses, upgraded linens and a choice of pillows; newly appointed bathrooms; fresh flowers and complimentary bottled water in all cabins; and ships wired with 3G high-speed Internet service. “This has been an excellent river cruise year, with bookings up 50 percent,” reports Clark, “and perhaps the buzz about our sweet-ship Panorama is one reason that, as of October, bookings for the 2011 season are 30 percent ahead of the same time last year.” According to Clark, Avalon’s most popular river cruise is the 7-night Romantic Rhine, priced from $1,799 pp dbl. For repeat travelers (and Avalon enjoys a 25 percent repeat-cruiser market), the “hot” cruise is the 15-day Magnificent Europe Cruise, visiting Vienna, Cologne, Nuremberg and Bratislava, as well as Amsterdam and Budapest, with costs starting at $3,699 pp dbl. New for next year 30 november 2010 is a 12-day Central European Experience, a Paris-to-Prague cruise along the Moselle, Rhine and Main rivers; a 14-night Jewels of Central Europe itinerary, sailing the Moselle, Rhine, Main and Danube rivers and through the dramatic Rhine Gorge and Main Danube Canal; and the 8-day Art & Impressionist River Cruise through northern France. Clark points out that, “80-85 percent of Avalon’s cruise guests have taken one or more big-ship cruises, and, while accustomed to luxury, they are also looking for an alternative vacation style and an enriching experience. River cruising delivers all those things, presently mostly to the 60-plus market. However, our shorter cruises—the 4- or 5-day Taste of the Danube, for example, as well as themed—wine, music, art, Christmas market cruises, and family-oriented—cruises we have recently introduced to attract a younger market and even small incentive groups.” On the other side of the world in more exotic waters, Avalon Waterways markets China itineraries that embrace the Yangtze River, Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai, and add Mongolia and Tibet on longer cruises. Two ships will operate during the 2010-2011 season: the 308-passenger Victoria Anna, newly renovated this year, and the just-launched Victoria Jenna with 189 cabins, including 40 suites. This year Avalon Waterways invited travel agents to get on board the river-cruise boom with its Avalon Specialist Program, and more than 1,500 agents have participated in at least one facet of the program. To date, the company reports that more than 150 agents have become Avalon Waterways Specialists. The program remains in play for 2011. tauck world discovery European river cruising is the fastest growing segment in the Tauck World Discovery galaxy of travel programs. And for 2011, Tauck will be marketing 12 itineraries aboard a fleet of four leased ships, including the Swiss Jewel, Swiss Sapphire, Swiss Emerald and a new-build ship set for a summer 2011 launch. “While I can’t give more details on our newest entry,” says Tom Armstrong, corporate communications manager, “she will really be a true ‘sister ship’ to the other vessels in our fleet: same number of suites (14), same number of jr. suites (7) and cabins (38), all positioned for outsidefacing accommodations. We want to keep the ships consistent, so our guests can focus on the destinations they have come to see and not be diverted by which ships offer which features.” continued on page 32 recommend.com http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend November 2010

Editor's Notes/Agent Speak
Hotel Desk
Tour Talk
Medical Tourism Introduction
India: The Guest is God
Turkey: Investing in the Future
A Medical Tale of Two Latin American Countries
Quality Care in Taiwan
Uruguay's Making Waves
No More "Risky Business" in Colombia
River Cruising for 2011
Israel-100 Years of Green
South Africa With Style
Chicago: Nothing Second About This City
Jacksone Hole, Wyoming
Shining the Spotlight on Amelia Island, Florida
Koh Chang, Thailand
Barbados: Back to Work
Jamaica: Back to Basics
Acapulco on the Rise-Again
Re-Discovering the Wonders of the Yucatan

Recommend November 2010