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For 2019, Avalon Waterways is introducing more active components to all its cruises.
For one, the company is expanding its Active Discovery itineraries, which launched in 2016, to France’s Rhone River next year. The Active Discovery cruises encourage guests to actively engage with each destination through activities like biking, hiking, canoeing, painting classes, culinary tours and waltz lessons. With the expansion to the Rhone River, the Active Discovery cruises are now available on the Danube, Rhine and Rhone.
Additionally, on all of it 2019 cruises, Avalon will have three types of excursions available through its Avalon Choice program (previously, there was one type of excursion with different paces offered). The new excursion categories are Classic, Discovery and Active options.
The Classic option involves a local guide offering information about the history and heritage of the sites being visited. The Discovery option invites travelers to engage in more interactive activities such as cooking classes and painting workshops. And for the Active option, guests will be offered more sporty outings such as a guided jogging tour, biking, paddling or hiking excursions.
Avalon’s eight- and nine-day Active Discovery cruises include more daytime sailing and more time in less traditional ports of call.
“On the Rhine River, for instance, travelers will not only spend time in popular destinations like Cologne and Amsterdam, they will also explore Xanten, Eltville, Duisburg and Wiesbaden,” stated Pam Hoffee, managing director of Avalon Waterways. “On the Danube, there’s always Budapest and Vienna, but on these special Active Discovery itineraries, travelers can also experience off-the-beaten-path places like Engelhartszell, Spitz and Visegrad. Our Active Discovery cruises invite travelers to explore popular rivers of Europe in an entirely new way.”
Some of the activities on the Rhone include hiking or biking through the Camargue Regional National Park, canoeing through the Gorges de l’Ardeche, visiting a crocodile farm, rail-biking along the descent of the Gorges du Doux, and making a saucisson brioche in a cooking class.
Also for 2019, Avalon is developing a new AvalonGo app, which will provide passengers with the daily itinerary, a list of nearby attractions (featuring hours of operation, historical facts), maps and locations of cafes, restaurants, bars and entertainment options for further exploration
Source: travelweekly.com
