It’s tricky when you invite someone who’s afraid of the water to get on board a ship. It’s especially unusual to ask that person to christen the ship, become the ship’s godmother, and then take a four-day cruise.
But everything went according to plan this week when television star and journalist Meredith Vieira christened the newest “suite ship” in the Avalon Waterways fleet.
(See short video here)
Vieira handled the honors with aplomb in Bratislava, Slovakia on Tuesday, and with a bit of emotion to boot, cutting a long cord with a pair of scissors and sending a bottle of Slovakian sparkling wine smashing into the blue hull of the Avalon View. A bottle that doesn’t break during a christening is bad luck, but the star of the Today Show and “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” wasn’t about to be victimized on a perfect spring day on the Danube River.
Wearing a vivid pink dress on a warm, sunny spring day, the new ship godmother was clearly elated by the experience and got a little misty-eyed. Ship guests gathered on the shore and the crew cheered and waved white towels from the top deck after the bottle shattered.
Vieira has been all over the world in her role as a reporter, but her visit on the Avalon View was her first trip on a cruise ship.
Avalon Waterways Managing Director Pam Hoffee, Meredith Vieira, and Avalon View Captain Ambrose Manolache. Photo Courtesy Avalon Waterways.
“I’m a little scared of water,” she said with a smile during a half-hour, genial chat with media on board the ship for the christening, which Vieira handled on Tuesday in Bratislava, Slovakia. “I’d never go on an ocean cruise. But I can see land on both sides, and the ship is beautiful.”
The christening was originally slated to take place in 2020 in Yves, Austria, but the pandemic put an end to those plans. The ceremony was moved to Bratislava and took place in a sparkling, new section of the city, which Avalon officials felt was symbolic.
“It’s an emerging city with lots of potential,” said Pam Hoffee, Chief Operating Officer at Globus family of brands & Managing Director at Avalon Waterways.
Hoffee said the feeling of seeing the ship being christened following two years of pandemic slowdowns was “almost indescribable.”
“When the bottle hit, Meredith turned to me and said, ‘This really is something special. She got all teared up. Which got me teared up.
“It’s really just a feeling of joy,” she said.
“Today we thank those with a vision of what could be and the hands to craft it so. Such beauty as this magnificent vessel now begins its river journey,” Vieira said during her blessing. “Around every bend lies a new sight to behold, a new experience to savor, a new friend with whom to share it.
“May all aboard her travel safely with eyes wide open to the wonders that await,” said Vieira, a 15-time Emmy Award-winner who has starred on such programs as “The Today Show,” “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire,” and “The View.” And what a fitting name: I now christen thee, the Avalon View. Take a little time to enjoy it.”
They originally had planned for fireworks, but Hoffee said they cancelled because there are Ukrainian refugees living in Bratislava and they didn’t want to frighten anyone with explosions. The money they would have spent on fireworks, several thousand Euros, was instead donated to a fund for refugees, she said.
Avalon View is the latest in a series of “suite ships” that Avalon has in its growing fleet. The ships panorama rooms, which are about 80% of the room stock, feature floor-to-ceiling windows that slide open to a width of seven feet, roughly two-thirds of the way. There’s a small sofa and a chair and table in front of the window, creating an “indoor balcony.”
A panorama suite on Avalon Waterways. Photo Courtesy Avalon Waterways.
They’ve also turned the beds around so they face the view, which is brilliant (and avoids couples fighting over who gets the best side of the bed). On top of that, they’ve angled the wall behind the bed, which creates a considerably larger bathroom and a very good-sized shower space. The panorama rooms are a solid 200 square feet, compared to around 150 square feet on most river cruise ships. Even their introductory or deluxe room is 170 square feet.
The suite ships also have two royal suites, which are 300 square feet, have a large-screen TV that swivels and doubles as a room divider, as well as a large bathroom and an additional powder room.
The ships also feature floor-to-ceiling windows in the rest of the ship, which makes for a beautiful, bright cruising experience. Interior designs were inspired by Dutch interior designer Liane van Leeuwen. Original art in common areas is by Dutch artist Eelco Maan and cabin paintings were created by another Dutch artist, Sofie Fisher.
The Avalon View is the 16th in the series of suite ships.
(Click here for a video of the suites)
The food on board is terrific, and all trips include unlimited beer and wine. Cocktails are reasonably priced if you want to sample something from the bar, and the bartenders are wonderful. I sampled a perfect Manhattan, as well as a smooth Caipirinha and a remarkably tasty concoction called a Remedy, with bourbon, smoked honey, fresh lemon juice, ginger and a splash of a Czech liquor called Becherovka.
The perfect Remedy cocktail being served up on the Avalon View. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Another point of differentiation for Avalon Waterways are their excursions, which offer new experiences and explorations every day, with Active & Discovery itineraries and their Avalon Choice program, available on every Avalon cruise, Hoffee said.
Avalon Choice offers the widest array of included excursions (up to 28 of them) in river cruising: From classic sightseeing to immersive discoveries and active adventures, such as kayaking on the Rhone River in France or hiking through the vineyards of Slovakia or a 14-km e-bike ride up a small mountain, which I got to enjoy this week in Hungary.
“Avalon Waterways has redefined cruising by going against the current and away from the ordinary,” said Hoffee. “Delivering unparalleled experiences and boundless exploration, we place our guests in the captain’s seat to navigate their journey and fuel their passions as they cruise down the world’s most beautiful waterways. The Avalon View’s debut is the perfect kick-off to the 2022 cruising season – a season in which Avalon Waterways’ is thrilled to lead a new wave in cruising.”
The ”Active & Discovery” itineraries made up four per cent of excursions in 2017. Now it’s 25%, she said.
One advantage of Active & Discovery tours is that you’re with like-minded people who want to try a cooking school or a long bike trip, or perhaps the carriage ride that Vieira took in Vienna.
Hoffee also pointed out that Avalon attracts a clientele that’s several years younger than most river cruise lines.
An e-bike ride outside Esztergom, Hungary with Avalon Waterways. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Avalon Waterways takes part in dozens of sustainability initiatives. They make sizable donations to The Ocean Cleanup, which is helping reduce plastics in the ocean. They also have eliminated single-use plastics on the ship.
The company also purchases trees via Trees4Travel to offset their cruise carbon emissions.
It’s a small thing, but they also contract with local bus companies for excursions. That means there’s no Avalon bus following the ship along the river and adding more emissions into the atmosphere. That also helps the local economy in river cruise destinations.
Hoffee said bookings were going crazy in October of last year, then slowed due to Omicron. But they’re picking up nicely again as travel restrictions ease around the world.
She conceded that the troubles in Ukraine have put a damper on things, but she said she doesn’t see a danger in visiting Europe right now.
Indeed, our ship stopped in both Slovakia and Hungary, which border Ukraine, and there were no signs of problems.
Hoffee noted that a Hungarian tourism official recently was quoted as saying tourism is a big part of the economy, and that the influx of money from visitors helps the government pay for programs to help Ukrainian refugees.
