Discover the River Danube with Canadian songbird
2019 cruise on new Avalon ship to feature private concert with host Jann Arden
As we enter the start of the 2018 European river cruise season, Avalon Waterways (cruise.center/avalon) provides some compelling reasons to book early for 2019, not the least of which is a new ship and a special cruise hosted by Canada’s own Jann Arden.
Arden will sail aboard a 12-day Blue Danube Discovery river cruise, departing Budapest on June 18, 2019, and concluding in Prague. While on board, guests will be treated to a private concert, photo opportunities and a CD signing, as well as the chance to mingle with the singer, who was appointed as a member of the Order of Canada last year for her achievements as a singersongwriter
and her charitable work.
The singer says she’s a fan of river cruises and Avalon Waterways, and looks forward to hosting this unique cruise next year.
Ports on this 12-day journey include two nights in Budapest, followed by calls on Vienna, Durnstein, Austria; Passau, Regensburg and Roth in Germany, before heading to Prague for a two-night stay. Guests will be able to enjoy all of Avalon’s features, including free on-board bicycles and Nordic walking sticks, along with the ship’s soothing staterooms.
Complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks are provided with lunches and dinners, and Avalon’s elegant and contemporary styling is one of my favourite features. It’s impossible not to feel welcome.
In the case of the cruise with Jann Arden, guests also get the chance to sail aboard a new ship dubbed the Avalon Envision.
Debuting next year, the Avalon Envision will be the company’s 13th Suite Ship in Europe, and the 16th overall since 2011.
Since then, Avalon’s Suite Ships have garnered plenty of awards from industry partners and consumers alike.
“Each of our Suite Ships in Europe features two full decks of these spacious staterooms,” says Stéphanie Bishop of Avalon’s Canadian office. “Measuring 200 square feet, they feature our trademark ‘open-air balconies’ to bring in the local sights and sounds.”
The balconies in Avalon’s signature Panorama Suite are large, opening over two metres on the ship’s European vessels and up to 3.5 metres in Southeast Asia. I remember spending a memorable evening sailing away from Amsterdam with the windows open as far as they would go on my Avalon Waterways cruise last fall, listening to the birds chirp and watching the sun set as we began our journey down the Rhine.
Avalon is offering a number of incentives right now on its 2018 and 2019 river voyages.
They include the line’s new Active Discovery river cruises that pair soft adventures in ports throughout Europe with history, culinary tastings and off-the-beaten-path sights. A number of activities are offered on these voyages, from guided cycling tours to hands-on art classes and walks through some of Europe’s most picturesque towns.
Avalon even offers a very cool Running Tour of Amsterdam.
I advise you to book early. Many of Avalon’s most popular European river cruise itineraries are filling up for 2018, and booking for 2019 is essential for oneoff voyages like Arden’s cruise, or the always popular Tulip Time voyages through Belgium and the Netherlands in the spring. Visit portsandbows.com, sponsored by Expedia CruiseShipCenters. Call 1-800-707-7327 or visit www. cruiseshipcenters.com for daily updates on the latest cruise news, best deals and behind-the-scenes stories. You can sign up for an email newsletter on the site. Contact Aaron Saunders at portsandbowsaaron@ gmail.com