Introducing The Avalon Panorama Suite Ship – Avalon Waterways® River Cruises

In 2011, Avalon Waterways is unveiling the Avalon Panorama, the industry's first "Suite Ship." With this new vessel, Avalon is introducing a proprietary Panorama SuiteSM design to maximize the river cruise experience.

In addition to boasting 17 Avalon Deluxe Staterooms on the lower deck (measuring 172-square feet), the Panorama features 64 newly designed Panorama Suites, positioned on the top two decks, showcasing a full, 200-square feet of living space.

"Our new Suite Ship redefines space," said Patrick Clark, managing director of Avalon Waterways. "Space that was thoughtfully designed to enhance traveler comfort and views, while also bringing an indoor/outdoor living experience on board."

This Suite space comes complete with a large seating area adjacent to a floor-to-ceiling, Wall-to-Wall Panoramic Window that opens wide at 7-feet. When open, the nearly 11-foot wide by 7-foot tall window transforms the entire Suite into the category's first Open-Air BalconySM.

"With a focus on bringing the beauty of Europe inside, Avalon's Open-Air Balconies offer our travelers a fresh air, Panoramic Cruising experience complete with epic views, in every weather condition, without compromising room space," said Clark. "And when each room's Wall-to-Wall Panoramic Window is closed, the Open-Air Balcony is transformed into a light, inviting and inspirationally designed sitting room that's perfect for relaxing, reading a book or enjoying a cocktail with friends."

Avalon's Open-Air Balcony can be enjoyed any hour of the day, year round, adding considerable comfort to the overall guest experience.

"With our Suite Ship, we're pioneering the new look of river cruising," said Scott Nisbet, president and CEO of the Globus family of brands. "Not only are Panorama's rooms 30 percent larger and views 50 percent more expansive than the industry average in Europe, every component of the experience, from bed and bathroom positioning and color palette to storage space and sound-proof insulation, was pensively designed for our cruisers to ensure they enjoy all that small-ship cruising has to offer."

Inspired by design, every element of the Panorama's on board experience was crafted to entice the five senses. Some enhancements, including flowers in each stateroom and premium L'Occitane products are subtle. Other offerings, such as marble bathrooms, new Avalon-branded deluxe bedding (Comfort Collection by AvalonSM) and the perfect balance of warm interiors and natural lighting are distinct and unexpected. Combined, all elements provide travelers with a unique feeling of space, freedom and comfort not found with any other river cruise line.

Mirroring the on board cruise experience found on all of Avalon's ships, the Panorama Suite Ship also features a club, main lounge and dining room with sweeping views, hair salon, Sky Deck fun pool and Open-Air Bistro for outdoor, grilled lunches. In addition, the Panorama's fitness room is more expansive, featuring additional equipment and room to renew.

Other amenities and features on the Panorama include: Flat screen televisions, large closets, ample storage space, fully stocked mini-bars and safes in all staterooms and suites as well as laundry/ironing services.

Avalon's new Panorama Suite Ship will be christened in May 2011 and will sail the popular 14-night Magnificent Europe (Amsterdam/Budapest) itinerary for most of 2011. Holiday travelers may also experience the new Suite Ship while enjoying the festive and enchanting Christmas markets on Avalon's Christmastime getaways.

"The introduction of the Avalon Panorama underscores our dedication to energizing the small-ship cruise category," said Clark. "For six years, we have inspired design innovations that have become the new standard, industry-wide, including the introduction of our Deluxe Avalon Staterooms with floor-to-ceiling windows on two decks of every Avalon vessel."

Avalon Waterways not only provides travelers the youngest, most innovative fleet of ships in Europe. "By design we create panoramic access to a destination, uncompromised views, space to unwind and the choices that allow cruisers to make the most of their journey," said Nisbet.

ABOUT AVALON WATERWAYS
Award-winning Avalon Waterways offers travelers the youngest, most innovative fleet of ships in Europe, China, Egypt and the Galápagos. Our travelers have inspired us to utilize more than 80 years of travel expertise to design the best river cruise experience possible. We've taken everything special about river cruising and made it even better-down to the last detail. Our views are panoramic and spaces large and inviting; comfort is king and dining both personal and flexible. And, thanks to our partnership with Globus, our itineraries are legendary. By design, Avalon cruisers are privy to all-inclusive access to a destination, including guided sightseeing in every port, VIP entry into key destinations and unparalleled cultural immersion and storytelling thanks to highly skilled Cruise and Tour Directors. In addition to countless trade accolades, Avalon Waterways has garnered some of the industry's most prestigious honors: Among them, the river cruise company was voted the No. 2 Best Small-Ship Cruise Line in Travel + Leisure's 2009 World's Best Awards, chosen as the "Best Value in River Cruising" by Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel and featured in Condé Nast Traveler's 2009 Gold List. Avalon Waterways is part of the Globus family of brands.

Consumers can book an Avalon Waterways vacation or request brochures by visiting a preferred travel agent or by calling the following toll free number: 1.877.380.1535. For more information, please visit www.avalonwaterways.com. Travel agents can request Avalon Waterways brochures by calling toll free 1.800.221.0090 or visiting www.globusfamilypartner.com.