Avalon Waterways® Europe River Cruises

Today, Avalon Waterways announced that popular Australia "Today Show" television host and well-respected journalist Lisa Wilkinson will christen the industry's first "suite ship," the Avalon Panorama. In 2011, this new vessel will sail the nearly sold-out 14-day Magnificent Europe itinerary: A "favorite" among Australian and American travelers alike.

Wilkinson will christen the Avalon Panorama in an international ceremony that will take place on May 14, 2011 in Mainz, Germany. Of her Godmother duties, Wilkinson said, "I am honored to be invited to be a part of an international christening ceremony. Launching the Avalon Panorama, a vessel that will be home to thousands of travelers in years to come, will be a special occasion for me."

With the introduction of the Avalon Panorama, Avalon Waterways is unveiling 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. 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.

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.

"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 Clark.

ABOUT LISA WILKINSON
Lisa Wilkinson, co-host of the Nine Network's TODAY Show, is one of Australia's most admired and respected journalists and corporate presenters. For the past two decades, she has successfully applied her journalistic talents to magazine publishing, television and radio.
In recent years, before her TODAY Show appointment, Lisa was co-host of the Seven Network's top-rated Weekend Sunrise program where she was credited with attracting a new wave of viewers through her relaxed and informative presentation style. Lisa's media career got off to an astonishing start when she was appointed editor of the national women's magazine Dolly at age 21.

Four years later, on the recommendation of the late Kerry Packer, Lisa was offered the editorship of Cleo. Over the next decade, she oversaw Cleo's rapid growth which resulted in a doubling of circulation, guiding it to become the No. 1 selling women's lifestyle magazine per capita in the world. Later she became Cleo's International Editor-in-Chief, running editions in New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

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.