Avalon Waterways has named Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the bestselling Eat Pray Love, as the godmother of the new Avalon Envision, which is set to sail on the Danube River in 2019. Gilbert will christen the Avalon Envision in an international ceremony that will take place on April 7, 2019, in Budapest, Hungary.
After the christening ceremony, the 443-foot, 166-passenger Avalon Envision will join Avalon’s fleet of Suite Ships sailing on the Danube River throughout 2019.
In a written statement Avalon Waterways Managing Director Pam Hoffee said that, with the addition of Avalon Envision, for the first time Avalon Waterways’ entire fleet in Europe and Southeast Asia will be comprised completely of Suite Ships, which have the brand’s signature Panorama Suites with Open-Air Balconies and a facing bed.
The Open-Air Balconies are wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling windows in guest accommodations that open 11 feet wide in Europe and 14 feet wide in Southeast Asia, forming a seating area without compromising room space.
Elizabeth Gilbert was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, and grew up on a small family Christmas tree farm. She attended New York University where she studied political science by day and worked on short stories by night. After college, she spent several years traveling across the country, working in bars, diners and ranches, collecting experiences to transform into fiction before working as a journalist in New York City.
In 2000, Gilbert published her first novel, which became a New York Times Notable Book. She received worldwide attention in 2006 for her award-winning memoir Eat Pray Love which chronicled her journey alone around the world, looking for solace after a difficult divorce. The book became an international bestseller, translated into more than 30 languages with over 10 million copies sold worldwide. In 2010, Eat Pray Love became a film starring Julia Roberts, causing Time Magazine to name Gilbert as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. That year, she also published a follow-up to Eat Pray Love titled, Committed.
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