Suite Ship: Avalon Waterways' New Panorama

The rivers are getting more and more crowded—and that's a good thing for river cruise lines. The vessels are being filled. In 2011, Avalon Waterways will welcome a new ship of its own, which, it says, will be the industry's first "Suite Ship." Avalon Panorama will be the first Avalon ship with a proprietary Panorama Suite design "to maximize the river cruise experience."
 
In addition to 17 172-square-foot Avalon Deluxe Staterooms on the lower deck, Panorama will feature 64 newly designed Panorama Suites, positioned on the top two decks, 200 square feet of living space. The suites will have large seating areas adjacent to floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows that opens wide at seven feet. When open, the nearly 11-foot-wide by seven-foot-tall window transforms the suite into what Avalon calls "the category’s first Open-Air Balcony." Top Digs: We hear there will be two Royal Suites with 1.5 bathrooms and 300 square feet of space.
 
“Our new Suite Ship redefines space,” says 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.”

Scott Nisbet, president and CEO of Globus, Avalon's parent company, says Panorama will prove to be a seminal design. "We’re pioneering the new look of river cruising,” he says. “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.” Other touches include flowers in each stateroom and L’Occitane products in the bathrooms. 
 
Panorama also will feature a club, main lounge and dining room with sweeping views, hair salon, Sky Deck fun pool and open-air bistro for alfresco lunches. Other amenities and featuresinclude:  flat-screen TVs, large closets, and fully stocked mini-bars.
 
The ship will be christened in May 2011 and will sail a 14-night "Magnificent Europe"  (Amsterdam/Budapest) itinerary for most of the year. 
 
Visit www.avalonwaterways.com.