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Avalon
Waterways is upping its game in Asia, building two new riverboats that will
include signature features found on its European vessels. We talked to Avalon
General Manager Patrick Clark about the two 36-passenger “Suite Ships” that will
begin sailing next year on the Mekong through Vietnam and Cambodia and, for the
first time, on the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar (Burma).
Avalon Waterways is building two new sister ships to cruise on Asian rivers.
The cabins will be a slightly larger version of those found on Avalon's Suite
Ships in Europe. These cabins will be about 245 square feet in size, compared to
about 200 square feet in Europe. And they’re considerably larger than what we
are currently operating on the Mekong, the Avalon Angkor, which has cabins of
about 170 square feet.
This represents a fairly significant increase in space in the cabin, which is
going to be very appealing and attractive, luxurious and comfortable. They’ll
have the amenities people have gotten used to in Europe, includin Avalon's
Comfort Collection bedding and lovely marble bathrooms.
Plus, they will have the Open-Air Balconies featuring floor-to-ceiling,
wall-to-wall panoramic windows measuring 14 feet wide with doors that slide open
a full 9 feet. Avalon considers it important that these ships have your
signature Open-Air Balcony, which can be closed off when the weather is poor, it
also helps to establish a brand identity, whether in Europe or in Asia. Avalon's
customers have learned it’s about space. Some river cruises offer balconies
that, while I’m sure they have attractive features, have limited use. It’s not
like a big cruise ship when you have ocean days and you can get a lot of use out
of it. The river cruise experience is different, and everything is on the side
of the river. You want to be in a place where you can see it, but the actual use
of the balcony is still limited because you’re docking alongside other ships and
there are weather issues at certain times of year. With our Open-Air Balcony,
there is more room in the cabin, so you have a sitting area with a small couch
and a table if you want to have a drink or food. And in the evening when the
blinds are closed, you still have that space to use.
Avalon will continue to operate the 32-passenger Avalon Angkor on the Mekong
Rive until the The Avalon Angkor’s lease ends of 2014. The new Avalon Siem
Reap will enter service on the Mekong in January 2015. The Avalon Myanmar will
begin sailing in October 2015.
Avalon initially opted to have smaller ships on the Mekong and now that Avalon
has had a couple years of experience sailing the Mekong plus the overwhelming
response from customers who say that they love the intimate, cozy
atmosphere of the small ship. Within the space of a week, they all know each
other by name and it’s almost like being a family, hence the new ships are
smaller than our European ones.
Number two, it allows the ships to get into places easier than larger vessels.
In particular, we they sail into Ho Chi Minh City harbor. The bridge outside the
city prevents other vessels from sailing into the harbor. So you're a 10- to
15-minute walk to the InterContinental Hotel. Others have to moor outside the
harbor and take an hour-plus coach ride from the city center to where they
embark. It’s one more little convenience and one more reason that confirmed the
decision to go with a smaller vessel.
Avalon always intended to have the two ships as sister ships, although they are
being built at two different shipyards, one in Ho Chi Minh City and the other
one outside of Yangon in Myanmar. But they have the same blueprint design and
the appointments and space will be identical.
In keeping with the destination there was a deliberate decision to keep the
almost Colonial feel with the wood and some of the appointments. Avalon thought
it to be an important part of the cultural experience. To have a big modern
European-style vessel is not capturing a lot of what the location has to offer.
Plus practically, it’s an extremely humid environment, and if you have a lot of
metal you’re constantly maintaining and repainting it to keep it looking good
because you can end up with rust.
The itinerary that's offered in Myanmar, it is different from what the other
companies are operating on the Irrawaddy River. For example, the length of the
cruise is similar but we will go much further north. The small ship allows us to
sail further north on the Irrawaddy than some of the larger vessels. We’re still
going to major points such as Mandalay and Yangon, but we also go to six or
seven spots in the north. It’ll really give people who sail on this itinerary a
true sense of the culture of Myanmar. I think that will be very exciting and
make for a magical experience.
Avalon
believes that Asia could be the new hot spot for river cruising. Although
if you look at the total capacity it’s still very small compared to Europe.
People repeat and look at different options for river cruises. They’re looking
further afield, particularly people who are little more adventurous. Myanmar,
Vietnam and Cambodia are still relatively early in tourism development, so you
can still see things untouched and not sugar-coated. You can get into villages
to see how they live and where they shop. It doesn’t resemble Europe at all.
Customers want that experience, but they still want creature comforts and to
have a glass of wine at dinner and options if they don’t want Burmese food. It’s
amazing how many people do want to go further afield. |
