- Avalon Waterways is moving towards personalising luxury for its guests.
- According to travellers’ preferences, it is shifting towards more variety.
- Greater personalisation will appear on and off the ships sailing around the world.
Luxury has a new angle. And it’s no longer about ‘bigger is better’. There’s no more ‘more’. Avalon Waterways has launched a new direction for river cruise chasing greater value on choice, smaller ships, room to move and personalisation onboard.
A recent Wish List Survey of roughly 10,000 travellers revealed that 99 per cent of cruisers say having a variety of shore excursions is important when choosing a river cruise. This has prompted Avalon Waterways to make significant changes both onboard and onshore with their cruise journeys.
Personalisation becomes a stronger part of the premium travel conversation. Avalon Waterways President Pam Hoffee says its model, built around flexible excursions, fewer guests and more room onboard, reflects where traveller preferences are moving and travellers are increasingly defining luxury by how well a trip reflects their interests.
“Today’s definition of luxury is simple: relevance,” she said.
“Travel feels more meaningful when it reflects who you are. That’s why Avalon continues to infuse our itineraries with more choice, more flexibility and more ways to connect with the places our guests visit.
“We’ve always believed the best journeys feel personal. That’s why choice is part of our foundation instead of an add-on feature.”
What does choice look like on a cruise?
Shore excursions are one of the most obvious ways traveller preferences are changing, with more passengers requesting flexibility in the way they experience the destinations.
Shore itineraries need to offer a broad range of excursions, with variety in degrees of effort and ability, adventure, culture, free range to explore, cost and what’s included. On select Avalon Waterways sailings, that can mean as many as 28 excursion choices are available across a trip.
More than that, instead of exploring a destination as one large group, Avalon travellers are encouraged to split across experiences based on pace and interest, giving the excursion a more flexible feel.
Smaller ships, bigger advantage
According to the latest guest research, 62 per cent of travellers say they prefer cruising on ships carrying fewer than 150 guests. This study is being used to encourage the future of smaller ships. Avalon says its Suite Ships average around 150 passengers, roughly 30 per cent fewer than many other competitor river cruise vessels.
What does this mean for guests onboard? Smaller scale helps shape the onboard experience, from service and shared spaces to embarkation ease and the overall atmosphere while cruising.
Ms Hoffee adds that the core desires for passengers seeking luxury are “Space, personalisation and freedom to explore. Smaller ships allow us to deliver all of that and more in ways larger ships simply can’t.”
The cruise line says it’s about more than the number of guests onboard. The onboard experience is structured in a way that the smaller-scale model is intended to support a more relaxed and less crowded style of travel overall. Avalon is rethinking ship design as part of that broader luxury direction.
One of the biggest demonstrations of this added space opboard is with the Panorama Suites that span two full decks of every Suite Ship. This is roughly 15 per cent larger than the industry standard – and they feature wall-to-wall windows that open wide, with beds facing the view.
Apart from the suites, public spaces onboard have the capacity to host all guests in one sitting including the Panorama Lounge, Panorama Dining Room and Sky Deck. The smaller venues such as the Observation Lounge and Club Lounge offer quieter areas to relax.
These smaller guest numbers, flexibility with excursions and broader ship layout are all part of the brand’s focus on a more personalised onboard and onshore experience.
Then there’s the social element of the cruise, with smaller shore tour groups creating more intimate interaction with the local guides and fellow guests.
Ms Hoffee says “The difference between travelling in a group and travelling with people you’ve gotten to know is significant. That’s one of the most meaningful benefits of a smaller ship experience.”
