TORONTO — Avalon Waterways is introducing two new 36-guest Suite Ships on the Mekong and the river cruise line’s newest destination, the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar (Burma).
Clients who book by June 3 can save up to $712 off a 2015 cruise.
“Next year, we’re introducing our wildly popular Suite Ship design to travellers looking for a more exotic cruise experience in Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar,” said Patrick Clark, managing director of Avalon Waterways.
“With new, intimate ships in Southeast Asia, as well as small group discoveries in China with no more than 20 travellers, the intimacy we offer travellers, paired with our immersive Local Favorites program designed to spotlight the unique stories in each destination, inspire an unparalleled Asia vacation.”
The new ships will offer 18 well-appointed Avalon Suites with 245 square feet of living space. The new ships will also introduce travellers in Asia to Avalon’s signature Open-Air Balconies featuring floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall panoramic windows measuring 14 feet wide with retractable screen systems and doors that slide open a full nine feet, creating the feeling of sitting outside.
In front of each Open-Air Balcony is a private sitting area, complete with love seat, chairs and table. And facing the passing views is Avalon’s Comfort Collection Beds, inviting travellers to relax and enjoy every moment of cruising past the fascinating scenes of daily life on the Irrawaddy and Mekong Rivers.
“Our new Asia vessels mirror the experience found on our Suite Ships in Europe. But, perhaps as important as the attention to detail and appointments found on these ships is their overall size,” says Clark. “Both new ships – featuring only 18 Avalon Suites each – were designed to traverse more of the Irrawaddy and Mekong Rivers, providing travellers the chance to enjoy more of Asia.”
The Avalon Myanmar is small enough to cruise the spectacular Upper Irrawaddy throughout the season – a feat not possible on a larger ship. And the Avalon Siem Reap is the only ship in the industry cruising all the way from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap (or vice versa), as water levels allow.
With a maximum capacity of 36 passengers and a crew numbering 24, Avalon cruisers are sure to enjoy service levels of the highest caliber, he added.
For the first time Avalon is sailing the Irrawaddy with a new, 14-day itinerary – Golden Myanmar & The Alluring Irrawaddy – featuring a deluxe 10-night cruise from Began to Bhamo with hotel stays in Yangon.
For this vacation, travellers will enjoy a walking tour of Yangon before flying to Bagan to embark on their cruise. On the cruise, they can watch the sunrise from a Bagan temple, explore colourful local markets, see palm candy being made, visit Kaunghmudaw Pagoda and Soon U Ponya Shin Pagoda in Sagaing, take a sampan ride at sunset, watch a traditional dance performance by firelight, relish the sights in Mandalay, visit a monastery and present alms to the monks in Kya Hnyat, visit a local farmer’s home in Kyun Dew and enjoy more up close encounters.
Next year’s Asia cruises offered by Avalon Waterways include the 13-day Fascinating Vietnam, Cambodia & the Mekong River (Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap; Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City); the 14-day Golden Myanmar & the Alluring Irrawaddy (Yangon to Yangon); the 11-day Magical China & the Yangtze River (Beijing to Shanghai); the 15-day Culture China & Tibet with Yangtze River Cruise (Shanghai to Beijing) and the 15-day Enchanting China & the Yangtze River (Beijing to Shanghai)
Avalon Waterways is offering travellers who book their cruise by June 3 the chance to save 10%, a deal worth up to $712 per person on their 2015 Avalon Asia cruise.
