FEATURE RIVER CRUISING
New River Cruise Boats, 2012 Viking River Cruises is revolutionising river cruise boat design by moving a top-deck corridor one metre and rotating cabins by 90 degrees to make them into suites. The changes will feature on four new
river cruise vessels, which the company has dubbed Longboats, that they are launching in 2012. The suites on Viking’s Longboats run
along one side of the vessel and have a living room and balcony, and then a separate bedroom with French windows. Because the corridor has been moved, cabins on the other side of the vessel are deeper, so they also have a balcony big enough to sit on. The Longships will also have two 445
sq m Explorer Suites with wraparound balconies that Viking said will be the largest accommodation on any river cruise boat in Europe, and new al-fresco dining on the top deck. River cruise specialist APT is launching
a third Concerto-class vessel – the others launched in 2010 and 2011 but will only be on sale in the UK next year – that
have all-weather balconies. These run the width of a cabin but are divided into two, with one part outside and a conservatory-like area inside the room. Avalon Waterways is launching two
new all-suite river cruise boats in 2012, sisters to the Avalon Panorama, which was christened in May. For the first time next year, the river cruise company is also including
gratuities in the cruise price. It already includes free UK and overseas transfers, shore excursions and complimentary wine, beer or soft drinks served with dinner. The change comes as river cruise companies include more in the cruise price, making the holidays more desirable to their target 60-plus market. Free drinks with lunch and dinner and a
choice of free shore excursions in several ports is now fairly standard. Avalon Visionary and Avalon Vista will have
two full decks of panorama suites with floor-to-ceiling French windows. Avalon Vista will sail on the Rhine and Danube, and Avalon Visionary will sail on the Rhine.
Above from left: Swan Hellenic's Stella Bar; Enjoy the view from a Viking stateroom balcony
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