Next year, Avalon Waterways will enhance its product offerings with new "Active Discovery on the Danube" cruises that incorporate all-inclusive excursions that include such activities as such hiking, cycling and canoeing.
"It's all about choice and what's meaningful for the guest," said Patrick Clark, managing director of Avalon Waterways. "That's really how we approach the product."
For 2017, "Active Discovery" itineraries will include eight nine-day vacations between Linz and Budapest available from July to October.
Some examples include canoeing or hiking excursions down the Danube or hiking along it, a cycling option from Spitz to Krems and a jogging tour of Vienna.
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Clark noted that the new itineraries are designed to meet the demand for more active option from both current and prospective guests and are possibly a precursor of things to come. "Our goal right now is to make sure we got it right," he said.
Avalon will also begin carrying a handful of bicycles onboard, he said.
Additionally, "Active Discovery" itineraries will include a range of other experiential options, which are designed to provide guests with windows into the culture of destinations visited. Options include waltzing and cooking lessons in Vienna, and Budapest walking excursions with a language component. "Then, after they've learned enough they can go into a café or pub and order for themselves - it's another to experience the destination," Clark said.
In other developments, Avalon has partnered with Vienna-based chefs Karl and Leo Wrenkh to launch "Avalon Fresh," an initiative that will bring a considerable range of healthy food options onboard its fleet.
The brothers, who operate the Wrenkh Vienna Culinary School 2.0, are known for their creative spin on vegetarian and vegan cuisine, and are already testing recipes onboard Avalon ships.
"While we pride ourselves on having nutritious and delicious meals and lots of options with regional input, we feel it's an important step for us to start including more nutritional vegetarian options on our menus," said Clark.
For more information, visit Avalon at www.avalonwaterways.com.
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