In an interview with AGENTatHOME, Avalon Waterways President Pam Hoffee discusses a new ship debut, the line’s ongoing commitment to travel advisors and what distinguishes it from the competition.

What are Avalon's Plans to Expand its Fleet?

In September, Avalon Waterways announced that it will make its debut on Portugal’s Douro River with a new itinerary and Suite Ship – the Avalon Alegria – in 2024. We’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to add Portugal to our robust vacation portfolio and that day has finally arrived.

With the debut of Avalon View in April 2022, our total fleet in Europe has grown to 14 Suite Ships with two additional Suite Ships on the Mekong in Southeast Asia. We also provide our guests the opportunity to cruise the Nile, Ganges, Amazon and the Galapagos Islands.

How has Business Fared this Year and What's Your Outlook for 2023?

As cruisers look for a big-ship alternative, river cruising is continuing to garner more interest and more bookings. Sales have been solid for 2022. We’re at 90 percent of the bookings we had in 2019 from the U.S. market and growing. In fact, in August we saw more bookings for 2022 than we received for August 2019. Early bookings for 2023 have us back at pre-pandemic sales with more opportunities for growth.

What are the Key Selling Points for Avalon Waterways in Terms of its Ships, Itineraries and Excursions?

Offering travelers “Classic,” “Discovery” and “Active” options on every river cruise itinerary, Avalon Choice presents guests with a variety of excursions and onboard activities each day – all engaging in their own way.

We’ve put together as many as 28 included excursion choices on our Active and Discovery itineraries, placing the compass firmly in the hands of our guests to choose any direction – and any experience – they desire.

Avalon’s ships feature two full decks of 200-square-foot Panorama Suites, each featuring an 11-foot-wide wall of floor-toceiling windows that open seven feet wide, the widest-opening windows in cruising. This wall of glass converts the room into an Open-Air Balcony.

How Important are Travel Advisors to Your Business?

Travel advisors are at the heart of what we do and every decision that we make. The majority of our bookings come from travel advisors, so we’re committed in every way to supporting them. One recent example of that commitment happened during COVID when we changed our policy to pay commission at the time of payment rather than the time of travel. It was our way to help advisors get much-needed funds flowing back into business. We have no non-commissionable fares, and pay full cruise commission on land extensions, which no other line does. Our team of business development managers are deployed around the country and ready to work with advisors to grow their business.

What Advice Would you Give Agents on How to Sell Avalon Waterways?

Become an Avalon Waterways Specialist and let your clients and potential clients know that you are a specialist in river cruising.

We’re a platinum partner to ASTA and we will, once again, take part in the River Cruise Expo in Budapest in March 2023. Go and learn about all the river lines and see what makes each company unique. You will benefit from seeing our ships side-by-side.

Qualify for and travel on one of our Suite Rewards fam cruises. Once you’ve booked your trip, build a group around your planned sailing. That way, you’re guaranteed to be there with your clients, regardless of how many you book. If you do earn enough to quality for a tour conductor [TC] credit, you get to keep the TC as extra commission.