by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:25 AM ET, Wed November 13, 2019
Avalon Waterways announced Tuesday that 15-time Emmy Award-winner Meredith Vieira would christen the Avalon View as godmother on the Danube River in 2020.
The new ship's christening ceremony will take place during an international celebration in Ybbs, Austria, on April 6. After the festivities, the 443-foot, 166-passenger Avalon View will join Avalon's Suite Ship fleet to sail the Danube River next year.
"I am extremely honored to be godmother to this beautiful ship! What a relaxing and magical way to travel through Europe," Vieira said in a statement. "So come on board, raise a glass of bubbly, and, as I like to say, take a little time to enjoy the VIEW!"
"In our search for the perfect godmother for the Avalon View, we were inspired by Meredith Vieira," Avalon managing director Pam Hoffee said in a statement. "As a difference-making broadcast journalist, executive producer and television host, she has given us a unique, up-close-and-personal view into her life - and the lives of countless others - with unparalleled storytelling, compassionate interviews and an extraordinary ability to connect with those she meets."
"We could not be happier to celebrate Meredith, and her many accomplishments, when she honors us as godmother, christening the Avalon View," Hoffee continued.
Avalon's Open-Air Balconies featured on the new vessel were designed with views in mind and boast wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling windows which open 11-feet wide in Europe and 14-feet wide in Southeast Asia.
"Travelers wanting to see the world need only cruise down its legendary rivers. For those interested in seeing more of the world, there's Avalon Waterways," Hoffee continued. "The Avalon View, and all of our Suite Ships, feature one-of-a-kind Panorama Suites with the widest-opening windows in river cruising, the industry's only Open-Air Balcony and beds facing the ever-changing scenery on two full decks of every ship."
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