SINGAPORE, 5 April 2024: Surrounded by beautiful hillside vineyards in Pinhão, Portugal, Avalon Waterways christened its 15th Suite Ship during the Easter week.
Avalon Alegria, one of Europe’s most sustainable vessels afloat, will sail Portugal’s Douro River.
The new 262-foot, 102-passenger Avalon Alegria has 14 Deluxe Staterooms and 37 Panorama Suites. It is the first ‘suite ship’ from Avalon Waterways to set sail in Portugal, designed to sail the Douro River.
The Avalon Alegria joins a fleet of Suite Ships sailing iconic rivers in Europe and Southeast Asia. Her first guests embarked on a themed cruise titled “Vida Portugal Cruise; Vineyards & Villages.” sailing the River Douro earlier this week.
Waterways president Pam Hoffee points to Avalon’s signature features: “its boutique-hotel-inspired Panorama Suites and the industry’s only Open-Air Balconies with the widest-opening windows in cruising.
“A Panorama Suite is the highlight on all of the Suite Ships of Avalon, along with wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling windows open 11 feet wide in Europe and 14 feet wide in Southeast Asia … wider than any other balconies in the industry.
“We’ve waited a long time for the perfect opportunity to add Portugal to our robust holiday portfolio, and that day has finally arrived,” said Hoffee at the start of the Easter week’s launch cruise.
