Today, we’re diving into luxury travel insights on cruise experiences as Richard Hickey from Avalon Waterways unveils the elevated world of river cruising. Avalon redefines the experience with its relaxed luxury travel style, intimate ships, and exceptional crew, ensuring guests feel like family. From flexible dining to themed cruises like wine lovers and Christmas markets, Avalon offers something for every luxury traveler. Whether exploring the wine regions of Bordeaux or immersing yourself in French culture, their innovative approach promises an unforgettable, indulgent journey.

IN THIS EPISODE: [1:37] Richard outlines the history of Avalon Waterways and awards for River Cruising with suites having beds face the window

[6:07] River Cruise and land excursion opportunities

[8:45] Richard describes the active and discovery cruise

[17:40 Dining and overnight experiences and festive cruise

[23:24] Cruise the rivers for 9 to 22 days

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Avalon Waterways emphasizes guest comfort with innovations like the Panorama Suite’s open-air balcony and bed-facing river views, offering an enhanced experience compared to traditional balcony designs. This also allows for more spacious staterooms and luxurious amenities for luxury travel.

The Avalon Choice program provides guests with diverse excursion options, including classic sightseeing, active experiences (biking and kayaking), and discovery activities (like cooking and painting classes).

These options ensure personalized, enriching experiences without additional charges for most excursions. Avalon offers diverse themed cruises such as wine-lover voyages, history explorations, Christmas market tours, and extended itineraries that span multiple rivers or countries, catering to various traveler preferences and interests.

RESOURCES:

Globus and Cosmos - Website

Richard Hickey - LinkedIn

GUEST BIOGRAPHY: 

Richard is a 36-year industry veteran who has held various sales positions with some of the top travel companies. Throughout his career, he has worked in both inside and outside sales roles for NCL, Disney, and Oceania. Additionally, He has  successfully managed both national and key accounts for Club Med, MSC, and Scenic. Currently, I hold the position of Senior Director of Key Accounts with the Globus Family of Brands.

Luxury Traveler, Avalon Waterways, River Cruising, Luxury Travel, River Cruises, Wine Lover Cruises, Active Discovery, Cultural Experiences, Scenic Views, France, Bordeaux, Rhine, Danube, Christmas Markets, Wine Tasting, Culinary Exploration, Rodney George, Travel Tips, travel industry insights, luxury expedition cruises, luxury travel, luxury, travel, adventure, cruise

#Luxury #rodneyGeorge #Adventure #cruise #traveltips #cruise

Rodney George: Good morning. Good afternoon or good evening whatever time it is when you're finally getting around to watching this [00:00:45] version of The Luxury Travelers Podcast. I have a great friend and a knowledgeable, knowledgeable professional on, on the horn with me today. Uh, I've got Richard Hickey, my friend with Avalon, uh, uh, Waterways.

Richard Hickey: Hey, Ronnie. Thanks for that great introduction. Great to be here with you.

About, uh, about Avalon and what's going on at Avalon. Uh, I know, I know that Avalon's part of, uh, Globus, but, uh, fill us in a little bit on, on how Avalon fits in that [00:01:30] whole picture and why Avalon versus all the other choices out there. Sure. Well, thank you for that. Um,

Richard Hickey: so, you know, Avalon's part of the Globus family of brand and, and the Globus family of brands is a.

So celebrating 20 years now. Um, You know, it's, it's a big part of our business, river cruising is, as you know, it's really on the rise, uh, the popularity's, uh, [00:02:15] stronger than ever before. It's really one of the segments that's rebounded after we call the great pause, if you will. Uh, but we're, we're, you know, it's important to know where we kind of fit in the marketplace with Avalon Waterways.

Rodney George: How do your, how do your staterooms compare, size wise, what are, what are we looking at as far as the top end [00:03:00] there, because that's, that seems to be where our clients want to go, they want to start at the top and, and work their way down if they must. Sure, so, so, you know, one

Right. Um, a lot of times going through the same ports. So, Uh, our ships carry 160 guests, some carry more, some carry less. So we, we tend to focus more on spaces, public rooms and state rooms, but our panorama [00:03:30] suites are really one of the most stunning innovations on river cruising today because we've done away with the traditional French balcony and step out balcony with a metal railing.

Uh, so, you know, they really enjoy it, and they start at 300, 300 square feet, then we go down to 200 square feet. But they're, they add about 30 percent more to the stateroom by not having that real traditional balcony, if you will. So. [00:04:15] The configuration makes it easier to have a more spacious bathroom as well.

Rodney George: Now, are those, are those the ones, cause I was on one of your ships, uh, couple of years ago, are those the ones that have, That, that balcony is actually [00:04:45] almost a part of the room.

Yeah, it is. It's a part of the room. Yeah. Okay.

You know, look over your partner. So, um, but this way the bed's facing the window and it's always a beautiful view. And again, I just, one of the great accolades, we just received awards from cruise [00:05:15] critic for the best state rooms with that innovation as well. Wow.

Rodney George: Wow. So are you guys currently operating on all the major rivers in Europe?

Correct. We're all over in Europe. We

to our guests to kind of look and see what they're looking for and where they'd like to go. And over the last couple years, we've continued to see France as a top destination. So, uh, we have the south of France, Burgundy, [00:06:00] Provence. We have the historic Seine River out of Paris going up into the Harvard, visiting the Normandy beaches, the landings.

And then [00:06:30] we're going to go south down to Cadillac for the nicer tones and the dessert wines. Uh, so we're excited about that. We all, we've, we know that it's about wine and it's about chateaus, but our team's kind of put together a unique program. Uh, we're going to [00:06:45] spend some more time and destination, some of the ports.

Rodney George: yeah. That is such a beautiful river. Uh, I, I was, I did it last year and I was amazed at, uh, the diversity of, of, uh, [00:07:15] not just climate, but the, the, the landscape, how different it is.

I mean, you go through some of those locks and you come out and all of a sudden it looks like you're in, in, in a totally different country. Yeah. Yeah. Well, Portugal

And we built her to our specs, which is the panorama suites. Uh, and she's, [00:07:45] um, round trip out of Porto. We have some great, it's the birthplace of Port wine for those of your clients that have never experienced this area. It's one of the oldest wine making regions in Europe and birthplace of Port wine. So we've got some great wine tours, a lot of [00:08:00] history with the Coa Valley.

Rodney George: Well, uh, how do, uh, [00:08:30] you, you, you touched on the panorama suites, but you guys also do something that's rather innovative in your excursions. It's not just here's the excursion of the day. You guys do multiple levels, right? Right. Great. [00:08:45] Yeah.

Richard Hickey: We, so we have what's called Avalon Choice and you know, obviously being a land company, we do land very well with the escorted tour side of it.

But in 2017, uh, we launched what's called active and discovery cruises. We found that, uh, guests wanted to continue kind of their active routine when they go on vacation. [00:09:30] Right. So we've got a series of cruises where we hi I offer hiking, biking, and kayaking. You know, speaking of the Douro, I was just on a kayak on the Douro earlier this year.

It's famous for the movie Woman in Gold. We can taste wine [00:10:15] in caves in Avignon, you know, underground with winemakers. So these discovery cruises allow your clients to really immerse themselves. And the local culture in the history as well. So, um, we have them on every Europe sailing [00:10:30] and they include about 28 excursions.

So it's a great value. So you, again, you get to see the must, but also some cultural and active experiences on those cruises as well. Now,

Richard Hickey: no, they're included. Now we do have some optionals, Rodney, that aren't included. So maybe you want to.

Rodney George: yeah, so. I assume your ships are like most river ships in that they have, uh, uh, they're restricted to just one dining opportunity, one dining venue.

Richard Hickey: have our main restaurant, so dining, as you know, it's important no matter what cruise you're on, really, you know, and our, I know our chefs take great pride in preparing regional cuisine, but, so we have various ways of dining. We have our main restaurant. Uh, the Panorama [00:11:30] Restaurant where all three meals are served.

So you're not going to have any from the U. S. that are going to be over there. They're all European wines. And, uh, so you have the main [00:12:00] restaurant, all three meals are, but some, maybe some guests are looking for a more relaxed experience. They go to the panorama lounge where we have tapas and a light menu from the main restaurant.

Go off on your own. We have barbecues up on top on the sky grill. So there's plenty of opportunity to be able to dine on board the Panorama Sweet Ships.

Richard Hickey: big hills.

Rodney George: have e bikes there.

They flip on that electric motor and there they go, you know, but we always have to preface it, but it's not a [00:13:30] moped. You still have to pedal to keep that electric motor going. So,

Rodney George: yeah, those are great. We had a group go off of a ship a couple of years ago. And I was giving one of the, one of the guys a hard time.

Richard Hickey: always have to let the guests know that when you do stop, you got to turn that motor back a little bit, because if you start where you stopped at me, you know, [00:14:00]

Rodney George: you're right off the bike.

Richard Hickey: Miami too.

There's pretty much everywhere, you know, so, uh, but again, we got a few of them and it's great experience.

Sure.

We are, we, we do have some Rodney, especially on the Rhine. where we've already pre programmed these [00:15:15] land experiences with the riggers. But any time guests like a, you know, as you know, you're not going to send a client over there just for seven days. You want to send them on a pre or a post. Exactly, exactly.

Rodney George: So on your, on your land portion, is it like one size fits all, or are there different levels, uh, there?

Richard Hickey: we, yeah, absolutely. So on the global side, we do have what's called our small group discoveries. And the small group discoveries is a new touring style [00:16:00] that, um, is more of an elevated premium experience.

Rodney George: guests as well.

Richard Hickey: Yeah. Well, we've got the new itinerary, the, uh, we've got the, um, artistry too, that's going to be in France. Yeah. So, uh, we've got 15 ships currently. I, uh, I anticipate there'll be some, some additions, you [00:16:45] know, more, um, you know, when you get on board, when your clients get on board, Rodney, what we offer is kind of a relaxed luxury style on board.

Our, our [00:17:15] president, Pam Hoffey has really instilled a great culture into our team on board. That's how we get such a high repeat factor. It's a, it's a privately held company. It's kind of like a family. Um, so it's just an extension of the culture we have on land to the river as well.

Are those, are those extra or are those included with, uh, with Avalon?

That'll get them there. [00:18:00] We have drink specials, you know, regional wines, beers, and the spirits, um, but outside of that, they, they would pay. For, uh, outside of dining in the happy hour, they would pay for drinks. Well, you get them there for happy

I think that's going to take care of most people.

Yep. So, with our Flex Dining, your clients can show up anywhere between 30 and enjoy a really nice meal in the restaurant. So, let's say they're back up at the Panorama [00:18:45] Lounge, happy hour, they're extending their drink time with some friends, family, and don't want to go down to dinner. They can go down there anytime between 30 and don't feel rushed at all to have to get out Get up to the entertainment or worry about closing down the restaurant.

Rodney George: well, that makes sense because it it it i've been on some river cruises where It's almost like somebody rang the dinner bell and it's a cattle call They go strap on my feed bag [00:19:15] Well, what's beautiful is that like some some of this some of the ports you guys go to you're actually doing some overnights Uh, especially as you mentioned on the duro Which gives people a chance to get off the ship and experience the local cuisine as well.

So, Let's go back to your wine, because I know you're a big wine, wine fan. So we have a series of wine, we call wine lover cruisers, where we bring on a master of [00:20:00] wine. And as you know, they're educated in wines. They come on board. We have a series of them, uh, in France, we have them on the Rhine and the Danube, and they're there to share their knowledge with our guests about [00:20:15] wine.

Uh, festive cruises, you know, the Christmas markets are really popular. Christmas markets have taken off in [00:20:45] popularity. So, we, uh, we've even added three new Christmas markets next year because they, those festive times over there are very popular. You know, they do, uh, you can go into some of these major cities like Vienna and Budapest and there'll be six main Christmas markets.

Um, out of, uh, Amsterdam, especially during Tula time, you know, that's a real popular time so they can experience more of the garden cruises as well. So we have something for everybody.

You got one thing and you've got two or three things. Yeah. We

The only thing we don't have is a disco in a casino as those ocean ships have Rodney .

Rodney George: Well, you know, at 72 I stay away from the discos and I've never been a big gambler, so I I, I would feel right at home. Well,

But, uh,

Uh, but we were, we were, we were [00:22:45] having a blast with our, with our karaoke place to ourselves. No,

Rodney George: get to know a lot of them in the brief time you're on there.

Richard Hickey: So, the, the, the Rhone, um, we've, we've been cruising there for, for [00:23:30] a while. So, you know, that's going into Arles and going down south, you know, you get an Avignon, Viviers, and I did that cruise earlier this year. Um, and you know, it's not only wine. Not for some truffles? It's truffles, truffles, it's [00:23:45] wine, it's olive oils.

We did the bikes and we Pope's palace. So it's really a great [00:24:15] destination for. Art, wine, history, uh, the great thing about France is if those, you know, it's all those wine regions and there's great wines that come out of, out of Bordeaux. I've done that cruise a couple of times and, and it, it [00:24:30] focuses on the wine and the beautiful chateaus that have been passed down by generations.

So, we have guests that, um, you know, want to do multi river, multi [00:25:00] country type cruises. So for next year, we've got, uh, we've got about 16 cruises that are going 9 to 22 days. So you can do all three rivers in France if you want to. You can go up to the Rhine after France if you [00:25:15] want to, or the Danube. So, that goes back to, we can tie in a land component.

Or another river component or country as well.

But have you done it this way?

So, and then, you know, it's, it's, it's a land experience too. Without being on a motor coach all day,

Rodney George: which is good.

Richard Hickey: wake up in the morning, your motor coach is right there. You go off, you come back and you have your time. So it's, it's a, it's a beautiful world on the rivers that we cruise.

Or even a skip gin. Leave your kids at home and just bring the grandkids.

Because they can experience the active tours and grandparents and parents don't have to worry about them. So they can go off and come back and talk [00:27:00] about their day.

Rodney George: Yeah. Well, Richard, I could sit here and talk with you all day long about a variety of topics, but river cruising was the assignment today and I think we killed it.

Richard Hickey: Thank you, Rodney. I appreciate

Rodney George: it. Well,

Richard Hickey: you're knowledgeable. Yeah.

Richard Hickey: Absolutely. Thanks for your time. I appreciate it. Happy holidays to you.

It is later than you think. Bye for now.