Avalon Waterways' Active Discovery itineraries, which
encourage river cruise guests to actively engage with each destination on their
sailing, will expand to the Rhine River in 2018.
The river cruise line introduced the concept with two nine-day
Danube River cruises last July. On the Avalon Visionary this week, sailing from
Amsterdam to Paris, Terri Burke, managing director of Avalon, said the goal of
the Active Discovery program is to provide an opportunity for passengers to
immerse themselves in local culture and to do, see and enjoy life as lived by
locals.
"We believe the new program, with its increased
personalization of choice, will attract a younger demographic," Burke
said. "It is not a traditional river cruise."
The activities may include active excursions like biking,
hiking, canoeing or painting classes, off-the-beaten-path culinary tours, and
waltz lessons.
The two eight-day Rhine cruises will start in Amsterdam and
conclude in Frankfurt (and reverse); the Danube cruises sail from Budapest to
Linz and back.
The Active Discovery programs on the new sailings will
include archery lessons; wine tastings; biking on back roads; hiking; visits to
an inactive volcano; a Roman games outing, togas included; culinary tasting
tours with visits to local markets; and the opportunity to make the rounds with
an 18th century "night watchman."
"It's all about freedom of choice," Burke said.
Traditional cruise options such as town walkabouts and
visits to historic sites also will be offered.