Is there anything more fun and romantic than sailing through Europe on a leisurely river cruise? Yes – it’s doing it on a gorgeous ship privately chartered just for Vision Travel clients!
Last August saw the first of our Vision Travel Owners’ Cruises, which took place on board the sleek Avalon Waterways Expression. The adventure started with three days in stunning Prague, followed by a week long cruise stopping in a variety of ports of call including Vienna, then wrapping up in Budapest.
Stephanie Anevich and guests sharing a drink
“It truly was a great time, starting with three nights in the lovely Intercontinental Hotel in Prague,” Vision Travel’s Stephanie Anevich says. “Avalon arranged special excursions for us in several ports of call such as a bike tour in Vienna – that was great fun!”
And as hosts, Vision Travel made sure there was lots of fun on board, including a pop-up dance contest, a party every night, and a getting-to-know-you party in the hallway between staterooms, complete with Prosecco. With a capacity of just 134 passengers, the Expression feels like a large yacht –complete with a crew of 47. Perfect for socializing!
The Canadian Flag waving on Avalon Expression.
What made the cruise really different was having 100% Canadians on board. “We had guests from right across Canada, who had a great time getting to know each other.” The ship even sported a Canadian flag on its prow, no
doubt raising a few local eyebrows as it cruised into its berth in the heart of each port of call. “Our guests also really liked that you could just stroll on and off the ship – no big line-ups – and there you were, right in the heart of Europe,” says Stephanie.
Other Vision owners on board were Brian Robertson and Michael Broadhurst, along with Vision Travel Advisors including Shelley Greenan from Alliston, Ont., and Bill and Sue Pechtel from St. Albert, Alta., who brought along 32 of their favourite friends and clients.
Diane and Kevin Whyte of Oakville, Ont. were two of the happy passengers on the cruise. “Avalon is extremely thoughtful – they went above and beyond with their attention to detail and friendliness,” says Diane. “It was great fun to travel with all Canadians and we loved the pop-up parties that Stephanie and Brian planned. We really felt spoiled and are looking forward to hearing about the next cruise!”
And she will! The sailing was such as success that Stephanie is now busy planning the next Owners’ Cruise. As she puts it: “There are so many beautiful rivers – we can’t wait to share them on another exclusive Vision sailing – and enjoy the company of our clients again.”
Why not join us on our next adventure? We have the following group departures, hosted by Vision Travel Advisors and Managers, planned for 2017:
- Alaska & the Rockies with Holland America and Rocky Mountaineer
- Circumnavigation of Iceland on board the National Geographic Orion
- Galapagos & Peru with Lindblad Expeditions & Gateways International
- Tahiti & the Society Islands
Click here to submit a request for more information or contact your Vision Travel Advisor.