The 138-passenger newbuild will be christened in Volendam, a Netherlands fishing village, on March 27.

The Felicity is being built in the Den Breejen shipyard in Holland and its delivery will bring Avalon’s total fleet count in Europe to 10.

Following the christening, the ship will sail Avalon’s 9-day Romantic Rhine itinerary through the end of 2010. The itinerary runs in two directions — from Amsterdam to Basel, or from Zurich to Amsterdam.

The Avalon Felicity will feature 65 staterooms (at 172 square feet each) and four junior suites (at 258 square feet each), all of which will have flat screen televisions, flexible bed designs (beds may be configured as two twins or one queen), Egyptian cotton linens, a mini-bar and safe.

Laundry and ironing services will be available for passengers. The ship will also have a fitness room, library, hair salon, gift shop, club lounge and whirlpool on the sky deck. Open-air lunches will also be available at the sky deck grill.

New features include enhanced Internet connectivity based on 3G High Speed Internet service; as well as Hollywood new release feature and classic films, plus computing options featuring Microsoft Office programs — all at no charge to the guest. Highlights of the Infotainment System:

• New state-of-the-art video on demand system featuring Hollywood’s hottest current releases from top studios including Disney, Warner Bros., Universal, Paramount and Sony available on a complimentary basis in staterooms. A regularly changing selection of classic films will also be available, as will informative television programs from renowned sources such as Rick Steves and Samantha Brown, chosen to coincide with the cruise itinerary.
• Enhanced Broadcast Television options, including News, Sports, Current Affairs, and an array of special interest channels available on stateroom television.
• A large selection of music in different styles and genres.
• Improved Internet connectivity fleet-wide, with fewer interruptions due to location, bridges, weather, etc. Internet service is available via 3G, and will include convenient Wi-Fi access throughout the ship.
• “Virtual Computer Desktop,” providing computer-like functionality just like home. Using a specially designed remote control, passengers can switch the television screen into a “computer screen,” allowing them to surf the Internet via Microsoft Internet Explorer; send emails; post blogs; create documents using word processing or spreadsheet programs.
• Airline Boarding Pass printing capability, using a dedicated guest laser printer in the Aft Lounge.
• A broadcasted Google map tracing the route of the ship.
• Personalized bill view, with the ability to check ongoing charges

Over the past couple of years, river cruise companies have begun to put greater emphasis on their culinary programs, introducing new dining areas, hiring new chefs and even creating entire itineraries around food and wine, such as with Uniworld River Cruises’ Epicurean Adventures program, which includes cooking demonstrations (like the one pictured above).

“Food is an absolutely integral part of the entire river cruise experience,” said Joost Ouendag, vice president of product marketing for Viking River Cruises. “We don’t see it as detached from the rest of the cruise. It is connected with the landscape, the traditions and the people along the rivers.”

At the end of January, Viking invested $48,000 to bring its European food and beverage team to Southern California for nine days of wining and dining to get a better sense of the evolving American culinary experience.

“The most important thing we came away with is that the American palate is not a monolithic thing, there are many American palates,” said Ouendag. “It was a good refresher to see just how diverse the offerings are in a city like Los Angeles … it offers a great opportunity to introduce people to Europe’s diverse cuisine in a playful, educational way.”

For instance, Ouendag noted Americans’ evolved taste and knowledge of wines, as well as the growing culinary trend of fresh and locally grown produce.

Consequently, some enhancements for 2010 that emerged following the trip, is that for 2010 Viking is introducing organic choices for breakfast and organic wines. It will also be increasing the number of cooking demonstrations on board. Depending on where guests sail, they can learn how to make Alsatian flammkuchen (a flat bread that looks somewhat like a pizza topped with ham and onions), French fondant au chocolat, or Austrian apple strudel.

And something Viking started in 2009 that it will increase in 2010 is chef visits to local markets with passengers in tow.

More dining options onboard

At this point, almost all new and refurbished river cruise ships have at least one, if not two, alternative dining areas to the main restaurant, including dining in the bar and lounge area, or increasingly in a smaller aft lounge that many new ships are having built in. There is also a new trend toward offering and marketing a more casual lunch grill on the outdoor sun deck when weather permits.

Avalon Waterways was one of the company’s to embrace the sky deck grill, available on four of it ships — the Avalon Scenery, Creativity, Affinity and Luminary — and will be available on the Avalon Felicity when it launches this month. At the grill, up to 40 diners can enjoy an open-air lunch.

Also, Avalon’s Royal Deck passengers can order a continental breakfast for their room (room service is not traditionally available on river cruises yet).

Fresh talent

This past fall, Uniworld River Cruises too decided to put greater emphasis on its food and beverage program by hiring a new culinary director, Bernhard Zorn, who has worked on Crystal Cruises and Silverseas Cruises, and has been tasked with enhancing the on board culinary experience.

The move comes on the tail of Uniworld having introduced a new Epicurean Adventurer program last year, which is available on 11 of its Europe itineraries, and includes wine pairings with dinner and cooking demonstrations. And this year Uniworld also added a Travelling Lite program, food options for calorie-conscious guests.

Uniworld also hosts an extensive annual cooking summit for senior kitchen and restaurant staff, which includes visiting local markets, cooking demonstrations and workshops, menu engineering and planning, baking and pastry classes.

New Italian-theme restaurants

Yet another dining alternative is being introduced on at least two river cruise lines: an additional Italian-theme restaurant. Already, the Australian-based company Scenic Tours, which has four river cruise ships — the Scenic Emerald, Sapphire, Diamond and Ruby — has in addition to its main dining room (which has a capacity of between 182 and 184 passengers, depending on the ship), an alternative Italian-theme restaurant called Portobello’s (pictured), which can sit up to 28 passengers on a reservation basis.

AMAWATERWAYS, too, is planning on introducing an Italian-theme restaurant on its two newbuilds, the Amabella and Amaverde, slated for 2010 and 2011 delivery, respectively. Both ships will be devoted entirely to the Australian market, so AMAWATERWAYS isn’t marketing the developments too heavily in the U.S.

On the Amabella and Amaverda,AMAWATERWAYS’ President Rudi Schreiner said the restaurant will be divided into two sides — on one side will be a regular restaurant, and on the other an Italian-theme restaurant.

And the alternative dining restaurant at the aft of the ships “is going to be a special experience restaurant,” said Schreiner. “It’s something that people might do once or twice doing the cruise. It’s not like in the front, where you have a choice of three or four entrees. The chef will be cooking something different [every night].”

The Avid Cruiser’s Ralph Grizzle talks with the Kristin Karst, vice president of AMAWATERWAYS, about why river cruising is such a great way to see Europe.

New Frontiers: Zambezi Queen launched last month on the Chobe River in Botswana.

Recently, boutique luxury river cruise ships have been cropping up in exotic destinations such as the Mekong River and the Peruvian Amazon. The latest is the Zambezi Queen, a 28-passenger, all-suite ship that launched last month on the Chobe River in Botswana.

With 10 suites and four master suites, the Zambezi takes guests on three- and four-day floating safari cruises along the banks of the Chobe National Park, home to some 120,000 elephants, as well as birds, leopards, lions, buffalo, waterbuck and giraffe, with hippos and crocodiles swimming in the waters.

The Zambezi is owned by Brett McDonald and Tony Stern. Stern is the owner and founder of Blue Views, luxury villa rentals in Cape Town, South Africa. Stern explained that the Zambezi Queen is intended to be more of a floating hotel than a river cruise ship, with daily game watching excursions on skiffs or by land.

Zambezi Queen was designed with a modern African luxury feel

The ship was designed with a modern African luxury feel — sleek, simple lines accented by black-and-white photos of African animals or animal printed pillows and rugs.

In addition to its balconied suites, the Zambezi has a dining room, bar and lounge with a wood-burning fireplace. The outdoor top deck features a pool and two shaded areas. The ship also has a library, complete with wildlife literature, games and a DVD player with wildlife documentaries.

The ship incorporates several eco-friendly features. It uses a jet propulsion system to reduce damage to the riverbed. At night, it switches over to a low emulsion system for lighting, refrigerators and other electronic operations. Solar panels provide the energy for hot water, and wastewater is stored rather than discarded into the river.

Prices for the Zambezi Queen range from $800 per person (based on double occupancy) for a three-day cruise during the low season, all the way up to $2,400 per person (based on double occupancy) for a four-day cruise during the high season.

The “Free Air For Valentines” offer applies on select cruises listed below, offering free air from departures from Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle, or Washington D.C. Special add-on fares are available for other U.S. gateways FOR $199 roundtrip. The “Free Air For Valentines” promotion is offered for the following cruises:

• Paris to Amsterdam - Spend 3 nights in Paris, then enjoy a 7-night cruise from Trier to Amsterdam. November 15, 2010
• The Legendary Danube - Explore Prague for 3 nights, then enjoy a fascinating cruise from Nuremberg to Budapest. November 4, 2010
• Blue Danube Discovery - Enjoy 2 nights in Budapest, a 7-night Danube cruise, then explore Prague for 3 nights. October 23 and 29, 2010
• Europe’s Heartland Cruise - Spend 3 nights in Paris, enjoy a7-night cruise from Trier to Nuremberg, then relax for 2 nights in Prague. November 3, 2010

Additionally, AMAWATERWAYS is offering a “Save and Sail” promotion of $700 savings on the following itineraries:

• The Romantic Danube - Enjoy a fascinating 7-night Danube cruise, then spend 3 nights in Prague. August 19 and September 2, 2010
• Europe’s Heartland Cruise - Spend 2 nights in Prague, enjoy a 7-night cruise from Nuremberg to Trier then explore Prague for 3 nights. August 5 and 27, 2010
• Black Sea Voyage - Start with 2 nights in Budapest, then take a 7-night Danube cruise, stay one night in Bulgaria and end with 3 nights in Istanbul. August 6 and 11, 2010

To make a reservation, or for additional information, contact AMAWATERWAYS at 800-626-0126. Visit www.amawaterways.com for more information about all-inclusive river cruise vacations from AMAWATERWAYS.

“Absolutely, there are always doubts when you look at what you were looking at 12 months ago,” said Patrick Clark, president of Avalon Waterways, one of the more aggressive ship-ordering companies of late. Avalon introduced two newbuilds in 2009 and has two more coming on in 2010, ships that were contracted well before the economic crisis.

“With the two that we’re launching in 2010, that adds 30% in terms of berths,” said Clark. Avalon’s total fleet size will be 10 after the two ships launch this year. And while a year ago, that additional capacity coming on would have made any river cruise operator nervous, demand is returning just in time to fill the extra ships.

“Right now, if you look at the U.S. volume, we have literally doubled the number of passengers that we have on the books for 2010 compared to a year ago,” Clark said. Consequently, now “the commitment [to building new ships] is really being rewarded.”

Not that 2009 was all that bad — operators reported load factors up into the 90% range for the year, stimulated by aggressive discounts — but you can hear a virtual sigh of relief sweeping across the river cruise industry as demand starts to return.

“Currently, until July 1, we are 92% full,” said Rudi Schreiner, president of AMAWATERWAYS. “Until November, we are currently 84% full. We are really expecting to fill the ships close to capacity.” AMA added two ships in 2009 and is adding another ship in 2010, which will be devoted primarily to the Australian market and will bring the company’s fleet size to 11.

The bottom line, Schreiner said, is that despite the challenges and the added capacity, “Last year, we had an increase of 37% actual passengers over 2008.”

Bookings might be trending stronger now, but no one had that kind of foresight 12 months ago.

“We could see from the fall of ’08 and the financial crisis that things were going to be tough, so we reduced capacity,” said Mark Frevert, executive vice president and chief architect of Grand Circle Travel, which sold three of its vessels at the start of 2009: the River Symphony, the Debussy and the Ravel.

The 140-passenger River Symphony, built in 1998, was the oldest vessel in Grand Circle’s fleet, and the two other ships were smaller, 120-passenger vessels. The sales reduced Grand Circle’s fleet size to 12.

Then in June, news that Peter Deilmann Cruises would be shuttering its river cruise business at the end of the ’09 season not only cast a shadow of doubt on the health of the European river cruise market but also reduced the market’s capacity by the eight river cruise ships Deilmann took out of service in the fall.

Additionally, Viking River Cruises scaled back some of its operations in 2009. Viking did not renew the long-term charters on either of its France vessels, the Viking Burgundy and Viking Seine, which are being replaced by the Viking Spirit and Viking Neptune for 2010.

On the flip side, four ships — the Viking Legend, Viking Fontane, Viking Danube and Viking Lomonosov — are sailing a full season this year compared with a partial season in ’09, either because the ship was new, as was the case with the Viking Legend, or was dry-docked for part of the 2009 season. And two ships (Viking Peterhof and Viking Helvetia) are being switched over to the U.S. market from the European market. Consequently, Viking estimates it has an additional 10,000-passenger capacity for the U.S. market in 2010 compared with 2009, according to Richard Marnell, senior vice president of marketing at Viking.

And it might need it. With river cruise capacity cut in 2009 and the building pace slowing in 2010 just as demand starts to grow again, it is possible capacity won’t keep pace with demand.

“I’d prefer to be one ship short than have one ship too many,” said Frevert.

But while river cruise operators are optimistic about 2010, no one is quite ready to go so far as to predict a capacity shortfall just yet.

“I think there will be adequate capacity among the operators that will take care of the capacity over the next 24 months,” said Avalon’s Clark. “Then you might see something beyond that in 2012 … there will be more ships coming online for 2012.”

AMAWATERWAYS wants you to enjoy one of Europe’s most celebrated traditions this fall — Oktoberfest in Munich — FOR FREE. The “Be Our Guest at Oktoberfest” promotion includes a complimentary two-night stay in Munich on bookings made from February 2 to February 9, 2010 of the line’s new “Oktoberfest Escape” program.

The new itinerary takes place from September 21, 2010 to October 1, 2010, and begins with the complimentary two-night stay in Munich at the Le Meridien Hotel or another luxury hotel.

AMAWATERWAYS guests will enjoy a complimentary city tour, daily breakfast, plus the chance to enjoy Oktoberfest with the locals as they mark the 200th anniversary of this famous, fun-filled tradition.

After the stay in Munich, guests will enjoy a luxurious seven-night cruise on the Danube, Main and Rhine rivers from Nuremberg to Amsterdam aboard the ms Amalegro. The “Be Our Guest at Oktoberfest” promotional price starts at $2,699 per person.

Just four months after introducing its first Mekong River cruise, AMA WATERWAYS already has plans to launch a second ship on the Mekong next summer.

The new ship, which is not yet named, will be larger than the first ship, the 92-passenger La Marguerite (pictured), which launched on Sept. 1.

It will be a 124-passenger ship, measuring 295 feet in length. Standard cabins will be 226 square feet, the 10 junior suites will be 290 square feet and the two suites will be 452 square feet each.

Like La Marguerite, the new ship will also sail through Vietnam and Cambodia, with stops in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Angkor Wat in Cambodida.

The new ship is also being built with a tropical luxury feel, incorporating lots of dark woods.

According to Rudi Schreiner, president of AMA, La Marguerite is already almost entirely sold out for the peak season, which lasts from September through March, which is why the company already sees the need for more capacity. As for beyond the second ship, “I think there’s potential for more [ships],” said Schreiner, adding that the destination lends itself perfectly to river cruising.

Additional photos and information about La Marguerite

“We’re opening the door to savings for solo travelers on several river cruises and tours,” said Steve Born, vice president of marketing for the Globus family of brands, which owns Avalon. “Travelers going solo will not pay a single supplement for their own room.”

The single supplement has been a touchy issue since time immemorial. Not only are solo travelers, well, solo, but they generally have to pay extra for traveling alone.

The Avalon itineraries on which the single supplement will be waived on select departures are:

• Tulip Time Cruise (Amsterdam to Amsterdam)
• A Taste of the Danube (Vienna to Budapest)
• The Blue Danube Discovery (Budapest to Prague)
• The Legendary Danube (Prague to Budapest)
• Burgundy & Provence (Côte d’Azur to Paris)
• Windmills, Vineyards & Paris (Paris to Amsterdam)
• Romantic Rhine (Amsterdam to Basel)
• Paris to Normandy’s Landing Beaches (Paris to Paris)
• European Splendor (Vienna to Amsterdam)
• Magnificent Europe (Amsterdam to Budapest; Budapest to Amsterdam)

Five promotional staterooms are available on select departures for bookings made and under deposit by February 16, 2010 for travel in 2010.

The offer applies to new 2010 bookings only, and will not be applied to pre-existing bookings.