Avalon Waterways is the latest river cruise line to launch sailings on the Douro.
The Denver-based brand unveiled its first ship Thursday on Portugal’s vineyard-lined river, one of the fastest-growing river cruise destinations in recent years.
The 102-passenger ship, named Avalon Alegria, will make seven-night voyages on the Douro from Porto, Portugal, starting next week.
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Stops during the trips include the river towns of Regua, Pinhao and Pocinho, which serve as a gateway for visits to the many wineries and historical sites along the Douro River Valley.
Avalon executives unveiled Avalon Alegria Thursday during a naming ceremony along the Pinhao waterfront that included an appearance by former “Saturday Night Live” comedian Cheri Oteri.
Oteri served as the ship’s godmother during the ceremony.
“It’s like my wedding day. I’ve never been more honored and flattered,” Oteri told nearly a hundred guests at the start of the ceremony, after being escorted to the event on the arm of an Avalon executive.
The Primetime Emmy Award-nominated funnywoman stuck with the wedding analogy, joking, “If the ship is rocking tonight, don’t come knocking.”
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Later in the ceremony, Oteri cut a white ribbon that sent a bottle of sparkling Portuguese cava crashing into the hull of Avalon Alegria.
Avalon asked Oteri to christen Avalon Alegria because of her work bringing happiness and joy to the world as a comedian and actress, Avalon President Pam Hoffee said at the event.
“Alegria” means “happiness” in Portuguese, Hoffee noted.
“When we named our ship Luck…we couldn’t have imagined a better godmother than Cheri Oteri,” Hoffee said.
The ceremony took place largely in the ship’s main lounge due to the pouring rain outside. This was followed by a reception and gala dinner on board.
Built at a shipyard in Portugal, Avalon Alegria is part of Avalon’s popular Suite Class ships, which debuted in 2011 and features a host of extra-wide cabins called Panorama Suites.
Related: Why I Still Think Avalon Waterways Has the Best Cabins in River Cruises
Avalon Alegria has 37 Panorama Suites, offering 200 square meters of living space. That is approximately 30% more square meters than the standard cabin of a river ship.
Avalon has long touted the Panorama Suites as a key differentiator between its ships and those of other river lines in Europe that serve North Americans. The suites make up almost 80% of the cabins on Avalon’s Suite Class ships and have a number of special features. Among them: floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall panoramic windows that measure 3.5 meters wide and open 2.5 meters wide.
Founded in 2004, 20-year-old Avalon is known for a young fleet of ships with stylish, contemporary designs, and Avalon Alegria is no exception. The public areas have modern furniture, clean lines and many glass walls that flood the spaces with light.
One of the standout features of Avalon Alegria is the line’s first deck pool.
Avalon Alegria is significantly smaller than the typical Avalon ship, as it is specifically designed to fit in the locks and under the bridges along the Douro River.
Like other river cruise lines serving North Americans, including AmaWaterways, Uniworld River Cruises and Viking, Avalon has grown significantly over the past two decades. With the addition of Avalon Alegria, it now has 15 ships in Europe. It also operates one ship in Asia on the Mekong River.
Attendees at Thursday’s unveiling included leaders from some of North America’s largest travel agency groups, local officials, the ship’s designers and builders, and Avalon executives.
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