| Avalon won’t chase capacity

AVALON Waterways will never chase capacity as the river cruise sector continues to grow, president Pam Hoffee has revealed to Cruise Weekly.

Speaking aboard Avalon’s training charter on the Rhine this week, Hoffee said the cruise line will continue to strengthen at a rate which befits its demand, rather than attempting to flood the market with ships.

Viking is the world’s largest river cruise line, operating almost 100 ships, while new entrant Celebrity River Cruises has an order for 20 vessels, which is set to be fully realised by 2031 (CW 30 Jan).

“We’re never going to be that big,” Hoffee said of some of Avalon’s competitors.

“We believe in intentional growth, growing at the pace that our demand requires.

“I think that’s best for the communities that we visit, it’s best for advisors because it keeps price points at a good level.”

However, Hoffee added Avalon also does not want to stagnate at a size which means it could book out too quickly.

Another factor determining the line’s considered growth is its onboard teams, Hoffee said.

“We want our crew to be able to deliver the experience that our guests count on, and we’re able to do that because 80% of our crew come back every year…if we were to build 20 new ships, how do we build that culture?”

Hoffee believes if the sector grows in the correct manner, there will be plenty of market share for all lines.

This will mean growing Europe’s destination map, she told CW yesterday (CW 25 Mar 26).

“The industry’s future is much bigger, and if we do it right, it’s not a problem,” she said. MS