Avalon is offering $150 off pp for A Taste of the Danube or Egypt, China or Galapagos 2010 bookings before the end of the month. Other select Europe cruise vacations get $250 pp off or $500 pp when also booking air on those same itineraries.
all-inclusive luxury Even though things are a bit tight for everyone these days, Viking River Cruises is in an upswing, enjoying increased sales over the previous year. “We continue to see a strong demand for river cruises…and for 2010 we are continuing to offer our product line of river cruises in Europe, Russia, China and Egypt,” says Richard Marnell, Viking’s senior v.p. of marketing, adding that the company is confident that it is delivering value.
“There is no denying we have been through some uncertain economic times, but we feel that businesses in any industry will continue to thrive if they focus on delivering value to their clients and customers. We have been focusing on what a great value all-inclusive vacation packages are, particularly during volatile economic times,” continues Marnell. “Once travelers have paid in full for a Viking journey, they have no further worries about currency fluctuations, fuel costs, taxes, or price increases—and once they are on their trip, everything is included. By ‘everything’ we mean accommodations, meals, virtually all shore excursions and cultural activities like lectures, demonstrations and workshops.”
Next year, says Marnell, Viking will offer the best ships available in each of the regions they serve. “In Europe, our new Viking Legend offers state-of-the-art comfort while providing the most energy-efficient ship in Europe. Our newly renovated Russian ships, Viking Kirov and Viking Surkov, are the two very best river cruise vessels in Russia. In China, Viking Century Sun has been awarded a five-star rating by the China National Tourism Office.”
Additionally, Viking will be introducing a new itinerary next year, the Danube Waltz, which takes travelers to Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, and Germany on an 8-day cruise starting at $1,356 pp.
Viking recently launched a comprehensive online portal for agents, an invaluable tool to help sell Viking River Cruises voyages through Europe, Russia and China. This new site includes a “marketing” section that lets you download promotional material and images, as well as training components to beef up your knowledge of the products.
