Globus GSA sells cruises
February 10, 2010 by Rapeepat Mantanarat
Filed under News
Avalon Waterways, a brand of Globus family adds two new ships this year, bringing the fleet up to 10 and has broadened the variety of cruise options and destinations that are available in the Thai market. Siam Express is the general sales agency in Thailand.
The new ships are Avalon Felicity and Avalon Luminary and are both four-decks 110 metre long vessels with 69 cabins each, a lounge, whirl pool, restaurant, fitness centre and internet cafe. Avalon Waterways has five cruise programmes in Europe, but Siam Express concentrates on the sailings that are best suited to the Thai market.
The popular choices include an eight-day Paris to Normandy’s Landing Beaches, priced from US$2,049. Avalon Creativity will cruise along the Seine from Paris to Rouen. The tour continues overland to Normandy. This programme can also be combined with a Rhone cruise to create a 16-day Grand France itinerary.
The Grand France goes between Paris and Cote d’Zur. After finishing the first part, travellers re-board in another ship, Avalon Scenery waiting in the Saone in Chalon-sur-Saone. It transfers to the River Rhine and visits cities along the way such asTournus, Macon, Lyon, Tournon, Viviers, Avignon. Passengers disembark at Arles and transfer by tour bus to Cote d’Azur. The tour can be done vice versa. Prices start from US$4,329.
There is a shorter four-day Taste of the Danube cruise between Vienna and Budapest priced at US$949,. This tour runs includes three countries, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary.
Siam Express Travel Services and Globus General Sales Agency executive director, Tanya Pirapokin, said this year the company would concentrate on river cruises in Europe (Avalon Waterways also operates cruise in China, Egypt, and Galapagos).
“We launched Avalon Waterways’ products in the Thai market in 2008. We sold very few packages at the time, because it was very new and in 2009, we got only 30 due to several economic issues. This year we expect to sell 60 packages because the year has started very well.”
Besides advertising in consumer media, Siam Express partners with American Express to gives its platinum cardholders bonus points if they use their cards to buy a cruise.
