We Are One Traveler Away
Winter Christmas Market Cruise - Germany & Austria
I thought I'd share a little peek behind the curtain of how group travel works.
When a company like Avalon agrees to reserve space for a hosted group, they also ask the host to commit to bringing a minimum number of travelers. Those numbers matter. Reach the goal and the group earns extra perks. Fall short and the host ends up covering the cost of those perks out of pocket.
That's simply part of running group travel.
Which brings me to some happy news.
As of this week, we officially have 17 wonderful people joining us for our Christmas Market River Cruise on the Danube in December 2027.
We need one more.
Traveler number 18 is the magic number. Once that reservation comes in, every one of the group benefits we've talked about is secured. That feels like a wonderful milestone, especially with more than a year still to go before we sail.
Of course, I'm not stopping there.
My next dream is 30 travelers.
At that point Avalon gives us something I've wanted since I began planning this voyage: our own private motorcoach for the included sightseeing excursions in each port. Instead of sharing buses with other passengers, our travelers would head off together as our own little community. We'd explore Nuremberg, Regensburg, Passau, Melk, and Vienna together, then return to the ship together. It would make the experience feel even more intimate and connected.
We're not there yet. Reaching that goal means finding another twelve travelers. There are no promises. There is simply something lovely to work toward.
If you've been sitting on the fence, this feels like a perfect time to join us.
Picture yourself wandering through the Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg (dating back to 1678!) with a warm mug of Glühwein in your hands. Imagine unpacking once, waking up in a new city each morning, spending your afternoons among Europe's most beautiful Christmas markets, and ending each evening aboard the Avalon Impression with good food, good conversation, and a community that already knows your name.
We'll be sailing from Nuremberg to Vienna from December 1 through 7, 2027 aboard the beautiful Avalon Impression. Your cruise includes chef-prepared meals, complimentary wine and beer with lunch and dinner, Happy Hour each evening, guided excursions, prepaid gratuities, Starlink Wi-Fi, a pre-cruise hotel night, airport transfers, and travel protection. More importantly, you'll be traveling with a group of curious, thoughtful people who believe the best journeys are shared.
I'd love nothing more than to welcome traveler number eighteen into the Dorothy family.
Perhaps it's you.
