The hull still sails, under another name, on the Seine
The Avalon Felicity left the line's fleet at the end of 2018. The reason is
public and unambiguous: the line decided to operate only ships with at least four
fifths of their accommodation in suites, and this 2010 hull did not qualify.
Three ships were withdrawn from service in the same move, in October and
November 2018.
The hull was neither scrapped nor converted. She now carries the name MS
Monarch Countess and sails the Seine for an American tour operator, with
departures from Paris, Amsterdam and London. The identity of the hull is
established by her registration number, which photographic registers attach to
both names.
What she was, and why this page stays online
One hundred and ten metres, built by Den Breejen in the Netherlands in 2010,
one hundred and thirty-eight travellers in sixty-five staterooms, three decks.
She belonged to a generation before the sliding glass wall became standard.
We keep this page because people still search this name, often after seeing an
old brochure or a family photograph. Better to tell them where the hull went than
to show them a page that cannot be found.
One reservation: the legal nature of the transfer, sale or charter, is
published nowhere. Neither the line nor the current operator documents it. So we
write that the hull changed operator, not that she was sold.
The active ships in the fleet
The Avalon Tapestry II holds the Seine for this line. The Avalon Envision covers the Rhine and one route
toward the Seine. The Avalon Poetry II holds the Rhone and the Saone. The Avalon Imagery II covers four
central European rivers.
What this trip asks of you from Montreal
A transatlantic flight, not included in the fare. Some embarkation cities are
reachable non-stop in high season, others need a connection. Total door-to-door
time often exceeds what the brochure suggests, and that has to be planned
for.
Arrive the day before at the very least. It is the only margin that absorbs a
delay, a lost bag or a sleepless flight. Many of our clients take two nights in
the city before embarking and have never regretted the expense.
Our advisors bring flight, cruise, hotels, transfers and insurance into a
single file protected by Quebec's compensation fund for travel agency customers.
Write to us: we will verify the real dates before anything is booked.
