Google said Wednesday that it is releasing new features that share options for traveling in ways that are more environmentally friendly.
My latest river cruise adventure included kayaking, biking and hiking — here's how yours can, too
01.04.2024 - 16:05 / thepointsguy.com
I am at the back of an inflatable kayak on Portugal's famously scenic Douro River, paddling wildly against the current, when it hits me: River cruising sure has changed.
I have found myself in this kayak — looking ridiculous in a full-body wetsuit and getting soaked by passing rains, but having a blast — as part of a half-day outing from the newest river cruise ship on the waterway, Avalon Waterways' Avalon Alegria.
It's the sort of outing that you never used to see on the schedule on river cruises.
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When I started writing about cruising more than two decades ago, river sailings were for a sedentary, retiree crowd. But in recent years, some river brands, including Avalon, have been targeting a more active and younger set of vacationers with active outings.
As I'm seeing on a four-night preview sailing aboard Avalon Alegria, which begins its first sailing with paying passengers later this week, you now can have a much more outdoorsy experience when river cruising than you could just a few years ago.
Or not.
The cruise brands that are adding more active options on river cruises — Avalon being a leader of the trend — are doing it as part of offering a wider swath of options on their trips that include both active and non-active excursions.
Related: Why I still think Avalon Waterways has the best cabins in river cruising
On every sailing, Avalon now offers a choice of included daily tours that fall into three broad categories: Classic, Discovery and Active.
For example, during a day docked at Porto, Portugal, on this cruise, we had the choice of a walking tour through the heart of the historic city (the Classic option), a wine experience that included tours and tastings at the centuries-old port wine cellars on the opposite bank of the river (the Discovery option) and a biking tour of the riverbank with a biologist (the Active option).
In short, you now can be as active as you want when cruising with some river brands — in addition to Avalon, AmaWaterways has added more active options to its ships.
During the Porto stop, I signed up for the bike tour, which was an invigorating and scenic spin down the southern bank of the Douro to the point where it meets the Atlantic Ocean, followed by a ride southward along the ocean for several miles.
Led by a guide, the seven bikers in my group covered 9 miles in all — a not insubstantial distance — over a leisurely 2 1/2 hours. The time span included several stops to take in the views.
We dismounted our bikes several times to walk along boardwalks through the Douro River estuary near the ocean and down to the beach. As we did, our biologist guide offered a running commentary on the
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