Jim Cuddy & band rocks Avalon ship with Stewart Travel Group; charity funds raised

The Avalon View may have been the location of the biggest party in Linz, Austria Thursday night (Oct. 27), as musicians Jim Cuddy, Anne Lindsay, Devin Cuddy, and Sam Polley performed an energetic 75-minute concert on board.

Many of the ship's 154 guests – representing the largest-ever sailing during the Avalon View’s inaugural season – have been anticipating this trip since 2019 when they first booked.

The music and culture-filled sailing from Oct. 26 to Nov. 2 is the latest charter organized by Prince Edward Island-based Stewart Travel Group.

The team from Charlottetown is currently sailing with their clients along the Danube river.

“The kindness of this pan-Canadian group has been my shining light and kept my spirits up through the ebb and flow of the pandemic,” said Paula Stewart, co-founder of Stewart Travel Group, in a statement.

Guests on board have come together from nearly every province in Canada, as well as Scotland, England, Saint Lucia, Cayman Islands, and Poland, to have the privilege of experiencing intimate – and moving – concerts on board Avalon's newest ship. 

“It’s been a privilege to be able to help create this incredible experience, and to see our guests have such an amazing time on board,” said Frances Gertsch, a trusted senior travel advisor with Stewart Travel Group. “This cruise has been the culmination of the journey Travis and Paula have taken since they founded Stewart Travel Group in 2014, and it truly shows the heart and soul of this company.”

On board, Jim Cuddy, Anne Lindsay, Devin Cuddy, and Sam Polley will perform a selection of original songs and favourite covers in two planned evening concerts.

Guests were also surprised by a welcome, acoustic performance on the first evening, as they sailed the Danube from Vilshofen towards Passau, Germany.

Giving back

Stewart Travel Group has also provided guests with an opportunity to give back to the community – and win an awesome prize in return.

On board, guests can buy raffle tickets for a chance to have a private dinner with Jim Cuddy, Anne Lindsay, Devin Cuddy, and Sam Polley on board the ship.

All of the funds raised are donated to the Stars for Life Foundation for Autism in P.E.I.

“The impact Stars for Life has had on my son Kobe as he has graduated into adulthood has been essential,” said Travis Stewart, co-founder of Stewart Travel Group. “It’s truly a safety net and one of the places he is the happiest.”

The Stars for Life Foundation is committed to creating a quality of life for young people with autism spectrum disorder, fully included in their community; with a commitment to continued education, life and job skills training and inclusion.

This is the second chartered river cruise – and second sold-out sailing – with Jim Cuddy that Stewart Travel Group has presented in 2022, with the first being along the Seine in April with 121 passengers.

Due to the generosity of guests, Stewart Travel Group coordinated a donation of $15,500 to Stars for Life, a goal that the Stewarts expect to exceed this week.

Stewart Travel Group is next hosting Jim Cuddy with the entire Canadian band Blue Rodeo in November 2023.

The 82 staterooms available on this sailing “are nearly sold out,” the travel agency said. 

For details, visit www.stewarttravelgroup.ca.

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