Avalon Waterways Cruises

1,104 Reviews
Avalon Vista

About Avalon Waterways Cruises

Avalon Waterways launched in 2004 as part of the long-established Globus family of travel brands. The company's fleet is made up entirely of "Suite Ships" that feature rooms with a floor-to-ceiling window wall with sliding glass doors that that open to turn the accommodations themselves into a balcony in good weather.

  • More about Avalon Waterways

  • Who goes on Avalon Waterways cruise ships?

  • Do I have to dress up on a Avalon Waterways cruise?

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Avalon Passion
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Avalon Envision
Avalon Envision (Photo: Avalon Waterways)

8 Night
Active & Discovery On The Danube With 1 Night In B...

41 Reviews
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Avalon Envision
Avalon Envision (Photo: Avalon Waterways)

9 Night
Active & Discovery On The Danube With 2 Nights In...

41 Reviews
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Avalon Impression
Avalon Impression

10 Night
Active & Discovery On The Danube With 1 Night In B...

82 Reviews
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18 Night
Magnificent Rivers Of Europe With 3 Nights In Prag...

82 Reviews
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8 Night
Active & Discovery On The Danube With 1 Night In B...

11 Reviews
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7 Night
Tulip Time In Holland & Belgium

95 Reviews
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5 Night
A Taste Of The Danube With 2 Nights In Budapest

41 Reviews
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7 Night
Danube Dreams For Wine Lovers

66 Reviews
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10 Night
Romantic Rhine With 1 Night In Amsterdam & 2 Night...

61 Reviews
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7 Night
Festive Time On The Romantic Rhine

11 Reviews
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7 Night
Danube Dreams

41 Reviews
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11 Night
Burgundy & Provence With 2 Nights In Paris & 2 Nig...

72 Reviews
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10 Night
Balkan Discovery With 1 Night In Bucharest & 2 Nig...

82 Reviews
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5 Night
Danube Symphony

82 Reviews
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Avalon Waterways Cruises Tips, Activities, and Overview

Who goes on Avalon Waterways cruise ships?

Avalon caters to English-speaking travelers from North America, the U.K. and Australia/New Zealand. The average age of passengers is mid-50s to 60s, but the mix varies by itinerary, and on four- and five-night cruises, you'll find more 40-something travelers and others trying out river cruises for the first time. Children ages 8 and older are welcome onboard, but there is no formal youth program.

Do I have to dress up on a Avalon Waterways cruise?

No, not really. You can't wear shorts at dinner, but, other than that the dress code is casual. At dinner you'll see mostly open-neck shirts and slacks for men; slacks, skirts or dresses for women. Some people op to dress up a bit nicer, though still relatively casual, for the welcome and farewell dinners (only on Europe river cruises).

Is everything free on Avalon Waterways cruises?

Exactly what is included varies somewhat with the itineraries. In Europe, Asia and South America, coffee and tea are available free of charge all day long. In Europe a choice of complimentary wine, beer or soft drinks is included with lunch and dinner, and sparkling wine with breakfast. On the Mekong, Ganges and Amazon rivers, select soft drinks and local beer/spirits are available throughout the day and wine is included with lunch and dinner. Wi-Fi is free (except in the Amazon or Galapagos, where it's not available), as is dining (including breakfast in bed and picnic lunches to take on shore) and all onboard entertainment and enrichment. Most shore excursions are complimentary, including the line's Active Adventure options.

You'll pay extra for gratuities, salon or spa treatments, laundry, onboard shop purchases and some special excursions.

What are Avalon Waterways’s most popular activities?

Shore excursions are at the heart of activities on any Avalon sailing. Options can range from active excursions, such as canoeing the Danube or jogging through Amsterdam, to cultural experiences, like following the life of an Austrian worker or taking part in an Amsterdam painting class. Passengers who prefer to explore on their own can use the AvalonGO app loaded with a list of nearby attractions and hours of operation, historical facts, maps and directions as well as local cafes, restaurants, bars and entertainment options.

Onboard, most passengers attend enrichment sessions, and the Local Favorites program brings regional performances onboard, as well as classes: tai chi or Mandarin lessons on the Yangtze, culinary demonstrations in France, etc.

Why go with Avalon Waterways?

  • Suite class ships feature floor-to-ceiling, retractable windows
  • Locally sourced wines and shore excursion included in fare
  • Cruises great rivers in Europe and Asia
  • Best For: English-speaking travelers who want to sail the world by river, exploring at their own pace
  • Not For: Families with young children or travelers who depend on wheelchairs

Best for: English-speaking travelers who want to sail the world by river, exploring at their own pace

Not for: Families with young children or travelers who depend on wheelchairs

Avalon Waterways Cruises Cruiser Reviews

Christmas Market experience

She was available to all of us, highly entertaining and worked her butt off to ensure we had a wonderful experience.Overall an amazing experience and I will definitely do another.Read More
Ivana McGrail

couple2-5 Cruises

•

Age 54s

Perfect Vacation on the Rhine

Lastly, I have to say how wonderful our cruise director was, he made our trip even more memorable.The cities we visited were breathtaking and traveling by boat was so nice, especially the day time sailing on the most picturesque part of the Rhine.Read More
Perfect Vacatio

oneFirst Time Cruiser

•

Age 62s

Half a cruise is better than none ?

There is a lot of busing everywhere you go,The water was too high to do most of the cruise.We did meet a lot of great people on board but this is mostly true of any cruise.Read More
beggemoot-rojo

oneFirst Time Cruiser

•

Age 65s

Disappointment, Bus Rides, and McDonalds

In essence, instead of waking up on the river and walking into town (as was the original plan), we instead would spend anywhere from two to three hours (each way) busing into town and then receiving roughly only about $200 per day as reimbursement.After three straight days of "walking past everything" we finally decided to just skip the free Avalon included excursions and do it on our own.Read More
forty-two

many10+ Cruises

•

Age 27s

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