Avalon Waterways’ Discernible Differences

With over 90 itineraries on 11 rivers in 23 countries, Avalon Waterways is a leader in luxury river cruising. And while you might already know the brand sails on all major rivers in Europe, boasts smaller ships with bigger experiences and allows guests to embark on longer vacations for multiple nights, you might not know the six discernible differences that truly set the line apart. Read on to learn why Avalon Waterways might be the perfect choice for your river cruising clients.

Panorama Suites

There are many reasons to love the staterooms aboard Avalon Waterways’ ships, but one of the most impressive is the fact each cabin is about 30% bigger than the industry standard. That’s a lot of space, and it's all by design as Avalon Waterways took advantage of subtle tweaks like angling its bathroom walls and installing wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling open-air balconies to add to the spacious ambiance. Speaking of open-air balconies, 80% of staterooms across the Avalon Waterways fleet have beds that are turned to face the views which look extra fabulous from outside the largest standard window in river cruising at seven feet wide.

Dining

With menus that change based upon where guests are sailing and standard favorites like filets, chicken, salmon and a variety of ready-made international flavors, dining is more than just a meal aboard Avalon Waterways, it’s an experience. Of course, wine is often a favorite among river cruisers, and Avalon is ready to deliver with an impressive array of European wines on deck and a selection of local blends available when sailing through wine regions. While it’s easy to indulge on vacation, Avalon makes it easy for vacationers to stick to their healthy eating habits with the Avalon Fresh program, an initiative helmed by the Wrenkh brothers, two of Europe’s most notable vegetarian chefs, designed to offer guests a wide variety of nutritious and delicious dining options to enjoy throughout their stay.

Avalon Choice Excursions

When it comes to exploring on land, Avalon believes “cruisers can be choosers,” something the brand highlights with its Avalon Choice excursions, a collection of “active,” “discovery” and “classic” shore excursions that vary depending on the itinerary. In a live session for the ASTA's Inaugural: River Cruise Week, Pam Hoffee, president of Avalon Waterways shared that the brand created Avalon Choice because “people want different things out of their vacation,” and best of all for travel advisors and their clients, 98% of excursions are included in the sailing cost when they choose Avalon. Wondering what each excursion category looks like? According to Avalon’s website, “active” excursions are for the movers — think kayaking, biking, hiking, boating and more — “discovery” excursions are for the doers — that means hands-on adventures like dancing, painting and cooking — and “classic” excursions are for the dreamers — people who enjoy guided tours and exploring historical sites.

Active & Discovery River Cruises

In the same vein as the brand’s “active” and “discovery” excursions, Avalon Waterways is meeting the demand for immersive cruising experiences with its exclusive Active & Discovery river cruise itineraries. Perfect for the curious traveler, these sailings were created to showcase action-packed experiences and activities that help introduce guests to the people and places of their chosen destination in the most engaging and fun way possible at each port. From touring extinct volcanoes and decommissioned coal mines to sinking their teeth into a culinary tour, taking an archery lesson or even ascending a mountain on a guided climb, this isn’t your average river cruise. 

Special Interest River Cruises

What’s better than a river cruise? A river cruise with a theme. From beer tasting and culinary sailings to festive time cruises, garden and nature lover cruises, history cruises and so much more, Avalon Waterways’ Special Interest river cruises allow travelers to pursue their passions and pursuits from the comfort of a world-class, luxury ship. One particularly unique Special Interest itinerary is the brand’s collection of Storyteller Cruises, a series of Suite Ship sailings hosted by famous authors, artists, musicians and actors resulting in the ultimate amalgam of facts, fiction and fun.

Sustainability

For Avalon Waterways, sustainability is top of mind. As such, the brand has proudly partnered with Trees4Travel, a tech company dedicated to helping travel brands offset their carbon footprints. Additionally, while it isn’t possible for the river cruise line to adopt a totally electric fleet at this time, the brand is working toward zero carbon emission and tries its best to highlight itineraries that allow its captains to burn less fuel. In the kitchen, Avalon has eliminated all single-use plastic aside from the gloves worn by staff and has worked to reduce the amount of paper used throughout its ships. As part of this initiative, guests will notice less physical documents like brochures, surveys and daily newsletters which Avalon has swapped for their digital counterparts.