Avalon Waterways traces its roots back to 1928, when Antonio Mantegazza used a rowboat to transport goods across Switzerland’s Lake Lugano. His business evolved into motorcoach tourism and expanded into an international travel brand: Group Voyagers, Inc. – parent company of Avalon Waterways.
This consortium of well-known brands such as Globus, Cosmos, and Brennan Vacations has been a leader in escorted tours of Europe for almost a century, but it wasn’t until 2004 that the company launched Avalon Waterways’ fleet of royal-blue river cruisers.
The Avalon Waterways’ fleet expanded quite rapidly, eventually introduced newly designed “Suite Ships”. Today, the Avalon fleet encompasses nearly two dozen vessels. In Europe, Avalon Waterways operates on the Rhine, Main, Danube, Douro, Moselle, and Seine, as well as French wine country cruises on the Saone and Rhone rivers. Avalon also offers sailings on the Mekong, Ganges, Nile, Amazon, and in the Galapagos.
Each ship within the Avalon Waterways’ European fleet features an intimate dining room, a relaxing Main Lounge with panoramic views, a reception area, and a small fitness room. An expansive sun deck allows guests to stroll and enjoy the fresh air, or relax in a deck chair and take in the ever-changing scenery. And while it’s nearly impossible for river cruisers to feature anything more than two dining rooms, Avalon is creative enough to offer guests multiple dining options throughout the day.
Avalon’s “Suite Ship” accommodations measure between 200 square feet and 300 square feet apiece and are equipped with Avalon’s signature Open Air Balcony – a French-style balcony that opens wall-to-wall, transforming staterooms into a giant veranda. These Open Air Balconies are found in nearly 80 percent of the total accommodations aboard Avalon’s Suite Ships in Europe.
When we sailed with Avalon, I we were absolutely blown away when it came to the adaptability and accommodation of the kitchen. On the first day of the trip, we attended a meeting where we shared our dietary restrictions (one of our party is vegan) with the chef and maitre d. From that point on, Emma was practically escorted from the doors of the dining room to the breakfast and lunch buffets and given a personal tour of what she could and couldn’t eat.
Flexible dining times ensure guests don’t miss time to explore, you can stay out in town and come back to the ship a bit later for your dinner. Dinner can also be set up practically anywhere you want per request, with light dinner offered in the lounge every night.
Avalon’s ships are designed with comfort in mind. The lounge houses many couches where guests can relax with a book or position themselves to watch a local entertainer on board, as well tables to play games. Couches are nice and comfortable, the table and chairs can be better sometimes for passengers with limited mobility. It can be hard to shuffle around coffee tables and into the corner of a sectional.
The Cruise Manager will assist if anything in the cabin needs to be changed – Avalon can always make the mattresses more firm or soft, and provide different bedding if needed. (It likely won’t be needed, the beds are seriously comfortable.)
Avalon’s Active & Discovery sailings offer more excursion choices than its traditional itineraries, with added components to appeal to an active group of travelers. The choice of unique excursions offered provide the chance to immerse oneself in the culture of the region through bike rides, canoe and kayak trips, hikes, and so much more – like a visit to an essential oil factory, participating in a Medieval Knights tournament, an olive oil tasting (yum!), art & cooking classes, even a wine tasting in a cave.
Avalon also offers a multitude of themed cruises, from beer and wine cruises to photography cruises. Particularly special are the line’s Storyteller Series cruises, which allow guests to sail with some of their favorite authors.
One differentiating factor for this cruise line is that it boasts the backing of the huge Globus family, which offers some practical value: those who are members of Globus’ Journeys Club, for example, receive discounts and other perks for traveling within the family of brands. The brand’s large footprint in Europe also helps with operational infrastructure, such as guides and transport, enhancing the guest experience.
Would you like our personalized recommendations for a river cruise that’s perfect for you? Fill out our form, and I’ll do our best to help you. – Ralph Grizzle
"*" indicates required fields
Read other articles on River Cruise Advisor about Avalon Waterways.
River cruises don’t have to end after seven nights. From 14-day journeys to 30-day and even 49-night voyages, we look at who offers longer cruises, how they work and whether they may be right for you.
Uniworld is adding three ships in 2028, including its first on the Mekong. But the bigger question is what “luxury” actually means on Europe’s rivers. After sailing Riverside, Scenic, Tauck and Uniworld, I look at what separates these top-tier lines — from service and inclusions to design, dining and personality.
Europe’s rivers are changing, and the river cruise industry is adapting. From smarter ship swaps and shallower-draft vessels to hybrid technology and changing cruise seasons, here’s how river cruising is evolving for the future.
Europe’s 2026 drought disrupted more than half of Viking’s river-cruise days during part of the summer. Here’s what the lost revenue, future-cruise vouchers and higher 2027 pricing could mean for travelers.
A new battery order for 15 river cruise ships shows where the industry is heading. Here’s how hybrid propulsion could make future river cruises quieter, cleaner and more efficient.
For travelers who already enjoy cycling, this feels like a much more serious take on the typical river cruise bike excursion.
