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Avalon Waterways

Embark on an Avalon river cruise with your choice of over 70 cruises on 10 rivers through 22 countries. Explore Europe, Asia, South America, and Egypt in the relaxed luxury only Avalon Waterways can deliver. Discover the European continent on its legendary rivers from the North Sea to the Black Sea or from the French countryside to the waterways of Holland. Enjoy first-class service and award-winning excursions through the vineyards of France or Portugal, the vistas of Germany, and the windmills of Holland. Discover timeless tradition and endless European beauty on the Rhine, Danube, Seine, Rhône, Saône, and Douro Rivers—to name a few. Explore South America with a cruise through the Amazon Rainforest or embark on an expedition to the Galápagos Islands. Discover ancient traditions on the Mekong River in Southeast Asia, or the mysterious Nile in Egypt.

Select a cruise that sparks your interest below to see full details for Avalon's 2024 and 2025 available departures. We invite you to go ahead and rock the boat with Avalon Choice® excursions, Active & Discovery itineraries, and YourWay on-land options to cruise, see, and do as you like! 

Welcome aboard! Where shall we sail next?

Avalon Waterways' Ships

More about Avalon Waterways

Avalon Cares

For nearly a century, the Globus family of brands has shed light on the world’s most fascinating places and people – allowing travellers to bask in their glory, intrigue, and wonder. As we explore ancient pathways, historic hallways, and storied sidewalks of the world around us, we gain deeper knowledge, compassion, and understanding of the world and its people than ever before. 

By partnering with like-minded organizations that care for our planet and the people and places we cherish, we’re committed to playing our part in advancing causes through conservation, preservation, and humanitarian partnerships.

Globus family of brands Lighthouse Project

Let It Shine

While a lighthouse may stand alone, we can come together to light up the world’s exceptional places – and extraordinary faces. Enter the Avalon Waterways® Lighthouse Project – an illuminating initiative where we can all come together to tread lightly and give generously for the globe’s greater good. Avalon, along with sister companies Globus and Cosmos, invites our travellers and partners to help us in supporting causes that provide for a more sustainable planet and a brighter tomorrow for the planet, people, and places we treasure. 

Keeping the world in its best light.

While nothing is more exciting than tracing the paths of historic legends, doing so with the most minimal footprint excites us even more. We make every effort to conserve and preserve in each destination we visit by helping to protect the waterways, wild places, and wildlife by supporting and shining a light on organizations that do the same.

Keeping the blue planet green. 

We love caring for the world just as much as we love sharing it with you! By booking an Avalon River Cruise, you’re helping us do just that! Travel confidently, knowing that we support a leading champion for the environment, Trees4Travel.

Avalon works with Trees4Travel by planting trees to help restore ecosystems, biodiversity, and support indigenous communities, whilst simultaneously reducing carbon emissions by backing up every tree with United Nations renewable energy projects. This is a small way we make a big difference in helping to reduce our environmental impact, while keeping our commitment to bigger experiences and smaller footprints.

The forests for the trees.

While a single tree doesn't make a forest, Avalon believes in the power of people and their effect on the world as a whole. Enjoy the anticipation and excitement of your upcoming adventures, while making a difference in the world we discover together. You may also choose to make a personal donation of your own to Trees4Travel to help make the world even greener!

A cleaner planet is the best reward.

Avalon Waterways has been honoured by Europe’s Green Award—recognised for our Suite ShipSM; fleet's high safety and environmental standards. This prestigious award is given to river cruise ships based on the environmental impact of engines, fuel consumption, waste and maintenance, pollution prevention, and more.

The planet-focused initiatives we support include:

• Trees4Travel
• Wildlife Conservation Network, Lion Recovery Fund
• Ecostyle Reforestation and Conservation Project
• Endangered Wildlife Trust: Conservation Canine Project
• Endangered Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin Project

Additionally, we shine a light on the following organizations through a combination of vacation visits and donations:

• Monkey Rehabilitation Center, Brazil
• Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Baby Elephant & Rhino Rescue, Kenya
• National Kiwi Conservation Project, New Zealand
• Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, Australia
• The Kangaroo Sanctuary, Australia 
• Elephant Nature Park, Thailand 

Paws for this Cause: Our Promise for Ethical Wildlife Encounters

The Globus family believes the world's four-legged, furry, feathered, and fragile wildlife populations are precious to our planet—and in need of protection. As part of our commitment to the welfare of wildlife worldwide, Globus has adopted the guidelines of World Animal Protection to end the use of wild animals as entertainment. By creating an animal welfare policy, we are committed to protect wild animals by not selling, offering, or promoting venues or activities involving wild animal entertainment, such as rides, bathing, walks, and shows. We will only offer responsible viewing of wild animals in the wild or semi-wild habitats and with a high standard of animal welfare and conservation.

Navigating the Way to a Brighter Future on the World’s Waterways

Avalon Waterways has undertaken an ambitious mission to lead the way in sustainable operation and practices. Part of our mission to preserve the precious environment river cruising affords travelers.

This commitment extends to every aspect of cruising. From how we power and propel our fleet of Suite Ships to the care and attention we give to environmentally friendly practices onboard. Not to mention the many causes we support. All to ensure that we're helping to make tomorrow on these incredible rivers as special as the experiences they gift us today.

Creating a Sustainable Tomorrow

Avalon is charting an ambitious course toward zero emissions and sustainability in every aspect of cruising. Our state-of-the-art fleet of Suite Ships and top-of-the-line technology limit energy, consumption and emissions. Plus, Avalon’s waste and recycling programs reduce our environmental footprint, save water and foster a sustainability culture among crew and guests worldwide. Avalon’s leadership in sustainability has been recognized by the Green Award Foundation, granting Green Award status to our entire European fleet, including a Gold Award for the Avalon Alegria.

This is just the beginning of what we have planned to protect our beautiful Mother Earth, and her fans.

Today, Avalon has:

• Eliminated single-use plastics onboard our ships and at operations offices, worldwide
• Reduced paper waste by 80% onboard by favoring digital communications
• Invested in local farmers to secure locally produced foods, reducing food miles while supporting local economies
• Installed LED lighting throughout ships, fleet-wide
• Worked with dozens of ports to use shore energy while docked
• Committed to using shore power while docked wherever it is available, allowing us to turn off engines and reduce emissions
• Signed an agreement with the river cruise trade union providing heightened employment standards and protection of our crew. No other river cruise line has made this commitment to their team.

Tomorrow, Avalon pledges to:

• Pilot a program to use bio-fuel, aiming to reduce total carbon emissions by 50%
• Utilize electric bow thrusters to further reduce emissions
• Reduce paper waste further – to less than 1%
• Partner with more destinations to generate sustainable electricity, while docked
• Unveil the first, fully electric river cruise vessel.

Helping the communities of the world shine.

It’s not just the splendid landscapes and landmarks that make travel so rewarding – it’s the unique people we meet along the way and the cultures they hold dear. We are dedicated to protecting, respecting and supporting the extraordinary communities of the world as well as improving the individual lives within them. The measure of the Lighthouse Project’s success? The megawatt smiles we see along the way.

The people-focused organizations we support include:

• Landmine Design
• Rural Aid
• Pathways Project
• The Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association
• Friends International
• St. Columba’s Hospice Care (Scotland)

Additionally, we shine a light on the following organizations through a combination of vacation visits and donations:

• Local orphanage, Cambodia
• Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity
• KOTO Hospitality Training Center, Vietnam
• Local school English class, Cambodia
• Local school, Tanzania
• Indigenous Amazon communities (via lodge stays), Ecuador and Peru
• Home visits, Peru
• Ladli Child Vocational Program, India 

Reflecting on the past and brightening the future.

The parks, palaces, museums and monuments we enjoy today are the result of previous generations passionately committed to preservation. By way of the Lighthouse Project, we aim to pay it forward – staying light years ahead of preservation – so that future generations can enjoy the same glorious places to relax, renew and reflect.

While every one of our destinations is precious to us, here are some of the sights and attractions we have supported – many of which we also visit on trip:

• National Civil Rights Museum, Tennessee*
• Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho*
• Yosemite National Park, Nevada, California*
• Squamish Lil’Wat Centre, British Columbia*
• USS Arizona Memorial, Hawaii*

*Visit on trip

• World War II Memorial Museum, Louisiana*
• Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, New Mexico*
• Alaska Native American Heritage Center, Alaska*
• Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump World Heritage Site, Alberta*
• Museum of the Cherokee Indian, North Carolina*

As active participants in the global travel community for nearly a century, we're proud to partner with organizations that share our commitment to preserving and protecting the cherished places, cultures, and resources we share around the world. Our alliances with impactful partners, such as Tourism Cares, illustrate our dedication to advancing sustainability and meaningful travel with respect and responsibility.