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Your local guide on a river cruise can be a bit of a gamble; the quality can vary, depending on whom the line hires. Because Globus employs guides for its tour business as well as its river cruises, the company is often able to get the best for Avalon Waterways in an area because they can offer them the most consistent employment. No two travelers are alike—so Avalon would never expect you to enjoy the same cruise experiences as everyone else. Whether you like to paddle a kayak or paint a canvas, each day on an Avalon river cruise is an adventure of the mind, heart, or heart rate if you prefer.
Royal Suite
Departures are from Lisbon, with land travel/bus transfers to Oporto/Leixoes. Avalon Alegria has scheduled two different itineraries - a classic 7-day roundtrip cruise from Oporto (visiting Regua, Pocinho, Aregos) and a 10-day cruisetour itinerary inclusive of three nights (hotel stay) in Lisbon. Avalon Waterways itinerary options are categorized into 3 classifications (CLASSIC, ACTIVE, DISCOVERY) allowing customers to tailor their cruise according to personal preferences, special interests, and activity level. The DISCOVERY programs target specific interests (like painting workshops and cooking classes) themed on the region's culture.
Avalon River Cruises
The narrowness of the locks on European rivers means that river ships must be built to be very narrow — too narrow to have cabins that are both spacious enough to be comfortable and have balconies at their ends. As I am seeing on Avalon Alegria and have seen when sailing many other Avalon vessels, the Panorama Suites typically have small seating areas next to the walls of glass. When the glass wall is slid open, you have the feeling of being on a balcony even though it's not a balcony, as you can sit in the seating area at the edge of the now-open wall. The Avalon cruise company became known worldwide with its unprecedented fleet expansion (see in the itinerary section / at least one new ship per year). The reason for so many newbuilds is Avalon's parent company Globus Group.
Airlines
It's the highlight feature of a cabin type that is perfect in just about every way. At 200 square feet, Panorama Suites are larger than most standard cabins on European river ships. Avalon Waterways cruise prices also Include city tours and excursions (with a local guide), but these visits and their features are subject to change (a substitute will be offered). All Avalon cruise rates in our articles are per passenger (double occupancy, airfare not included). Avalon shares the flavors of the world with the freshest local ingredients prepared by our talented chefs and served in your choice of venues on board. Our Avalon FlexDining® approach to onboard dining experiences has tossed out the idea of restrictive seating times in limited settings.
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So dream on before you drift off in a bed with the dreamiest views in river cruising. Innovation and technology - in 2011, Avalon introduced the Panorama ship - industry's first Suite-class riverboat. On Avalon's "suite ships", ~80% of all staterooms are in Suite categories, sized 1/3 larger than the industry's average, with slide-opening wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling windows, window-facing beds for a unique river cruising experience. In designing its Panorama Suites on river ships without balconies but with stellar views through walls of glass, Avalon has bucked the trend in river cruise cabin design — and in just the right way. This is CruiseMapper's page that reviews and lists all Avalon Waterways river cruise ship itineraries, destinations, and ports of departure.
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All-inclusive cruising
Besides the bed placement, Avalon's floor-to-ceiling French balconies that open the width of the room are also a differentiator. It's a view I wouldn't have if I were lounging in bed on most other river ships in Europe — at least, if I had my back to the headboard. All affected Avalon river cruise and cruisetour bookings received a full (100%) monetary refund, including on prepurchased through Avalon Waterways packages and services.
10 of 1,090 Avalon Waterways Cruise Reviews
It's been a key differentiator for Avalon since the cabins began rolling out in 2011. That was the year Avalon unveiled its first Suite Ship, as the line calls vessels with such cabins. The 102-passenger river vessel is sailing up Portugal's famously lovely Douro Valley, and I'm being treated to an ever-moving scene of rolling hills, vineyards and centuries-old towns. In 2019, the company introduced the so-called FlexDining on all boats in the fleet.
Avalon Waterways Cruise Reviews
Choose from options like a breezy al fresco lunch at the Sky Grill, an elegant four-course dinner in the glass-walled Panorama Dining Room, or a more casual culinary setting in the Panorama Bistro. Whichever table setting you choose, you’ll savor local flavors as well as the familiar favorites you love. One of the big differences between the Panorama Suites on Avalon's Suite Ships and the cabins on the river ships of some competitors is that they don't have balconies. That allows the entire wall facing the outside to be turned into one big glass panel. In 2024 the company introduced the newbuild boat Avalon Alegria which is deployed year-round on the Douro River in Portugal.
ACTIVE programs target more energetic passengers and include options like guided jogging tours, cycling, hiking, paddling. CLASSIC programs are based on lectures (history- and culture-themed) and walking tours guided by professional local experts. On Avalon's Suite Ships (the name it has coined for the majority of its European river fleet), most cabins have beds that face the window, not the wall. On an Avalon cruise, you can lie on your bed while still enjoying the scenery, which makes the cabins a more pleasant place to spend your time. It's an innovation that is now being copied by some competitors and has been implemented by Avalon on some of its non-European riverboats. Still, many river lines design their river ships with balconies attached to cabins despite such limitations, as they believe it's what customers want.
So, go ahead, pick up a paintbrush, a paddle, or the perfect vintage. On that count, Avalon's Panorama Suites, with their view-facing beds and walls of glass, have delivered mightily since they first began debuting in 2011. While not every cabin on Avalon vessels in Europe is configured this way, a large portion are. Avalon calls these view-facing cabins with walls of glass Panorama Suites, and they can make up roughly 80% of the cabins on many of the line's vessels. It's not just the view-facing beds in Avalon cabins that win my adoration.
Founded in 1928, the Globus group of companies manages over 30 businesses in the fields of tourism and aviation, offering annually over departures on over 300 unique itineraries. Avalon does include quite a bit in its fares, such as wine and beer at lunch and dinner, Wi-Fi and at least one shore excursion per day. However, you will pay for gratuities at the end of your cruise, special excursions and drinks outside of mealtime.
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