Avalon Waterways® invites travelers to experience the views they deserve when sailing the world’s rivers. Because unlike other cruise ships, Avalon Waterways® has designed a vast majority of its staterooms (64 percent) so beds face the windows and the incredible sights river cruising is famous for. In fact, on two full decks of every Suite Ship® in Europe and Southeast Asia, Avalon Waterways offers travelers a unique point-of-view: One where the view is the whole point.
Other cruise ships give their guests a never-changing view of the wall. We took a different approach. We angled our beds to face out so our guests can enjoy the breathtaking views passing by. And in doing that, we opened our rooms up to give our travelers more stateroom and bathroom space. More space and a better view from the comfort of bed? That’s what happens when you pay attention to the details.
Now – what else makes Avalon’s Suite Ships® so, well … sweet? It all started with the question “what is our traveler’s experience now, and how can we make it better?” Starting here allowed us revolutionize the river cruise industry …
THE PANORAMA SUITESM: SMART DESIGN, BIG SPACES & LOADS OF COMFORT
Avalon Waterways® has taken a radically different approach to designing our staterooms and ships. Instead of listening to accountants who want more people and less space, inspired by our travelers, we did the opposite. We removed ourselves from what has been done in the past and let innovation, imagination and a relentless desire to create a smart use of space be our guide. The result? One-of-a-kind Panorama SuitesSM on the industry’s only Suite Ships®: Unparalleled vessels that feature two full decks of 200- and 300-square-foot suites.
We understand that each stateroom should be an oasis for guests to escape to, not escape from. And while it’s true our Panorama SuitesSM offer our travelers more room, they’re about more of everything. More storage, more closet space, ample under-bed storage, more luxury, more comfort and more views. And that means a more relaxing and more enjoyable vacation for our guests.
And while we provide “more” is one of Avalon’s mantras, we also offer fewer staterooms on each ship. This means, there are fewer travelers enjoying more space on each and every Avalon Waterways® ship.
Comfort is another word we take seriously and so do our travelers. That’s why our staterooms and suites offer guests deluxe Comfort Collection BedsSM with Egyptian super-combed cotton linens, European-style duvets and choice of pillows. Avalon rooms also come complete with sound dampening insulation in the walls so guests don’t hear neighbors. And we give travelers the comforts of home like real wood finishes, recessed lighting, plush robes, slippers, stocked mini-bars and complimentary bottled water as well as some added bonuses like nightly turndown service and treats.
And we didn’t stop with our rooms. Our bathrooms are atypical as well. We angled each bathroom wall to provide our guests a large, tile shower with glass doors. Our bathrooms also feature marble countertops, premium fixtures, L’Occitane amenities and shelves under the vanity to house our guests’ toiletries.
No other rooms – or bathrooms, for that matter – in river cruising equal Avalon’s Panorama SuitesSM. And the best part is that there aren’t just a couple of these “suite” rooms on our ships reserved for those who want to pay more. Instead, eighty percent (80%) of the rooms on our Suite Ships® are Panorama SuitesSM.
TO BALCONY OR NOT TO BALCONY
When it comes to balconies, other cruise companies have chosen to sacrifice room space in order to provide travelers a small – often very cramped – balcony. In contrast, we’ve come up with an alternative that invites our guests to enjoy 100 percent of their room, 100 percent of the time. Our Open-Air Balconies® make full use of the intended balcony experience – in any weather condition, in any season – without compromising room space.
We created our innovative Open-Air Balconies® by pushing each room all the way out to the end of the ship. Then we made a whole wall of windows (with a giant, 7-foot opening). In front of the wall-to-wall windows, we provide travelers a love seat, chairs and table that raises-up for cocktails and dinner or down when it’s not in use (so it doesn’t obstruct the view). The result is a space where travelers can slide the doors wide open and enjoy the feeling of sitting comfortably “outside” as the amazing views of castles and villages, rolling green hills and ancient cities pass by.
We’re the only river cruise company that’s figured out how to give our cruisers everything they want – more space, indoor/outdoor living and huge views for miles in the comfort and privacy of their rooms. Our Open-Air Balconies® are a retreat, an escape … A place to enjoy a snack, a drink, a good book and a stunning view.
A TASTE OF THE WORLD … QUITE LITERALLY
The way we see it, every dining experience with Avalon is an opportunity to bring each destination to life. We put care into creating every day’s menu using fresh, quality ingredients. All prepared to perfection by our culinary artisans.
Our team views dinners as the perfect complement to a day of discovery. We craft our recipes using high-quality, prime-cut beef, fresh fish and an accompaniment of hand-picked local fruits, vegetables, and garden greens. Every dinner features a specialty dish from your destination as well as a choice of wine, including special wines of the region, selected by a professional sommelier and always complimentary.
And on each Avalon cruise, we bring a local chef on board to interact and prepare a special dinner, offering a true taste of the culture of your destination.
Also onboard our Suite Ships®, guests can take advantage of our new Panorama Bistro—a casual atmosphere offering a variety of regional and tapas-style dishes, hand-paired with local wines.
Our lunches are a reason to return to the ship. Our travelers enjoy hand-carved meats and expansive buffets including fresh salads and amazing homemade soups. On sunny days our guests can enjoy lunch with a view, courtesy of our Sky Bistro, featuring grilled meats and local delicacies.
Each morning, we invite our travelers to start the day with an extensive breakfast buffet where they can choose a made-to-order omelet, fresh fruit, or among an assortment of fresh baked breads.
PERSONALIZATION & CHOICES GALORE
In 2013, Avalon Waterways introduced Avalon Choice® – an entirely new concept in river cruising. Avalon Choice® gives river cruisers the freedom to personalize their cruise, from beginning to end. From deciding what and where to eat, to selecting room configuration and cruising style; from choosing on-land discoveries and onboard enrichments to making online, pre-sail customizations via MyAvalonSM, with Avalon, every experience – and every nuance – is up to our cruisers.
A WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES …
We cruise internationally for different reasons. Some of us go to learn about new cultures, some for inspiration and enrichment and others for a stress-free getaway. From adding distinct destinations and abbreviated cruises to our vacation portfolio to creating themed travel and pre- and post-cruise combination opportunities, Avalon Waterways® has put together more than 50,000 berths, 340 guaranteed departures, 40 itineraries plus a dozen special interest cruises on six continents.
NEW in 2015, we also began inviting travelers aboard two, NEW 36-guest Suite Ships® on the Irrawaddy and Mekong Rivers, giving them the exclusive opportunity to live the “suite life” while exploring Southeast Asia.
In addition to unveiling our wildly popular Suite Ship design to travelers looking for a more exotic cruise experience in Myanmar or Vietnam and Cambodia, for the first time, Avalon Waterways® is sailing the Northern Irrawaddy River, introducing them to completely untouched parts of the world, including hundreds-year-old traditions and ways of life.
While Avalon Waterways’ new Southeast Asia Suite Ships® mirror the Suite Ships® of Europe, perhaps as important as the attention to detail and appointments found on these ships is their overall size. Both new ships – featuring only 18 Avalon Panorama SuitesSM each – were designed to traverse more of the Irrawaddy and Mekong Rivers, providing travelers the chance to enjoy more of Asia. For instance, the Avalon MyanmarSM is small enough to cruise the spectacular Upper Irrawaddy throughout the season – a feat not possible on a larger ship. And the Avalon Siam ReapSM is the only ship in the industry cruising all the way from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap (or vice versa), as water levels allow. And when sailing into the Ho Chi Minh harbor, Avalon guests are just minutes away from their deluxe hotel accommodations.
Here is a snapshot into the suite life that awaits travelers on Avalon’s NEW Upper Irrawaddy itinerary – a deluxe 10-night cruise from Bhamo to Bagan with hotel stays in Yangon:
For this very unique vacation, exclusively featuring the Upper Irrawaddy River, travelers will enjoy a walking tour of Yangon before flying to Bhamo (near the Chinese border) to embark on their cruise. On the cruise, they can visit a local school and nunnery in Kyun Daw; spend time in an elephant camp in the Burmese jungle; present alms to monks in Kya Hnyat; enjoy a walking tour of a pottery-making village (Kyauk Myaung); visit Kaunghmudaw Pagoda and Soon U Ponya Shin Pagoda in Sagaing; take a sampan ride at sunset in Amarapura; watch a traditional dance performance by firelight, relish the sights in Mandalay and so much more, including spending time in colorful markets and golden temples and pagodas throughout the journey.
2016 European Fleet:
- Avalon Creativity® (2009) – 140 Passengers
- Avalon Affinity® (2009) – 138 Passengers
- Avalon Luminary® (2010) – 138 Passengers
- Avalon Felicity® (2010) – 138 Passengers
- Avalon PanoramaSM (2011) – 166 Passengers
- Avalon Visionary® (2012) – 128 Passengers
- Avalon Artistry II® (2013) – 128 Passengers
- Avalon Expression® (2013) – 166 Passengers
- Avalon ImpressionSM (2014) – 166 Passengers
- Avalon Illumination® (2014) – 166 Passengers
- Avalon Poetry II® (2014) – 128 Passengers
- Avalon Tapestry II® (2015) – 128 Passengers
- Avalon Tranquility II® (2015) – 128 Passengers
- Avalon Imagery II® (2016) – 128 Passengers
- Avalon PassionSM (2016) – 166 Passengers
2016 SE Asia Fleet:
- Avalon Siem ReapSM (2015) – 36 Passengers
- Avalon MyanmarSM (2015) – 36 Passengers
Sail the Rhine, Danube, Rhône, Seine, Saône, Main, Moselle, Meuse, Amazon, Irrawaddy, Mekong, Nile and Yangtze Rivers with Avalon Waterways and/or enjoy small-ship cruising through the Galápagos Islands. Avalon has a ship and itinerary perfect for world travelers.