Avalon Waterways: suites where the bed faces the window
The fleet sails mainly Europe's rivers, with a few ships in Asia, Africa and South America. The number of Avalon cruises currently on sale is shown at the top of this page. Avalon Saigon, Avalon View, Avalon Poetry II and MS Farah are among the most heavily scheduled.
Ships shown with no dates at all
Several ships appear in the list without carrying a single date, and the explanation does us no credit: our inventory has fallen behind the real fleet. Four of them, Avalon Siem Reap, MS Infinity, MS Sonesta St. George and Treasure of Galapagos, are no longer even on the line's official fleet list. That is a fault on our side, it has been flagged for correction, and we would rather say so than let you click through to an empty page.
The Open-Air Balcony is not a balcony
It is a sliding glass window opening seven feet wide, with no outdoor floor and no terrace. The line's real argument lies elsewhere, and it is a good one: the bed faces the window, so the landscape is the first thing you see on waking. But if you want to step out onto a balcony, take your coffee outside and watch the bank go by, this is not the line. It is the exact opposite of AmaWaterways' twin-balcony design, and yet the word "balcony" appears in both brochures.
Which ships the line actually owns
Its European ships form the core of the fleet, and only one sails outside Europe under its own flag: Avalon Saigon, on the Mekong. MS Farah on the Nile, MS Infinity in the Galápagos and Delfin III on the Amazon are third-party ships, chartered or simply sold under the sign. The proof is public and easy to check: the line publishes a carrier contract for only part of its fleet. That takes nothing away from the product; it changes who answers for what.
A Swiss family house
Avalon belongs to the Mantegazza family of Lugano, through the Globus family of brands, founded in 1928 and still family-held. No investment fund sits on the capital, which sets it apart from its neighbour AmaWaterways. For a guest booking two years ahead, the stability of ownership is not backstage trivia.
Accessibility, age and water levels
Outside the United States, the line writes that the guest must be able to walk up and down steps and ramps without a wheelchair or walker, and that motorised scooters are not accepted. It adds that many small ships have no elevator and that you should ask before booking. The minimum age is eight, everywhere. And when water levels turn unfavourable, the contract explicitly provides for coach, hotel and substitute vessel — and just as explicitly that no refund is due for a change of timing or a substitution.
