Avalon Waterways

Avalon Waterways launched in 2004 and is part of the Globus family of brands, a Swiss-owned travel group operating since 1928. Its European and Southeast Asian fleet consists entirely of Suite Ships, carrying an average of around 150 guests.

The line is built around one design decision. Panorama Suites occupy two full decks of every ship and measure around 200 square feet, roughly 30 per cent larger than the river cruising standard. The windows run wall to wall and floor to ceiling and open seven feet wide in Europe and eleven feet in Southeast Asia, which Avalon calls an Open-Air Balcony. Beds face the window rather than the wall, so the view is visible without getting up. The trade-off is that there is no separate outdoor balcony taking space from the room.

Shore excursions come in three categories that guests choose between each day: Classic sightseeing, Discovery experiences and Active options such as hiking or cycling. Dining is flexible rather than fixed-seating, with no formal dress code.

Rivers include the Danube, Rhine, Rhône, Seine, Douro and Mekong, with programs also running on the Amazon and the Nile.

Avalon suits travellers who want space and light in the cabin, and the freedom to pick the pace of each day ashore.