From our inception, Avalon Waterways has cast a light on the world’s most fascinating places and people – inviting wayfarers and wanderers like you to bask in their glory, intrigue and wonder. Along the way, we’ve helped travellers uncover ancient traditions while meeting the locals dedicated to preserving them; to meander historic hallways while giving back to the societies that safeguard them; and to put down the guidebooks and pick up a greater understanding of the world and its people.

Immersed in enlightening experiences, we naturally gain a deeper appreciation – one that leads to greater compassion, consideration and curiosity as we ask ourselves, what else can we do to protect our planet, preserve our sacred places and help humankind?

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, Cosmos and Monograms, invite our travellers and partners to help us in supporting causes that provide for a more sustainable planet and a brighter tomorrow.

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! When you book a cruise with Avalon Waterways, we contribute to environmental organisations that work to improve the health of our planet. Cruise easy knowing we’ve made a donation to The Ocean CleanUp and Trees4Travel—two leading champions of cleaner water and air. And on behalf of every guest, Avalon purchases trees via Trees4Travel to offset your cruise’s carbon emissions, ensuring together that we’re keeping our promise to Mother Earth to be the most sustainable cruise option available. Enjoy the anticipation and excitement of your upcoming adventure as you review your travel documents, while making a difference in the world we discover together. You can also make an additional donation of your own to Trees4Travel or The Ocean Cleanup 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:

• The Ocean Cleanup
• Trees4Travel
• Wildland Firefighter Association
• Vital Ground Foundation – Grizzly Bear Recovery*
• Wildlife Conservation Network, Lion Recovery Fund
• South African Parks Honorary Rangers

*visited on trip

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
• Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, China
• National Kiwi Conservation Project, New Zealand
• Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, Australia
• The Kangaroo Sanctuary, Australia 

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 organisations we support include:

• Landmine Design
• UNICEF
• Rural Aid

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

• Local orphanage, Cambodia
• Mother Theresa’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

REFLECTING ON THE PAST; 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*
• 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*

Additionally, Avalon Waterways’ team members take pride in being active participants in the travel community, spearheading and participating in dozens of volunteer programs and events.

*Visit on trip

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
• Invest more in our partners at The Ocean Cleanup in their mission to succeed at the world’s largest cleanup project: Removing 90% of ocean plastic pollution and ridding the world’s waters of plastic
• Unveil the first, fully electric river cruise vessel by 2027

All Avalon ships in Europe have complimentary Wi-Fi available. On the Mekong and Ganges, complimentary Wi-Fi access is available in the Panorama Lounge. The signal is not always reliable, as you will be cruising through remote areas. To access the ship's Wi-Fi Internet network, you will be given a PIN number at reception to use on your laptop, tablet, or mobile device. Wi-Fi is not available in the Amazon or Galápagos.

Your comfort is our first concern. Onboard and onshore dress codes are casual. Please bring comfortable walking shoes for sightseeing. Dinner attire is casual—open-neck shirts and slacks for men; slacks, skirts, or dresses for ladies. Coats and ties may be worn if preferred. The Welcome and Farewell Dinners in Europe are dressy, but not formal. On the Mekong, Ganges, Amazon, and Galápagos, dress attire, including coats and ties, is not recommended due to the warm, humid climate.

In our many years of cruising experience, we have found that children under the age of eight typically are too young to fully enjoy a cruise vacation. Because of this and for the safety and enjoyment of all passengers, we do not accept children under eight years of age. In addition, please note that there are no special arrangements or activities for children on our ships.

All ships have non-smoking interiors. Smoking is permitted only in a designated outdoor area of each ship.

We know that some travelers may have specific dietary requests. Unfortunately, dietary requirements cannot be guaranteed on our vacations. We make our best effort to accommodate your requests, but our vessels, as well as hotels and restaurants, may not be able to manage specific diet requirements. Dietary requirements should be advised at time of booking and we ask that you also discuss these with your Hotel Manager upon embarkation.