The quintessential Avalon touch lives in every detail throughout their elegant river cruise ships. The Panorama Dining Room, with its sweeping panoramic views, brings the surrounding scenery right to your table. The Club Lounge Library is the kind of place where you settle into a great book, play cards, or challenge someone to a board game while making new friends. Grab a premium spirit in the upscale bar as you make your way to the Sky Deck – lavishly designed with a shade system, premium lounge chairs, a game area, and a whirlpool. However you choose to spend your time on an Avalon river cruise, you’ll do it indulgently and in a way that’s uniquely your own.

Avalon extends that “Cruise Your Way” philosophy to dining, too. Their FlexDining approach has tossed out the idea of restrictive seating times in limited settings. Instead, you 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 you choose, you’ll savor local flavors alongside familiar favorites, prepared with the freshest regional ingredients by Avalon’s talented chefs.

Their collaboration with Austrian brothers Leo and Karl Wrenkh – leading chefs in the healthy-dining movement – means you can take an indulgent vacation without drifting from your habits. Avalon Fresh uses ingredients from local farms and suppliers to create innovative yet wholesome dishes available at every meal. If you’re in a more spirited mood, toast your adventures with the original Espresso Martini or Easy Stinger – just two of the craft cocktails designed by Avalon’s award-winning mixologist, Martin Hudak – in the Panorama Lounge. Feeling a bit proper and peckish? Their daily Afternoon Tea featuring tea, coffee, sweet treats, and sandwiches has you covered.

With everything Avalon Waterways offers onboard, you’ll be tempted never to leave the ship. But there’s an extraordinary world out there calling for you to explore, and Avalon river cruises include an exceptional variety of excursions and activities so you can experience it all in your own way. Avalon’s unique choices fall into three categories: “Classic,” “Discovery,” and “Active” adventures.

Get up close and personal on a Classic excursion with the iconic places you’ve dreamed of seeing. Expert Local Guides provide preferred access to famous sites, insider information on local legends and lore, and the authentic heritage behind the history. On a journey of Discovery, pull up a chair to hear a Vienna waltz, roll up your sleeves to paint like Van Gogh, or grab an apron to whip up a local recipe. Discover the world’s simple pleasures and grand artistry, from famous galleries to farmhouse kitchens. Or, if you’re up for an Active adventure, greet the day with a bike ride, a hike to a hilltop castle, or a kayak excursion through the Gorges de l’Ardeche.

If Avalon’s complimentary excursions aren’t enough to satisfy your adventurous spirit, you can also partake in optional tours. Each optional excursion – hand-selected and tested by their travel experts – operates during free time, so you’ll never miss an included tour or have to choose between an included and optional activity. Looking to extend your river cruise? With Avalon YourWay, you can seamlessly add days and nights in various destinations before or after your cruise. They handle all the details – ship-to-hotel and hotel-to-ship transfers, transportation between cities, superior hotel accommodations, and guided sightseeing with plenty of optional excursions and free time to customize your experience.