River Cruise Advisor

Recommendations & Resources for choosing river cruises

Navigation

Avalon Models Sustainable River Cruising

Avalon Waterways is dedicated to preserving the precious environments surrounding the world’s riverbanks with the Lighthouse Project, an initiative created to help travelers come together to reduce their footprint and give generously for the globe’s greater good. 

Avalon Imagery II on the Rhine River. Photo courtesy of Avalon Waterways.

With a mission of nurturing a culture of care and sustainability that extends to guests, the Lighthouse Project is focused on three, give-back categories: 


Planet: Conserve and preserve in each destination visited. To protect waterways and wildlife and shine a light on organizations that do the same.


People: Protect, respect and support the extraordinary communities of the world as well as improving the individual lives within them. 


Places: 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 so that future generations can enjoy the same glorious places to relax, renew and reflect.

Currently, Avalon Waterways, in partnership with the Globus family of brands, is spotlighting nearly 50 causes focused on the Planet, People and Places, with plans to add more. 


Among them are:


The Ocean Cleanup: Every year, millions of tons of plastic bottles and other disposable products enter our beautiful oceans, mostly by way of rivers, impacting our ecosystems, our communities, and our health. Avalon Waterways is proud to partner with The Ocean Cleanup, a global nonprofit spearheading the largest plastic cleanup in history to rid our oceans and rivers of harmful pollution.


Trees4Travel: Trees4Travel encourages travelers to explore and experience the globe with a slower, more thoughtful approach while simultaneously planting trees and forests to remove CO2 from the air. Planting trees for travel is a simple but powerful act dedicated to reversing climate change while creating a safe, sustainable planet for future generations to enjoy. As part of its partnership with Trees4Travel, Avalon Waterways is offsetting the carbon footprint of every guest’s cruise experience in 2022 by donating tens of thousands of trees to Trees4Travel.


Landmine Design: Landmine Design, a social enterprise committed to educating and providing jobs for women living in poverty in Cambodia, has provided dozens of women with the opportunity to safely work at home with their children by rolling paper beads and crafting them into beautiful jewelry. Avalon is proud to support the Landmine Design community and to help turn a cycle of despair into a circle of hope. 

Avalon Waterways’ operations team is also highly invested in providing sustainable, responsible river cruising for its guests and the planet. 


“As part of our sustainability efforts, Avalon has invested in a state-of-the-art fleet of Suite Ships and top-of-the-line technology to limit energy, consumption and emissions; plus waste and recycling programs to reduce our environmental footprint, save water and foster an environmentally friendly culture among crew and guests worldwide.”
Pam Hoffee
President of Avalon Waterways.

According to Hoffee, Avalon Waterways has also:

 

  • Eliminated single-use plastics onboard its ships and at operations offices, worldwide.
  • Reduced paper waste by 95% onboard by favoring digital communications. 
  • Received the Green Award for Avalon’s entire fleet of ships, recognizing that each Suite Ship meets the high safety and environmental standards required for recognition.
  • Invested in local farmers to secure locally produced food and beverages, reducing food miles while supporting local economies.
  • Installed LED lighting throughout ship, fleet-wide.
  • Worked with dozens of ports to purchase shore power (while docked), allowing generators to be turned off, further reducing emissions.
  • And, between 2022 and 2024, the river cruise line plans to:
  • Reduce paper waste to less than 1 percent.
  • Pilot a program to use bio-fuel, aiming to reduce total carbon emissions by 50 percent.
  • Utilize electric bow thrusters to further reduce emissions.


“Avalon is dedicated to protecting the planet with unprecedented, environmentally friendly cruises for guests now and in the future,” added Hoffee. For more information about the Lighthouse Project, visit Avalon Waterways.

About Avalon Waterways

Cruising Elevated. Avalon Waterways has redefined cruising by going against the current and away from the ordinary. Delivering unparalleled experiences and boundless exploration, Avalon puts you in the captain’s seat to navigate your journey, fuel your passions and steer clear of the unexpected as you cruise down the world’s most memorable and mesmerizing waterways. One step aboard our modern, luxurious Suite Ships with the grandest views in cruising and you’ll see how the tides are changing. Welcome to a new wave in cruising. Welcome aboard Avalon Waterways. For more information, visit www.avalonwaterways.com; travel agents can visit www.globusfamilypartner.com.
Connect With Avalon

Going Against The Stream: Avalon Waterways Adds More ‘Whim-Powered’ Cruising Options For Guests

May 13, 2022 No Comments

On Avalon Waterways’ Active & Discovery cruises, featuring Avalon Choice excursions, every day is an adventure. In 2022 and 2023, choices available to cruisers are nearly unlimited. For the first time, travelers are invited to choose an Avalon Waterways’ Active & Discovery cruise on every major river in Europe, including the upper and lower Danube, Rhine, Moselle, Rhône and Seine Rivers as well as the waterways of Holland and Belgium.

Read More »

Avalon Has ‘New’ Leadership

May 5, 2022 2 Comments

Normally, promotions at a river cruise company wouldn’t be something we’d publish. But in this case, we’re pleased to see that Pam Hoffee has taken the helm of Avalon Waterways. We’re pleased because Pam’s passionate about river cruising. Under her leadership we expect even better things to happen for one of the world’s most popular river cruise companies. Who is Pam Hoffee? Read on.

Read More »