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APT River Cruises vs Avalon River Cruises
Compare the travel styles, pricing, destinations and popularity of APT River Cruises and Avalon River Cruises.The Low Down
Initially providing coach touring around Australia and NZ to the local market, APT have grown exponentially over the last decade to now offer trips around the world, and are well known for their European river cruises. Over the last few years APT have introduced small ship expeditions that cruise the waters through Asia, Europe, Canada and off the coast of Kimberley. Catering primarily for the retired market, their trips aren't cheap, but in APT's case - you get what you pay for. Look out for their great Fly Free offers, and Earlybird Savings. The team here at Global Journeys have travelled multiple times by coach, cruise & river with APT, and we definitely recommend them as a quality, consistent, reliable Operator, and our past client reviews back that up.
Not as well known locally as APT or Scenic, Avalon Waterways have nevertheless been cruising the rivers of Europe and Asia since 2004. Featuring modern luxury ships, with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors, our clients love Avalon, and some of their river itineraries are our biggest sellers. Avalon don't usually include Fly Offers, so you'll need to book flights separately, but consequently their cruise prices are cheaper than the other luxury Operators and they offer some great Earlybird discounts. Part of the Globus Family group of Brands, means you can secure further discounts the next time you decide to travel by coach with either Globus or Cosmos. Stats
No. of Trips
35
No. of Departures
0
Avg. Trip Length
15 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
Fleet Size
8 Ships
Known For
Aussie Specialist
Ship Styles
River Cruises
No. of Trips
185
No. of Departures
2,591
Avg. Trip Length
12 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$461
Fleet Size
16 Ships
Known For
Panorama Suites
Ship Styles
River Cruises
In Their Own Words We asked the travel companies themselves why you should travel with them
Life-enriching, relaxing and unique – an APT river cruise is the ultimate holiday experience. Discover unforgettable destinations as you travel in total comfort and style. From Europe to Africa and the mighty Mekong River, APT has a diverse range of river cruises, and you’ll wake up most mornings in a new location, ready to explore fresh and exciting sights. Timeless luxury, exclusive experiences, life enriching moments and true personalisation. APT offers all-inclusive holidays so everything is taken care of. We invite you to join us; you won’t be disappointed.
One of our favourite sayings that describes Avalon Waterways is ‘the possibilities are as wide open as the views’. From Europe to the Galapagos and Asia, you can cruise in relaxed luxury with Avalon Waterways, with choices as unique as you. Avalon offers you a range of choices from excursions, dining options, activities that help you tailor your experience.
Just imagine gliding away down the world’s most spectacular rivers, all while enjoying a unique vantage point from your own private oasis. Our floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows in our suites blur the line between where the world ends, and your suite begins; allowing you to experience the world less seen from the comfort of your bed. This is river cruising from a unique point of view.
Recent Reviews
4.8
All I can say is WOW and what a wonderful experience my husband and I had on our 15 day APT River cruise that departed from Amsterdam on Friday 29th August 2025 and finished in Budapest. We traveled on the APT Solara and the service from both the bar and restaurant staff was first class and the food was always exceptional. All APT staff on board The read more Solara are to be commended for their exceptional service. We would like to also make a special mention of our fantastic Cruise Director Navena Robertova who went above and beyond to make sure all passengers had a great time both on board the boat and during our excursions which were fantastic. We met many wonderful people on this cruise which was so much fun. This APT European cruise was flawless and we recommend it to anyone who may be considering a river cruise.
We had a brilliant cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam on the new APT ship Ostara. The Global Journeys team of Grace, Hannah, Tracey & Georgie did an amazing job of booking the river cruise with APT and ironing out a few problems with accommodation. Once on our way, everything worked seamlessly, and we thoroughly enjoyed the cruise; great ship, crew, read more food, wine & a great selection of tours. Minor hiccup was the ship swop because of low water in the rivers, but even this was handled very well, and we ended up getting on the sister ship Solara! No problem at all. A big shout out for the cruise director Anya, who was absolutely brilliant. All in all, a fantastic trip, professionally organised by Global Journeys. Thanks again, Greg & Kerry.
Unreal Prague To Paris 0
Magnificent Europe - Prague to Paris
Des & Jeanette , NSW, Australia, Aug 2025
What a fabulous trip and experience! Everyday the scenery was breathtaking and the guides were a wealth of knowledge enlightening us in each city & towns as we explored them. The extra tours and options were fantastic as were the many little extras provided. Both Ships were amazing even with a changeover due to low water. Our journey planning was easy read more thanks to Tracey from Global Journeys being very efficient with attention to detail. We look forward to our next adventure.
Beautiful new boat APT Solara. The food the staff and the unlimited drinks all excellent. Multiple Restaurants but dining at 3 is by invitation only. The Captains Table is excellent but the Bistro offers the widest choice and the most flexible seatings si it was preferred by many by the end if the trip. Excellent BBQ on the top deck for a couple of read more lunches. Some shade upstairs but not alot especially if the boat is sailing. Owners suite fabulous - so many inclusions and amazing views of the river. Thanks Tracey for pulling it all together and getting us a great price.
A lovely cruise with luxury anyone would enjoy. 3
Magnificent Europe
Jan and Glenn, NSW, Australia, Jun 2025
We were welcomed onboard to this beautiful river ship by a lovely gentleman who escorted us to our suite straight away. He explained how everything worked, and wished us a great cruise experience. We found every staff member couldn't do enough for us every single time, whether a simple question or any aspect of a meal, or drink, or our room. We found read more our beds and pillows, the room setup, the bathroom all excellent. The meals were exceptional every single time. The different dining experiences were excellent. We felt like VIPs at every turn.
We enjoyed the company of many fellow passengers through the 2 weeks. The entertainment, the excursions, the organisation by the cruise director was all excellent. Even the local guides were extremely good. We were fortunate to have great weather throughout the cruise, and at times just enjoyed the facilities of our ship to escape the heat, and watch the countryside drift by from our room or from any of the view points onboard. A truly wonderful trip of a lifetime.
This trip was made very easy to organise with the help of our Global Journeys Travel Advisor Rachael. Thank you Rachael, we had an amazing time.
We enjoyed the company of many fellow passengers through the 2 weeks. The entertainment, the excursions, the organisation by the cruise director was all excellent. Even the local guides were extremely good. We were fortunate to have great weather throughout the cruise, and at times just enjoyed the facilities of our ship to escape the heat, and watch the countryside drift by from our room or from any of the view points onboard. A truly wonderful trip of a lifetime.
This trip was made very easy to organise with the help of our Global Journeys Travel Advisor Rachael. Thank you Rachael, we had an amazing time.
We thoroughly enjoyed our first river cruise. We were looked after from the moment we got to the dock in Porto. The itinerary was balanced between tours and free time to soak up river life and enjoy the calm. The dams and locks along the river were also very interesting. The food on board was 5 star and the choice was amazing. It was hard to resist read more sometimes but necessary so that you could pace yourself. We met some lovely people who we will keep in touch with. Overall a wonderful 9 days. Thank you.
4.7
River Cruise through South of France 0
Burgundy & Provence (Southbound)
Norman and Gloria, ON, Canada, Oct 2025
We greatly enjoyed our river cruise. The staff on Poetry II were top-notch. We thank those who were especially helpful, like Matheus in reception, Marya in the dining room, and Carmen in housekeeping. Some really went out of their way to help me when I got sick during the cruise, such as Adrian who was super-accommodating in adjusting local tour arrangements, read more and Margarida who diligently served me a special medicinal drink using a very effective Portuguese recipe. This was a very positive experience and we look forward to joining another Avalon river cruise in the not too distant future.
The river of gold 0
Vida Portugal: Vineyards & Villages Along the Douro
Susan, New Zealand, Oct 2025
Absolutely loved the cruise. Lovely new ship with great room and bathroom. Staff were fantastic - without fail friendly and helpful. Food was really good with plenty of variety, choice and local dishes. Really appreciated "compulsory happiness hour" with generous free drinks. This in contrast to another cruise line who I found over advertised and read more underdelivered. Ditto the included excursions - not just one ("not another dreary war memorial!") but a choice of three. Great dilemma to have. Good crowd - and never heard a complaint!
Avalon River Cruise 0
Active & Discovery on the Rhône (Southbound)
Bert and Annie, Australia, Sep 2025
The ship, the crew, the food, the Cruise Director were fantastic. Interaction with the Global team was also first class and happy to recommend you to our friends. xox
Best Vacation EVER 0
Active & Discovery on the Danube with Budapest (Westbound)
Karen and Patrick, IL, United States, Aug 2025
Perfect from start to finish. Globus covered all the details needed to start this fantastic journey. Avalon picked up right with Globus finished up. Our trip was perfect from the moment we met our transfer ride at the airport, to meeting our cruise director Carlos at the hotel, to getting on the boat and all the excursions. Everything was planned read more so well - even when our schedule had to be changed due to water levels on the Danube River. The excursions were fantastic, but the best part of the trip were the friendships we made. It was a sad to say good bye to our new friends the last evening aboard. Looking forward to working with Global Journeys on our next adventure.
Paris & Bordeaux 0
French Masterpiece: Paris, Normandy & Bordeaux
Tony and Lesley, WA, Australia, Aug 2025
Well this was a wonderful trip. Two very good river cruises with Avalon. Great food great touring and well organised by tour guide Marco. Thanks to Hannah for yet another well organised river cruise.
Lovely cruise Amsterdam to Basel - amazing places, great included excursions, good mix of fellow travelers from around the world. Beautiful ship and crew. Thoroughly enjoyed this cruise and would definitely recommend it. Traveled in August which was a bit warm but nice.
Popular Trips
15 Days Budapest to Amsterdam
Operator: Avalon
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6,029pp
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1,732pp
