Home > Compare River Cruise Companies > Avalon River Cruises vs Scenic
Avalon River Cruises vs Scenic
Compare the travel styles, pricing, destinations and popularity of Avalon River Cruises and Scenic.The Low Down
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. 
Scenic's 5 star luxury river cruises are well known and popular in Australia (not so much in NZ). Scenic were the first to introduce balconies on their Scenic Space-Ships, which many clients love, but this comes at a cost to interior cabin space. Like many of the other premium river cruise Operators, look out for their great Fly Free offers, and Earlybird Savings. All inclusive, with Freechoice activities that allow you to choose what you want to do in each port, Scenic also offer a range of luxury additions (like your own Butler) depending on the cabin type select. Launching in 2018 and with another ship in 2020, the Scenic Eclipse is Scenic's first foray into luxury all inclusive ocean cruising. From the Arctic to Antarctica and everywhere in between, these Discovery Yachts, are all inclusive with shore excursions involving Zodiacs, kayaks and e-bikes as well as the option (for an additional charge) to adventure out by helicopter and submarine!
Stats
No. of Trips
138
No. of Departures
1,546
Avg. Trip Length
11 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$477
Fleet Size
18 Ships
Known For
Panorama Suites
Ship Styles River Cruises
No. of Trips
596
No. of Departures
2,587
Avg. Trip Length
16 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$902
Accommodation
4.5 - 5 Star
Budget
Premium / Luxury
In Their Own Words We asked the travel companies themselves why you should travel with them
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.
Scenic is proudly an Australian founded company setting the global standard for all inclusive luxury travel. We have delighted guests for more than 30 years with memorable journeys to fascinating locations across the world, delivering unsurpassed excellence in service, product quality and exclusive experiences. The guest is at the heart of everything we do, as we strive to provide continual innovation to enhance the guest experience in Luxury River Cruising, Land Tours and our state of the art expedition Ocean Cruising with Scenic Eclipse.
The Scenic difference is the details, the unwavering commitment to anticipate our guests every need, from butler services, quality dining, wellness, Scenic Enrich and Scenic FreeChoice experiences. That is why so many of our past guests choose to travel with Scenic many times, to destinations around the globe with family and friends, trusting Scenic to create memories that will last a lifetime. We welcome you to enjoy the portfolio of Scenic luxury products and feel the difference of Scenic’s dedicated staff, who will look after you to the nth degree.
This is why first time and past guests choose Scenic.
Recent Reviews
Absolutely brilliant, the cabins were spacious with plenty of storage space to unpack. The staff were amazing, the food was excellent. There were onshore activities that you could participate in or you could just sit back and relax on board. Would recommend to anyone.
Unfortunately for us, we were not able to board the Suite Ship on day 3 as per itinerary due to the unsuitable water level. We were transported by coach from Dijon to Lyon to board the Suite Ship which was docked till day 6. Hence, we missed out on a lot of cruising. When we did cruise, it was in the evening. The extra we paid for the cabin with balcony ...read more was wasted. In the day time we could only see the river bank or another ship docked next to ours from the balcony. We were, however, compensated with one free optional tour in Lyon. We did make good of our time by enjoying the land tours (free and optional ones), food and company of fellow cruisers. Overall, the trip was relaxing and enjoyable.
We were so lucky with the weather, being so late in the season, the water levels were kind to us. We really enjoyed the cruise, the food was amazing.
Travelling the Rhine with Avalon as a single provides the best of everything. Great accommodation, ease of travel, lovely accommodation, lots of interesting included tours and above all, a great opportunity to meet like minded travellers.
Exceptional cruise, well looked after, room, excursions, meals and staff excellent. Probably would go in a warmer time of year next trip. Met many new friends, atmosphere provided by staff and entertainer was very pleasant, looking forward to our next trip.
We finally undertook our dream holiday to Egypt. The sheer beauty of this timeless country exceeded all of our expectations. We were initially apprehensive about travelling to Egypt in regard to our safety but it was unfounded. Egypt is as safe as anywhere in Europe. We travelled with Scenic who provided a never to forget experience. The professionalism ...read more of the Scenic staff could not be faulted and their attention to detail was excellent. Our cruise down the Nile was exceptional. My wife and her sister are gluten intolerant and the Chef's on the boat specially prepared separate and exquisite meals, for both of them. We could not praise them enough. As for Cairo, Luxor and Aswan with their museums, temples, tombs and Pyramids you cannot appreciate their beauty and intrigue unless you are there. Their photos in glossy magazines and on the internet do not do them justice. So if you have the opportunity do not miss this once in a lifetime experience.
We totally enjoyed our River Cruise. Booking through Global Journeys was sooo easy. Communication was great and nothing was to much trouble. We found communication with Global Journeys much easier than communicating directly with river cruise company. The cruise was great - we were a bit concerned that the age demographics would be older than us ...read more but that was not the case. There was a great mix of ages on the ship and we have formed some strong friendships. There was a late change of ship which we were disappointed in but Scenic went out of their way to ensure they made up for any disappointment. We would definitely do another river cruise and we certainly will be booking that through Global Journeys. Very happy customers.
The scenery was brilliant. The service in the restaurant was just below perfect. The reason for this qualification was due to all the smorgasbords. There was an additional specials menu - twice we ordered from this but the meals didn't turn up. Free beverages were excellent.
Another thing mentioned and rectified was all the 'double beds' on the ship ...read more were in reality single beds put together. Put my leg through the centre and could have broken a leg or ankle. Fell out of bed with the mattress. Hello, passenger in danger. They did bind this one up and then I was okay. The Palais Liechtenstein Mozart and Strauss concert was perfect. All transfers were very good and prompt.
Another thing mentioned and rectified was all the 'double beds' on the ship ...read more were in reality single beds put together. Put my leg through the centre and could have broken a leg or ankle. Fell out of bed with the mattress. Hello, passenger in danger. They did bind this one up and then I was okay. The Palais Liechtenstein Mozart and Strauss concert was perfect. All transfers were very good and prompt.
Rocky Mountains are an exciting experience. The beauty of the mountains and lakes are everywhere around you. A sight to behold.
The river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest was an excellent way to travel. It was fully catered and the food selection was varied to provide dishes from the country you travel through. It gave us an opportunity to taste food that we may not have ordered from a restaurant elsewhere. We enjoyed the ability to integrate cycling with our sight seeing. ...read more The Scenic river cruise was indeed scenic and the onboard app provided great insights to the various castles, churches and towns as we passed by.
The staff on this Scenic river cruise were friendly and very pleasant to deal with. Our cruise director was the best we have ever had compared to our travels. He was always around to help people with their queries and had a great dry sense of humour. We really enjoyed this cruise and would recommend it to others. Our booking through Global Journeys was simple, easy and without any problems. Anything that was promised was delivered on time and without any need for us to chase. This gave us the opportunity to start our trip in relaxed frame of mind and to enjoy the experience.
The staff on this Scenic river cruise were friendly and very pleasant to deal with. Our cruise director was the best we have ever had compared to our travels. He was always around to help people with their queries and had a great dry sense of humour. We really enjoyed this cruise and would recommend it to others. Our booking through Global Journeys was simple, easy and without any problems. Anything that was promised was delivered on time and without any need for us to chase. This gave us the opportunity to start our trip in relaxed frame of mind and to enjoy the experience.
Fascinating trip from Moscow to Berlin via St Petersburg and the Baltic States 1 Lorraine & Roger, NSW, Australia, Jul 2019
We booked this trip because it offered something a bit different from our usual European holidays, and we were not disappointed. The tour operator, Scenic, were excellent. Our trip started in Moscow, where we were met at the airport and driven to our cruise ship, the Scenic Tsar. This is a smaller ship than some others, only taking a maximum of 96 guests, ...read more which meant people mixed well and we met some lovely friends. Three tour directors looked after all our excursions, as well as offering some fun entertainment on board. They were a talented group, and we learnt Russian history, language, cooking and Matryoshka decoration. The ship's crew, all Russian, spoke good English, and catered for our every need.
After the cruise we were accompanied on a train journey to Helsinki, where we continued our tour through the Baltic States, again learning much history and culture, as well as seeing some lovely cities and countryside. Our tour director was wonderful, and we couldn't have been better looked after. On both parts of the tour we experienced some wonderful cultural events, excellent accommodation, comfortable travel and some great meals. We would definitely take another trip with Scenic, and happily use Global Journeys to book, as they were very organised and helpful. We really appreciated being able to log on to our record and check how the planning was progressing.
After the cruise we were accompanied on a train journey to Helsinki, where we continued our tour through the Baltic States, again learning much history and culture, as well as seeing some lovely cities and countryside. Our tour director was wonderful, and we couldn't have been better looked after. On both parts of the tour we experienced some wonderful cultural events, excellent accommodation, comfortable travel and some great meals. We would definitely take another trip with Scenic, and happily use Global Journeys to book, as they were very organised and helpful. We really appreciated being able to log on to our record and check how the planning was progressing.
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