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Avalon River Cruises vs Uniworld
Compare the travel styles, pricing, destinations and popularity of Avalon River Cruises and Uniworld.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. 
If you are looking for 5-star luxury with 6-star service then Uniworld river cruises should be at the top of your wish list. Uniworld's ships (while not the newest) are one-of-a-kind, exquisitely appointed, boutique floating hotels. Part of the Travel Corporation (which includes the sister brands of Trafalgar and Insight Vacations), Uniworld ships are slightly smaller with an average of about 130 guests, and are constantly being refurbished in their distinctive style. Half of the team at Global Journeys have embarked on a voyage with Uniworld and some us a few times! Uniworld pricing is now dynamic so can vary day by day, and the cruises aren't cheap, however you wont need to dip into your wallet once your trip begins and further savings are available if you were a past passenger on any of the aforementioned sister brands.
Stats
No. of Trips
185
No. of Departures
1,942
Avg. Trip Length
12 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$676
Fleet Size
16 Ships
Known For
Panorama Suites
Ship Styles
River Cruises
No. of Trips
97
No. of Departures
1,103
Avg. Trip Length
12 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$730
Fleet Size
20 Ships
Known For
Boutique River Cruising
Ship Styles
River Cruises
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.
Once you step onboard the world’s finest and most awarded river cruise line for the first time, we are quite sure the refined luxury onboard our fleet will sweep you off your feet.
We draw our inspiration for the design philosophy of every one of the 17 ships in our fleet directly from the destination in which they sail. The craftsmanship, the attention to detail, the art onboard, the handcrafted furniture and intricacy of the fabrics are lovingly assembled to be a masterpiece in and of itself. Stepping onboard is to step into a world of beautiful colours and one-of-a-kind details that truly bring your destination to life.
Crafting experiences you can’t find anywhere else, means continuing to elevate Uniworld to new heights year after year. From the addition of four new Super Ships in Egypt, Vietnam, Portugal and Italy, to the award winning service that comes from the heart, we’re putting even more emphasis on what’s onboard to enhancing several itineraries to accommodate guest’s diverse tastes for the future. We truly look forward to welcoming our Australian guests onboard.
Recent Reviews
4.7
Unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to do this trip due to severe drought and Danube water levels dropping so low no cruise ships could sail anywhere. I was afraid that Avalon would claim force majeure and not offer any compensation at all. To give them their due they offered refund for the cruise portion of the trip if I chose to do the trip and read more just use ships at three different locations as hotels and coach everywhere to maintain our on land itinerary. This wasn’t appealing at all given that I’ve just finished a coach tour with Trafalgar, so I’ve opted for a full refund instead. Tracey was great to deal with from initial booking to the very end handling cancellation and refund. I would be delighted to book another tour with both Avalon and Global Journeys in the future. Thank you Tracey!
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 1
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 1
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.
4.7
Uniworld does a great job of showcasing Venice to its guests without being part of the vast tourist crowds that you see. Private tours of several attractions are organised and the tour guides very knowlegable. Hospitality on board was excellent. Dining was very comfortable with many different table combinations and food choices galore. Highlights were read more the early morning visit to Doges Palace and after hours visit to St. Marks Basilica. Plus Georgie and her team at Global Journeys did a good job coordinating our booking.
This was my second river cruise and 10th actual small ship cruise. I was very impressed with Uniworld as contrasted to a prior river cruise line. The food was quite good, not exceptional, but certainly of quality and well prepared. Chef outdid himself at a special paid dinner with beef wellington and other fabulous French dishes. Service couldn't read more have been better- in both the dining room and cabins. Our hotel manager just won the hotel manager of the year for the cruise line, and it shows.
On a bit of a negative side, the cabins are well laid out and thought through but very small. I am glad my friend and I had separate cabins otherwise there wouldn't have been enough room. The elevator was broken, which was a HUGE inconvenience for us as we have mobility issues. Apparently, a guest ran into the glass with a suitcase and broke it. It was down for the entirety of the trip. Some of the excursions weren't very good and not worth the time of leaving the boat. There was a huge downpour one day and the busses were parked quite away from the ship. It would have been considerate of them to send out some people with umbrellas; all of us were completely soaked (to the skin). Would I sail on Uniworld again, yes but in a larger cabin! Good experience!
On a bit of a negative side, the cabins are well laid out and thought through but very small. I am glad my friend and I had separate cabins otherwise there wouldn't have been enough room. The elevator was broken, which was a HUGE inconvenience for us as we have mobility issues. Apparently, a guest ran into the glass with a suitcase and broke it. It was down for the entirety of the trip. Some of the excursions weren't very good and not worth the time of leaving the boat. There was a huge downpour one day and the busses were parked quite away from the ship. It would have been considerate of them to send out some people with umbrellas; all of us were completely soaked (to the skin). Would I sail on Uniworld again, yes but in a larger cabin! Good experience!
The trip was a river cruise. The trip started in Budapest on the Danube River and went through Austria and then on the Main River through Germany on the Danube Main Canal ending on the Rhine River in Amsterdam. The cruise was in the River Duchess. The ship was nice and the stateroom was spacious. A very pleasant experience.
Food and wine superb and consistant. Staff were excellent and very obliging. Interesting progamme of excursions spoilt for choice. Overall best river criusing company we have used.
Fantastic Uniworld river cruise through Belgium. 0
Belgian Holiday Markets
Narelle and Chris, QLD, Australia, Dec 2024
Our river cruise with Uniworld was a Christmas markets cruise through Belgium which which was very beautiful. Although we have been on river cruises before, Uniworld was the best by far. The SS Victoria was a new ship and was tastefully and elegantly designed and furnished. Our suite was spacious, with the most comfortable bed, walk in robe and a huge read more floor to ceiling french balcony window. We had in room drinks, sweets, fruit etc. So much is included, so we never had to pay for anything onboard. Meals were the best you would expect from the best fine dining anywhere. Drinks were also included and not just with meals. All staff were very friendly and knew our names from the second day. We were so well looked after throughout the whole trip. Excursions were included and they even took us to a private Christmas concert in a cathedral. The whole trip from start to finish was perfect and if anyone is considering a river cruise you couldnt go past Uniworld if you want the best of the best . We always book through Global Journeys with Georgie and our next trip will be booked with them again.
Popular Trips
15 Days Budapest to Amsterdam
Operator: Avalon
From
8,651pp
Save
4,230pp
