Avalon Waterways introduced the Suite Ship in 2011.
Every major river cruise line has since introduced a version of it. The Open-Air Balcony, a floor-to-ceiling glass wall that slides open up to seven feet wide, with the bed facing the river, is still the widest-opening window in river cruising. And in 2026, the entire European fleet has just completed a three-year refresh to bring every ship to the same current standard.
We cover the full guide, including:
The Open-Air Balcony: wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling glass that slides open seven feet wide in Europe and eleven feet wide on the Mekong, wider than any balcony on any ocean ship at any price point, with the bed positioned to face the river rather than the cabin wall
The fleet in 2026: a fully refreshed European fleet with dual Starlink antennas, upgraded fitness facilities, new e-bikes at every port, and redesigned Sky Decks, plus Avalon Alegria purpose-built for the Douro at 30 percent larger than the industry standard in suite sizing
Stateroom categories: Panorama Suites at 200 square feet, Avalon Suites at 258, and Royal Suites at 300, all with the Open-Air Balcony on decks two and three
What is and is not included: all meals, wines and beer at meals, sparkling wine at breakfast, the nightly Happy Hour with spirits and signature cocktails, specialty coffees all day, Wi-Fi, bicycles and e-bikes, and an average of 22 shore excursions per itinerary. Gratuities and spirits outside Happy Hour charged separately.
Avalon Choice: Classic guided tours, Active excursions with cycling, hiking, and kayaking, and Discovery hands-on workshops at every port, the most excursion variety per port of any comparable line
The Globus family advantage: pre and post land tours with Globus or Monograms combined in a single booking, a seamless land-and-river structure no standalone river cruise line can replicate
How Avalon compares to AmaWaterways, Viking, Scenic, and Emerald, and for whom the Open-Air Balcony is the filter that decides everything else
The window opened in 2011 and changed river cruising.
In 2026, the fleet that built on it is at its best.
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