Avalon vs AmaWaterways

Looking to sail on a European river cruise and not sure which line is best? Here at rivercruisecomparison.com we've brought you an Avalon vs AmaWaterways head-to-head matchup. So which line gets your knock out vote? Let us know in the comments below!

Round 1: Pricing & Booking Policies

For most cruises, Avalon’s fares will come in lower than AmaWaterways. Both lines tend to offer sales that range from a reduced cruise fare, free cabin upgrades, prepaid gratuities, and airfare promotions.

Neither line is all-inclusive. Both offer free beer and wine at lunch and dinner, as well as a one-hour pre-dinner window where guests can choose from a drink menu of select complimentary mixed drinks, wines, and beers.

Both Avalon and AmaWaterways do not include gratuities of any type in their cruise fare, so they will come out of pocket to the traveler. Though Avalon tends to offer more promotions throughout the year that could get you pre-paid gratuities included at no extra charge.

Deposits for both lines are non-refundable. Avalon typically requires a $500 deposit per cabin. AmaWaterways typically requires a $800 deposit per cabin. The deadline for making final payment for both lines require full payment at 90 days prior to your sail date.

Traveling solo? If so, both Avalon and Ama offer options that are not going to penalize you. Avalon tends to have at least a few cabins on each sailing with no single supplement – typically the entry level cabins on the bottom deck. They also have promotions throughout the year that might expand the number of cabins available, and even extend it into higher priced cabins. AmaWaterways offers a reduced 50% (or less) single supplement on many cabins. On some ships they also offer at least a few cabins per sailing with no single supplement at all. Finally, AmaWaterways does have a few ships where special solo cabins (smaller rooms at 140 square feet) are sold at their own rate.

Looking to travel with kids under 18? Avalon allows children 8 years and older onboard, while AmaWaterways allows children 4 years and older onboard. Those under the age of 18 must be accompanied by, and share a cabin with, a parent, legal guardian, or responsible adult over the age of 21.

Both cruise lines offer discounts for returning guests.

Verdict for this round of Avalon vs AmaWaterways:

Both lines are extremely similar with their booking policies, but many will give the win to Avalon due to lower pricing. The only advantage AmaWaterways has in this category would be for travelers who have children between the ages of 4 and 7. But for those that are not price sensitive, the verdict might be considered a draw and your decision based on the next rounds of comparison.

Round 2: Cabins & Onboard Amenities

If design aesthetic is important to you, then you only have some slight differences between both cruise lines to consider. Avalon presents a clean, contemporary interior with a neutral color palette, stylish lighting, and artistic accents. Most of Avalon’s ships are similar in layout design, with their design aesthetic common across all their European cruise ships. AmaWaterways also presents a contemporary interior design, but leans a little more luxurious, with a refined European elegance and rich color palette. Their ships are not uniform in layout, but their design aesthetic is common across all of their European cruise ships.

Cabin sizes offered by each line can vary quite a bit, but the most common cabins on each line are very similar in square footage – 200 square feet for Avalon and between 170 and 235 square feet for AmaWaterways. An outlier for AmaWaterways is the AmaMagna, which is almost double in width to the average river cruise ship. The extra space allows for larger cabins across the board (as well as more generous public spaces and additional bars and restaurants).

Avalon cabins on the middle and top deck offer bed placement that faces you towards the balcony, while AmaWaterways has the standard bed placement with the balcony on the side. AmaWaterways’ ships will offer various options with a French balcony, full balcony, or split balcony to choose from.

All of Avalon’s ships have elevator access to the lowest deck for cabins, while some (not all) of AmaWaterways’ have elevator access to all cabin floors. Avalon does not offer any connecting rooms, while most of AmaWaterways’ ships do have some limited options for connecting rooms (not to mention, a few ships even have cabins that they state can hold 3 people – a rarity in the world of river cruising).

Onboard amenities are similar for both lines. Both have free Wi-Fi, though Avalon offers a personal hotspot that works through their headset system – a welcome enhancement that provides free Wi-Fi when onshore, and improved connection when in your cabin. Both lines have onboard bicycles and a fitness room, but only AmaWaterways has massage services and (on some ships) a hair salon.

Both Avalon and AmaWaterways offer a Wellness Program on each of its ships, where a Wellness Host will lead morning and afternoon yoga, stretches, etc. The host will also lead any hiking and biking excursions.

Verdict for this round of Avalon vs AmaWaterways:

This round probably ends in a split verdict, with the winner coming down to a very small difference between the lines.

Some might choose Avalon for the personal hotspot offering, while others might choose AmaWaterways for massage and/or the hair salon. If you choose the AmaMagna for a sailing then AmaWaterways would likely offer a larger cabin and more generous public spaces.

Round 3: Excursions

Both Avalon and AmaWaterways will offer you several included excursions in each port at no extra charge. You will likely have an option for a basic city tour (by foot or bus), a hike or bike option, and a more culturally immersive option such as a visit to a local landmark, museum, or concert. Both lines will also offer a handful of extra excursions that you can opt to take (for an additional charge).

Verdict for this round of Avalon vs AmaWaterways:

On paper, there is no clear winner for this round. But having been on both lines personally I tend to think AmaWaterways’ excursions are consistently above those offered on Avalon. Not a huge difference, but enough that I would give the edge to AmaWaterways for this round.

Round 4: Dining Experience

Food is probably one of the most talked about comparisons when selecting a river cruise. The problem with this is that dining experiences are subjective, and mostly dependent on the execution by onboard staff (both front and back of the house). For every traveler that says they absolutely loved their food on either of these lines, you’ll find another who complains about the experience. So, comparisons are really about an overall impression on the consistency of service across each cruise line’s fleet.

Both Avalon and AmaWaterways offer buffet-style dining for breakfast and lunch, as well as some limited full-service ordering during both meals. Dinners on both lines are multi-course affairs with at least two or three options to choose from for each course. Special diet requests can be accommodated on either cruise line. Both lines market themselves as offering locally sourced ingredients, with dishes inspired by the places visited during the cruise. Avalon provides continental breakfast, lunch, and dinner through room service, while AmaWaterways does not offer any type of room service at all.

AmaWaterways offers a unique dining experience on each sailing - the Chef’s Table. This intimate, gastronomic experience allows guests to observe the chef cooking in an exhibition kitchen, and experience a multi-course tasting menu. It comes at no additional charge but is limited to one dining experience per sailing.

What do critics and travelers say? In 2021, AmaWaterways became the first river cruise line to be inducted into Tables et Auberges de France, a French association that celebrates regional flavors and locally sourced ingredients. AmaWaterways has also been a member of La Confrérie de la Chaînedes Rôtisseurs since 2011. In 2024, AmaWaterways came in at number 10 on Food & Wine's Global Tastemakers list (only one other river cruise line made the list - Viking at number 8).

Verdict for this round of Avalon vs AmaWaterways:

AmaWaterways gets the winning decision for this round, with the chances of enjoying a quality fine dining experience much greater than on Avalon. But Avalon could win the round if you value having room service available during your cruise.

The Verdict: Who Wins this Head-to-Head Matchup?

With several rounds ending in either a close or split decision, this match goes down to the wire with the dining round tipping the scales to give the overall win to...AmaWaterways!

Want to learn more about river cruising? Visit us at rivercruisecomparison.com where you can review our comparisons of the best river cruise lines that sail throughout Europe, learn more about the European rivers you can sail on, and browse our special offers to save a little money on your next sailing. And don't forget to take our one-of-a-kind quiz that will match you to the cruise line best suited to you and your preferences!