by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 11:10 AM ET, Wed July 9, 2025
Avalon Waterways is celebrating record-breaking bookings for its 2026 river cruises.
This week, the cruise line revealed that 2026 sales are 17 percent higher than 2024 and seven percent higher than 2025 at the same time last year. For Avalon Waterways, 2026 is poised to be its biggest year yet.
Some of the most popular itineraries include the “Romantic Rhine” voyage on the Rhine River, the “Danube Dreams” and “Balkan Discovery” sailings on the Danube River, and the “Paris to Normandy” and “Bonjour Bordeaux” itineraries in France. As always, Christmas cruises also remain extremely popular.
Outside of Europe, bookings for Mekong River cruises through Vietnam and Cambodia are up 76 percent over 2025.
Classic cruises are leading the 2026 bookings, but the line’s “Active & Discovery” voyages are also increasingly popular.
“We didn’t just elevate river cruise ships—we reimagined the entire river cruise experience,” says Pam Hoffee, president of Avalon Waterways. “The record demand we’re seeing is more than cruising’s popularity. It’s about Avalon’s difference: Suite Ships with a view, passion-filled excursions and the freedom to cruise your way.”
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