Avalon Visionary

Sailing the Danube on Avalon Visionary

The Danube is the heart of Avalon Visionary’s programme, and it is easy to see why Avalon Waterways built her for it. The river connects some of Central Europe’s most rewarding cities — Budapest, Vienna, Bratislava, Linz, Passau and Regensburg — in a way that no airport or motorway quite manages, and a river ship is the unhurried way to move between them. All of her current sailings are one-way passages, which means each day brings a new city and no retracing of the same water.

She also runs programmes on the Rhine from Amsterdam and on the Moselle, adding wine-country landscapes and medieval towns to the repertoire, though the Danube routes dominate her current sailing calendar.

Her routes in detail

Avalon Visionary’s Danube programme runs in two directions. Westbound sailings leave Budapest and work their way upriver — calling at Vienna, Bratislava, Linz, Passau and Regensburg — finishing at Vilshofen or continuing through to Nuremberg on seven-night passages, with some departures in November and April. Prices on these sailings start from A$4,187pp*.

Eastbound sailings reverse that journey, departing Vilshofen and heading downriver to Budapest, calling at Ybbs, Linz, Vienna and Bratislava along the way. These run over five or seven nights, with November and June departures, from A$4,024pp*.

Beyond the Danube, she operates Rhine sailings between Basel and Amsterdam and a Moselle programme departing Remich in Luxembourg — all one-way, all between five and ten nights. Because every sailing departs from ports in Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg or the Netherlands, the cruise sits naturally in the middle of a wider European trip; CruiseAway assembles the flights from Australia, the hotel nights either side and the transfers as one joined-up holiday.

Cabins on Avalon Visionary

Avalon Visionary carries six cabin grades across two families. Two outside grades suit guests who prefer a more traditional river-ship cabin, while four balcony grades step up to open-air space and broader views of the passing riverscape — particularly rewarding on the Danube’s gorge sections and the vine-terraced Rhine. The Avalon Visionary cabins and deck plans page has every grade laid out in full, which is the right place to compare options and choose.

Avalon Waterways and the fleet

Avalon Visionary sails for Avalon Waterways, an operator that has built one of the largest fleets on Europe’s rivers. The ships are grouped by the waterways they work, so choosing between them is really a question of which river you want to be on.

Ships that sail the Danube River, Europe

• Avalon Visionary (this ship)
• Avalon Expression
• Avalon Imagery II
• Avalon Impression
• Avalon Passion
• Avalon Illumination

Ships that sail the Rhine River, Europe

• Avalon Tranquility II
• Avalon Panorama
• Avalon View
• Avalon Vista

Ships that sail the Rhône River, Europe

• Avalon Poetry II

Ships that sail South East Asia

• Avalon Saigon

Ships that sail France

• Avalon Tapestry II
• Avalon Artistry II

Booking Avalon Visionary with CruiseAway

All of Avalon Visionary’s sailings depart from ports in Central Europe, so the cruise is the middle of a longer trip from Australia. CruiseAway’s cruise experts handle the whole journey — international flights, hotel nights in Budapest or Amsterdam before or after, airport and port transfers — all on a single booking through our DreamAway Packages service. Our Best Price Guarantee means you book knowing you have the best available fare. Whatever cabin grade or fare inclusions suit your circumstances, we help you find the right fit before anything is confirmed.

Questions about sailing on Avalon Visionary

Which direction is better — eastbound to Budapest or westbound to Nuremberg?

Neither direction is objectively better, but they suit different interests. Eastbound from Vilshofen to Budapest ends in one of Europe’s grandest capital cities and works well if you plan to spend extra nights there. Westbound from Budapest to Vilshofen or Nuremberg ends in Bavaria, which is easier to pair with Munich or a Black Forest extension. The ports called at are largely the same; it is really about where you want to arrive.

When does Avalon Visionary sail the Danube?

The documented Danube departures run in November and June (westbound from Vilshofen to Budapest) and in November and April (eastbound from Budapest). The Rhine and Moselle sailings extend the range further across the year. If you have a specific travel window, CruiseAway’s cruise experts can confirm what is currently on sale and match a departure to your dates.

How long are the sailings?

Danube sailings run for five or seven nights. Rhine and Moselle itineraries extend the range to up to ten nights. All current sailings are one-way passages, so they work naturally as a self-contained segment within a longer European trip.

Do I need to arrange flights and hotels separately?

Not with CruiseAway. Because Avalon Visionary departs from ports in Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, we treat the cruise as the centrepiece of a complete holiday from Australia. Our DreamAway Packages bring the international flights, pre- and post-cruise hotel stays and all transfers onto the same booking, so there is one itinerary and one point of contact throughout.

What cabin types does Avalon Visionary have?

She has six grades in total — two outside cabin grades and four balcony grades. The balcony options are worth considering on a Danube sailing: the river passes through some genuinely dramatic scenery, and having your own outdoor space to watch it from adds to the experience. Full grade details, dimensions and deck plans are on the Avalon Visionary cabins and deck plans page.