Avalon Waterways cruise policies
Avalon Waterways Policies: Deposits, Final Payment, Cancellation, Gratuities, Dress Code and Age Rules
Every booking rule that affects your wallet or your packing list, on one page: what you pay when you book, when the balance is due, what it costs to cancel, what the crew and Cruise Director are tipped, what to wear at dinner and who can sail. Figures are Avalon's own, from the Travel Terms and Conditions the Globus family of brands publishes for bookings made in the United States, and apply to Avalon's river cruises in Europe, Southeast Asia, Egypt, the Amazon and the Galapagos.
Deposit
Avalon takes a flat per-person deposit at booking and it is nonrefundable from the day you pay it, whatever the sailing date. The deposit locks in the price of everything on the reservation, so a later increase in the cruise fare does not reach you. Flights booked through Avalon carry their own deposit on top.
| Cruise length | Deposit |
|---|---|
| Europe, Southeast Asia and Galapagos river cruises | $250 per person, nonrefundable |
| Egypt and the Nile aboard the MS Farah | $500 per person, nonrefundable |
| Amazon aboard the Delfin III | $500 per person, nonrefundable |
| Flex-Air flights booked through Avalon | $300 per person, nonrefundable, on top of the cruise deposit |
| Instant Purchase Air | Full ticket price plus a $30, $50 or $80 service fee at booking, nonrefundable and nonchangeable |
Good to know
- Deposits and Travel Protection premiums are always nonrefundable; the deposit is what you lose if you cancel before the final payment date.
- The deposit can be moved to another Avalon, Globus or Cosmos trip up to 180 days before departure. The new trip takes its own prices, promotions and cancellation schedule, and a cheaper trip does not make any part of the original deposit refundable. Inside 180 days a transfer is a cancellation plus a new deposit.
- Deposits are due at booking; Avalon accepts checks, Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.
- Avalon's Travel Protection Plan can be added any time up to the final payment date; buy it within 14 days of the deposit and the pre-existing medical condition exclusion is waived.
Final payment
The balance is due 90 days before the first day of Avalon services (the cruise or any pre-cruise hotel night, whichever comes first). Miss it and Avalon cancels the reservation and keeps the deposit, any airfare and any Travel Protection premium.
Standard schedule
| Cruise length | Balance due |
|---|---|
| Avalon river cruises in Europe, Southeast Asia, Egypt and the Amazon | 90 days before departure |
| Galapagos cruises aboard the MS Infinity | 180 days before departure |
| Other Galapagos cruises and hotel stays | 90 days before departure |
| Bookings made inside the final payment window | Full payment at booking, plus any late reservation fee |
Good to know
- Flex-Air flights follow the same final payment date as the cruise; Instant Purchase Air is paid in full when booked. Air-inclusive reservations close 10 days before departure.
- Promotional fares can set an earlier payment date or a booking deadline; your invoice is the authority and we put that date on our calendar.
- Electronic travel documents arrive 2 to 3 weeks before departure once the booking is paid in full.
- Optional excursions can be booked online from 90 days to 3 days before the excursion; South America cruises have none.
Cancellation charges
Charges are a percentage of the total price of the land and cruise arrangements, set by the day Avalon receives the cancellation. Travel Protection premiums sit outside the percentages and are never refunded. Before the final payment date the only charge is the nonrefundable deposit, plus any air deposit. The same schedule applies to every 2026 and 2027 Avalon departure, in every region.
All 2026 and 2027 Avalon river cruises
Europe, Southeast Asia, Egypt, the Amazon and the Galapagos alike; the final payment date is 90 days out (180 days for MS Infinity Galapagos cruises).
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Any length | Before the final payment date | The deposit ($250 or $500 per person) plus any air deposit; no further charge |
| Any length | Final payment date to 30 days | 50% of the total price |
| Any length | 29 to 1 days | 80% |
| Any length | Day of departure or later | 100%, no refund |
Flights booked through Avalon
Charged separately from the cruise.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Flex-Air | Any time after booking | $300 per person, rising to the full ticket price once the airline charges it |
| Instant Purchase Air | Any time after booking | Full ticket price plus the service fee |
| Intra-trip air | Any time after booking | Follows the cruise schedule above |
Good to know
- Tell SmartCruiser and we send the cancellation to Avalon the same day; the charge is set by the day Avalon receives it.
- Changes before the final payment date cost a minimum $30 per person revision fee plus any airline change fee (at least $300 per ticket, up to the full fare). After the final payment date a change of name, departure date or itinerary is treated as a cancellation and a new booking, with the full cancellation charge.
- Avalon's Travel Protection Plan refunds the cancellation penalty, less the plan cost, when you cancel before departure for a covered reason. Cancel for any other reason and Avalon issues a travel credit for the penalty amount, valid for travel within two years of the original departure date, nontransferable and not redeemable for cash.
- No refund for a no-show, for leaving the cruise early or for unused services; Travel Protection adds vacation interruption cover of up to 150% of the trip cost plus return transportation.
- Refunds go back to the original payment method, or to SmartCruiser when we made the payment for you, and we pass them straight on.
- Avalon is an active USTOA member and posts a $1 million bond toward refunding advance payments if the company ceases business.
Gratuities
Gratuities are not included in Avalon's U.S. fare. Avalon's own guidance for Europe suggests 12 EUR per guest per day for the ship's crew, pooled and shared with the people behind the scenes, and 3 EUR per guest per day for the Cruise Director. Both can be prepaid when you pay the balance or left in cash in the envelopes provided in your stateroom at the end of the cruise.
| Stateroom | Daily gratuity |
|---|---|
| Ship's crew, Europe (suggested) | 12 EUR per guest, per day |
| Cruise Director, Europe (suggested) | 3 EUR per guest, per day |
| Local guides and sightseeing drivers on included excursions, Europe | Covered in the cruise price under Avalon's Europe guidance; a euro or two for a standout guide is at your discretion |
| Hotel porters and restaurant staff at included meals | Included in the price (hotel meals in Europe excepted) |
Good to know
- Avalon's Travel Terms list gratuities for the Cruise Director, local hosts, local guides, drivers and the ship's crew as discretionary and not included unless a promotion says otherwise; the amounts above are Avalon's suggestions for Europe, and the Know Before You Go document and Important Travel Documents for each cruise carry the current country-by-country figures.
- Prepaid gratuities for the crew and Cruise Director go on the invoice with the final payment; Avalon's own sales regularly include them free on selected Europe departures.
- Southeast Asia, Egypt, Amazon and Galapagos cruises give their own suggested amounts in U.S. dollars in the travel documents; in Egypt gratuities are paid in cash on board rather than prepaid.
- Wine and beer with lunch and dinner, sparkling wine at breakfast, soft drinks all day, specialty coffee and tea, Wi-Fi in Europe and Egypt and one included excursion in every port are all in the fare, so gratuities are the main onboard extra.
Dress code
No formal nights on any Avalon ship. In Avalon's words, comfort is the only code it goes by: days are casual for walking and cycling excursions, dinner is casual with collared shirts and slacks or a skirt or dress, and dressing up for the Captain's Reception or the Farewell Dinner is entirely optional.
Daytime
Dress for comfort and the weather: layers, a small bag for them, and comfortable walking or athletic shoes for excursions. Swimwear is for the Sky Deck only.
Dinner and evenings
Casual: collared shirts and slacks for men, skirts, dresses or slacks for women, a sports coat if you like. Avalon asks that shorts not be worn in the dining room or Panorama Lounge in the evening.
Captain's Reception and Farewell Dinner
Some guests dress up a little; it is optional, and no one needs a jacket, tie or gown.
Mekong, Amazon and Galapagos
Warm and humid, so Avalon recommends leaving dressier clothes at home altogether.
Dress Your Best nights
| Cruise length | Formal nights |
|---|---|
| Any length | 0 |
House rules
- Shorts are not worn in the dining room or Panorama Lounge in the evening; swimwear stays on the Sky Deck.
- Some excursions visit churches, mosques and holy sites that require covered knees and shoulders, and some evening events ashore do not allow shorts.
- Pack walking shoes and a light rain layer: Avalon's Active and Discovery sailings add hikes, bike rides and canoe trips.
- All ship interiors are nonsmoking; smoking is allowed only in one designated outdoor area on each ship, and e-cigarettes and vapes are banned on Avalon's coaches and transfers.
Age rules
Avalon welcomes children of 8 and older traveling with an adult, but it is built for adults: there are no children's programs, no kids' facilities and no child fares. Age is counted on the departure date.
Minimum age to sail without a parent or guardian
| Departure | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Every Avalon cruise, every region | 18 to travel without an adult; the person making the reservation must also be 18 or older |
Stateroom assignment
An adult must accompany every guest under 18 on all services, from the airport transfer to the last excursion, and the adult on the reservation is responsible for the minor's behavior, safety and supervision. Avalon's published guidance asks that a guest under 18 share an adult's stateroom; Avalon ships have no connecting staterooms, so a family of three or more books two staterooms with an adult on each reservation.
Infants
| Sailing | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Every Avalon ship, every region | Not carried: the minimum age is 8 |
| Children aged 8 to 17 | Welcome with an adult, at the full adult fare; no reductions on Avalon cruises |
Drinking age
| Departure or destination | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Europe river cruises | Avalon publishes no onboard drinking age; its ships follow the law of the country they are in, and independent river cruise guides report that Avalon serves alcohol to guests of 18 and over |
| Southeast Asia, Egypt, Amazon and Galapagos | Local law applies; ask the Cruise Director on board |
Good to know
- Avalon does not sail in the United States, so there is no 21 rule on any of its ships.
- Wine and beer are included with lunch and dinner for guests of drinking age; soft drinks, specialty coffee and tea are included all day for everyone.
- The minimum age rises on some combined land and cruise programs: 12 on the Camino de Santiago tour, 10 at the Victoria Falls Safari Club and Ngoma Safari Lodge, and 7 on the Chobe Princess.
- There are no children's programs, kids' facilities or babysitting on any Avalon ship, and Avalon's cycling, hiking and canoe excursions are planned for adults.
- Avalon recommends its Travel Protection Plan on every booking; the plan covers medical evacuation and repatriation as well as cancellation.
How SmartCruiser handles the fine print for you
- We put your 90 day (or 180 day) final payment date on our calendar and remind you before it; a missed date cancels the booking and forfeits the deposit.
- Before final payment we watch your sailing for Avalon's next promotion and move your booking to it when Avalon allows, so you never overpay for the same stateroom.
- We send cancellations, name changes and date changes to Avalon the same day and tell you the exact charge before you decide, including the $30 revision fee and any airline change fee.
- Prepaid gratuities, Avalon's Travel Protection Plan, flights, pre- and post-cruise hotel nights and optional excursions go on your invoice if you want them, and your Welcome Back Credit is applied before final payment.
- SmartCruiser adds bonus onboard credit on top of Avalon's own offers on every sailing, not available booking direct. Ask for it when you call 1-800-444-1560.
Last verified October 14, 2026 against Avalon Waterways's own pages: Travel Terms and Conditions, revision date September 8, 2026, Globus family Travel Terms and Conditions (same text, minimum ages and cancellation schedule), Avalon FAQ: dress code, minimum age, smoking, included drinks, air deposit, Avalon Travel Protection Plan, Avalon airfare: Flex-Air and Instant Purchase Air, Welcome Back Credit, Arch Insurance: Globus family Travel Protection coverage summary, Avalon gratuity guidance as reproduced by cruisebooking.com (3 EUR Cruise Director, 12 EUR crew), Cruise Critic: river cruise tipping policies, Cruise Critic: river cruise smoking, alcohol and age policies. These deposit, payment and cancellation terms are the Travel Terms and Conditions that Avalon Waterways and its parent, the Globus family of brands, publish for reservations made in the United States (revision date September 8, 2026). Avalon sells the same cruises through separate offices in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, each with its own booking conditions, deposits and gratuity arrangements. Policies change; the cruise line's ticket contract and the terms on your booking confirmation govern.
Questions
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