Avalon Cares

From our inception, Avalon Waterways has cast a light on the world’s most fascinating places and people – inviting wayfarers and wanderers like you to bask in their glory, intrigue and wonder. Along the way, we’ve helped travellers uncover ancient traditions while meeting the locals dedicated to preserving them; to meander historic hallways while giving back to the societies that safeguard them; and to put down the guidebooks and pick up a greater understanding of the world and its people.

Immersed in enlightening experiences, we naturally gain a deeper appreciation – one that leads to greater compassion, consideration and curiosity as we ask ourselves, what else can we do to protect our planet, preserve our sacred places and help humankind?

Enter the Avalon Waterways® Lighthouse Project – an illuminating initiative where we can all come together to tread lightly and give generously for the globe’s greater good. Avalon, along with sister companies Globus, Cosmos and Monograms, invite our travellers and partners to help us in supporting causes that provide for a more sustainable planet and a brighter tomorrow.

Keeping the world in its best light.

While nothing is more exciting than tracing the paths of historic legends, doing so with the most minimal footprint excites us even more. We make every effort to conserve and preserve in each destination we visit by helping to protect the waterways, wild places, and wildlife by supporting and shining a light on organizations that do the same.

Keeping the blue planet green.

We love caring for the world just as much as we love sharing it with you! By booking an Avalon river cruise, you’re helping us do just that! When you book a cruise with Avalon Waterways, we contribute to environmental organizations that work to improve the health of our planet. Cruise easy knowing we’ve made a donation to The Ocean CleanUp and Trees4Travel—two leading champions of cleaner water and air. And on behalf of every guest, Avalon purchases trees via Trees4Travel to offset your cruise’s carbon emissions, ensuring together that we’re keeping our promise to Mother Earth to be the most sustainable cruise option available. Enjoy the anticipation and excitement of your upcoming adventure as you review your travel documents, while making a difference in the world we discover together. You can also make an additional donation of your own to Trees4Travel or The Ocean Cleanup to help make the world even greener!

A Cleaner Planet is the Best Reward.

Avalon Waterways has been honoured by Europe’s Green Award—recognised for our Suite ShipSM; fleet's high safety and environmental standards. This prestigious award is given to river cruise ships based on the environmental impact of engines, fuel consumption, waste and maintenance, pollution prevention, and more.

The planet-focused initiatives we support include:

The Ocean Cleanup
Trees4Travel
Wildland Firefighter Association
Vital Ground Foundation – Grizzly Bear Recovery*
Wildlife Conservation Network, Lion Recovery Fund
South African Parks Honorary Rangers

*visited on trip

Additionally, we shine a light on the following organizations through a combination of vacation visits and donations:

Monkey Rehabilitation Center, Brazil
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Baby Elephant & Rhino Rescue, Kenya
Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, China
National Kiwi Conservation Project, New Zealand
Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, Australia
The Kangaroo Sanctuary, Australia

Helping the communities of the world shine.

It’s not just the splendid landscapes and landmarks that make travel so rewarding – it’s the unique people we meet along the way and the cultures they hold dear. We are dedicated to protecting, respecting and supporting the extraordinary communities of the world as well as improving the individual lives within them. The measure of the Lighthouse Project’s success? – The megawatt smiles we see along the way.

The people-focused organizations we support include:

Landmine Design
UNICEF
Rural Aid

Additionally, we shine a light on the following organizations through a combination of vacation visits and donations:

Local orphanage, Cambodia
Mother Theresa’s Missionaries of Charity
KOTO Hospitality Training Center, Vietnam
Local school English class, Cambodia
Local school, Tanzania
Indigenous Amazon communities (via lodge stays), Ecuador and Peru
Home visits, Peru