Avalon Adds Seasonal Europe Excursions for 2027 River Cruises

Avalon Waterways has unveiled a 2027 slate of seasonal shore excursions tied to spring, summer, fall and winter activities in Europe. The program adds time-specific experiences such as apricot picking in the South of France, Normandy apple picking and cider tastings, lavender distillery visits and vineyard outings to the line's excursion portfolio.

Avalon said 75 percent of nearly 10,000 surveyed cruisers prefer to travel outside peak months, while its 2025 off-season sailings grew 18 percent year over year, helped by added capacity in late fall and early winter.

"Our new seasonal excursions connect our guests more deeply to the places they're exploring," said Pam Hoffee, president of Avalon Waterways. "These are experiences that exist for a moment."

The 2027 lineup includes hands-on culinary classes using seasonal market ingredients, strawberry harvest experiences, flower picking paired with essential oil workshops, and regional food and drink activities timed to local production calendars.

Seasonal programming expands Avalon Choice

The seasonal excursions build on Avalon Choice Excursions, the line's included shore-excursion structure at many ports. The program gives guests options across Classic guided sightseeing, Discovery cultural activities and Active excursions such as hiking, biking or kayaking.

In a separate company statement, Hoffee said, "Travel feels more meaningful when it reflects who you are," adding that Avalon continues to add "more choice, more flexibility and more ways to connect with the places our guests visit."

The company said its Wish List Survey of nearly 10,000 travelers found that 99 percent of cruisers consider a range of shore excursions important when choosing a river cruise.

Avalon has not detailed the full departure-by-departure placement of the new excursions across individual 2027 itineraries.