If you're researching the Avalon beverage package, you may be expecting a fixed price per person, per day, similar to the drink packages sold by many ocean cruise lines. Avalon Waterways takes a different approach.
For its European river cruises, Avalon currently includes a substantial selection of beverages in the cruise fare rather than advertising a standard unlimited daily beverage package. Wine, beer, and soft drinks are included with lunch and dinner, while sparkling wine is offered with breakfast. Complimentary soft drinks, specialty coffee, tea, and filtered water are also available. Avalon additionally offers a complimentary happy hour with select beer, wine, spirits, and cocktails on evenings after the first night.
That means there isn't a single Avalon Waterways beverage package price you can simply add to your cruise budget. The more useful question is what beverages are included and which drinks could cost extra.
For European Avalon cruises, Avalon does not currently advertise a traditional unlimited beverage package with a fixed daily price.
Instead, beverages are incorporated into the cruise experience.
Avalon's current information says passengers receive complimentary:
Wine and beer with lunch and dinner
Soft drinks with lunch and dinner and throughout the day
Sparkling wine with breakfast
Specialty coffee and tea
Filtered water
Select alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages during Happy Hour
This is a major difference from a conventional cruise beverage package, where passengers might pay a daily fee in exchange for a defined selection of drinks.
There is no standard daily Avalon Waterways beverage package cost for European cruises because Avalon includes many beverages in the cruise fare rather than selling a separate unlimited drink package.
So, if you're searching for an Avalon cruise beverage package cost per day, don't automatically expect a separate beverage charge.
Your additional beverage spending depends largely on what you choose beyond the included offerings.
For many passengers, ordinary drinks can therefore add little or nothing to the cruise bill.
Avalon's beverage inclusions are one of the reasons its cruise pricing can be easier to understand than a cruise where most drinks are charged separately.
On European Avalon cruises, complimentary wine and beer are served with lunch and dinner. Avalon emphasizes regional wines selected from the areas through which its ships travel.
If you normally enjoy a glass of wine or beer with meals, this inclusion can substantially reduce your need for a separate beverage budget.
Sparkling wine is included with breakfast on European Avalon cruises.
It's one of several beverage inclusions that are already built into the cruise fare.
Avalon provides complimentary soft drinks throughout the day on its European cruises.
This is particularly useful for travelers who don't drink alcohol or simply want something other than wine or beer during the day.
Avalon Suite ships have a club lounge with a 24-hour self-service beverage station offering complimentary specialty coffees, including cappuccinos and lattes, as well as hot chocolate and tea.
For coffee drinkers, this can eliminate the need to purchase specialty coffee every morning.
Filtered water stations are available, and Avalon provides reusable bottles for guests who need one. Its Suite Ships also offer complimentary water stations.
Yes. Happy Hour is one of the more notable beverage inclusions.
Avalon currently describes a complimentary happy hour with select beer, wine, spirits, and cocktails. It also offers zero-proof options, giving non-drinkers an alternative to alcoholic beverages.
Avalon's current all-inclusive information states that Happy Hour is offered every night except the first.
The exact selection can vary, so you should not assume that every cocktail or premium spirit at the bar is included.
Selected cocktails are included during complimentary Happy Hour.
Avalon has partnered with mixologist Martin Hudák to create signature cocktails for its fleet, including zero-proof options.
However, this does not mean every cocktail available at the bar is complimentary throughout the day.
Avalon also describes its suite ships as having an upscale bar serving premium spirits.
If you want a premium spirit or a cocktail outside the included selection, check the current bar menu before ordering.
Not necessarily.
Avalon's standard inclusions cover a broad range of everyday beverages, but premium offerings can be different.
The distinction is important if you prefer:
Premium spirits
Specific wine labels
Specialty cocktails
High-end beverages
Drinks outside the included meal or Happy Hour selections
Avalon does not present its beverage policy as an unlimited premium open bar throughout the day. Instead, it identifies specific drinks and service periods as complimentary.
Some beverages may carry an additional charge if they fall outside the cruise's included offerings.
The easiest way to avoid an unexpected charge is to ask the bartender whether a particular drink is included before ordering it.
You can also check the bar menu. Avalon says its AvalonGO app provides access to updated daily dining and bar menus, so passengers can check what is being offered during their sailing.
No. This is one of the most important points to understand.
Avalon operates cruises in several regions, and beverage inclusions vary by destination.
For European cruises, Avalon lists:
Wine and beer with lunch and dinner
Sparkling wine with breakfast
Soft drinks throughout the day
Specialty coffee and tea
Filtered water refill stations
Avalon's Asia cruises have a somewhat different beverage setup. Complimentary coffee, tea, soft drinks, and local beer and spirits are available throughout the day, while wine is included with lunch and dinner.
On Amazon itineraries, Avalon lists complimentary coffee, tea, selected soft drinks, and local beer and spirits throughout the day, with wine included at dinner.
For Galápagos cruises, complimentary coffee and tea are available throughout the day, while wine is included with dinner.
Therefore, don't use the European beverage policy as a blanket rule for every Avalon itinerary.
Because so many standard beverages are included, you don't necessarily need to set aside a large daily drink budget.
A sensible approach is to divide your potential spending into two categories.
Start with the drinks you expect to have at no additional charge:
Coffee
Tea
Water
Soft drinks
Wine with lunch and dinner
Beer with lunch and dinner
Sparkling wine at breakfast
Select Happy Hour drinks
Then consider whether you want:
Premium spirits
Premium wines
Specialty cocktails outside the included selection
Other drinks not listed as complimentary
This gives you a much more realistic cost of beverages on Avalon Waterways than applying a generic cruise drink-package price.
It depends on your drinking habits, but Avalon's inclusion model can be financially attractive for travelers who mainly drink wine, beer, soft drinks, coffee, and tea.
Imagine two cruises with similar base fares. One charges separately for most drinks, while Avalon already includes wine and beer with meals, soft drinks, and specialty coffee and tea.
The advertised cruise price alone would not tell you which vacation is cheaper.
You should compare the total expected vacation cost, including beverages, dining, excursions, Wi-Fi, and other major inclusions.
Avalon specifically positions its cruise model around having many of these experiences included rather than selling them as constant add-ons.
Avalon's current European cruise information does not describe a standard unlimited beverage package with a fixed daily price.
Instead, it includes selected beverages at particular meals and times.
That means you shouldn't interpret Avalon's complimentary drinks as an unlimited premium open bar.
For example:
Wine and beer are included with lunch and dinner.
Soft drinks are available throughout the day.
Specialty coffee and tea are available through the Club Lounge.
Select cocktails and alcoholic drinks that are included during Happy Hour.
Premium beverages may be outside the complimentary selection.
A conventional beverage package usually has three basic components:
A fixed price per day
A defined range of eligible drinks
Rules governing what and how much you can order
Avalon's approach is different.
Instead of asking every passenger to buy a beverage package, Avalon builds many beverages into its cruise fare.
This can be particularly convenient for passengers who don't want to calculate whether they will drink enough each day to justify a package fee.
It also makes Avalon's pricing model easier to understand for moderate drinkers.
If by “beverage package” you mean a separate unlimited package, there isn't a standard European package you need to decide whether to buy.
The better question is whether Avalon's included beverages meet your needs.
Enjoy wine or beer with meals
Drink coffee and tea
Prefer soft drinks
Like occasional cocktails
Enjoy regional wines
Don't need premium spirits throughout the day
Prefer high-end spirits
Order premium wine
Want specialty cocktails outside Happy Hour
Prefer a specific premium brand
Frequently order drinks that aren't part of the included selection
You don't need complicated strategies to keep beverage costs under control.
If you enjoy wine or beer with meals, use the included meal service rather than assuming you need to purchase something separately.
The Club Lounge offers complimentary specialty coffee and tea around the clock on Avalon Suite Ships.
Happy Hour is an easy way to enjoy select cocktails, wine, beer, and spirits without purchasing a separate drink package.
If you want something outside the standard selection, ask whether it is complimentary or carries an additional charge.
Avalon's app provides current bar and wine menus, which can help you understand the available selections during your cruise.
Beverage policies can change, and different itineraries have different inclusions.
Before departure, check:
Your specific itinerary
Your destination's beverage policy
Current bar menus
Which Happy Hour drinks are included
Whether a particular premium beverage costs extra
Any updated terms supplied with your booking
Avalon's AvalonGO app can also provide updated daily dining and bar menus during the cruise.
Avalon does not currently advertise a standard daily beverage package price for its European river cruises. Instead, many beverages are included in the cruise fare, including wine and beer with lunch and dinner, soft drinks, and specialty coffee and tea.
Avalon does not currently promote a conventional unlimited daily beverage package for European cruises. Its model includes a wide range of drinks in the cruise fare.
Yes. On European Avalon cruises, complimentary wine is served with lunch and dinner. Sparkling wine is also included with breakfast.
Yes. Beer is complimentary with lunch and dinner on European Avalon cruises.
Yes. Avalon currently states that complimentary soft drinks are available throughout the day on European cruises.
Yes. Specialty coffees and teas are complimentary, with Avalon Suite Ships offering a 24-hour Club Lounge beverage station.
Select cocktails are included during complimentary Happy Hour. Avalon does not state that every cocktail at the bar is complimentary throughout the day.
Yes. Avalon currently describes a complimentary happy hour every evening except the first, with select beer, wine, spirits, and cocktails.
They can. Avalon offers premium spirits and a range of bar selections beyond its standard complimentary offerings. Check the current bar menu or ask staff about a particular drink before ordering.
No. Beverage inclusions vary between Europe, Asia, the Amazon, and the Galápagos.
For a European cruise, you generally do not need to budget for a separate standard beverage package. Instead, allow for additional spending if you expect to order premium or otherwise excluded drinks.
So, how much is a beverage package on Avalon Waterways? For European Avalon cruises, there isn't a standard unlimited daily beverage package with a separate published price.
Instead, Avalon includes many everyday drinks in the cruise fare. You can enjoy wine and beer with lunch and dinner, sparkling wine with breakfast, soft drinks throughout the day, specialty coffee and tea, and select drinks during complimentary Happy Hour.
That means the Avalon Waterways beverage package cost for a typical European passenger can effectively be zero because there is no separate package to purchase for the standard included beverages.
Your actual additional beverage spending depends on your preferences. If you are happy with the included wine, beer, soft drinks, coffee, tea, and selected Happy Hour drinks, you may have very little to add to your onboard budget. If you prefer premium spirits, wines, or cocktails outside the included selection, plan for potential extra charges.
Finally, check your specific itinerary before sailing. Avalon operates in multiple regions, and beverage inclusions differ by destination.
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