Avalon Waterways reports that it is coming off its strongest first quarter sales season ever. From a surge in bookings across France on the Seine & Rhône, to the Rhine & Moselle Rivers, to sell-out status on special interest cruises, the river line says it is adding new departures to meet 2023 and 2024 demand.

“We’ve just witnessed the biggest first quarter bookings swell in our history,” said Avalon president Pam Hoffee. “While the Rhine River is leading this wave of interest, our most popular destination for 2023 is France. We expect both the Seine and Rhône Rivers to sell-out this year. And, thanks to an increased interest in longer journeys, we’re also enjoying a growing trend in two-week vacations, including 14- and 15-night river cruises that cover more ground like our Magnificent Europe and Grand France itineraries.”

According to Hoffee, Avalon is also experiencing a rise in off-season travel.

The company’s Festive Season cruises are nearly sold-out for 2023 so the company has added two new late-November cruises featuring some of Europe’s best Christmas Markets on the Danube, between Budapest and Vienna.

Avalon Waterways’ wine-themed cruises are also nearly sold-out for 2023, Hoffee says, so Avalon has added two additional wine-themed cruises that take cruisers along the Rhône River through Burgundy and Provence in early- and mid-November – reaching even more cruisers in the off-season.

To prepare for continued high demand, Avalon is extending its 2024 cruising season into November on the Seine and Rhône Rivers while also adding departures on the Rhine and Danube Rivers, including more Festive cruises.