Approximately 3 days prior to our river cruise, our group of 20+ received an e-mail from Avalon stating there were going to be big changes to our itinerary due to high water levels & train strike on day we were supposed to take TGV from Paris to Dijon. We were told that we could cancel & get our money back - but we were aleady in France. Instead of 2 hour train ride - we had a six-hour bus ride to Lyon - where the ship was docked. Not Avalon's fault - just part of river cruising.

Once we embarked on the ship in Lyon, (our home for 2 1/2 days), the food was was quite good; entertainment was not so good, and the service was excellent. Unfortunately - people started getting sick with something like the stomach flu in middle of the cruise. On the last few days of this cruise, I would estimate that approximately 50% to 60% of the people (and crew) on this river cruise became sick from Norovirus...with intense diarrhea and vomiting. The largest % of people became sick on the last night of the trip; and we had a 3-hour bus ride scheduled to Nice at 9 AM.

In complete candor; I felt that Avalon Waterways was very poorly prepared for an event of this type. It seemed that Avalon's top priority was to get us off the ship; and shuffle all of us "sickos" off to the Carllton Hotel in Nice. Out of sight; out of mind. Avalon Waterways has not trained their staff properly / and had no established protocols for a massive norovirus outbreak of this type. No offer to call physicians from Arles for the people who could not get out of bed / no recommendations about hydration / no medications on board. It was shabby treatment of good customers....at best. Avalon Waterways was responsible for getting us all sick; and did not know what to do with us. This failure of planning was Avalon Waterway's fault, in my opinion.