We had been on the Danube with Avalon for the Christmas markets. We enjoyed our time on this cruise so much we decided to do another. We were not disappointed at all. The people, the food, the excursions were all we had hoped for. We ate so well and had wonderful conversations with the entire staff. The excursions were very nice as our guides were well informed and shared this information with our travel group. This seems to be the norm for Avalon. Our first cruise set the bar quite high and our second cruise met it. We invited some family members to join us on this latest cruise because we were positive they would have the same experience as we had. They were not disappointed at all. I believe they too will take another cruise (only with Avalon). We appreciated the amount of work that went into this cruise for my husband and I. We were so impressed and satisfied with our choice to cruise Avalin Waterways. Read Less

Firstly a disclaimer this is our first river cruise although we have done a number of cruises on small ships Azamara, Oceana. We embarked in Arle and then went downstream 1 hour to the Camarge. The active excursion by bike was great. Day 2 back to Arle ( where we had independently spent a day) the excursion was great hiking up a limestone mountain and seeing a Van Gogh audiovisual presentation inside a building with images projected onto limestone. Day 3 meandered upstream to Avignon and went to an amazing chocolate factory. So overall the excursions were good to great.. The food was not impressive compared to the other small cruise ships we had been on. One meal the menu offering was a rack of lamb but this turned out to be 2 lamb chops. Several passengers asked the waiter for the rest of their rack of lamb. The cabin we chose the highest level stateroom was nice. Entertainment on board was very limited. One night they had a great group of performers with spanish guitar, and 2 dancers. Read Less

It was a chance to see several places within a short amount of time in places I have always wanted to visit. Also, I wanted a short (7days) trip to try out river cruising to see if it was a travel method that I would enjoy. I was impressed on all counts. The stops along the river gave you a good sample of the area. The ship was amazing from well appointed, clean, comfortable rooms, amazing views from the sky deck and common areas that were warm and inviting with plenty of room for all. The land excursions planned and the onboard entertainment we all spot on with amazing guides on land and varied performances and entertainment onboard. And the food was beyond plentiful, varied and expertly cooked. To top it all off, the service from everyone onboard made you feel you were the only traveler and that they were there to meet your every need, which they did. Amazing trip in all ways and can’t wait to go again. Avalon Waterways is truly professional and amazing in the travel industry. Read Less

We recently returned from our Avalon river cruise from Amsterdam to Basel on the Expression. All four of us are seniors ranging in age from 65-74. Our group wanted to try a short river cruise in order to determine if we would try another, perhaps longer, river cruise. Here are our pros and cons: Pros The cabin (up on the topmost level) was large enough and the bed was very comfortable. The bathroom was fine with a roomy shower and enough counter space around the sink to handle our ‘stuff’. The large, sliding, panoramic doors were great. We wouldn’t have used a veranda and enjoyed the extra bit of cabin space the exclusion of a veranda gave us. The ship was clean. We enjoyed the fact there was a happy hour with 1/2 price drinks and Robert, our bartender, was a pro. He was funny, prompt, and had a great personality. Staff was, on the whole, pleasant. The reception desk was accommodating and the two male staff members were friendly and helpful. The exception was the female who was a bit short with the passengers and sometimes acted as if it was an intrusion of her space/time to be bothered. The cruise director was very good. When we were out and about on excursions, I found it a plus that he’d show up out of the blue (frequently on his bicycle) to wave or help with directions. He was friendly, efficient, and thorough and had a good sense of humor when addressing the passengers. Our evening entertainment was limited. However one evening we were entertained by a trio of two violinists and a guitarist who were phenomenal-really enjoyed that!! The restaurant waitstaff was good. The morning tours/excursions were okay-a few times the tour guides were a bit too in-depth with the history of wherever we were and most info was lost in the translation. I guess there were just too many details to process and absorb. Cons The room steward was sweet and young but unlike our ocean cruises, never once called us by name. The food was good but we doubted all food was fresh produce from each of our ports especially when we spied a pallet with large cans of fruit and vegetables ready to be taken into the ship. Wine choices at meals were mediocre. All breakfast and lunches were buffet-style with only dinner served by the waitstaff. Unlike Viking, Avalon did not have a welcoming ‘tent’ at the pier. Actually, Viking had two..one on each side. It was no big deal...just another detail that adds to the experience. When we were dropped off at the pier we had to search a little to find Expression (at the end). Mornings found us having breakfast followed by an excursion which lasted until around lunchtime; then we’d have lunch and downtime until supper. I found that routine to be a bit of a drag as I’m enjoy walking the many decks of an ocean ship; participating (or not) in a great variety of activities; and enjoying the panoramic views of a huge sea. All four of us concluded early on in our river cruise that the ship (no fault of theirs as they are restricted to length and width) was just too small with minimal to do. We sometimes felt like caged animals! For the amount of money we spent on this 7-day river cruise, we could have sailed on an ocean cruise for a couple of weeks. Regardless of all the differences of river versus ocean cruising, going on any vacation with our friends is quite delightful We did spend five days in Amsterdam pre-cruise and three days in Lucerne/one day in Zurich (post-cruise and all our own planning) which we enjoyed immensely! Would we try river cruising again? No. I’d rather try a land tour of cities like Prague or Budapest (like Perillo Tours). We satisfied our curiosity and have plans for a Mediterranean cruise next summer and a cruise to the Netherlands in 2021. To each his own, I say!! Happy sailing!! Read Less

We took the Avalon Danube River Cruise last year and enjoyed it so much, we decided to take a second Avalon River Cruise. While we enjoyed the Rhine Cruise, we felt the on shore excursions were better on the Danube than the Rhine It seemed there were less attractions/activities on the Rhine vs Danube, which was disappointing Service crew were often stingy with wine service and bread and condiments were being collected while we were still eating. We didn't experience this on the Danube Cruise. Also, the Captain was a bit more engaging with the guests on the Danube than the Rhine. Dinner with the Captain was a real hit with everyone. Tour guides did a great job and Karoline does a fabulous job as cruise director. I am hopeful this review will facilitate improvement for future cruisers and do plan to book another cruise with Avalon Read Less

Jewish Heritage Cruise was way above our expectations. Two excursions included everyday. Way more than was advertised. Lecturers/Speakers on board were excellent. Chef and Cruise Director modified things to meet the special topic cruisers. Incredible state room opened Completely so we cruised in bed with the room open to river sounds and smells. Great food beautifully presented. Class A hotels at both Budapest and Prague with perfect locations and excellent views. Very high level buses for tours. Almost all guides had excellent English. Broke groups into small like 20 people so big buses half empty. Whole ship only about 120 people. Great sound speaker system on all tours. A few optional tours were good and not high priced. Wait staff very friendly and efficient. In trying to find something negative to say: Marketing materials said there would be nightly 10:30 food that didn’t happen. Also, tea time was almost always taken down before tours returned to ship. Bar wait staff was not really interested in selling drinks - didn’t work the room during happy hour or during lectures, didn’t know what liquor they had, etc. Marketing materials and even signs on ship said they had a beauty salon but crew said that was closed years ago. None of the negatives hurt the trip which was fantastic and we are veterans of 20+ cruises. Read Less

We choose this cruise to be able to see as much as possible while in Europe. Everyone on the ship was very accommodating to all types of passengers. I think we all would agree that we were very fortunate to have an awesome cruise director, Danielle. But it doesn’t stop there, from housekeeping to dining room staff to bartenders I mean everyone was great. The ship is in tiptop shape and the rooms are roomy enough with fantastic views. As we did cruise three different rivers we had an opportunity to see other cruise lines along the way and personally we are super glad that we chose Avalon not only from the ships appearance but also from the number of people on board seemed to be less than others. Onboard entertainment was varied and our cruise director did a great job of bringing in special guest. The on shore excursions were mostly good sometimes tour guides would spend a little bit too much time with history but that is to be expected. Oh and did I mention the castles! Read Less

We chose a river cruise as it would be a first for us and I had gotten seasick on the one and only time we went on an ocean cruise. We chose the Rhine river cruise due to the start/end cities and length of cruise. I looked at several cruise lines until it came down to two- Avalon and AmaWaterways. Chose Avalon due to schedule/direction. With the intimacy of small boats and smooth sailing on rivers, I'll never go on an ocean cruise again. Fellow passengers were very nice, no one was disruptive onboard. Staff was for the most part excellent. I'd give our cruise 8 out of 10 stars. I subtracted points for lack of varied night time entertainment, communication issue with a cook, staff not being overly attentive in refilling wine and coffee during meals, and one optional excursion that we took that was unsatisfactory. Due to my rating the next time I go on a river cruise I'll look at other cruise lines. If I had rated it 9 or 10 stars I would definitely repeat with Avalon. Kudos to the excellent breakfasts, lunches, and dinners onboard, cabin/service, and the tours that were included with no charge. It would have been great if they had a karaoke night or maybe hire a dance instructor for one night. As a fitness buff I would've liked the fitness center to have dumbells weighing more than 10kg, but I liked that I was mostly to myself whenever I went (5 out of 7 days). Read Less

Arrived in Amsterdam a day early to walk around and adjust to the time change. That worked well, but not enough time to do Amsterdam justice. The cruise far exceeded our expectations. The cabin was comfortable and always clean, the cabin arrangement was great and you could wake up in the morning a watch the country-side go by. The staff was always looking to help, whether answering questions, arranging for extra side trips or just getting another drink, they were always very helpful and friendly. The food was wonderful with a varied menu, always including fish, meat, poultry and vegetarian selections everyday. The chef made it very clear that if you wanted another dinner, or more of anything all you had to do was ask, be careful here; even having what was served resulted in a number of pounds by trips end. The off ship excursions were fantastic; the guides were very knowledgeable, informative and personable, with great stories along the way. This was our 1st cruise and we're already planning our next on Avalon! Read Less

We sailed on the Impression, but our Journey started several days earlier with an extension in Salzburg. Tamas was our guide on the ship, and was also our guide in Salzburg. I cannot say enough about how incredible he was. Everything was taken care of for us, and he was always available to answer questions. Our cabin was wonderful for the most part....the last night on board a shorter boat docked next to our boat, and as we had the last cabin, the other boat's exhaust pumped into our cabin. That was disconcerting and a bit concerning, but was the only negative thing I can say. The food was wonderful, and I loved that we had so many locally sourced foods. The entertainment was very enjoyable, the ship piano player was fantastic. The duo that got on the boat in Vienna and rode with us for a little while was great! All those that served on the ship were always relaxed and smiling, and served with great skill. The excursions were as advertised, and very enjoyable. The guides were knowledgeable and for the most part, very good at keeping those on the tour interested. The one poor guide was a lady in Grein who told us the same things over and over again interspersed with 'I don't know what else to tell you." I am not sure if she is inexperienced, or if she was uninterested. Overall, this was one of the best vacations of our lives, and a great way to celebrate our 30th anniversary! Read Less

I chose this cruise because I had great interest in Normandy. Our ship departed from Paris & we had planned on spending 2 days before boarding to explore the city. I am very glad that we did! Paris is a delightful way to start our trip. Embarkation was easy & our stateroom was perfect & our friendly attendant was helpful and kept our cabin neat. Our meals were thought out & the accompanying wine was perfect and plentiful. This was not our first river cruise with Avalon and all that we had come to expect was even better! The Tapestry11 is a well laid out ship, with convenience & comfort in mind. Evenings were spent listening to a wonderful keyboard player and dancing the night away. The crew was wonderful and thoughtful and friendly. Our captain was hands on and open to all our questions. He mixed with guests frequently making everyone feel special. The shore excursions were interesting and our guide was knowledgeable. I would definitely take this cruise again! Read Less

We chose Avalon since we had sailed the Rhine with them 10 years ago and had a wonderful experience. We chose this Blue Danube cruise because it was 2 nights in Budapest, over night in Vienna and 2 nights in Prague. We had a first class experience again! Everything was phenomenal from the cabin to the food to the excursions we picked. We highly recommend all the excursions that have to do with food and wine both afternoon tours for tastings and evening tours for dinners and folk shows. We also ordered a basic Anniversary celebration package and it was wonderful. We had a special table in the dining room with 6 guests (folks we had met on the cruise). Our guests received beautiful invitations, our table was decorated, we had champagne and a cake and then our cabin as also decorated and we had champagne, flowers, candy and fruit in the cabin. All of which made this anniversary especially memorable. Avalon also came through with a free excursion to Salzburg and a free lunch in Regensberg when they were forced to change our itinerary due to low water on the Danube that prevented us from getting to Nuremberg. The speed with which they changed arrangements for 150 people some of whom were flying out of Nuremberg was amazing. None of the passengers could have asked for better customer service. Should we chose to do another river cruise it will definitely be on Avalon. Read Less

The ship it was built in 2012 and it still looked brand new, our cabin was spacious and well equipped. We arrived on 12 July 2019 and checked into the Movenpick Hotel, Amsterdam City Center, the next morning to Breakfast and finally closed up all our bags ready to board the Avalon Vista to get settled. We had breakfast and prep for our Amsterdam Canal Cruse plus a walking tour, every day there was tours to a lot of the sights. The meals that were provided were very delicious, for those that didn't want a large meal there was a small were served in the Panorama Lounge, it was also the location for all the briefings for the next day’s activities and music/dancing. Each day was filled with tours provided by the cruise lines or optional fee. There were never wants for service because what you might want it was provided. The ports and shore excursions were very well arranged and informative. We know that it takes a lot of planning but the only disappointment was the day of disembarkment from the ship would we would like a mini tour of Basel. This was our first trip on a long ship but it won't be our last because we truly enjoyed it. Read Less

We chose this cruise based on location, dates and then were intrigued by the special itinerary around the Hapsberg Empire. Everything met or exceeded our expectations. The stateroom was beautiful and spacious, and the bed was very comfortable. Our favorite part was the panoramic operable windows - we used this multiple times to enjoy our "cruising time." The food, and especially the wine, was delicious. All the staff were knowledgeable, attentive and made us feel like valued passengers. Our cruise director, Tony Williamson, was just terrific - he really made it a special journey. We loved the variety of excursion options and enjoyed every one we did. There were many special activities or excursions that were unique to this itinerary. The daily briefings and the written itineraries were very helpful. My only negative feedback is about the embarkation process. The information provided about the specific docking location was not specific enough and there was no one at the dock to help provide additional information. We had to walk up and down the various docking locations along the Danube, dragging our luggage in extreme heat before finding the ship. Once onboard, everything was terrific and we had wonderful service. Surely, there must be a better way to board in Budapest. Also, while I downloaded the app and looked up some information ahead of time, it was not useful during the cruise. Read Less

My wife had always wanted to visit Prague. I thought: if we are going to do that, why not do a "river cruise" also? It was the best decision we could have ever made! I had researched cruise lines and Avalon Waterways always received top marks. Plus they had a Prague to Paris cruise. It was a "no brainer"! The stateroom was the perfect size for the two of us and the bed was fantastic; when we wanted to we could lie in bed with the curtains open watching the scenery go by. And the food onboard was top notch! The breakfast and lunch buffets were fantastic! And dinner was terrific! We were never lacking in anything. All of the crew - from the captain and cruise directory on down were extremely friendly and helpful. At each of our ports of call, again there was another fantastic excursion with a local guide that provided us with a tremendous amount of information and history. Would we do it again? Without a doubt!! Read Less

The duration and locations, especially starting on the Black Sea. Very happy we went from east to west as it consistently got better all the way to Prague. Budapest and Prague were great large cities and the smaller towns like Durnstein and Pecs were great surprises. The Passion was very nice with a small spa, but the exercise room was way too small. I couldn't lift the weights up as they hit the ceiling and the max weight was 10k. Matre'd was very accommodating to my wife's pepper allergies and there were some vegetables at the breakfast buffet for me. The tours of the towns and cities were well done, although most of the guides have their speech idocincracies. The presence of the Habsburg family made it a special themed cruise and more personal (only the portion from Budapest to Regensburg). By the end, we had heard the stories repeated so many times about Sissy, that we didn't want to hear anymore. Would have liked to have been involved with more sustainable activities and performances, like our Avalon cruise on the Mekong. Read Less

We have taken several ocean liner type cruises, so we didn't know how this would differ. Now, I can say EVERYTHING was wonderful and went so smoothly. The transfers to / from airport, the availability of information, the excursions, the food choices, the staff...everything was great. We love that the excursions ran ON TIME. Our cruise director urged everyone to be early, because they don't wait for you if you're late. We've been on bigger cruises that have waited for stragglers (and then you end up losing time exploring) AND also experienced some very unorganized excursions. Not so on Avalon. Communication is clear, organized, and punctual. Food was spectacular, loved all the wine choices with meals. Lots of choices for all kinds of eaters. Staff attentive and good at what they do. I think those servers have some of the hardest jobs anywhere. Our cabin steward noticed that I had a CPAP machine and offered to deliver some distilled water, which is needed for the best functioning of the machine. That was impressive. Cruise director was amazing...so knowledgeable, and gave clear, honest advice about various excursions. There were a few children on the cruise, and they seemed to have a good time. We also noticed several teens traveling with families and they appeared bored. (But is that what teens do?? :) ) There is NOTHING on the ship for children, but if they are enjoying the company of family and have some activities they bring with them, it could be an option. I'm not suggesting that Avalon provide this; you just have know this is what it is, if you're considering bringing children. There is NO DOUBT we will do this again. Hopefully sooner than later. We have nothing but glowing words for Avalon. Now if you could only control the weather... LOL P.S. I tried adding photos from my computer and it would not work. I clicked "add photos from your computer" and nothing happened. P.P.S. I have no idea what kind of room we had. It was the Avalon Panorama, cabin 233. It was definitely a panorama suite, but A? B? P? Who knows. Read Less

We loved Avalon...the wait staff in the kitchen were so awesome!!! We loved Kalinka!!! All of the food very good and fresh...all the staff very helpful, especially the front desk..so nice and helpful.... George the piano player was very nice, and good...wish there was a bit more exciting entertainment although I know that's kind of tough with the size of the lounge...and I think you need to give some more choices in the free included tours..would be nice to offer a few more exciting choices that you don't have to pay too much for. Our cruise director was also great, very organized and to the point!!! She ran a very good ship....I also wish there could have been some massage services or a little bit of pool would have been nice, but again I know with the size of the ship maybe not possible....It was really convenient being so close to all of the restaurants...and lounges...we loved it! Also, the fitness program needs work...a couple of times when our traveling friends were going to do one of the active tours, it would kind of fizzle or it wasn't really done the way it was listed to be...So I think that needs some attention... Otherwise, everything was fantastic! Read Less

This was our first river cruise and we had the most fantastic cruise on the Rhine! The crew and all of the people who work for Avalon were amazing! We cannot think of a single thing that would have made the cruise any better. The cabin was always kept immaculate by the staff. The food was above and beyond expectations. You always had a great variety of wine to choose from. The Cruise Director was incredible! She was always working very hard to make the experience first class. The entertainment was excellent and enjoyed the variety that was scheduled. We especially enjoyed the Classical that was scheduled for us. The extracurricular activities were spot on and gave us a good feel for the countryside and the people. The Captain was a man of few words but that is okay because he was a phenomenal pilot! Thank you to all of you for a dream vacation! Read Less

Bucket list trip to see Budapest & Prague for my wife & I, we have taken 4 ocean liner cruises but this was our first river cruise. We arrived in Budapest the day before the cruise started & we arranged for Avalon to transfer us from the airport to the hotel. The morning of our trip departure Avalon had a bus shuttle us & many other passengers from the hotel to the Visionary ship. Check in went smooth and we were very pleased with the cleanliness of the ship & our cabin. The daily Happy Hour (HR) was great with drinks 1/2 off, & the service during HR was excellent & since there's only (1) bar we were able to meet new people & make friends. Overall the dining was pretty good & the service was outstanding, the entire staff went out of their way to accommodate you. I loved the sauerkraut soup but that was the only soup I liked, if I had to give a bad grade out it would be for the soups, they all tasted like potato water, & the couple of nights we had seafood it was nothing special & the desserts could have been better. We tried different wines every night and most of them were very good. Shore Excursions were very good, of course some of the guides were better than others. It was a very busy day doing the included shore excursions in the morning & then going out on (3) of the optional afternoon excursions. It was so nice that Avalon had a "gentle walkers" excursion group for those that moved slower. It seemed like we stayed very busy getting up early for the morning excursions, attending the nightly next day info meetings during HR, then dinner was 7-9, so every day we felt like we were on a schedule. I would have liked more down time cruising on the river taking in the sites and I didn't like it that we couldn't sleep with the patio door open at night due to the bright lights from going thru the river locks & waking up docked to another ship right outside our window blocking any potential view. Unfortunately several people (12 that I know of) caught the chest respiratory bug that was going around, including myself and several people we met including my wife had to seek medical treatment & were bed ridden for a few days. Maybe adding another hand sanitizer station after you walked into the dining would have helped, but this is always a concern when you have 120 people plus staff contained on a boat. We stayed in Prague an extra day & also arranged for Avalon to transfer us from our hotel to the airport & again the driver was friendly & prompt. In summary it was a nice vacation and I would do another river cruise with Avalon now that I know what they’re about, they are very accommodating & much more personable than the ocean liner cruises. Read Less

We did a lot of homework before choosing Avalon Waterways. We read reviews of a number of different companies offering river cruises in Europe, and Avalon came out the clear winner. As first time river cruise folks we had no idea what to expect. Our first day on the boat set the tone for the next twelve days. Were were greeted, pampered, fed, and treated like royalty in every respect throughout our cruise. We met fascinating couples on the ship, made lasting friendships, and had an unforgettable experience. It is almost impossible to summarize a cruise like ours and be brief, but we hit it out of the park by choosing Avalon. The crew was amazing! Hardworking and professional every step of the way. They say that cleanliness is next to godliness, and to put it mildly, our ship was spotless! We had a cabin that was large, airy, and a pleasure to relax and sleep in. The food on our cruise on the Avalon Artistry II was gourmet ALL the way. Our Cruise Director ( Maria) was the consummate professional, and she saw to it that our every need was seen to expertly. Our captain was beyond expert at his job, and he made complex river navigation seem easy. Being a former Merchant Mariner, I know that when it seems easy, that that is the culmination or a highly trained and experienced crew making our cruise effortlessly smooth. I was, and always will be impressed by the caliber of Avalon employees. Perhaps I can explain my total satisfaction with Avalon by saying that I will cruise with them again. Putting one's money where the mouth is tells a story. We'll be back. Read Less

Avalon river cruise is absolutely the way to go. Avalon is a first class river cruise line at very reasonable prices. The ship is beautiful, with glass french door walls that open to give you a view of the river, local towns and castles. This was our first river cruise and we traveled with 25 friends and family. Taking a river cruise with friends and family is the way to go, sharing every moment together with members of the group, yet always having the flexibility to wander off on your own. Food on the ship was outstanding, and the crew under the leadership of the Captain felt like an extension of our family. They operated like a well oiled machine.. They were all so cordial, joked, very attentive, and so helpful. Avalon's Cruise Director Monika was so knowledgeable and helpful. She was outstanding and quick to help find out information if needed. All the tours and activities were well organized. What we liked most about the river cruise was the ability to dock next to the town, and go for walks whenever you wanted and wherever you wanted. Avalon also was very considerate of the different type of travelers. If you were older and more limited in walking, they had a gente traveler arrangement and would provide the equivalent of a golf cart in some locations to help ease the touring. Then for those of us that were more active, we could take beautiful hikes, or use the bikes on the ship to go bike riding through the towns and local area. Plus they had the classical tours for the average traveler. Everything was so well thought out. Almost everyone in our group took the top cabin deck and found the views beautiful. At night we would sit on the top ship deck and watch the towns and castles go by all lite up. It was so smooth, like riding on glass. What a change from ocean cruises that are always so crowded and not smooth, plus you have to take tenders to get to the towns your visiting which takes time. If you are thinking about taking a river cruise, everyone in our group highly recommends Avalon. We are already looking at planning another river cruise with Avalon. Read Less

Friends took this cruise last year and raved! They went above and beyond adding freebies when high water caused us to miss 2 ports. Avalon did not miss a beat. They offered a free concert and choice of excursions. They refunded anyone who had paid for the excursions. Our only disappointment was that we couldn’t take advantage of their generosity as we gad booked a private tour thinking it would be free time. Not Avalon’s fault, and after a horrible experience on a Baltic cruise where they canceled 3 out if 5 ports with ni compensation or substitutes, this was remarkable. The food was great. The chef met with anyone with special needs or restrictions when we boarded. Every dish was safe for-those who had allergies! This is a relaxing cruise- port intensive and busy during the day and leisurely in the evenings. There were performers from the local area, wine and schnapps tasting, captain ‘s welcome and gala farewell dinner. The buffets were plentiful and delicious. There were 2 cookouts on the skydeck. They need to better organize these as the lines were too long, but this is a new ship and I predict they will figure it out! The rooms were well appointed and the panoramic windows facing the bed were super! Our stewards were efficient and provided excellent service- we hardly saw them but every request was fulfilled! The nice thing about river cruises is that basic tours are included in each port. One guide was better than the next! One nice experience was top service from a front desk employee. The high water on the river changed our schedule and we went to Saltzberg and Linz on what turned out to be a holiday. My husband only wanted a Linzer torte ftom Linz, but alas, the bakeries were all closed. He mentioned it to the woman at the desk, and Surprise, when we returned to our cabin the next night, there was an entire torte with plates and flatware!! Shout out to Dayana for making this vacation fantasy a reality ! Precruise hotel was Prague Hilton. Great hotel, but the old town Hilton and Intercontinental were better located. Budapest was last minute swap to the Sofitel instead of the Intercontinental. Location next to the Chain Bridge was perfect, but not having the rooms available until later in the day was inconvenient. Avalon brought passengers for 50+ rooms and it would have been nice if they had rooms earlier. Breakfast at both hotels was amazing. We cannot wait to plan our next Avalon cruise Read Less

We are avid ocean cruisers and this was our second River Cruise, both on Avalon. The overall experience was fantastic again, with the condition of the ship, the service and the food meeting our expectations. As it turned out, we had the same cruise director (Yeah Valintin!!) as our first cruise and he was, again wonderful in delivering a great week going down the Rhine River. It was so easy getting on and off the boat whenever we wanted to. The wait staff were great, both good service and friendly interaction throughout our week with them. The ports were interesting and Avalon had the excursions extremely well organized with both buses and boats revved and waiting to take us to interesting places. The day we sailed through the Rhine Gorge, our cruise director narrated the experience pointing out the castles and providing context and historic background. Our cabin was on the top deck (category "P") and was extremely comfortable, with a well sized and well appointed bathroom with glass enclosed shower. It is hard to find fault with any aspect of the experience, with maybe a wish for a bit more diversity on food selections at dinner. However, their standard every night steak, chicken or fish options were well prepared if the regular nightly menu didn't meet our tastes. I'm not sure how much difference there is between some of the River Cruise lines (AMA, Uniworld etc) but I am more than pleased with our experiences on Avalon and will book with them again for our next River cruise. Read Less

Going Places Travel agent Judy Bakanec suggested it. We did this for our 50th wedding anniversary coming up in June. We liked having the AvalonGo app to keep us up to date on any changes to flights and schedules. The ship was new, spotless, and had everything we needed, the perfect size to feel at home and well-taken care of. The staff was friendly and completely professional. We teamed up with 3 other couples for meals and shore excursions, making the experience even more meaningful. We will definitely recommend Avalon Cruises and book another one, The only thing that would have made the cruise better would have been if Globus had us actually visit sites and not just see sites. Most days were rainy with temperatures in the low 40s Fahrenheit. Too many Globus classic excursions consisted of bus or walking tours around squares and not actually going inside places escorted. Read Less