Avalon never misses an acceptable value. Service is impeccable. Rooms are shining with cleanliness. Linens are superb. Unfortunately, this is not enough when you consider the price one pays per day. Cruise plan was uninspired (as an understatement). The stateroom was no less than claustrophobic. Taking a shower required acrobatic qualifications. Smoking areas were on the same end of the boat, thus requiring long walks in many occasions. This is highly inconsiderate and I hope Avalon doesn't attempt to re educate smokers... The food was mediocre (another understatement). The free wine matched its poor quality. On the other hand, the crew was superb. Chamber maids were devoted and meticulous. Hotel manager and dining room manager were highly professional and exceeded all expectations. Entertainment on board ranged from acceptable to very good. Bar prices were fair and didn't exhibit any greediness. To sum up: For a price tag of 500-900 USD per day, Avalon passengers deserve better. Read Less

We chose this cruise initially because we wanted to have at least two days in Vienna. And, because we could not book our cruise until late summer, this was our best option. But what serendipity! It was a wonderful experience on the beautiful Avalon Impression. Our vivacious cruise director Maria was very informative and took excellent care of everyone. We appreciated the multiple included excursion options and took full advantage of them. It was a jam-packed 7+ days with hiking, biking, canoeing, wine and beer tastings, museum tours, and concerts! All experiences were very well-planned, and all guides were extremely knowledgeable. Crew members were always very friendly, pleasant and attentive. And the dining choices were delicious, with emphasis on local cuisine and wines. We had never been on a river cruise before, and we're now huge fans of this smaller ship type sailing! We much prefer this to multi-thousand passenger cruises! Read Less

Our family of six, four young adults in their twenties and my husband and I (fifty-somethings), all had a great time on our cruise! There was a wide range of activities, enough to please everyone and keep us all busy (maybe too busy at times...we had to take some breaks!). The food was outstanding, with many choices at every meal. The dining room staff was professional, yet also comfortable and familiar for our family. The shore excursions were great...each day we thought that the next day couldn't possibly get any better, but it did each day. We loved having the bikes available, to just take off when we had spare time and explore on our own. We really liked the headsets that we used on excursions. They were easy to use, worked well, and allowed us to hear the very informative tour guides. I do have one suggestion. We arrived in the departure city around 10 am and got to the boat about 11AM. We were exhausted from our flights and just wanted a place to rest. Unfortunately our cabins were not ready until 3 PM. We literally slept (uncomfortably) in the ship's lounge as we waited for them to prepare our cabins. I wonder if there isn't a way for Avalon to plan better for this, giving those of us who had traveled immediately before our arrival (as opposed to those who may have spent the previous night in a hotel in the departure city) access to our cabins more quickly. Since our air travel was arranged through Avalon, this might be possible and it would have made our first day more pleasant. Read Less

We picked the Danube because we had never been to Vienna or Budapest and liked the idea of sailing on the river. We picked the 'active' cruise and this was the right decision for us. We love bike tours of cities and this cruise included four bike tours. We loved the wine with all the meals on board and the food was very good. It's also great to meet most of the passengers and crew by the end of the cruise. We even tried the hot tub on board. Despite the low water level on the river, and the fact that we couldn't reach Budapest by river, Avalon handled the situation professionally and efficiently. Service was very good and entertainment was fun! Well done! Intercontinental in Budapest was very comfortable, central and great views. Not sure will will be able to go back to massive ocean cruises ever again! We will be back. Read Less