I had cruised with Avalon down the Rhine River 10 years ago, and was very pleased, so I thought I'd stay with the same company down the Danube. I was so lucky to get a double room cabin all to myself, as did my 2 other girlfriends that I was traveling with. The first 5 singles that booked the cruise, did not have to pay the single supplement. Wow, that was a tremendous savings! The cruise was on the Envision, Avalon's brand new ship, and it was gorgeous. It was very quiet, we were midship on the second floor and I never knew anyone was next to, above, or below my cabin. Every single member of the crew, from the bus boy to the captain, were first rate. They went out of their way to make sure you were happy with your cruise. Hendrick, our cruise director, went out of his way to help and guide us 3 ladies, and he seemed to make himself available all the time - when did he sleep? The food was unbelievable - the presentation was amazing and of course it was so delicious - from breakfast to dinner. Wine at lunch and dinner was from the regions we were sailing through. It was a trip to remember - highly recommend it to all! Read Less

There is so much history in Hungary, Austria, Germany, Czeck Reublc. I have neverbeen on a river cruise. IT was great to see scenery on both sides, experience the locks,have a great cruise director Hendrick,, great meals and entertainment. I enjoyed seeingthe sites of the making of the Sound of Music movie. I also enjoyed the horse farm. It was greatly entertaining. The shore excursions were very educational and entertaining. Hendrick, our cruise director, and all of the crew were very friendly and efficient. Ourmeals were great, including wine, etc. Our french chief did a great job. I have beenon ocean cruises, but this was much more personal. Sitting at different tables formeals helped me to get acquainted with several other passengers which was a plusfor one traveling alone. The music and other entertainment in the lounge was great. My room was wonderful and I had a great view. Read Less

This was our third Avalon cruise. We had done the Rhine and the Seine cruises and loved them, so of course we stayed with Avalon. If you haven't done the Rhine, this tour does go by the Rhine castles and Lorelei Rock. I think that is really the high point of the Rhine cruise. (Plus, the Rhine is more industrial, which this tour is defiantly more scenic) On this cruise, the ship sails on the Danube canal, Main River, Rhine canal and Mossel River. There is very little industry, so the scenery is just beautiful, especially the mountains on the Mossel with the vineyards. We did the tour extension and started in Prague. Since our plane was late, we only had one full day in Prague, and that really isn't enough in this awesome city. We did the Avalon tour as well as Hidden Treasures and the Folklore dinner. We enjoyed all of them. Avalon's hotel, Hilton, did not meet our expectations due to very noisy (think jackhammer) construction that takes place from 10 to 7 pm. Although it was a superior hotel with beautiful rooms, not being able to hold a conversation in our room due to noise was not acceptable. However, this was a wonderful cruise. It helped that we had a fantastic Austrian cruise direction, Helmut, who kept things moving with Swiss precision. Not only were his evening cruise briefings concise and funny, but he was always there to make sure that our local guides had us where we were supposed to be He did a superior job of organizing our transfers off the ship. The crew of the ship were excellent. Of course our cabins were spotless, as was the ship and dining areas. The meals were delicious. Breakfast was buffet, with any food you could imagine, including an omelet station, which was particularly popular. Lunch also offered a great selection. Dinner was 4-5 courses, and you have a choice for each course. They serve wine and beer with lunch and dinner, complimentary. The ship also served tea at 4:00 with baked goods and sandwiches. We found all the food fantastic! Our lounge singer was ok, but the entertainers they brought onboard were excellent. The Imagery II is a great ship. Avalon has made the rooms bigger than they were formerly; there is more room in the shower now and a little table by the french balcony. They have scented oil diffusers in the bathroom, but took them out at my request due to my allergies. The rooms on the mid deck all have the sliding glass door that runs the length of your room. This is wonderful when you are up early and sailing into a port. You can sit in bed and watch the world go by. The lower levels do not have these windows, and our friends on the lower deck would see swan asses sail by. However, our friend on the lower decks felt like they were rarely in their rooms, which is generally true. We did all of the included and extra tours that Avalon offered. We enjoyed all the included tours. We would have skipped the "VINEYARDS, VILLAGES & VIEWS OF THE MOSELLE" because we went to a former nunnery that didn't exist, and it was meaningless. However the first half of the tour was interesting in that we saw how sparkling wine was made. Our tour guide knew a lot of information about growing wine grapes, and that was interesting. Ports were exceptionally beautiful with medieval half timbered houses. Wurzberg is a stand out for the bishop's residence and Trier for its Roman ruins. We would have liked to spend more time in those towns. Bamberg is a breathtaking beautiful town. I like that Avalon now offers activities to suit different fitness levels. We did the average group, which was usually around 2-4 miles of walking. There was a gentle walking group for those who didn't want to walk that much. There is a fast paced group that goes on hikes to castles and bike rides. People seemed to enjoy having neat options. I am very glad that we did this cruise. It was relaxing and enjoyable. Read Less

On the Rhone and the Saone in France. No big noisy cities, just quaint towns and villages, interesting experiences, and pastoral views. Avalon's ships have the most spacious staterooms with plenty of storage and deluxe bathrooms. The crew and cruise director were all outstanding - so friendly and helpful. A very relaxing atmosphere. Love the excursions where you actually DO something - visit to an olive farm to see how olive oil is made, then sampling a variety of different olive oils; visit to vineyards and a chateau winery with a wine tasting; onboard cheese and mustard tasting. Onboard entertainment of modern flamenco group was so much fun. I would recommend this cruise to anyone who is tired of seeing big cities with lots of monuments and statues and wants to see the real places where people live and work. I especially love that there are so many choices of excursions - something for everyone. Read Less

As a former travel agent, I have done extensive research and constant certification in many cruise lines and land travel suppliers. Avalon has been at the top of my list for some time. Although it is not the highest end in luxury, it was every bit a luxury experience for my husband and myself. First let me tell you that the staff could not have been more attentive and knowledgeable. They were always at hand to help with any needs or wants. Our Cruise Director was heads above others and she was fun, informative and invested in the experience she gives all clients on board her ship as well as when we were on land. The ship was very well appointed and was comfortable no matter where you were on board. The main lounge had lots of seating and the floor to ceiling windows allowed us to always see where we were while still enjoying lectures, or entertainment. There were a number of areas for gathering and all were clean and comfortable. Always stocked with snacks and coffee and tea bars. Access was easy to all areas. The upper deck was great for relaxing and watching the scenery go by. And we had a great cookout up on the deck. Very fun for all! Our cabin was roomy with great storage in the closet and under the bed. The bathroom was bright and easy to maneuver with the two of us. Now it is not what I would call oversized but my husband and I found it to be comfortable. We had a small sofa with a round table and a comfortable chair. There was also a desk and chair giving us good counter space. The bed was amazing!! Was king size and the most comfortable bed that I have ever slept in. I have trouble with my hips especially after extensive walking during the day, and I never had pain at all in the bed. The floor to ceiling panorama windows were fabulous for viewing although we did not spend a great deal of time in our cabin as there were so many fun people to meet. The dining experience was great! The food and selections were fantastic. The main dining room was inviting and clean and easy to find a table. Breakfast and lunch were buffet style and were loaded with options and great selections. Dinner was a four course meal but you did not have to select all four courses. Was great that you could make your selections. My husband is very much a foodie and he loved each new meal even more than the last. I tend to be a bit picky but found many options and loved everything that I dined on. In the Panorama Lounge, at the same time that meals were served in the dining room, there was always light selections that were every bit as delicious as what was being served in the dining room. Afternoon tea was delightful and always had a wide selection of finger sandwiches, fruit and yummy desserts. In the rear lounge, there was always coffee, tee and a selection of cookies and desserts of the day. The entertainment was exceptional on board the ship. In the evening, there was a piano player that had a great variety of music. He was talented and able to supplement his piano playing with background instrumentation that was recorded. He kept us dancing every night! He also played during lunch and tea time in the Panorama Lounge daily. We had several entertainment opportunities from people brought on board for our pleasure. Several lectures that were informative and fun (especially the beer tasting). We had a Cabaret singer that not only had a powerful singing voice but was hilarious in-between songs. We had two gentlemen come in that were top musicians and each played about 30 different instruments. They were phenomenal and also had a good comedy routine in-between entertaining us with their musical prowess. The shore excursions were great. Informative and historical combined to keep us interested and the locations were amazing. We saw and experienced so much with each excursion. There were excursions included everyday and we also did some that we added on. Each one was different than the next but kept us interested and amazed. Avalon did a great job with each one and we were taken in very comfortable and clean motor coaches to each destination. We were given audio instruments that allowed our guide to speak to us giving us the history and interesting information about the sites we were visiting. Overall we were very happy with the choices that were made. The only enrichment activity that I would have liked would be cooking with the chef or some type of cooking lecture. I have relived all of our experiences everyday since we returned home through the thousand pictures that we took. I look forward to the next river cruise and it will definitely be on Avalon - they did not disappoint in any way! Read Less

We just felt processed the whole time. Very little done to make the experience on board fun or special. There was basically no entertainment except a single pianist who occasionally acted as a sort of DJ for those wanting to dance. Choice of only one lounge with a bar after dinner or your cabin, that was it. We got one guest singer who was really bad and a single rock 'n roll singer for one hour. Most guests went straight to bed after dinner as there were no other options or other things to do - No effort made to facilitate meeting and mingling of guests. Food was mediocre and again, courses rushed and guests processed as quickly as possible.Our impression was that the ship was run to accomodate the staff more than the guests. The cruise director should really get another job if he really finds this one so uninspiring and tedious as it appeared that he did. Tours were mostly boring lectures by ageing ex teachers or academics. Some young tour guides but not enough. No E bikes !! only a few push bikes with very uncomfortable seats. Worst coffee from self serve machines. No pool and gym not worth visiting. Basically this cruise line seems to cater for geriatrics - average age of passengers was about 80, but even 80 yr olds like to have some fun when on holiday so more needs to be done to make the hours on board more varied and fun. Overall : very average and uninspiring experience. Upside : Nice cabin with best bed I have ever slept on. Sliding doors open up for fresh air and views of passing scenery. Great shower. 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

I picked this August date so the weather would be warm enough to enjoy the Avalon window that opens 7 feet wide so we could really experience traveling the Danube. Target city Vienna. I figured that eastbound was less likely to end up grounded and require repacking and busses if the river was too low. The river height was perfect - not so low we grounded, not too high they needed to collapse the top deck. Avalon service was excellent. The weather was great - mostly 70s until the final day. Food was well prepared and good selection (picky eater, lots of allergies). The tours were amazing - free daily tours and the guides all spoke very good English. We paid for 3 extra tours – all were worthwhile. We know now that a 7 day cruise is plenty long – 10 days was a bit exhausting. This tour included Prague & Regensburg before we joined the boat in Deggendorf for 7 days on the river. We flew into London so we knew we would find English at the end of our 10 hour flight. As it turns out Prague was very English friendly so flying there directly would have been acceptable. Avalon has a permanent office at the Hilton. The Hilton was nice except it was under construction and very loud until 7PM every evening – not good if you are trying to sleep to get over jet-lag. Hilton beds are too hard. We had 142 people traveling so we were very full ship but it never felt like it. The mix of 10 cities we stopped at was good – a mix from the Tiny Durnstein to Big cities of Prague, Vienna and Budapest. Most cities had time for you to explore on your own. Getting on and off the boat was handled beautifully. There was entertainment on the boat in the evenings but we went to bed after 7PM dinner which ended after 9PM. The dining room was very loud so it was hard to carry on conversations with the new people you meet every meal. They could use sound absorbing decorations. We normally eat at 5PM so this felt very late. We ended the trip exhausted and satisfied and would definitely go with Avalon again. This was our first river cruise which I loved compared to the 4 ocean cruises I have been on. Read Less

I chose this cruise because a stateroom on the middle deck was available without the single supplement. The cruise director and staff were all terrific, experienced and patient. This was my first Avalon cruise, having done one last October on a Viking boat. They are comparable in every way for quality. I would try another cruise with Avalon on another river route. Amsterdam is quite busy, so I might recommend that first-time cruisers go southbound from Amsterdam to Basel, which is calm and quiet for the disembarkation. Amsterdam's airport is close to the river (about 40 minutes) while the airport at Basel is more than an hour and fifteen minutes from the dock, but the transfers will work well in either port. There was a nice variety of passengers from Spain, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. The cabins were tended three times daily. Meals were just right with lots of variety. I like to spend as much time on the boat as possible and for me the excursions are always optional. Cheers to the entire staff, crew and service team. They were European and Southeast Asian and just wonderful to meet. Read Less

It sounded like a great idea to Cruise the Rhine and we added 3 nights in Zurich to the end. Our room was excellent but the true stars were the staff. There was not one who didn’t go out of they’re way to provide us with a great experience. With only 168 guests we had a chance to meet just about all of them. The food was fantastic with a lot of choices. We had to skip some of the excursions as they were mostly walking and with bad knees and COPD we couldn’t enjoy. Others we were able to go along and enjoy even though we couldn’t keep up with the group. Headsets provided allowed us to hear our guide from a reasonable distance. Avalon handled all of our travel arrangements as well as before and after hotel arrangements and transfers to and from airport. All went smoothly. Unfortunately we did not realize that Amsterdam was such a huge airport with hardly any accommodations for folks needing assistance walking. Perhaps if we had made requests ahead of time something could have been provided. Read Less

This was our first time to Europe. It was truly amazing. I never had an idea on how old some of the sites were and the history of the area. Prague was our first stop and was an amazing city. We went on the walking tour and learned so much from the history of Prague. We boarded the ship in Nuremberg and was greeted by a very friendly crew and easy cabin assignment. What was so nice was the size of the cruise. There were only a little over 100 passengers. We made some new friends and had a great time getting to know a lot of the people on the cruise. The transportation on all of the excursions was top of the line. The busses were very comfortable and was very easy to see all of the sites. The service at the meals was outstanding and the servers very friendly. The food was very good and we came away not too stuffed and still able to walk. The only unfortunate thing was that we lost one of the engines on the ship and had to be bussed to the next stop in Budapest. But Avalon put us up in a first class hotel. We also were able to get to see a lot of the amazing sites in Budapest. We would definitely go again, this time I think we would do the Rhine. On Avalon of course. Thanks for the great time and all of the amazing sites we visited. Read Less

We were comparing Viking and Avalon as we knew nothing about either. We chose Avalon as it was the right timing and we received free air fare. Lol. We really didn't know much about destinations or places we wanted to see but thought we would start with the Danube and see what that was like. We quickly found that the destination was only part of the trip. We enjoyed every minute of the time we spent on the Avalon Impression. The cruise director, Kristine was a delight. So organized and seemed to know all passengers in a very short time. She was so informative and helpful at every turn. The Captain Roland was also wonderful. He took time to answer questions and made us feel like he was at home with his ship and we felt well cared for on the water. The ship its self was very nice. The rooms seemed adequate in the space we had and supplied everything we needed. Our room attendant, Flory was delightful. She kept us put together at all times and was so polite and helpful, we had no complaints. We so enjoyed meeting the other travelers from different places and had overall an amazing experience. This was a trip I never imagined I would get to experience and Avalon made it one I hope to do again. 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

rec by travel agent....bad weather missed connection at amsterdam no one there to pick us up luckily a avalon guy was there for someone else and after one hour he got permission to take us to the boat....all services on the boat were excellent.....ony thing was the service up in the lounge area were you can eat away from the crowd ....very noise in main dining room....the waiters in the lounge only set up for one hour or less and were ready to move the food out.....Dont understand that should be two hours.....they rushed you out......main dining room not so two hours straight and the service was great....the tours were ok depending on the operator and when given free time it was 30 minutes or less.....the worst thing about the trip was rafting up the boats at some cities....you literally had no view except for the other boats rooms....they were exactly two feet away......all in all a good experience but very pricey Read Less

I chose this cruise because of the interactive events, Bike Riding, hiking, wine tasting in a cave, wine tasting and hiking, wine tasting and bike riding, helicopter ride over the South of France visiting the enchanting port cities along the Rhone River. Also because of the ship size there was an intimate # of guests on the cruise. I met some really incredible people I know call friends. The off ship excursions were wonderful. Experiencing activities that I would not have access to with out being on this marvelous cruise. Bike Riding to the Salt Marshes and viewing the Birds in the Sanctuary there. Bike riding to Pont du Gard then wine tasting, Kayaking and canoeing was so refreshing! Visiting the Chateau Montmfia, taking a tour of their facilities and seeing the surrounding countryside was magical. Hiking up Le Hermitage and more wine tasting, Chateau Pont de nuef and more wine tasting, Hiking into an underground cave and more wine tasting!! Having the opportunity to paint in the Van Gogh style in a studio in Arles was as if i was channeling my inner child. Traveling through the locks on the Rhone with our Captain was a remarkable feat! The food on the ship was delicious and there was always a varied selection. The service was outstanding, the staff would not let you lift a finger. They say to our every need. They were all very friendly and genuine. Our cabin was very comfortable and had full sliding windows so we could enjoy the view while sailing. Our room was always put in order and the beds turned down when we wished to retire. For these reasons and many more I would go again and highly recommend Avalon Cruises. Thank you for such a memorable visit!! Read Less

We chose this trip based on recommendation of a friend who planned to go but didn’t book in time. It was absolutely great. Exceeded every expectation. The ship was wonderful, our cruise director, Mauro, fantastic and the staff especially Bianco could not be more accommodating. Super! The AvalonGO app is the best yet. It was so good to be able to take pictures and make notes at the time instead of trying to remember all of the valuable information provided by the guides. Also the recommendations of things to see and places to eat were invaluable. The excursions were well planned and the cost reasonable although I probably got carried away and over scheduled. I only say that because the app won’t let you double book but I probably should allowed more free time because the destinations were so wonderful - loved every minute and can’t wait to do it again. So happy to have the days in Budapest before the cruise as well as the time in Prague afterward. The folklore dinner in Hungary was excellent. The Danube is just gorgeous. To wake up and look out the window to see a cathedral on the hillside was thrilling. We really enjoyed seeing how the locks work. It was fascinating. Loved sitting on the Sky Deck and looking at the shoreline. The Intercontinental Hotel in Budapest was great. Loved our time there. How nice of Avalon to have someone available for advice at the hotel. Embarkation was smooth-did lose a suitcase because the tag came off but was easily retrieved. The cabin was clean, well decorated and we loved the floor to ceiling windows. Particularly liked the small ship and the atmosphere and ambiance. Plenty of room without the traffic of larger ships. I don’t think We’ll ever do the large ship again. The food was quite excellent with a huge variety of options all with a wonderful flavor. Who would think that mustard soup would be so extraordinary? The port talks were very interesting and the entertainment exceptional. We made new friends which we hope will be for life. Loved, loved, loved this trip! Read Less

I eat Gluten Free for medical reasons and the Chef and his entire staff were very accommodating. This was very appreciated and I had a great dining experience. The dinner menu was marked with all the available gluten free items along with separate choices if these weren't to my liking. I had no trouble choosing from the menu each night. Breakfast and lunch offered enough choices that were gluten free. Most soups were gluten free. The wait staff was very friendly and attentive at all times. The afternoon tea had gluten free options available if I wanted any. We all enjoyed the cocktail hour before the next day briefing and dinner. The briefing for the next day was very helpful for helping us decide what excursions we wanted to particpate in. We felt the excursions gave us a great variety of site seeing for each country. I would definately choose this cruise line again in the future for another vacation. Read Less

Were interested in seeing the heart of central Europe. For our embarkation location, we had the opportunity to visit Luxembourg City and thoroughly enjoyed exploring this enchanting town. Embarkation and disembarkation went smoothly. No issues. Dining rooms were always clean and well maintained. Food was well prepared and choices were plentiful. Servers were accommodating, friendly and always professional. One of our favorite diversions was afternoon tea and snacks. Great selection of drinks, sandwiches and sweets. Ports and shore excursions were well thought out and planned for. The assigned guides were knowledgeable, personable and approachable. Each had a passion for the area they were taking us through and had a talent for pointing out even the smallest (but most interesting) details. They just made you feel comfortable. Cabin design was well laid out and comfortable. Cleaning staff did an awesome job. Cabin cleaning/maintenance was always complete by the time we returned from shore activities or whatever we were doing. We were never in each others way. Read Less

Traveled with a teen and since it was summer there were other teens on board. There are no programs or plans for children/teens though so not recommended if you are looking for someone to entertain them. Ship crew is very friendly and hard working, overall great. Included tours are perfect for an intro to the area although not so great if you want to sleep as most are in the morning. They use local guides that are quite knowledgeable and some are also very entertaining. Schedules are dependent on water levels so some changes to ports and shore excursions may affect your cruise. Be sure you are not too set on seeing a particular site from the cruise as it could be changed. Highly recommend flying in at least one day prior to relax, rest and see the starting destination (you may be bused to a new starting destination and not see that destination at all). Dining was open seating ala carte for dinner, buffet for breakfast and lunch. There was also dining options in the lounge which is recommended to try for a more casual, relaxed meal at your own pace (same menu as the dining room but smaller portions and a buffet). Overall the ship is extremely clean. Beverage service was a little slow. Disembarkation was wonderful, smooth, efficient and quick. There was a variety of ages on the ship with several teens traveling with family up to retired adults. This cruise attracts more active travelers rather than passive although everyone is welcome. 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

Delicious food, wonderful service, gorgeous boat and well planned trip from Paris to Normandy! A week in heaven! Each excursion was well Planned .... met a monk in Monastery, Givenchy to see Monet’s gardens, castle of Lionheart, Normandy beaches and so much more! The meals were eloquent five course meals. Small boat so we made lots of friends. Sunsets on sky deck was the perfect ending to your busy day! We grew very attached to the staff with lots of ice cream and wine. Beautiful arrangement of fruit waiting for us upon check in. Our suite was throughly cleaned every day. The captain gave my dad a special tour of engine room and wheelhouse with explanation of locks. Cookies and Snacks and coffee 24 / 7. We lacked for nothing and were spoiled royally! The tours had wonderful and knowledgeable guides. We had air conditioned buses filled with water. Head sets and microphones made the tours easy to understand and navigate. We learned so much! Read Less

My husband, son, daughter-in-law and myself all thought the trip was great. My son and his wife had never taken a river cruise and I wasn't sure they would like it. But they found their own enjoyment and had a ball. The food was terrific, the rooms, although not large were very nice. The staff, including the captain and the cruise director were exceptional. We joked that every where you looked the captain was there.He was there greeting you when you left the ship and when you returned. And finally the stops were, especially for someone who appreciates art, top notch. Monet's gardens were beautiful. In Rouen it was great to see the Cathedral that Monet painted multiple times. But of course one of the reasons we selected the trip was the day in Normandy which did not disappoint. It was beautiful, thoughtful and a tribute to the thousands who were buried there. This was our first Avalon cruise, but it won't be our last. 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