Friends of ours asked if we would like to go on a river cruise with them. Having never been on one, and not a fan of being on a ship with thousands of people, I was a little hesitant. However, when I found how many we would be cruising with on this ship, I said yes....and I'm glad I did. The staff was amazing. The minute we arrived, even before stepping on the ship, the staff made us feel special. THE FOOD! The food was delicious with our waiter Sasha taking the best care of us. The entertainment fun, the excursions were amazing, and the staterooms were beautiful. Everyday, our cabin looked like it never had been slept in. Cruise Director Tony was great keeping us up to date on the itinerary and yoga with Milan was relaxing! I would go again in a heartbeat! Thank you all for a wonderful time!! Read Less

We chose this cruise because it covered a lot of Europe and we liked the 14 day length of the cruise. We also liked the idea of having one room for the entire trip as opposed to bus touring where you have multiple hotel rooms. When we arrived, a crew member met us as soon as we exited our cab. She insisted on taking our bags. That was the beginning of a wonderful (first experience) river cruise. The crew in every area of the ship was outstanding. They were friendly, courteous, personable, helpful etc. The cruise director, Karelien, was perfect. She has a wonderful sense of humor, kept us informed every day, had every excursion planned to perfection, accommodated the entire passenger list when we encountered low water on the river. She made the trip especially enjoyable. The food was wonderful, diversified for everyone’s taste. On the excursions, Karelien always accommodated a group that had walking limitations. My favorite excursion was the concert in Vienna. Absolutely fantastic!!! And we made lifelong friends with a few passengers. We loved everything about this cruise and will choose Avalon Waterways for our next vacation. Read Less

Have used Avalon Waterways on previous trips. This was by far a dream cruise! Beautiful ship....to excellent staff! Easy access to all ports....Carrier buses were excellent. The food was just outstanding and delicious. Embarkation and disembarking went extremely well and very organized. Service staff was always helpful and willing to serve. I would use Avalon Waterways again and have recommended them to friends. Cruise Director Tony gave a schedule of upcoming daily activities. His knowledge of the areas was outstanding and most helpful. The ports of call were a joy to visit and the tour guides were outstanding and very knowledgeable! Loved how the beds in the staterooms faced toward the sliding windows so we could lay in bed an watch the world go by!!!!Although we were busy at times we still had time to relax and enjoy the ship and the cruise. Beautiful countryside everywhere we visited!! A magnificent trip of a lifetime..... Read Less

My wife and her elderly parents booked Avalon Waterways Blue Danube Discovery Cruise. This was intended to be a "trip of a lifetime" for my 88-year-old mother-in-law. My father-in-law, who is 90, had been saving for years to make her dream a reality. Despite spending nearly $8,500, this dream, was instead a nightmare. While they were still healthy enough to participate in such an adventure, my father-in-law, asked my wife and me to plan the trip and accompany them. After doing extensive research, I (unfortunately) selected Avalon Waterways. To be fair and honest, I must report that the ship was very nice, the staff and crew were very accommodating, and the food was very good. HOWEVER, our experience was NOT EVEN CLOSE to the cruise that is portrayed in the slick advertising brochures and web photos. BUYER BEWARE!!! So, back to the specifics of our experience. As I mentioned, this was intended to be a true trip of a lifetime for my 88-year-old mother-in-law. Highlights of that dream included: visiting Nuremburg and Budapest; sitting on the deck of the ship for hours and hours, just relaxing and watching the world go by; being pampered with exemplary service, and gourmet food; and the ability to see much of Europe from the deck of a ship, not driving around in vans or buses. I want to clearly disclose that the root cause of the issues encountered was extremely low water conditions. Clearly, that is not something Avalon can control or is responsible for. HOWEVER, the manner in which they dealt with these conditions are the reason for our dissatisfaction and complaints. We realize that changes to the cruise itinerary were necessitated by nature and are not Avalon’s fault. None-the-less, the actual itinerary was dramatically different than what we booked, and had we known this in advance, we would have never booked this trip. Although the Cruise Director and local staff did their very best, the manner in which Avalon handled this situation and the significant changes caused were disappointing. We were initially informed of the itinerary changes and just 4 days prior to cruise departure. Although Avalon offered a 100% refund, at that point, we were already in Europe, so couldn’t cancel the flights, other bookings, nor utilize our trip insurance. We were stuck and had limited options. I did some research and found that the LOW WATER CONDITIONS WERE KNOWN FOR QUITE SOME TIME, yet Avalon chose to wait until the last minute (obviously to try and salvage their revenue from the trip). While this was good for Avalon, it was not for their passengers. We even discovered that other competitors of Avalon's had contacted their customers weeks in advance, and several had even cancelled their trips and issued full refunds / credits in order to treat their customers fairly. Avalon, however, was focused solely on profitability. The net result was fewer nights on board than we had booked and significant time in tightly-packed buses, rather than a full week relaxing aboard a luxury cruise ship, as envisioned and paid for. Specifically, • We spent 6 nights on the ship, instead of 7, and 1 night in a dingy hotel. While it may not seem like a big deal, it is a 15% reduction vs. what we’d paid for; plus, for 88 and 90 year old people, packing, unpacking, lugging suitcases for a one-night stay is hard work and very undesirable. • The hotel Avalon Waterways booked in Nuremberg was mid-level, at best, and in NO WAY comparable to the Avalon Artistry II. The rooms were tiny and lacked air conditioning. We had to sleep with the windows open to get air, but then were kept up all night due to the loud noises on the street. None of us slept a bit. Additionally, the food at the hotel was atrocious! Dinner was barely edible, and certainly not in any way gourmet; breakfast was simply terrible. Only the flies that were all over the food buffet seemed to be happy. • If we had wanted a bus tour of Europe (which was NOT my mother-in-law’s dream trip), we would have booked that and paid a fraction of what we paid Avalon. Driving around on a cramped bus is not appealing to us, nor anything close to what we paid for. We would never sign up for that kind of vacation. The modified itinerary included 7 hours of bus time. This equates to a full day’s worth of bus time, rather than time relaxing on the deck of a luxury ship. While we understand the reason for this, it is not what we paid for. It was painful, and not pleasurable. • Missing Nuremburg – even though Avalon did bus us to Nuremberg, we didn’t arrive there until 4:45pm and had prior, non-changeable bookings to depart very early the next morning (based on the original cruise itinerary). Therefore, even though we stayed overnight in Nuremburg, there was no opportunity to schedule a tour or even walk around to get to know the city. As a result, one more of my mother-in-law’s dreams was not fulfilled because of the changes to the itinerary. Upon our return, in an attempt to provide Avalon with feedback and give them a chance to make this right, we contacted Avalon’s Customer Service. We advised them of the numerous issues encountered and of our dissatisfaction. We also provided abundant documentation, so there was no doubt about our representations. Avalon acknowledged that the product / service we received was not the one advertised or paid for, yet Avalon refused to accept any responsibility or even attempt to make this right. The Rep asserted that they had already provided compensation in the form of a complementary concert in Vienna and a free walking tour of Linz (which we didn’t do since we’d paid for the concurrently scheduled Cesky Krumlov tour). While it is true that Avalon did provide us with a complementary concert in Vienna, this was not something of great interest, had a value of only $82, and was insufficient and insulting "compensation" (just 3% of our trip cost!) for a trip costing over $2,200/ea that had been dramatically altered and diminished. After escalating to a supervisor and providing further documentation, Avalon simply referred us to their fine-print Terms and Conditions and suggested that if we were still dissatisfied, that we pursue legal resolution. While we could probably prevail given the facts and circumstances (based on discussions with a couple of lawyers in my family), this would be a very costly and time-consuming path to pursue. Clearly, the legal terms and conditions are stacked against the average consumer and heavily favor this BIG COMPANY. So instead of pursing this expensive and time-consuming path, we feel compelled to advise and warn other potential customers before they spend their hard-earned money with Avalon and endure an equally distasteful experience. In short, we would never have signed up for this trip had we known what we now know. If Avalon Waterways were a customer-oriented company, they COULD HAVE dealt with this like many of the other cruise companies did. For example, they could have: 1. Cancelled the trip entirely and offered refunds or rebooking on another departure that was as advertised 2. They could have contacted us BEFORE we departed the United States, advised us of the situation, and provided us with the option of joining this modified trip or obtaining a refund or rebooking on future departure 3. They could have provided a hotel (on the night they forced us to depart the ship early) that was consistent in terms of accommodations and food 4. And, even after the trip, their Customs Service could have offered an appropriate partial refund (or credit towards a future trip) as a gesture to compensate for the numerous issues we had In short, The Avalon Artistry II is a very nice ship, with outstanding food, and professional accommodating staff. It is also very expensive. For that cost, one expects to receive the level of service and accommodations advertised, or to be treated fairly and properly compensated if / when something goes wrong. Avalon Waterways is simply more concerned about its profitability than its reputation and customers. BUYER BEWARE!!!! Read Less

This cruise along the Rhine and Moselle Rivers was spectacular! The food was phenomenal. So much to choose from. Buffet style for breakfast and lunch. A menu for dinner. Excursion choices were great. Port of calls were great. So many new places to explore. We went north, starting in Switzerland and ending in Amsterdam. Maria was our social director. Very knowledgeable! She helped my husband out when he had a fall on the treadmill. He banged up both knees pretty good from his fall. She basically helped nurse him by keeping him bandaged up. Our suite room was very nice. It was nice to be able to open our glass doors and let that fresh air in. The size was very accommodating.Every body was very professional. We were celebrating our 50th Wedding Anniversary. So this trip was very special for us. Would definitely recommend this trip on Avalon to anyone. Read Less

I had experienced three other Avalon Cruises and thoroughly enjoyed every one. I'm hooked! The ship, room, service, food, entertainment, excursions, and crew were all exceptional! Cruise Director, Maria Pascual, made it the best cruise yet! She accommodated the needs and wishes of everyone with her beautiful smile and "will do" attitude! Every excursion was outstanding! Ayu and Monika were so precious with their smiles and great service in the Panorama Lounge. Our waiter/bartender, Radu aimed to please with this wonderful laugh, sense of humor and special service. He remembered my drink choice and made it perfectly. We looked forward to dinner with him every evening! His protege, Alex, worked hard to make the dinner perfect. Loved his smile and genuine desire to please. He's a keeper! The Chef and his crew were incredible! AND they prepared all that exceptionally delicious food in such a short time and small space. The floral arrangements throughout the ship were gorgeous! The entertainment was so much fun! The pianist was so talented and accommodating. I also truly enjoyed the local musicians. Our Captain was a pleasant surprise! He could keep us on course and play music so well. What a treat! The Avalon Artistry II Captain, Crew and Crew Director provided the perfect river cruise. Thank you to all! 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

Our third river cruise on Avalon. First two went so well, we didn't want to risk another line. Again, we were not disappointed. Avalon is very consistent with their ships, policies, activities, excursions, meal service, etc. We knew what to expect. With a few exceptions, everything was well organized, including the ship repositioning and busing resulting from low water levels on the Rhine. We arrived three days early in Amsterdam (embarkation port), which I highly recommend. Museums are very good and canals can't be missed. Our visit to Geithoorn was the highlight of the entire trip, although we booked through Viator. Be aware that most non-hotel apartments or Airbnb's in the canal district are not going to have elevators and will have stairs akin to ladders. Good way to get a feel for life in Amsterdam, however. Embarkation was a breeze - we just dropped our bags and boarded an excursion to Zaanse Schans, which is also very good. Don't plan on renting or using bikes in Amsterdam as you will likely get killed. All the ports/stops along the Rhine and Mosel are worth seeing, with the exception of maybe Metz. Little towns along the beautiful Mosel river are very pretty. We are very glad we included the Mosel on this cruise. The Avalon excursions to Metz and the Chateau de la Grange should be eliminated. They were that bad. The ships crew and cruise director were top notch. Vlad, the cruise director had his hands full due to the ship repositioning. He handled it very well. Meals were above average and service was always excellent. Wine glass was never empty. Entertainment was weak, but we didn't care. It was about the ports and excursions for us. Wifi service was very, very slow. Don't count on it. Due to low water levels on the Rhine, the trip had to be changed and cut short a day. The ship could not get past Strasbourg, and then had to retreat back down stream as not get stranded if the river fell further. This meant we were bused around the last two days and we spent the last night in a nice hotel in Zurich for some reason. The ship was never going to Zurich to begin with. Just meant an additional bus trip to the Basel airport. May be the only city Avalon could find 60 hotel rooms. In any event, Avalon handled the whole ordeal pretty well, and compensated the passengers fairly for the change in plan. A couple of confused bus drivers and apathetic French tour guides did delay things a bit here and there. I think without exception the passengers on board were very pleased with the cruise despite the low water issue, which only effected the last two days. We would definitely cruise with Avalon again. Read Less

My husband and I tool our first river cruise with Avalon because it was highly recommended by friends.The cruise director, Vlad, and his staff were outstanding. They were accommodating and very attentive. The entire ship was very clean and well appointed with flowers. Each room had beautiful orchid plants. The entertainment was pretty amazing and of high quality. Most enjoyable. Unfortunately, by the end of our cruise it was apparent to the captain that the river was very low due to a lack of rain and we had to disembark a day early. Avalon could not have been more generous to all of the passengers. They sent us on tours for free at the end of the cruise, made sure we could visit our intended destinations on the last day via bus and put us up in a very nice hotel in Zurich and we all had dinner and breakfast Everybody made their intended destinations. Avalon also reimbursed each passenger money. We would highly recommend this company to everyone. They also have a good app called Avalon Go which was very helpful. Read Less

We chose this cruise because it was 12 nights and visited the Rhine and Mosel Rivers. The ports were interesting and fun to explore. The included tours were well planned and allowed time for individual exploration. We never felt rushed to get back to the ship. The crew was friendly and helpful and excellent service at all meals. The buffets at breakfast and lunch offered a wide variety of delicious dishes. The dinners never disappointed to offer a wide variety of choices and the servings were perfect. Our cruise director Vlad was very informative with his nightly cruise talks about the schedule and itinerary for the next day. Our cruise was cut short because of low water level and we had to be bused to our last day's tours and spend the last night at a Zurich hotel. Vlad handled the problem perfectly and kept us informed of the repositioning. And Avalon is compensating us for the inconvenience. We were flying home from Zurich so it was no problem for us, a much shorter transfer to the airport. We will definitely recommend Avalon to our friends and consider them for any future river cruises. Read Less

Had a very good time. Loved all the places we stopped and everything I saw. The tours were well planned and really liked the use of the receivers. You could walk at your own pace and still hear everything the guide was saying. Our tour director Vlad was great. His talks the night before the ports were very helpful and having a map of each stop was valuable. The food was fantastic and never had a bad meal. There was always something great to eat. The staff was friendly and helpful. And easy to joke around with. You could tell they liked their jobs. As for the beds they were to nice, I never wanted to get up. Vlad went out of he way to help all of us when we had to depart the ship early. He found a Hotel for all of us our last night and even hosted our last meal together before going our separate ways. Read Less

After talking with a few friends about river cruises, we selected Avalon because it met all of our objectives and value. The ship was wonderful, the cabin and bathroom were large and well appointed, two dining options were provided at lunch and dinner - offering a quite, lighter meal when desired. The staff and crew were wonderful. We experienced a river water level issue toward the end of our cruise that forced the ship to back track. However, Avalon stepped up and in one day coordinated alternate transport, accommodations in a five star hotel, special shore excursions free of charge, AND monetarily compensated us for a lost night cruising.....something others had not heard of (some cruises only provide discounts against future cruises). We would, and have, recommended Avalon to others, and we are looking into another cruise in the not to distant future. We recommend a cruise that lasts at least 13-nights, as 7-days went by in a flash. Read Less

We have enjoyed a number of ocean cruises on various cruise lines and were ready to try a river cruise. The appeal of a small upscale ship, docking right in the city was alluring. Our vision was interrupted by reality. When we arrived we were told that the water levels were too low and we would be boarding a different ship in a few days. This was not their fault and the ship was identical, but it was a bit sneaky not to let us know in advance. We were given an identical cabin on the new ship, and none of this part was a problem except that we ended up being bused instead of cruising to the next port. I am not a fan of bus tours, hence why I cruise. We also spent the last night of our cruise in a hotel, not on the ship. We were fairly compensated for our troubles and the cruise director, Nico, was apologetic and wonderful to work with. Other unseemly tidbits prevalent in our cruise are that we did not dock right in the city with the ability to walk on and off the ship while docked. We docked mainly in outposts. We also docked next to a ship and had to walk through to get to our ship. We were told that this was a common practice (so much for your view). The Danube from Regensburg to Melk is quite narrow, so there isn't much to see anyhow. The Danube has over 60 locks, this was fun at first, but there was a lot of starring at the lock walls and hearing the sounds of the ship as it was raising and lowering. We also didn't realize that if the water is too high then the ship can't proceed because it won't fit under the many bridges. We missed the entertainment of big ships and thought the food was mediocre. Big ships from now on for us. Read Less

We chose this cruise because it combined the Rhine River (which we'd cruised before) with the Moselle River, with its scenic benefits. We were not disappointed! The scenery and excursions were excellent throughout. Avalon did an excellent job of this, particularly consider potential problems with low river water levels. The Cruise Director was outstanding in making sure all excursions were done properly and handicapped passengers were well taken care of. The staterooms were very comfortable and bathrooms modern and very functional. The food was very good and wine served was excellent and plentiful. We arrived at the airport very early and were promptly taken to the ship, and our room was ready for us within a half hour, complete with our luggage. We had our lugged unloaded by 9:30 AM!! The cruise proceeded according to the advertised schedule and all planned excursions occurred. The crew was very friendly and helpful. I highly recommend this cruise. Read Less

I chose Avalon Artistry II because I wanted a longer cruise that stopped at the particular ports I wanted to visit. Every port visit was orchestrated beautifully. Small group tours with options, knowledgeable local guides who spoke fluent English and who were enthusiastic about their respective cities. Staff and crew were friendly and accommodating. Artistry II is well- maintained; the public areas were spacious and comfortable and never crowded. Being a fussy eater, I can’t say that I enjoyed the dinner offerings as much as most of the other passengers seemed to. However, our waiter was very accommodating and a true professional. I observed that the desk staff were very patient in answering the endless questions that were posed to them! The old saying, “ you get what you pay for, “ is certainly applicable to Avalon Cruises. I have cruised on at least 45 ocean cruises and based on my experience to evaluate, my trip on Artistry II was truly 5 star. Read Less

The cruise I was booked on was a Budapest-Luxembourg with land portions in Budapest and Paris included. Due to low water, numerous changes had to be made in the itinerary. The first was that we had to travel by coach from Budapest to Vienna to board the Artistry II, as the ship we were supposed to take could not sail upstream from Budapest. Other changes included different docking locations, some dicey low-water cruising in Upper Austria, and an overnight hotel stay in Nuremberg while the ship worked to catch up to the schedule through the canal. All the changes were communicated promptly and thoroughly by Sabine, our outstanding cruise director, and all of us in the full length tour got an automatic refund for the night in the Nuremberg hotel instead of on the ship. As well, we were given free additional excursions in Vienna and in Rothenburg, as compensation for the issues. Avalon won my future business hands-down just by the way they handled all these technical problems. All parts of the ship were spotlessly clean at all times, both cabins and public areas. My cabin was particularly nice as I spent more time in it than many people would, with my writing. The internet service was excellent, with only rare delays or dropouts -- much better than most ocean cruises I've taken. Housekeeping service was outstanding. No matter what time I headed out for breakfast, I would come back half an hour later and my room would be completely and immaculately made up. Meals were wonderful. Breakfast and lunch buffets were plentiful and nicely varied, with an eggs-and-omelettes station at breakfast and a carvery at lunch. Dinners were four-course meals, and the servings were nicely sized so you didn't stuff yourself if you got all four. Wine and beer were available free of charge -- by request at lunchtime, and with the wine flowing like water at dinner. I was told by one of the bar servers that the rule was to pour once for each course, but I'm pretty sure she went above and beyond. The wines were different every night, always local to the region where we were moored or sailing. Service at all meals was awesome. The teamwork was excellent, even the maitre d' taking trips around the room to collect dishes that we'd finished. If you needed a between-meals snack, coffee, tea and cookies were available at all times -- but inconveniently located in the small lounge at the stern end of the upper deck. Bit of a long hike from my cabin which was one deck down and a bit farther forward, since I had to walk all the way to the centre of the ship, upstairs, and all the way back. The outdoor bistro lunch or grill lunch on the sundeck was only available 3 times in over 2 weeks. It's limited by the weather, and by the times when the top deck is closed due to low bridges. Even up top, the servers would circulate to see if you needed a drink refill or had dishes to carry away. The stairs are pretty steep and pose a bit of a problem for guests with mobility issues. There is a tiny 1-person elevator serving only the 3 indoor decks. The standard entertainment throughout the trip was the onboard cocktail pianist, but local musicians and other entertainers came aboard for evening shows 3 or 4 times during the trip and all were great performances. Each port featured an included walking tour. The guides were all fluent in English to some degree, more in some places than others. The quality of the tours varied, too -- some of the guides stood and talked too long, while one moved so quickly that I had to trot to keep up. At each port, a special walking tour was set for people who needed to walk more slowly. Numerous additional excursions at a cost were available throughout the trip. The ones that I took were all excellent. Bicycles were available on a first-come-first serve basis. The land portion hotels were all rated 5-star, but the Budapest and Nuremberg hotels were older buildings with issues like hard-to-reach outlets, cramped bathrooms, and such. The Paris hotel was outstanding in every way. This was my first river cruise, but I'm already planning my next trip with Avalon. Read Less

We heard through a friend that Avalon was a great experience. It certainly didn't disappoint! Not too much going on in the evenings but the days were educational and a lot of fun! The rooms were well appointed and the crew extremely friendly and helpful. I wish there were more activities available in the evenings (group games, karaoke, etc.) It seemed like other cruises were having more fun than us when we were all either tied up together or going through the locks. It would have been easier to meet people as well. We would also would have LOVED having a yoga/fitness/stretching class available on the top deck each morning. Many people were talking about it so I actually led one. The food was great but it also would have been nice to have had healthier options to snack on once we returned each afternoon from our excursions. The coffee bar was nice but the pastries were unhealthy and stale by the end of the week. We really enjoyed taking the bikes for a ride in Melk and Vienna. They were quality bikes - thank you! Read Less

My husband and I just returned from a 7 night cruise on the Artistry II. We chose Avalon Waterways because of a friend's recommendation and because the itinerary fit our schedule. The ship was okay, but nothing special. We were in the Royal Suite (one of two on the ship) but in all honesty, it wasn't really worth the extra expense. The room was larger than most, but other than that we didn't receive any special services. Also, due to double docking (which I know happens on all river cruises) our huge windows were often looking into a suite on the boat parked next to us. I could've actually carried on a conversation with the people on the next boat due to how CLOSE we were to them. So when you see those commercials with the couple waking up, stretching, and looking at some castles on the banks of the river...that's not even close to what we experienced. On the bright side, the staff was great, food was good, and our cruise director was top notch. Would I recommend it? Probably not. Read Less

Perfect cruise for me, a solo traveler. Everything about this cruise and Avalon Waterways was the best I've ever experienced. The staff on board, the food, my stateroom was more than I expected. The ports and shore excursions were handled in the most professional manner, on time, no rushing, etc. The local guides did a great job. A nice and well needed touch were the moist towels and punch when returning to the ship. It was quite hot and that was most refreshing. One of my special things to do was to stay on board and relax. I never felt I had to do anything. Cruising the beautiful River Danube was such a delight. Since this was a culinary cruise, I thoroughly enjoyed the special wine pairings with a renowned specialist in that field. Also the chocolate making demonstration on board. That went very well with a lovely Austrian white wine. Cruise again with Avalon? Absolutely. And hopefully soon. Read Less

We picked beause of itinerary. Have been on bus trip to area before and wanted to try something different. We took an Avalon river cruise a couple years earlier and the entertinment was better along with talks about upcoming areas (this is not meant to mean cruise port talk for the next day). What I mean is a history talk. Also the speed of dining service decreased as the second week began. Being seatd at 7:00 and not being served until 9:00 seemed slow. Also the food choice was much better on the two week cruise in France. They need to keep the dining closed until the proper time. After sitting at the same table every day for a week, some people must have liked it and were going into the dining room 20 minutes before opening to get the table we always sat at. One person would leave the port talk early and hold or reserve the entire table for six. I at least thought it was open seating and when trying to sit with the one person they became nasty. Read Less

We were invited to join this cruise with our friends who were celebrating their wedding anniversary. We had wanted to do a river cruise so this was a good opportunity. There was tasty food and enough opportunities to eat. The cities at the beginning and end were easily accessed . There could have been a more welcoming waiting environment at the hotel where we caught the bus to take us to the ship. The guides were top notch and made both the included and the extra tours well worth the time to participate. The additional Vienna tour that included a concert was fabulous. Even though we had some low water along the way, the cruise director took care to provide the best options for the cruise to continue. The resident ship musician was well worth sitting and listening to for awhile each day. The bicycles that were available were in really good condition and there were good opportunities to use them. Read Less

When Irma struck last fall, we had to change our all-inclusive, 60 passenger cruise to the British Virgin Islands, We chose Avalon's river cruise on the Rhine and Moselle Rivers,Having taken many cruise ship vacations, we were unsure about river cruising but absolutely loved everything about this trip .Both embarkation and disembarkation were smooth. Another time we would explore Amsterdam a few days prior to meeting the ship. The Artistry II is meticulously maintained with cabin cleaning 2X daily, meals and excursions are included(additional excursions are available and reasonably priced), meal offerings are varied, delicious, and often gourmet. Service is impeccable and comfortable. Accommodations for passengers needing special meals or walking modifications made this an easy trip with time to spend on the ship at one's leisure. Guides were excellent. Entertainment was just enough, giving passengers time to meet others, explore via bicycles, enjoy happy hours, read, or enjoy the scenery. Our captain was musically gifted which we enjoyed. We were back aboard for lunch and dinner but Avalon also made available extra time in cities with passengers sometimes meeting the ship at a docking further down/up river in time for dinner.The crew and passengers felt like family or good friends by the end of the trip. We definitely will book another Avalon cruise! Judi/Rick Read Less

Booked this trip of the Danube River, after having a perfect experience a few years ago on the Rhine River with Avalon Waterways. Really wanted to see Prague, which was the main reason we chose the itinerary. Avalon Waterways always has well planned itineraries, excellent food, personable & friendly staff, and very clean ships (which is a MAJOR plus coming from someone who is a neat freak/germophobe). Will definitely be planning another trip with Avalon in the future!! Some of the highlights of the Danube Dream experience: was shopping the Great Market Hall in Budapest, purchasing a necklace made out of stones from the Danube @ Donau Stein located in Durnstein, and exploring the wonderful old town of Passau. Took the optional excursion to Salzburg, Austria and thoroughly enjoyed all the Mozart history and catching some glimpses of the beautiful Alps. Met many wonderful travelers on the Avalon cruise! Great overall trip worth taking!! Read Less

This was the first river cruise for both my wife and I. This was a honeymoon trip for us (in our mid-60's), and we could not have been more pleased. The basic package was a 10-day trip from Prague to Budapest. We added an extra day at each end, and that was a very wise decision. We really could have used more time in each of those two cities. The cruise staff at the hotel in Prague were very attentive and informative. We opted to book several of the shore excursions offered, and that really enhanced our trip. The The castle tour and and wine tasting in Melnk was a real treat. And the symphony in Vienna vastly exceeded my expectations. The Artistry II was wonderful, and our cabin was large (for a cruise ship) and very clean. The food on this ship was amazing! The plating for dinner meals was beautiful, and the food was all cooked to perfection. The complimentary beer and wine for lunch and dinner was a great bonus. We also really appreciated that our wine for dinner each evening reflected the region. Our wait staff was prompt and attentive, and got to know our preferences. Fortunately for us, the weather was perfect all throughout our vacation. All in all, this was our best vacation ever! Read Less

Was very impressed with the overall cruise. It was very comfortable and the staff did everything to meet our every needs. The excursions were great. Guides were knowledgable and friendly. Our trip to the tulip garden was incredible. We were fortunate in that the garden were at its height with all the bulbs in bloom. It was truly sensory overload! Flowers and colors were everywhere!! Our day in Amsterdam we wanted to see some things that were not planned excursions. In asking for assitance to help us do the things we wanted to do, the cruise director provided invaluable information and assistance so that we got to see the things we wanted to do. The ship was very clean and comfortable and everything ran on time!! Food was good but I would say nothing outstanding. The wait staff did go out of their way to accommadate any food requests. We were very pleased with Avalon. Have highly recomended them to friends and would definately consider sailing with them again. Read Less