Avalon's Tranquility II Cruise on the Rhine River was great. We were on the Southbound Romantic Rhine Cruise with Zurich, Mt Pilatus, and Lake Como.My husband and I arrived a day early before our cruise in Amsterdam. Our Travel agent, Nan, at Avoya Travel was able to get a room for us a day ahead of time in the same hotel that the Avalon Tranquility II Cruise Director was meeting everyone to begin the cruise. Our Travel Agent thought of everything and double checked that everything was as she said it would be. The day we went to the ship, a bus picked us up at the hotel to transfer us to the ship. The crew was on hand to greet us with smiles when we boarded the ship the first time. There was a lovely reception before dinner for all the passengers. Dinner was wonderful. The chef presented delicious food every day, and not just standard fare. There were also special dishes representative of the areas we visited. Coffee and tea were available in the main lounge as well as the smaller lounge a the back of the ship, where there were also cookies and pastries available at all times. Wine was served at each meal and often was a specialty of the area we were visiting. There was a continental breakfast available for early birds, a full buffet breakfast with an omelet chef was available at the regular breakfast hour, and a limited breakfast for those who chose to sleep in later. A baby grand piano was played with skill by a pianist in the evenings, and in the evenings there were also musical groups who performed in the lounge, as well as regional presentations such as a demonstration by the Black Forest Woodworker. Tours were available every day and sometimes twice a day depending on the port. You could opt out of the tours if you wished, and just relax onboard. They also had a "gentle walker" group for those who had difficulty walking. The tour guides for each tour had a microphone, so that when you put the provided earbuds on, you had no trouble hearing what was being said. Housekeeping was there bright and early each morning, so that when you went for breakfast, the room was cleaned and ready when you got back. We were on the Saphire deck, and our room had a window the size of the wall, which opened for a wonderful breeze. The bed was very comfortable, and we slept well. They accepted laundry to be cleaned and had it back the next day. We loved the chocolates on the pillows of an evening, and the cute towel animals. There were always two new bottles of water on the table in our room each day. Also when we left the ship to go on a tour, the crew handed out bottled water to take with us. When we returned from a tour, there was a nice cold drink waiting for us when we turned our shore passes in, as well as wet cloth to wash our hands. A hand sanitizer unit was available also when reboarding the ship, and everyone was encouraged to use it. We prepaid gratuities, and it was well worth it, because we didn't have to continually reward the great service we received aboard the ship. The tour guides at each port were very knowledgeable and able to answer questions. An elevator was available for those who needed it, as well as walking sticks for the tours if needed. The cruise director was readily available and encouraged the travelers to come to her if there were any problems. We had no problems. The crew members worked well together to ensure that this was a wonderful experience. The transfer from the ship to Monograms bus at Basel was seamless, and went well for the trip to Mt. Pilatus, Lucerne, Zurich, and Como.