We chose this cruise because of the itinerary and the embarkation port of Amsterdam. The staff was incredible and we had everything we could have ever needed. We were well taken care of and we wanted for nothing. The excursions were great and the food was even better. We had a wonderful time and explored so many cities in a short period of time.

If you want to explore the cities in more depth, this cruise would not be for you. We were in some ports for just a few hours. The only disappointing excursion was the one to Heidelberg Castle. We were there for less than an hour. Many of us were extremely disappointed and some were even angry to spend so little time at such a great place.

We had some electrical issues the last day of the cruise and could not sail to Basel which was where we were disembarking. We had to have alternate arrangements to our final destination, but it ran smoothly and the crew took care of everything. Avalon was a great choice for our first river cruise!