We arrived in Budapest a couple of days ahead and had a great time exploring the city prior to boarding the Avalon Panorama.

Embarkation was done with a minimum of fuss and our luggage was placed in our suite which although compact was well appointed and provided you lived in a tidy manner the suite provided enough room to move without tripping over each other, a noteworthy point is that the beds can be adjusted from firm through medium to soft. The only draw back with our suite at the stern of the second deck was that to get to lounge at the stern on the third deck you had to walk all the way forward to the Reception area, up a deck and then walk all the way to the stern, although with the crews quarters being in the aft end of the boat I don't know how this minor inconvenience can be overcome.

If you have never done a river cruise you are in for a pleasant surprise when compared to ocean cruising. Most river cruise boats have a passenger capacity of 150/200 passengers compared with 2000/3000 on ocean cruises, so you soon get to know other passengers and form social groups which tend to be pretty inclusive as the cruise proceeds. I would sound a cautionary note for those with young children - there are no children's facilities, in fact I would estimate that the average passenger age was 60+ ( there very few passengers under 40). Read more