the quality of the rooms, service, and food on board completely shattered the preconception i had of such way of travelling before i joined our rhine river cruise with avalon waterways. pleasantly surprised all the way. i really enjoyed the service provided by the staff who is most helpful, attentive and careful to our needs. the stops were well balanced and allowed to visit a great diversity of places to understand and experience the culture along the river from basel to amsterdam. the guides at each stops were enteraintaing and knowledgeable which made for a pleasant introduction of each town. however, if i returno n board, i will not join such guided tours and will hope that avalon can provide more tips about each destinations (perhaps in the form of a detailed map with points of interest) so that i can go and wander around bymyself without the fear of "missing out". a wonderful way to travel europe without the hassles of driving or airport management. the only draw back was the fact that ships sometimes dock alongside each other completely removing the view and privacy of the room. even so, an absolutely wonderful experience to be repeated as soon as possible. well done!