We chose this cruise for the active itinerary, and loved all the biking and hiking excursions. It was a great way to see the countryside. Mixed in were great sightseeing excursions in the main cities so there was a great choice of activities. All of the local guides were fantastic and very knowledgeable. There were about 115 passengers so you got to know your fellow passengers, and we met a lot of wonderful people. Food was excellent with a good amount of choices (not quite the choice you'd find on an ocean cruise but definitely varied and interesting), and the staff was wonderful. We added the Prague extension, and we really enjoyed both Budapest and Prague. Vienna was beautiful as well. The hotels in Budapest, Linz and Prague were all very nice and well located, especially the Intercontinental in Budapest which is right on the Danube by the bridge. We would definitely do another Active Discovery cruise with Avalon. We are already looking at the Rhone next!
We splurged for the suite and it was fantastic! The biggest bathroom I've ever seen on a ship. The stateroom attendant was so friendly and helpful.