My husband and I just returned from a 7 night cruise on the Artistry II. We chose Avalon Waterways because of a friend's recommendation and because the itinerary fit our schedule. The ship was okay, but nothing special. We were in the Royal Suite (one of two on the ship) but in all honesty, it wasn't really worth the extra expense. The room was larger than most, but other than that we didn't receive any special services. Also, due to double docking (which I know happens on all river cruises) our huge windows were often looking into a suite on the boat parked next to us. I could've actually carried on a conversation with the people on the next boat due to how CLOSE we were to them. So when you see those commercials with the couple waking up, stretching, and looking at some castles on the banks of the river...that's not even close to what we experienced. On the bright side, the staff was great, food was good, and our cruise director was top notch. Would I recommend it? Probably not.