Magnificent Europe Reviews

We went on this river cruise last month and it was amazing. We had previously booked a shorter Basel-Amsterdam cruise with Hannah for May 2020, but alas it was cancelled along with everyone else's! She was so helpful at that time we decided to re-book this longer cruise with her as well, now that covid restrictions had eased. Although we had to have ...read more some itinerary variations and a ship change due low river levels, the whole trip didn’t disappoint.

Avalon were fantastic in the circumstances, especially due to the hard work of our awesome Cruise Director Tony Jenkins. He showed such care and concern for the guests and even danced and sang in Welsh for us! A true treasure. Seeing the castles along the Rhine Gorge and our tours of Rudesheim, Rothenburg and Regensburg were highlights for us. We have done a lot of ocean cruises, but this was our first river cruise. After this experience it won't be our last!

We recently completed a wonderful Amsterdam to Budapest cruise with Avalon along the Rhine, Maine and Danube rivers. Like many, this trip had been deferred, with credit, for two or more years. We soon began to realise how much we were again enjoying our experience of travel. A sense of normality returned and we gained a renewed love of such scenic and ...read more historic beauty as the castles along the Rhine and later in the Wachau Valley on the Danube.

The cities in Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary were alive and well with tourists beginning to return in numbers. A bubble of joy and happiness radiated on the faces of travellers and locals from the various cultures seemed delighted to welcome us to their environs. Covid precautions were sensibly in place but did not hamper the joie-de-vivre in our hearts. It felt so good to be ‘travel-alive‘ again.

Everything was taken care of during our Magnificent Europe Cruise! The food was superb as was the wine and service. There was always plenty of tours and the cruise director kept all passengers well informed. Our only disappointment was the lack of water in the Danube due to the long hot summer. So we were forced to continue by bus!! However Avalon set ...read more us all up in a fabulous hotel in Vienna!

This was our second river cruise with Avalon and was just amazing. A 5 star floating hotel through the best parts of Europe! Incredible staff, who have the attitude of 'nothing is a problem' and do anything & everything to make your holiday the best. The food is amazing and be prepared to come off weighing more than when you started your cruise. The ...read more array/selection at every meal is extremely good, as is the selection of wines, beers etc. Our room was very comfortable and always serviced twice a day! Beautiful amenities are provided and all linen is very nice. Each town that we stopped in was incredible, as were the activities and extra options. We also had great entertainment on board too!

We were lucky enough to have Hannah Campbell help us again with our bookings and can’t thank her enough for the great and very professional job she did of organising our trip. Also the price of the trip, compared to other travel agencies, was very good. Highly recommend Global Journeys for all types of travel! Many thanks Hannah, you made our booking so easy and always kept us very well informed! Great job!

Excellent tour. Highly recommended. Great scenery. Great excursions. Great food, wine and entertainment. Excellent cruise director, cabin staff and waiters.

The booking process was so easy with Jemma, nothing was too much trouble. The river cruise was fantastic, the staff on the Avalon Impression were amazing. It was very tiring but very rewarding as we saw so much. It's hard to name one highlight as there were many.

A delightful journey through the waterways of Europe from Amsterdam to Budapest. Well looked after by the crew, meals superb and we enjoyed the various excursions. The cruise director was very knowledgeable and kept us informed daily. The local guides were all very knowledgeable and most helpful throughout. Fellow passengers were a good mix and we made ...read more many friends. Service staff were exceptional - I would employ them all tomorrow. The ship was well appointed and very comfortable. Our Captain went above and beyond to ensure we got to our destination. Even though the water levels did not cooperate we were well looked after in the alternative accommodation provided. Have recommended this trip to friends and colleagues.

Global Journeys made the booking simple and looked after all the necessary things. The cruise did not live up to expectations with only about 3 days where the scenery was spectacular. The balance was ordinary, with the locks being monotonous. The shore excursions of the smaller towns were excellent. It was more of a shame that we ran out of water and ...read more had to be bused on several occasions. When we finally got there, Budapest was the highlight and a must see city.

Great holiday. Good dealing with Global Journeys and Juliet was very helpful and catered to all my needs. Everything went smoothly without any problems. Would definitely use Global Journeys for future holidays.

Excellent arrangements from Hannah Campbell at Global Journeys, as usual, great to work with. First ship was excellent then changed onto second ship - not as welcoming. Tour director was excellent and all ground tours were very well arranged with great additions for those who were less mobile - which was very much appreciated. Overall a really great ...read more tour - ready to do the next one!

Every aspect of the trip was outstanding. The ship was immaculate; the crew, from the Captain down, were efficient, friendly and courteous, particularly those with whom we were in daily contact in the dining room, lounge and cabins - they made us feel as though it was a real pleasure for them to serve us. The Cruise Director, Tony, was knowledgeable, ...read more entertaining and approachable; the local guides for each excursion were well chosen and effective.

Dining room menus were varied and interesting and the food was attractively presented. Wines provided with lunch and dinner were of good quality and were usually sourced from the region through which were travelling. Included and optional shore excursions provided the opportunity to obtain as good an impression of the local area as was possible in the time available. Onboard accommodation, both cabin and public areas, was well designed and immaculately maintained. The only thing missing which would have enhanced our experience was a large wall map in, e.g, the lobby, that would have enabled us to trace the journey from start to finish.

A high standard of guided tours were provided at every port of call, with usually the provision for slower/elderly walkers; plus interesting on-board lectures and plenty of on board entertainment - some very good. So in that regard the cruise offered excellent value for money. The meals were of a very high standard and the service excellent. The ...read more staff/crew were all efficient and some were smiling and friendly too. The cruise director was very efficient and experienced. At one point, Passau, the river was too low to proceed, so we all disembarked and boarded the ship again down river later that day. This complex manoeuvre was seamlessly performed.

We opted for two of the 'extra cost' excursions. The one to Salzburg was excellent with a brilliant guide who travelled hundreds of km (back and forth) that day to perform this task. The other extra was the concert in Vienna. The concert itself was very good however the venue, though grand was a touch gloomy with rather hard seats. (On a previous visit to Vienna I had attended a similar concert at the Kursalon which was a far more sparkling, audience-friendly venue).

Our cabin was on the lowest deck with a window just above water level. It was luxuriously appointed but definitely on the small side for a two week stay. Calling it a stateroom was a little over the top, I thought. Most of the passengers were in the over 50 age group from USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and UK. One couple was from Taiwan and one couple from Brazil. We found most passengers friendly. My overall comment is that if you want a full-on cruise that teaches you a lot about this part of Europe then this is the cruise for you. But if you want a really laid back cruise to completely unwind and veg-out then this is probably not for you.

The booking with Global Journeys was fine and Georgie always most helpful. I think the arrangements for actually joining the ship at Amsterdam could have been made clearer. An email confirming final details about exactly when and where to go to join the ship in Amsterdam would have been handy ie confirming the actual hotel where we were to meet.

The Hotel in Amsterdam (Room Mate Aitana) was well situated for the start of the cruise, being about 150 metres from the hotel. It was also very close to the railway station that we arrived at. Room very comfortable and spacious. Restaurant very good.

The cruise was not completely full. We were quite disappointed with our Avalon Cruise Director ...read more half way through the cruise when we asked for an upgrade cabin since the noise in our cabin was keeping us awake (water slapping against side of ship, some engine noise and vibrations). They had a cabin available but insisted that we pay full price for the rest of the cruise (week) of 2400 Euros. Many other passengers tried to upgrade and got the same response. I would have thought that some leeway for them to get some extra money in the bank. Even a lottery at a cheaper price for those wishing to upgrade would have gone gown well.

When advising customers (particularly older ones) I would recommend you explain the dangers on board due to the stairs. Some of the stairs have a narrow side and a wide side. The narrow side does not provide enough foot space to be safe and a fall could have disastrous consequences. Many older people, particular carrying extra weight struggled with the stairs. Three accidents occurred on the trip requiring urgent hospitalisation (one fall in a cabin and one from the stairs). One other slip on the stairs didn't (fortunately) require immediate attention.

It was obvious that the levels of cabin got different service eg we had to ask for the sheets on the beds to be changed after the first week. This was automatic for the upper deck passengers who had their sheets changed very regularly. The two upper decks had uniformed staff assigned. Our lower floor didn't. Talking to some passengers who have done many cruises in upper decks, all agreed that the difference in price between the lower and upper decks was not value for money. One passenger had booked the lower level cabin for that reason. Overall the experience was one in a lifetime and we saw towns and beautiful countryside. We will have many fond memories of the trip for many years ahead. If you would like to have a further conversation by phone please ask Global Journeys and they'll send my number so you can give me a call.

Highlights included the attention to detail and highly organised and well orchestrated operation with multiple opportunities to get off the ship and explore the various cities and towns that we visited. The ship felt spacious and clean and the cabins comfortable (106) and products used in the bathroom of good quality. The Cruise Director was extremely ...read more good and balanced a great sense of humor with meticulous attention to detail and highly effective and organised.

Had a small hick up with not being picked up at the airport by Avalon, after waiting for 2 hours we caught a taxi and Avalon refunded the money with no problems. The overall trip was fantastic but the weather was cool as it was spring. everybody on the boat was very friendly and the staff were tremendous. The sightseeing was amazing with so much history, ...read more the cruise through the canal with all the locks was very impressive, would recommend the trip, we had a great time.

I arrived on board ill - caught something most unpleasant a couple of days earlier on the train from Paris to Amsterdam, where the lady beside me coughed and spluttered the entire trip. On boarding, I banished myself to by cabin/stateroom to avoid contaminating others. Crew were amazing - providing me with room service making sure I ate, Tour Guide ...read more tried at least three times to find me a doctor without success, and when I emerged from my self imposed isolation fellow passengers were also very caring and made sure I was OK all the time. Awesome care. Thank you.

The Avalon Passion was a beautiful ship and all the staff from the Captain to cleaning crew were amazing!. Monica our Cruise Director was so helpful and informative, from her constant guidance with tours and her commentary on picturesque parts if the cruise. The food was so delicious, so many choices and you could help yourself to coffee and tea any ...read more time of day and there was even biscuits in one of the lounges. On-board entertainment was excellent and varied. I can't fault any part of our journey even though the weather gods didn't co-operate (it was a bit cold for the first week)! Congratulations Avalon and thank you.

The whole itinerary was well presented, organised and went to plan. A good all round holiday. Good,accommodation and tours were all good. I would recommend the itinerary to my friends. Value for money, as a single traveler, could be a down side. Regardless it was a good experience.

This was our first experience of river cruising. We had a great time. The facilities on our ship, Vista, were excellent. The Cruise Director, Istvan, and all the crew made our experience one to be remembered.

Loved everything about our trip...we visited some beautiful little towns along the way and really couldn't fault the service of the Avalon staff and the ship was beautiful. Thank you Hannah at Global Journeys, for making everything so easy for us and providing such great service. Hope to do another cruise in the near future.