Burgundy & Provence Reviews

Unfortunately for us, we were not able to board the Suite Ship on day 3 as per itinerary due to the unsuitable water level. We were transported by coach from Dijon to Lyon to board the Suite Ship which was docked till day 6. Hence, we missed out on a lot of cruising. When we did cruise, it was in the evening. The extra we paid for the cabin with balcony ...read more was wasted. In the day time we could only see the river bank or another ship docked next to ours from the balcony. We were, however, compensated with one free optional tour in Lyon. We did make good of our time by enjoying the land tours (free and optional ones), food and company of fellow cruisers. Overall, the trip was relaxing and enjoyable.

The cruise was very enjoyable in many respects, but we were probably spoilt back in 2014 when we did the trip from Amsterdam to Basel which is prettier and had better tour highlights. No complaints with the crew, food and comforts but the other cruise was hard to top.

Cruise director could have done more with onboard commentary and was very dismissive ...read more about one query about flamingos in the Camargue. He said you'd never see one. We caught a local bus to the site from Arles and saw hundreds.

Our trip from Paris was faultless, commencing with excellent accommodation for 2 nights at the Westin Paris Vendome. Next day we enjoyed a guided sightseeing tour of the beautiful city. Then by TGV down to join our luxurious ship at Chalon Sur Saone with wine tasting at Beaune along the way. The next 7 days were really fabulous visiting many lovely ...read more towns and cities whilst being pampered, wined and dined on board the MS Avalon Affinity. Finally disembarking at Arles and then travelling to Monte Carlo with a final night at the luxurious Fairmont. All meals were excellent as were the hosts and local guides. We have no hesitation in recommending this tour.

This was a wonderfully run tour. Our tour leader, Danielle, was always able to make things work e.g. When the water was too high north of Lyon, to take the boat under the bridge, she organised different day trips and bussed us to them at no charge, to make up for what we'd missed. The staff were amazingly pleasant and all displayed a great sense of ...read more humour. Service was fantastic and the food was fabulous! The beds were very comfortable and every need was met within the cabins. To add to the experience, we met so many lovely travellers with whom we related and hopefully this will be the beginning of many years of friendship despite the distance that separates us.

The river cruise was excellent we are convinced small boat cruising is the best. Some of the outstanding features on the cruise were; the on board staff; tour director; on-board catering; general peace a serenity of this type of holiday. On the other side, some things that could be improved are; 1) the wines on a couple of the paid tasting excursions ...read more were sub standard compared to those available in Australia for comparable prices. The exception being the winery near Avignon. 2) Monte Carlo was a considerable disappointment way overpriced. In particular we strongly recommend that Avalon changes the location of the last nights tour dinner. This establishment let down the tour by; serving sub standard food, no choice of white wine for the main, stone cold poorly made coffee and finally the staffs attitude.

Staff excellent & all very helpful. Local guides very informative & provide unique information about local culture. Rooms very comfortable, spacious & clean.

This was our second river cruise with Avalon Waterways and they do it very well. The ship was possibly the oldest in the fleet but you wouldn't know it, it looked brand new. The service is excellent as is the food. The tour started in Paris where there was a couple of optional tours on offer and the only inclusion was a tour around Paris is a coach. ...read more The hotel in Paris was very big but of a good quality and handy to the Metro. The Tour Director was very good, very helpful and kept the tour on track. The French countryside is beautiful and the places visited were all very interesting. At the end of the river section of the tour you are coached to Monaco which takes about 4 hours and we stayed in the Fairmont Hotel. The hotel is of a very good standard and well located to the Casino and other attractions. The only activity offered in Monaco is an optional tour comprising a dinner and walking tour of the old part of the city. We didn't do this optional tour (it was quite expensive) and as we stayed an extra day in Monaco, we arranged a half day guided tour of Monaco separately, which was very good. Although Monaco is not very big, spending only half a day there is not really enough and I would recommend staying an extra day.

The only issue was when other ships double berthed next to our ship. This happened a number of times and our balcony/large windows could not be used as we were looking into the window of another ship! This was disappointing as we had paid for the top deck specifically to maximise the views of the river and to use the balcony/large windows. This is the ...read more only reason I have marked down the value for money as everything else about the cruise was great value for money. Other than this one issue we thoroughly enjoyed our tour. It was a wonderful experience.

Enjoyed the Avalon River cruise, visited many historic and interesting towns. The hotels in Paris and Monte Carlo at the start and end of the tour were good and many of the optional sightseeing tours on offer provided the opportunity to see the French countryside and wine growing areas.

We enjoyed the cruise and the standard of service, including meals and entertainment provided. Having cruised with other Operators before, we found this Avalon river cruise excellent.

Thank you Hannah for organising my recent river cruise. All went well, one complaint was our Tour director, Yvette. She worked hard, but was an unfriendly lady, which I have never found before in a tour director. Thanks once again Hannah.

This was a wonderful experience. There was a balance between sailing and visiting towns along the river. Life aboard the cruise was great! The crew went out of their way to make sure we enjoyed ourselves and wanted for nothing. The Scenery is comfortable with contemporary furnishings and fittings. My cabin was more than adequate for me. I would highly ...read more recommend this cruise to my friends.

Exceptional cruise. The staff great and very friendly and could not do enough for you. Thoroughly enjoyed the walking tours of the villages and the tour guides were exceptional. Great value for the money, could not fault anything except that we were overfed and are now paying for it.