Avalon River Cruise Reviews
The 494 Avalon River Cruise reviews listed below are from past clients of Global Journeys that have traveled with Avalon. Each review has been individually verified by our team.
Absolutely wonderful trip. Loved every minute. The staff were so consistently cheerful and helpful. The Cruise Director was outstanding. Regarding embarkation - we were told we would be sent an email the day before to tell us the location of the ship, but it didn't come, which was a bit stressful. However, I emailed the ship early the same morning and read more was told the information.
The other suggestion I would have is to contact travellers a few weeks before, to ask for what they need after the cruise in terms of transport to airports, stations, whatever. I read a statement in the info that said not to have flights at Munich airport leaving before 8am. I assumed by that (wrongly) that there would be an automatic shuttle to the airport early in the morning. However, when I checked with the wonderful cruise director, she put me straight, and with difficulty managed to get me on a bus to the airport for my flight. Thanks again - amazing.
The other suggestion I would have is to contact travellers a few weeks before, to ask for what they need after the cruise in terms of transport to airports, stations, whatever. I read a statement in the info that said not to have flights at Munich airport leaving before 8am. I assumed by that (wrongly) that there would be an automatic shuttle to the airport early in the morning. However, when I checked with the wonderful cruise director, she put me straight, and with difficulty managed to get me on a bus to the airport for my flight. Thanks again - amazing.
From start to finish we thoroughly enjoyed our first river cruise. Georgie managed the whole process for us and kept us fully informed in the lead up. Flights were great, albeit long from Perth. Arriving a day early and staying at the Radisson Blu meant we were fresh and rested for the river cruise. Coming from Perth we were blown away by the experience, read more the history and the culture. The ship was excellent and all staff went over and above to add to the experience. Excursions ashore were well planned to cater for individual interests and fitness levels. The whole trip operated like a well oiled machine. Really enjoyed the casual relaxed atmosphere and getting to know the other passengers. Would definitely recommend to anyone interested in doing a cruise and would do it again in a heartbeat.
We did have an unfortunate start to our holiday. When we arrived at Auckland Airport & attempted to check in at Qatar airlines we were told our Travel Agent had cancelled our booking, after a two hour wait trying to sort this out & not being able to get hold of Global Journeys because it was a Sunday we eventually had to purchase two more tickets to read more Prague. We have been fully reimbursed by Global Journeys & thank them & Maisie for their quick response. We are still awaiting a full explanation as to why this happened.
The Avalon cruise from Prague to Budapest was fantastic & lived up to our expectations as we had previously cruised on the Rhine with Avalon & were well aware of their very high standards. The excursions available were varied & appeared to suit all passengers. The meals were as expected excellent & the activities & onboard entertainment were very well received by all. Our cruise director Daniela did an amazing job of organising the daily activities & keeping all passengers up to date with up & coming events. We meet some lovely people on board & shared many meal times & a few beers & wines with them.
The Avalon cruise from Prague to Budapest was fantastic & lived up to our expectations as we had previously cruised on the Rhine with Avalon & were well aware of their very high standards. The excursions available were varied & appeared to suit all passengers. The meals were as expected excellent & the activities & onboard entertainment were very well received by all. Our cruise director Daniela did an amazing job of organising the daily activities & keeping all passengers up to date with up & coming events. We meet some lovely people on board & shared many meal times & a few beers & wines with them.
It was the most wonderful, well organised trip. The luxury on the Avalon Passion was beyond our expectations.. the staff were all welcoming and helpful.. and the food always reflected the region you were passing through. The excursions gave you many options or you could just choose to relax with a coffee, hot chocolate, on board.
Wonderful Cruise along the Danube. 2
The Danube from Romania to Budapest with Bucharest, Transylvania & Budapest
John and Rosalie, NSW, Australia, Apr 2024
Amazing tour from Bucharest to Budapest. The Transylvanian addition a must with some great scenery and castles. Daily tours were all included and full of fantastic sights and adventure. Avalon Ship and crew were excellent. Optional Serbian dinner in Belgrade was very disappointing. Food and service were below expected and overpriced for what it was. read more Better off doing your own dinner in a local restaurant if you wanted.
Would recommend this tour and booking through Global Journeys was easy.
Would recommend this tour and booking through Global Journeys was easy.
This was our third Avalon river cruise and we weren’t disappointed. Despite the itinerary being changed due to low water on the Danube. Avalon handled the situation well. Stayed in cabin 210 which was only a short walk to the main sections of the ship. Food and staff very good, though there appears to be less staff on board. Due to the low water we read more stayed 2 nights on the Avalon Impression docked in Budapest. We were then bused to Bratislava for our day tour there and continued on to Vienna to join our correct ship the Avalon Envision.
All crew were the same on each ship which helped with continuation. Avalon provided each passenger with cash to purchase lunch in Bratislava and also some free optional excursions as compensation. Tracey handled our booking very professionally, as always! Appreciated the updates on the changes. The team at Global Journeys are great and will continue to be our go to agents. They offer great value and a friendly and helpful team.
All crew were the same on each ship which helped with continuation. Avalon provided each passenger with cash to purchase lunch in Bratislava and also some free optional excursions as compensation. Tracey handled our booking very professionally, as always! Appreciated the updates on the changes. The team at Global Journeys are great and will continue to be our go to agents. They offer great value and a friendly and helpful team.
A great boat, fantastic crew, beautiful food and an enjoyable and educational cruise and tours. Have booked another cruise .
Balkan Discovery + Transylvania 2
Balkan Discovery with Budapest, Bucharest & Transylvania
Gary and Lea, NSW, Australia, Oct 2023
Travelled on Avalon View, an excellent vessel. Cabin and crew were great. Our river time was cut short by one day due to low water levels in the lower Danube but Avalon responded well with alternate arrangements. Transylvania extension was excellent, thanks to our local guide, Stefan.
Avalon Lower Danube 0
Balkan Discovery with Budapest, Bucharest & Transylvania
Gary and Lea, NSW, Australia, Oct 2023
Excellent ship, meals, and crew. The river level became too low towards the end of the cruise, so we lost our second stop in Bulgaria and were diverted early to Romania. Our stop gap accommodation there was quite good and we got an extra day in Bucharest.
Avalon Panorama was a perfect experience, each day waking up in a new country was so fascinating. The on board experience from the beautiful big window , happy hour, four course meals or optional casual, a place to sit quietly and read or watch the world go by. The room was a good size with a very functional bathroom. The people who made the trip was read more the staff , the tour director Simona , our room gentleman Blessing ,every person I interacted with was kind, polite and happy to be there . They made it fun, interesting and a pleasure.
Avalon cruise from Basel to Nuremberg was perfect for first-time cruisers 1
German Grandeur
Ludy and Victor, NSW, Australia, Sep 2023
Although my husband and I have already been on previous Rhine cruise, it is still enjoyable and more appreciated the second time. We travelled with 6 other friends/family who are all first-time river cruisers and they all enjoyed and wowed by the river cruise, especially the food and services on board. The only thing which stopped me from rating this read more a 5-star is the lack of self-service laundry which other river cruise companies have.
Booking with our Avalon cruise with Hannah 1
Active & Discovery in Holland & Belgium
Tony and Lesley, WA, Australia, Aug 2023
Thanks Hannah, everything went great. Despite Emirates delay into Amsterdam. The booked pickup waited an extra thirty minutes for us. We made the boat with 45 minutes to spare. Cabin 312 was excellent as was the whole cruise. See you sometime 2024. Thanks.
Wonderful tour through the south of France 2
Paris to Normandy
Kerrie and Donald, Australia, Jul 2023
The cruise exceeded our expectations. Beautiful scenery and wonderful towns to explore. Would highly recommend Avalon cruises.
Excellent service with friendly staff and the best cruise director we have ever had Tony Jenkins. And thank you Global Journeys for an easy and hassle free booking. Will certainly book with you again.
Excellent service with friendly staff and the best cruise director we have ever had Tony Jenkins. And thank you Global Journeys for an easy and hassle free booking. Will certainly book with you again.
Absolutely loved the 8 day/ 7 night river cruise from Basel in Switzerland up to Amsterdam. The crew were amazing. The service and food was like being in a five star hotel throughout the whole time. Excursions were organized for us every day. We will definitely do another river cruise with Avalon.
Avalon Waterways Rhine cruise 1
Romantic Rhine (Northbound)
Hugh and Catherine, New Zealand, Jul 2023
We can't recommend Avalon Waterways cruise enough - it was brilliant from start to finish. The facilities were well maintained, modern and spacious (the bed was extremely comfortable). The staff went out of their way to make you feel welcomed. The excursions were very well run and informative. The food was delicious and plentiful, and the free drinks read more were also generous. Entertainment was great. With only 100 guests onboard we felt we were valued guests. Will definitely be returning to do another Avalon cruise.
Being a single passenger, I only booked this Avalon cruise since they sometimes have a few cabins available with no single supplement. I had never been on a river cruise and this one had 106 passengers out of a maximum possible 168. I went for the "dungeon" lower deck with 2 small top of the room windows looking out at river level since it was the read more cheapest. Not really a problem as it was only used for sleeping and I was out on excursions every day and one could sit on the viewing decks if necessary.
Having been on over 30 coach tours of Europe, this provided a different experience, with visits to places I had not been to. My personal highlights were Strasbourg, cycling the Dutch countryside, and cruising past the castles one afternoon. The staff were excellent and friendly even though English was not their first language; the food, of course, was superb, and the range of tours at every location was impressive, to the extent that one could repeat the tour but end up seeing different attractions at each venue. There are just a couple of points I wish to make. One, is that the internet signal was variable, and sometimes non-existent. Secondly, the cruise is called 'Romantic Rhine'. For the most part, all one saw on the banks were factories, warehouses, nuclear plants and unkempt river banks. It was only one afternoon when the cruise passed a host of castles. I thank Hannah at GJ for organising the tour for me, and have booked on another Avalon cruise in 2024.
Having been on over 30 coach tours of Europe, this provided a different experience, with visits to places I had not been to. My personal highlights were Strasbourg, cycling the Dutch countryside, and cruising past the castles one afternoon. The staff were excellent and friendly even though English was not their first language; the food, of course, was superb, and the range of tours at every location was impressive, to the extent that one could repeat the tour but end up seeing different attractions at each venue. There are just a couple of points I wish to make. One, is that the internet signal was variable, and sometimes non-existent. Secondly, the cruise is called 'Romantic Rhine'. For the most part, all one saw on the banks were factories, warehouses, nuclear plants and unkempt river banks. It was only one afternoon when the cruise passed a host of castles. I thank Hannah at GJ for organising the tour for me, and have booked on another Avalon cruise in 2024.
Memorable Rhine river cruise! 2
Craig and Melissa, QLD, Australia, Apr 2023
For our first river cruise, this didn’t disappoint. Our stateroom was very nice the outlook that we got from the door sliding back all the way was just beautiful. We loved how we got to try the local food that they served on the boat. We would have to say, we enjoyed of the excursion to The Maginot Line the most above any other!
The most beautiful service from everyone, food was very professional. Avalon Waterways rooms were very good, and tours were very professional. All good! We were happy every day!
Our first river cruise experience was nothing but AMAZING! 1
Christmastime in Alsace & Germany (Southbound)
Zyra & Ryrenn Joseph, WA, Australia, Dec 2022
We would like to thank Toni our travel advisor at Global Journeys & the rest of the Avalon Tranquility 2 crew for making our holiday cruise getaway a memorable and relaxing experience. From getting in touch with yourself to enquire at first, to sorting out our trip, I couldn’t believe how easy everything was.
Onboard the cruise, EVERY crew member read more made sure we are ALWAYS looked after and they even made time decorating our room & making a cake to celebrate my birthday. Every place we went throughout the cruise was remarkable and we also loved the part where we were given ample time to be able to roam around & explore each town/place on our own without having to rush. Overall the experience was delightful and we can hand on heart say it will not be our first & last as we will definitely book with you again in the future.
Onboard the cruise, EVERY crew member read more made sure we are ALWAYS looked after and they even made time decorating our room & making a cake to celebrate my birthday. Every place we went throughout the cruise was remarkable and we also loved the part where we were given ample time to be able to roam around & explore each town/place on our own without having to rush. Overall the experience was delightful and we can hand on heart say it will not be our first & last as we will definitely book with you again in the future.
Had snow in Heidelberg which was nice to see. Trip went well, my only issue was that it was actually 3 cruises in one which I was unaware of. First leg to Nuremberg, got to know everyone on board but then 90% of passengers and the tour director disembarked and another lot of people came on board. This meant we were docked in Nuremberg for 3 days which read more was really too long. Then a few days later, more people disembarked at Frankfurt and a new lot of people boarded. Did not really give you a chance to get to know everyone on board as people were coming and going, there were only about 17 of the original group who went through to Basel. Would much prefer to have the whole 16 days with the one group of people. Life on board the ship was good, staff were excellent, food & rooms were also excellent. Would have liked to have had some night excursions to see the Christmas Markets in full festive light. Felt some of the excursions were too long and others too short but that could be just a personal thing.
