Avalon River Cruise Reviews
The 493 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.
4.7
5 Star
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1 Star
Our experience in Budapest followed by the most relaxing seven nights on the Danube and finishing in Prague for three nights was a trip of a lifetime. We loved the experience of going though all the locks, the relaxed on board life where we felt at ease reading, enjoying a coffee at any time, and of course the magnificent meals, not to mention the inclusive read more trips onshore, and those we chose to add to our experience. Our tour director Hans was magnificent with time for everyone, and every member of staff friendly and eager to please. We will recommend this trip of a lifetime to all our friends. Well done Global Journeys.
Very impressed by the standard on the ship 1
Romantic Rhine
Wallace & Edith Reid, Australia, Jul 2013
Our river cruise was excellent, much more than our expectations. We were very impressed by the standard on the ship and the standard of the staterooms and bathrooms. The thought that went into the detail hanging space etc. We liked the mix of the organisation and the relaxed atmosphere, we were free to join in everything or just to relax. The food was read more outstanding as was the service. We would recommend the holiday to anyone and very much hope to go on another journey with Avalon.
It was great not to have to live out of a suitcase 2
Magnificent Rivers of Europe
John Alexander, Australia, Jul 2013
The Avalon Budapest - Amsterdam river cruise was certainly a highlight of our 3 month European holiday. It was great not to have to live out of a suitcase for 2 weeks. The scenery was fantastic and the tours (both included and optional) were well organised and priced. The only downside (apart from the trip having to end) was we were on the western read more side of the boat which got the afternoon sun and was very hot (admittedly there was a heatwave through Europe while we were on the tour). I suggest you ask future travellers which side of the boat they want to be on - the shady or sunny side. Which side of the boat that is (left or right) will depend on which way it is sailing. Budapest - Amsterdam the right hand side (even numbered cabins) faces west and are the hot ones. Amsterdam - Budapest it is the other way around. Just about everyone on the west side had the same complaint.
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.
A faultless tour 2
Ruth & Adrian Kuhne, Australia, Jul 2013
From Budapest to Paris was faultless. We enjoyed every moment and met some great people along the way including our tour hostess Danielle. Service left nothing to be desired, the tours were all very well co-ordinated and the individual guides did a great job and showed good knowledge of their areas with some entertaining personalities as well. Chef's read more were to be congratulated and the food was varied and of excellent quality. There were only two negatives. One was that the ever popular coffee machine decided to strike halfway throughout the trip so we all went into withdrawal. Maybe they could carry a spare? The second was that we flew Cathay Pacific as booked by Global Journeys and had good flights but in future would ensure that there were no extra stops or deviations as Cairns via Brisbane to Hong Kong added an undesirable extra 3 or 4 hrs both ways. If we had known, we would have looked at other options with flights as some do go direct even if it meant greater cost or traveling on a different day. Overall though, I would use both Avalon and Global Journeys again as we had very good experiences in my dealings with both. Thanks Georgie for expertly organizing a wonderful holiday for us.
Cruise was everything I had imagined and more 2
Magnificent Europe
Noeleen Webb, Australia, Jul 2013
I had the most amazing time. The choice of optional tours on land were of high standard and very interesting. We were unfortunately caught up in the loch masters strike in Germany which resulted and disappointingly meant leaving the cruise for 4 nights boarding again at Melk. Avalon arranged our coaches, accommodation and daily tours during this period read more and other than the first 2 dinners not being of the standard we were accustomed to on board, all went well. I could not fault the crew, they were all very helpful and professional. Thank you Georgie for your advice and helpfulness and making the organising of my trip so pleasant. I would like to give you 5 stars for service and friendliness.
Could not find fault with anything on the cruise 3
Magnificent Europe
Arthur Picton, Australia, Jul 2013
Could not find fault with anything on the cruise. The Tour Director (Janos), Captain, Operations Manager and other Crew members made sure that we arrived in Amsterdam on schedule even though they all had to contend with the German Lock Keepers strike. All the crew from the Cabin Stewardess to the Captain made us very welcome. The meals were varied read more and well presented, and the Waiters were always on hand to assist in any way possible. Kristina (Restaurant Manager) managed to find me a bottle of sweet wine (only sort I drink) to tide me over for a few evenings. Perhaps there should always be at least a couple of bottles of sweet wine on board for those who don't like the reds and white offered. Our only complaint was that Peter, the pianist, had no variation in the music he played each evening, and after a while this got to be boring. This was our first river cruise in Europe and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
WOW. Where to start. Had an amazing time on the Visionary. The whole experience was wonderful. We started our adventure in Prague staying at the Hilton. Prague is a city like no other. The buildings, the river, the flowers, the people, and everything is so cheap. I am so glad we arrived 1 day earlier and had time to settle in and take a good look around. read more 1 day before we were to depart for Nuremberg we were advised that the German Lock workers were conducting rolling strikes so we would be bused to Regensburg instead. The Visionary was docked in Regensburg and we didn't sail until Friday (instead of Thursday) but we still did get to see Nuremberg even though it was by bus instead of cruising the river. Not a great start to our 'river cruise' as we hadn't left dock, but on a positive note Avalon did what they could with a situation that was beyond their control. If you had to be 'stuck' well then Regensburg would be the place. Absolutely beautiful city and again so many beautiful flowers..
When we actually did sail on the Friday it was special and everyone was excited to get moving. I can not describe the next morning as we cruised into Passau. Just breathtaking to wake up to the most quaint little German town. To be docked so close and be able to walk into town at your own pace was just wonderful. The sad thing then was that the ones that had booked the 'extra trip' to Salzburg had to leave the ship at 8.30am and we sailed at around 11am and had the most amazing day sailing thru the most spectacular scenery that you could imagine. We sailed all afternoon past gorgeous villages and past castles and we arrived in Linz at about 5pm when the other passengers that had been to Salzburg then met the ship. They missed an amazing day. Linz was the most Vibrant place we visited. Saturday night and a summer festival happening. Again another city where we were docked so close to town we could just walk and explore...fantastic.
We sailed that night and the next day arrived in Melk. The tour of the Melk Abbey included was wonderful as it was so informative about the different ages but sadly we didn't have any time in the town. The view from the top of the hill was wonderful, but we would have loved time in the town as well. We sailed then for Vienna. Wow! The most beautiful buildings ever. Not as many flowers as the other cities but the buildings are unbelievable. Tuesday morning and we sailed for Budapest. Sailed in to Budapest on Tuesday afternoon and wow again! Cruised in slowly past the Parliament Building and into another gorgeous European city. That briefly covers the cities and towns that we visited. Words can not describe how we now feel about that part of the world. But now to get onto the actual Avalon experience.
Firstly the cabin, unbelievable. The bed would have to be the most comfortable thing I have ever slept on in my life. The other passengers saying they had pulled the sheets off to try and see what brand the bed was. You just sunk into the bed and the pillows and not to mention the feel of the doona, just heaven. The cabin was so spacious and well designed, so much space in the wardrobes and heaps of room to move around. The bathroom was fantastic, great hot shower and heaps of space in there as well. The beauty products were great, and plenty of them. The food was great. I have a different view to my husband - I like a little fancy and he likes a good old fashioned feed. What ever view you take, there was plenty. The breakfast buffet was full of the usual fruit, yogurt, cereals, breads, bacon, eggs, beans, hash browns, tomatoes, mushrooms, pancakes, pastries etc. The lunches in the restaurant were of course wonderful, everything you could ask for. The luches on the sky deck were just like a good old fashioned BBQ back home in the land of OZ. The Gala nights consisted of many courses of little bites followed by starters, followed by entrees followed by mains and then incredible desserts, and then you could have cheese and crackers and fruit. OMG, and I wonder how come I put on weight and hubby had to let his belt out a notch or 2. The wine and beers were included, and there was plenty of both. Oh and the 24/7 lounge also had help yourself cappuccino / coffee / hot chocolate / tea machine with choc chip cookies - not to mention fruit and juices and also iced tea was pretty cool as well.
The staff - wonderful - as you can see by my brief summary of the 11 wonderful days of our Legendary Danube cruise I quite enjoyed myself. My husband has a few things he was not happy about. eg Wifi dropping in and out, even though they warned us about this - it is 2013 and maybe they really need to look into improving this as it is how many people communicate with loved ones back home. Overall I would have to say that I loved the whole experience, of course you can never please 100% of the people 100% of the time - but Avalon certainly tried.
When we actually did sail on the Friday it was special and everyone was excited to get moving. I can not describe the next morning as we cruised into Passau. Just breathtaking to wake up to the most quaint little German town. To be docked so close and be able to walk into town at your own pace was just wonderful. The sad thing then was that the ones that had booked the 'extra trip' to Salzburg had to leave the ship at 8.30am and we sailed at around 11am and had the most amazing day sailing thru the most spectacular scenery that you could imagine. We sailed all afternoon past gorgeous villages and past castles and we arrived in Linz at about 5pm when the other passengers that had been to Salzburg then met the ship. They missed an amazing day. Linz was the most Vibrant place we visited. Saturday night and a summer festival happening. Again another city where we were docked so close to town we could just walk and explore...fantastic.
We sailed that night and the next day arrived in Melk. The tour of the Melk Abbey included was wonderful as it was so informative about the different ages but sadly we didn't have any time in the town. The view from the top of the hill was wonderful, but we would have loved time in the town as well. We sailed then for Vienna. Wow! The most beautiful buildings ever. Not as many flowers as the other cities but the buildings are unbelievable. Tuesday morning and we sailed for Budapest. Sailed in to Budapest on Tuesday afternoon and wow again! Cruised in slowly past the Parliament Building and into another gorgeous European city. That briefly covers the cities and towns that we visited. Words can not describe how we now feel about that part of the world. But now to get onto the actual Avalon experience.
Firstly the cabin, unbelievable. The bed would have to be the most comfortable thing I have ever slept on in my life. The other passengers saying they had pulled the sheets off to try and see what brand the bed was. You just sunk into the bed and the pillows and not to mention the feel of the doona, just heaven. The cabin was so spacious and well designed, so much space in the wardrobes and heaps of room to move around. The bathroom was fantastic, great hot shower and heaps of space in there as well. The beauty products were great, and plenty of them. The food was great. I have a different view to my husband - I like a little fancy and he likes a good old fashioned feed. What ever view you take, there was plenty. The breakfast buffet was full of the usual fruit, yogurt, cereals, breads, bacon, eggs, beans, hash browns, tomatoes, mushrooms, pancakes, pastries etc. The lunches in the restaurant were of course wonderful, everything you could ask for. The luches on the sky deck were just like a good old fashioned BBQ back home in the land of OZ. The Gala nights consisted of many courses of little bites followed by starters, followed by entrees followed by mains and then incredible desserts, and then you could have cheese and crackers and fruit. OMG, and I wonder how come I put on weight and hubby had to let his belt out a notch or 2. The wine and beers were included, and there was plenty of both. Oh and the 24/7 lounge also had help yourself cappuccino / coffee / hot chocolate / tea machine with choc chip cookies - not to mention fruit and juices and also iced tea was pretty cool as well.
The staff - wonderful - as you can see by my brief summary of the 11 wonderful days of our Legendary Danube cruise I quite enjoyed myself. My husband has a few things he was not happy about. eg Wifi dropping in and out, even though they warned us about this - it is 2013 and maybe they really need to look into improving this as it is how many people communicate with loved ones back home. Overall I would have to say that I loved the whole experience, of course you can never please 100% of the people 100% of the time - but Avalon certainly tried.
The only thing we could find to complain about on our river cruise was the beer was not cold enough!
Thank you Georgie for booking my trip with my friends and we had no problems with arrival but we did not spend our whole time on the MV Avalon Panorama which is beautiful throughout because of a Lock Strike (could be ongoing). It would of been nice to know that an optional tour in Amsterdam on the day of arrival for those who have not been before read more should not be missed. So arrive early morning & go see the windmills, clogs & cheese and then be taken directly to the ship where your luggage is already in your room awaiting you to unpack. I had to change my arrival time so I could go & it was an extra cost I had to bear.
Once onboard the ship I was escorted to my room which was on the lower level and was beautifully fitted out and was as quiet to sleep in at any time. No noise at all. I only had to walk up one flight to the dinning room which served excellent meals for dinner (all 3 courses including wine) and the buffet lunch served in the same room or a light lunch served upstairs in the lounge area near the bar. The bar also had happy hour each evening before dinner if you wished to have a drink before going to dinner. You put it on tab & fixed up account at end of the tour. The tour director Hendrik was very professional & wonderful, and when we were involved with the lock going on strike, he gave us the option of staying onboard or going by by coach for the 4 days.
I bussed it & spent 1 night in Linz & 2 nights right in the center of Vienna at the Inter Continental walking just down the street to see the Royal Waltz Concert which was great. I was disappointed having to repack & take all my belongings with me on the coach as we rejoined the ship before getting into Budapest in Hungary. I took this cruise as I needed a much deserved rest after a most stressful year. I would recommend Global Journeys to all.
Once onboard the ship I was escorted to my room which was on the lower level and was beautifully fitted out and was as quiet to sleep in at any time. No noise at all. I only had to walk up one flight to the dinning room which served excellent meals for dinner (all 3 courses including wine) and the buffet lunch served in the same room or a light lunch served upstairs in the lounge area near the bar. The bar also had happy hour each evening before dinner if you wished to have a drink before going to dinner. You put it on tab & fixed up account at end of the tour. The tour director Hendrik was very professional & wonderful, and when we were involved with the lock going on strike, he gave us the option of staying onboard or going by by coach for the 4 days.
I bussed it & spent 1 night in Linz & 2 nights right in the center of Vienna at the Inter Continental walking just down the street to see the Royal Waltz Concert which was great. I was disappointed having to repack & take all my belongings with me on the coach as we rejoined the ship before getting into Budapest in Hungary. I took this cruise as I needed a much deserved rest after a most stressful year. I would recommend Global Journeys to all.
I would definitely recommend Avalon Waterways 1
Romantic Rhine
Paul & Irene Galloway, Australia, Jul 2013
We started the cruise from Amsterdam and despite the floods the cruise went ahead. I was impressed that Avalon Waterways had arranged another ship to start the cruise and had the original ship booked at the half way point for us to changeover. This all worked without any problem or fuss and everything was arranged perfectly. I would definitely recommend read more Avalon Waterways they provided the best quality, best service and excellent staff. The cruise director was fantastic.
Very well done. We made many new friends. Even the optional tours were well priced. Excellent organisation and timing.
Would recommend to anyone. Beautiful food. Great staff 1
Romantic Rhine
Bob Mummery & Lorraine Erenstrom, Australia, Jul 2013
We enjoyed every minute of our cruise down the Rhine Basel to Amsterdam and would recommend it to anyone. Beautiful food. Great staff.
First class service all the way 1
Magnificent Rivers of Europe
Carolyn & Bernie Mack, Australia, Jul 2013
We had a wonderful trip on Avalon Vista. We had first class service all the way even though there was a lock operators strike & we had to coached for the last couple of days. We would certainly recommend Global Journeys & Avalon Waterways.
Service on the cruise was exceptional 1
Magnificent Rivers of Europe
Michaela Van Mierlo, Australia, Jul 2013
Yvonne our tour consultant was fantastic always keeping me informed and even when there were challenges she met the them and exceeded in making our journey a journey of a life time (From booking to completion). Avalon river cruises were very professional and the service on the cruise was exceptional and team on board and off made the cruise fun and read more interesting. Would use both Global Journeys and Avalon again. Thank you.
We had an amazing time, thank you for all your help, the trip was excellent so glad we went through the Moselle River it was absolutely gorgeous. Avalon Affinity was excellent, the food was fantastic and the service impeccable. We enjoyed our cabin it was again excellent. We can't speak highly enough of Avalon and Global Journeys. Thank you for all read more your help and look forward to returning to Europe in the next couple of years.
Breathtaking, nothing to complain about on the ship 1
Magnificent Rivers of Europe
Christina Franken, Australia, Jul 2013
The river cruise was breath taking, nothing to complain about on the ship, such a high standard all round, well done. There is so many tours you can not do them all, so research before you go. If traveling with an elderly person as I did, they must be fit as there is a lot, yes a lot of walking, be warned, my mother did not cope with it and all the read more tours. Glad we went with Avalon because you can add on tours if there is not something on the day you like, a big plus in my trip. There is not a lot to do on the ship but its not a ocean liner, no pools, casino, parting etc is more for low party goers. Do the research and you will have the best time.
This tour was great. It was well organised before we left and during the cruise. The cruise director was very experienced and helpful. No complaints at all. Loved it.
The Avalon cruise from Paris to Normandy was fantastic. The ship was amazing, the food and wines of the region were excellent. Jerome our cruise director was very good and extremely efficient. All the staff on board the ship were great and cared for us very well . We had a wonderful time.
An extraordinarily well planned and organised trip.
