Avalon River Cruise Reviews

This is the second time that I have travelled with Avalon River Cruises and once again it was fantastic!! The crew and the accommodation were 5 Star! The food was incredible and never disappointed and we loved the way that it was always presented so creatively!! Thank you once again for a great time and a very relaxing trip down the Rhine!!

Idyllic. What more can I say! Experiencing the beautiful towns and countryside - making new friends - loving the relaxing life on board a luxury river boat.

Our cruise came at the end of an extended holiday which included two coach tours, one through Scandinavia and the other through Italy. The cruise was certainly the most relaxing way to travel. We could do as much or as little of the shore activities as we chose, and there was a range of activity levels, which was excellent. The gentle pace suited us ...read more well, allowing us to visit new places without becoming exhausted. We travelled in mid-June, early summer in Europe, but with an unexpected heat wave as we neared Paris.

The ship was always comfortable. You could soak up the sun on the sky deck, or enjoy air conditioned comfort in the privacy of your own room, or any of the communal areas of the ship. Our room was very comfortable, and our steward, Alex, took great care of us. My one piece of advice: take some clothes with an elastic waist! The food was magnificent - from the breakfast buffet, full (or light) lunch and four course dinner. You might find your clothes a little tight by the end of your trip! We will definitely book another river cruise with Global Journeys again.

This was our first river cruise and our first booking through Global Journeys. The cruise was with Avalon Waterways Cruises and the ship was the 'Affinity'. The cruise certainly exceeded our expectations. Documentation arrived in plenty of time. Hotel check-in and ship boarding were both very well managed. The 'Affinity' was immaculate. The rooms and ...read more facilities were exceptionally clean, including public areas. The staff were very efficient, they were friendly but did not get overly personal. All meals on board were another highlight that exceeded our expectations.

On-board documentation of the trip was also of a high standard. We went on most of the additional side trips and believe they were good very value. Where buses we required they were of a high standard and the itineraries were excellent. Our highlight was a visit to the lavender fields with lavender fragrance in the air as we walked by the fields. However there were many other highlights in the old towns and villages, the picturesque scenery etc. The only disappointment was the slow internet service onboard. We strongly recommend the Avalon brand and we were very satisfied with the service provided by Global Journeys.

Fantastic trip down the Rhine River. Modern ship, quality cabins, quality service and outstanding meals. We would highly recommend Avalon and look forward to another journey with them. Thanks for arranging such a well organised trip.

Overall the cruise from Budapest to Bucharest with extension to Brasov was enjoyable. Pick up from Budapest to hotel was on time and courteous. Accommodation at Sofitel in Budapest was excellent and breakfast choices excellent. Having to obtain our own lunches and dinners for 2 days was inconvenient. Checkout at 11 am and no program for 4 1/2 hours, ...read more with no accommodation and luggage was extremely inconvenient. Stopover in Cetate with presentation/entertainment by owner was fascinating and locally made product tasting was delicious. Accommodation and breakfast at Athenee Palace Hilton was excellent.

The breakfast, lunches and dinners on the river cruise were good, but lacked variety and missing local food fare, basically menus remain unchanged from day to day and any changes were minor. Chef's presentations were average. fish selections poor- overcooked and not very tasty.

Crew on board were helpful but some not very friendly and warm. The cruise director provided scant information on the tours and had to be coerced to provide basic information i.e. duration, ease of walking, lunch options etc. Entertainment on board was boring particularly detailed historical facts on the countries were were visiting. Musical performance only 1 presented and very amateurish. Shore tours covered mainly palaces, fortresses, museums, castles, the excursion to Pecs was the best tour. Most tours involved walking over uneven surfaces and steep hills especially for seniors and over 60's, as a result we had to forgo some tours. Global journeys could improve on their customer service. (GJ: Ouch)

Many thanks to Georgie at Global Journeys for your help with organising our European River Cruise. We enjoyed the experience a great deal and much of this was due to you. I do have some comments about Avalon specifically which I will itemise :

1. The cruise itinerary was great especially to places where we had not cruise before ie the Moselle River. ...read more I would recommend this to anyone
2. The content was varied and generally the operation went smoothly. We were supplied with plenty of information en route. In my critique to Avalon I did say the cruise director talked was too much during her daily 'port briefs' , however in her defense I know many on the cruise thought she was entertaining.
3. Personally I thought the meals were too fussy but as I had the choice of eating in the lounge at midday I did miss the evening meals on several occasions. Again I know others felt it was all fine and I will admit to being a 'non-foodie'
4. The cruise passengers were generally seniors from the USA, Canada, Australia, and NZ. We all got along well and we established some friendships
5. I was miffed with Avalon charging me $600 for the amendments to my flight details when I felt the mistake was not my doing. I have he email detailing my requirements which they did not seem to follow however as I did not notice this until much later in the booking process I did not feel justified in making a big issue of the matter.
6. Would I recommend this cruise to anyone - yes, but I would hesitate going with Avalon (this was my third and last trip with them). There did seem to be a big difference in what we Australians pay to that paid in the UK and the USA.

We undertook this cruise as an alternative to an ocean cruise. We were looking for a more intimate experience with less people. We were not disappointed. Noting was too much trouble for the staff on the cruise. They attended to our every need and were very friendly. We felt very pampered. Cabins were first class and meals were very good. Fellow ...read more travellers, were largely American, and very friendly. Memorable highlights included ancient castles on the Rhine and visits to Strasbourg and Cologne. We are happy to recommend Avalon Cruises to anyone. We arrange all our tours through Global Journeys and are very happy to recommend them for their professionalism and their competitive prices.

All of the booking arrangements worked perfectly (international flights, airport pickups and drop offs, hotel accommodation, internal domestic flights, local bus tours etc). We could not have had a better China Tour guide than Vicky Qin, she was fantastic. The itinerary was busy but that's what you want in a tour such as this. The overall tour group ...read more of 16 people consisting of 2 Canadians, 12 Americans and us (2 Australians) was a comfortable and manageable number. We visited all of the "must see" sights including the Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, Giant pandas, Yangtze River, Three Gorges Dam and many others. The VIP dining room on the river cruise was an excellent feature and the overall standard of meals on the tour was high, with western options available on most occasions. I would highly recommend this Tour.

We had travelled with Avalon previously and again found them to be excellent. The included excursions were very good and there was an extensive range of optional excursions offered. Everything was taken care of so we had a wonderful carefree holiday.

We thoroughly enjoyed our Avalon river cruise between Arles and Paris. We couldn't fault the ship, the crew or service. Our Avalon travel director provided support and guidance, being always there but unintrusive. To go with the beautiful ship (Avalon Poetry II) Avalon chose fabulous hotels in Monte Carlo and Paris. Yvonne at Global Journeys made the ...read more booking process easy and problem free.

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.

Our 2nd cruise with Avalon, and once again the food was fantastic, the room was beautiful, the crew were exceptional. A much more relaxed cruise when compared to the Gems, but still very enjoyable. The ship was only about half full. We did many of the optional outings to ensure we enjoyed ourselves and to see as much as we could (although choices are ...read more limited when compared to the Gems cruise but we knew that), Cannes, Avignon, Lyon, Old Medieval Town, Old Chateau for wine tasting, and ending in Paris in a wonderful old yet magnificent hotel. A friendly bunch of people on the cruise, and we all got on well.

We stayed in Paris for 3 extra nights to do our own relaxing and sight seeing (Paris Disneyland was fabulous). We should have come into Cannes a few days earlier, but didn't realise Nice and Monte Carlo were so close and easy access by train. We will do some more travelling, and look forward to travelling with Avalon and Global Journeys again (Thanks again Hannah).

The trip was very well organised, the included tours good, the range of optional excursions quite varied and most were good, the crew were magnificent and very friendly, the food magnificent and in no short supply by any means. The cruise director was very professional and helpful (even organised a short ANZAC day event for the Australians and New Zealanders). ...read more The cabins and beds were very comfortable and well sound insulated, and the floor-to-ceiling door sliding open to allow full view uninterrupted views was magnificent. Couldn't fault any aspect of the cruise.

The trip was fantastic, most of all, the cruise and the daily itinerary was well explained and organised. The Avalon river cruise was exceptional, the staff was wondering, and the meals were a delight, although when compared to an ocean cruise, there were less variety, however, each meal was delicate and finely done. The itinerary and onboard entertainment ...read more was really good, on most towns/cities, there were a city walking tour organised, and choice of other tours in the afternoon with extra payments if so desired. The highlight would be the walking tours as well as the onboard entertainment invited on board on the Avalon. The downside I feel is that the river cruise is a lot more expensive in general compared to a ocean cruise, keeping in mind that a lot of excursions are included. Global Journeys have made it easy for us to follow the instructions and provided great communications during the time of organisation. I would definitely book with again again in the near future.

I took an Avalon cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam with my 90 yr old mother and found the Avalon service to be impecable. Everything was 5 star, the rooms, service, staff, food and excursions were all better than expected and catered very well for slower walkers. Would highly recommend.

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.

As with any cruise, the overall experience depends on a combination of the ship and crew, the quality of the itinerary, and the social mix with fellow passengers. On a small ship, such as this, there is the opportunity to develop friendships with other passengers, and to enhance the trip in that way. That was certainly our experience. We were also pleased ...read more that most travel between destinations was at night, thus allowing us to make the most of the day in port. The shore excursions were well organised and the guides were exceptional in their knowledge and ability to bring the history of a destination alive. We learnt a great deal.

An amazing cruise over the festive season! This time of year brought a different traveller to the river, we had a few families on board which was fantastic giving the cruise a different vibe! Weather was great but unfortunately no snow. Ship and staff were fantastic as was the food and selection. Our second cruise and I'm sure it wont be our last.