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
4 Star
3 Star
2 Star
1 Star
8 Day Romantic Rhine (Avalon Felicity) from Basel 8
Romantic Rhine
Richard & Fiona, QLD, Australia, Oct 2017
Unfortunately wet weather played a big part where we had to use umbrellas when site seeing and could not sit on the top deck to view best part of the Rhine where the vineyards and castles were. Our cabin on the royal deck was a bit tight where the chair was an obstruction when walking around the bed end. Staff were polite, efficient and very professional read more and their customer service was exceptional. In regards to entertainment there was not enough variety. Shore excursions were run professionally but due to returning back to the ship the time factor for sight seeing was rather short.
The tour guides that we were involved with did a great job and showed how passionate and how knowledgeable they were. The cruise guide did a fantastic job making sure all passengers were fully aware what was in store for them before dinner the night before. Wasn't what we expected there was a lot of travel at night where we missed a lot of viewing of towns and what existed on the shore line this included going through the river locks which was an experience we didn't see but was done at night.
The tour guides that we were involved with did a great job and showed how passionate and how knowledgeable they were. The cruise guide did a fantastic job making sure all passengers were fully aware what was in store for them before dinner the night before. Wasn't what we expected there was a lot of travel at night where we missed a lot of viewing of towns and what existed on the shore line this included going through the river locks which was an experience we didn't see but was done at night.
Another very proficient Avalon cruise. All very good. Maybe, too late in the year as the weather was cold (30 Sept - 10 Oct). Our only complaint was that the quality of food provided at dinner was not as good as on our earlier Romantic Rhine Cruise. The vegetarian fair was particularly poor. Breakfast and lunch were fine. Table service was not attentive read more and to get a wine glass refilled was often difficult.
Avalon river cruise 5
The Danube from Romania to Budapest
Don & Bernadette, VIC, Australia, Sep 2017
The Avalon river cruise from the Black Sea to Budapest takes you on a less travelled part of the Danube, giving you a snapshot of life in Romania, Bulgaria, and Serbia before getting to Hungary. There is some time spent off the ship to go on bus tours into the countryside. These tours were largely included which was very good, but sometimes it was god read more to just relax on the ship. Facilities on board were superb.
We have just returned from a month in France which included Avalon's Grand France cruise (WLP) from Cote D'Azur starting on 18th September and ending on 3rd October 2017. We had cabin 203 on both ships. We also had the same cruise director for both cruises - Jean-Loup Domart who kept us entertained with his dry wit during his daily briefings and was read more very helpful, knowledgeable and patient. The first cruise was on Affinity and Creativity on the second leg. The ships do sail during the night, sometimes only for a short time but sometimes all night. Unfortunately cabin 203 on Affinity had a very annoying sliding glass door rattle which happened to be next to my head. I did let the receptionist know and was told maintenance would come and check it out but they never did. Otherwise, we were very happy with both cabins and ships overall.
I would suggest they should have coffee, tea etc available in the main lounge/bar area rather than at the rear of the ship too. We enjoyed all the included and optional excursions and everything was run smoothly and we were well looked after. The food was delicious but surprisingly we thought it was a little nicer on Affinity. The weather was very king to us and we had warm days and cool nights and mornings - a nice time to be in France. Overall we would highly recommend this cruise especially for first time travellers to France. As usual, Global Journeys handled our booking well and got us a good discount.
I would suggest they should have coffee, tea etc available in the main lounge/bar area rather than at the rear of the ship too. We enjoyed all the included and optional excursions and everything was run smoothly and we were well looked after. The food was delicious but surprisingly we thought it was a little nicer on Affinity. The weather was very king to us and we had warm days and cool nights and mornings - a nice time to be in France. Overall we would highly recommend this cruise especially for first time travellers to France. As usual, Global Journeys handled our booking well and got us a good discount.
The cruise boat was very clean, staff were very pleasant & helpful, food was excellent. I was surprised that almost all of the food & drink one needed was covered in the price - there was little need to spend anything extra except for drinks other than at meals & when I went on shore guided walks or excursions. I was also surprised I was able to see read more so much on the walks or excursions.
The downside was having a cabin on the lowest deck without any access to fresh air. Air conditioning was adequate but very drying & caused me to have to drink a lot of water throughout the nights. Global Journeys did an efficient job with bookings.
The downside was having a cabin on the lowest deck without any access to fresh air. Air conditioning was adequate but very drying & caused me to have to drink a lot of water throughout the nights. Global Journeys did an efficient job with bookings.
Thoroughly enjoyable and educational river cruise through the Balkins 4
Balkan Discovery with Bucharest and Transylvania
David, VIC, Australia, Sep 2017
A wonderful trip Budapest to Bucharest with a side trip to Transylvania. Thoroughly enjoyed all included and additional excursions. A great of guests from various countries, the majority middle aged and older. One error in the cruise documentation was that the Euro would be accepted in all countries visited, this was not the case and we required read more local currency in all the countries visited, I'm sure Avalon will rectify this.
Our Avalon river cruise through France was fantastic from beginning to end. From the fantastic friendly crew for whom nothing was too much trouble, and our super efficient and personable cruise director to the amazing food and fine dining, plentiful drinks and luxurious on board accommodation, everything was even better than I'd imagined. The local read more guides at each town along the way shared their extensive knowledge about the town and brought its history to life through interesting and at time humorous anecdotes. The optional extra tours provided even further opportunities to see even more. It was an unbeatable way to see France. I would thorough recommend this holiday and would happy do it all again.
Pleasant holiday, as we expected. 3
The Danube from Germany to Romania with Prague, Bucharest and Transylvania
Phil & Suzanne, NSW, Australia, Sep 2017
Everything was good on the cruise. The guides were good, some excellent. The included excursions were well organized and interesting.
The optional excursion to Weltenberg Abbey was very disappointing and we felt we had wasted our money. The boat was overcrowded, we couldn't hear the commentary, the boat was dangerous as it had only one narrow read more exit (apart from jumping overboard) and everything was shut at the Abbey so there was nothing to see.
We enjoyed the extension trip to Transylvania very much although we were disappointed to be rushed through Dracula's castle at a fast rate. That was the main reason for going on the extension.
The optional excursion to Weltenberg Abbey was very disappointing and we felt we had wasted our money. The boat was overcrowded, we couldn't hear the commentary, the boat was dangerous as it had only one narrow read more exit (apart from jumping overboard) and everything was shut at the Abbey so there was nothing to see.
We enjoyed the extension trip to Transylvania very much although we were disappointed to be rushed through Dracula's castle at a fast rate. That was the main reason for going on the extension.
Very pleasant river cruise with Avalon 7
Burgundy & Provence (Northbound)
Eileen & David, WA, Australia, Sep 2017
Avalon probably exceeded our expectations, as we had cruised with Uniworld last year from Istanbul to Amsterdam which was spectacular in every sense. However cruising on the Affinity from Arles to St. Jean De Losne was lovely. Although an older ship it was extremely comfortable, well maintained and the cabins though not their new design were immaculate, read more quite spacious with lots of storage and L'occitane products in the bathroom. Food in the dining room was very good and plentiful and they were very generous with the free wine, beer and soft drinks served with meals. Tea, coffee and delicious biscuits were available in the lounge at the "back" of the ship 24 hours. The staff on board were amazing, well trained and couldn't do enough for guests, always smiling and nothing was too much trouble. A special mention for Laura and Thomas for excellent service in the dining room, but all a great team.
Included shore excursions were interesting with well informed local guides. The general feeling was that the cruise director could have been better, perhaps more friendly and approachable although the nightly run down or the next days events was adequate and also posted on the board in the foyer. She made a proper stuff up of organising the train journey from Dijon to Paris.
A couple of suggestions about the hotels before and after the cruise. The Meridien Beach Plaza in Monte Carlo, though an impressive hotel on the beach, it was quite impersonal, and food and drinks were very expensive and the location of the hotel was a long way from any outside restaurants, only a couple of beach bars serving burgers etc. In fact I'm think that it would be much better to start the tour in Nice and have an optional tour to Monte Carlo for those who wanted to see this overcrowded, over rated rich man's playground.
The journey from Monaco to Arles was a four hour coach journey on the freeway nowhere near the deep blue Mediterranean Sea which is a spectacular coast drive or train ride. The hotel in Paris Hotel Du Collectionneur, although an impressive entrance and a large comfortable bedroom had so many short comings, it would bore you to list them all, but the reception staff and Avalon Rep did their best to apologise and address the issues, which became amusing really. Overall we enjoyed the holiday very much and met nice fun people on board. Of course can't forget the excellent, efficient and knowledgeable service from Georgie at Global Journeys which we've come to rely on for a few years now. Thanks again Georgie.
Included shore excursions were interesting with well informed local guides. The general feeling was that the cruise director could have been better, perhaps more friendly and approachable although the nightly run down or the next days events was adequate and also posted on the board in the foyer. She made a proper stuff up of organising the train journey from Dijon to Paris.
A couple of suggestions about the hotels before and after the cruise. The Meridien Beach Plaza in Monte Carlo, though an impressive hotel on the beach, it was quite impersonal, and food and drinks were very expensive and the location of the hotel was a long way from any outside restaurants, only a couple of beach bars serving burgers etc. In fact I'm think that it would be much better to start the tour in Nice and have an optional tour to Monte Carlo for those who wanted to see this overcrowded, over rated rich man's playground.
The journey from Monaco to Arles was a four hour coach journey on the freeway nowhere near the deep blue Mediterranean Sea which is a spectacular coast drive or train ride. The hotel in Paris Hotel Du Collectionneur, although an impressive entrance and a large comfortable bedroom had so many short comings, it would bore you to list them all, but the reception staff and Avalon Rep did their best to apologise and address the issues, which became amusing really. Overall we enjoyed the holiday very much and met nice fun people on board. Of course can't forget the excellent, efficient and knowledgeable service from Georgie at Global Journeys which we've come to rely on for a few years now. Thanks again Georgie.
This was our 1st river cruise & I hope its not my last, I loved the fact that there was only a maximum of 120 people on board, which equates to a more personalised service. The food was great, the dinner service was great. The cabins were comfortable & well kept. I just loved it.
Great Experience 2
Peter, NSW, Australia, Aug 2017
Although we've been on several ocean cruises, this was our first experience on a river cruise.
Being on a much smaller vessel with a lot less people created plenty of opportunities to get to know other travellers on a much more personal level, mainly because of the number of times we could meet them. The downside though is that on a couple of read more evenings, we were tired from the day's activities and didn't feel very sociable, but there was nowhere to hide!
The ship itself was adequately fitted out with all necessities but wasn't that impressive as far as a river passenger ship goes. However, the cabins were a standout. Ours had full length floor to ceiling sliding windows that gave the illusion we had a balcony. The king bed was very comfortable and faced the windows. A full sized mirror on one side also gave the illusion that the statesroom (as they called it) was larger than it was. There were adequate power points which I'm particular about. Special mention must go to the fabulous and spacious ensuite decked with stone tops and a range of L'occitane branded toiletries. Overall, a luxurious and well-equipped statesroom.
Although the daily breakfasts and lunches were generally good, the dinners were particularly superb. It was like eating at a fine dining 5-star restaurant each night, enjoying the company of people we've gotten to know quite well.
As for the included shore excursions, we had mixed perceptions. The locations we stopped at were interesting to us, more so because we were exploring new territory, but we felt that mostly the local tour guides assigned to our group needed to be more engaging and amiable. With many of them, we felt they didn't try (or maybe didn't know how) to connect with us on a personal level. They came across as guides who needed to impart as much data as possible in the short time they were allocated.
Finally a word of compliment for our pre-trip consultant, Jemma Rosen. We didn't start off well, with another consultant but when Jemma took over, she proved herself to be a worthy representative of Global Journeys. She was professional, had a sense of humour and was very responsive to questions - a great person to deal with.
Would we sail with Avalon again? Quite likely given what we know now. It was a great experience overall and while not everything met our expectations, we were quite satisfied with what we got.
Being on a much smaller vessel with a lot less people created plenty of opportunities to get to know other travellers on a much more personal level, mainly because of the number of times we could meet them. The downside though is that on a couple of read more evenings, we were tired from the day's activities and didn't feel very sociable, but there was nowhere to hide!
The ship itself was adequately fitted out with all necessities but wasn't that impressive as far as a river passenger ship goes. However, the cabins were a standout. Ours had full length floor to ceiling sliding windows that gave the illusion we had a balcony. The king bed was very comfortable and faced the windows. A full sized mirror on one side also gave the illusion that the statesroom (as they called it) was larger than it was. There were adequate power points which I'm particular about. Special mention must go to the fabulous and spacious ensuite decked with stone tops and a range of L'occitane branded toiletries. Overall, a luxurious and well-equipped statesroom.
Although the daily breakfasts and lunches were generally good, the dinners were particularly superb. It was like eating at a fine dining 5-star restaurant each night, enjoying the company of people we've gotten to know quite well.
As for the included shore excursions, we had mixed perceptions. The locations we stopped at were interesting to us, more so because we were exploring new territory, but we felt that mostly the local tour guides assigned to our group needed to be more engaging and amiable. With many of them, we felt they didn't try (or maybe didn't know how) to connect with us on a personal level. They came across as guides who needed to impart as much data as possible in the short time they were allocated.
Finally a word of compliment for our pre-trip consultant, Jemma Rosen. We didn't start off well, with another consultant but when Jemma took over, she proved herself to be a worthy representative of Global Journeys. She was professional, had a sense of humour and was very responsive to questions - a great person to deal with.
Would we sail with Avalon again? Quite likely given what we know now. It was a great experience overall and while not everything met our expectations, we were quite satisfied with what we got.
It was an excellent time of year to travel, got on well with all passengers and ships personnel. Made some wonderful friends. Included excursions plus added trips were great.
A full-on cruise that teaches you a lot 38
Magnificent Europe
Tom & Sheung Mui, WA, Australia, Aug 2017
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.
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.
We had previously travelled with Avalon some years ago and, while that tour was very good, we believe that the Avalon network has improved in quality since that time. The rooms are very efficiently designed and even though they are not large (about the size of a standard Paris hotel room - and that's not large) the amount of storage is amazing. The read more ships (back to back cruises here) were in excellent condition and kept immaculately. Anybody who has been on a river cruise knows that, by the end of the cruise, you are begging for no more food please! Breakfast, lunch and dinner are varied and of high quality.
The staff on the ships were outstanding - well trained, efficient, welcoming and very friendly. The excursions were OK and starting the tour in Monte Carlo, whilst a bit of a gimmick, was probably worth it for fun value. Although Monte Carlo is more difficult to get to than, say, Nice or Marseilles, it is probably a place most people would avoid. A room on the very front row of the Fairmont Hotel looking out over the billionaires boats and sitting directly over the F1 circuit at the Fairmont Hairpin is a bit of fun.
The on-board entertainment was not a strong feature but it was adequate. In summary, I was impressed by the commitment of Avalon to quality improvement.
The staff on the ships were outstanding - well trained, efficient, welcoming and very friendly. The excursions were OK and starting the tour in Monte Carlo, whilst a bit of a gimmick, was probably worth it for fun value. Although Monte Carlo is more difficult to get to than, say, Nice or Marseilles, it is probably a place most people would avoid. A room on the very front row of the Fairmont Hotel looking out over the billionaires boats and sitting directly over the F1 circuit at the Fairmont Hairpin is a bit of fun.
The on-board entertainment was not a strong feature but it was adequate. In summary, I was impressed by the commitment of Avalon to quality improvement.
We had a fantastic river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam. It is a great way to travel - so relaxing and somewhere different to see everyday. The staff on board Illumination were just terrific - always smiling and always so helpful. The food and wines were sooo good. We'll definitely be looking at doing other cruises with Avalon.
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.
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.
This was our first River Cruise and we had a really great time. From when we boarded in Budapest until we got off in Amsterdam the time seemed to fly. Every day was eventful and fun with some great included tours and also some alternative ones for which we paid extra. The Cruise director Andrejzs was extremely experienced, professional and well organised read more and was always available for advice and gave some great running commentaries as we travelled.
All the guides we had on our excursions were extremely knowledgeable and professional and several were also quite funny and entertaining. We had a couple of lectures onboard about Locks and the EU which were very informative and filled up some spare time while transiting. All the crew from Captain Peter down were courteous and accommodating and went out of their way to be of service. Some of the young crew members even joined us on excursions.
The food and wine was high quality and plentiful! We all put on weight! Service was excellent! The onboard entertainment was very good with several small groups coming on between stops as well as the resident pianist/singer Albert who was extremely good. Our cabin was as expected with a very nice bathroom and the housekeeping was excellent! I think that although the trip seemed relatively expensive , we jammed the maximum adventure into the time available and I am already recommending this trip to friends as a great way to travel. Some of the sights like the Wachau valley probably couldn't be seen as well any other way!
All the guides we had on our excursions were extremely knowledgeable and professional and several were also quite funny and entertaining. We had a couple of lectures onboard about Locks and the EU which were very informative and filled up some spare time while transiting. All the crew from Captain Peter down were courteous and accommodating and went out of their way to be of service. Some of the young crew members even joined us on excursions.
The food and wine was high quality and plentiful! We all put on weight! Service was excellent! The onboard entertainment was very good with several small groups coming on between stops as well as the resident pianist/singer Albert who was extremely good. Our cabin was as expected with a very nice bathroom and the housekeeping was excellent! I think that although the trip seemed relatively expensive , we jammed the maximum adventure into the time available and I am already recommending this trip to friends as a great way to travel. Some of the sights like the Wachau valley probably couldn't be seen as well any other way!
The Black Sea to Budapest with Avalon 2
The Danube from Romania to Budapest
Lee & Michael, NSW, Australia, Jul 2017
We have travelled with Avalon before and again had another wonderful time. The service, FOOD, accommodation, staff and trip was great. The ship was modern and had everything you needed... including amazing afternoons & suppers! After dinner there was entertainment or you could sit on the top deck and take in the beautiful skies.
It is a very different read more trip to say doing the Romantic Rhine, as the scenery isn't as magnificent, but it was like stepping back in time, with some of the places we visited and made you realise how lucky we are. It wasn't an over busy or full on tour each day, so a nice leisurely place. Our Tour Director was fantastic and nothing was a problem.
Our hotels that we stayed in before and after the cruise were great and we found finishing with Budapest was the icing on the cake. We were lucky with having a variety of different ages and nationalities on our trip, so it was a lot of fun. Hannah from Global Journeys made our booking very easy and was a pleasure to deal with. Thanks so much Hannah.
It is a very different read more trip to say doing the Romantic Rhine, as the scenery isn't as magnificent, but it was like stepping back in time, with some of the places we visited and made you realise how lucky we are. It wasn't an over busy or full on tour each day, so a nice leisurely place. Our Tour Director was fantastic and nothing was a problem.
Our hotels that we stayed in before and after the cruise were great and we found finishing with Budapest was the icing on the cake. We were lucky with having a variety of different ages and nationalities on our trip, so it was a lot of fun. Hannah from Global Journeys made our booking very easy and was a pleasure to deal with. Thanks so much Hannah.
Once again a fabulous week with Avalon, there is not one second, of our time we regretted. The meals outstanding, the staff wonderful and courteous. Yes we are considering a third cruise.
Wonderful journey through central Europe 4
Magnificent Rivers of Europe
Dorothy & John, New Zealand, Jul 2017
We loved visiting the little medieval towns along the Danube and Rhine Rivers and learning more of their histories and modern lives.
