Avalon River Cruise Reviews

Very relaxing holiday with heaps to see and do. Wonderful crew on the Avalon Felicity who looked after us to a T. Upgraded us to a suite when the air conditioner in our room leaked. The food was first class and the choice of wine was perfect.

We were really surprised how wonderful the scenery was on the Moselle river. The beautiful little German towns, with excellently restored medieval houses were a surprise to us. The boat was spacious and the staff most helpful. The trips were mainly well organised, though some elderly people found the walking a little difficult. If I had to be critical ...read more the only thing that was annoying was that we did not leave Paris until nearly 4pm to go to Luxembourg. That meant that by the time we got there it was a rush for dinner.

As first time river cruisers we weren't sure what to expect but this was an excellent cruise experience. Easily arranged with Global Journeys and well put together by Avalon. Every day was a new adventure. Hard to pick a single highlight but medieval Rothenberg was a standout. Every meal gave variety & was excellent quality, with afternoon tea & supper ...read more just in case you were still hungry! Wine at dinner was more than enough and half price drinks at daily happy hour was good value. The staff were friendly and helpful. Kiwis were the majority on our cruise (Yeh), with others from Australia, USA, Canada & UK. We easily made friends and had a great time. Oh, I must mention the panorama suites with wide opening windows. A much more flexible alternative to a balcony and it gave more space in the room. On reflection I'm happy we cruised from Budapest to Amsterdam, although no doubt we would have enjoyed it the other way around as well. This is a cruise well worth considering.

The tour started poorly because of river levels and on the first evening we were put in a hotel overnight instead of joining the boat. The set meal served was sub standard very disappointing. The second day was spent on a long coach ride to join the boat, for the day's lost off the boat we were promised a 50 per cent refund which our tour director advised ...read more would come through you our agent. The tour now proceeded OK with the top deck and facilities closed. Tour now continued with a certain amount of uncertainty due to river levels and it was advised the final part could have to be completed by coach and we could pull out and be part refunded if we desired. This was not a option we could consider because of onward bookings already in place. On the positive side the crew, food and tours were very good and they made every effort to make our holiday enjoyable. The pre dinner drinks were not free only happy hour disappointing for the price paid.

Amsterdam to Budapest was an experience of a lifetime. The excursions were excellent and the food was to die for. Our cabin was very comfortable and cruise director was very entertaining and helpful. Thanks again Yvonne Brooks for your efficient and helpful advise in booking our trip of a life time.

The whole experience was excellent, room was small but it made us comfortable (the bed was too comfortable!). The excursions were well planned and efficient, the staff could not do enough for us. The only comment I would have was that the Movenpick in Zurich had no facilities for showering - this could have helped us settle in after our overnight train ...read more from the Netherlands adventure.

Most of the cruise was very enjoyable, with a comfortable standard of ship, food and service. Visits to towns along the way we're interesting though brief. Unfortunately the ship did not take us past Mannheim due to high water. Alternative arrangements were very efficient, but of course involved many hours of bus travel. River travel is subject to ...read more the vagaries of nature!

A truly wonderful experience travelling from Amsterdam to Budapest. All arrangements were well managed and complete from the airport pickup in Amsterdam to the airport drop off in Budapest and everything in between. The ship was exceptional; clean and comfortable a true home from home, we looked forward to the comfort of our room and bed each night. ...read more The food, service and the wine was excellent and the crew so friendly and accommodating. The cruise and the sights and tours were amazing, we were never bored and often exhausted. Thank you Global Journeys for a great, care free and well organised holiday that surpassed our expectations. We will definitely be back.

We will book with Global Journeys again for sure. Hannah has always looked after us and we would recommend to anyone. Avalon was great to cruise with. This was our second time with them. Unfortunately the first time the Danube did not have enough water and this time the Rhone had too much water to pass under bridges. Our cruises were cut a little ...read more short but not our cruise ship experience. Avalon and the cruise directors handled the problem very well.

Started our holiday flying premium economy with Cathy Pacific, no problem with this airline, great service, just make sure you ask for seats near windows or isle seats as it is easier to move around and is more comfortable. Costs a bit more but well worth it on a long flight. Flew into Amsterdam early morning was able to get into our room which was ...read more a great start to the day. Couple of days of sightseeing before cruise. Avalon cruise member were there to help us the next morning with baggage and embankment details for that afternoon. Hassle free. Great trip on the Danube and Rhine, wonderful villages exciting cities. Avalon Illumination fantastic.

The whole trip ran very smoothly and was well organised by the operator operator Avalon and its staff on board. I would happily travel, with Avalon on another river cruise. The ship was called Imagery II. It began cruises in 2016 , so everything on board was very new. Trip highlights :- All the included shore excursions esp Heidelberg. Optional excursion ...read more to tulip flower show at Keukenhof, Holland was stunning. Being a solo traveller, I appreciated the opportunity mix with all passengers and dine with different people at every single meal. I was never alone. All the meals were of excellent quality and most suited to me being a diabetic as I could choose easily between many options offered. My cabin was spacious and the bed was extremely comfortable. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole cruise.

The hole experience was amazing. The staff were very friendly and the other passengers on board were all friendly as well, which really added to the enjoyment of the cruise. All of the included excursions were extremely good as well, with the guides all being very knowledgeable and friendly. We travelled in May and the weather was a bit hit and miss. ...read more Some days were cold and wet and others were quite pleasant. I don't think we would choose to travel at that time of year again. Avalon Waterways lived up to all of our expectations and we would have no hesitation in recommending them to others. Finally we wish to thank Global Journeys for their efficient service and friendly staff. Michelle White was our contact there and she was always very helpful and friendly. We have booked through Global Journeys before and intend to book our next trip through them again.

Great holiday, weather wasn't so great as it was quite cold but it didn't rain and it didn't stop us from enjoying every moment. Food and cruise personnel were fabulous, couldn't do enough for you. The stops along the way were good and the excursions from the boat well worth it.

A first time experience of river cruising, has left two somewhat skeptical starters, converted. We had responded to the "you must do this" from friends with an open mind and have returned having enjoyed a wonderful experience. The ship, the tour director, and the crew were fantastic and the excursions were well organised and led by experienced and informative ...read more local guides. We have no comparisons, but we like the way Avalon do things, and we are very thankful that we had Yvonne from Global Journeys guiding us through the arrangements. Thank you.

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.

Fantastic 8 day Rhine River cruise from Basel to Amsterdam, visited some wonderful places. Saw some good Christmas Markets as it was that time of year. Avalon Waterways is a great company to cruise with, highly recommend them and will cruise with them again. A big thank you to Emily for booking the cruise, nothing to hard and documents arrived with ...read more plenty of time.

Traveled on the Avalon Impression, which was beautiful ship and our room on the Royal Deck was fantastic. The staff were great and had to deal with two incidents involving other boats, which impacted on our cruise, but dealt with those situations efficiently and graciously. Loved the places we visited and the tour guides we were allocated. Spending ...read more time in the Christmas markets in the lead up to Xmas was fantastic: the atmosphere is great and we enjoyed the sights, smells and sounds, which certainly put us in a festive mood. Would recommend this trip.

Our Christmas cruise was wonderful, it was just one amazing Christmas market after another and in between each beautiful village we visited we were spoiled back on board our floating hotel with fabulous food and extremely comfortable rooms and service. The booking process was easy and the service we received from Yvonne was marvellous, we will definitely ...read more use Global Journeys again.

This was the best holiday we have ever had. The Cruise Guide was amazing and made everything hassle free from Day 1. Accommodation & service was excellent and the meals on board were outstanding. Great tour guides were organized at the key tourist stops & we loved walking through the villages exploring in our free time. Our fellow travelers were a ...read more good mix & we developed some good friendships. We would recommend Avalon to anyone who wishes to holiday on the rivers. Global Journeys were so easy to book the holiday through, especially with Michelle White assisting us to follow the process. The Internet booking system is so well set up & responses to each stage were immediate. The hotel bookings, transfers, river cruise & airline bookings all progressed without any problems. Thank you to Michelle at Global Journeys & the Avalon team.

We had a small hiccup with transfers from Bangkok to Yangon during our pre-cruise extension, but in the end, Avalon sorted the problem. The upper Irrawaddy cruise was probably the best part, as you were away from all the normal tourist sites. Meeting with and mixing among the locals in villages, at monasteries, and seeing normal village life was the ...read more best. Once you near Mandalay, the 'sellers' are a bit like flys - they hang around and follow you, but they are nice people, anyway. Being in the country during their election was special. The Avalon boat crew and local guides were fantastic - you couldn't ask for better. The service we received from Global Journeys was great - thanks.