Avalon Central Europe Prague to Paris

Booked our first river cruise for July 2016.

It's so far away but it gives me lots of time to read and plan and re-learn some of the language. I was stationed in Germany for 3 years (Munich and Bad Aibling) so I've seen a lot, but hubby's never been. There will be some new places for me as well. We are celebrating our birthdays and anniversary on this trip.

I've added 3 nights to Prague and 1 night in Paris.

This will be our 3rd cruise, but our first river cruise. I'm looking forward to the smaller group and ship. I booked one of the Royal Suites and can't wait to enjoy that.

I have a couple questions.

1. I read that you can only bring one suitcase per person? Is that right? I know that seems ok but we usually end up with a suitcase of just DH's shoes (he's not a little guy).

2. For those who have flown through Paris, did you have any issues with carry on? I remember coming back from a deployment with my one carry on and on personal item and having to find a way to combine them into one.

3. How reliable is the wifi on Avalon boats? DH and I both will probably be having to do school work while on our trip during some of the down time. Need to be able to download assignments and then upload and submit.

4. Laundry. I see that there's laundry for a fee. Is there any sort of self service laundry on Avalon boats?

5. Any tips or tricks that are good to know that would be Avalon specific?

6. How much foot traffic noise are we likely to get from the deck above?

7. If you are celebrating a special occasion with the ship do anything special on that day or do I need to request it in advance?

Thanks all.

Congrats on your first river cruise. I haven't taken this trip but I have traveled with Avalon before. I'll try to answer some of your questions.

1. Your limits on luggage is really dictated by the airlines. The river ships really don't care how much you bring. Most of your bags should fit under the bed. If they don't, check with the staff and they may be able to store elsewhere - not sure about this.

2. Can't answer - I'm taking the Paris to Normandy tour in May 2016 so I can answer after that. Hopefully someone else comes on to answer.

3. Wifi is usually better in the ports than when you are cruising. It can be sporadic and slow. It is a satellite signal and as such, is not always reliable. If you need a dependable connection, you may want to find a wifi cafe when you are ashore for downloading and uploading assignments.

4. I don't think there is any self service laundry.

5. There are plenty of trip reports on this board from prior Avalon cruisers. Do a search and read them.

6. You really shouldn't get too much foot traffic from above. River cruising is very different from ocean cruising and most passengers tend to retire much earlier on river cruises because your days are so busy.

I think if you are celebrating a special occasion, you need to contact Avalon or have your travel agent do so. On Avalon's web page, they list the different celebration packages that they offer.

Feel free to come back with more questions.

Kelly

Thank you. I have done some Avalon searches. I am starting to worry I didn't pick the right cruise. I can't find much on this cruise or the cabin I booked.

I'm very excited. Going to try very hard not to be in class that semester. It may be my last semester before I graduate and I may not have a choice. Nice thing about online education, it can go where you do.

We usually end up with three suitcases. One for me and two for him. Backwards, I know. I do usually throw my tripod in with his shoes. When you wear a size 15, they sort of take up a lot of space.

I can add a bit we sailed Avalon on the Seine. The Internet connection was good when you were near a larger city. So Paris and Rouen for example had good connection. If you are going to download something perhaps plan when you are in a big city.

If you want a cake with sparklers and singing waiters for a birthday that is fairly common I've seen it several times. Check the Avalon website for things like roses or champagne I believe I saw a page for such items.

We were in the lower level and you don't hear any walking from above. But River Cruises go through locks and sometimes that is noisy.

The hint I can give you is if you find a waiter you like always try to get a table in their section.

Enjoy

Thank you. Always nice to have a waiter that knows you and you develop a bond with. :)

I wish it was next year already.