Avalon or Viking for Mekong cruise?

My hubby and I are looking for our first river cruise, many ocean cruises under our belt. We are going to do the Mekong but can't decide between Avalon and Viking. Avalon has a new ship with huge rooms and very small # of passengers and 13 days. Viking is an older ship that has small rooms, no fitness room and is 15 days. There is a price difference of $400 more for Avalon.

Do anyone have any advice on which one we should select? Too many pros and cons to both and I can't find a lot of Mekong reviews. Thanks for any advice you have!!!

Ama and Uniworld also sail the Mekong.

Hi. Just a little background, we have done 9 river cruises with Viking, have a Viking Oceans trip in March but have also done river cruises on Uniworld, GCT, and Avalon. Last January 2016, we did the Mekong River trip with Avalon, it had the itinerary we wanted, the time of the year we wanted and it was a good fit for us.

Avalon did an outstanding job, we enjoyed every minute of this trip. The ship is very nice and yes, the cabins are large and very nice, the total passenger # was 36 I think and we loved getting to know everyone in our small group. I don't have one negative to say about traveling with Avalon, I think you'd be more than pleased. The hotels were very nice with large rooms and convenient locations, well maybe not the one in Halong Bay but it was new and acceptable, plus there's not much to see in HB once you've done the cruise there, the Siem Reap was a very nice ship, the food was good and our fellow passengers were great. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Avalon.

I think the best decision would be to compare the different trips and find the one that seems best to you. We also went into Hanoi (our starting point) a night or two early to get over jetlag and had a great day just walking around on our own. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Stevie44875, there is a review of this trip done with Avalon from a fellow CC poster, did you see the review from puzzums? I haven't read it yet, just saw it. Can't wait to see how they enjoyed this trip.

Here is the link to a previous review. Just back from Avalon's "Siem Reap" on the Mekong river...

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2453501

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We have sailed with Viking 4 times, but chose Avalon for our Mekong trip. One the size of the boat and the other very personal not wanting to go to Hanoi. When we went Hanoi was a pretrip, so we just started in Saigon. It was on the first boat. The following year the new boat came into service. It was a wonderful trip, guides very good. Food also very good. The Viking trip had about twice as many pax.

Would go again with Avalon for sure. Pat

28 cabins with Viking vs 18 with Avalon I believe?

The Viking ship does have the entire top deck as public space though along with a bar so you never really notice the number of people or lack for a spot to get a great view.

The main difference though would be what you are looking for in a ship, if you want a more 'European' style experience and modern cabins then pick Avalon, if you want something more rustic and local pick Viking.

For those that went on Avalon Siem Reap, how did you obtain Vietnam visa? Did you get visa in advance or get a visa on arrival letter?

Did you get Cambodia visa in advance or will Avalon arrange on board?

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We just found it easier to get our visas prior to the trip using whichever company Avalon suggested, think it was Gen visa but not positive. I don't think Avalon arranged visas on board, we went a year ago so check with them to be sure. A few years ago we went to China and got our visas on our own here at the consulate in Houston, that wasn't an option with Vietnam and Cambodia.

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I'd suggest you contact the cruise line of your choice and ask them which works best for the way they handle things.

With Viking it was beneficial to do as they requested and get the Cambodia visa in advance as we completely bypassed the lines and walked straight to baggage collection upon arrival of our flight in Siem Reap from Hanoi.

Thanks guys! We ended up booking with Viking. We didn't think we would be on the ship or in our cabin enough to justify the price difference and the amount of days. Excited for 2018 and will post pictures!

You'll have a great time, feel free to ask any questions that occur to you between now and then.

We did the Viking Mekong river cruise in 2013. Here's a link to our pictures on shutterfly: https://peterandcathysphotos.shutterfly.com/3777

BTW, we also got our visas in advance. We used the company they recommend.

Thanks guys! We ended up booking with Viking. We didn't think we would be on the ship or in our cabin enough to justify the price difference and the amount of days. Excited for 2018 and will post pictures!

We are doing the Mekong with Viking in Sept. We did book Bangkok extension and Halong Bay post trip as well. Did China with Viking in 2013 and it was fantastic.

Here is the link to a previous review. Just back from Avalon's "Siem Reap" on the Mekong river...

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2453501

YES! Great link! Would love to read any added details from recent sailing and travels in these areas. Am getting ready for late January 2018 to be doing our first visit to Southeast Asia, with stops in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Vietnam and Cambodia, including Angkor Wat and Hue/Danang. This includes seven days on the Avalon ship sailing up the famed Mekong River. Looking for any and all recent postings from those doing these Mekong "adventures"!!

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 187,008 views for this posting.

We recently returned from Avalon's Mekong cruise in July (2017). Just about everything was outstanding. Avalon does things first class. The cruise/tour director was top notch. The local guides were excellent as well. I feel as though we became friends after spending so much time with these men who shared a lot of their personal history with us, having lived through wars and oppression in Vietnam and Cambodia. The hotels for the land tour were all first class and very comfortable; also well located. The Avalon Siem Riep is a wonderful riverboat. It is fairly new and still in great condition. The crew is outstanding. They pampered us throughout. There were a total of 29 on our tour and the crew knew all of our names by the end of the first day. The food served on the boat far exceeded my expectations. The cabins are beautifully appointed and of good size. The tours were all well planned and organized. We usually had a morning tour and an afternoon tour, returning to the ship for lunch and to refresh. The tours were all unique and fascinating. Really got close to the local people and culture. We did a pre-tour in Hanoi and post-tours in Luang Prabang (Laos) and Bangkok. These were excellent as well with local guides to assist us when necessary.

This was our second experience with Avalon and I really can't overstate the quality of their product.

We recently returned from Avalon's Mekong cruise in July (2017). Just about everything was outstanding. Avalon does things first class. The cruise/tour director was top notch. The local guides were excellent as well. I feel as though we became friends after spending so much time with these men who shared a lot of their personal history with us, having lived through wars and oppression in Vietnam and Cambodia. The hotels for the land tour were all first class and very comfortable; also well located. The Avalon Siem Riep is a wonderful riverboat. It is fairly new and still in great condition. The crew is outstanding. They pampered us throughout. There were a total of 29 on our tour and the crew knew all of our names by the end of the first day. The food served on the boat far exceeded my expectations. The cabins are beautifully appointed and of good size. The tours were all well planned and organized. We usually had a morning tour and an afternoon tour, returning to the ship for lunch and to refresh. The tours were all unique and fascinating. Really got close to the local people and culture. We did a pre-tour in Hanoi and post-tours in Luang Prabang (Laos) and Bangkok. These were excellent as well with local guides to assist us when necessary. This was our second experience with Avalon and I really can't overstate the quality of their product.

Appreciate this wonderful additional background and this helpful follow-up from our "neighbor" to the east in Pennsylvania. Would love to hook up with you before we depart for SE Asia on Jan. 20. If possible, just post a follow-up here or another post at one of these Cruise Critic boards. Looking forward to this trip and learning more on the options for this great "adventure". Or, hearing more from others experienced in these excellent areas, along the Mekong River, etc.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 221,165 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Hi we are looking at doing the mekong what is the best time of year to go ?

I have been told January april cna be very humid is this correct ?

any advice would be welcomed?

thanks in advance

Appreciate this wonderful additional background and this helpful follow-up from our "neighbor" to the east in Pennsylvania. Would love to hook up with you before we depart for SE Asia on Jan. 20. If possible, just post a follow-up here or another post at one of these Cruise Critic boards. Looking forward to this trip and learning more on the options for this great "adventure". Or, hearing more from others experienced in these excellent areas, along the Mekong River, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Hi Terry in Ohio! I would be happy to respond to any additional questions or offer any tips on your upcoming trip to SE Asia. Our trip was full of daily adventure. The only negative was enduring the long flights from the east coast. I am certain that you will have quite a great experience. Feel free to ask about any other details I might be able to answer.

 

Paul in Pennsylvania

Hi Terry in Ohio! I would be happy to respond to any additional questions or offer any tips on your upcoming trip to SE Asia. Our trip was full of daily adventure. The only negative was enduring the long flights from the east coast. I am certain that you will have quite a great experience. Feel free to ask about any other details I might be able to answer. Paul in Pennsylvania

Appreciate so much, Paul, hearing from my "neighbor" in Pennsylvania and being able to ask several follow-up questions. Are y0u in eastern PA near Philadelphia or another part of the Commonwealth?

Yes, the jet-lag in flying to SE Asia can be long and serious. That's why we are going to Hong Kong first and having four days there to adjust, somewhat, our body clocks plus see some of that great city/location first. Also, fortunately through our American Airlines Frequent Flyer miles, we have business class seats on Cathay Pacific from Chicago to Hong Kong during that 15 hours and 50 minute flights. That helps!!

Here are a few of my questions about Avalon, the Mekong, etc.:

1. On the Cambodian visa, were you north-bound and got it enroute through the ship? We understand that involves having two pictures, your passport, plus about $25 each in cash as the cost per person. Does that sound correct?

2. During the various stops/tours along the Mekong, what was your favorite, biggest surprise, etc.? Any stops or tours to avoid or have any cautions?

3. For some of the air flights within these SE Asia countries arranged by Globus/Avalon, they have told us the maximum weight for all of our luggage and personal items (cameras, computer, etc.) is only 44 pounds per person. Was that your experience and/or how tightly did they enforce those weight limits? This would be for the flights such as you might have traveled between Hanoi, Luang Prabang, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, etc.

4. In Bangkok, what was your best favorite sight or activity there? Biggest surprise with that large city? Did you feel safe and relatively secure there?

5. On the ship's food, any personal favorites that they served that you super loved? My wife is not as big on meats all of the time. I assume they have some "other options"? How were potentials for those types of more vegetarian-type interests on the ship at the meals?

6. What were the costs and turn-around on the ship for laundry services? This includes mostly for the basics like tee-shirts, underwear, soxes, shirts, etc.

7. Am I correct in understanding that the beer and wine at lunch and dinner are included free, but at the other hours on the ship and/or for mixed drinks, those are an extra change item?

If you do a great job answering these questions, I might have a few more as a "reward" for being so super helpful.

THANKS for your help! Also happy to hear any other comments, background, tips, etc., from others who have traveled in these areas. Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean adventure that started in Barbados, here is the link for that live/blog. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.):

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 54,439 views for these postings.

Appreciate so much, Paul, hearing from my "neighbor" in Pennsylvania and being able to ask several follow-up questions. Are y0u in eastern PA near Philadelphia or another part of the Commonwealth?

 

Yes, the jet-lag in flying to SE Asia can be long and serious. That's why we are going to Hong Kong first and having four days there to adjust, somewhat, our body clocks plus see some of that great city/location first. Also, fortunately through our American Airlines Frequent Flyer miles, we have business class seats on Cathay Pacific from Chicago to Hong Kong during that 15 hours and 50 minute flights. That helps!!

 

Here are a few of my questions about Avalon, the Mekong, etc.:

 

1. On the Cambodian visa, were you north-bound and got it enroute through the ship? We understand that involves having two pictures, your passport, plus about $25 each in cash as the cost per person. Does that sound correct?

 

2. During the various stops/tours along the Mekong, what was your favorite, biggest surprise, etc.? Any stops or tours to avoid or have any cautions?

 

3. For some of the air flights within these SE Asia countries arranged by Globus/Avalon, they have told us the maximum weight for all of our luggage and personal items (cameras, computer, etc.) is only 44 pounds per person. Was that your experience and/or how tightly did they enforce those weight limits? This would be for the flights such as you might have traveled between Hanoi, Luang Prabang, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, etc.

 

4. In Bangkok, what was your best favorite sight or activity there? Biggest surprise with that large city? Did you feel safe and relatively secure there?

 

5. On the ship's food, any personal favorites that they served that you super loved? My wife is not as big on meats all of the time. I assume they have some "other options"? How were potentials for those types of more vegetarian-type interests on the ship at the meals?

 

6. What were the costs and turn-around on the ship for laundry services? This includes mostly for the basics like tee-shirts, underwear, soxes, shirts, etc.

 

7. Am I correct in understanding that the beer and wine at lunch and dinner are included free, but at the other hours on the ship and/or for mixed drinks, those are an extra change item?

 

If you do a great job answering these questions, I might have a few more as a "reward" for being so super helpful.

 

THANKS for your help! Also happy to hear any other comments, background, tips, etc., from others who have traveled in these areas. Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean adventure that started in Barbados, here is the link for that live/blog. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.):

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 54,439 views for these postings.

I'll do my best to answer your questions, realizing that my memory is not as good as it used to be!

1. Regarding Cambodian visa, we arranged for ours prior to the trip so didn't have to deal with it on board. We did the northbound cruise as you are doing. As I recall, the tour director arranged for some to obtain the Cambodian visa. Don't know the cost, but pretty sure you needed one or two passport size photos. It's generally a good idea to carry some extra passport size photos in that part of the world. We needed them to obtain our visa when we got to Laos (add-on tour). Maybe also in Thailand, but not sure.

2. Regarding stops on the Mekong, I recommend ALL of the tours included with Avalon. I don't remember anyone ever staying on board during the tours. Each stop was different and we had the opportunity to see local people go about their daily lives up close, as well as experience their culture. We especially enjoyed the Cambodian visits, but all were worthwhile. In some places, we stopped in remote villages along the river and walked through "neighborhoods" of stilted homes, typically with small children and animals running free. Our tour guide approached a random villager and asked if our group could see the inside of their home. The homeowner obliged. No where in the U.S. or maybe anywhere else in the world, could you approach a stranger and ask to take a group of foreigners through your home! It was a fascinating visit. Perhaps my favorite visit was to a rudimentary school where they taught English to Cambodian children. We were each paired up with a child or two. Conversed with them and listened to them read English. As an educator, this was a special experience for me. It was unique, random experiences like this that really made our tour so meaningful. We had the experience of using so many different types of transportation on the tours, including ox-cart, motorboat, bus, tuk-tuk, minivan, etc. Every day was a different experience. Be prepared for lots of walking also. The Vietnamese and Cambodian people are the most friendly and approachable people I've ever encountered in my world travels. And I've been to almost 50 countries! They really appreciate Westerners and will be genuinely happy to greet you.

3. On this tour, as well as a previous tour we did with Avalon in Asia, luggage weight was never an issue. On some, if not all intra-tour flights, they took everyone's luggage and weighed it as a group. I'm sure that our luggage was a little overweight, maybe up to 50 pounds, but this was never a problem. Our luggage definitely became heavier as we traveled, because we accumulated souvenirs.

4. This was our second time in Bangkok. First time we were on an organized tour, this latest time on our own. I absolutely love the city and strongly recommend visiting the Grand Palace, Temple of the Reclining Buddha, and if time permits, Temple of Dawn across the river. If you've never experienced or visited this part of the world before, these are must-see visits. The people are beautiful, the food is wonderful, and the city is a perfect blend of modern and historical. Having said that, this is the one city on the entire tour that you have to be careful of dishonest people, especially tuk-tuk and taxi drivers. While we guarded our valuables and generally felt safe, we were mindful that the country has had its problems with terrorism. Our hotel was across the street from the site of an attack a few years ago, but we never felt unsafe.

5. The food on the Avalon Siem Reap was a pleasant surprise. It was better than we thought it would be. My wife and I are not big meat eaters and tend towards vegetarian. The different local fish dishes at dinner were especially good. For lunch, they would always serve some kind of local freshly made soup. I enjoyed the freshly prepared pho at the chef's station during lunch. There are definitely lots of fruit and vegetable options. All food is washed and prepared with purified water. You do need to be careful in any SE Asian country about food and drink. We never became ill from anything we ate in the hotels or on the ship, or anywhere for that matter. But we were careful when on our own.

6. We didn't use the ship's laundry so can't help you with the cost. But I think the turnaround time was 24 hours.

7. You are correct that the beer and wine are included at dinner. Also included during cocktail hour before dinner and the bartender had a special free alcoholic drink of the day as well.

I hope you find this info helpful.

By the way, we are from south central PA around Altoona.

Paul

We did a small Vietnam tour this year on an ocean cruise RCI Ovation of the Seas. I am reading this and I can't imagine someone spending the money to go from the USA to Vietnam and booking an old crappy ship to save $400. I think someone needs to get a sense of proportion.

It is hot as hades in Vietnam, we were there in April and it was stifling hot. Literally unpleasant to walk around. We are fit and less than 60 most river cruise patrons are much older than us.

Penny wise and pound foolish.

JC

It is hot as hades in Vietnam, we were there in April and it was stifling hot. Literally unpleasant to walk around. We are fit and less than 60 most river cruise patrons are much older than us.

 

Penny wise and pound foolish.

You need to consider that the ship is only used for 7 out of the 15 nights on the Viking tour and the rest of the time you are in the same excellent Sofitel hotels that the other cruise lines use.

It is a matter of personal choice, some people do not want to travel in an air-conditioned bubble through some of the poorer parts of the world, and if we ever had felt the need to avoid the heat, the cabins on the Viking ship were always there and at a good temperature.

Frankly though, once we got onto the river, the temperature was never really an issue and we greatly enjoyed the more rustic nature of the Viking ship and time spent onboard either sitting in the open outside our cabins or on the top deck.

We saw the other more modern ships and I certainly wouldn't criticise someone for choosing them, but when we go back there again (... and we will) we will once again be looking for a ship that is in more in keeping with the local culture and traditions of ship building.

We were looking into The Mekong earlier this year and it is true that you can spend a lot of time in hotels and on road travel because parts of the river are too shallow for the more modern style river boats (Pandaw's boats are based on the old design). We had placed our preferences on Pandaw as their boats have a very shallow draft and can do more than the others on the river. When looking at Pandaw itineraries we actually decided to go for a Myanmar cruise with them before the Mekong, so have booked Bagan to Mandalay for January 2019 and will fit in flights and a number of hotels in Myanmar/Thailand when they become available.

The first thing we look at is the average weather conditions in any country we visit, yes good prices can be had when conditions are not the best, but as mentioned earlier, cheap is not always best (but we do seek cheap if poss). We did make the mistake of doing an Ocean cruise to Vietnam one November a few years back and had two typhoons in that time, though luckily we did make the ports planned as often the ports can be missed and there is a lot of disruption to road traffic of course if typhoons occur.

If you are looking at many parts of SE Asia, be aware that pollution levels become a big problem in late February, March and April, due to burning of the rice fields after harvest. Not sure if that is a big problem around the Mekong, but that is why we have planned to visit Myanmar and Northern Thailand in January.

Just checked the Viking website and 'The Viking Mekong' seems identical to some Pandaw boats - I suspect Viking may have leased the boat from Pandaw, who do a very wide range of river cruises in SE Asia. We have booked direct with Pandaw as we want to arrange our own flights at civilised times with plenty of extra time in hotels when we want to do so. In our opinion it is not worth going that far for a bare two weeks or similar.

Just checked the Viking website and 'The Viking Mekong' seems identical to some Pandaw boats - I suspect Viking may have leased the boat from Pandaw, who do a very wide range of river cruises in SE Asia.

Yes, it is indeed one of the Pandaw ships.