Daisi

We booked our Avalon cruise in 2019, to sail 2020...we all know what happened to that! Because of Covid, Avalon gave us a choice of full refund (just our deposit, but others probably had made full payment) or re-book for a later cruise. We re-booked, and when it came close to our booking date, we took the option to re-book again. So the cruise I just paid for (90 days out) was booked Aug 2021. No having to pay any more than the 90 days. I understand Viking's idea... if you can get away with it, why not? Everyone sees the advert on TV and thinks that "that looks nice", so without any research, calls them to book. As long as they can get away with it, why should they change? If you argue your date, it sounds as if repeat clients can get the 6 month payment, or you can "rush" book and go with whatever cabin they have available, but unless they have a major revolt, they won't change. Not good for clients, but then they are a business, and bottom line is more important for most businesses.

That's one of the nicest things about Avalon's site. You select the cruise you want, then go to available dates, and can see immediately what cabins are sold out. Since there are only 2 available on any ship in the category Rebel is looking for, it makes it very easy.

Great words. I had a friend who did their own, missed out on a simple error (Mr. instead of Mrs.) on a ticket and almost missed a flight for their sister's wedding. I know my agent caught a reversal of letters in one of our flight tickets booked through our cruise line, and had already taken care of it before I even noticed. I also value her experience as someone who flies frequently so she knows what airports aren't good for me (I have crowd issues) and also whether or not the transfer time is cutting it short. We deal well together, I'm a planner to the 9th degree - I'll have 6 back up plans on the go just in case - and she is more than happy to be there for me to toss ideas off of. We have been to places in our travels that are not normally visited, so she always asks me to report back so she knows if she should recommend other travelers to. As you say, the time I didn't have to sit on hold for however long while Covid hit and everyone was scrambling to re-organise made me realise just how valuable it is to go through a TA. A simple e-mail early in the morning so it's there for when she starts working, and she can get back to me when she can...and no panicking on my side because I'm not getting through.

The guy on my chat group says that the Captain said the water was dropping about 1" a day, but dropped 12" in one day the day before. Maybe it has something to do with your funny readings on the gauge notamermaid, and the Captain is being over cautious? I guess he's the one who has to report to Head Office if there is any trouble, so maybe taking it on the easy side.

Just had a post in my message board... they are on an Avalon ship, boat can't go between Regensburg & Nuremburg. Trying to get more info.

@ljandgbexcellent post, I'll add something more to save a little space. Unless you are really fussy, leave the shampoo/conditioner/hairdryer at home. Hotels and the ship will supply them, Avalon has L'Occitane products which are great. While we've never lost our luggage (knocking on wood), and this year purchased air tags for tracking, we always bring a couple of changes just in case in our day packs. We also will go to a convenience store in the airport and buy something small - bottle of water, snack etc., to get coins in local currency. @TMLAalum I think Avalon does get one of the tourist boats to do the canal cruises, so it won't be anything like your nice barge tour. We had a light drizzle the day we went, so were glad for the large glass cover, but to me, it's been done, maybe in a couple of years we may do it again, but there is so much more to see... 🙂

Like others, I am a planner. Long before I met my TA, I knew what line, cruise, excursions (both pre, post & during) I would go for. I sat down across from her on our first meeting and told her I was going to be the client from H**l. 🙂 She laughed, and once she knew how much I had looked into the trip, she let me go and just gave advice on what I had planned. Like Jazz, we don't go to the "normal" things when visiting towns, unless it's something we really wish to see. We look for a lot of out of the way things to do. I also usually have about 6 back up plans to do if something comes up and we can't do what we wished. I had questions on everything though, as we had several firsts. We hadn't taken a plane in over 20 years, had never taken a train, used public transit, or even done a river cruise. Through she was great for helping there, and a 2nd set of eyes when airline reservations came in with 2 letters in our name reversed. I missed it, but she caught it and it was an easy fix. When Covid hit, an easy e-mail to her office to rebook our cruise (not once but 3x) was all it took. She could do it when she had time, and could spend the time on the phone for her more urgent clients that were travelling sooner. How did I find her? Avalon has a section on their website with recommend TA's. I chose the one closest to me in case I had to get to her quickly. Worked great and very happy with her.

We pack in everything we can get, but then we do that on our regular holidays as well. We come home tired, but in a good way, and so far (knock on wood) we've always came home healthy. We are also very early risers, so the quiet evenings after dinner are our "down time" to catch up on what's going on at home. Our favourite spot on the bus when we take them is the back seat, views from both sides because no one else is around (except for the crew when they hitch a ride) and we know what to look for because the guide has already talked about it!

I know that feeling, we were like that for our first cruise...ok, not a "girls" cruise, but first time on a train, tram, river cruise, Avalon and also for me, going overseas. We will be doing that cruise in Sept, and can't wait. Pack light (Canadian airlines are now measuring & weighing carry on luggage because of all the passengers insisting on carry on. Put what you expect to need in your suitcase, then pull out 1/2 🙂. Laundry is available onboard, but we also pack laundry sheets (use them at home anyway) and wash out in the bathroom. Bring good walking shoes, you will need them. You won't need shampoo/conditioner as they are supplied by hotels & onboard so unless you are really fussy, one less thing. You will need EU adaptors, just make sure anything you wish to plug in is dual voltage - it will say on it. I bring a handful just in case we forget one somewhere. Our chargers handle all toys (USB-C and USB_A in one unit), so I'll bring a couple of them just in case one dies. Same with cords. The main thing to pack is a good attitude. Relax and enjoy your cruise, but if you are doing morning and afternoon (the optional ones that you just may not want to miss out on), I'll warn you....you'll probably need a holiday when you get home.

@TMLAalum, if your ship is docked at one of the further locations, your hotel will be able to call a cab for you. We stayed a bit out of town ( up near Rembrandtpark) and it was a short ride into town. We took the tram into town each day, but figured with out luggage we would go by cab in case the tram was busy.

They can be fun to play with when interactive...good time waster when sitting on the phone on hold. 🙂

@notamermaid, I hope your fires die out soon, the one closest to us is now under control, but it was a small one. Yes, we are getting firefighters from all over - Australia, NZ, Portugal, Spain, South Africa(and probably other areas in the EU) and the US. We have sent our guys and water bombers to other countries as well. The ones from South Africa are getting pretty well known here, because they like to dance.

@JoyMBee I'm sure you'll love Avalon, we are eagerly awaiting our Danube cruise with them in Sept. Our first cruise was the Romantic Rhine, but we went from Amsterdam to Basel, and missed the extension to Zurich, which I'd love to get to sometime. Since we had family in the Netherlands, we wanted to spend time there. Another from Ont. here by the way but I'm the other end, between Kingston & Ottawa. Hope you are getting some cleaner air there now.

We are finally into clear air and also got some rain. So nice to actually see the sun, if only for a little while as there are lots of rain clouds around. Blue sky looks sooooooo good! We've also cooled down to a pleasant 18C, so can have all the windows open again to get the smell of smoke out of the house. When you go outside, you still smell a bit, but at least you don't feel the need to cough as soon as you take a breath.

Would love to go to Goodwoods some day as well, we have traveled a lot for classic cars. @Host Jazzbeau, have you ever gone to Hershey for their show? Not a concours, but you can get there early enough to actually see the cars driving in. We had a friend who had a Stanley, and he would drive it around the neighbourhood where he lived and would let the kids enjoy a ride.

I am in contact right now with someone on the Envision...asking lots of questions for my cruise in Sept. They are sailing and she is loving her cruise. 🙂

No, Avalon's Romantic Rhine is only on the Rhine. We did the Romantic Rhine in 2018 with Avalon, and they have changed things a bit. I agree with Jaz, do the 2 days in Lucerne instead of Zurich. That was one thing we missed, because of needing to get back to work, but will do it on another cruise or trip. Amsterdam is a very easy city, so if you can squeeze in another day there, you won't need to book any tours, just wander around...well worth it. Let us know what you decide...then get prepared for all kinds of suggestions of what not to miss!

@notamermaid lol, I froze my husband's, and we will be eating the final bits of mine tonight. Heatwave on here (30 and over, feeling like 40), so it goes well with a salad! Enjoy your weekend.

Good advice here, and welcome to the world of river cruising. I assume your TA went through the various lines and what each entails for you. Some include everything (alcohol, laundry, all excursions) while others include some alcohol, one excursion a day etc. The main thing is to choose an area that has excursions you would like to see and then find a line that suits your budget and time you wish to trave. We will be doing the Danube in Sept with Avalon, having done the Rhine in 2018. We loved our 1st cruise so much we were planning our 2nd one on the flight home. @Host Jazzbeau makes one very important point about river cruising, it's not a relaxing as in lounging around & free time type of holiday. You may have 1 afternoon or morning gently sailing past a scenic area of the river, but the rest of the day is usually exploring. You come home happy but tired! I have only sailed with Avalon, so can't compare other lines, but I'm sure whatever line & route you choose, you will love it. If you do choose Avalon, don't expect to spend time in your cabin relaxing on the bed and watching the river float by, because the scenery is on both sides of the river, and staying in your cabin, you will miss some. The top deck and lounges are best for relaxing and watching the scenery.

Now that we have everything booked for our trip, we are starting to prepare for our meals. Melons are out now here, so going through them pretty quickly enjoying them and pineapple for breakfast. Last night, we started on dinners.....yes, that's a full sized dinner plate hiding underneath, and there was another side of spatzle, but couldn't fit it in the picture! We came home with enough for a couple more meals. Oh happy days! 🙂

@moonriver54Avalon does put out a great product, and like you, we loved our first cruise so much we were very eager to do another on... started planning it on the flight home. We loved the 5* service & food, but also really enjoyed the more casual atmosphere. We got to know some of the crew (from those actually crewing the ship to the ones interacting with the passengers) and were very glad to hear that they enjoyed themselves so much that they even recommended it as employment for family & friends. That says a lot as to how Avalon treats its employees, and that means a lot, as happy employees are more willing to go above and beyond. We are eagerly looking forward to our Sept. cruise on the Danube. Plane, train and hotel all booked.... now just waiting for the excursions. It's going to be a loooooooooooong summer!

The one my TA gave me is smaller than previous ones, but has all the 2023-2024 cruises in it as well. Cover is more of a sunrise/sunset over the water rather than the blues, but probably the same.

All aboard time of 5:00 will be to have the safety drill & overview for your cruise. For the 2nd day, you can do the afternoon, and still be back onboard for 7:00 for dinner.

Thanks for the link @notamermaid, I had one bookmarked, but it didn't work anymore. Glad to see that there are no holidays on our cruise, except for the day we leave, which won't matter. Phew! 🙂

It's been metric in Canada since 75, I grew up really only knowing metric. People here still refer to sq. foot, linear feet etc. when talking building or homes, and meat is advertised by pound but priced by kg, but I buy by size so that doesn't bother me. I don't know if we will ever be "fully" metric.