Kenster

I’ve always used only a household, lightweight cord. It has worked fine for about 25 European trips, including five Avalon cruises.

There IS an outlet on one side of the bed. Usually on the OTHER side. That’s why I bring the extension cord. An ADAPTER does NOT change the voltage. Only a CONVERTER changes the voltage. But it’s highly unlikely that you need to convert voltage for your CPAP. Almost all devices made in the past 20 or so years are dual voltage. (With the possible exception of curling irons). Check the label on the back or bottom of your CPAP. I can almost guarantee that it’ll show 110v-220v. Or something very close. You’ll definitely need an adapter or two. they’re cheap on Amazon. Get one that will accept two or three electrical items as well as USB devices.

It’s not like that. You still see the sites you’re suppose to see but there’s an emphasis on the fine wines of the region. More tastings, etc.

I never knew there was an Espresso/coffee machine on the lower level.

The Deluxe rooms are smaller and not much view. If you are booking down there, try to get a cabin as far forward as possible. Keep in mind that the Deluxe cabins, at 179 sq feet, are still larger than Viking’s Veranda cabins, which are only 170, and especially larger than Viking’s French balcony cabins (139 sq feet.)

Yes, I mentioned the smoking areas in my previous reply. There are actually two: the rear of the top/Sun deck, and a tiny outside deck just aft of the rear lounge on Deck 3.

If the website says the deposit is $250, I reckon it’s $250. You can certainly pay more if you like. You pretty much don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. Because we’ve done five Avalon cruises, repeating many of the stops, We often skip the excursions, sleep late, Have a late breakfast, and walk into town on our own. Just be back before sailing time. The food is incredible but if the main menu doesn’t interest you, you can have a steak or chicken breast every night. The cabin mini fridge is stocked with liquor, for which you pay. You are free to bring your own booze onboard. There are a lot of “two top” tables where you can sit alone, assuming that the ship is not completely full. Smoking is not allowed anywhere in and on the ship except the very rear of the outside deck. It’s unlikely to be an issue. If you’re not interested in taking part in the wonderful food and the incredible excursions, and you don’t want to be around people, preferring to stay in your cabin and drink, why are spending a ton of money for a trip on which you will be miserable?

Tips are presented at the end of the cruise though you do have the option to pre-pay them through Avalon. The Cruise director is tipped separately as he works directly for Avalon while the staff and crew work for the ship owner. I think the recommended gratuity for the CD is €3 (euros) PER PERSON per day. The crew tip is €13 per person per day turned in in one envelope to be distributed among all staff. We also usually tip a little extra, in person, to our dining room waiter. (We tend to stick with one zone and the same waiter) Also an extra tip to our favorite lounge waitress/bar tender. Tips for local guides and bus drivers are included.

They will allow you on the ship by late morning on arrival day. Do not expect your cabin to be ready until mid afternoon. They will be very busy dealing with departing passengers so it’s best to take your bags into the lounge and hang out there. You will be able to enjoy a light lunch in the lounge. You can leave your bags onboard and go out to explore for a while. Pax make their way to the ship on their own. Sometimes, a bus is used to transfer large numbers of passengers arriving about the same time from the airport. If you are flying in on arrival day, you can take a taxi to the ship or purchase a transfer from Avalon. No meeting spot. You go directly to the ship. 2. Ninety days from departure you will have access to book all your excursions via the “My Avalon” portal. It’s a good idea to book even the included ones. Sometimes, there is a limited number of seats available so you don’t want to be disappointed by not getting your desired excursion. No problem on the major inclusions like a city tour. There’ll always be room but it’s still good to book so they’ll know how many local guides/buses they’ll need. Definitely book your optionals as they ARE limited, for the most part. Some can be very small groups. If you wait until you’re onboard, you could be disappointed. You can always cancel up to 24 hours ahead of time. 3. You can leave the ship as early as you like on departure day. If you’re flying out, allow not only travel time but also plenty of time at the airport. Probably should leave the ship four hours ahead of flight departure. If you’re not flying out, you can have a more leisurely departure but you have to be out of your cabin by 9:00AM, I believe. Transportation from the ship is on your own but you can book a transfer through Avalon. I know you’ll have a great time. And you’ll wish you booked a longer cruise!! Cheers! Ken

This is nothing new and should not have been a surprise. It’s in Avalon’s documentation and on their website. If it has been more than 270 days since your second vaccine, you need a booster. I believe the booster has to be received at least two weeks prior to departure. ”Possibly” having had Covid recently doesn’t carry any weight if it was not documented by a doctor. Your friend should get her booster immediately, then she’ll be good to go. Covid is still popping up on cruises. Why risk getting it and having to leave the ship or be confined to your cabin for the duration of the cruise, and possibly being unable to fly home as scheduled?

Slippers and robes in the cabin. They say you can request a firmer or softer mattress. I think they do this by changing out the mattress topper. We have always found the beds extremely comfortable as is.

Probably that starting in 2023, all drinks are free during Happy Hour.

Yes, I have also heard that Avalon refunds the pro rated daily fee for any night spent in a hotel. About 95%, or more, of comments in various Facebook groups has been very positive about how Avalon is handling this. Even the ones who are not happy about the situation in general (and who WOULD be?) realizes that Avalon is handling it well and trying to make it as painless as possible.

I have been in touch with two people on the Avalon BUD-AMSTERDAM that departed about 12 days ago, and one on the current AMS to BUD. The west bound cruise got as far as Nuremberg and had to stop. That was day 8 of 16. The rest of the cruise is bus and hotels. They were given the option to leave the cruise and make their own way home for a 50% refund. OR… they could continue on the bus tour with hotels, all meals, and all “optional” excursions now included. And they would STILL get a 50% refund. So, basically, they’re getting a week long cruise, PLUS, a free, all expenses included week long tour of Europe. Points to Avalon for that. The east bound gent said that they had made it all the way to Passau and were cleared to, at least, Vienna. They had had two ship swaps but he did not mention any hotels. I’m rather surprised by that very positive report.

Absolute minimum of two hours. Three would be better.

The train is part of the itinerary.

Typically, you’ll be in the same cabin on both ships. The staff will handle your luggage for you.

Book the longest cruise you can afford. Airfare is no cheaper on a short cruise. If you book 14 days, after Day 4 you’ll be thinking “Wow! We have ten more days!” If you book a short cruise, when you get to Day 4 you’ll be thinking “Damn! This is half over already!”

Rhine/Moselle was our first river cruise (2014). and sold us on Avalon. 5th one coming up in early Sept. Grand France remains my big target. It’s just never met our schedule. Hopefully, next year.

I sincerely hope they have a good time. Many people just can’t get past the “Downton Abbey Snow job” where DA fans were blitzed by frequent Viking ads. I never heard of Viking before getting hooked on Downton Abbey, but I’ll give them credit for piquing my interest in river cruises. Fortunately, though, my research led us to choose Avalon. Five times so far.

Avalon has much larger cabins. 200 square feet for their standard Panorama Suite with French Balcony. Viking French balcony cabins are only 135 square feet. Viking does have “real balconies” but they’re pretty tiny. These “Veranda” cabins are listed at 205 square feet but that includes the outside balcony. Deduct that and the cabin is about 175 square feet. Even Avalon’s Deck one “Aquarium Class” cabins are quite large at about 180 square feet vs Vikings 145 square feet. The vast majority of Avalon’s cabins are the Panorama Suites. The entire glass wall opens up to create the French balcony and the beds all face the river! A rarity in the industry. And… Viking crams 190 passengers on the same size ship that Avalon maxes at 160, reflecting the larger cabins and much less crowded conditions on Avalon. Consumables are subjective but the food and wines on Avalon are extraordinary, both reflecting the regions through which you travel.

Try contacting Avalon via Messenger through their Facebook page. I’ve had responses from them that way. Also, there is a Facebook group called “I Love Avalon Waterways.” It is not run by Avalon but the president of Avalon, Pam Hoffee, monitors it and chimes in everyone once in a while. I would post your issue in that forum and specifically mention her name. That should trigger a notification to her. Maybe she can make something happen for you.

First of all, stop giving your credit card info to these crooks! Secondly, cancel that card and dispute any charges with the card issuer. It’s likely they made a very small deposit with Avalon and have pocketed the rest. if people want to use a TA, fine. But the point of using a TA is to have a real person working in your behalf. If you’re going to use an anonymous online TA, where’s the advantage over calling Avalon yourself? I hope you can resolve this with minimum loss but your decision to go with a cyber agent and then fail to follow up with them, can, in no way, be blamed on Avalon.

Even if the magnetic force was strong enough to reach through the wall, they would repel each other. (Yes, I know you jest!) My guess is that if the walls really are metal, the plaster and sound proofing would require a much stronger tool than a refrigerator type magnet. Maybe someone has a solution that worked for them? How about duct taping a thin sheet of metal to the wall and sticking the magnet on to that? 🙂

We thoroughly enjoy the relaxed pace of dinner. Lots of great conversation. Lots of great wine. All part of the experience. But on evenings where we want to be alone or want to “eat and run,” we enjoy the Bistro dinner in the lounge.