hcross888

Thanks for the article!  We just returned from this cruise, and the sun deck was closed almost the entire trip.  We had never had that happen on our other 3 review cruises.

Avalon did not dock in Honfleur.  We were bused there.

We sailed on the Imagery II and flew back from Luxembourg.  

We just returned from Avalon's Central European Experience which goes from Nuremburg, Germany to Remich, Luxembourg.  This is my 4th river cruise in Europe.  

As usual, Avalon was impeccable with fantastic service and great meals.  Changes to the Avalon include more "discovery" activities for the more active people.  While most of us were taking a tour of a town, the active group hiked to a castle.  They offered biking.  Also new,  yoga or Zumba classes.  There was a gentle walking tour offered also. 

Also, Avalon has made their rooms a little bigger with room for a small table and chairs.  The shower is a little bigger.  Love the French balcony!

This cruise started on the Danube canal to the Main River to the Rhine canal to the Mossel.  It was the most scenic of all the European Rivers in my opinion, and you even get to see the castles of the Rhine.  Ports were enjoyable.

On this itinerary, there are many low bridges, so the sky deck was closed for the majority of the time.  But there are many other places to enjoy the scenery on the ship.

Would definitely recommend this cruise!  It was less industrial than the Rhine.  Unforgettable parts included the Bishops Residence at Wurzburg, the Rathaus at Bamberg, old Bavarian villages, and the ancient Roman gate at Trier.  Cruising past castles on the Rhine was very memorable.  Most of the extra excursions were excellent.

We have taken 4 cruises and they never lost the luggage going to the cruise, but coming home from Luxembourg, our flight was changed due to a late plane and our luggage never made it to the US.  It took 3 days for it to arrive.

We flew Lufthansa, but no one weighed our carry ons, although we did have small ones.  They do have to approve carry ons, which I appreciate so that the overhead bins aren't all stuffed.

1 hour ago, notamermaid said:

Let us move to Miltenberg, one of many delightfully old places along the river and a popular stop on river cruises. I have never been there so cannot say what it is like. Here is the website: https://www.miltenberg.info/en/sights/view-of-our-towns/miltenberg/

 

Looking at the photos I can certainly understand its appeal. If you have been to Miltenberg, please tell us about your experience.

 

Miltenberg was one of my favorite ports on the Main.  While many of the other towns have old building that have been rebuilt, in Miltenberg, they had no bombing and the buildings from the 1400-1600s are real.  It is a delightful town rich in history.  On Avalon, it was the "Main Village" day.  The hotel is the oldest in Germany.

1 hour ago, notamermaid said:

 

We just returned from Central European Experience with Avalon, which goes along the Main and Mossell.  It is my 4th river cruise, and the scenery was probably the prettiest in Europe.  Another poster was correct that the bridges are low, and most of the time the sky deck was closed.

The ports are all beautiful, and on this itinerary you even get to see the castles on the Rhine.

We just got back from our cruise, and we never needed a pin for any transaction.  Of course we needed it for the ATM, but that was different.

I have done 4 river cruises.  We just returned from Avalon's Central European Experience.  We have the middle deck and it was a wonderful room.  Other friends we met had the aquarium rooms on the lower decks, and they were fine with them as we spent little time in our rooms.  But there are times where it is wonderful to have your own open air view.  We were sailing on the Mossell and I stayed in bed enjoying the scenery.

I loved all our cruises.  I don't know that I would favor the Rhine over the Danube; they are just different.  Danube is more pastoral and Rhine more industrial.

Nuremburg is a 3 hour bus ride from Prague, and I would consider a diversion there.  Our cruise started in Nuremburg, but Avalon's precruise extension was in Prague.  Prague is wonderful.  Nuremburg is pleasant, but not as outstanding as Prague.

We just got back from Avalon's Central European Experience which started with 2 nights in Prague.  We stayed in the Hilton, which is really on the edge of the old town.

We did both the included and optional excursion.  The morning one started at the castle.  They do take you inside the church, which is beautiful.  Then they bus you to the old town and you see an overview on the walking tour.  You walk by the Jewish quarters and to the old town.  Then you have free time and can either take the bus back to the hotel or walk.  We chose to walk, and were glad we did because we saw so many beautiful buildings.  It is a short walk.

On the "Hidden treasures" tour, we walked along the river crossing the Charles Bridge and spending time in the lesser town.  The "lesser town" was interesting and historic.  We saw the Senate Gardens, which were beautiful.  Our guide has all sorts of interesting historic information to share.

Our plane was late so we got little time in Prague the first day.  We agree that if would have skipped the Hidden treasures tour and spent more time in the old town.  Honestly, there are so many interesting things that you could spend a week there.  We would have liked to take a tour of the Jewish quarters or spent more time in the castle complex.  The overview was great, but there is so much there.  I am not much of a shopper, but I would have loved to spend more time in the gorgeous crystal shop on the town square.  I would have loved to see Wenselslav square because that is where the protestors faced the Soviets in 1968.

If you are coming directly to Prague, there is an old church and the city museum that are very close to the Hilton.

There is a great Czech restaurant really close to the Hilton called Pivoarsky Klub. It is small, but their food is delicious, and they carry 200 different beers.  The tables are mostly long, where you sit with others.  If you go there, I recommend the venison goulash.

Just a warning about the Hilton.  They are doing construction between 10AM and 7 PM.  We wanted to relax in our room after arrival, but there was jackhammer noise and we literally could not hear each other speak.  The walls were shaking.  They would not give us a different room.  However, it was a beautiful room and the included breakfast was excellent.

I had always booked our own air with my previous 3 trips, but this year Avalon offered $300 air to Europe, which I jumped on.  It is much less stressful and I like that they will meet us at the airport.

THANKS SO MUCH!!!!!

You wonderful people have lowered my stress level A LOT!!!

What is strange is that our Citicard Costco card told me that if I used a pin in Europe that it would be charged as a cash advance, but if I didn't use a pin that was not the case.

Thanks so much Steamboats.  I was worried, but now I feel better!

We are scheduled to go on an Avalon cruise through mostly Germany.  Avalon says that you need a pin number for your credit card.  We don't have one, and have no way to get one before we leave.  Catch 22 with the credit card company.....

If you have recently come back from Germany and Prague, did you need a pin number to use your credit card?

Lucerne is my favorite city, and Mt Pilatus is a wonderful trip. Taking the boat to catch the cog railroad and then taking the cable car down is really awesome.   It is best to start it early as you are more likely to have better visibility in the AM from the mountain top.  Have you thought about skipping the walking tour and just going off to Mt Pilatus on your second day?  It sounds like you probably could fit it in that last day, but you might be worried about missing the bus.

Lucerne is compact and walkable, so you really could do the walking tour on your own.

On the Danube, if you chose not to go to Saltzberg, you have a wonderful day "at sea" through the Waccau Valley.  I think it is the most beautiful stretch in Europe.  I have fond memories of watching the scenery as my mom and I played Scrabble. 

On the Rhine, you have a half day "at sea" watching the castles.  That was also very enjoyable.

Steamboats,

THANKS for the information on Munich.  We only have an hour and a half to transfer in Munich, to our flight to the US.  I was worried, but now I feel better! It is all with Lufthansa.

I have been to all 3 cities. I like Basel, but it will not WOW you (although they have a magnificent cathedral and art museum)!   So Lucerne or Amsterdam would be better.  They are really different places.  If you love art, of course Amsterdam is better due to the Van Goh and national Dutch art museum.  I found the public transport a little difficult to navigate.

Lucerne is grand old city.  It borders on a beautiful lake surrounded by magnificent mountains, and it is an easy train ride to Basel (where the cruise docks).   I love wandering around the city, but you also would want to take a cablecar to the top of Mr Pilatus.  You can return to the train station on a cog railroad.  

I have never taken an ocean cruise. I have enjoyed 3 different river cruises though. Given that the Viking Ocean ships are smaller, did you have notice more movement than on a big ship?

Thanks!

Hcross

I know that this question is a reversal of usual questions on this group, but I have taken 3 European river cruises and loved them all. I loved everything about the river cruises, the tours, the nice meals, the cleanliness and service. I never thought I would even do an ocean cruise, but I have seen the ones that go to Scandinavia, and the ports sound wonderful.

I'm not wild about huge crowds or a party-type atmosphere, but I'm sure I'd love the ports.

Do you think I would like the ocean cruise?

We did this cruise last summer on Avalon and they had one group that visited the Canadian sites and one group that did American.

Oz,

I enjoyed reading about your criteria for deciding on a cruise. I think it is a great idea to make a spread sheet and compare the areas that are most important to you to decide on the best line for you.

My travel agent told me that is is the Pullman near the Eiffel Tower.

Frank,

We stayed in Basel the night before our cruise. We had lived in Zurich at one time, and so we knew a little about the Switzerland before. It is easy to get to Basel from the Zurich airport as there is a train station on the lower level of the airport. I really love Basel. We stayed near the train station. Public transport is free if you are staying the night in a hotel- even your trip on the way to the hotel. The old town is just beautiful, and the cathedral on the Rhine is one of my favorites. The art museum in Basel is one of the best in Switzerland, especially if you like impressionist painters.

From the Zurich airport, Lucern is also a short train ride. It is very walkable, and like the rest of Switzerland, you can get anywhere by public transport. I think it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.You have a gorgeous lake and fabulous mountain views. It has a wonderful old town with a gorgeous covered pedestrian bridge. There are many cafes where you can enjoy a meal or drinks looking at the wonderful town. If you have enough time, I highly recommend taking a steamship to Mt Pilatus and then taking the cog railroad to the top of the mountain. From there you can take a cable car back to the city.

Jane,

I have cruised both the Rhine and Danube and loved both cruises. I don't think it matters which way you go, but I wanted to see Bratislava, so we went the direction that included that. I would avoid Budapest to Bucharest because others had said that you have to be bussed to towns once you are past Budapest.

People ask me whether I preferred the Rhine or Danube, but they were both so wonderful that I couldn't pick my favorite. I loved Budapest. The Waccha Valley is breathtakingly gorgeous.