Just returned from Avalon Seine cruise

[hcross888]

Just returned today from a Seine cruise on Avalon. It was my third river cruise and I was so impressed. The tours were awesome. The food was superb. The service was top notch.

 

I know that many people book their own side trips, but we did many of the "extra trips" (Honfleur, Eiffel, the Louve and Versailles) and they were great. It was our first time in Paris, and that wonderful city does merit all the superlatives it is given!

 

There were so many awesome surprises on this tour including how nice the French are if you attempt to greet them in French, how absolutely awesome the Eiffel Tower is and how poignant a visit to the D-Day beaches is.

 

We had a magical vacation. The workers were on strike for our scheduled visit to the Eiffel tower. We were a little disappointed, but Avalon re-scheduled the visit on our last NIGHT! We got to go up and see Paris at night. I'll never forget it.

[hcross888]

If you are taking a Seine cruise, we saw an AWESOME FREE show in Roen. Roen has a beautiful old cathedral, and at night they do a light show on the cathedral. The show is less than 1/2 hour and it repeats every half hour or so. The first 15 minutes it it a salute to Monet. They turn the cathedral into a work of art with colored lights. The second 15 minutes is a salute to Joan of Arc.

 

It is a very short walk from the boat dock. PLEASE DON'T MISS THIS! IT is free and absolutely wonderful! I have never seen anything like this.

 

:)

[Keith1010]

Welcome home and I am glad you enjoyed your river cruise.

 

Keith

[tassietravellers]

Welcome home and so glad to hear you that you were so impressed with your trip, we're booked on this one with Avalon for June/July next year as part of the Grand France cruise, we start in Monte Carlo and end in Paris.

 

Will definitely put the light show at Roen on our list of must do's, thank you. We werent really planning on doing any of the extra trips in Paris as we'll be there for about 4 - 5 days post cruise.

 

The only time I have been to Paris was when I was 21..and that wasn't yesterday!! :-) and hubby has never been, so really looking forward to it.

 

 

Deb :)

[CaroleSS]

Thanks for the review!!!! Most people post about Viking, so it was great to hear about Avalon!

 

We will be cruising with Avalon next July through Germany and I am soooo ready (is it 2014 yet?!?!)

[Got2Cruise]

Thank you for sharing. We leave Sat for Paris and then the SS Creativity. We signed up for the optional toys also. Glad that you found them worthwhile

 

 

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[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report!

[Cobbie48]

Just completed Avalon's Expression cruise Prague to Budapest. Our first

Cruise and it won't be our last. Everything was superb. I'll post

A review next week.

[TravelingLadyOhio]

We are taking this same cruise in July '14. It will be our 2nd one with Avalon.

I have a question for you about the Avalon tour to Versailles. Which day did you do this? I am trying to put together an itinerary for pre cruise days in Paris, before we book airfare. If we can take this optional with Avalon, it's one less tour I need to book on my own. Planning a trip, for me, is half the fun. Thanks for any help.

[tassietravellers]

We are taking this same cruise in July '14. It will be our 2nd one with Avalon.

I have a question for you about the Avalon tour to Versailles. Which day did you do this? I am trying to put together an itinerary for pre cruise days in Paris, before we book airfare. If we can take this optional with Avalon, it's one less tour I need to book on my own. Planning a trip, for me, is half the fun. Thanks for any help.

 

 

Hello TravelingLadyOhio

 

what date in July 14 are you on, we are on this river from the 8th July as part of Avalons Grand France cruise which starts in Monte Carlo on the 30th June

 

Deb

[tassietravellers]

Just completed Avalon's Expression cruise Prague to Budapest. Our first

Cruise and it won't be our last. Everything was superb. I'll post

A review next week.

 

 

Welcome home, glad you everything went well, we were with Avalon last year Budapest to Amsterdam and going agin next year to France. I loved everything about our trip.

[franski]

Hello TravelingLadyOhio

 

what date in July 14 are you on, we are on this river from the 8th July as part of Avalons Grand France cruise which starts in Monte Carlo on the 30th June

 

Deb

 

Deb -

 

We're less than a year out now....:D

 

Are you doing air through Avalon - or are you going to book on your own?

 

Fran

[hcross888]

Traveling Ohio Lady,

Versailles was on Sunday afternoon.

[tassietravellers]

Deb -

 

We're less than a year out now....:D

 

Are you doing air through Avalon - or are you going to book on your own?

 

Fran

 

 

Hi Fran

 

I was only thinking yesterday that this time next year we'll be cruising!! :)

 

We're booking our own air..thinking we'll fly into Nice and out of London. We're planning a couple weeks on the French Riviera before the cruise, about 4-5 days in Paris post cruise then a week in London..well that the plan at the moment..anything could change!! :D

 

Deb

[tassietravellers]

Traveling Ohio Lady,

Versailles was on Sunday afternoon.

 

Hi

 

Did you get to spend alot (or enough) of time at Versailles, we're still tossing up whether to go on our own?

[franski]

Hi Fran

 

I was only thinking yesterday that this time next year we'll be cruising!! :)

 

We're booking our own air..thinking we'll fly into Nice and out of London. We're planning a couple weeks on the French Riviera before the cruise, about 4-5 days in Paris post cruise then a week in London..well that the plan at the moment..anything could change!! :D

 

Deb

 

We'll be booking our own air as well. Tentative plans are a few days ahead in Nice, and then extend a bit in Paris at the end.

 

Also looking at heading to Oz next fall... DD is moving "down under" next year.... She is so considerate to keep moving around the world - and giving us a good reason to travel further afield!! :D

 

Fran

[TravelingLadyOhio]

Hello TravelingLadyOhio

 

what date in July 14 are you on, we are on this river from the 8th July as part of Avalons Grand France cruise which starts in Monte Carlo on the 30th June

 

Deb

 

Our cruise leaves Paris on July 22, '14 - however, we are spending time pre-cruise on our own in Paris.

[TravelingLadyOhio]

Traveling Ohio Lady,

Versailles was on Sunday afternoon.

 

Thanks so much for this info. It really helps me with our planning :)

[Got2Cruise]

Thanks so much for this info. It really helps me with our planning :)

Avalon also offers optional tours to some of the popular tourist sites. They are in the afternoon on day 7 (Monday). We chose the tour of Montmartre, which I really want to visit. Other tours included the Louvre, and other popular museums. We also booked Versailles.

[hcross888]

The tours were a taste of the place we saw. At Versailles, we only had about 2 hours. That was enough to walk through the basic rooms of the palace and have about 45 minutes in the garden. But it is extremely crowded and we could have spent a lot more time there. If we had been doing this on our own, it would have involved standing in line for quite a long time. Going with a group cuts the time wasted standing in line.

[Got2Cruise]

Yes I am happy at least we get an opportunity to see some of it.

 

 

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[tassietravellers]

We'll be booking our own air as well. Tentative plans are a few days ahead in Nice, and then extend a bit in Paris at the end.

 

Also looking at heading to Oz next fall... DD is moving "down under" next year.... She is so considerate to keep moving around the world - and giving us a good reason to travel further afield!! :D

 

Fran

 

 

What a very considerate daughter!! :D

 

Your fall/our spring would be a great time of year to be in Australia