Avalon affinity dining

[painter55]

We don't always want a full dinner in the dining room. If possible, does anyone know if there is an alternative dining area on this ship? Not sure about this since we have never been on a river cruise. We will be leaving on Sunday for Munich. On the cruise on Oct 1. Too excited!

[DrivesLikeMario]

We were on the Tranquility II, but I believe it's the same for all of Avalon's fleet.

 

For dinner, they offered a "chef's table" kind of thing you could go to once, possibly twice, if no one else signed up for it during the cruise. Other than this option, there is no other venue for dinner at all. Although the food was really good to excellent and a real "hit", this was our biggest "miss" during our river cruise.

 

The best dinner we had was in Rudesheim. We were in port long enough to enjoy a meal shoreside instead and it was a great way to soak up the ambiance.

 

During the daytime, you can sign up for the BBQ lunch but it's on a first-come, first-served basis and like the Chef's Table thing, if you've done it on the cruise once, you have to wait until everyone else has a chance at it before you can go to it again.

[painter55]

We were on the Tranquility II, but I believe it's the same for all of Avalon's fleet.

 

For dinner, they offered a "chef's table" kind of thing you could go to once, possibly twice, if no one else signed up for it during the cruise. Other than this option, there is no other venue for dinner at all. Although the food was really good to excellent and a real "hit", this was our biggest "miss" during our river cruise.

 

The best dinner we had was in Rudesheim. We were in port long enough to enjoy a meal shoreside instead and it was a great way to soak up the ambiance.

 

During the daytime, you can sign up for the BBQ lunch but it's on a first-come, first-served basis and like the Chef's Table thing, if you've done it on the cruise once, you have to wait until everyone else has a chance at it before you can go to it again.

Thanks for the info. We look forward to all of it.

[JVilleGal]

I wish Avalon had a lite dinner option. My DH was too sick (head cold) to eat with others and we would have loved to enjoy a meal together without subjecting other passengers to his misery. Avalon did bring food to the cabin in an attempt to get him to eat something.

[notamermaid]

Oh dear, what a way to spend a holiday. Sorry to hear, hope he has got better to enjoy Budapest to the full. See the indoor market. Great.

 

notamermaid

[JVilleGal]

We are heading out to the Market in just a bit. And then back to pack and nap as we stay in Budapest until Monday morning.

[gentlemancruiser]

We had the Chef's Table on the Avalon Vista, it was very popular and you could signup once per week. The menu changed during the 2nd week of our cruise and then passengers were able to book it again.

It was a smaller tasting menu and it was in the forward section of the lounge above the dining room.

[Hoyaheel]

We could have done the chef's table on our Avalon cruise each time it was offered - no one was signing up for it. We did it the first time it was offered, then looked the 2nd time (after the appropriate waiting period as "returning" guests) but it was the same menu. Our cruise was only 9 nights (but it was 3 segments I think) Ah well. We did really enjoy it. But not enough to eat the same food again when the dinner in the dining room was so enjoyable.

 

Note - while the dining room is not a buffet at dinner, there's no reason you have to order/eat every course if you're looking for something lighter. If you sit at a smaller table (Avalon does have a couple of tables for two, though they're usually pushed up next to others making tables for 4) you could probably let your waiter know you just want a quick soup & salad dinner....

[Kenster]

We sail Affinity from AMS to Basel in April 2014. We loved the food and the service. I don't recall anything like the above mentioned 'Captain's Table' but, as others have said, There is no obligation to order every course on the menu. Choose a couple of apps and soup, if you want to go light.

Bon Appetit!