All Things Avalon

[kaysha2004]

12 hours ago, MisterBill99 said:

I booked a cruise for August through a TA who had a promotion that was better with the fly free offer that Avalon is offering on their website, so I did not get my flights from Avalon. I booked my own flight over using AA miles, but need a flight back. Delta has a non-stop that I want to book (the only non-stop PRG-JFK). Will Avalon book me just one way, and can I call them myself (as I do with Celebrity and HAL) or do I have to go through my TA? Is the price likely to be any cheaper than buying it myself? In theory, if they book it I would get a free transfer from the hotel (which is part of the cruise) to the airport, so that could be advantageous. 

When you use a third party, whether it's your TA or the cruise line or an OTA, you lose control of your flight.  If you have any problems with the flight, i.e., cancellations or delays, you have to use that third party for everything.  The so-called "flight departments" of your TA or cruise line are still understaffed, and due to time differences around the world, you may not even get through on the phone.  Your ability to upgrade your seat with miles or cash is nearly impossible because the airline won't deal with you.  They'll tell you to call your TA because they're not allowed to make changes to your booking.  You can book a flight cheaper on your own and you have the flexibility to make changes.

 

The free transfer from Avalon is not worth the headache of having them manage your flights.  Uber is cheap in Prague.  I recommend not using taxis in Prague, as they're known to rip you off.  Youtube has some great consumer educational videos about Prague's taxi scams and money scams.  It's worth it to have a look.

[kaysha2004]

For anyone interested in a comprehensive blog review of the Avalon View, here's a link, https://ellensemptynesters.com/blog/

[Kenster]

6 hours ago, TMLAalum said:

I think you have to go thru your TA, but it doesn't hurt to try calling Avalon 1st. Compare fares from Avalon vs. booking your own flights.

Taxis or private transfers from Prague to the airport will not break the bank! 

There is no reason in the world that you HAVE to go through a travel agent to book a flight. And I can think of many reasons NOT to. In fact, the only reason I would ever book air through a TA us if she saved me a ton of money, which is unlikely. 
Travel agents are wonderful and can be very helpful for many travel needs. Booking flights is not one of them. There’s nothing a TA can do that you can’t just easily do.  

[MisterBill99]

13 minutes ago, Kenster said:

There is no reason in the world that you HAVE to go through a travel agent to book a flight. And I can think of many reasons NOT to. In fact, the only reason I would ever book air through a TA us if she saved me a ton of money, which is unlikely. 
Travel agents are wonderful and can be very helpful for many travel needs. Booking flights is not one of them. There’s nothing a TA can do that you can’t just easily do.  

 

TMLAalum was responding to my post about getting airfare through Avalon and whether I had to go through my TA to do that. Agreed there is no good reason to buy airfare from TA's.

[MisterBill99]

1 hour ago, kaysha2004 said:

When you use a third party, whether it's your TA or the cruise line or an OTA, you lose control of your flight.  If you have any problems with the flight, i.e., cancellations or delays, you have to use that third party for everything.  The so-called "flight departments" of your TA or cruise line are still understaffed, and due to time differences around the world, you may not even get through on the phone.  Your ability to upgrade your seat with miles or cash is nearly impossible because the airline won't deal with you.  They'll tell you to call your TA because they're not allowed to make changes to your booking.  You can book a flight cheaper on your own and you have the flexibility to make changes.

 

The free transfer from Avalon is not worth the headache of having them manage your flights.  Uber is cheap in Prague.  I recommend not using taxis in Prague, as they're known to rip you off.  Youtube has some great consumer educational videos about Prague's taxi scams and money scams.  It's worth it to have a look.

 

Thanks. That was my other unasked question, about the transfer from the hotel to the airport. Sounds like it's not worth it. As for booking the flight through the cruise line, I was just hoping that they would be cheaper than booking it myself.  I was actually shocked that the had flights already booked on my courtesy hold. Sadly, either were flights that i wanted, and the price added to my invoice appeared to be higher than I could do myself. And they didn't even book me on the non-stop flight from PRG-JFK.

[TMLAalum]

@Kenster

Was about to respond to your post re:my post #1848, but @MisterBill99 interpreted it correctly! Might be cheaper if Avalon or TA could find a consolidator rate, especially for a one-way, so it doesn't hurt to check into it!

 

[Kenster]

15 minutes ago, TMLAalum said:

@Kenster

Was about to respond to your post re:my post #1848, but @MisterBill99 interpreted it correctly! Might be cheaper if Avalon or TA could find a consolidator rate, especially for a one-way, so it doesn't hurt to check into it!

 

Tour companies tend to book seats in bulk.  That’s how they can sometimes offer nice discounts.  They’re not in the business to spend a lot of time researching air to get the cheapest rate for one customer.  Same with Travel

Agents who don’t make a penny on selling a plane ticket. 
 

As for buying from a consolidator (bucket shop), those seats are typically non changeable, and non upgradable. And because they’re very cheap seats, they’re often in the back of the plane in middle seats- the seats no one else wants. Hence, why they’re so cheap. 

[jsn55]

18 hours ago, MisterBill99 said:

I booked a cruise for August through a TA who had a promotion that was better with the fly free offer that Avalon is offering on their website, so I did not get my flights from Avalon. I booked my own flight over using AA miles, but need a flight back. Delta has a non-stop that I want to book (the only non-stop PRG-JFK). Will Avalon book me just one way, and can I call them myself (as I do with Celebrity and HAL) or do I have to go through my TA? Is the price likely to be any cheaper than buying it myself? In theory, if they book it I would get a free transfer from the hotel (which is part of the cruise) to the airport, so that could be advantageous. 

Much better booking air yourself if you're an experienced traveller.  The 'free transfer' means very little.  The issue is that booking one-way tix can sometimes be a difficult mess.  International O/W fares can be all over the place, I've often seen them double the price of a R/T.  So I'd advise that you start looking and keep track of what you find.  When the price gets to a point you think is fair, pounce on it.  It's worth a call to the TA (unless it's just an online booking service) who booked your cruise, just to see what they might offer you for air.  If you cruise often, they might extend themselves a little to attract your future biz.

[TMLAalum]

4 hours ago, Kenster said:

Tour companies tend to book seats in bulk.  That’s how they can sometimes offer nice discounts.  They’re not in the business to spend a lot of time researching air to get the cheapest rate for one customer.  Same with Travel

Agents who don’t make a penny on selling a plane ticket. 
 

As for buying from a consolidator (bucket shop), those seats are typically non changeable, and non upgradable. And because they’re very cheap seats, they’re often in the back of the plane in middle seats- the seats no one else wants. Hence, why they’re so cheap. 

Appreciate your refresher course. 

[moonriver54]

I'm wondering if anybody can please provide some experience regarding "low-water-level" river cruises with Avalon on the Danube given the extremely mild European winter, low snow pack runoff and the associated difficulties this might create during the 2023 river cruise season?  If an Avalon river cruise ship is unable to navigate certain sections of the river, how does the cruise proceed?

 

Thank you!

[MisterBill99]

1 hour ago, jsn55 said:

Much better booking air yourself if you're an experienced traveller.  The 'free transfer' means very little.  The issue is that booking one-way tix can sometimes be a difficult mess.  International O/W fares can be all over the place, I've often seen them double the price of a R/T.  So I'd advise that you start looking and keep track of what you find.  When the price gets to a point you think is fair, pounce on it.  It's worth a call to the TA (unless it's just an online booking service) who booked your cruise, just to see what they might offer you for air.  If you cruise often, they might extend themselves a little to attract your future biz.

 

Thanks, I've been doing this. I want to book a  flight on DL (they're the only non-stop), and when you buy it on their website, it prices it in CZK, the Czech Koruna. The price is $679 right now for Non-refundable Main Cabin, $1003 for Refundable Comfort+ (no NR C+ pricing available).  It's been trending up a bit over the past few days (when I started looking), but that could be due to currency conversion (not sure how stable the CZR-USD rate is). Other sites like Expedia that sell in USD are over $1000 for main cabin. So I'm wondering if Avalon would even be able to be cheaper, or anyone else (and the two lines that code share the flight are a bit more than DL). Sadly, Delta wants an obscene amount of miles to book the flight, over 100k even for coach. In comparison, I got a premium economy ticket to Budapest on AA for 40,000 piles.

 

Can't imagine my TA offering anything. They already gave me 10% off on the cruise (plus they somehow had access to a 50% off promotion on Avalon).

Edited March 23, 2023 by MisterBill99

[Kenster]

2 minutes ago, moonriver54 said:

I'm wondering if anybody can please provide some experience regarding "low-water-level" river cruises with Avalon on the Danube given the extremely mild European winter, low snow pack runoff and the associated difficulties this might create during the 2023 river cruise season?  If an Avalon river cruise ship is unable to navigate certain sections of the river, how does the cruise proceed?

 

Thank you!

First of all, snow pack, and its ensuing melt, affects Spring and early summer tours. The rest of the season relies on rain. So, it depends on the time of your cruise.  
Early season cruises can be impacted with water levels that are too HIGH! (Can’t get under bridges.) Summer and Fall cruises be affected low water. In extreme cases, river levels can be too low to be navigable.  
The good thing is that Avalon ships are built with a shallow draft. That means they can float in shallower water than most other cruise lines. I’m 2018, the banks of the Danube were lined with ships that were dead in the water, all the way from Passau to Vienna.  But our Avalon ship sailed right on through without the least impediment. 
2022 was a different story. It was the worst drought in decades. No cruise line was unaffected. Cruises turned into bus and hotel tours. Or worse, you were bused for hours every day only to return to the ship, which was used as a hotel. 
Avalon doesn’t tend to do that.  Being part of the Globus group, Avalon has huge buying power in the European market, ensuring that they always had hotels and restaurants available to them. 
So, very little dead heading back to the ship after hours of bus touring during the day. 
Another thing about Avalon, they were refunding for days not actually spent on the ship. No credit for future cruises. Actual refunds. 
 

In September of 2022, we thought we had actually dodged the disruption bullet. But halfway through the cruise, we had to do a ship swap. It was not a big deal. The worst part was having to pack an extra time. We had a one hour bus ride to another Avalon ship where we were greeted with a cocktail and keys to the exact cabin number as the original ship. 
For this very minor inconvenience, we we were refunded $200 per person deposited immediately to our credit card. 
 

Couldn’t ask for more than that. 
 

Things can go wrong in any business. It’s how you handle the problem that brings the customers back. 
 

We can’t wait for Avalon number six! 

[moonriver54]

14 minutes ago, Kenster said:

First of all, snow pack, and its ensuing melt, affects Spring and early summer tours. The rest of the season relies on rain. So, it depends on the time of your cruise.  
Early season cruises can be impacted with water levels that are too HIGH! (Can’t get under bridges.) Summer and Fall cruises be affected low water. In extreme cases, river levels can be too low to be navigable.  
The good thing is that Avalon ships are built with a shallow draft. That means they can float in shallower water than most other cruise lines. I’m 2018, the banks of the Danube were lined with ships that were dead in the water, all the way from Passau to Vienna.  But our Avalon ship sailed right on through without the least impediment. 
2022 was a different story. It was the worst drought in decades. No cruise line was unaffected. Cruises turned into bus and hotel tours. Or worse, you were bused for hours every day only to return to the ship, which was used as a hotel. 
Avalon doesn’t tend to do that.  Being part of the Globus group, Avalon has huge buying power in the European market, ensuring that they always had hotels and restaurants available to them. 
So, very little dead heading back to the ship after hours of bus touring during the day. 
Another thing about Avalon, they were refunding for days not actually spent on the ship. No credit for future cruises. Actual refunds. 
 

In September of 2022, we thought we had actually dodged the disruption bullet. But halfway through the cruise, we had to do a ship swap. It was not a big deal. The worst part was having to pack an extra time. We had a one hour bus ride to another Avalon ship where we were greeted with a cocktail and keys to the exact cabin number as the original ship. 
For this very minor inconvenience, we we were refunded $200 per person deposited immediately to our credit card. 
 

Couldn’t ask for more than that. 
 

Things can go wrong in any business. It’s how you handle the problem that brings the customers back. 
 

We can’t wait for Avalon number six! 

Thanks very much for responding.  That's very reassuring! 

[MisterBill99]

Thanks @Kenster for the detailed response. I actually had someone ask me about water levels when I told him that we had booked an August river cruise.

[PeaceOut22]

Hello, I have a question regarding luggage on Avalon. We will be on a Rhine River cruise in Europe this spring. Their website says one suitcase per person measuring 30x21x11. My son has a hardshell suitcase that he would like to use that measures 30x21x12. Will this be rejected? Do they check that closely? Also, I assume you can have a personal item when you board - a tote bag or satchel. Yes? Thank you.

 

P.S. Here is the info from their site To me this reads like there is some leeway if traveling in Europe. "Your single bag should have dimensions not exceeding 30"x21"x11" and a weight not exceeding 50 lbs. (22 kg). We regret that we are unable to accept a second suitcase or any luggage exceeding these limits on any Avalon vacation outside of Europe."   

[FlBarb64]

40 minutes ago, PeaceOut22 said:

Hello, I have a question regarding luggage on Avalon. We will be on a Rhine River cruise in Europe this spring. Their website says one suitcase per person measuring 30x21x11. My son has a hardshell suitcase that he would like to use that measures 30x21x12. Will this be rejected? Do they check that closely? Also, I assume you can have a personal item when you board - a tote bag or satchel. Yes? Thank you.

 

P.S. Here is the info from their site To me this reads like there is some leeway if traveling in Europe. "Your single bag should have dimensions not exceeding 30"x21"x11" and a weight not exceeding 50 lbs. (22 kg). We regret that we are unable to accept a second suitcase or any luggage exceeding these limits on any Avalon vacation outside of Europe."   

You will be fine.  I traveled with a larger hard-case and a backpack last time, no issues.

[PeaceOut22]

2 minutes ago, FlBarb64 said:

You will be fine.  I traveled with a larger hard-case and a backpack last time, no issues.

Hey that's great! Thank you for responding.

 

[YoungDubFan]

PeaceOut- the only real restrictions are those for your airline.

[PeaceOut22]

17 minutes ago, YoungDubFan said:

PeaceOut- the only real restrictions are those for your airline.

Excellent. Thanks much!

[MisterBill99]

1 hour ago, PeaceOut22 said:

Hey that's great! Thank you for responding.

 

 

Seems like they say it's only a hard limit (pardon the pun) outside of Europe -- "We regret that we are unable to accept a second suitcase or any luggage exceeding these limits on any Avalon vacation outside of Europe."   "

[kaysha2004]

4 hours ago, PeaceOut22 said:

Hello, I have a question regarding luggage on Avalon. We will be on a Rhine River cruise in Europe this spring. Their website says one suitcase per person measuring 30x21x11. My son has a hardshell suitcase that he would like to use that measures 30x21x12. Will this be rejected? Do they check that closely? Also, I assume you can have a personal item when you board - a tote bag or satchel. Yes? Thank you.

 

P.S. Here is the info from their site To me this reads like there is some leeway if traveling in Europe. "Your single bag should have dimensions not exceeding 30"x21"x11" and a weight not exceeding 50 lbs. (22 kg). We regret that we are unable to accept a second suitcase or any luggage exceeding these limits on any Avalon vacation outside of Europe."   

They don't check and you can bring whatever you'd like.  It's the airline you have to be concerned about.

[Rebel54]

On 3/27/2023 at 5:46 PM, PeaceOut22 said:

Hello, I have a question regarding luggage on Avalon. We will be on a Rhine River cruise in Europe this spring. Their website says one suitcase per person measuring 30x21x11. My son has a hardshell suitcase that he would like to use that measures 30x21x12. Will this be rejected? Do they check that closely? Also, I assume you can have a personal item when you board - a tote bag or satchel. Yes? Thank you.

 

P.S. Here is the info from their site To me this reads like there is some leeway if traveling in Europe. "Your single bag should have dimensions not exceeding 30"x21"x11" and a weight not exceeding 50 lbs. (22 kg). We regret that we are unable to accept a second suitcase or any luggage exceeding these limits on any Avalon vacation outside of Europe."   

When we did ours we had 3 suitcases between the two of us.  Hubby is a big guy, has to work out and we had need for some nice outfits for Paris so we traveled with a bit more than we should have.  They weren't happy when we checked brought our stuff for the bus in the am to head to the ship but it was what it was.  After that we didn't hear anything.  I had a small, under seat bag too.  Not a lot of space on the boat for storage but we were fine.  On my upcoming 3 week trip I plan to do a roller carry on and under seat weekend bag.  Last time going to Prague my bag got left in Paris and I was without anything for almost 2 days...and it took me going back to the airport to find it.  Ugh...frustrating.

 

[Rebel54]

On 3/27/2023 at 7:49 PM, MisterBill99 said:

 

Seems like they say it's only a hard limit (pardon the pun) outside of Europe -- "We regret that we are unable to accept a second suitcase or any luggage exceeding these limits on any Avalon vacation outside of Europe."   "

When we did Mekong they were very strict.  I remember some of my shipmates having to pay over $100 because their bags were too heavy for some of the in country flights.

[jsn55]

On a Rhine cruise (or probably anywhere in Europe) the restrictions are elastic.  I take whatever bag I want, but I'm always careful of the weight ... more for myself than the airline.  The issue with luggage on a cruise is always where to stow it when empty ... that can be a major factor in a small cabin.  But your room steward can probably help stow it somewhere if it doesn't fit under the bed ... or you can make a nightstand out of it beside the bed if needed.  

[Host Jazzbeau]

16 hours ago, jsn55 said:

On a Rhine cruise (or probably anywhere in Europe) the restrictions are elastic.  I take whatever bag I want, but I'm always careful of the weight ... more for myself than the airline.  The issue with luggage on a cruise is always where to stow it when empty ... that can be a major factor in a small cabin.  But your room steward can probably help stow it somewhere if it doesn't fit under the bed ... or you can make a nightstand out of it beside the bed if needed.  

Or you can open it so it fits under the bed if the closed height just misses.  We had to do this on our most recent cruise.