All Things Avalon

[TMLAalum]

Avalon Amsterdam Docking Locations- 

We are arriving at Amsterdam Centraal from Paris on the Thalys

 

There are SIX possible Amsterdam docks with the most out-of-the-way being Coenhaven Westerhofd SB (AMCO), which seems to be reachable only by taxi. Has anyone sailed from there and if so, how did you get there?

 

Two are on De Ruijterkade and are just 4 minutes walk from Amsterdam Centraal- fingers X'd. Veemkade, Javakade, and Westerdoksdijk seem doable by tram and a walk, but perhaps a taxi would be better? Any thoughts on these locations?

 

Thanks!

[gnome12]

1 hour ago, TMLAalum said:

Avalon Amsterdam Docking Locations- 

We are arriving at Amsterdam Centraal from Paris on the Thalys

 

There are SIX possible Amsterdam docks with the most out-of-the-way being Coenhaven Westerhofd SB (AMCO), which seems to be reachable only by taxi. Has anyone sailed from there and if so, how did you get there?

 

Two are on De Ruijterkade and are just 4 minutes walk from Amsterdam Centraal- fingers X'd. Veemkade, Javakade, and Westerdoksdijk seem doable by tram and a walk, but perhaps a taxi would be better? Any thoughts on these locations?

 

Thanks!

You might want to post this in the British Isles and Western Europe forum of the Ports of Call section. There are some locals who post there regularly. 

[Kenster]

1 hour ago, TMLAalum said:

Avalon Amsterdam Docking Locations- 

We are arriving at Amsterdam Centraal from Paris on the Thalys

 

There are SIX possible Amsterdam docks with the most out-of-the-way being Coenhaven Westerhofd SB (AMCO), which seems to be reachable only by taxi. Has anyone sailed from there and if so, how did you get there?

 

Two are on De Ruijterkade and are just 4 minutes walk from Amsterdam Centraal- fingers X'd. Veemkade, Javakade, and Westerdoksdijk seem doable by tram and a walk, but perhaps a taxi would be better? Any thoughts on these locations?

 

Thanks!

The three times we have been in AMS, our Avalon ship was docked very near the Movenpick hotel and an easy walk from the Centraal station. 

[YoungDubFan]

TMLAalum - I did a Tulip Time cruise RT AMS at the end of April / early May. Even though the ship docked in 2 different locations, both were a very easy walk from the Central station - less than 5 min. I did B to A Rhine back in 2014 and Avalon again docked very close to the Central train station. It seems that these are the locations that Avalon uses. 

[Canal archive]

Mooring spots are allocated by the port authorities and usually don’t change much make sure you have the ships contact details and enjoy your cruise.

[Daisi]

@TMLAalum, if your ship is docked at one of the further locations, your hotel will be able to call a cab for you. We stayed a bit out of town ( up near Rembrandtpark) and it was a short ride into town.  We took the tram into town each day, but figured with out luggage we would go by cab in case the tram was busy.

[1gail1]

What are the cabin keys like? 

[YoungDubFan]

1gail1 - cabin keys are now like hotel keys - just tap to open door.

[1gail1]

This is a lot of firsts for me.

first time overseas (coming from California)

first time on a river cruise

first time on Avalon

first time on a "girls" river cruise

If anyone has any helpful suggestions please let me know, I leave in 1 week "The Blue Danube Discovery with 2 Nights in Budapest & 2 Nights in Prague". I am so extremely excited. 

[moonriver54]

On 6/1/2023 at 11:44 AM, flygirlpeg said:

We are departing from Vilshofen in August and were wanting to stay the night before our departure in Vilshofen.  Do you have any advice regarding lodging there?

We stayed in Munich the night before our Avalon "Danube Dreams" departure from Vilshofen, and took the 2-hour DB train ride from Munich Central Station to Vilshofen late morning the day of our departure.  I did look at Trip Advisor and there appeared to be a few nice places to stay in Vilshofen if you'd prefer to do that.

[QueenofEverything]

8 hours ago, TMLAalum said:

Avalon Amsterdam Docking Locations- 

We are arriving at Amsterdam Centraal from Paris on the Thalys

 

There are SIX possible Amsterdam docks with the most out-of-the-way being Coenhaven Westerhofd SB (AMCO), which seems to be reachable only by taxi. Has anyone sailed from there and if so, how did you get there?

 

Two are on De Ruijterkade and are just 4 minutes walk from Amsterdam Centraal- fingers X'd. Veemkade, Javakade, and Westerdoksdijk seem doable by tram and a walk, but perhaps a taxi would be better? Any thoughts on these locations?

 

Thanks!

You should be able to see where your ship will dock on the port website:

https://river.cruiseportamsterdam.com/

Although subject to change, ours in May was right where it said it would be.  

[TMLAalum]

13 hours ago, QueenofEverything said:

You should be able to see where your ship will dock on the port website:

https://river.cruiseportamsterdam.com/

Although subject to change, ours in May was right where it said it would be.  

Thanks, I'd already bookmarked this site, but our late August sail date is not yet available.

[Kenster]

17 minutes ago, TMLAalum said:

Thanks, I'd already bookmarked this site, but our late August sail date is not yet available.

It wouldn’t matter anyway.  The ship won’t have its assignment until a day or two before docking.  Avalon will notify you of its location. Shortly before the cruise: like 48 hours. 

[Daisi]

17 hours ago, 1gail1 said:

This is a lot of firsts for me.

first time overseas (coming from California)

first time on a river cruise

first time on Avalon

first time on a "girls" river cruise

If anyone has any helpful suggestions please let me know, I leave in 1 week "The Blue Danube Discovery with 2 Nights in Budapest & 2 Nights in Prague". I am so extremely excited. 

 

I know that feeling, we were like that for our first cruise...ok, not a "girls" cruise, but first time on a train, tram, river cruise, Avalon and also for me, going overseas.  We will be doing that cruise in Sept, and can't wait.

 

Pack light (Canadian airlines are now measuring & weighing carry on luggage because of all the passengers insisting on carry on. Put what you expect to need in your suitcase, then pull out 1/2 🙂.  Laundry is available onboard, but we also pack laundry sheets (use them at home anyway) and wash out in the bathroom. Bring good walking shoes, you will need them. You won't need shampoo/conditioner as they are supplied by hotels & onboard so unless you are really fussy, one less thing.

 

You will need EU adaptors, just make sure anything you wish to plug in is dual voltage - it will say on it. I bring a handful just in case we forget one somewhere. Our chargers handle all toys (USB-C and USB_A in one unit), so I'll bring a couple of them just in case one dies. Same with cords. 

 

The main thing to pack is a good attitude. Relax and enjoy your cruise, but if you are doing morning and afternoon (the optional ones that you just may not want to miss out on), I'll warn you....you'll probably need a holiday when you get home.

[jsn55]

On 6/11/2023 at 7:57 AM, Daisi said:

 

I know that feeling, we were like that for our first cruise...ok, not a "girls" cruise, but first time on a train, tram, river cruise, Avalon and also for me, going overseas.  We will be doing that cruise in Sept, and can't wait.

 

Pack light (Canadian airlines are now measuring & weighing carry on luggage because of all the passengers insisting on carry on. Put what you expect to need in your suitcase, then pull out 1/2 🙂.  Laundry is available onboard, but we also pack laundry sheets (use them at home anyway) and wash out in the bathroom. Bring good walking shoes, you will need them. You won't need shampoo/conditioner as they are supplied by hotels & onboard so unless you are really fussy, one less thing.

 

You will need EU adaptors, just make sure anything you wish to plug in is dual voltage - it will say on it. I bring a handful just in case we forget one somewhere. Our chargers handle all toys (USB-C and USB_A in one unit), so I'll bring a couple of them just in case one dies. Same with cords. 

 

The main thing to pack is a good attitude. Relax and enjoy your cruise, but if you are doing morning and afternoon (the optional ones that you just may not want to miss out on), I'll warn you....you'll probably need a holiday when you get home.

I so agree about over-doing it on your first big adventure.  No matter how energetic you are, pace yourself with activities.  There's little evening entertainment on a river cruise, so you 'should' get enough sleep ... but your mind also might need downtime with a book, a journal or a game.  Racing around all day every day will tend to blur the edges of your experiences.  I also believe that being tired leads to other physical issues and you end up not 'feeling very good' at the last part of your trip ... then catching a cold or having a nasty digestive upset.   Falling asleep on a tour bus is not very pleasant, unless you plan for it.  I often bring my neck pillow on an excursion and catch a lovely nap on the way back to the ship.  Unless a tour guide insists on talking the whole way, of course ... I think I'll add earplugs to my bus kit.   And you definitely want to enjoy your post-cruise time ... both cities are just magic.  An Avalon river cruise is almost a guaranteed great trip.

[Daisi]

We pack in everything we can get, but then we do that on our regular holidays as well. We come home tired, but in a good way, and so far (knock on wood) we've always came home healthy. We are also very early risers, so the quiet evenings after dinner are our "down time" to catch up on what's going on at home.  Our favourite spot on the bus when we take them is the back seat, views from both sides because no one else is around (except for the crew when they hitch a ride) and we know what to look for because the guide has already talked about it!

[Rebel54]

On 6/10/2023 at 4:04 PM, 1gail1 said:

This is a lot of firsts for me.

first time overseas (coming from California)

first time on a river cruise

first time on Avalon

first time on a "girls" river cruise

If anyone has any helpful suggestions please let me know, I leave in 1 week "The Blue Danube Discovery with 2 Nights in Budapest & 2 Nights in Prague". I am so extremely excited. 

I'm taking my daughter on the Danube for a "girls" cruise in 2024.  Germany to Romania, Prague and Translyvania.  I can't wait.  We have such a great time traveling together.  This will be her first time back to Europe since she was a child when we lived in Munich/Bad Aibling, Germany.  This will be my 7th trip to Prague. 

 

Check out the Honest Guide and the Real Prague guide on YouTube.  Lots of great suggestions for Prague.  Try to get out early one morning in Prague...like at sunrise early.  You will get to enjoy places like the Charles Bridge and Old Town Square without the crowds.  A great food tour is "Taste of Prague".  They have a website you can book at and they give you a digital book and map of great places to eat.  The farther you get from the tourist areas, the more reasonably priced the food is.  Don't miss the Jewish Quarter.  Enjoy 🙂

Edited June 13, 2023 by Rebel54

[Rebel54]

Avalon got me again.  Second out of 3 cruises with them that got cancelled on me.  I was scheduled for the June/July 2024 Germany to Romania and they pulled the ship to move it to the Rhine.  Now I'm on the August itinerary.  They did give me a credit and found me a better promotion so all in all ended up saving $2000 on the trip.  Now I just have to pray that the water gods are nice during Aug 2024.

Edited June 14, 2023 by Rebel54

[Canal archive]

🤞Rebel54 - interesting that it’s a year away but good luck enjoy.

Edited June 15, 2023 by Canal archive

[ljandgb]

On 6/10/2023 at 4:04 PM, 1gail1 said:

This is a lot of firsts for me.

first time overseas (coming from California)

first time on a river cruise

first time on Avalon

first time on a "girls" river cruise

If anyone has any helpful suggestions please let me know, I leave in 1 week "The Blue Danube Discovery with 2 Nights in Budapest & 2 Nights in Prague". I am so extremely excited. 

 

You'll have a wonderful time!  I travel a lot and have a list of must have/must do's:

- bring less than you think you need.  It's just no fun schlepping a giant suitcase around. No one cares if you wear the same shirt or pants more than once (or 2--4x!) I bring a scarf to "dress up" shirts for dinner. My travel wardrobe is dark colored pants and solid colored shirts that can mix and match.  I don't generally plan to wash all my clothes while traveling but a shirt or two may happen. I fly carry-on pretty much exclusively.  

- absolutely bring comfortable walking shoes.  Bring one pair of "nice" shoes for the ship, but river cruises are not super fancy, so don't overthink it too much.

- if it's a summer trip, tour all day and when you return to the ship, shower, and put tomorrow's clothes on for dinner.

- a good day bag (I have a small backpack) for an umbrella, water bottle, sunscreen which doubles as my carry on bag for the trip

- my Pacsafe purse.  I totally look like a tourist, but I keep my phone, wallet, and anything else valuable in my small purse that I wear cross body, zipper locked.  I use my backpack for anything I don't care about getting pickpocketed.  I've never been, but you definitely don't want to walk around with important items in a bag, front or back, that is easy to get into.  When flying, I shove the purse into my backpack to keep it all my "one personal item."

- a pashmina scarf.  It works as a blanket on the plane, a hood if it's sprinkling, a shawl if it's cold inside, and a scarf in general.

- plastic bags - a couple small and big zip lock bags, a trash bag, some plastic grocery bags.  To bring a snack from breakfast, cover dirty shoes in the suitcase, wet clothes, etc.

- laundry sheets - dissolvable detergent that is the right size for sinks to wash out small items

- a small travel bedside dish that holds my phone, glasses, eye drops, chapstick.  It travels flat and has corners that snap together.

- a copy of your passport, kept separate from where your passport is

- all your chargers, cords, and adapters!

- a refillable water bottle

- compression socks for the plane - less swollen feet from sitting so long, especially all the way from California.

- a good hat with a wide brim, helps with rain or sun. Mine is floppy and can be shoved down in my backpack.  

- sunglasses, and an extra pair of real glasses.

- travel size Kleenex packs, good for emergency toilet paper in a pinch!

- small travel pack of baby wipes for hand cleaning, wiping down surfaces, etc.

 

If you are going to check a bag, get an AirTag.  Best case scenario, you won't need it.  If you check your bag, put one change of clothes in your carry on, just in case.  Also put anything you can't replace (meds) or would need immediately.  I did a trip to France with a friend last year.  Her luggage NEVER made it to France and showed up shortly after she returned home.  That is just one of many stories of family and friends' luggage woes we've collected.

 

I have several specific items I love, but if you're leaving in a week, no need to stress you out looking for things last minute.  Truly, if you have your passport, your phone, and a credit card, everything else is negotiable!

 

 

[Canal archive]

Ljandgb well that was scary and informative. In a previous life prior to my DH’s retirement I flew around the world catching him up, ie he’d been on business when he finished I flew out to meet him and off we went. Carryons were the bain of my life no room in the overhead lockers wardrobes full especially on American airlines until I realised and decided business or even dare I mention it 1st was the way to go. These days the queue discussions usually turn out to be the size of carryons. Okay if you’ve been stung I understand but a really good insurance should cover that eventually. I prefer to save the hassle and use wash and wear and look at least passable.

[moonriver54]

2 hours ago, ljandgb said:

 

You'll have a wonderful time!  I travel a lot and have a list of must have/must do's:

- bring less than you think you need.  It's just no fun schlepping a giant suitcase around. No one cares if you wear the same shirt or pants more than once (or 2--4x!) I bring a scarf to "dress up" shirts for dinner. My travel wardrobe is dark colored pants and solid colored shirts that can mix and match.  I don't generally plan to wash all my clothes while traveling but a shirt or two may happen. I fly carry-on pretty much exclusively.  

- absolutely bring comfortable walking shoes.  Bring one pair of "nice" shoes for the ship, but river cruises are not super fancy, so don't overthink it too much.

- if it's a summer trip, tour all day and when you return to the ship, shower, and put tomorrow's clothes on for dinner.

- a good day bag (I have a small backpack) for an umbrella, water bottle, sunscreen which doubles as my carry on bag for the trip

- my Pacsafe purse.  I totally look like a tourist, but I keep my phone, wallet, and anything else valuable in my small purse that I wear cross body, zipper locked.  I use my backpack for anything I don't care about getting pickpocketed.  I've never been, but you definitely don't want to walk around with important items in a bag, front or back, that is easy to get into.  When flying, I shove the purse into my backpack to keep it all my "one personal item."

- a pashmina scarf.  It works as a blanket on the plane, a hood if it's sprinkling, a shawl if it's cold inside, and a scarf in general.

- plastic bags - a couple small and big zip lock bags, a trash bag, some plastic grocery bags.  To bring a snack from breakfast, cover dirty shoes in the suitcase, wet clothes, etc.

- laundry sheets - dissolvable detergent that is the right size for sinks to wash out small items

- a small travel bedside dish that holds my phone, glasses, eye drops, chapstick.  It travels flat and has corners that snap together.

- a copy of your passport, kept separate from where your passport is

- all your chargers, cords, and adapters!

- a refillable water bottle

- compression socks for the plane - less swollen feet from sitting so long, especially all the way from California.

- a good hat with a wide brim, helps with rain or sun. Mine is floppy and can be shoved down in my backpack.  

- sunglasses, and an extra pair of real glasses.

- travel size Kleenex packs, good for emergency toilet paper in a pinch!

- small travel pack of baby wipes for hand cleaning, wiping down surfaces, etc.

 

If you are going to check a bag, get an AirTag.  Best case scenario, you won't need it.  If you check your bag, put one change of clothes in your carry on, just in case.  Also put anything you can't replace (meds) or would need immediately.  I did a trip to France with a friend last year.  Her luggage NEVER made it to France and showed up shortly after she returned home.  That is just one of many stories of family and friends' luggage woes we've collected.

 

I have several specific items I love, but if you're leaving in a week, no need to stress you out looking for things last minute.  Truly, if you have your passport, your phone, and a credit card, everything else is negotiable!

 

 

Beautifully done!  We returned from our first river cruise in May.  Wish we'd had this excellent list!!  And yes...American Airlines lost my luggage.  Like clockwork.  Got it to me about 18 hours later in our hotel and fortunately prior to our river cruise departure.  Lesson learned: BRING A SMALL CARRY-ON for your "camping backup" must-have items.  Thank you for posting.

 

[TMLAalum]

Avalon Amsterdam Canal Boat Excursion!

Is this better and different than those available to all tourists? Our previous experience was on a small historic saloon boat for 12.

Thanks!

[Kenster]

The experience is probably very similar. The canal boat is much larger. 

[ljandgb]

My husband had his golf clubs lost on the way to Scotland.  After being told "they're here, no, they're there, well, we have no idea where they are and we'll just buy you new ones" they showed up unannounced 1 month later.

 

My son's suitcase, and all his new school clothes, were lost from Brussels.  We were reimbursed, and then they showed up, unannounced 6 wks later.

 

I had 48 hours in Iceland wearing my mom's clothes until my suitcase showed up.

 

My daughter's suitcase missed her non-stop flight home from Toronto.

 

On the way home, I sometimes check a bag because if I don't have my travel stuff, no big deal.  On the way there, while I will get reimbursed eventually, I'd rather not take the time to find a new wardrobe while on vacation.  Ironically,  my friend on the France trip usually flies small carry on only, but because her mom was checking a suitcase the size of a steamer trunk, decided to just check hers.  Her take away lesson - you really can spend 2 weeks in France with 2 pair of underwear and just a few extra clothes. LOL (She did go shopping several days in for a few things.)