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All Things Avalon

FuelScience

By FuelScience,
in River Cruising

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FuelScience

FuelScience

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Thanks for the review. We just returned from our fifth river cruise and first on Avalon. We were impressed. The cruise director can make or break a vacation, and we had an outstanding one. Hendrik has 30 years with Globus, and he was the best we've seen. Part of it is experience, and part is having he organizational skills and disposition to keep things moving so that people are at the right place at the right time without being bossy.

 

Glad you had a good cruise!

 

FuelScience

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stonepebble

stonepebble

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Thanks for the review. We just returned from our fifth river cruise and first on Avalon. We were impressed. The cruise director can make or break a vacation, and we had an outstanding one. Hendrik has 30 years with Globus, and he was the best we've seen. Part of it is experience, and part is having he organizational skills and disposition to keep things moving so that people are at the right place at the right time without being bossy.

 

Glad you had a good cruise!

 

FuelScience

 

Thank you! Busy writing my report and reliving every moment!

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FuelScience

FuelScience

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For anyone interested, here are the Avalon dailies for our recently completed cruise from Paris to Amsterdam. The only significant variance from original Avalon plans was the early exit from Cochem due to the wine festival being held there.

 

FuelScience

 

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/60189370/Cruising/AvalonDailies.PDF

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tstr

tstr

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That is great FuelScience!!!!! Thanks so much. We are going with 2 other couples at end of October and will pass this along.

 

Lots of half days was hoping for a little more time on your own but looks like a great trip. Ours should be slightly different because of wine festival perhaps a full day there.

 

You have been a wealth of knowledge it is much appreciated.

 

I assume you were satisfied with food, accommodations, tours overall from your blog.

 

Thanks!!!!

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FuelScience

FuelScience

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Was this the hotel that was used by Avalon? It looks lovely.

Cruisfan

 

It is A hotel used by Avalon. They also use the Pullman. We liked it. For some reason (random) we got a room on the executive floor with a balcony. Also very close to the Courcelles Metro station.

 

FuelScience

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Daisi

Daisi

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Thanks for the great write up. Question about your cabin, did you hear or feel much noise/vibration from the engines? Also curious to know how to select a room so we know the left side of the bed would be on the wall side (looking for outlets for tech toys).

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FuelScience

FuelScience

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Thanks for the great write up. Question about your cabin, did you hear or feel much noise/vibration from the engines? Also curious to know how to select a room so we know the left side of the bed would be on the wall side (looking for outlets for tech toys).

 

Didn't really hear the engines, but there was a steady vibration that we got used to in a hurry. I think that if you want the outlet on the left side of the bed you need to get a stateroom with the door on the right side of the room as you look at it from the hallway. If you look hard, you can see this in the deck plans. We plugged into the desk outlet and then used a little strip to convert one outlet to four.

 

FuelScience

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Daisi

Daisi

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Thanks, I hope my husband will be able to cope with the vibration..if it's steady, hopefully he will be used to it soon. I will keep the idea about the bed in mind. We have a converter/power strip that is actually set up for 220V, have to use an extra plug for when we are using it here. It will charge phones, tablets & cameras....funny how much technology stuff you drag with you now, a few years ago it was paper maps & a prayer that you could find someone who understood what you were looking for!

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bigwilly087

bigwilly087

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My wife and I are planning on our first river cruise next May, Vienna to Budapest on the Passion. Weren't initially planning on a river cruise, but I stumbled upon a couple of articles and it sounds like such a fantastic way to travel and the current offers ($2,000 off and free airfare) almost seem too good to be true. Thank you for all of your posts and reviews, they have been very helpful in helping make our decision. A few questions:

 

1. The free airfare is "flex", but they list specific flights when we go through the booking process. Do these listed flights usually end up being the ones you get booked on?

 

2. Also on the flights, when we select "economy" we are only shown one set of flights and do not have any options, but if we select "premium economy" there are many options available. Is this normal? Anyone have luck switching flights? We want to arrive Saturday morning so we have an extra full day in Vienna, but the default flight option gets us in at 4 pm. When I go to Orbitz or similar the cheapest flight gets in at 8:30 am which would be fantastic, just not sure which airlines Avalon contracts with.

 

3. How worth is it to upgrade cabins to the full window suites? It seems that on a 3 night cruise we may not spend a ton of time in the room during daylight travel. We're trying to do this on a budget, and $900 for the upgrade could be used elsewhere. Also, if I do stick to the lower deck, any particular rooms to avoid excessive noise?

 

4. Anywhere to get a detailed itinerary before we book? I.e. ship departure and arrival times, which tours are included and where exactly they go, etc.

 

5. Should I use a travel agent? If so, any recommendations? They may be able to work on the flight issue for me and from what I've read if major issues occur you are much more likely to get them resolved through a travel agent than contacting Avalon yourself. Thoughts?

 

Thanks for any and all input!!!

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Cobbie48

Cobbie48

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My wife and I are planning on our first river cruise next May, Vienna to Budapest on the Passion. Weren't initially planning on a river cruise, but I stumbled upon a couple of articles and it sounds like such a fantastic way to travel and the current offers ($2,000 off and free airfare) almost seem too good to be true. Thank you for all of your posts and reviews, they have been very helpful in helping make our decision. A few questions:

 

1. The free airfare is "flex", but they list specific flights when we go through the booking process. Do these listed flights usually end up being the ones you get booked on?

 

2. Also on the flights, when we select "economy" we are only shown one set of flights and do not have any options, but if we select "premium economy" there are many options available. Is this normal? Anyone have luck switching flights? We want to arrive Saturday morning so we have an extra full day in Vienna, but the default flight option gets us in at 4 pm. When I go to Orbitz or similar the cheapest flight gets in at 8:30 am which would be fantastic, just not sure which airlines Avalon contracts with.

 

3. How worth is it to upgrade cabins to the full window suites? It seems that on a 3 night cruise we may not spend a ton of time in the room during daylight travel. We're trying to do this on a budget, and $900 for the upgrade could be used elsewhere. Also, if I do stick to the lower deck, any particular rooms to avoid excessive noise?

 

4. Anywhere to get a detailed itinerary before we book? I.e. ship departure and arrival times, which tours are included and where exactly they go, etc.

 

5. Should I use a travel agent? If so, any recommendations? They may be able to work on the flight issue for me and from what I've read if major issues occur you are much more likely to get them resolved through a travel agent than contacting Avalon yourself. Thoughts?

 

Thanks for any and all input!!!

 

Call Avalon directly. They are very helpful. I always book directly with them on the phone

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KathyK13

KathyK13

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I can't advise you about Avalon air policies as we booked our own air for our two Avalon cruises. However, I believe that most lines allow guests to make modifications to flights for an additional fee. Check with Avalon (or travel agent if you use one).

 

Unfortunately, as Jazzbeau said, recommending travel agents is not allowed on Cruise Critic. We used two different travel agents; both large online agencies. We decided to use the first one since they had good reviews and specialized in river cruises. They were ok, but did little for us other than make reservations for us. As newbie cruisers, I had no idea that agents could offer discounts or other incentives. When we decided to take our second cruise, we contacted an an agent that was recommended to us. That agent did give us an additional discount. I suggest you contact some agencies that work with Avalon and ask if they offer additional discounts. An agent may also help you with the flight issues.

 

Regarding upgrading to a cabin with french balconies, some feel it's better to save the money because they're only in the room to sleep and others feel it's worth the money. We did choose french balcony cabins on both of our cruises. We also enjoyed relaxing in the privacy of our cabin and watching the scenery pass by, often enjoying a glass of wine after dinner!

 

The Avalon website does show fairly detailed description of each day's activities. About a month before the cruise, you will receive a packet from Avalon with more details including information on optional excursions. On our Danube cruise the ship usually sailed during the evening, arriving at the next port before morning. An exception was when we cruised through the Wachau Valley, the most scenic stretch of the cruise. Usually though you won't know the exact timing of departures and arrivals until you're on the ship.

 

We loved both of our Avalon cruises (Danube 2013 and Seine 2015)!

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stonepebble

stonepebble

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My wife and I are planning on our first river cruise next May, Vienna to Budapest on the Passion. Weren't initially planning on a river cruise, but I stumbled upon a couple of articles and it sounds like such a fantastic way to travel and the current offers ($2,000 off and free airfare) almost seem too good to be true. Thank you for all of your posts and reviews, they have been very helpful in helping make our decision. A few questions:

 

1. The free airfare is "flex", but they list specific flights when we go through the booking process. Do these listed flights usually end up being the ones you get booked on?

 

2. Also on the flights, when we select "economy" we are only shown one set of flights and do not have any options, but if we select "premium economy" there are many options available. Is this normal? Anyone have luck switching flights? We want to arrive Saturday morning so we have an extra full day in Vienna, but the default flight option gets us in at 4 pm. When I go to Orbitz or similar the cheapest flight gets in at 8:30 am which would be fantastic, just not sure which airlines Avalon contracts with.

 

3. How worth is it to upgrade cabins to the full window suites? It seems that on a 3 night cruise we may not spend a ton of time in the room during daylight travel. We're trying to do this on a budget, and $900 for the upgrade could be used elsewhere. Also, if I do stick to the lower deck, any particular rooms to avoid excessive noise?

 

4. Anywhere to get a detailed itinerary before we book? I.e. ship departure and arrival times, which tours are included and where exactly they go, etc.

 

5. Should I use a travel agent? If so, any recommendations? They may be able to work on the flight issue for me and from what I've read if major issues occur you are much more likely to get them resolved through a travel agent than contacting Avalon yourself. Thoughts?

 

Thanks for any and all input!!!

 

Hi There, I've only done 1 river cruise...it was on Avalon.

 

I can't help you at all with Avalon flights. We booked ours independently.

 

We booked 2nd level, mid ship and loved it! We did enjoy having our drapes opened all the way and we did open the window a couple of times. I've read some posts on here from people who booked the lower deck and they seemed perfectly content. You will not be in your cabin that much unless you're sick!! It seems to be the consensus to get as mid ship as possible.

 

I don't think it's unusual in river cruising, but not having an itinerary drove me crazy. I'm used to ocean cruising where you know the itinerary. I did email Avalon with some very specific questions and they were really helpful. I asked where some included tours began and ended (then I was able to figure out the itinerary).

And I asked what time we would arrive and leave in Vienna.

 

Hope this helps some...gotta run...oven timer beeping

Chris

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tstr

tstr

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We are going on our 2nd cruise with Avalon next month. On the first we booked our own air and this time took advantage of 2 for 1 cruise with free air. Like you I was a bit nervous about flights and questioned TA we used who assured me they would be good fights which they are. We are booked on United both ways leaving in pm and arriving in early am with 2 hour layover. Have the reverse on return flight.

 

I priced same cruise through Avalon and found it to be significantly higher priced.

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FuelScience

FuelScience

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Can I plug in my IPhone and IPad Chargers directly or do I need some type of converter.

 

These chargers are dual voltage, so you will not need a converter. You will need an adapter. You can get six for $9 at amazon.com.

 

FuelScience

 

https://smile.amazon.com/American-European-Germany-Adapters-Certified/dp/B0058EG0KC/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1474127424&sr=8-8&keywords=europe+power+adapter

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