All Things Avalon

[dolllover]

I have read through this whole thread and it has been very helpful. Daisi showed me where it was. Thank you.

 

Some family members & I are going on an Avalon cruise & we've never been on Avalon before. We've been on Uniworld & Viking. While you've answered so many questions, I have a few more:

 

1) Do you have to run into dinner at 7:00? One of the very few things that annoys me about river cruises, is that the port briefing is right before dinner. We like to relax a little & then go into dinner. We could do that Uniworld so I'm wondering if we can on Avalon.

 

2) How large are the tables in the dining room? Are there tables for 2 or 4? We like meeting new people, but occasionally we like to be by ourselves. I'm particularly concerned about large tables after seeing the discussion on the noise in the dining room. I think the smallest table on the Viking cruise in China was for 8 or ten people & you literally had to shout at the person sitting next to you because the place was so noisy. It was very unpleasant.

 

3) If buses are used on the tours (either the free ones or the ones you pay for) how crowded are they? Uniworld & Viking filled maybe a third of the buses. Even with family members, its nice to spread out a little & have leg-room.

 

4) Someone earlier in the thread said that cocktails were "reasonably" priced. I wonder if anyone has any more specific information. On vacation we'll definitely indulge in a fun martini & I'm just wondering what the price would be like.

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

On our Avalon trip we had the briefing before dinner like we did on Viking. As far as I remember there weren't any tables for just 2 with the tables being large.

I found the busses on Avalon not as nice as Vikings.

[Rebel54]

I added my comments in blue below. I hope it helps.

I have read through this whole thread and it has been very helpful. Daisi showed me where it was. Thank you.

 

Some family members & I are going on an Avalon cruise & we've never been on Avalon before. We've been on Uniworld & Viking. While you've answered so many questions, I have a few more:

 

1) Do you have to run into dinner at 7:00? One of the very few things that annoys me about river cruises, is that the port briefing is right before dinner. We like to relax a little & then go into dinner. We could do that Uniworld so I'm wondering if we can on Avalon.

 

I recall on our tour, Prague to Paris on the Artistry II, we had a port briefing just before the dining room opened up. They were not extremely long briefings, just a quick talk. After that the dining room opened and we moved there. I don't recall feeling rushed but by 7:00 we were pretty hungry as we eat earlier than that as a general rule.

 

2) How large are the tables in the dining room? Are there tables for 2 or 4? We like meeting new people, but occasionally we like to be by ourselves. I'm particularly concerned about large tables after seeing the discussion on the noise in the dining room. I think the smallest table on the Viking cruise in China was for 8 or ten people & you literally had to shout at the person sitting next to you because the place was so noisy. It was very unpleasant.

 

On the Artistry II there were tables along the interior wall where we could sit by ourselves. There

were also tables for 4 and larger groups. If you didn't get in the room first, generally getting a table for 2 was difficult.

 

3) If buses are used on the tours (either the free ones or the ones you pay for) how crowded are they? Uniworld & Viking filled maybe a third of the buses. Even with family members, its nice to spread out a little & have leg-room.

 

There were only about 52 people on our cruise. They usually split us up in 2 or 3 buses. Never felt crowded at all. The busses were relatively new and comfortable with a bathroom on board. We were able to have some space between us and others in the rows.

 

4) Someone earlier in the thread said that cocktails were "reasonably" priced. I wonder if anyone has any more specific information. On vacation we'll definitely indulge in a fun martini & I'm just wondering what the price would be like.

 

I don't recall what the cost of a cocktail was. Wasn't any more expensive than going to a local bar in Hawaii so it wasn't shocking.

 

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Daisi]

I have read through this whole thread and it has been very helpful. Daisi showed me where it was. Thank you.

 

Some family members & I are going on an Avalon cruise & we've never been on Avalon before. We've been on Uniworld & Viking. While you've answered so many questions, I have a few more:

 

1) Do you have to run into dinner at 7:00? One of the very few things that annoys me about river cruises, is that the port briefing is right before dinner. We like to relax a little & then go into dinner. We could do that Uniworld so I'm wondering if we can on Avalon.

 

 

 

Hi Holly,

 

You don't say when you are going on your cruise, or what one you will be taking, but I did see this on the 2019 Rhine cruise re dining :

• FlexDiningSM for more venue and seating options, including flexible seating times in our main Dining Room
  

Since it's new, you may have to wait a bit to see exactly what they mean (could mean like other lines where you can arrive anytime after the 7:00 dinner hr).

[TLCOhio]

Terry: I found Karnak temple on the edge of Luxor VERY impressive. And given that my “been there” list includes Taj Mahal, Angkor Wat, Great Wall, Easter Island, Machu Pichu, etc I am not that easy to impress. ENJOY

 

Appreciate this great and added info related to Luxor, etc. Given the excellent travel experiences of Thom, this background is very impressive. Wonderful sharing. Keep it coming.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 223,635 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[Host Jazzbeau]

Hi Holly,

 

You don't say when you are going on your cruise, or what one you will be taking, but I did see this on the 2019 Rhine cruise re dining :

• FlexDiningSM for more venue and seating options, including flexible seating times in our main Dining Room
  

Since it's new, you may have to wait a bit to see exactly what they mean (could mean like other lines where you can arrive anytime after the 7:00 dinner hr).

 

Here are some details from Cruise Critic's article on this announcement:

Under the new system, passengers can dine in the main dining room when they choose, with a typical four-course meal; eat a less formal dinner in the Panorama Bistro or graze at the Sky Grill. Lunch, too, will be more open-ended.

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=8525

[Rebel54]

We need a like button :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some details from Cruise Critic's article on this announcement:

Under the new system, passengers can dine in the main dining room when they choose, with a typical four-course meal; eat a less formal dinner in the Panorama Bistro or graze at the Sky Grill. Lunch, too, will be more open-ended.

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=8525

[Holly1225]

Sorry for not being specific. We'll be on the Expression this Spring.

 

My sense from reading the entire thread (which took several days of reading off & on) is that there were many things in common with the European Rive cruises. The rooms & amenities are similar; the basic daily schedule (thanks to people downloading them) were similar; the food is similar etc. If I'm wrong, please let me know.

 

The issues I outlined are things I didn't see in the thread. Thank you for your info Rebel 54 & if any one has any specific information on the Expression, I'd appreciate it.

[kiwixmas]

Hi we are on the Grand france south bound on 2 june this year .

We are wondering what hotel they use as meeting point before boarding the ship ?

As we are staying in paris a couple of days before, wondering how earily in the day we can drop our bags of so we can continue our look around paris ?

on our last avalon last year from amsterdam we were picked up at the airport and didnt see our bags till we got to our cabin on the ship ?? any help would be appreciated or possible suggestion ??

[TravelerThom]

...My sense from reading the entire thread (which took several days of reading off & on) is that there were many things in common with the European Rive cruises. The rooms & amenities are similar; the basic daily schedule (thanks to people downloading them) were similar; the food is similar etc. If I'm wrong, please let me know...

A definite maybe😳

 

Food on some lines is good/very good and on others is excellent.

 

There is more difference between cabins on the same boat than between similar class cabins on different lines. Check the square footage. Decor varies from minimalist to frilly between lines.

 

Many boats have small gyms; some don’t.

 

A biggie to me is total number of passengers and the ratio of passengers to square footage of interior public areas - this becomes increasingly important during inclement weather.

 

Only you can say which of these are important to you, and how much are you willing to pay for “better”. I have my personal ideas about all this, but have intentionally tried to not present them here. All lines have their cheerleaders.

[FuelScience]

A biggie to me is total number of passengers and the ratio of passengers to square footage of interior public areas - this becomes increasingly important during inclement weather.

I would really like to see this metric tabulated by CruiseCritic. Also, the number of comfortable seats in the lounge. We've been on cruises where they had to put folding chairs in the lounge for events!

[Reesaroo]

A couple of years ago--before going on my first Vantage river cruise--I started an "All Things Vantage" thread where folks were able to post comments and questions on Vantage river cruises. It's still around and a convenient place for folks to discuss Vantage.

 

 

 

Well, now I'm preparing for my first Avalon cruise (Canals, Vineyards, and Paris in September), so I'm going to see if a similar Avalon thread is worthwhile. If it's not, it'll simply drop slowly down the thread list.

 

 

 

So feel free to post any questions, thoughts, comments, etc. about Avalon to this thread.

 

 

 

FuelScience

 

 

 

I have a question for the Avalon experts. I took an Avalon cruise in May 2017 and absolutely loved it! Planning on July 2019 for the next cruise. On our cruise we had a buffet lunch in the dining room. I see that sometimes there is also a lunch offered in the Sky Deck. It was quite cool and rainy on our trip so that was not an option for us. Does anyone know what kind of menu is offered for lunch on the Sky Deck? That might be a nice option in the summer.

 

 

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[FuelScience]

I have a question for the Avalon experts. I took an Avalon cruise in May 2017 and absolutely loved it! Planning on July 2019 for the next cruise. On our cruise we had a buffet lunch in the dining room. I see that sometimes there is also a lunch offered in the Sky Deck. It was quite cool and rainy on our trip so that was not an option for us. Does anyone know what kind of menu is offered for lunch on the Sky Deck? That might be a nice option in the summer.

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If I remember correctly, it was mostly grilled. I seem to remember hamburgers, sausage, salmon, and maybe steak...

[Kenster]

If I remember correctly, it was mostly grilled. I seem to remember hamburgers, sausage, salmon, and maybe steak...

 

There are a couple of days of Burger lunches on the Sky Deck but a light lunch is available every day in the lounge. This is where my bride and I had lunch every day during our two previous Avalon cruises. We never eat a heavy lunch at home so the soup, salad, sandwiches in the lounge every day was perfect for us.

[waldorf]

We are booked on our first river cruise with Avalon - Danube Discovery, on Impression- in early September. I have tried to get on the "MyAvalon" part of their website to look at excursions etc- but it looks as if UK pax don't have access to it via the Avalon UK site. :( Any Brits out there who have managed it?

 

We’re about to embark on our second Avalon cruise and although we are registered on the UK site the link to to excursions does not work, we just get an error message. After reading the above post it seems that this is a long standing problem. Does anyone know a way around this?

 

We’ve contacted our TA and Avalon but don’t have any positive response yet.

[Daisi]

OK, I'm getting antsy, guess it's been so long in the planning stage that now we are getting close, excitement is building. Can anyone remember when the package from Avalon comes in prior to leaving? We have a month, and I'm sure it will be in soon, but well.....:)

[Cobbie48]

OK, I'm getting antsy, guess it's been so long in the planning stage that now we are getting close, excitement is building. Can anyone remember when the package from Avalon comes in prior to leaving? We have a month, and I'm sure it will be in soon, but well.....:)

 

I think it’s about three weeks before departure. Give them a call and ask them!

[Suzanne123]

I got mine on Saturday 4/7, and the cruise begins on 4/24. They also sent an e-mail advising that the documents were on the way a few days earlier.

[gnome12]

We’re about to embark on our second Avalon cruise and although we are registered on the UK site the link to to excursions does not work, we just get an error message. After reading the above post it seems that this is a long standing problem. Does anyone know a way around this?

 

 

 

We’ve contacted our TA and Avalon but don’t have any positive response yet.

 

 

 

Have you tried logging in to the US site? I had to do that with my AMA trip last year.

 

 

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[Daisi]

Thanks Cobbie and Suzanne. I know they will go to our TA, but just wondering. They say on the My Avalon site that the e-docs will be available between 2-3 weeks before the cruise, and I am hoping she won’t hold onto the package until then. I will email her when it gets closer.

 

 

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[crzmomc2]

Thanks Cobbie and Suzanne. I know they will go to our TA, but just wondering. They say on the My Avalon site that the e-docs will be available between 2-3 weeks before the cruise, and I am hoping she won’t hold onto the package until then. I will email her when it gets closer.

 

 

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The dox are typically mailed to your agent the same time or within a few days of the edox being ready. So right around 2-3 weeks prior to departure they'll be mailed out.

 

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[Odyssessian]

We're going on this cruise in May (6-13, 2018) and disembarking in Basel. Could you (or anyone) please advise what time the cruise boat usually starts the disembarking process? Our itinerary for the morning only lists "disembarkation following breakfast."

 

 

This will be our first river cruise so we're very excited. Would love to know your thoughts on your Rhine cruise!

 

Thanks!

 

We did Rhine from Amsterdam to Basel Sept 2017. The disembark is early and Avalon does a great job of getting everyone off ship. If you booked transfer with Avalon, they will have a set time for your group. We were staying in Switzerland for a few days and had a rental car to pick up. Avalon arranged a cab to pick us up at the ship. Some passengers were going to Basel train station via cabs and cabs were waiting for those groups. It was a very smooth disembark. Breakfast will be serviced early.

[Odyssessian]

You didn't mention whether you booked your air through Avalon. If you did, they will arrange transportation to Zurich that is appropriate for your departure time. I've not done an Avalon departure from Basel, but I'm guessing that some people will be leaving as early as 5:00 a.m., while others may not leave until 9:00 a.m. or later. If you booked your own air, you should be able to enjoy breakfast at your leisure and Avalon will call a cab for you whenever you want to leave.

 

Some people will start before 6am if the boat is actually in port. The bulk of passengers between 8 & 9 am. If you need taxi or any assistance for your onwards Travel the Cruise Director will help you with arrangements. Some people catch very early flights and trains. The CD will check with you early in the week to find out your plans and if you need assistance. We ate breakfast and waited in the Lounge until our Taxi arrived to take us to our booked hotel.

 

Hi JVilleGal,

Thanks for sharing.

Hope to get more tips from you.

Did Avalon book your taxi for you?

Would you be aware what's the latest time by which all passengers must disembark?

[TravelerThom]

There is early and there is EARLY. I disembarked in Basel st 3:30 am (yes 0330) to make a 0600 flight out of Basel-Mulhouse for a mid morning connection in FRA. There we enough people going that we had a full size bus. We were given a boxed snack (rolls meats cheese juice etc) to take with us which I stuck in my daypack and ate in FRA and disposed of the box Arriving in Washington one of those cute beagles came and sat down beside me. A quick talk with the Ag agent and off for a quick professional inspection to confirm that I no longer had meat. Those dogs are very good at their job.

[txsprmom]

Hi all, we leave next Tuesday for our Amsterdam to Budapest Avalon trip! I can't wait. We are, however, having trouble getting the documents to indicate the transports are included. Our travel agent says there is a glitch in their system but she assures us she is working on it and she will send new documents "today". I've heard that for a week now. Anyone else have this issue? Also, if this doesn't get resolved, does Avalon always meet you at the hotel and help with luggage to the boat? Our documents currently say, We will welcome you on the boat at 4:00. The reason it is concerning is that we are in Amsterdam on Kings Day (with 100,000 of our closest partying friends :) ) and I'm a bit worried about getting to the boat. Thoughts?

[Suzanne123]

I just spoke to Avalon because I have the Movenpick Hotel booked through Avalon as well as an excursion scheduled for 1:00 on embarkation day next week. The agent told me that Avalon would have someone at the hotel to arrange for my luggage transfer to the boat. That’s the way it happened on my last Avalon cruise, but I just wanted to verify, as I got the same message you did about meeting on the boat.