All Things Avalon

[Daisi]

@ljandgbexcellent post, I'll add something more to save a little space. Unless you are really fussy, leave the shampoo/conditioner/hairdryer at home. Hotels and the ship will supply them, Avalon has L'Occitane products which are great. While we've never lost our luggage (knocking on wood), and this year purchased air tags for tracking, we always bring a couple of changes just in case in our day packs. We also will go to a convenience store in the airport and buy something small - bottle of water, snack etc., to get coins in local currency.

 

@TMLAalum I think Avalon does get one of the tourist boats to do the canal cruises, so it won't be anything like your nice barge tour. We had a light drizzle the day we went, so were glad for the large glass cover, but to me, it's been done, maybe in a couple of years we may do it again, but there is so much more to see... 🙂

 

[Rebel54]

16 hours ago, Canal archive said:

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

Yes, that's where the advance planning bug gets me.  I want a Royal cabin on this trip so I didn't want to wait until they were all filled up.  Hopeful that it will all be wonderful.

 

[Kenster]

35 minutes ago, Rebel54 said:

Yes, that's where the advance planning bug gets me.  I want a Royal cabin on this trip so I didn't want to wait until they were all filled up.  Hopeful that it will all be wonderful.

 

Any cabin on Avalon is wonderful.  The Royal suites are very special.  You’ll have an amazing experience.  

[jsn55]

36 minutes ago, Rebel54 said:

Yes, that's where the advance planning bug gets me.  I want a Royal cabin on this trip so I didn't want to wait until they were all filled up.  Hopeful that it will all be wonderful.

 

You'll enjoy it ... but it's just more space, nothing special.  But I think everything about an Avalon ship is great.  My personal favorite is the long expanse of horizontal space along one wall, room for all my goodies ... I can even have a vase of flowers in the cabin.  They do sell out fast ... if one isn't available, I pick a different cruise.

[Canal archive]

Is it possible to indicate a preference to Avalon so they can contact you if one becomes available?

[Daisi]

8 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Is it possible to indicate a preference to Avalon so they can contact you if one becomes available?

 

That's one of the nicest things about Avalon's site. You select the cruise you want, then go to available dates, and can see immediately what cabins are sold out. Since there are only 2 available on any ship in the category Rebel is looking for, it makes it very easy.

[Rebel54]

On 6/15/2023 at 7:52 PM, Kenster said:

Any cabin on Avalon is wonderful.  The Royal suites are very special.  You’ll have an amazing experience.  

My husband and I have done the Royal Cabin before and love the extra space.  I think it will be an amazing experience for my daughter to celebrate her major life accomplishment.

[Rebel54]

On 6/16/2023 at 1:56 AM, Canal archive said:

Is it possible to indicate a preference to Avalon so they can contact you if one becomes available?

It was easy to see which one had it, I was just happy that there was still one available.

[Kenster]

https://gcaptain.com/summer-just-started-but-the-rhine-river-is-already-starting-to-dry-up/

[Host Jazzbeau]

4 hours ago, Kenster said:

https://gcaptain.com/summer-just-started-but-the-rhine-river-is-already-starting-to-dry-up/

Barge traffic requires a lot more water than river cruise ships.  This article only mentions barges.  'Our Woman on the Rhine' is keeping tabs on water levels for cruise ships in the thread Rhine Water Levels 2023 and she says not to worry.

 

[Kenster]

“… not to worry.”  That’s what they said last year! 🙂

 

I understand the difference in draft between freighters/barges and riverboats.  But I also am pretty sure that the freighters get priority if the waters get low enough to really cause disruptions. 
Just something to keep an eye on.  

[Canal archive]

The only, thank goodness,  time so far with our river cruising that we nearly got stuck with low water we were helped out by two working barges. The captain had asked the passengers if he got the chance to go for it would we mind maybe a few low water scrapes, the reply was unanimous go. It actually happened overnight non of us heard or felt anything. Evidently it was a procession - huge great barge, little us and huge great barge okay we were the shallowest drafted and had shed most of our on board water but as a joint effort it worked. This was on Scenic. Apart from anything else one of the first clues that the water is shallow is the speed they are travelling at, it’s a case of slow down.

[Host Jazzbeau]

5 hours ago, Kenster said:

“… not to worry.”  That’s what they said last year! 🙂

 

I understand the difference in draft between freighters/barges and riverboats.  But I also am pretty sure that the freighters get priority if the waters get low enough to really cause disruptions. 
Just something to keep an eye on.  

I have never heard that.  What the freighters do is take on partial loads so they sit higher in the water.  But despite what you might think, even with all the great food, passenger ships don't have the bulk of freighters and can get by even after the freighters stop sailing altogether.  [European rivers are never 'closed' because of low water – it's on each captain to decide if it's safe to safe their ship.  Only high water closes the rivers.  Some river cruise ships stop early – usually Viking; others keep sailing much longer – especially AMA to my knowledge.  I don't know where Avalon fits in there.]

[Kenster]

[ usually Viking; others keep sailing much longer – especially AMA to my knowledge.  I don't know where Avalon fits in there.]

My experience with five Avalon cruises (three of which were under low water concerns) is that Avalon may be the last line to stop sailing in low water.  Example: 2018.  The river from Passau to Vienna was lined with cruise ships, unable to sail, and being used as hotels while their pax were forced on bus trip for  hours every day.  But we sailed on through. When we got to Vienna, ships were rafting three deep and lined up along the docks. The pax on the Viking ship we rafted with were shocked to see us. We were the first ship to come into Vienna in three days.  
 

[Host Jazzbeau]

33 minutes ago, Kenster said:

[ usually Viking; others keep sailing much longer – especially AMA to my knowledge.  I don't know where Avalon fits in there.]

My experience with five Avalon cruises (three of which were under low water concerns) is that Avalon may be the last line to stop sailing in low water.  Example: 2018.  The river from Passau to Vienna was lined with cruise ships, unable to sail, and being used as hotels while their pax were forced on bus trip for  hours every day.  But we sailed on through. When we got to Vienna, ships were rafting three deep and lined up along the docks. The pax on the Viking ship we rafted with were shocked to see us. We were the first ship to come into Vienna in three days.  
 

Then why the alarmist post above?  Low water is a possibility, but not as frequent or as dire as your post implied.

[Canal archive]

Talking to various Marine crews (a river cruise ships crew is divided into different sections, if you want the real story talk to the marine crew) they will tell you apart from niggaly little things everyone is in the capable or not hands of the Captain. Watch as each vessel passes each other in some cases a telling experience. We were told to look out for ‘blue tarpaulin’ by one marine crew in particular they wouldn’t say who they ment but it soon became clear. If you have a chance join the Captain in his wheelhouse, find out why they can steer from either side. Yes technicals I could navigate an English narrowboat along the rivers of Europe, (you would not want me to) my DH would be much better at it but we wouldn’t. The best (and I say this advisedly) companies employ the ‘best captains’.

ohh and the only reason a barge is given priority is because of the load he is carrying.

[notamermaid]

Priority while sailing - not sure if that could apply to the Rhine, I have never heard of that before. There is the notion that commercial ships have priority at locks, but I have not seen that confirmed in writing. The standard is first come, first serve. Priority is given to boats operated by the authorities, like police launches, etc. Further priority can be given to other ships, they then carry a red triangular flag. The rule book called "Binnenschiffahrtsstrassenordnung" says:

"§ 6.29 Reihenfolge der Schleusungen

1. Es wird, soweit nachstehend nichts anderes bestimmt ist, in der Reihenfolge des Eintreffens vor der Schleuse, bei mehreren Schleusen vor der gewählten oder durch Richtungsweiser nach § 6.28a zugewiesenen Schleuse geschleust. ..."

The exceptions then follow in the text.

 

Perhaps someone can talk to captain or crew members on their upcoming cruise to find out a little about the topic.

 

2018 was a bad year.

15 hours ago, Kenster said:

The river from Passau to Vienna was lined with cruise ships, unable to sail, and being used as hotels while their pax were forced on bus trip for  hours every day.  But we sailed on through.

Avalon appears to do well, definitely better than Viking, we have established that. Amawaterways on the Rhine did better than Viking last year but in my opinion slightly failed to live up to the promise of the "hull construction less draft still sail at figure x centimetres when others stop" advertising. But then all 135m ships gave up in the Rhine Gorge for a couple of days last year.

 

I am not worried about water levels on the Rhine (which the article was about), at least not yet. The Danube is a different matter and while I am a little surprised it went so quickly down three days ago, I kind of expected low levels in this absence of rain. Thought we may just manage to avoid the figure 290m at Pfelling. Right now it is 286cm.

 

Remember, folks, Avalon Waterways has 110m ships still while Viking only sails with 135m ships on the Danube, Canal, Main, Moselle and Rhine. It could help with one's decision for or against a company/ship on the Danube or on the Rhine.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

59 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

Remember, folks, Avalon Waterways has 110m ships still while Viking only sails with 135m ships on the Danube, Canal, Main, Moselle and Rhine. It could help with one's decision for or against a company/ship on the Danube or on the Rhine.

Just underlining for those just tuning in:  110m ships do better in low water because they generally don't sit as low in the water and also because their shorter length allows them to make tighter turns in narrow navigation channels.  135m ships may have more amenities (e.g. a gym, extra dining locations).  You give up a gym, you get to keeping sailing; your choice...

 

[can you tell that I never use the gym??? 😉]

[YoungDubFan]

I try to pick the 110 m ships for my cruises. I like that there are less passengers. For anyone who doesn’t know, ships that end in II (2) are the shorter ships.

[Kenster]

But not all the 110m ships are “IIs.”

 

Visionary, for example. 

[*Miss G*]

On 6/10/2023 at 11:48 AM, 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!

 

As someone else mentioned, Avalon will send you the “confirmed” docking/embarkation location as soon as they have it.  We received ours 3 days before.  (I put “confirmed” in quotation marks because — while they were in the general area of the “confirmed” location — they were still a few berths away, but easily spotted.)

 

This pic was taken a couple of weeks ago from a Holland America cruise ship.  The red arrow indicates the train station (with the rounded roofline).  You can see the river cruise ships moored between us and the train station.

 

 

 

In this video you can see the Avalon Imagery II on the left-hand side.  On the right-hand side of the video you can see how close it is to the train station.  Definitely walkable if you are able-bodied and can manage your luggage on your own.  Hope this is helpful.

 

 

 

 

[*Miss G*]

On 6/15/2023 at 6:07 AM, ljandgb said:

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

 

I use the Travelon anti-theft signature slim backpack.  It’s light as a feather and works like a charm.  If anyone were to get close enough to try to get into it we’d notice right away.  Plus you can carry it in front of you if you’re in really close quarters and want to keep a closer eye on it.  Definitely one of my better investments.

[Canal archive]

I take my DH wonderful deterrent.
Some years ago my daughter and friends in Venice (they were interailing) realised they were being followed across St Marks Square, now these are four then end of school just off to uni age feisty girls so they looked for a likely policeman, when found of course being Italian called for assistance from other likely policemen, quite a crowd gathered. It turned that the followers wanted to purchase the girls T’shirts they were from the Isle of Wight music festival so unavailable in Europe but shows you have to have your wits about you.

Bit like an American lady walking out of a Cape Town restaurant whilst replacing her wallet into her handbag, she got mugged and kept on and on about it whilst on Safari, luckily for only one day with us.

[FoolishMe]

We're on the Avalon Rhine River cruise (Basel to Amsterdam) in August and are trying to decide on excursions for Mainz - either the Philosophers' Walk in Heidelberg or the Heidelberg & It's Magnificent Castle Ruins. Both are full day. We like to hike but visiting castles would be interesting as well. 

Does anyone have any recommendations or reviews for these?

Thanks!

[TMLAalum]

4 hours ago, FoolishMe said:

We're on the Avalon Rhine River cruise (Basel to Amsterdam) in August and are trying to decide on excursions for Mainz - either the Philosophers' Walk in Heidelberg or the Heidelberg & It's Magnificent Castle Ruins. Both are full day. We like to hike but visiting castles would be interesting as well. 

Does anyone have any recommendations or reviews for these?

Thanks!

We are cruising in the opposite direction and signed up for the Philosopher's Walk because even though it states it is 8 hours, there appears to be free time in Heidelberg afterwards and we liked the small group aspect of this excursion.

FYI: Here is the website for the castle: Heidelberg Castle (schloss-heidelberg.de)