Currently on board Avalon Visionary, Basel to Amsterdam

[coyboy1971]

Hi Everyone,

 

It’s been a beautiful first three days aboard the Avalon Visionary on the Rhine. Sunny spring weather and river levels are fine. Embarkation in Basel was smooth. We flew into Zurich 3 nights early and stayed at the Widder Hotel, booked through American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts. The 2 Michelin star Widder Restaurant is not to be missed. We arranged a private car transfer from the hotel to the ship via Blacklane. The trip was smooth and took about 1 hour door-to-door to reach the ship in Basel. Arrived at the docking location at 1:30 p.m. Literally just walked on board, dropped our bags, and went to the lounge and got a drink from the bar while rooms were being prepared. The staff tagged our bags based on our names on our own luggage tags and told us we were on vacation, relax, paperwork will come later. Since our stateroom number was on our boarding documents, that’s all we needed for room charges. Rooms were ready around 5 p.m. and after checking our passports and vaccine cards, keys were handed out. They didn’t even ask for a credit card registration until day 2. Completely chill and stress free. 

 

The ship is pretty much full. There may be one or two empty cabins. But, as always, except for the safety drill, no space is ever crowded. There is a slight feeling of understaffing or staff in training due to the impact of the pandemic. The Captain said this was only the second really full cruise in months. Masks are only required for crew members. No mask requirements in Switzerland, Germany, or France in places we’ve been so far. Very few people outside of staff and crew seen wearing masks. 

 

Dinner service was a bit chaotic on the second night, with odd protein substitutions coming with our entrees and some items, such as the pasta, not even remotely matching the description. The waiter seemed confused when we asked why our duck leg with orange sauce was a chicken breast, but the head waiter eventually sorted things out. Maybe table numbers being mixed up? Again, seemed like a training issue, but good attitudes about small things is the way to go. We got to try ALL of the complimentary wines while the kitchen refired our entrees, LOL. 

 

Breakfast has been abundant and divine, with both European and American favorites.  The complimentary sparkling wine at breakfast is a guilty pleasure for sure. 

 

In Briesach, we walked around the town on our own in the morning, and came back to the mostly empty ship (80% of guests opted for the all day trip to the Black forest) and were treated to the most amazing BBQ on the sky deck. The chef was making three kinds of local grilled sausages (the Kässekrieger studded with smoked Emmenthaler cheese was wundebar!), salmon, ribs, burgers, and a smorgasbord of hot and cold sides. Homemade pistachio ice cream and lemon sorbet brought it home. The Radesburger beer on tap washed it down. I won’t miss another cookout for sure!

 

In the afternoon we were with a group of about 21 guests and took a short coach ride for a guided tour and wine tasting at the wine coop in the village of Achkarrer. This was a wonderful experience with our local guide, Peter, a retired schoolteacher who has his own fruit orchard and schnapps distillery now. We had pretty much unlimited tasting of the town’s excellent pinot gris, gewürztraminer, and pinot noir. These were all light, elegant wines that showed the minerality of the volcanic soil. Nothing sweet or cloying. Bottles were available for purchase for about 17-20€ (we were glad we had cash, because their card-reader was a bit wonky), an ATM was available out on the street for those who didn’t have cash. This was one of the best “included” ship’s tours I’ve ever been on. A nice guide,  my favorite subject (wine), not too long (3 hours), not too much time on a coach (15 minutes each way), and clean bathrooms. 

 

A few tips I got in advance that have proven helpful: the ATMs at Zurich airport dispense both Euro and Swiss Francs. I got about $300 USD equivalent in each currency. Although the pandemic has moved Swiss restaurants toward more use of tableside card readers, cash still proved to be very handy for small purchases in shops and bakeries, at the pharmacy for small sundries, etc. And since wifi can be fussy, as it was at the winery, cash was good to have on hand for purchases, as well as tipping the guide, the porters, etc. 

 

The cabins have bedside USB ports where you can plug in your device on your nightstand. There are two easily accessible outlets, both accept only a euro two prong adapter. I actually bought an Apple euro charging block to use my iPad and iPhone cables with, and it proved handy at the hotel in Zurich and on board. 

 

I’ve met more people with misconnected luggage on this trip than ever before. It seems the common thread was connecting from US carriers to European carriers. The folks who packed a small carry-on with an extra change of clothes and all their essentials were glad they did. All the bags made it on board by the second day. 

 

Happy to answer any questions later in the week. Today, a local accordion player is coming on board for lunch… that should be entertaining!

 

Cheers!

[TMLAalum]

@coyboy1971

Sounds like a great cruise! We have the reverse itinerary on the Illumination in August 2023. Your included tour to Archkarrer is one I hope we have on our sailing. Keep up the great reporting!

[SometimesCruiser]

@coyboy1971thank you for reporting on this!  I will be following as we are scheduled on the same ship/itinerary in July!

 

Just to confirm--was a COVID test required prior to boarding?  Or are vaccine cards sufficient?

 

Thanks again!

[Daisi]

Sounds like you are having a great time, here’s hoping the weather stays great, and the rest of the cruise goes just as well.

[Ritabob]

Sounds like 'old times' 2.0.  Thanks for including all of us on your trip.

RB 

[notamermaid]

Thank you very much for reporting from your river cruise. Nice to read that you are having a great time. I think you are in Strasbourg today. When you are ready, I have a short question that you could answer for me please. The Avalon Visionary is 110m long. I think the shorter ships tend to dock more in the harbour than the longer ones, which are often in the current at Kehl. Does the Visionary dock in the Strasbourg harbour area?

 

notamermaid

 

[coyboy1971]

20 hours ago, SometimesCruiser said:

@coyboy1971thank you for reporting on this!  I will be following as we are scheduled on the same ship/itinerary in July!

 

Just to confirm--was a COVID test required prior to boarding?  Or are vaccine cards sufficient?

 

Thanks again!

Just a glance at the covid card and verbal acknowledgment of the health screening form they email you in advance. 

[coyboy1971]

19 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Thank you very much for reporting from your river cruise. Nice to read that you are having a great time. I think you are in Strasbourg today. When you are ready, I have a short question that you could answer for me please. The Avalon Visionary is 110m long. I think the shorter ships tend to dock more in the harbour than the longer ones, which are often in the current at Kehl. Does the Visionary dock in the Strasbourg harbour area?

 

notamermaid

 

We docked in Kehl. They ran a shuttle to the main square in Strasbourg for people who wanted to tour on their own. 

[coyboy1971]

23 hours ago, coyboy1971 said:

Hi Everyone,

 

It’s been a beautiful first three days aboard the Avalon Visionary on the Rhine. Sunny spring weather and river levels are fine. Embarkation in Basel was smooth. We flew into Zurich 3 nights early and stayed at the Widder Hotel, booked through American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts. The 2 Michelin star Widder Restaurant is not to be missed. We arranged a private car transfer from the hotel to the ship via Blacklane. The trip was smooth and took about 1 hour door-to-door to reach the ship in Basel. Arrived at the docking location at 1:30 p.m. Literally just walked on board, dropped our bags, and went to the lounge and got a drink from the bar while rooms were being prepared. The staff tagged our bags based on our names on our own luggage tags and told us we were on vacation, relax, paperwork will come later. Since our stateroom number was on our boarding documents, that’s all we needed for room charges. Rooms were ready around 5 p.m. and after checking our passports and vaccine cards, keys were handed out. They didn’t even ask for a credit card registration until day 2. Completely chill and stress free. 

 

The ship is pretty much full. There may be one or two empty cabins. But, as always, except for the safety drill, no space is ever crowded. There is a slight feeling of understaffing or staff in training due to the impact of the pandemic. The Captain said this was only the second really full cruise in months. Masks are only required for crew members. No mask requirements in Switzerland, Germany, or France in places we’ve been so far. Very few people outside of staff and crew seen wearing masks. 

 

Dinner service was a bit chaotic on the second night, with odd protein substitutions coming with our entrees and some items, such as the pasta, not even remotely matching the description. The waiter seemed confused when we asked why our duck leg with orange sauce was a chicken breast, but the head waiter eventually sorted things out. Maybe table numbers being mixed up? Again, seemed like a training issue, but good attitudes about small things is the way to go. We got to try ALL of the complimentary wines while the kitchen refired our entrees, LOL. 

 

Breakfast has been abundant and divine, with both European and American favorites.  The complimentary sparkling wine at breakfast is a guilty pleasure for sure. 

 

In Briesach, we walked around the town on our own in the morning, and came back to the mostly empty ship (80% of guests opted for the all day trip to the Black forest) and were treated to the most amazing BBQ on the sky deck. The chef was making three kinds of local grilled sausages (the Kässekrieger studded with smoked Emmenthaler cheese was wundebar!), salmon, ribs, burgers, and a smorgasbord of hot and cold sides. Homemade pistachio ice cream and lemon sorbet brought it home. The Radesburger beer on tap washed it down. I won’t miss another cookout for sure!

 

In the afternoon we were with a group of about 21 guests and took a short coach ride for a guided tour and wine tasting at the wine coop in the village of Achkarrer. This was a wonderful experience with our local guide, Peter, a retired schoolteacher who has his own fruit orchard and schnapps distillery now. We had pretty much unlimited tasting of the town’s excellent pinot gris, gewürztraminer, and pinot noir. These were all light, elegant wines that showed the minerality of the volcanic soil. Nothing sweet or cloying. Bottles were available for purchase for about 17-20€ (we were glad we had cash, because their card-reader was a bit wonky), an ATM was available out on the street for those who didn’t have cash. This was one of the best “included” ship’s tours I’ve ever been on. A nice guide,  my favorite subject (wine), not too long (3 hours), not too much time on a coach (15 minutes each way), and clean bathrooms. 

 

A few tips I got in advance that have proven helpful: the ATMs at Zurich airport dispense both Euro and Swiss Francs. I got about $300 USD equivalent in each currency. Although the pandemic has moved Swiss restaurants toward more use of tableside card readers, cash still proved to be very handy for small purchases in shops and bakeries, at the pharmacy for small sundries, etc. And since wifi can be fussy, as it was at the winery, cash was good to have on hand for purchases, as well as tipping the guide, the porters, etc. 

 

The cabins have bedside USB ports where you can plug in your device on your nightstand. There are two easily accessible outlets, both accept only a euro two prong adapter. I actually bought an Apple euro charging block to use my iPad and iPhone cables with, and it proved handy at the hotel in Zurich and on board. 

 

I’ve met more people with misconnected luggage on this trip than ever before. It seems the common thread was connecting from US carriers to European carriers. The folks who packed a small carry-on with an extra change of clothes and all their essentials were glad they did. All the bags made it on board by the second day. 

 

Happy to answer any questions later in the week. Today, a local accordion player is coming on board for lunch… that should be entertaining!

 

Cheers!

A few updates. 
 

Spoke with the chef about the uneven experience in the dining room. Turns out everyone is new except for the chef and 2 waiters. Folks are clearly still learning the job and the Avalon way of doing things. Some diners are not very patient or pleasant and this throws things off. 
 

I have to say the food is sometimes wonderful, sometimes just not very good. For example, last night the rack of lamb was splendid, but the cod was over cooked to the point of needing to ask for something else. Again, I can be patient and hopefully levels will return with time. 
 

The included wines have been terrific. 
 

We were disappointed to learn that Avalon apparently didn't have its act together when marketing and allowing us to book the excursion to the Floriade in Amsterdam. The CD said he was completely surprised when he printed out the list of 10 guests who were signed up and called corporate and said the person there had never heard of it. We were baffled when we pulled up the Avalon GO app as it is on the itinerary and still bookable. He told us we'd get refunds for the excursion, as it was an up sell. He tried to get us to go on the free excursion for Keukenhof, but we already booked tickets post-cruise. 
 

Likewise we learned the excursion for the Philosophers walk marketed as a half day excursion (which worked for us) had been combined with the buses for the all day Heidelberg castle lasting 8 1/2 hours. The additional 4 hours were simply "on your own."  Due to a medical condition, this didn't work for us, so we decided to just stay on board while the ship repositioned to Mainz. It was a relaxing morning of cruising and the scenery improved from industrial to more of a mix of woodland and small towns and do the included Gutenberg museum tour in Mainz when we dock this afternoon. 
 

Docking in Mainz is overnight, so they are bringing a classical trio on board for an after dinner musical performance. The CD said guests are also able to walk into town if they like and enjoy an evening ashore on their own. 
 

Under things I wish I knew before the cruise: Shore excursions are not sold out and booking on board might be advisable given the irregularities, confirming details of the offerings with the CD. The Avalon GO app is a must for the daily newsletter and dining menus as printed versions are in very limited supply. 
 

Edited May 4, 2022 by coyboy1971

[macaroni]

Where were you docked when the excursions to Heidelberg left, before you repositioned to Mainz? Was that in your itinerary that way or was it changed?

[dtenel]

Thank you so much for this!  We are taking our very first river cruise next month and are doing the Romantic Rhine A to B with an extra night in Lucerne and 3 nights in Lake Como.  We planned on doing the morning on our own in Breisach followed by the wine tour just like you did.  I am so glad to hear you loved the tour!   It is a bummer to hear about the dinners, but good for you for being so patient and understanding.  I am sure they appreciate that!  I will follow your advise and not pre book any paid excursions until on board.  Any other advise for a first timer?

[hmcrn]

Great review so far!  Thanks so much for this! 

We have a group doing this same (i think) itinerary in the end of May, so i am loving that you are giving so much detail.  Please keep it coming!  

We will be on the Panorama.

Did any one who did the Heidelberg Castle trip let you know if they enjoyed it or not?  That is the only long day a few of us are doing, and i am hoping its worth it.  

One last request - how has the weather been?  Temperatures?  

Thanks again!  I hope the rest of the trip is wonderful for you!  

[coyboy1971]

19 hours ago, macaroni said:

Where were you docked when the excursions to Heidelberg left, before you repositioned to Mainz? Was that in your itinerary that way or was it changed?

The guests going to Heidelberg were dropped off at Ludwigshafen am Rhein during a quick stop. Those remaining on board were treated to a 2 hour cruise to Mainz and a splendid German lunch. The scenery quickly shifts from industrial to vineyards here. The Heidelberg excursions met back up at the ship around 4-5 pm in Mainz. 

[coyboy1971]

10 hours ago, dtenel said:

Thank you so much for this!  We are taking our very first river cruise next month and are doing the Romantic Rhine A to B with an extra night in Lucerne and 3 nights in Lake Como.  We planned on doing the morning on our own in Breisach followed by the wine tour just like you did.  I am so glad to hear you loved the tour!   It is a bummer to hear about the dinners, but good for you for being so patient and understanding.  I am sure they appreciate that!  I will follow your advise and not pre book any paid excursions until on board.  Any other advise for a first timer?

Other advice: don't forget about the cookies and nice area to relax in the aft club lounge on deck 3. Don't expect the free WiFi to be fast. 

[coyboy1971]

9 hours ago, hmcrn said:

Great review so far!  Thanks so much for this! 

We have a group doing this same (i think) itinerary in the end of May, so i am loving that you are giving so much detail.  Please keep it coming!  

We will be on the Panorama.

Did any one who did the Heidelberg Castle trip let you know if they enjoyed it or not?  That is the only long day a few of us are doing, and i am hoping its worth it.  

One last request - how has the weather been?  Temperatures?  

Thanks again!  I hope the rest of the trip is wonderful for you!  

Our friends did the Heidelberg castle and said it was worth the long day. They got 13,500 steps in, even with taking the funicular up to the castle and walking back down. There's a lot of free time afterwards so they had a long lunch and ice cream after touring the castle. About a 1 hour coach ride back to the ship in Mainz, just in time for tea. 

[Techno123]

Hi Coyboy1971. - we are doing the same itinerary in just under 2 weeks and I wondered if you could answer a couple of questions please?
what time does the evening meal start - I have seen it advertised as 7pm and 7:30pm so I am hoping for the later start as we don't usually eat until 8 or later 😜

you mentioned the Philosophers Way walk which we are booked onto - I hadn't realised Mainz was so far from Heidelberg so I assume even if you don't have to wait for the all day excursion and can do the half day it is still quite a distance on the coach (you mentioned an hour). Do you know anyone that actually did it and was it worth it?
thank you in advance and enjoy the rest of your trip.

 

Edited May 5, 2022 by Techno123

[hmcrn]

Another question for you - just to be clear - they are NOT requiring passengers to wear masks at the self-serve stations for breakfast and lunch?  Thank you!

[Judicruise1]

Coyboy:  We are on this cruise in June.  We will be in Europe for a total of 18 days.  My question is about luggage.  Can each person bring one large suitcase and one carryon size?  

[coyboy1971]

12 hours ago, Techno123 said:

Hi Coyboy1971. - we are doing the same itinerary in just under 2 weeks and I wondered if you could answer a couple of questions please?
what time does the evening meal start - I have seen it advertised as 7pm and 7:30pm so I am hoping for the later start as we don't usually eat until 8 or later 😜

you mentioned the Philosophers Way walk which we are booked onto - I hadn't realised Mainz was so far from Heidelberg so I assume even if you don't have to wait for the all day excursion and can do the half day it is still quite a distance on the coach (you mentioned an hour). Do you know anyone that actually did it and was it worth it?
thank you in advance and enjoy the rest of your trip.

 

We had booked the philosopher's walk because we thought it was only 1/2 day. However, you travel to Heidelberg and back to the ship with the all day people who are going to the castle. Basically you have 3-4 hours of on your own time after completing the walk until the buses go back. People enjoyed it but said it makes for a long day. 

[coyboy1971]

8 hours ago, hmcrn said:

Another question for you - just to be clear - they are NOT requiring passengers to wear masks at the self-serve stations for breakfast and lunch?  Thank you!

That is correct.

 

Off the ship I have encountered a mask requirement only at the Gutenberg museum and cathedral in Mainz. 

[coyboy1971]

6 hours ago, Judicruise1 said:

Coyboy:  We are on this cruise in June.  We will be in Europe for a total of 18 days.  My question is about luggage.  Can each person bring one large suitcase and one carryon size?  

That's what we did, though most people have one large suitcase and a backpack or hand carry bag as opposed to a roll aboard for their second bag. 

[coyboy1971]

13 hours ago, Techno123 said:

Hi Coyboy1971. - we are doing the same itinerary in just under 2 weeks and I wondered if you could answer a couple of questions please?
what time does the evening meal start - I have seen it advertised as 7pm and 7:30pm so I am hoping for the later start as we don't usually eat until 8 or later 😜

you mentioned the Philosophers Way walk which we are booked onto - I hadn't realised Mainz was so far from Heidelberg so I assume even if you don't have to wait for the all day excursion and can do the half day it is still quite a distance on the coach (you mentioned an hour). Do you know anyone that actually did it and was it worth it?
thank you in advance and enjoy the rest of your trip.

 

As far as meals, dinner service has been at 7 pm and ends promptly at 9 pm. You should be fine sitting down at 8 pm. 
 

We ate last night at the self-serve "bistro" dinner in the panorama lounge and wish we'd done that most nights. It's small, nicely presented portions of the food in the dining room and you can take as much or as little as you like. There's only one soup option and sometime one less entree choice but otherwise the food is the same and you don't have any of the service mishaps I mentioned earlier as the new crew get familiar with their roles and the dining room. 

[coyboy1971]

Since people have had questions about Heidelberg and Mainz I thought I'd share the daily sheet from the Avalon GO app and the lunch and dinner menus. 
 

Again, we opted to skip the philosophers hike since it took all day. The German lunch buffet was delicious and the scenic cruise to Mainz was relaxing. Then it was very nice to get to Mainz and see the old town and the Gutenberg museum. You can also easily walk to see the Chagall windows or to tour the Roman ships at the museum. 

[coyboy1971]

Cruising the Rhine Gorge yesterday was amazing. Tony, the CD, pointed each castle out along the way and gave a little history. It was chilly on the sky deck but the views were great and most people just grabbed the lap blankets provided in their cabin. I was fine in a cap and light jacket. Lots of folks enjoyed coffees or hot chocolates or drinks from the bar, and toward the end they passed around trays of a nice elderflower, champagne, and white wine cocktail to everyone. 
 

After dinner on board we enjoyed the local live band who came on and played fun tunes from 60's and 70's and then we walked into town for cocktails. There are tons of places open after 9 pm in Koblenz that are walkable, and we stayed out til midnight (woo hoo!) since the ship didn't sail to Cologne until 1:45 am. 

 

Just arrived in Cologne and looking forward to the short walk to see the renowned cathedral after breakfast. We sail just after lunch and were informed that it's 17 hours of cruising until we reach Amsterdam. 

We also got everything figured out with Tony the CD for the Floriade in Amsterdam. Tickets are printed and a van arranged for our party of 6. There still seems to be a miscommunication about this excursion between corporate and the on board staff, but alls well that ends well. 

 

[Canal archive]

coyboy1971 thank you for your descriptions of your cruise I do appreciate when a cruise team realises that a group are having a particular experience and go further to make it even more memorable.