Avalon Siem Reap: Anyone do this Mekong River cruise?

For anyone who has been on Avalon's Siem Reap cruise on the Mekong, I'd appreciate any comments about the ship, food, service, and general tour experience. Thanks!

Hello, we have just returned from this cruise. OMG, it was amazing. Do it! Side of the vessel doesn't matter, and there isn't much difference between upstairs and downstairs, except for the proximity to the dining room and bar.

Enjoy your cruise.

Hello, we have just returned from this cruise. OMG, it was amazing. Do it! Side of the vessel doesn't matter, and there isn't much difference between upstairs and downstairs, except for the proximity to the dining room and bar.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

I'll be on this cruise in four and a half months. Any tips about the cabins or shore excursions? How was the food on board?

All the cabins were great. We were upstairs, near everything, but the downstairs is so close, it doesn't really matter. We asked for the port side heading north, to get the sunsets, but we tended to be in the Panorama lounge at sunset time, so this didn't matter. All the excursions were very interesting. Not too long, very well organised, and very informative. My only advise for the food is to go on a diet before you go, and take elastic waistbands! The food is just sensational. A mix of European and local food, so there are always heaps of options. It just difficult deciding what to have! The other thing we enjoyed so much was that everything was organised for us, and we didn't have to worry about a thing. And with small passenger numbers, logistically it was also easy. All the transport off the boat was arranged, and any buses used were air conditioned, lots of water (and toilet stops). The hotels at each end were fantastic. The entire experience was amazing, and on top of that, we got to see Angkor Ban! And our guide knew the right way to approach this, so we got a much better experience than the hordes of other travellers arriving as we were leaving.

All the cabins were great. We were upstairs, near everything, but the downstairs is so close, it doesn't really matter. We asked for the port side heading north, to get the sunsets, but we tended to be in the Panorama lounge at sunset time, so this didn't matter. All the excursions were very interesting. Not too long, very well organised, and very informative. My only advise for the food is to go on a diet before you go, and take elastic waistbands! The food is just sensational. A mix of European and local food, so there are always heaps of options. It just difficult deciding what to have! The other thing we enjoyed so much was that everything was organised for us, and we didn't have to worry about a thing. And with small passenger numbers, logistically it was also easy. All the transport off the boat was arranged, and any buses used were air conditioned, lots of water (and toilet stops). The hotels at each end were fantastic. The entire experience was amazing, and on top of that, we got to see Angkor Ban! And our guide knew the right way to approach this, so we got a much better experience than the hordes of other travellers arriving as we were leaving.

Thanks for the info! Any food illness concern about eating the fruits and salads served on the cruise? Any problems with insects/mosquitoes along the Mekong?

All the cabins were great. We were upstairs, near everything, but the downstairs is so close, it doesn't really matter. We asked for the port side heading north, to get the sunsets, but we tended to be in the Panorama lounge at sunset time, so this didn't matter. All the excursions were very interesting. Not too long, very well organised, and very informative. My only advise for the food is to go on a diet before you go, and take elastic waistbands! The food is just sensational. A mix of European and local food, so there are always heaps of options. It just difficult deciding what to have! The other thing we enjoyed so much was that everything was organised for us, and we didn't have to worry about a thing. And with small passenger numbers, logistically it was also easy. All the transport off the boat was arranged, and any buses used were air conditioned, lots of water (and toilet stops). The hotels at each end were fantastic. The entire experience was amazing, and on top of that, we got to see Angkor Ban! And our guide knew the right way to approach this, so we got a much better experience than the hordes of other travellers arriving as we were leaving.

Does this tour include Angkor Wat or was there an option to add that?

Hi. We went to 4 temples as part of the package. And the Angkor Wat visit was amazing. The guide took us early in the morning, and through the back gate first, so we had the best shots (with the sun etc) and the least people. As we came through the front gate, there were hoards and hoards of people coming at us. We also did Ta Prohm, and again, the guide took us to what he called "the money shots", and they really were. Avalon arranges all the temple passes, the tuk tuks to get there, arranges for drivers to meet you at the next gate etc. It was all included in the cost. The initial tour cost seems quite steep, but you don't need to allow extra money for all of these things, so you don't debate whether it will be value for money, because you've already paid. And they don't do it on the cheap. The transport was all very good.

Hi. No food issues, bugs, salad concerns on the boat at all. They have a sanitising pump thing for the bathroom water, they use bottled water in the kitchen, and there is heaps of bottled water everywhere for us to drink. There was lots of fresh fruit and vegies available. Biting insects? Yes, mosquitoes, but insect repellant was fine for these. The cabins etc are air conditioned, so there were no issues sleeping at night. We weren't overrun with bugs - saw one spider.