Onboard Avalon Panorama now

Boarded this afternoon...all great so far. . Regristration and arrival all went well. Dinner was 5 course meal and delicious..wine was good and non stop. Ship and rooms are just lovely..all the little touches..fruit platter in room on arrival..chocolate on pillow when we got back after dinner. Bed time now..its 10.30pm...need to have breakfast and ready for Budapest city tour..even tho we've been here for 3 days we will still go, won't go on the optional tours tho, we went to the House of Terror museum today and have already seen the places they are going to..might spend the tome on the sky deck..whirlpool..enjoying the afternoon or maybe a return trip to the market :-)

Have you seen the "Shoes on the Danube"? If not, I would suggest a visit there - especially if you have seen the "House of Terror".

Fran

We tentatively plan to cruise on the Panorama late next summer so are excited to hear all about it. Have a wonderful cruise!

Have you seen the "Shoes on the Danube"? If not, I would suggest a visit there - especially if you have seen the "House of Terror".

 

Fran

Thank you, yes we have seen the shoes and the museum, both very emotional but well worth seeing.

We tentatively plan to cruise on the Panorama late next summer so are excited to hear all about it. Have a wonderful cruise!

Thank you :) will try and write a little each day and do a full report once we get home

Last night was our first night of sailing...its so smooth, had our Welcome Dinner which was lovely, 6 courses and far too much wine :-), I haven't seen the bottom of the glass yet :-)

This morning went through our first lock..only 67 more to go! !! It was very interesting , not sure we'll be saying that after a few more though! :-)

Around 12 today we will berth at Bratislava in Slovakia, we have the choice of the buffey lunch or grill on the upper deck, we've opted for the grill as its a beautiful day..you need to get in early when booking for the grill as it only seats 45.

After lunch we've got a city coach and walking tour..they say we'll be docked only 3 minutes from the city.... don't leave here until 11pm to night, so after the tour or after dinner there is time to wander around on our own..but there are local entertainers coming onboard after dinner, so think we'll plan on doing our wandering before dinner.

Drinks onboard are quite reasonable 3.5 euros for a beer or wine which is around A$4..each day there is a happy hour and a specil cocktail at 5 euros.

Well off for a excursion briefng talk now, where we'll be informed about all thts available on the rest of the tour....will update again soon, Deb :-)

So good to read your daily reports. It brings us so many good memories from our Avalon Panorama trip in April/May earlier this year. We will be thinking of you all the way. Have a fabulous time!!!! Lyn & Pieter

So good to read your daily reports. It brings us so many good memories from our Avalon Panorama trip in April/May earlier this year. We will be thinking of you all the way. Have a fabulous time!!!! Lyn & Pieter

Thank you, its all been so much fun..a great group, predominantly Australians..with some Americans, New Zealaners and Canadians..there is one one group of 42 Australians..so along with all of us extra couples makes for quite a few of us.

Had a busy but good day today. Berthed in Bratislava at 12..had lunch, with the option of a bbq on the sky deck, which we did..yummy food. Then a city bus And walking tour, had a great guide..then wandered off on our own before heading back o the ship..a couple of local beers for only 2.40 euros, less than $3..so all good!

Happy hour on the ship..then dinner, another 5 course meal..food has been great so far..then local entertainers came on board, The Aphrodites of Bratislava..group of 5 girls, talented musicians who also sang..then more drinks in the lounge plus music and dancing with Ivan..we seem to manage to fit alot into a day.

We sail tonight for Vienna..looking forward to that.

This is an amazing part of the world that I wouldn't have seen if it hadn't been ir this cruise :-)

I had read alot where people had problems with the free wine with dinner..after 3 evening meals I can say I haven't seen the bottom of my wine glass yet...very attentive waiters!!

The service with all staff on board has been fantastic, haven heard one complaint so far :-)

Can't wait to hear more. Thanks so much for taking the time to do this!

We are traveling on the Panorama on the 9/12 sailing for Budapest. We love you leaving a trail for us to follow in a few weeks. Thanks so much!

Another beautiful day in paradise...breakfast over and just about to berth in Vienna. Firstly there will be a city tour, comprising of both bus and walking..then back to the ship for lunch and a second optional tour if you want, then tonight there is also another optional tour to the Viennese concert. We're just doing the city tour and having the day to wander the city and will have lunch ourselves somewhere locally....tonight after dinner we may walk to the giant ferris wheel, we believe its only about 1/2 hour from the ship.

The service everywhere on the ship is exceptional, nothing is ever a problem.:)

Our cruise director is Jeannette and she is so we'll organised, makes every day run so smoothly.

So far we've had 2 groups of local entertainers board the ship and each one has been great.

Well we've just been through another lock..they tell us we went through another during the night, I didn't hear or feel anything..the ship sails so smoothly, you barely feel any movement or hear noises thru the night.

Off walking..will check back tonight :)

Vienna city bus and walking tour was very interesting...we then wandered off after that. Had coffee and Sacher-torte at the famous Sacher cafe..yummy, hubby had viennese apple strudel and cream, it loked nearly as good as mine :)

We then did the hop on hop off bus tour, got to see some of the modern Vienna as well....we hadn't been there on the city tour.

We got off the hoho bus on the opposite side of the Danube and walked back across the bridge..lovely views of the river, both sides of the city and the ships.

Port talk soon..the dinner..our one and only buffet dinner tonight, as people going to the concert need to leave early.

Every night after dinner there is a pianist in the lounge, a lovely place for a drink, chat and dance, had a few good nights there so far :)

Think we set sail around midnight tonight..its lovely waking in the morning to ever changing scenery

Deb

Still glorious weather, fairly busy day today. Early start, berth then walking tour of Durnstein starting at 8.30am...lovely little town..then back onboard at 11 to sail to Mel..had sail away drink plus talk on the sky deck by our CD, explaining all about the Wahou valley, very informative and lovely scenery. Lunch then we arrived in Melk, bussed to the Abbey for guided tours..what a magnificent place, the church was stunning..library amazing..and views from their were great. Back to the ship after a walk back through town..and a stop for a beer in a beergarden :) Wine tasting onboard of local wines...port talk..dinner..then the crew show, what a laugh that was..dancing, drinks..plus went up to the sky deck as we were going thru a lock, they still amaze me. So as you can see a very busy day, our busiest so far..but all good fun :)

How wonderful to read your daily posts. How's the weather...a bit chilly or warm? Heading to the Rhine River in slightly more than a month!

Karen

Thank you for sharing your daily experiences. Sounds like you are having a wonderful time.

Is your boat likely to be affected by the low water levels, near Passau? My friend's boat, Scenic Crystal, got through OK, when the passengers were all off the boat on tours. However, they rejoined their boat at Vilshofen, instead of Passau.

Hi Tassietravellers, sounds like you are having a wonderful time. I hope you enjoy Durnstein we loved it. I bought some apricot liquor in one of the many little shops there along with some Mozart chocolates from Salzburg intending to bring them home to Australia. But somehow that did not happen!!!! They did not even get off the boat. So delicious and extravagant. Hope you had many tastes of the schnapps and wines along the way. The little villages along the way are just so charming and you never seem to get tired of the ever changing scenery which awaits you every day when you open your curtains first thing in the morning. I feel as though we are doing the cruise all over again reading your daily reports. I am just loving it as I am sure you both are. I hope the weather is being kind to you as it was to us. In 6 weeks in total in Europe we had only 2 days of rain. So lucky we were with moderate temperatures the whole time. I will tune in again tomorrow Happy cruising !!!!!!

How wonderful to read your daily posts. How's the weather...a bit chilly or warm? Heading to the Rhine River in slightly more than a month!

Karen

The weather has been warm to..rather hot :) Clear blue skies..don't think we've seen a cloud yet..great for us, not too good for the Danube tho, water levels/are getting rather low.

Thank you for sharing your daily experiences. Sounds like you are having a wonderful time.

 

Is your boat likely to be affected by the low water levels, near Passau? My friend's boat, Scenic Crystal, got through OK, when the passengers were all off the boat on tours. However, they rejoined their boat at Vilshofen, instead of Passau.

Hi, we have been able to berth in Passau burpt we were to sail to Regensberg tonight but that don't happen, we are staying here overnight..now 5 ships here, presuming they were meant to be staying also. Tomorrow we'll be bussed to Regensberg to continue our itinerary, then we'll find out what's to happen tomorrow night, all's good so far and everyoe happy..CD and captain are great, keeping us well informed and doing everything to make the least disruptions for us :)

Hi Tassietravellers, sounds like you are having a wonderful time. I hope you enjoy Durnstein we loved it. I bought some apricot liquor in one of the many little shops there along with some Mozart chocolates from Salzburg intending to bring them home to Australia. But somehow that did not happen!!!! They did not even get off the boat. So delicious and extravagant. Hope you had many tastes of the schnapps and wines along the way. The little villages along the way are just so charming and you never seem to get tired of the ever changing scenery which awaits you every day when you open your curtains first thing in the morning. I feel as though we are doing the cruise all over again reading your daily reports. I am just loving it as I am sure you both are. I hope the weather is being kind to you as it was to us. In 6 weeks in total in Europe we had only 2 days of rain. So lucky we were with moderate temperatures the whole time. I will tune in again tomorrow Happy cruising !!!!!!

Thank you...bought apricot liqur and mozart Chocs too..they've last one day so far! ! :-) Weather has been fantastic, 5 days into the cruise and 20 days away for us far and we haven't seen a drop of rain, extremely lucky :-)

Scenery is absoutely beautiful.

Today berthed in Linz and then took the optional tour to Cesky Krumlov, wow what a lovely place.choices were there, Salsburg or an Austrian lakes tour..so glad we took this option, even tho by all accounts everyone else thoroughly enjoyed their days too. Scenery there was lovely too...the town is just majestic, so much to see..windy crooked streets, loads of restarants shops etc, stopped at Bud weis for an hour on the way...beautiful day. Bus to Passau where we were to be sailing from but that didn't happen, stying here overnight now..that's OK, we got to walk around the town after dinner where we wouldn't have been able to.

Tomorrow we will be bussed to Regensberg where we will take ou tour, as per our itinerary..then we are being given vouchers for lunch, sausage, dessert and a beer or soft drink at the Old Sausage Kitchen, as were meant to be having lunch on board...the CD has been busy working on this alternative..everyone seems very happy, we are being kept informed by the captain thru the CdpD all the way..I am very happy with how everything's going, the cruise comoan has no control over the water levels but they are doing everything possible to have the least disruptions for us :-)

Hi, we have been able to berth in Passau burpt we were to sail to Regensberg tonight but that don't happen, we are staying here overnight..now 5 ships here, presuming they were meant to be staying also. Tomorrow we'll be bussed to Regensberg to continue our itinerary, then we'll find out what's to happen tomorrow night, all's good so far and everyoe happy..CD and captain are great, keeping us well informed and doing everything to make the least disruptions for us :)

Sounds like your Captain and CD have good communication skills, keeping everyone informed of the current low water situation.

What a lovely positive attitude you have "to not sweat the small stuff" over which you have no control.

Hope you have a wonderful day in Regensberg.

Have a couple of beers for us at the sausage kitchen along with those delicious sausages and crusty bread rolls. Lyn

Regensburg is delightful - enjoy your visit and the rest of your cruise.

Thanks..all going well here. Some people are staying onboard today, yesterday was pretty full on with all the day trips, the ship will be sailing at 9..well that's the plan..to Vilshofen , all depending on the water reports this morning. Just going with the flow..or not so :-) ..as the case may be. Should be a lovely day in Regensburg..and yes Lyn..I will have a beer for you..if I must :-) :D