Queen of my Heart

I have never ocean cruised before but some friends of mine have suggested that I join them on a HAL cruise in the Mediterranean next month. I've looked at the HAL website plus some specialist travel agencies but they all seem to indicate that the balcony cabins are all booked. My question is this? Does HAL hold back cabins and release them in batches or are they all "launched" at the same time at the start of the season? I am a total newbie at ocean crusing so any info/advice would be very welcome. Many thanks.

Hi. I did check out the wine lists but no Belgian wines at all. They seemed to be a mix of French, Spanish, Italian and some German wines but not in any way linked to the cruise itself.

Hi. I think that my comments would apply to most river cruises with avalon and not just this one. 9am is the time by which previous passengers need to have left their cabins so staff will be hard at work getting them ready for the next cruise, so I would not expect to be able to access them until late morning at the earliest. You might be able to leave luggage in the reception but it's possible that it will be sharing space with that of the departing passengers and that will depend on their flight/train/onward journey times. Somewhere in your paperwork you should have a phone number for your ship so it's worth giving them a call to ask what arrangements could be made for your luggage if you were to leave it between, say, 9 and 10. Hope this helps.

I am looking forward to it but the weather forecast is pretty much rain every day so no sunbathing (rainbathing?). I will miss out on the Keukenhof visit as I wont reach the ship until early/mid afternoon but I have been before in super weather so I don't have too many regrets about msiing out this time.

Tomorrow I will be joining the Avalon Imagery II for the Tulip Time in Holland and Belgium cruise (might be sold under a different title in N. America or if you're staying extra days at the beginning or end). If anyone has anything they would like to know about the ship/cabins/food/ tours etc please do ask and I'll try to answer as best I can.

Ah, thank you for that. I was going to try to pre-book something before departure but I will hold fire now and just take some phone numbers with me in case the concierge proves reluctant.

Hi Daisi. Thank you for the reply. The UK booking site offers flights as an optional extra, but not Eurostar. They will only organise transfers if you take their cruise plus flight package and most of their flights are KLM vis Amsterdam. The British Airways direct flight doesn't leave until 20:00 and Avalon have no suggestions as to where I should go and what i should do with myself all the departure day. It's both ridiculous in terms of having to do an indirect flight from Brussels to London via Schipol and the sheer waste of time. Eurostar is much quicker but they don't offer it as an option so have said that I must organise my own transport. They wont even book a taxi for me, which I think is pretty poor show. As a woman in her late 60s travelling alone and towing a suitcase I really need to feel I have a reliable and safe means of getting from ship to train without spending the entire holiday worrying about it.

I'm looking at a last minute Avalon cruise but the homebound flights on offer don't suit me very well (timings/indirect etc) so I'd prefer to return via Eurostar Brussels to London. However, if I do this Avalon have said that they will not help me with transportation from the ship to the Eurostar terminal. Has anyone used and can recommend a taxi/limo service - other than Uber - from the Brussels cruise terminal to the Eurostar station (Brussels Midi)? Many thanks

Hi. Yes, the Avalon cruise that I went on was, I think, very unusual in the small numbers aboard, which meant it was impossible for a person on their own to get lost in the crowd. I have travelled now with four different river cruise companies but not found that any of them did anything specifically for solo travellers, such as a meet and greet at the beginning, seating all solos together for dinner on the first night. You are left to find your feet pretty much by yourself, which can be daunting when so many on board are in couples or larger groups. I have been on river cruises which are advertised as being for solo travellers only but found that a large majority of passengers were taking advantage of the double cabin for single price to travel with a friend, sister, mother, etc. Very few were travelling completely alone. If you are a confident person who is comfortable engaging with a range of people and possibly needing to keep introducing yourself to new people, asking to join a couple or more at mealtimes etc., OR are perfectly happy to do your own thing, be friendly when approached but not necessarily seeking out company, then all should be well. For myself, being something of an introvert, by the end of a week I find that I am feeling my widowhood even more acutely and am ready to return home.

Hi. No, I was on the van Gogh on the Rhône. I've had a swift look at the deck plans and there seems to be a similar layout. I found that the access to the restaurant at the back of the shop meant that everyone had to walk past the cabins on that deck as they went to and fro. In consequence, it could be noisy.

Hi. I do apologise for not replying sooner but I've not been looking at the CC boards recently. Sadly, I think I'm coming to the end of my riverine hols so only check into the site occasionally. I hope I'm not too late to contribute to your planning. I have found one menu and checked my Avalon account to see if they are lurking there but without any luck. I have tried to attach below the one that I found - if it doesn't load do let me know and I will find another way to get it to you. Avalon are indeed accommodating but I think vegan might be more challenging for them, though as it is becoming more mninstream now I'm sure they are now accustomed. Joanne Day_2_Dinner_Menu[651]-1.pdf

Hi. I've given the original poster some details but I suppose it boiled down to staff attitude and helpfulness when there was a problem. The food was poor quality and cabins pretty basic. Admittedly it was in 2021 when covid was raging but I was deeply unimpressed with CE and the British contracting river cruise company.

Hi. I am sending you a separate message via email. Joanne

I have been on a Croisi Europe ship in France that was chartered to another company. All the crew were CE but the Cruise Directing staff were from the contracting company. I can honestly say that, based on my experience, I wouldn't touch either with a bargepole again. I'm not sure how much more I should say in an open forum such as this.

I have done river cruises in France (Seine and Rhone) as well as the Danube and Rhine with Riviera (about six in all). Their ships are comfortable and well maintained without being at the luxury end of the market. The food is pretty good, especially the buffets, and drinks not too highly priced. They are generally well-organised and cope well with unexpected changes to itinerary, passenger mishaps, lost property etc. Prices appear to have risen quite substantially post-Covid, but they're not alone in that. Their range of cruises isn't as extensive as other cruise lines and they don't generally offer multiple options for excursions at each stopping-off point. So you either accept what's on offer or do your own thing (if that's feasible, depending on the mooring location). The cruises are aimed squarely at the British market, (hence the kettles in the cabins!), and passengers mainly 60plus but active. Riviera do offer shoulder season "solo traveller" cruises where everyone gets a double cabin for no-supplement price, which is a good deal if you don't mind travelling in early spring or mid/late autumn. Be aware though that a fairly high percentage of the "solo travellers" seem to be two friends, sisters, mother & daughter, brothers etc travelling together, rather than people who are completely on their own. So the vibe isn't that different from a standard cruise, just fewer people on it.