webfoot

Love Avalon! Two years ago I was on a cruise that was affected by the lock operator's strike. Our captain, through his connections, got us from Regensburg (where over 100 passengers got off to go to a hotel) to Frankfurt to pick up the travelers and to get us to our other ports of call on time.

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I was on both the maiden voyage of the Affinity and on a cruise last year on the Affinity. The beds are awesome. The ship is modern and amenities are great.

Pat

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My husband passed away at the end of 2012 and I vowed to 'keep on cruising'. I find it easy to cruise alone. I am fairly outgoing and mix well with other singles and couples. A friend went with me last year and said that she now understands why it is easy to travel alone. She booked her own trip this year while I am going on Avalon's Grand France (wine themed cruise) leaving on 10/20/15.

If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer.

Pat (aka Webfoot)

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Happy Mother's Day, Pat. I'll never catch up with you on the number of cruises! It sounds like a wonderful cruise. Can't wait to see your review!

Pat (aka Webfoot)

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The shorter days don't bother me. I just can't wait for my trip!

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I'm doing Avalon's Grand France beginning 10/20 so I'm following this with interest. I'm assuming that it will be cool and damp in Normandy. Hope that the southern portion will be better weather.

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Oh Fran, I'm sorry to hear about your experience. What a bummer. Yours is not the first story that I've heard about the credits. I book my cruises through a TA and have received credit from her on my referrals.

You may recall that I'm a huge Avalon fan. I have just booked my 10th river cruise with them for 2016. I'm doing the 2 France cruises this year.

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If you registered through MyAvalon (even if you booked through a travel agent) you should find a .pdf of your travel papers.

I always download a copy of my travel papers before leaving on my cruise.

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Hope it goes through!

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How wonderful. A friend shared the link with me and I immediately thought of you!

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I don't know if you saw this or not.

http://www.travelpulse.com/news/cruise/will-the-beloved-delta-queen-sail-again.html

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I took that trip on Avalon several years ago and will be repeating the trip in October also on Avalon.

Whichever line you choose you will have a wonderful trip!

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Yes, I did book the hotel independently using one of the better-known hotel websites. I have taken Grand France one other time when my husband was still alive. He had medical problems so we didn't see as much as we wanted. Now on my own I want to see these areas more in-depth. The second portion of the cruise is a wine-themed cruise.

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I'm taking Grand France beginning 10/20/15. I'm going 2 days early. I saw the price for the Avalon hotel ... The extra nights pre-cruise. I used one of the hotel websites and booked a room for 2 nights at the same price Avalon was charging for 1 night. Breakfast at the hotel is super-expensive so I'll find a small coffee shop before beginning my own tour agenda.

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Our cruise was the reverse of yours. We took a week and drove around Romania. We ran across a gypsy covered wagon and horses around a campfire. Very interesting.

Pat

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Did your bus guide discuss the gypsy population and speak about the gypsy village on the way to the ship?

Pat

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The TV has news channels and movie channels and several others. One neat channel shows the front of the ship. I watch the news channels and once in a while the movie channels but I'm usually out of the room. Wifi is great.

Pat

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Part of the excitement of any cruise is meeting folks from all over the world. GCT only sells to US markets. That would be a show stopper for me.

I have taken 7 cruises with Avalon and have 2 more booked next year. I'm pleased with my experiences with Avalon!

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Yes you do have to go through TSA screening again. I've had to do that in Europe also.

Pat

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Dulles is my 'home' airport. When I got back from Amsterdam in September there was no line at passport control but there was one at customs. With the walk from the plane to the people mover to exit took around 45 minutes. Remember, I had no line for passport control. I recommend at least 2 hours.

After turning the in the luggage so it can go to the next flight you still have to take moving walkways and train to the next terminal.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Pat

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In several of the countries you will pass through have a passport agent come on board to check all of the passports. Usually it takes them an hour or so to approve everyone.

Pat

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I just got back from Avalon's Rhine and Moselle Cruise and had no problems using my ipad and iphone. In your stateroom there is an instruction sheet on how to login. I was very pleased with the connectivity.

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I'm currently on the Affinity on the Rhine and Moselle cruise and having a wonderful time. I was on the maiden voyage of the Affinity in 2009 doing a similar cruise. The ship is in wonderful shape. The captain entertains us some evenings with his music. Our CD is fantastic and the crew are so polite and helpful. Next year is the Grand France wine cruise.

Love Avalon!!!

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My Chase United Visa does not charge foreign transaction fees. I also have CapitolOne World Master Card that does not charge foreign transaction fees.

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I have a purse that has a wire in the strap and a locking clip for the main section. I never carry anything in my wallet except for a dollar or two. My credit cards, etc., are in pockets within the locked section of my purse.

2 years ago we had a fellow passenger who had her wallet taken from her purse. She lost the wallet and several dollars only.

Pat

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