Avalon First Time

We are booked on the Visionary Paris to Prague September 3rd. This is our first river cruise and we are still trying to figure it all out. I have gone on the Avalon website and can only see excursion booking options for the first two stops but nothing for the remaining stops. One reason to chose Avalon was the included excursions and I assume that even though they are included, we still need to register for them. Any advice and information on Avalon is appreciated. Thank you!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Unless there is a choice of excursion you definitely do not need to register.

Unless there is a choice of excursion you definitely do not need to register.

There are choices listed for Paris, Trier and Prague but none of the other stops are even showing up on the excursions page.. Some are included and some are an extra charge. In your experience, were the included tours well done?

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

There are choices listed for Paris, Trier and Prague but none of the other stops are even showing up on the excursions page.. Some are included and some are an extra charge. In your experience, were the included tours well done?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We just returned from our third Avalon cruise and all excursions, whether included or optional have always been well done. The optional excursions have always been well worth their charge (in our opinion). You will love Avalon!

Cole

For most of the stops, the "excursion" will be a guided walk through the town conducted by a local guide with some free time afterwards. We did Paris to Amsterdam last year, which have similar stops along the Moselle. You'll probably sail from Remich to Grevemacher the first evening and stay docked there until noon the next day. The morning tours of Trier left on buses from there and returned to the ship for lunch. The optional Luxembourg tours left by bus right after lunch, and those who didn't stayed on the ship and enjoyed a leisurely trip down the Moselle.

For your afternoon in Rudesheim, I would suggest taking the chair lift up to the monument on the hill overlooking the city in lieu of the musical museum. On our cruise, when some of us told our CD that we would be doing that instead of the museum, he offered to pay for the chair lift tickets. You can take the lift back down or enjoy a leisurely walk through the vineyards back into Rudesheim. You should still have time to walk around the little town and enjoy the sights.

I think you'll have a great cruise. Enjoy!

We just returned from our third Avalon cruise and all excursions, whether included or optional have always been well done. The optional excursions have always been well worth their charge (in our opinion). You will love Avalon!

 

Cole

Did you register for the optional excursions before boarding the ship? Thank you for the information!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

For most of the stops, the "excursion" will be a guided walk through the town conducted by a local guide with some free time afterwards. We did Paris to Amsterdam last year, which have similar stops along the Moselle. You'll probably sail from Remich to Grevemacher the first evening and stay docked there until noon the next day. The morning tours of Trier left on buses from there and returned to the ship for lunch. The optional Luxembourg tours left by bus right after lunch, and those who didn't stayed on the ship and enjoyed a leisurely trip down the Moselle.

 

 

 

For your afternoon in Rudesheim, I would suggest taking the chair lift up to the monument on the hill overlooking the city in lieu of the musical museum. On our cruise, when some of us told our CD that we would be doing that instead of the museum, he offered to pay for the chair lift tickets. You can take the lift back down or enjoy a leisurely walk through the vineyards back into Rudesheim. You should still have time to walk around the little town and enjoy the sights.

 

 

 

I think you'll have a great cruise. Enjoy!

Thank you for the information!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Did you register for the optional excursions before boarding the ship? Thank you for the information!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We've just signed up on the ship.

One more quick hint that may not be useful for you. I'm a Diet Coke addict, so in Grevenmacher I walked up the street from the docking site to an Esso station and got a six-pack of Coke Lite to get me through the week. Soft drinks come with lunch and dinner, but I needed extras for afternoons sitting on the top deck or in the front of the ship watching the river go by! Also, if you want, your room steward will clean out the minibar/fridge so that you can use it for beverages and snacks of your own.

Wait until you get on board to book optional excursions. Difficult to get a refund if you change your mind. I messed up with booking an optional one ahead of time and even though I tried to change it on the first day of boarding they wouldn't allow it. My TA got me the refund when I got home. We were happy with all of our excursions. Had a great trip.

> in Rudesheim, I would suggest taking the chair lift up to the monument on the hill overlooking the city in lieu of the musical museum.

OTOH, my Lady Wife and I enjoyed the museum. It is a collection of antique music boxes and hurdy gurdies.

Ira

One more quick hint that may not be useful for you. I'm a Diet Coke addict, so in Grevenmacher I walked up the street from the docking site to an Esso station and got a six-pack of Coke Lite to get me through the week. Soft drinks come with lunch and dinner, but I needed extras for afternoons sitting on the top deck or in the front of the ship watching the river go by! Also, if you want, your room steward will clean out the minibar/fridge so that you can use it for beverages and snacks of your own.

Great tip. Do they serve coke or Pepsi products onboard?

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Wait until you get on board to book optional excursions. Difficult to get a refund if you change your mind. I messed up with booking an optional one ahead of time and even though I tried to change it on the first day of boarding they wouldn't allow it. My TA got me the refund when I got home. We were happy with all of our excursions. Had a great trip.

Thank you- great advice!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Wait until you get on board to book optional excursions. Difficult to get a refund if you change your mind. I messed up with booking an optional one ahead of time and even though I tried to change it on the first day of boarding they wouldn't allow it. My TA got me the refund when I got home. We were happy with all of our excursions. Had a great trip.

On the other hand, if it is an excursion you really want to take - and don't want to take a chance on it being cancelled due to lack of interest (as they usually have a minimum number needed to proceed....) - book ahead. I was told on our last cruise that if you were pre-booked, the optional goes ahead. Even if they don't meet minimum numbers.

Fran

On the other hand, if it is an excursion you really want to take - and don't want to take a chance on it being cancelled due to lack of interest (as they usually have a minimum number needed to proceed....) - book ahead. I was told on our last cruise that if you were pre-booked, the optional goes ahead. Even if they don't meet minimum numbers.

 

Fran

Fran is right on this one. We heard the same thing on our cruise. If you signed up ahead of time, the tour seemed to be a sure thing, regardless of the number who signed up. A couple of tours were cancelled because no one signed up before hand and not enough people signed up on the ship.

We really enjoyed Avalon and each cruise director brings something different to the sailing. I highly recommend Rudesheim musical museum. I still have the videos on my phone to cheer me up! And, Rudesheim coffee gets a thumbs up too. In fact, we liked it so well that seeing it on a November itinerary was a plus for me, and I'll return to Museum.

Sent from my iPad using Forums