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Just back from Avalon Panorama


caviargal

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We did the pre tour in Prague and loved the city. The hotel was The Hilton, a nice convention hotel located a 20 minute from the center. We did not do the included tour and instead hired a personal guide who was wonderful. I would be happy to provide contact info if anyone is interested. Rooms at the hotel were large and modern and the staff very helpful. Breakfast was included and more than adequate.

 

The bus ride to Nuremberg was uneventful and we arrived at the ship at five.

 

The Panorama is a lovely ship. The design of the staterooms really maximizes space and views and the new beds are memory foam and very comfy. The new bathrooms are also lovely and we enjoyed the upgraded amenities. They have installed a very good in room entertainment system, and we enjoyed being able to listen to music or watch a late night movie in the cabin.

 

Our cruise director, Jon Lupe, was the best we have had yet on Avalon and was both efficient and gracious. We saw some familiar faces aboard including Dan, the Hotel Manager, Johny in the dining room, Radu behind the bar and Peter, the dining room manager.

 

Where the cruises really disappointed was the food. There was a noticeable cheapening in the quality and variety of food offered on this cruise compared to one year ago when we were very pleased with the food and wine served.

 

Gone from the menu were rack of lamb, roast duck and the wonderful and flavorful fish dishes and soups. Instead we were served mostly bland and very small portions, much of which went uneaten. We were not the only unhappy customers when it came to the food served but everyone has different tastes and food is always subjective

 

Wine was also cut off at the entrée, which was new from previous cruises. We were not sure if this was server related or a new policy. This was also a departure from previous cruises, as was the overall decrease in variety and quality of wine offered.

I am also a big fan of cheese after dinner and looked forward to some of the excellent cheeses served previously. Both quantity and quality were noticeably less than in the past.

 

We were aboard for New Years eve and the entertainment was quite a let down. Instead of music for dancing, the CD presented an hour long audience participation story telling. A group of us wandered across to the Vantage boat docked next door and watched as their guests enjoyed a live six piece dance bank and a table full of hot snacks. Vienna came to the rescue and many of us headed topside and enjoyed the truly spectacular fireworks display that lasted for forty five minutes.

 

Another high point was Vasco, the houses musician, who grabbed a guitar and was joined by Dan one night for a rousing set of music. They were joined by two guests, one a pianist and the other a harmonica player and we all enjoyed a truly terrific impromptu jam session that was the best entertainment of the cruise. We all commented that we wished they had saved that for NYE.

 

All in all, we found the ship beautiful with great appointments but were let down by the overall experience of the Panorama and hope it was just a random off cruise and not representative of fleet wide changes

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The airline was not the cruise line's fault and we met wonderful people and enjoyed our independent time a lot. The ship was beautiful, it was really the food and New Years Eve that was so disappointing.

 

It was not miserable but did not meet expectation based on our previous cruises on Avalon.

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Jon Lupe was training to be a guide on our Grand France Trip (the Burgundy and Provance portion). He is a super guy! Also glad that you saw Radu and Peter! We are not traveling on the Panorama this year but hope when we board we, too, see some familiar faces.

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OOOH! That's disappointing to hear. We have the same cruise, but on the Visionary scheduled next year. Hope they get rid of the Doberman and that the food and wine with dinner experience has improved before then.

B. Cole

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Wow. I am now very worried. Our Avalon cruise last year was so great. We are booked on the Luminary for April 28. I wonder if I should cancel. It's a lot of money and if the food is awful and the wine and beer is no longer free with dinner (after the entree), I just don't know if we should do it or not. I have not yet made final payment. What would you do?? I really don't want to take a chance on having an awful experience, as we cancelled all of our vacations booked for 2010 to save up for this cruise.

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stretchcruz, we found the Luminary very enjoyable last year. Stefan was the chef and food was very good. We had no complaints. He was also the chef on a previous Avalon cruise in 2009 and we found the food very good then as well.

 

I got the impression from speaking to staff (will not name names here as I do not want them to get in trouble) that the current chef on board is not at all up to normal standards and that complaints on food taste, temp and portions are not unusual. I know that we were certainly not the only ones unhappy with the food. And I was quite surprised also at the rationing of the wine, although that issue appeared to be server related.

 

I have to say we were really taken aback by the food on this cruise. I would pay attention to where that chef is reassigned next year and would not go on a ship where he is working. I do hope it is a staff issue and not an overall reduction in quality on the line as Avalon has lovely ships and in general a great staff.

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There are two Hilton's in Prague for the pre and post tour nights. Which did the group stay in:

Hilton Prague Old Town (V Celnici 7) or

Hilton Prague Hotel (Pobrezni 1)

Thanks for your help.

B. Cole

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Caviargal & Stretchcruz - Since I'm brand new to this "River Cruise thing", I follow these posts very carefully and particularly value the observations and opinions from seasoned cruisers, like the both of you. I will be going on my first river cruise (hopefully, not my last!) on Avalon Imagery, departing Amsterdam on 25 March and sailing to Vienna. Given the price charged for these cruises, along with the high expectation of service that Avalon themselves have "whipped up" in their advertising, I would think that the company itself - Avalon - would exercise a great deal of management oversight and quality control to make sure that a high standard of excellence - including the food, service, "attitude" of their staff, etc. - would be absolutely consistent and at an extremely high level across their entire fleet. I would also expect that if there was any complaints or disappointment among any of their customers/guests - that it would be taken care of IMMEDIATELY and promptly. Right then and there and "on the spot"! I would think that Avalon would not subject any of their customers, who have pre-paid a lot of hard-earned dollars, to any disappointment or sub-standard service simply because they happened to "pick the wrong boat"! is there any indication that Avalon management actually reads these comments and postings? Is there anyone who is actually "in charge" onboard the ship who has the authority/responsbility to address concerns like yours, and "fix them" right then and there on the spot - just as there would/should be in any other high-priced resort or hotel? It doesn't seem like customers/cruisers should have to carefully "pick and choose" which particular ship/crew they select in order to have a good cruising experience - particularly when the "system" requires you to book and pay so far in advance. When there is a complaint and you afterwards document it and present it to Avalon's corporate staff, do you ever actually get a careful, comprehensive, and personal response from anyone "in authority" - or does it just look like some "cranked-out, computer-generated non-response" letter? Given the fact that Avalon had long since collected/desposited/spent everyone's money - the customer is in very little position to get a positive remedy to these problems - other than on websites like this. If enough people have a bad experience, they will/should simply stop giving their business to a non-responsive company. There is plenty of competition out there and the "cream" should rise to the top and the companies that fail to meet expectation should be forced out of business. Of course, that doesn't help an individual cruiser after they have already spent the time/money on what turned out to be a disappointing cruise and one that did not meet advertised levels of service. One of the main selling points of river cruising is ostensibly the "all-inclusive" nature, and "constantly-filled" glasses of wine/beer with dinner. if that's not actually happening anymore on Avalon or on any single one of their ships, contrary to their sales pitch, than that is patently "false advertising". Thoughts? Best Regards

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Thanks, caviargal. While our overall ratings continue to be high, indicating that we're exceeding expectations for the dining experiences we provide in Europe, we appreciate your feedback and are further reviewing the service provided on your sailing. Thanks again.

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There are two Hilton's in Prague for the pre and post tour nights. Which did the group stay in:

Hilton Prague Old Town (V Celnici 7) or

Hilton Prague Hotel (Pobrezni 1)

Thanks for your help.

B. Cole

 

Hilton Prague. The Hilton Prague Old Town is in a better location but the hotel was very nice.

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Thank you Avalon for responding and for your concern. Is it true that the beer/wine is being curtailed or was that an anomaly of that server? Thank you.

 

We're happy to respond. Complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks are served throughout dinner. We're looking into caviargal's experience further.

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Avalon, we, too, are new riverboat cruisers. We are very very concerned-interested in the dining experience on a riverboat having just experienced 7 days on AMA's La Marguerite in Vietnam-Cambodia where the food was great but the dining room so loud we hated every meal. We are MOST IMPRESSED that you are monitoring this board and taking time and effort to respond to this thread.

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Avalon, thank you. Caviargal and I have been staunch supporters of Avalon and the Avalon experience, so I was very surprised to read her review and I'm really glad to hear that you have not changed your beer/wine/soft drink policy, that it was a server issue. I really appreciate you responding here, and I feel much better about our upcoming Luminary cruise knowing that you are addressing the issues. I just got home from work or I would have responded earlier (earlier I was on my Blackberry on my lunch!!!)

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Avalon - I too, am at least somewhat heartened by the fact that you are monitoring this website, and reading the reviews and experiences of your customers. We rely quite heavily upon the recent experiences of our "fellow cruisers" when making our own plans and deciding to invest many thousands of dollars in your company's products. I don't know how a company goes about "making up" for some of the negative experiences that Caviargal shared with us after the cruise has ended and the (unsatisfied) customer has returned home? It would seem that the "best solution" is in not letting these things happen in the first place. As the saying goes, "you never get a second chance to make a first impression". After reading about her experience/s, I opened up my Avalon Cruise Brochure and re-read some of your own descriptives which I will quote below. They are all verbatim from your publication:

 

"The friendly crew is eager to serve you; Dining becomes personalized; Inspirational dining; Some of Europe's most highly skilled chefs; Vast menu of dining choices; Dinner bekons with 5-star service; The finest chef-inspired recipes; Unmatched service; Consumate personal service; Premier service"

 

You set a very high "bar" for yourselves with that wording. I literally used those descriptives (Avalon's exact words) in making my decision to book my first cruise with you this coming Spring vice using a competitor cruise line. I have even gotten 3 other couples/friends to now seriously consider a cruise with your company in 2013. When I "endorse" a product to my friends, particulary a "product" that is this expensive, I am putting my own integrity and their trust in me on the line.

 

We fully understand that acts of nature, such as low/high water levels are beyond your control. But the "attitude" displayed by your employees, along with the way services are provided to the passengers is completely and utterly within your control. And the level of service should be absolutely consistent throughout your entire fleet.

 

I think we are all very much hoping (expecting) that this was a very rare "abberation" and that it does not in any way portend a generally declining trend in the level of service and quality of products from those that Avalon has delivered in the past. Best Regards, pingpong1

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As is always the case, we appreciate both positive and negative feedback, pingpong1. And, we very much look forward to introducing you to river cruising this spring. We hope you become as passionate about this travel style as we are! It's truly an amazing - and unique - experience!

 

Should you have any further questions or concerns, we invite you to "like" our Facebook page (if you haven't done so already) - https://www.facebook.com/AvalonWaterways. There, our cruisers (and our team) are always happy to provide insight and feedback. Or, if you'd prefer to speak with someone directly, feel free to contact us, toll-free, at 877.380.1535. Thank you!

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Avalon, thanks again....just back from work and I am very excited about our upcoming cruise. I recommend you to all of my patients at work (I do mammograms, sorry ladies!!), I even give them the website and reasons to book with you. I am happy to hear that you are responding to the concerns and that they will be taken care of.

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As an update, I was contacted by Avalon last night for further details of our experience, which I provided. They were truly as surprised as we were by our experience and promised to look further into the matter and get back in touch.

 

It speaks volumes when a company is actually responsive on a personal level and not just through a message board, as several companies do actively monitor these boards and reply to certain posts. However, it is rare indeed that they proactively call to discuss specifics, at least IMO and IME.

 

Ours was the very last cruise of the year for the ship so I am not sure if that influenced our experience but have to think it is reasonable to assume so.

 

We really enjoyed cruising at this time of year and while we missed the Christmas markets due to the dates of travel, there were several open in Prague and the holiday ambiance was everywhere. It was a great week to be on the river and in Europe.

 

We would cruise with Avalon again as the first two experiences were so positive.

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Caviargal and Stretchcruz,

I too am a avid supporter of Avalon, having completed 2 wonderful cruises with them in 2010 and most recently on the Panorama in 2011. I too was so disheartened to hear of your poor Dining experiences Caviargal as well as the poor "storybook telling" of entertainment on NY Eve. I certainly like you would have had higher expectations of both! We had such a wonderful Dining experience with the Chef "Stefan" on the Affinity in 2010 and were hoping to see him most recently here in 2011. We were on the November cruise that spent 5 days on the Tapestry due to low water and had very good food from their Chef(don't know his name unfortunately)....maybe still not as great as Stefan but still very good. The food on the Panorama was just "so-so" not nearly as good as the Tapestry and no where near as good as the Affinity with Stefan! We had only 1 night where we were told by a rather unfriendly female server that no more wine would be served after the entree was served and we too were taken back by her comments as we were used to the free flowing wine on the Affinity as well as the Tapestry. I told her that I did not think that was the case and asked to speak to the restaurant manager Peter who we knew from our 1st cruise on the Affinity to see if the policy was different on the Panorama? Minutes later, she showed up with wine to refill our table of 8 guests glasses and for our 2 nights on the Panorama, there were no more wine issues at Dinner. I think it was something with the individual server, whoever she was and I should have reported her specifically but we had such a short period of time on the Panorama. Peter the Restaurant Manager is always right on top of things and runs a great operation on the Panorama and IMO, would address any traveler issue that was brought to his attention. We were impressed with him on the Affinity as well as his outstanding service on the Panorama. I think they just need a change in their Chef on the Panorama based on what I have experienced between 3 different boats.

 

I too am so happy to see that Avalon is monitoring these Boards as we the river cruisers who feel so adamant about our love of river cruising want it to be a positive experience for all who we refer to Avalon. I hope to be back on another Avalon riverboat in the near future as I feel confident that they will always try to rectify any negative issues and make river cruising the best it can be for all of us who spend our hard earned money to travel long distances to vacation with them and their crew.

 

In closing, Caviargal....I am so happy to hear that you were personally contacted by Avalon, much improved over how Viking handled their customer complaint issues back in November with the low water issues. Thank you for posting as nothing can ever be corrected if the proper managerial people are not made aware.:)

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BPCruiser, thanks for posting that and now I really do think the issue with the food is directly related to the chef on Panorama.

 

I have no doubt the server with the attitude is the same person as she is certainly not the level of staff we have experienced in the past with Avalon. My husband said that perhaps this was her last cruise and that is why she was so consistently rude. Perhaps they are not renewing her contract, which IMO they should not as she does not represent them well.

 

I agree that Peter is very good and we resolved the wine issue by staying far away from tables that were in her station. We also avoided her in the bar. On such a small ship it is not always easy as dining tables are not assigned and sometimes one cannot avoid sitting in a particular section. We learned to stay on the side of the dining room with Johny and Alexandra and did not have a problem after night 2.

 

Stefan is a magician in the kitchen. We did a galley tour with him and were amazed at what he and his staff were able to produce in such tight quarters. And he was also quite the showman during the crew show.:)

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