Lots of Questions about Avalon - Answers Please!

[pingpong1]

My Dad and I will be taking our first (and probably only) cruise together (father/son) On the Avalon "Imagery" starting from Amsterdam on Mar 25 and ending in Vienna on Apr 6 (European Splendor). The only "cruising" either of us have ever done in the past was compliments of the U.S. Navy :). Dad is 94 and in excellent health - no walker or wheelchair. I'm a "boomer" in my early 60's. We'll be staying in a Suite on the Royal Deck. I want this to be special for Dad. We recently lost our wife/Mom and this will be a time for us to spend together. I've read all the posts on this site (after booking) regarding Avalon's European river cruises. The ratings range from "5-stars" all the way down to "I'll never sail on Avalon again" :eek:. I'm a little nervous because we've spent a ton of money booking this cruise and we're both really looking forward to it. Most of the "negative comments" seemed to focus on the "lousy food at dinner" which of course, Avalon spends many paragraphs touting to the sky. So which is it? Is the food great or does it s--k? Avalon states in the catalog that they offer "A vast menu of dining choices". Some of the comments from critics would seem to highly argue against that! The overwhelming complaint seemed to be that beef was a "scarce commodity" and when it was served, it was tough and small portions (maybe that's a good thing! :p). I guess like airline food. Everyone complained about it but complained more when they stopped serving it! There didn't seem to be any complaining about the food served at breakfast/lunch. Are those meals better? If we're in port, could we eat dinner at a nearby restaurant in town? Is a coat/tie necessary at dinner or will slacks and a sport shirt be okay? Wine and beer at dinner is listed as "complimentary" so I assume we (both of us) will be charged extra for a good (or bad) Scotch? I have read about an "all-inclusive Drink Package to be offered in 2012. Anyone know details about that? Does that mean you would pay a one-time charge in advance of the cruise and then not be charged further for individual alcoholic drinks during the cruise? Is it okay for passengers to bring their own bottle of wine (Scotch) onboard to have in their stateroom? Is ice available in the stateroom? ((sorry about all the focus on alcohol - we're really not heavy drinkers - just want to know the "rules" upfront)) Avalon advertises "well-stocked mini-bars in the deluxe staterooms and suites". Is that "for real" and is it complimentary or would you be charged for using any of it? What was the "night fare" that is supposedly served at 10:30PM. Sandwiches? Deserts? Another major topic of complaint was about the quality of coffee served. I don't understand what's so hard about serving a good cup of coffee? Do I need to bring my own instant coffee (not that that is good, but it might be better than what was served onboard) Can anyone provide more info about this? Any/all thoughts and answers would be much appreciated. Dad and I are mostly just looking forward to being together and doing a lot of the sightseeing offered.

[webfoot]

As you have found, there are many opinions about Avalon. I am one that gives them a 5 star rating ... ok, I will say, that we have never cruised any other cruise line ...

 

This is our 5th cruise coming up in April. We have been on an older ship, a new ship (Affinity ... when it was the newest ship) and the in-between.

 

We have found our trips to be outstanding. On our last cruises, my husband had a fall which left him banged up and bruised. Our CD directed the local tour guide to call for medical assistance and followed up with him once he got back to the ship. And there was no additional charge.

 

The local tours are outstanding. There are times when we do not want to go on the included tours but to do some touring on our own. The CD and the front desk always have information about where the local ATM is located, and any other needs you may have.

 

We have enjoyed the food. There is plenty of variety. In the past few years, there has been more emphasis on low fat, low calorie and low sodium foods. If you have special food requirements, talk to the person in charge of the dining room. Yes, wine flows freely at dinner. There is a happy hour where wine is 1/2 price and there is a 'drink of the day'. As I only drink wine and beer, I cannot tell you how the scotch is, but the charges for the bar aren't bad.

 

Breakfast is a buffet which has cheese, sausages, eggs, fruit, breads, hot cereal, cold cereal, made to order eggs, yogurt, etc.

 

Lunch is a buffet but there are menu items that can be ordered. We looked at the menu and saw the hamburger and snickered ... well, we found out that the hamburger was quite good. And the daily ice cream and pastries are great.

 

Dinner is 4 courses. Soup, salad, main course, and dessert. There are 4 menu choices for main courses and an additional 'standard' which has been salmon or chicken. Soups are great. Salads are different each evening. And, again, desserts are outstanding.

 

The cabins are nicely furnished and have plenty of room. Suitcases fit under the bed. This will be our first cruise where we will be in a Suite.

 

There is a mini-bar but we normally take everyting out of it and use the refrigerator for our water and sodas. I do not know how the drink package works, but I am the only one who drinks alcohol and I know that it would not be something that would benefit me.

 

Well, I am sure you will hear from others on their opinions. Just remember just because someone else likes/dislikes something that your experience and opinions will differ.

 

Enjoy the trip and relax. Let us know when you get back how you like your trip. Best wishes to you and your father.

[stretchcruz]

We loved Avalon last year, the Tranquility from Budapest to Prague. I agree with all of webfoot's comments. We loved Avalon so much that we cancelled the vacations we had booked for this year so that we could do another river cruise....April 28 from Amsterdam to Paris on the Luminary.

 

You can bring any alcohol onboard that you want, they don't care. I can't answer about the minibar in the suite because we just had a regular room. We emptied out our fridge and put some wine in it for a glass in the afternoon.

 

I have copies of all of the menus. I don't have a scanner, but if you want to email me your address I'd be glad to copy them and mail them to you so that you can see what is offered. I live in Tucson, don't know where you are in AZ. My email is dobiev at comcast dot net.

 

I wrote a review here, it's more of a travelogue actually. We truly enjoyed our Avalon experience and the river cruising. Our CD was fantastic and was a huge highlight of the trip.

 

You can certainly eat meals ashore if you want to, they'll tell you when the ship is going to leave.

 

You do not need a coat and tie. My husband did not bring one and he was in the majority. Khakis and polo shirts or sweaters are just fine. Our CD kept telling us that there was no dress code onboard.

 

I was never still awake at 10:30 for the late fare, plus I would have been too full from dinner to eat anything. In the afternoon they offer cookies and little cakes, etc.

 

I think you'll have a great time, we sure did!!

[pingpong1]

Thank you both for your quick and very informative replies. This website is just "so cool". I'm already feeling much better about our upcoming trip based upon both of your replies. Our "winter home" is "just up the road" from Tucson in Surprise, AZ. Just west of Phoenix and before I retired 5 years ago, I lived in Fairfax, VA for 30 years, so I actually have something in common with both of you. :) The meals onboard sound fine from what you've said. Neither Dad nor I are picky eaters and I'm sure we'll both probably wind up eating far more than what we should, anyway! If this trip lives up to expectations, I feel sure that my wife and I will be looking forward to going on more of them in the future together. She's "sitting this one out" so that I can accompany Dad. It's been on his "bucket list" to cruise along the Rhine for over 30 years. Thanks again.

Kelvin

[caviargal]

We have been on 4 Avalon cruises and found the food to be consistently good to very good. I am particular about food and had no complaints. It was a far cry from airline food in any cabin as it was always hot, fresh and well prepared. We found the beef to be very good when it was featured and dishes such as rack of lamb were also offered. The variety was more than adequate and having done a tour of the galley, it was amazing what they are able to produce.

 

While coffee style is a personal preference, we enjoyed the coffee in the dining room as well as the cappucino in the aft lounge.

 

Happy hour is a great deal and we do drink scotch and found the variety adequate and the prices reasonable. We sometimes bring a nice bottle of wine aboard to enjoy and there is no problem doing so, even in the dining room where they charged a small corkage.

 

We are not fans of the included tours as they are just too slow for us but most guests were very complimentary.

 

Suites are well appointed and Avalon recently upgraded their bedding. We look forward to checking it out in 2 weeks.

 

For us, river cruising is the ideal vacation with my mom, who is 80. It gives her the option to rest and enjoy the scenery and social atmosphere and we can keep up our pace and see her when we get back to the ship.

 

We do enjoy meals in town when port times allow it, more to take advantage of local cuisine than because we do not enjoy the food on the ships.

 

I am not sure where you read so many negatives but we find Avalon to be a very good river cruise line and I personally think your concerns will be put to rest soon after you are aboard.

[Paulinda]

Hi pingpong! I've only sailed on Avalon so my opinions may not be objective.....we thought the lunches and dinners were fairly good. I did have an issue with breakfast as we thought most of the breads, croissants and pastries were not up to my 'European' standards. They tasted sort of like boxed versions and not fresh. But that was ok as we avoided putting on the extra pounds.

 

In our opinion there were some standout dishes at lunch (Koln meat patties and a pork tenderloin come to mind) and dinner was usually a 4 or 5 course meal that were actually very good (if you are not too picky). Just make sure you don't overindulge in the wine as they continually fill your glass and it's easy to consume too much which will ruin your trip.

 

Perhaps our only issue was that many of the meals were not ethnic enough. When we asked our maitr'd about that he suggested we eat in port if we wanted regional dinners.

 

As far as the included tours...they are ok. Nothing special. You may want to do some homework on the ports you are stopping in and see what interests you.

 

Have a great trip with your fater!

[caviargal]

Hi pingpong! I've only sailed on Avalon so my opinions may not be objective.....we thought the lunches and dinners were fairly good. I did have an issue with breakfast as we thought most of the breads, croissants and pastries were not up to my 'European' standards. They tasted sort of like boxed versions and not fresh. But that was ok as we avoided putting on the extra pounds.

 

In our opinion there were some standout dishes at lunch (Koln meat patties and a pork tenderloin come to mind) and dinner was usually a 4 or 5 course meal that were actually very good (if you are not too picky). Just make sure you don't overindulge in the wine as they continually fill your glass and it's easy to consume too much which will ruin your trip.

 

Perhaps our only issue was that many of the meals were not ethnic enough. When we asked our maitr'd about that he suggested we eat in port if we wanted regional dinners.

 

As far as the included tours...they are ok. Nothing special. You may want to do some homework on the ports you are stopping in and see what interests you.

 

Have a great trip with your fater!

 

I agree about the breads and forgot how mediocre they were. And I agree about the lack of regional dishes.

 

The breads on our AMA cruise last month were fabulous! And the food was consistently excellent; we enjoyed some stand out local dishes.

 

Also agree about the tours and we rarely participate for this reason.

[BPCruiser]

Pingpong1,

We have been on 2 Avalon cruises, 2010 and just got back 2 weeks ago from our Danube river cruise and we have been very happy with Avalon. As most of the previous posters have noted, the food is usually good to very good. Due to water level issues this past cruise we spent time on 2 of their boats and sampled the cuisine of one of their older boats, the Tapestry as well as the brand new Panorama. Our favorite chef and cuisine so far was on our first cruise on the Affinity followed by the Tapestry. IMO, food was a bit more bland and lack luster during our 2 nights on the Panorama. Service has been wonderful on all 3 riverboats and I agree that the included port excursions can sometimes be too slow for us and are very dependent on who you have as the tour guide for that excursion. Some are better then others. We would not hesitate to cruise again with Avalon and most likely will as like most cruisers, you have a tendency to stick with whoever you get started with if it is a good experience. I would like one day to try another River Cruise line such as AMA or Tauck just to have something to compare with but I think you will be very happy with Avalon. We have met so many wonderful people on both of our cruises and been so enriched by our riverboat experiences. You do not need a Dinner Coat, dress attire is nice casual at Dinner and most evenings there was a happy hour 1hour prior to start of Dinner at 7p and there was either a drink special for the evening in the lounge or 2 for 1 drink specials. Wine and beer flow freely at Dinner. I love good coffee and have had no issues at all with the coffee in the Dining room and also enjoy the specialty coffee in the aft lounge on the Royal deck.

You should have a very memorable experience with your Father, have a great trip!

[pingpong1]

Many Thanks to all of you for posting the additional thoughts and observations. They have all been quite helpful. Two additional questions - Do the staterooms/suites usually have blow (hair) dryers in them? And also - is there a need to bring along a voltage converter (or at least a "plug converter" - European to US) or are there both 110Volt and 220Volt power points in the state rooms?

[cbb]

We cruised from Paris to Normandy; Paris to Provence in Sept-Oct 2011. We love Avalon and have also cruised from Budapest to Amsterdam. As to your question re: power converters we had both although my husband said his recollection is that there are more 220s. He thinks that at the cabin desk there is a pair of 220s and a 110. Hair dryer is available in cabin. As mentioned by others wine is free-flowing at dinner and they don't care if you bring in sacks of alcohol or cokes into your room. If your ice that your attendant has placed in the room has melted by the time you return from daily adventures, on the royal deck in the back is an ice machine as well as the coffee machine that vends a wide variety of coffees all the time. On our last two cruises it seemed that Avalon's chefs attempted to provide local favorites for lunch and dinner. There were also a couple of times that I asked for an appetizer to be my entree and that was provided with no problem. The waiter asked if I wanted "appetizer size" or "entree size" so that was nice as well. We often did our own thing but would take advantage of A's transportation to a site and then find our way back. I truly don't think that there is a great deal of difference between some of the cruise lines. Don't worry about bringing dinner clothes; the men on our cruises only wore jackets those evenings when it was cool weather. On the last 2 cruises a light lunch was also served in the main lounge so that if you or your dad aren't hungry for a "big" lunch there is soup and a variety of small sandwiches and salads available. We did that and carried it out on one of the outside decks as we were cruising--lovely!! You are going to have a wonderful time. Read these comments, mine included, as the personal opinions that they are. What you might like, someone else might not, etc.

What is important is the time you have with your dad. Take lots of pictures and frame some of them or put them in a small book for him. Enjoy!!

[Polycarp]

For those of you who have taken the Avalon Prague to Budapest route, can you tell me what hotel Avalon uses in Prague? We would like to schedule an extra night pre-cruise on our own this October.

[caviargal]

For those of you who have taken the Avalon Prague to Budapest route, can you tell me what hotel Avalon uses in Prague? We would like to schedule an extra night pre-cruise on our own this October.

 

 

The Hilton Prague (not to be confused with Hilton Old Town).

 

Pingpon, we do pack our own converter and also a power strip as we travel with ipad, cell phone and cameras.

[stretchcruz]

I was worried about the hair dryer so brought my own dual voltage that I plugged in using the converter or adapter or whatever it was (it on one end had the plug holes that you plug the US appliance into, then the other end had the two plug things that you plug into the European plugs).I bought it off of the Rick Steves site. It still got bright red and looked like it would catch on fire. I used their hair dryer and it was just fine and I have long hair. I charged my camera battery and computer using the adapter and had no problems.

 

As far as the tours are concerned, there were a few that we did not particularly enjoy, mainly because of the tour guides. They do give you a basic understanding of where you are, and give you a chance to get your bearings to explore on your own. On this trip we're going to do more research on each port, and perhaps just take the Avalon bus to wherever we are going and explore on our own sometimes. I do know that I have no interest in seeing a mechanical music box museum, which is listed on our upcoming itinerary. I also am not a shopper, so I do not appreciate extra time for shopping.

 

Caviargal, I have been trying to decide what to get for our upcoming cruise to bring mainly to download my pictures onto every day and to check my email and write a diary of my days. Last time I took my laptop and it worked fine but it is so bulky. I really don't want to lug it if I don't have to. I thought about getting a netbook but it looks like they don't hardly make them any more. My brother told me he can't download pictures onto his ipad. Could you download them on yours? What I did was every day I downloaded my pics onto my computer, but also kept them on the memory cards and in my camera, just in case one thing or the other got lost or stolen I had a backup. Do you have a suggestion? Thanks!!!

[stretchcruz]

Polycarp, we stayed at the Prague Hilton with Avalon. It was very nice, there was a pool and jacuzzi indoors and breakfast was included as well. It was very pricey. We don't need fancy, so on our next trip we're booking our own hotels and using the money saved for other things. If you want to be within walking distance of the Prague Hilton at something more reasonable, there was a Jurys on the next block (just through the shopping mall with the grocery store in it). I have no idea on what it is like or if it has good reviews, we walked past it all of the time on our way to our favorite restaurant in Prague.

[caviargal]

 

 

 

Caviargal, I have been trying to decide what to get for our upcoming cruise to bring mainly to download my pictures onto every day and to check my email and write a diary of my days. Last time I took my laptop and it worked fine but it is so bulky. I really don't want to lug it if I don't have to. I thought about getting a netbook but it looks like they don't hardly make them any more. My brother told me he can't download pictures onto his ipad. Could you download them on yours? What I did was every day I downloaded my pics onto my computer, but also kept them on the memory cards and in my camera, just in case one thing or the other got lost or stolen I had a backup. Do you have a suggestion? Thanks!!!

 

My husband is a professional photographer and shoots with 3 Canon cameras. I bought an adapter made by Apple for cameras that is very small (like a plug) and he downloads straight to my ipad, fast and easy; and the photos remain on his memory card so he can download to his big computer when we get back home. It worked perfectly! It was great to be able to check out our photos at the end of the day. I got mine at BestBuy when I got my ipad.

 

I have a netbook but have not touched it since I got my ipad. The ipad is simply great for travel and I can run my business as well as keep in touch with family and friends while traveling. If there is something the ipad cannot do, I use the ship's computers to get that done but it is quite rare that happens. And now that I have figured out how to download library books for free, I can leave the Kindle at home as well.

[stretchcruz]

Thanks so much, I'll check out the Ipad and adapter.

[cbb]

We've traveled with a small laptop for years and and at the end of each day, or sometimes at lunch, my husband, using the memory cards from our Nikon D90s saves it to the laptop. In 2011 Avalon had a E15 internet deal for the entire trip which was great; I understand that is to be complimentary in 2012.

Traveling with the laptop was great because we too could keep in touch with home and current events.

[stretchcruz]

cbb, that was my original thought. We've always brought my laptop but it's 17 inches and bulky. So then I thought of a netbook because it's small, but they are hard to find anymore. So maybe the ipad. I'll figure it out!

[Langoustine]

I thought of a netbook because it's small, but they are hard to find anymore.

 

You need to try B&H Photo here in NYC. They have a large selection of netbooks in all price ranges, and they will ship anywhere. It's a great store, selling every piece of photo and video equipment you could ever want, and they're very reliable. Their website is: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Netbooks/ci/16049/N/4289362933

[cbb]

You know how, when you were a kid, you would sit with the toy catalog and think "I'd like that one", "ooh, I want that", etc? That is what my husband thinks with the B&H catalog! He helped an Aussie lady store her pix on her laptop and then she could reuse her card because she forgot to buy extras. In Vienna she was able to find a store that would sell her extras plus a battery charger. We ran into some signal problems in our room so we simply took the laptop down to their computer terminal area and then it worked great. Sharing the ship's terminals didn't seem to be a problem for most of the guests. Since many of the ports do not seem to have many internet cafes anymore it is great that Avalon is providing free internet next year.

[caviargal]

Just my opinion as a techie geek, I would not invest in a netbook. Mine is a top of the line model that I have had for three years. I added memory as they are not very fast and it is still slow for my needs.

 

The reason there are not a lot out there these days is that they are already old news and no company is putting money into them. And the performance, convenience and flexibility simply cannot compare to the ipad. It is incredibly intuitive, very fast, hold a charge for many hours and I can slip it in my purse. I read magazines, newspapers and books on it. DH watches videos. It really just does it all, except for supporting flash apps.

 

I have 4 computers sitting here as I type this. A big desktop I use for business, my beloved MacBook Pro, my netbook (which is now a dust collector) and my ipad.

 

I would invest in the more current technology and not in a netbook which IMO was a short life cycle product. JMHO.

[stretchcruz]

Thanks for the website!!

[BPCruiser]

I whole heartedly agree with Caviargal, the iPad is a great choice! I used mine while overseas in Ireland in June and on this most recent Avalon cruise on the Danube and it was just perfect. We had free wifi on the ship..... they will give you a password at the reception desk. Sometimes reception along the river while cruising in remote areas was spotty but was always great while in port. I have the iPad2 and like Caviargal, purchased the iPad Camera connection kit from Best Buy for $30.00 and it allows us to transfer our pictures directly from our Sony Cybershot camera to the iPad. It was a perfect size to travel with in my purse and we frequently made stops in port towns at coffee shops that offered free wifi if you purchased coffee or hot chocolate. They were easily accessible in most cities like Budapest, Prague, Salzburg and Vienna. It is a great traveling companion! Also was nice to rent movies from Itunes on the iPad to watch on the long overseas flight. I cannot say enough about how much I love my iPad, especially for traveling.:D

[caviargal]

My ipad also lets me call home using Skype Mobile for just cents a minute. When the signal was good, the call quality was as well. I never turned on my iphone.

[QueenofEverything]

Is there enough storage space on an ipad? I take LOTS of pics.