Avalon vs Viking. My opinion

[mhb1757]

We have done 3 river cruises with Viking. Just returned from 10 days with Avalon on the Danube and in Prague. First I should say that we have always had good experiences with Viking, I know not everyone here has had the same experiences with them but we have. I booked this trip with Avalon about a year ago when they were having a fire sale (1/2 price on cruise fares that was combinable with the free air promotion they were running at the time), so we ended up paying less than half of what it would have cost to do the same trip with Viking.

This was a girls trip (my sister and I and my 2 daughters that are in their mid20’s).

AIR: We always use the Viking custom air option (for $50/pp) and pick our flights, have them ticketed early and then select seats or upgrade with the airline. Avalon does not offer this option and we had no choice in our flights at all (maybe because it was free air?) but our flights, while not horrendous weren’t that great either, we couldn’t pick seats in advance for the outbound flights so we were in the last 2 rows. So I’d give Viking Air the top rating here.

 

PRE CRUISEWe had 2 nights in Prague pre-cruise. We were at the Intercontinental which had a great location and was a nice hotel. We haven’t ever done a Viking extension so I can’t compare but We were very happy with Avalon’s arrangements.

 

TRANSFERS: Both did a nice job with airport pick up and transfers. Viking did have a rep waiting at the airport to help you check in for your return flight home. I never felt like we needed this too much but it would be helpful for some of the older travelers. Avalon did not provide this service.

 

CABINS: Avalon noses ahead here. The lower level cabins definitely have more square feet on Avalon and the extra floor space was nice. However the design is essentially the same on both lines. Plenty of storage space on both. Our beds on Avalon were pretty worn out and not very comfortable but I suspect they will be replaced over the off season.

 

SHIP: Aside from some minor differences in decor the ship layouts are quite similar. Both very pleasant. Avalon does have a strangely located lounge at the very rear of the ship which is the only place you can get coffee drinks or snacks 24/7. However on our cruise this area had been commandeered by a large (and rowdy) group of a Thai passengers and it was made clear that others were not welcome... that was not Avalon’s fault however.

 

SERVICE: Cabin service was excellent on both lines. Dining service on Viking in our experience has always been excellent and at times exceptional. On Avalon it ranged from OK to poor. We learned which sections to avoid by the time the week was over but if you wanted your water glass refilled or another coke or glass of wine you were pretty much out of luck. 3 mornings one of us ordered something off the menu (vs buffet) and two of those times the food never came and the 3rd time the waffle came as we were leaving.

 

FOOD: The quality was good on both. We always enjoyed our meals. Viking offered more choices, especially at breakfast and lunch. The lounge buffet on Avalon had more choices than the Aquavit on Viking. We also liked the cake and coffee time on Avalon and really enjoyed their tasting menu in the lounge one night. The food and service there were quite good. We also liked that Avalon used almost all local wines.

 

EXCURSIONS: We felt that Viking tour guides were usually a bit better than Avalon on the included excursions, although we had excellent guides with Avalon on our optional excursions. Tour groups seemed larger on Avalon and they all left the ship at the same time and followed the same route so tours were always congested. Viking wins on that one.

 

OVERALL: We would be happy to travel with either company in the future. If itinerary and price were equal I’d probably go with Viking. They have mastered the small things better I would not hesitate to do another Avalon cruise if the price was right or they had an itinerary I preferred.

[suspaul]

Interesting comparison, thanks for sharing. We too have done many cruises with Viking, 8 river, and 2 with Avalon, there are definitely differences. Which Avalon ship were you on? Just curious.

 

 

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[mhb1757]

Interesting comparison, thanks for sharing. We too have done many cruises with Viking, 8 river, and 2 with Avalon, there are definitely differences. Which Avalon ship were you on? Just curious.

 

 

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We were on the Expression.

[nordski]

Really appreciate the time you have taken for an informative comparison.

 

We keep checking on Avalon, and soon will be back on Viking.

 

 

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[suspaul]

Thanks mhb1757

 

 

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