Avalon tours?

[azkitty]

:confused:We just received our packet for our Avalon cruise tour starting June 5 in Prague going to Budapest on the Tranquility. They sent us both very nice bags with ID tag enclosures, etc. but I am confused. They seemed to have a lot of optional tours in almost every port, the type that is extra $$. I thought most tours would be included except for a few specials. I didn't see much on what tours are included. Has anyone done a cruise with Avalon/Globus and do you know what they include? When we take an ocean cruise, I go online ahead of time and arrange our own tours, which end up being better and much cheaper. Should I and do I need to do the same with this Avalon cruise? We are not into long tours but like to see the highlights and area. A half day tour is fine with us because we like strolling by ourselves and window shopping.

[cruisetraveler44]

We just returned from an Avalon cruise and have also taken the larger ocean cruises as well and understand where you are coming from on the optional tours but the optional tours on a river cruise are different. You do get tours included with your Avalon cruise, those are generally in the morning and only last until lunch time. I don't know what your cruise itinerary is like but we had morning tours included and were back on board the vessell in time for lunch and then the afternoon tour was done after lunch and we were back in time for dinner. You are not required to take any of the tours even the included free tours but you are missing on alot of the trip if you don't go. We went on just about every tour offerred and saw so much. The tours were excellent because when you pulled into a port a local tour guide joins you for your tour and has so much knowledge of just the area you are seeing it is unbelievable! Another nice feature with an Avalon cruise and I'm sure with many others is that when you are on many of these tours you are given a hearing device similar to an Ipod and the tour guide has a microphone that he speaks into so that you never miss out on what he has to say. You can be looking at all the sights and taking pictures and you don't miss anything. The only problem is those devices work even at 100 feet away so if you are busy looking around and taking pictures like I was you might lose your group in the crowd. Also the prices of the optional tours weren't that pricey, I've seen much higher rates on the big ocean cruises. I think our most expensive tour was $58.00 each with most of them between $25 - 35.00 each. Go and have a great time, take in the sights, who knows when you will be in that part of the world again.

[dessertcruiser]

azkitty,

 

We are doing the same itinerary on Artistry arriving Prague on June 11. The book provided by Globus/Avalon with out cruise docs is a little misleading. It lists the optional afternoon tours but does not mention the morning tours at all. The Globus brochure Lists a variety of included features, such as "guided sightseeing" and Hradcany Castle in Prague, guided sightseeing in Nuremberg, guided sightseeing and a visit to the Old Chapel in Regensburg, guided sightseeing in Passau, a guided visit to the Benedictine Abbey in Melk, guided sightseeing in Vienna, and finally, guided sightseeing and a visit to Fisherman's Bastion in Budapest.

 

This will be our first river cruise, but two years ago we did a land tour of Italy with Globus. The land tour followed pretty much the same format. Included tours in the morning, and optional tours in the afternoon or evening.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Have a great trip, Rick