Daisi

Did you book your flights through Avalon? If you did, they should include transfers to the hotel. We didn't use the Avalon transfers last time, but I have heard that someone will be waiting for you when you leave the area where you collect your luggage. Not sure which direction you are going on on the Rhine, but don't worry, every is fairly fluent with English. We actually had a good laugh in Amsterdam, as the first "billboard" we saw when we got off the tram to go downtown was for The Bay, what used to be one of the largest department stores in Canada. 🙂

So am I reading this correct? If my USB chargers are rated the 110-240V, all I need are the plug adaptors to use them in Europe? Not a converter to plug them into? That will save a lot of weight, as I have a converter that takes 3 plugs & has 6 USB ports. We only need to recharge our "toys" - phones, tablets & camera which are all USB.

Uniworld may not have as many ships out this year, so can't run one from each end like other lines. That is what is usually done, one sails up, the other sails down, and they "meet" in the low water level to swap passengers. Rain can change things quickly, so most lines will "hold their breath" hoping that the forecasted weather holds. If they can just get enough to go by, they will.

My "home from home".

Appreciate your review, I feel you have been honest, being negative where needed, positive where you've enjoyed yourselves. I guess everyone is having staffing issues these days, but the comment you made about your cabin attendant appreciating Viking's treatment of staff is one that I have heard about from a number of river cruise staff who came from the larger Ocean liners. I guess the smaller the crew, the more personal it is, so they tend to look after each other. Don't worry about Sydney, not many cities on the east coast of Canada actually qualify as a "defined" city population wise, but hey, we have to recognise the larger areas as something, so cities they are. PEI proudly claims 2 cities, but the whole province is only about 168,000. 🙂

Lol at the "Way out there" comment, as someone who spends a lot of time on the East Coast, I'll have you know Sydney is a large city! 🙂 They do have an airport, with flights coming in from Toronto, Montreal & Halifax. It's called the J.A. Douglas McCurdy. I would also suggest flying into Charlottetown, but then you would have to rent a car to drive over, and finding a rental on the East Coast is rarer than finding a flight that doesn't get re-routed, cancelled or delayed. Good luck.

Some lines don't care for shorts in the dining room for dinner, but I would say they might make exceptions when it's hot like it is there now. For men, a golf shirt & light weight pants is fine, and for women, a nice top & capris work well. I had a light sweater to wear over my sleeveless tops, just in case I found the A/C cool, think I wore it once or twice. A/C was fine on our cruise, and never really needed it. I have great sandals for both walking and that work for dinner. We were on Avalon, most just dressed for a nice casual dinner out, nothing fancy (can't remember seeing anyone with a dress or skirt, but if you are more comfortable in one, it won't be out of place....as long as it's not a formal one 🙂), but neat. One guy did wear t-shirts that had stuff printed on them, but it didn't take anyone's pleasure of the great food away.

Avalon ships have 2 levels, split by about 5 steps, so not sure if that's enough.

One big thing is Avalon and most other lines are a standard 90 day final payment, whereas Viking will require payment at least 180 days prior to sailing. Most seem to say 1 year in advance. I'm not sure exactly how long after booking you need to do final payment, but it's well in advance of most other lines.

@pontacthat is a fantastic way to describe the main difference between ocean and river cruises!

Welcome @waylandertoo, may I suggest you read over the articles at the top of the main page to get an idea about what river cruising is all about. Also, if you don't have a TA, try to find one whom you are comfortable with, as their experience can be invaluable. As for ages on cruises, I've seen everything from a family travelling to celebrate their daughter going to Uni (so 2 girls 20-18 or so), another couple in their mid 20's, some in their 40's, 50's and older. Don't be afraid about the older ones slowing you down, some of the seniors on our cruise were extremely active and off doing everything. As long as you can be sociable, don't worry about the party. Most entertainment for the evening is a piano player, some dance, but most just sit and chat with new friends. A typical day runs from breakfast around 7:00, out for a morning tour from about 8:30 - 11:30, back for lunch, and back out for another tour if you wish from about 1:00 - 3:30 or 4:00. Time to freshen up, head up to the lounge for a refreshing drink and the port talk for the next day, then down to dinner which is a little longer, figure close to 2 hours. After that, you can go back to the lounge to chat, or to your cabin to catch up on the news from home. Yes, most sailing is done at night, except if there is a good distance between ports - Amsterdam to Cologne, Budapest to Vienna - or a scenic area. River cruises are heavily geared to learning about the history of the ports you go to, over spending time in the ship. Think of the ship as your floating hotel that follows you along the river. Usually time in ports is 3-4 hours. The guided tours will usually give you an hour or so after to wander, shop or enjoy a bit of time at a local cafe in the square. You can take the tours (most lines have at least 1 included tour a day), or if you know the area or are comfortable going on your own, you can split off and tour on your own. Just let the CD know so you can make sure to know when to be back to the meeting area to get back to the ship. There are some ports where you will be there all day, but there are also lots that you set sail during lunch to have another new port for the afternoon. Pick you budget, then where you wish to cruise, and the length of time you can travel. It's recommended (but not necessary) to add on at least 1 day prior to your cruise just in case you miss a connection, or your luggage does. Coming from the UK, you probably won't need it to get over your jet lag, but it can be a nice way to relax and start your trip. The most important thing you can do is ask questions. The more you know of what to expect, the more you will enjoy your trip.

I'll second @Kenster's comment about messaging Avalon direct through Facebook. They do respond, it may take a bit, but you have something in writing to keep track of. Usually only a 24 hr max response. If you have any record of your sent e-mails to the TA, then you can possibly use that to show you aren't getting any solution. I wish you luck, circumstances can really mess things up.

No, they don't work. I think you have to download them onto your phone or device, then upload them through the "choose files" link below. Thanks anyway, glad you had a great trip, eagerly looking forward to ours next year.

We have a while to go, and I will make sure we have contact #"s in case they do miss us. I'm hoping by next year the flights will be sorted so no major delays, as we will have a change over in Amsterdam. If you left around 6:00, I'll continue my plans for the night time cruise, as it will still be light around then. Thanks for the heads up.

Thanks. We want to do the 2 tours that day, so will be going back probably to Vienna on another trip. I knew there was a full day of cruising just about to go from Budapest to Vienna, and another afternoon for the Wachau Valley. Those are the days we call "danger days" as we are onboard for that afternoon tea! Did you leave Budapest in the evening? We will be sailing in mid-Sept, so just wondering if we should get our own evening cruise or if the ship leaves with time for pictures. It will be a busy day the one full day in Budapest - morning tour, Parliament Buildings and evening cruise, but it will hopefully be good. Thanks for the updates, hope you are having a great time.

I guess I'm one of the "digital" ones, I haven't used a map for years. We do a lot of driving on our holidays, it's so much nicer to be able to actually see the scenery rather than having my head buried in a map trying to make sure we get the right turning, or if a road is closed. Of course, we don't travel highways, so it's not like saying take this exit or that, we are looking for a small street sign hidden in a tree. Loved using it in Amsterdam an Einkhuisen as well, just pinned where we had to end up, and wandered at our will. So much easier than trying to find out where you are. For the dailies, I wonder how many end up in the garbage? I don't mind them on my phone, and I hear that city guides, maps etc will all be available in the app that won't require wifi, so anyone can use it. I also hear that there is a place to mark where you take pictures, so it's easier to know what was what when you get home. You can print out anything you wish once you get home as a memory, or just delete it off your phone. I like that idea.

As @pontacmentioned there are valuable post "stickies' on the top of the main page that help first time cruisers. Once you have your itinerary set, you and a TA can figure out what line is best for you timewise and budget wise. A good TA is invaluable, as they do all the leg work for free, and you can just let them know what you want.

Don't worry, I know the feeling! I am going to try to live post once we get our cruise next year, but I never learned how to 1 finger type, so typing on a tablet is difficult for me.

Glad you made it ok Queen of my Heart, and are enjoying it. Unfortunately, the menu's are unavailable, I guess they didn't load correctly. That's ok, as long as the food is good, I'm sure we will enjoy it. 20 passengers must make a very open cruise. I hope they are all good to get along with, you don't need one bad apple to spoil things with that few. Looking forward to hearing more about your trip, have fun.

@notamermaid, I'm not sure Avalon does "travel documents" anymore. They are very much into environmental policies, and use an app for all their paper work. I hope Queen of my Heart feels they are informing her of what is going on, from others I hear from other boards, Avalon is very good for helping it's clients. I know I usually get a response back within 24 hrs. when I message them. They are even purchasing trees to offset air travel for those who book their flights through them, and have eliminated a lot of plastic. Here's a link to explain what they are doing: https://www.avalonwaterways.ca/why-avalon/cares/

Just wanting to wish you a great sailing @Queen of my Heart.

No testing required for Avalon, only proof of vaccination.

I am surprised that there are so few cabins booked, but then better for you possibly....although I can't see them splitting into gentle walker tours unless necessary. Enjoy the cruise!

I took this picture from our Rhine cruise. Our cabin was on the middle level, to give you an idea as to how high we were over the water. You know how large swans are, and these ones were at the next cabin, so not really that far away. It may give you an idea as to how close you will be from the water - if you choose a cabin on the 3rd level, you are 1 level higher. Our dining room was about 6 steps down (about 1/2 between the 1st and 2nd level), but you can easily seat yourself so you aren't looking out on the water.

Nope 🙂 I go in and choose my suite. Click on Dates & Prices, then Reserve Now. Once past the initial page, you will see how many cabins are booked. I usually guess 2 guests per cabin, some will be solo, but at least it gives a rough estimate. Here's our Sept 2023 cruise : https://booking.avalonwaterways.ca/book-vacation/?step=2