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Queen of my Heart

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  1. Hi. Yes, the Avalon cruise that I went on was, I think, very unusual in the small numbers aboard, which meant it was impossible for a person on their own to get lost in the crowd. I have travelled now with four different river cruise companies but not found that any of them did anything specifically for solo travellers, such as a meet and greet at the beginning, seating all solos together for dinner on the first night. You are left to find your feet pretty much by yourself, which can be daunting when so many on board are in couples or larger groups. I have been on river cruises which are advertised as being for solo travellers only but found that a large majority of passengers were taking advantage of the double cabin for single price to travel with a friend, sister, mother, etc. Very few were travelling completely alone. If you are a confident person who is comfortable engaging with a range of people and possibly needing to keep introducing yourself to new people, asking to join a couple or more at mealtimes etc., OR are perfectly happy to do your own thing, be friendly when approached but not necessarily seeking out company, then all should be well. For myself, being something of an introvert, by the end of a week I find that I am feeling my widowhood even more acutely and am ready to return home.
  2. Hi. No, I was on the van Gogh on the Rhône. I've had a swift look at the deck plans and there seems to be a similar layout. I found that the access to the restaurant at the back of the shop meant that everyone had to walk past the cabins on that deck as they went to and fro. In consequence, it could be noisy.
  3. Hi. I do apologise for not replying sooner but I've not been looking at the CC boards recently. Sadly, I think I'm coming to the end of my riverine hols so only check into the site occasionally. I hope I'm not too late to contribute to your planning. I have found one menu and checked my Avalon account to see if they are lurking there but without any luck. I have tried to attach below the one that I found - if it doesn't load do let me know and I will find another way to get it to you. Avalon are indeed accommodating but I think vegan might be more challenging for them, though as it is becoming more mninstream now I'm sure they are now accustomed. Joanne Day_2_Dinner_Menu[651]-1.pdf
  4. Hi. I've given the original poster some details but I suppose it boiled down to staff attitude and helpfulness when there was a problem. The food was poor quality and cabins pretty basic. Admittedly it was in 2021 when covid was raging but I was deeply unimpressed with CE and the British contracting river cruise company.
  5. Hi. I am sending you a separate message via email. Joanne
  6. I have been on a Croisi Europe ship in France that was chartered to another company. All the crew were CE but the Cruise Directing staff were from the contracting company. I can honestly say that, based on my experience, I wouldn't touch either with a bargepole again. I'm not sure how much more I should say in an open forum such as this.
  7. I have done river cruises in France (Seine and Rhone) as well as the Danube and Rhine with Riviera (about six in all). Their ships are comfortable and well maintained without being at the luxury end of the market. The food is pretty good, especially the buffets, and drinks not too highly priced. They are generally well-organised and cope well with unexpected changes to itinerary, passenger mishaps, lost property etc. Prices appear to have risen quite substantially post-Covid, but they're not alone in that. Their range of cruises isn't as extensive as other cruise lines and they don't generally offer multiple options for excursions at each stopping-off point. So you either accept what's on offer or do your own thing (if that's feasible, depending on the mooring location). The cruises are aimed squarely at the British market, (hence the kettles in the cabins!), and passengers mainly 60plus but active. Riviera do offer shoulder season "solo traveller" cruises where everyone gets a double cabin for no-supplement price, which is a good deal if you don't mind travelling in early spring or mid/late autumn. Be aware though that a fairly high percentage of the "solo travellers" seem to be two friends, sisters, mother & daughter, brothers etc travelling together, rather than people who are completely on their own. So the vibe isn't that different from a standard cruise, just fewer people on it.
  8. I think you should ask for a discount from Avalon for your next cruise with them. Having read your trip report, I have just booked to go on this!
  9. Hi. Tbh I can't really recall, but it can be unpredictable as the captain makes decisions based on lock traffic, water depth and other changeable factors. That said, things wont change at very short notice (i.e. a few hours) and you are likely to know by the morning whether there will be port time after dinner, but I wouldn't like to rely on being certain of being able to be able to hop on and off at any given location. I've never done an ocean cruise but understand that port arrivals/departures are pretty much set in stone well in advance. River crusing isn't really like that.
  10. Hi. I'm sorry, I don't know. I don't drink alcohol so it's not something that I ever look at. it's worth sending them an email about it, though. I always found that they replied very quickly.
  11. Budapest: yes, 30-45 minutes from river to airport. They will want you to vacate your cabin by 09:00 but will be able to leave your luggage in the reception until you leave for the airport. They will normally arrange for your coach/taxi about 3 hours before flight departure so will probably book it for somewhere between 11:30 and 12:00. You will be able to use the lounge or to wander off for a last look at the city. If you're into coffee and cake do not miss Cafe Gerbeaud in Budapest. Absolutely marvellous. Coffee, cakes and ambience. Vienna: Agree with fellow contributors about cake and coffee shops but would also add in Cafe Diglas on Wollzeile (5 minutes from St Stephan's Cathedral). It was recommended to me by our guide and does a mean strudel and a heavenly thick goulash soup which was perfect for lunch in midwinter but maybe not so much on a hot day. I ventured onto the trams to get around the city, which was very easy once I had found out where to buy tickets for it and mastered the validation system. I didn't do any of the optional tours as I found the standard ones as much as I wanted. People did speak highly of the Salzburg (if you're into Mozart and/or SofM) and Cesky Krumlov day trips. The town/city tours were my preferred ones; there isn't a great deal to see at Durnstein and Melk Abbey just doesn't do it for me as I'm not heavily into ecclesiastical architecture/history. My favourites are always going to be the Main towns - Nurnberg, Regensburg, Wurzburg etc etc. I can't get anough of them.
  12. Has anyone out there done the Pacific Coast San Diego to Vancouver cruise? How did you find it? Any thoughts - good, bad or indifferent?
  13. Good to know about there being other solo travellers. There are usually a handful or so, especially if there has been a special offer of reduced or no single supplements. I can find it daunting to be continually initiating conversations, seeking out dining companions. Secret squirrel means something only known to the initiated, usually in a clique or some other closed group. At least, that's what it means to my generation. I understand that it means something quite different to much younger people😳 Love your avatra, btw. Gorgeous cat!
  14. Yes, that was what I thought but sometimes there are other offers e.g. for previous clients etc.
  15. Hi. When you mention solo specials do you mean the Single Occupancy Solo Traveller savings? If not, is there some special Secret Squirrel offer that I haven't yet found??
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