Avalon Waterways

The Avalon Illumination was struck by a cargo vessel near Duisburg, Germany on the Rhine the evening of October 1.  While there were no major injuries to guests or crew, local emergency response was dispatched to the ship along with Avalon representatives to assist with the care and attention of our guests and crew.  Some guests received medical attention for minor injuries and have returned to the ship to continue their cruise.  The ship did not sustain any significant damage and has resumed sailing to complete her itinerary.

-Avalon Waterways

Hi Avalon Waterways!

Such a kind response and yes, it must upset you too to see conditions deteriorate to such a degree!

We are booked on the WARZ at the end of the month and I have been tracking the Artistry, thinking there is no way it’ll make it to Basel on time. Is it still stuck in Linz?

Let’s hope the coming days of rains will bring some relief, but the water is still incredibly low all over. Cologne 1m! That’s crazy.

This is quite anxiety inducing, because we are so excited to travel with you!

I guess time will tell and I’ll be making a few calls tomorrow! Thanks again for being such gracious hosts! We are still hopeful!!! 😎

Hi Jupiter14,

A great fact about rivers: They ebb and flow. We very much hope to see more "flow" in the coming days and weeks, in anticipation for your vacation with us. As we all know by now, things can changes (sometimes significantly) in just one day and certainly from week-to-week. As your departure date nears, we should have more information. Of course you're welcome to reach out to us directly then - or any time. Wishing you all the best!

Received a call from a friend who was booked on Avalon next week and received a call from their TA that the trip was cancelled. Talk about a bummer.

So sorry to disappoint your friend, mskaufman ... We're disappointed too, but due to low waters, we made the difficult decision to proactively cancel two upcoming cruises: WBN 80812T/WBN0 80814T aboard the Avalon Vista and WZRA 80813 aboard the Avalon Artistry II. Unfortunately, given the current conditions, these ships will not arrive to their intended departure destinations in time to operate these scheduled cruises. And, knowing our guests want to enjoy every moment of their vacation, we didn’t feel we could fulfill that expectation on these two departures.

We are contacting all guests scheduled to depart on these itineraries (and the travel agents who booked them) to offer them options, including a full refund plus a future cruise credit.

For travelers reading this thread ... If you are booked with Avalon Waterways on one of these specific departures or have questions or concerns about your upcoming vacation, we invite you to contact your travel agent or call us directly at 866.397.6593 or email traveleradvisory@globusfamily.com (our U.S. office hours are Monday through Friday, 6 AM to 6 PM MT and Saturday, 7 AM to 3:30 PM MT). We would be happy to address your individual concerns and/or answer any questions you may have, one-on-one.

Thanks!

I just got home on Monday night from cruising on Avalon Expression .... Budapest to Prague.

When we got to our hotel in Budapest there was a "M & G " with the Cruise Director.

We had already been informed before leaving that we would spend one night on the Avalon Panorama leaving Budapest and get on the original ship the next day . She then said that we would all be compensated $200 pp to our charge card and currency used when booking this cruise.

We were supposed to have the day sailing but because of low water levels we would be stopping in Pratislava and have a free tour and lunch on them. We then boarded buses to Vienna and boarded our original ship there and spent the night in Vienna.

We had the whole day in Vienna which was nice and didn't leave till 10:30 that night.

 

Then because of very low water and all the ships stuck in Passau we instead went to Linz Austria and they gave us free tours to either Cesky Krumlov or Salzburg. Those that had pre-paid got cash refunds.

 

spent the next day in Passau .

Because the water levels were so low we couldn't get to Nuremburg. They bused us to Regensburg and we were given free lunch vouchers. The people that weren't doing the extra days in Prague were going to be bused to Nuremberg and put up in the Le Meridien Grand Hotel with dinner / breakfast included..

We stayed the night in Passau and then were bused to Prague for our 3 day stay there.

 

All in all I think that Avalon did a great job in keeping us informed and keeping the low river impact to a minimum. They had a meeting every night just before dinner to let us know what was going to happen the next day.

I didn't hear a lot of complaining from fellow passengers. All we really missed was the day of cruising but I think the $200 pp refund was more than enough compensation. There were 10 of us traveling and we all thought the whole package that Avalon offers was "top notch" They were pro-active and we didn't get stuck in Passau with 50 other ships and had a lovely day in Linz instead. Those tours they gave us were all around Euro's pp so that was much appreciated.

I wouldn't hesitate to suggest or book another Avalon cruise. In fact we were all talking about maybe next yr.

Thank you so much for sailing with us.

It's true ... Sometimes Mother Nature gets in the way of water levels. But when Mother Nature doesn’t rise to the occasion, we do our best to step in to ensure our travelers enjoy every moment of their vacation, even with itinerary changes here and there. Some changes include ship swaps, other times we offer complimentary excursions in exchange for missed sailing moments. In short, we always do our best to do right by our guests.

We are making advanced calls to guests whose itineraries we know will experience low waters, affecting docking locations and more. In the meantime, we are training our team in the latest rain dances to inspire Mother Nature to step up her rain game.

Should others have questions or concerns about an upcoming Danube River cruise, feel free to reach out to your travel agent directly or contact our team at TravelerServices@GlobusFamily.com or 877.333.3920.

We are on the July 5 Avalon sailing from Zurich to Vienna. "Upper Rhine to City of Music: WZV 705. That's six days from now. We have not received our cruise documents packet. I know they do e-documents now but on our previous two Avalon cruises we received a packet in the mail containing docs, bag tags, airport transfer info, etc.

 

 

We have not even been told where the meeting place is or where to meet our transfer from airport to the meeting place or ship?

 

 

Anyone else in this bind?

Kenster-

We are so pleased you are traveling with Avalon Waterways. We would like to remedy this situation for you quickly but require your contact details. Can you please call us at 877-245-6287 or email consumervacations@globusfamily.com so we can ensure you receive your documents ASAP. Thank you!!

First and foremost, we are really grateful to those who have taken advantage of and enjoyed our special promotion. THANK YOU! Unfortunately, sometimes, creating really amazing air deals comes with restrictions and conditions on ticketing.

We saw this post this morning and have gotten in touch with the OP, first-hand, to resolve the issue.

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season and very happy travels in the New Year!

Pelago, while we know you were not an Avalon Waterways guest aboard the Amazon Discovery - and, as you mentioned, the ship is owned and operated by Delfin - we offer our most sincere apologies for what you experienced.

We can only speak specifically and personally to what we offered Avalon guests who were on this cruise. Our offerings included providing on-site trauma counseling (as well as follow-up support once home, as needed), arrangements for immediate travel home, travel stipends and reimbursement for the vacation. We are also working directly with Delfin on the reimbursement of our guests' stolen goods and will fund those reimbursements directly and immediately to expedite the process (understanding that all can be reimbursed but some things taken will never be replaced).

While we have continued personal communication with Avalon Waterways travelers, we understand further inquiries for this incident can be directed to Delfin Amazon Cruises at sales@delfinamazoncruises.com.

In the meantime, below is an industry statement Delfin offered last week. Perhaps it will help showcase what’s being done for future Amazon cruisers:

Delfin Amazon Cruises Industry Statement – Wednesday, July 20th

Following an incident of robbery onboard the Amazon Discovery early the morning of Thursday, July 14th, 2016, Delfin Amazon Cruises has worked tirelessly to implement heightened security measures onboard all of its vessels and ensure the safety of its guests on current and future cruises.

All three of Delfin Amazon Cruises’ vessels are now being protected by members of Peru’s National Police, who will be stationed onboard and performing surveillance at all times. This security measure will remain in effect indefinitely and is being implemented with the support of MINCETUR, Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Commerce and Tourism. These Police Officers will not wear their regular police uniforms. They will be dressed as regular Amazon Discovery crew.

“MINCETUR, by way of the Tourist Protection Network and in collaboration with the Defense and Interior Ministries, has taken the necessary measures through the Peruvian Navy and National Police to ensure the normal development of tourist activities in the Amazon River and to avoid the occurrence of similar acts,” said Magali Silva Velarde-Álvarez, Peruvian Minister of Foreign Commerce and Tourism.

In addition, Delfin Amazon Cruises is implementing the installation of a laser alarm system to further enhance security on all of its vessels. The system will automatically trigger an alarm in the event that any solid mass of more than 150 pounds crosses the vessel side limits. These additional security measures will be complemented by additional training and safety sessions provided to all Delfin Amazon Cruises staff members.

Members of the Peruvian National Police and Coast Guard continue their investigation and search to apprehend responsible parties after last week’s robbery. All guests who were onboard the vessel at the time have returned home safely and all of Delfin Amazon Cruises’ vessels are continuing to depart as scheduled.

“This isolated incident is the first in the company’s ten years of cruising the Amazon and is not reflective of the Amazon region today, which continues to be an increasingly desirable destination for visitors,” said Aldo Macchiavello, Delfin Amazon Cruises Founder & CEO. “As such, we have continued all departures as planned and are confident our guests will have a safe and enjoyable cruising experience.”

Delfin Amazon Cruises is deeply grateful for the continued commitment and professionalism of its staff members, who have enabled the company to continue operations as scheduled. After Thursday’s incident, nearly all Amazon Discovery staff members embarked upon the vessel for the following departure date on Saturday, July 16, including the ship’s captain.

The commitment of each and every staff member has continued to provide a stellar river cruising experience along the Peruvian Amazon. Delfin Amazon Cruises recently received the following feedback from a passenger who traveled with the Amazon Discovery on its July 16 cruise:

“Cruising the Amazon River this past Saturday onboard the Amazon Discovery was truly a remarkable experience. We were very impressed with how the Amazon Discovery crew handled the recent unfortunate events in the area. They were very professional and we felt safe and comfortable. We know these types of situations can happen anywhere and definitely does not speak for the Amazon. The Amazon as a destination is not one to be missed. We are looking forward to returning and spending more time in the Peruvian Amazon.”

For further inquiries, please e-mail Delfin Amazon Cruises’ sales team at sales@delfinamazoncruises.com.

Hi Stancar-

Our thoughts are with you and your wife. We wish her a speedy recovery.

While we are responding from our U.S. office, we will share your disappointment with our Australia team. We invite you to reach out to them directly at clientrelations@globus.com.au or +61(02)8259-1146.

Thank you,

Avalon Waterways

Thanks Avalon!

Now can you promise me a great time on the Avalon Vista WBA908. I'm getting very nervous about a ship swap or cancellation.

Bruce

gentlemancruiser: We can promise we will give you our very best!! Generally, waters have risen and temperatures are cooler. We can only imagine that trend will continue over the next month. We look forward to sailing with you!

xpcdoojk and JVilleGal-

We're so happy you're sailing with us.

xpcdoojk-

We can't promise much when it comes to other ships and/or Mother Nature, but we can promise this cargo ship blockage will be clear well before your cruise in a few months. (smile)

We very much look forward to welcoming you both aboard!

Cruise Change Alert – August 11, 2015:

Yesterday, we received news from the German River Authorities that a cargo ship remains stuck, blocking a portion of the Danube River (near Deggendorf). The cargo ship will be rescued and removed later this week.

As was previously posted, given this situation, we have had to alter the Central European Experience – Westbound (WNR 0811) cruise departure scheduled for this week. While we have put together a new, alternate itinerary for travelers, we are also providing them the option to cancel with a full refund and future cruise credit.

Unfortunately, this situation will delay the Avalon Visionary from arriving to Paris in time for the next cruise departure. As a result, we have also had to make the difficult decision to CANCEL the next cruise aboard the Avalon Visionary: Central European Experience – Eastbound (WRN 0818). A full refund will be provided. We are also happy to discuss and/or arrange alternate travel plans.

Another cruise affected by this cargo blockage situation is the Jewels of Central Europe (WBR 0804). Travelers on this cruise have been given the option to disembark their cruise early (for a refund) or fly to Paris (on us) to join a Paris to Normandy’s Landing Beaches itinerary.

We have proactively reached out to our guests and/or travel agents affected by these itinerary alterations and cancellations. We are also encouraging agents and travelers to contact our team directly at 866.397.6593 or email traveleradvisory@globusfamily.com (our U.S. office hours are Monday through Friday, 6 AM to 6 PM MT and Saturday, 7 AM to 3:30 PM MT). If you are outside the U.S., please contact your local Avalon Waterways’ office for details.

WATER LEVELS ON THE DANUBE: AN UPDATE (7.20.15)

As we have previously reported, due to the lack of rain in Europe, water levels between Regensburg and Passau continue to be very low.

While the Expression was able to traverse the low waters (hooray!), two ships – the Avalon Vista and Avalon Impression – are currently operating under contingency plans and our on-the-ground teams are working closely with affected passengers. We also have contingency plans in place, should waters stay low, for the upcoming Avalon Illumination cruise (WOA/WOV 0722). We have reached out to affected travelers (and their agents).

The good news? Because the nature of rivers is to ebb and flow, much can change daily. Rain has been forecasted so we are all doing our best rain dances in hopes that more rain makes its way to Europe (specifically, the Danube) ... soon. In the meantime, we will provide additional posts on this page as needed.

Should you have any questions, call us at 866.397.6593 or email traveleradvisory@globusfamily.com (our U.S. office hours are Monday through Friday, 6 AM to 6 PM MT and Saturday, 7 AM to 3:30 PM MT).

Thank you for your understanding and support.

WATER LEVELS ON THE DANUBE: AN UPDATE (7.20.15)

As we have previously reported, due to the lack of rain in Europe, water levels between Regensburg and Passau continue to be very low.

While the Expression was able to traverse the low waters (hooray!), two ships – the Avalon Vista and Avalon Impression – are currently operating under contingency plans and our on-the-ground teams are working closely with affected passengers. We also have contingency plans in place, should waters stay low, for the upcoming Avalon Illumination cruise (WOA/WOV 0722). We have reached out to affected travelers (and their agents).

The good news? Because the nature of rivers is to ebb and flow, much can change daily. Rain has been forecasted so we are all doing our best rain dances in hopes that more rain makes its way to Europe (specifically, the Danube) ... soon. In the meantime, we will provide additional posts on this page as needed.

Should you have any questions, call us at 866.397.6593 or email traveleradvisory@globusfamily.com (our U.S. office hours are Monday through Friday, 6 AM to 6 PM MT and Saturday, 7 AM to 3:30 PM MT).

Thank you for your understanding and support.

WATER LEVELS ON THE DANUBE: AN AVALON UPDATE

As we have previously reported, due to the lack of rain in Europe, water levels between Regensburg and Passau are low. To date, these water levels have caused one cruise cancellation (WPZ 50719 aboard the Avalon Affinity) and have affected one sailing day for the Avalon Vista (WBN 50712), now docked in Passau. We have also put in place contingency plans for the Avalon Expression, set to arrive in the region tomorrow (WNB 50718 and WNBO 50721). If you are scheduled on the cruise-only portion of the Legendary Danube itinerary aboard the Expression (WNBO 50721), we will be reaching out to you with additional information. We also invite you to contact us at 866.397.6593 or email traveleradvisory@globusfamily.com (our U.S. office hours are Monday through Friday, 6 AM to 6 PM MT and Saturday, 7 AM to 3:30 PM MT).

The good news? Because the nature of rivers is to ebb and flow, much can change daily. Rain has been forecasted so we are all doing our best rain dances in hopes that more rain makes its way to Europe (specifically, the Danube) ... soon. In the meantime, we will provide additional posts on this page as needed.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

Avalon Waterways

WATER LEVELS ON THE DANUBE: AN UPDATE

As we have previously reported, due to the lack of rain in Europe, water levels between Regensburg and Passau are low. To date, these water levels have caused one cruise cancellation (WPZ 50719 aboard the Avalon Affinity) and have affected one sailing day for the Avalon Vista (WBN 50712), now docked in Passau. We have also put in place contingency plans for the Avalon Expression, set to arrive in the region tomorrow (WNB 50718 and WNBO 50721). If you are scheduled on the cruise-only portion of the Legendary Danube itinerary aboard the Expression (WNBO 50721), we will be reaching out to you with additional information. We also invite you to contact us at 866.397.6593 or email traveleradvisory@globusfamily.com (our U.S. office hours are Monday through Friday, 6 AM to 6 PM MT and Saturday, 7 AM to 3:30 PM MT).

The good news? Because the nature of rivers is to ebb and flow, much can change daily. Rain has been forecasted so we are all doing our best rain dances in hopes that more rain makes its way to Europe (specifically, the Danube) ... soon. In the meantime, we will provide additional posts on this page as needed.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

JVilleGal and Caviargal:

We appreciate your concern. We made the announcement (about what was a single cruise cancellation) on Facebook as well as Cruise Critic in an effort to get the word out quickly for all affected passengers. Thankfully, since then, we have had the opportunity to reach the affected passengers (and/or their agents). Given this fact, we did not see the need to continue to post the alert on Facebook. Should we have additional cancellations, we will continue our regular practice of offering updates both here and on Facebook.

Thank you,

Avalon Waterways

CRUISE CANCELLATION ANNOUNCEMENT: July 16, 2015

Due to low waters on a stretch of the Danube River in Germany, we have made the difficult decision to proactively cancel the 7/19 departure of the following itinerary: The Highlights of Germany (WPZ 50719) cruise aboard the Avalon Affinity. We are contacting all guests scheduled to depart on this cruise (and the travel agents who booked them) to offer a full refund, plus a future cruise credit allowance.

If you are traveling with Avalon Waterways on this specific departure or in the near future and have questions or concerns about your upcoming vacation, we invite you to contact your travel agent or call us directly at 866.397.6593 or email traveleradvisory@globusfamily.com (our U.S. office hours are Monday through Friday, 6 AM to 6 PM MT and Saturday, 7 AM to 3:30 PM MT). We would be happy to address your individual concerns and/or answer any questions you may have one-on-one.

Thank you!

Avalon Waterways

Glad to read pully8's posting.

 

We disembarked an Avalon Rhine River cruise in Amsterdam on May 9. We encountered significant problems and delays due to the high water levels on the Rhine. As a result there were 4 days when we didn't sail. Avalon had promised us a generous refund as well as $200 pp for the inconvenience of swapping ships between Strasbourg and Bingen.

 

As of today, over a month later, we have still not received either of these refunds to our credit card. We have heard that Americans on our cruise received their refunds at least 2 weeks ago, but Canadians have not. I wrote to Customer Relations at the end of May, and their reply was that it would take 4 to 6 weeks before they would investigate and reply to us.

 

Needless to say we are not impressed with the slow response and the time it is taking to receive the refund. Otherwise, we were very happy with the alternate arrangements made by Avalon and how they handled the very difficult situation. Our cruise director Katy H. was outstanding.

Hi Tobermory,

We are sorry to read that you have not yet received your refund. we ask that you please call our team at 416.915.6071 so Antonella can personally address any outstanding issues and concerns. Thank you so much!!!

Pully8-

We are concerned as we have not yet come across your email. We hope that you will (also) email one of our team members directly. Gayle Segura can be reached at gsegura@globusfamily.com.

We apologize if this extra step causes any inconvenience to you. We simply want to make sure we have the opportunity to get back in touch with you.

Thank you!!

"Someone has posted here that the mark of a good cruise line is how they handle problems. By this measure, Avalon is indeed a good cruise line!

 

So often on this board people post stories about things going wrong and the cruise company itself seeming to make a bad situation worse. The reason for this long post is to give credit where it's due. I hope you agree that this is a model of the right way to do it!"

Thank you, FrenchRiverCruiser.

pleased you had a positive outcome. our recent experience is sadly different. letter given by cruise director at Vernon outlining compensation may 7th. still waiting for any communication from Avalon. our agent has tried and we have sent an email today. disappointed after 8 cruises with them.

Pully8 - We are sorry to read that you are less-than-thrilled with your recent cruise experience. Our goal is always to exceed expectations. We would like the opportunity to speak with you directly about any/all concerns. Please contact our traveler services team at 877.333.3920 or email travelerservices@globusfamily.com. We hope to hear from you soon! Thank you.

UPDATE HIGH WATER LEVELS: Great news, the rivers are all back to normal and sailings are commencing as planned! Thank you for your patience and happy sailings! :)

As our onboard guests know, the Avalon Vista will require a new engine. We are working with all affected travelers, including providing them alternate hotel and itinerary options, as well as compensation, given this unforeseeable and regrettable situation. At present, we do not anticipate future cruises aboard the Avalon Vista to be impacted. Should you have any questions about an upcoming cruise, we ask that you call us at 800.372.1761 or email traveleradvisory@globusfamily.com.

In the last week, parts of Europe have received a great deal of rain. While the weather situation is improving, sections of the upper Rhine remain closed to sailing; however, Avalon Waterways anticipates shipping to reopen on the river in the next day or two. We do have cruises currently sailing that have been affected. Our operations team has worked diligently with Captains and Cruise Directors to establish alternate schedules, sightseeing and excursion options for our guests.

If you have any questions about an upcoming cruise, we ask that you call us at 800.372.1761 or email traveleradvisory@globusfamily.com.

In the last week, parts of Europe have received a great deal of rain. While the weather situation is improving, sections of the upper Rhine remain closed to sailing; however, Avalon Waterways anticipates shipping to reopen on the river in the next day or two. We do have cruises currently sailing that have been affected. Our operations team has worked diligently with Captains and Cruise Directors to establish alternate schedules, sightseeing and excursion options for our guests.

If you have any questions about an upcoming cruise, we ask that you call us at 800.372.1761 or email traveleradvisory@globusfamily.com.