Riversanddale

We're on Tapestry ii with our first full day ahead. It's our 1st Avalon cruise after 7 cruises with Viking. Loving it so far. We have 85 passengers. We have a mix of Americans, Aussies, New Zealanders and a small group from Taiwan. Our cruise director thinks there are some Canadians, too but they weren't at the briefing. Terrific first dinner. It's middle of the night now and our first tour tomorrow is at 8:30am so I'd better stop for now.

Glad to see the thread as we'll be cruising soon. It's our 8th river cruise but 1st with Avalon so we're anxious to see how it goes. We love river cruising and we will have a good time I'm sure. But it's already a hassle having to be out of our hotel (actually closer to the ship than Avalon's) before we can board with Avalon. Jet lag hits us hard so we don't feel like spending the whole day out at the start of a trip. We'd rather relax in the lounge till our room is ready. We've found this possible with other lines. Other than that we are really looking forward to our cruise and will post as we go or after depending on internet. We'll follow this thread with great interest.

Booking early depends a lot on your itinerary. We have booked as close as 3-4 months and as far out as 18 months for 9 river cruises. The longest is our next Duoro cruise. We've gone before and loved it. We won't go mid summer because of the HOT weather on that particular river and cabins sell fast. Tulip trips can be too early depending on weather (done two). River levels both high and low can be considerations. So too are flight preferences. We like to book our own because we tend to do some touring before and after cruises which for us don't match those offered by the cruise lines. We always buy trip insurance for cruises. Read a lot, look at actual trip reviews, check weather, choose the itinerary that inspires you and just enjoy. PS - sales often sell out fast with and without airfare.

Thank you for all of your replies.

In our opinion, the Duoro is a fascinating and most enjoyable cruise. We have been before. We went with Viking (just before they had their own ship) and it's one of our two favorite cruises out of seven. It's much less commercial than most and full of interesting people. We especially liked the breadmaker (you can see her on many Viking commercials) and our stops in Coimbra (we loved the library and the male Fado performers at lunch - most are female outside Coimbra). Viking had two lunches and two dinners included off the boat which really enhanced the experience, too. We liked it so much that we have booked another cruise on the Duoro. And, we have found that we've enjoyed Lisbon so much that we have returned on our own and will do so again.

We'll be trying another company to vary the experience and because the Duoro fills up so fast it's hard to get cabins when we can go. Just remember that July-August can be very hot on the Duoro. We're happy to hear that you enjoyed an Emerald trip.

Hi. We're looking for experiences with Emerald Waterways and would love anything but especially related to the Duoro. We need to decide soon. Any comments re company or this cruise appreciated.

And demonstrations too. Short notice is better than none.

 

http://france.usembassy.gov/mobile//service.html

Thanks, CPT Trips. That's a very helpful site and I'll note it before we leave, too. I can check with wi-fi along the way. It hadn't occurred to me that they would have up to date info. My bad. We keep learning.

We've had no problems with voltage on 7 trips to Europe with camera or computer equipment as the dual voltage works fine. You do need plug adapters and anywhere in the world it's not uncommon to find too few outlets or those placed in very inconvenient locations in older hotels. Viking's newer ships have 110 and 220. Avalon is only 220 according to our travel documents.

We take a 110-240 power strip with usb ports with us as it has a cord and keeps things at convenient levels not at floor level or behind desks, etc. My electric curling brush is only 110 so I have a special Conair converter which handles high enough wattage. Hair appliances need a converter which can handle more wattage than normal electronics and even that converter can only be used for 30 min at a time with high wattage hair appliances according to the operating instructions. It has two settings - one for low wattage electronics and one for high wattage. The high setting can fry low wattage things so watch carefully.

One note on Viking (don't know about others yet) - I have an older Android tablet that I need to recharge frequently. There are very few outlets in the lounges on Viking (ask the housekeepers as they are meant for vacuum cleaners). They are usually near the windows and only a few. This means seating near one is limited if the lounge is busy. Hubby doesn't have this problem with his I-pad which holds a much longer charge.

Glad for the discussion. Any reliable way to check on upcoming strikes in France? We'll have internet but not phone. Good luck to all and read the fine print on tickets and insurance. Not all cover strikes.

Thank you for your replies. Yes, of course, the boat and our hotels all have free wifi. But, after 7 cruises we have found trying to get on when it is convenient for us is when it is convenient for everyone else meaning SLOW or no connections. We do email and upload photos for family while traveling, check maps and site info, and look at local transportation options. It's totally frustrating I've found so I would happily pay for a connection that works. As for hotels, not all rooms have a good connection despite what the lovely ads say, so again we're willing to pay for a backup. We never use free cafe wifi and use a vpn for security whenever we're away from home so the rental modem looks like a good choice for us. It will also have coverage in other areas of France that we'll be visiting on our own after the cruise.

We are considering renting a wi-fi hotspot (small portable modem) for our Paris-Normandy river cruise and before and after touring on our own in France. We've found one company (Travel Wi-fi) that has unlimited data and will work on multiple smartphones, tablets and laptops at the same time. Our smartphone won't allow the chip to be changed and this service does not require it (the chip is in the modem). We've found boat connections on the cruises intermittent at best and hotel systems hit and miss in our travels. Has anyone used this or similar service (must include tablet and laptop service; phone is optional for us)?

On our 7 Viking cruises (including the two itineraries you are considering) you definitely can take any tours offered, do you own touring or stay on board with lunch offered. We have found them very flexible and you can make your decisions daily to fit your enjoyment and how you are feeling. Enjoy your trip.

Fascinating discussion. We leave soon and will be interested in seeing what our first Avalon experience is like. I did note that when our travel materials arrived, they sent us each one decorative metal tag (not an actual luggage tag) that says Avalon for our one piece of luggage I presume. Viking has always sent us two red leather luggage tags per person and has never batted an eye at luggage.

Thank you. Thank you. Hope you are enjoying your cruise.

Hello. We are nearing our departure and wondering if anyone can tell us whether the Eiffel Tower can be seen from the Avalon Tapestry II when docked in Paris. I have found their current docking location at Port de Javel Bas at the Andre Citroen Park but can't tell from Google Earth whether there is a sight line or not. Fingers crossed.

Our previous cruise with Viking (old boats) had a wonderful view of the Eiffel Tower that was a highlight for us but this seems much further away. We are trying our first Avalon cruise since Viking no longer docks in Paris but far outside. Either way we'll enjoy but just wondering and trying to do a little planning.

Is Avalon the company that gathers everyone at a hotel, then buses everybody to the ship at once, or is that someone else?

 

If that's the case, other posters speak of dropping off luggage at the gathering hotel, then going off for the day.

I'm not sure about dropping off luggage if you aren't part of the pre-cruise folks staying at the hotel since they aren't offering the Eiffel tour beforehand.

We always go 2-3 days early to adjust to jet lag as the time difference is large from the west coast and as a hedge for delayed flights, etc. It's well worth it for us and we pick a more conveniently located hotel for the sightseeing we wish to do.

Arriving on a flight the day the cruise leaves town would be nerve-racking as we've seen folks with delayed flights on every one of our seven cruises. Weather, equipment problems, etc. can happen no matter who you book with. On this itinerary Avalon cuts it closer than many lines because they don't have an extra night in port at the beginning for those who need to catch up. Of course, this cruise doesn't cover too much territory so it is possible to catch up with the boat but it's a hassle and expense we wish to avoid. We realize that not everyone has this option with their schedules.

It is very true about the pickpockets. A money belt is a must for men and women should have a pack safe purse. Still, if traffic is heavy it can cost as much at 75 Euros.

 

Also, almost anyone visiting Paris will use the METRO, which exposes one to the same risk.

In light traffic at least 50http://www.worldtaximeter.com/paris/CDG/paris

A nice thing about the flat rate is that you avoid a larger fee if the traffic is slow. They don't use the meter for the flat rate.

The taxis in Paris are now required to charge a flat rate from the airports to downtown Paris and visa versa. It applies to Charles De Gaulle and to Orly. This is the news article: http://www.thelocal.fr/20160229/flat-rate-for-paris-airport-taxis-comes-into-force This makes it a no-brainer for us to use the taxi as it's so much easier than hauling luggage on and off public transportation and goes right to our hotel.

That is exactly what we did just a couple days ago. It was a half hour walk (1 1/2 miles) on flat terrain or just one stop on RER. We checked in on the ship just after 10, unpacked and walked to the Tower grabbing a bite to eat on the way.

 

The trick is to get tickets in advance.

I'm confused. Avalon has told us we can't get on the ship till 4pm. How did you check in on the ship in the morning?

We were informed of the late boarding time when we booked directly with Avalon several months ago so I don't think it has much to do with recent security measures. Also, the early de-boarding.

The boarding and de-boarding on our many Viking cruises have been a real plus. We've been able to board in the morning and wait in the lounge till rooms are ready. There is a light buffet lunch in the lounge. This is wonderful when you have had an early flight or must check out of a hotel and are still jet-lagged. The same goes when leaving. As long as you are out of your cabin (by 9:30 I think) you can stay in the lounge making it much easier to coordinate with travel plans.

I've also spoken with Avalon about the fact that they are not offering the Eiffel Tower tour on the day of boarding. They confirmed that it is not offered this year and said simply that the itinerary folks change things from time to time. We were disappointed as we were planning to take this option. This too predates the newest security concerns.

We're excited about our first cruise with Avalon and hoping that these are the only glitches. A big deciding factor for us was that Avalon is still docking downtown Paris which can be a wonderful experience.

We did a Christmas cruise on the Duoro with Viking in 2014 and it was one of two (Paris and Duoro) favorite trips out of 7. We'd go back in a heartbeat. The people were wonderful and the itinerary very good. Weather was another story with rain off and on for much of the river cruise. The river actually rose too fast and we were touch and go the entire last night as to whether the lockmaster would allow us back down the river to Porto. We hope to go again! And, Lisbon is a great city to visit and we've enjoyed three visits.

Great reading on this forum. We've done 7 Viking and have 1 Avalon booked this spring. We've been happy with all Viking's ships except Idun (great crew & trip but built too fast/poorly) and all itineraries except southern France (poor docking locations as ship too long, too little time at stops, weak tour choices & poor CD). We were lucky enough to do Viking's Paris to Normandy when it docked very near the Eiffel Tower - wouldn't do it now with docking "outside" Paris. Favorite itineraries were Paris to Normandy (old itinerary) and Duoro (would do it again in a heartbeat). We're excited to try Avalon and we'll go on to Bayeux on our own for five days after.

So far, we like Avalon's deposit timetable vs. Viking but love being able to board Viking earlier if needed and/or stay later to depart if needed. Avalon is much stricter & harder to coordinate with planes/trains, hotels, etc.

The Farewell Dinner is held on the second last night so that the Moulin Rouge, etc. tours can take place on the last night aboard. The first night's dinner is labeled "Embarkation Dinner", with "Dress code: smart casual, long trousers for the gentlemen." Have a great cruise!

Thank you, Gene, that helps us understand our choices. We can't wait for our spring trip.

We've made over 6 cruises with Viking with only 1 major problem (for us on a new ship not quite ready for prime time). We'll be making our first Avalon voyage this year and we can't wait to see what our impressions are.

Just as an FYI IMO - The Paris docking location is a big deal for some (it is for us) and that's in favor of Avalon. One convenience we've found with Viking is the ability to board much earlier than with Avalon. You can go on Viking mid-day, have a light lunch and relax in the lounge till cabins are ready. This is great for jet lag. With Avalon we'll have to check out of our hotel by 11am and can't board the ship til at least 3pm by Avalon's policy. Same with disembarking - Viking needs you out of the cabin but you can stay on board longer if you're waiting for a later plane or train. We consider this a real plus for Viking.

We'd love to know when the Captain's/Farewell Dinner is served. It is usually the last night on board so do many skip it and go to the Moulin Rouge or is it held a different night?

Also, is the first night's dinner a special dinner or just regular?

Courtesy is so underrated. We appreciate most the people with good manners and thank you for sharing your reminders. Plenty of fun can be had by all without spoiling it for others. We second all the suggestions -- for everywhere all the time!

On the question of outlets: we find the newer Viking boats have multiple outlets (both 110 and 220) in multiple locations in the cabins - very handy. It seems that may not be the case on Avalon and ???

I always take a 220 extension cord with multiple outlets (easily available online) and more than one appropriate adapter for the countries I'm in. They always comes in handy in hotels and B&Bs where plugs can be in very inconvenient locations.

For onboard, I carry a charger in my purse that will refill an Ipad once in addition to my android tablet a few times before it needs a refill itself. This is handy on long flights and in boat lounges where the only outlets may be situated for vacuum cleaners (Viking) and in airports where the available outlets always seem to be busy.