All Things Avalon

[Playtennis]

16 hours ago, gnome12 said:

That size is a VERY large suitcase, since luggage sizes are measured diagonally (like TVs and computer monitors). A medium-sized suitcase is 24-26", a large one is 28-30". Avalon cares a bit about the weight (because their staff will bring the luggage on to the ship and off), but not really about dimensions. However, it does need to fit under your bed, so watch the depth measurement.

 

I have never travelled with anything larger than a 26" suitcase, I have never had a problem fitting everything in (even when I was on cycling trips and needed cycling gear in addition to regular touring gear). The biggest hassle is shoes; keep the number to a minimum and you will manage. In my experience, don't try to go for an outfit per day; bring clothing that you can mix and match; it goes farther. I have also been able to manage all my own luggage, a purse on my shoulder under a backpack and that medium sized rolling suitcase.

Great advice Gnome12!  I hope that we can fill our smaller suitcases...we'll try😊

The challenge that is added on to the river cruise is 2 weeks before the cruise; a week in Paris and another in Dordogne River Valley.

[gnome12]

1 hour ago, Playtennis said:

Great advice Gnome12!  I hope that we can fill our smaller suitcases...we'll try😊

The challenge that is added on to the river cruise is 2 weeks before the cruise; a week in Paris and another in Dordogne River Valley.

I’ve done 4 weeks in Australia; 2 weeks cycling and 2 weeks travelling around. It all fit in a medium suitcase. 

[gnome12]

1 hour ago, Playtennis said:

The challenge that is added on to the river cruise is 2 weeks before the cruise; a week in Paris and another in Dordogne River Valley.

By the way, I love the Dordogne region. It is beautiful. 

[Kenster]

1 hour ago, Playtennis said:

Great advice Gnome12!  I hope that we can fill our smaller suitcases...we'll try😊

The challenge that is added on to the river cruise is 2 weeks before the cruise; a week in Paris and another in Dordogne River Valley.

Perhaps you can find an afternoon near the end of your land based holiday to do laundry before arriving at the ship? 
 

We have always done our cruises with a 20 inch carry on each, plus a small tote for odds and ends.  Our upcoming cruise is 16 days, however, so keeping it to one case each becomes more of a challenge.  Even if succeed in cramming everything in there, you have to watch the weight. European carriers, especially, restrict carry on to 40 pounds (I believe) and that’s been enforced on us a couple of times. 
 

We may resort to having laundry done on board ship this time. The expense and convenience may well be worth it.  
 

But that brings up another question. 
 

Has anyone ever done laundry in town while your ship is in port for several hours?  Particularly about halfway between Budapest and Amsterdam?  We’ve done this entire stretch at least once and some sections three times previously, so we won’t be missing anything if we skip a local tour and do laundry. 
Any suggestions? 
 

We have seen crew members take their laundry into town while we are in port. I just can’t remember where. 

[jsn55]

Another alternative is to bring mostly clothing that can be hand-washed, squeezed in a towel and dried overnight on a hanger.  We do build in time for the rest at least once a week by sending it out.  As someone already mentioned, shoes and 'just right' socks are my problem, seems like there's always foot discomfort no matter what I wear. 

[TMLAalum]

The great thing about a river cruise is the more casual dress onboard.

After having our luggage go awol for 3 weeks on a land/cruise trip t Europe several years ago, we have resorted to carryons and backpacks for traveling. Our Avalon Danube cruise was in November 2019 preceeded by a week in Germany, 3 nights in the Alsace and 3 nights in Lucerne. We managed by laundry once, handwashing quick drying items and using Avalon's service. Daily changes of dainties and socks but rewearing of jeans and tops. Layers helped too. We roll clothes. Had to limit shoes.

[teachluvbeach]

Hi all!  Wondering what the smallest time frame is that you've booked prior to sailing? Some time has just opened up for me this summer and a river cruise is something I have always wanted to do.  Avalon looks great!  Is it doable with 4-6 weeks notice or is the planning too overwhelming?

[Kenster]

17 minutes ago, teachluvbeach said:

Hi all!  Wondering what the smallest time frame is that you've booked prior to sailing? Some time has just opened up for me this summer and a river cruise is something I have always wanted to do.  Avalon looks great!  Is it doable with 4-6 weeks notice or is the planning too overwhelming?

Absolutely. We did it about three weeks out a few years ago. My schedule opened up and we wanted to cruise. We chose a cruise that fit my schedule and flights we could find at late notice. 
It can be done. Go for it! 

[jsn55]

1 hour ago, teachluvbeach said:

Hi all!  Wondering what the smallest time frame is that you've booked prior to sailing? Some time has just opened up for me this summer and a river cruise is something I have always wanted to do.  Avalon looks great!  Is it doable with 4-6 weeks notice or is the planning too overwhelming?

Booking the cruise is easy, you could put a trip together in a week.  I haven't looked recently, but I remember reading not one single review of an Avalon cruise that was anything but positive.  I think you can be comfortable choosing the one you want on Avalon.  All the other stuff like passport, flights, transfers, etc can also be managed at the last minute.  Just one word of warning about air ... fares are out of sight, I've never seen such horrendous tix prices.  So you might have a look at air before you book the cruise ... make sure the price is something you can manage.

[notamermaid]

Sounds doable to me. From booking to start of sailing my time frame was around six weeks. Easy within Europe for me, though. I would agree that the flights are your biggest obstacle if you have vaccination all sorted. Check entry requirements for the countries you are looking at, just in case. Should be little left to check.

 

Look at the airports and flight arrangements for the river cruise you are thinking of. There may be an alternative airport, an alternative arrangement that you favour due to a post-cruise stay, etc. For example for Amsterdam to Basel: It is possible to fly to Brussels instead or take a train from London (Heathrow) to your river cruise rather than fly direct.

 

As a side note: I very much like the Active & Discovery options of AvalonWaterways, I find them attractive for North Americans. The one from Luxembourg to Frankfurt sounds good.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited May 17, 2022 by notamermaid
grammar

[ATG]

In June we are going on our first river cruise and we’re very excited.  It’s the Rhine and Moselle.  I have a couple of questions.

 

How is the internet?  DH is debating bringing his laptop or not.  A neighbor who has been on several river cruises (but not Avalon) said it was slooow.

 

Tipping, how much and how is it handled?  We’re used to ocean cruises where a set amount is added to your account and goes to your credit card at the end.  Do I need cash or will a credit card work?

[Techno123]

I believe gratuities are included in the fare on Avalon.

[Kenster]

6 minutes ago, ATG said:

In June we are going on our first river cruise and we’re very excited.  It’s the Rhine and Moselle.  I have a couple of questions.

 

How is the internet?  DH is debating bringing his laptop or not.  A neighbor who has been on several river cruises (but not Avalon) said it was slooow.

 

Tipping, how much and how is it handled?  We’re used to ocean cruises where a set amount is added to your account and goes to your credit card at the end.  Do I need cash or will a credit card work?

Rhine and Moselle was our first Avalon eight years ago last month. It was wonderful. 
 

Wifi is great. Plenty fast, though there may be some remote spots where a signal is not available. 
 

Gratuities:  I have not seen what the current suggested tips are.  You will have one amount (per passenger, per day) that is shared by the crew, and one amount for the Cruise Director. 
The Cruise Director is the only Avalon employee on board. Everyone else is an employee of the shipping line which is contracted by Avalon.  
 

You can visit the reception desk on the last full day or two of the cruise and pay the tips with your credit card. Or you can put cash in a provided envelope (one for crew and one for Cruise Director) and drop it on the box in the reception lobby. 
 

We also give a little extra cash, in person, to outstanding wait staff, lounge attendants, etc. 

We tend to settle into the same table every night for dinner, with the same waiter/waitress. They quickly learn, then anticipate our preferences. They make the cruise extra special so we give them a little extra. 
 

It can be daunting to shell out all that money in one chunk at the end of a long cruise! We just consider it part of the cost of the tour. If you want to avoid sticker shock, you can prepay the tips. Just call Avalon. 

[Kenster]

3 minutes ago, Techno123 said:

I believe gratuities are included in the fare on Avalon.

No, that is not correct.  Tips for ships crew and Cruise Director are NOT included.  
 

The only tips that are included are for the local guides (and drivers) for the daily excursions. 

[ATG]

3 minutes ago, Kenster said:

Rhine and Moselle was our first Avalon eight years ago last month. It was wonderful. 
 

Wifi is great. Plenty fast, though there may be some remote spots where a signal is not available. 
 

Gratuities:  I have not seen what the current suggested tips are.  You will have one amount (per passenger, per day) that is shared by the crew, and one amount for the Cruise Director. 
The Cruise Director is the only Avalon employee on board. Everyone else is an employee of the shipping line which is contracted by Avalon.  
 

You can visit the reception desk on the last full day or two of the cruise and pay the tips with your credit card. Or you can put cash in a provided envelope (one for crew and one for Cruise Director) and drop it on the box in the reception lobby. 
 

We also give a little extra cash, in person, to outstanding wait staff, lounge attendants, etc. 

We tend to settle into the same table every night for dinner, with the same waiter/waitress. They quickly learn, then anticipate our preferences. They make the cruise extra special so we give them a little extra. 
 

It can be daunting to shell out all that money in one chunk at the end of a long cruise! We just consider it part of the cost of the tour. If you want to avoid sticker shock, you can prepay the tips. Just call Avalon. 

Thanks for the quick response!  I was thinking that I would need to accumulate cash for all the tips.  Credit card plus extras is so much easier.

[Techno123]

7 minutes ago, Kenster said:

No, that is not correct.  Tips for ships crew and Cruise Director are NOT included.  
 

The only tips that are included are for the local guides (and drivers) for the daily excursions. 

Maybe it's a British booked thing then ?
Please note that tips for your Cruise Director, the ship's crew, local guides and drivers are included in the price of your holiday. If you would like to provide an extra tip, envelopes specifically for this purpose will be left in your stateroom on the day prior to disembarkation, and a designated box in which to deposit the envelopes will be set up at the Reception when you leave the ship.

[Kenster]

3 minutes ago, Techno123 said:

Maybe it's a British booked thing then ?
Please note that tips for your Cruise Director, the ship's crew, local guides and drivers are included in the price of your holiday. If you would like to provide an extra tip, envelopes specifically for this purpose will be left in your stateroom on the day prior to disembarkation, and a designated box in which to deposit the envelopes will be set up at the Reception when you leave the ship.

Interesting. Building gratuities into the cost of the cruise may be targeted to certain markets. 
That makes it convenient for the passenger and ensures that the staff actually gets the gratuities they deserve. 
 

Sounds like a win/win. 

[dtenel]

We pore-paid gratuities when we booked.  Does that cover the cruise director and then the rest of the staff?  So then we will only have to bring cash to give anyone any extra?  I don't want to skimp out by thinking I had everything covered!

[hmcrn]

On 5/17/2022 at 6:41 PM, dtenel said:

We pore-paid gratuities when we booked.  Does that cover the cruise director and then the rest of the staff?  So then we will only have to bring cash to give anyone any extra?  I don't want to skimp out by thinking I had everything covered!

 

Yes - if you pre-pay your gratuities (which we always do - SO much easier!), it includes everyone on the boat.  The only time you would give extra is if they gave over-the-top service.  

On Avalon, we have had excellent service, but there have been a few that have gone out of their way.  For instance i had asked for a specific after dinner drink the first night of the cruise, but they didn't have it, so i had something else.  The next night i went to the lounge after dinner, and the bartender came over and told me that he had gone into town that day and gotten the items needed. He handed me my drink for free that night as an apology for not having it the night prior!  I was stunned.  Needless to say he definitely deserved, and received, extra on that cruise!

[dtenel]

13 minutes ago, hmcrn said:

 

Yes - if you pre-pay your gratuities (which we always do - SO much easier!), it includes everyone on the boat.  The only time you would give extra is if they gave over-the-top service.  

On Avalon, we have had excellent service, but there have been a few that have gone out of their way.  For instance i had asked for a specific after dinner drink the first night of the cruise, but they didn't have it, so i had something else.  The next night i went to the lounge after dinner, and the bartender came over and told me that he had gone into town that day and gotten the items needed. He handed me my drink for free that night as an apology for not having it the night prior!  I was stunned.  Needless to say he definitely deserved, and received, extra on that cruise!

hmcrn~. Thank you for this clarification!  Much appreciated!

[notamermaid]

50 minutes ago, hmcrn said:

The next night i went to the lounge after dinner, and the bartender came over and told me that he had gone into town that day and gotten the items needed.

That is great. Definitely deserves a tip - and an extra smile. It is also generally-speaking what makes river cruises additionally pleasurable. The staff has the option of going beyond standard as solutions can be found on land quickly sometimes.

 

notamermaid

 

[YoungDubFan]

I am looking to book a Tulip Time cruise for next April. This will be my 3rd cruise with them. I’ve done Basel to Amsterdam in 2012 and Paris to Normandy in 2016. The Paris trip was when there was historic flooding in all of France and I think was the wettest May ever. I have to say that Avalon did an amazing job adjusting the itinerary and keeping us informed the entire trip of needed changes. They even put us up in a 5-star hotel in Paris when the ship couldn’t sail any closer. Avalon sailed when many other companies turned their trips into bus trips. 

 

I have read this forum pretty regularly since all of my trips. I’d love to hear suggestions from those of you who have taken a Tulip time cruise with Avalon as to when in April to go. I’m thinking about targeting somewhere between the 9th to 17 to leave the US. I was looking at one itinerary to make sure that Keukenhof gardens were a stop but I’ve heard from others that it is easy to do the gardens from Amsterdam, so may just go in a day early to see these and look at all options. 

[BAYA]

On 5/5/2022 at 4:56 PM, hmcrn said:

 

A quick question for you - did they require you to use the N95 masks?  Or any mask?  Thank you!!

Any mask was ok. Sorry it took me so long to respond. I've been off CC for a while.

[BAYA]

24 minutes ago, YoungDubFan said:

I am looking to book a Tulip Time cruise for next April. This will be my 3rd cruise with them. I’ve done Basel to Amsterdam in 2012 and Paris to Normandy in 2016. The Paris trip was when there was historic flooding in all of France and I think was the wettest May ever. I have to say that Avalon did an amazing job adjusting the itinerary and keeping us informed the entire trip of needed changes. They even put us up in a 5-star hotel in Paris when the ship couldn’t sail any closer. Avalon sailed when many other companies turned their trips into bus trips. 

 

I have read this forum pretty regularly since all of my trips. I’d love to hear suggestions from those of you who have taken a Tulip time cruise with Avalon as to when in April to go. I’m thinking about targeting somewhere between the 9th to 17 to leave the US. I was looking at one itinerary to make sure that Keukenhof gardens were a stop but I’ve heard from others that it is easy to do the gardens from Amsterdam, so may just go in a day early to see these and look at all options. 

Our embarkation date was April 5 from Basel and we arrived in Amsterdam on April 11th. We had the included canal cruise that morning and the optional Keukenhof excursion after lunch. I learned that the gardens are only open about 8 weeks every Spring. They were gorgeous. I felt that we were given plenty of time to enjoy them (the excursion was 5 hours including travel time). Although it was a weekday the gardens were packed with locals and tourists alike.

There were many tours available from Amsterdam to Keukenhof in the brochure provided by our post-cruise hotel. So if you chose to not take an excursion from Avalon there are options for sure. I felt the Avalon price of 57USD was good.

[lorif]

48 minutes ago, YoungDubFan said:

I am looking to book a Tulip Time cruise for next April. This will be my 3rd cruise with them. I’ve done Basel to Amsterdam in 2012 and Paris to Normandy in 2016. The Paris trip was when there was historic flooding in all of France and I think was the wettest May ever. I have to say that Avalon did an amazing job adjusting the itinerary and keeping us informed the entire trip of needed changes. They even put us up in a 5-star hotel in Paris when the ship couldn’t sail any closer. Avalon sailed when many other companies turned their trips into bus trips. 

 

I have read this forum pretty regularly since all of my trips. I’d love to hear suggestions from those of you who have taken a Tulip time cruise with Avalon as to when in April to go. I’m thinking about targeting somewhere between the 9th to 17 to leave the US. I was looking at one itinerary to make sure that Keukenhof gardens were a stop but I’ve heard from others that it is easy to do the gardens from Amsterdam, so may just go in a day early to see these and look at all options. 

Haven't been there on a river cruise yet, but we did visit Amsterdam and Keukenhof previously.  We were there for a few days, and got a Holland Pass that included Keukenhof.  Definitely worth the day to visit.  I think this may be the updated site from when we went.  https://www.getyourguide.com/-t85542/?