All Things Avalon

[TMLAalum]

3 minutes ago, moonriver54 said:

I found this Reuters article on European snowpack and river water levels this morning.  Sounds like perhaps another dry summer???

 

https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/europes-mild-weather-reprieve-this-winter-may-come-bite-by-summer-2023-01-11/

 

There was an article in our paper about the lack of snow in the Alpine regions of Europe this winter, which implies low water levels for summer. Not looking forward to a 3k pp bus trip.

[notamermaid]

8 hours ago, moonriver54 said:

I found this Reuters article on European snowpack and river water levels this morning.  Sounds like perhaps another dry summer???

 

https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/europes-mild-weather-reprieve-this-winter-may-come-bite-by-summer-2023-01-11/

Does Reuters have a crystal ball?

In all seriousness, there has obviously been less rainfall and due to the higher than average temperatures less has come down as snow. Yes, basically it can mean low water levels (and will in autumn as a standard seasonal occurrence) but a good dose of prolonged rain will alleviate this. No way of knowing the extent, all computer modelling and educated speculation at this point.

 

As regards river cruising, as a side note, if river cruise companies were not mostly sailing with 135m ships these days, you would hardly hear about river cruising being impacted. We will just have to wait and see how winter and spring will do.

 

Right now we have a lot of rainfall and we are awaiting mild flooding. A drop in temperatures of two to three degrees will bring us a higher percentage of snow among the rain which is forecast to happen on Monday.

 

notamermaid

 

[moonriver54]

1 hour ago, notamermaid said:

Does Reuters have a crystal ball?

In all seriousness, there has obviously been less rainfall and due to the higher than average temperatures less has come down as snow. Yes, basically it can mean low water levels (and will in autumn as a standard seasonal occurrence) but a good dose of prolonged rain will alleviate this. No way of knowing the extent, all computer modelling and educated speculation at this point.

 

As regards river cruising, as a side note, if river cruise companies were not mostly sailing with 135m ships these days, you would hardly hear about river cruising being impacted. We will just have to wait and see how winter and spring will do.

 

Right now we have a lot of rainfall and we are awaiting mild flooding. A drop in temperatures of two to three degrees will bring us a higher percentage of snow among the rain which is forecast to happen on Monday.

 

notamermaid

 

Thank you.  Nothing like hearing conditions from a local source.  Here's to hoping for some winter snowfall and spring rains!

[notamermaid]

19 minutes ago, moonriver54 said:

Thank you.  Nothing like hearing conditions from a local source.  Here's to hoping for some winter snowfall and spring rains!

My pleasure. I read that you have booked the Danube for May. I am sure it will be great. I had no idea what to expect from Budapest and was really impressed. I enjoyed it more than Vienna.

 

This here is a great thread for all those questions you may have about your river cruise experience, always fantastic help from folks, in addition if you feel like saying hello in the thread on the Danube and its water levels when it is up and running please do so any time.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

I think I should extend my response to the Reuters article a bit. When Reuters and especially Bloomberg write about low water levels it is generally in connection with barge and tanker transport of all sorts of commodities. For the Rhine that is anything from sand, scrap metal and grain to new tractors, new cars and heating oil. The Rhine and Danube being the two arteries for bulk transport in Europe it is a major deal when the rivers get low. The big difference between the two rivers for river cruising is that the Danube has a let us say different threshold that is usually reached faster than with the Rhine. With so many river cruise ships now sailing the rivers for the North American market at a length of 135m low water gets much more attention than it used to. I will admit that the low water "season" has been a bit more extended and more extreme in the last ten years statistically.

 

The reporting on the Rhine gets a bit skewed as transport is impacted and word reaches international papers when the low water surcharge on transport costs kicks in at Kaub at 150cm. Logistics for river cruise ships only get problematic under 100cm and then not for every ship immediately. That is a very rough figure, please only use it as "pre-alert". There will be a tiny difference in each Avalon Waterways ship but generally speaking a short ship fares better. And remember that the captain who naturally knows his ship best will decide what is best and safest logistically. It is not much in draft but could make the difference between passing through the Rhine Gorge or not on that day in autumn that you happen to be due to sail there. The Avalon Artistry II with her 361 feet will do better than the Avalon Expression with her 443 feet, as an example.

 

Enough elaboration from me. We will speak again about this in the new thread on the Rhine - well hopefully  it will not be necessary.

 

notamermaid

 

[CruiseMark]

Hi all,

 

Lots of great info here!  I’m looking to book my first Avalon Rhine cruise (Panorama) and have a few questions if you don’t mind. I’ve also mailed my TA but haven’t heard back. I’ve read all the pinned posts and several pages in this thread, but not all 72 🙂

 

Questions:

 

How much is the deposit? Website says $250

Do you have to do the shore excursions or can you explore town on your own?

I looked at some sample menus and am a bit concerned. I’m a “meat and potatoes” kind of guy (sorry). I can’t eat seafood and don’t like vegetables. How difficult will that be? I’m not really a “foodie”.

Do the cabins have minibars?

I’m an introvert. Will I be forced to eat with a group of people?

Is there any problems with smokers? I absolutely hate smoking or smelling smoke in my cabin or at meals. 
 

Thanks,

 

Mark

[Kenster]

51 minutes ago, CruiseMark said:

Hi all,

 

Lots of great info here!  I’m looking to book my first Avalon Rhine cruise (Panorama) and have a few questions if you don’t mind. I’ve also mailed my TA but haven’t heard back. I’ve read all the pinned posts and several pages in this thread, but not all 72 🙂

 

Questions:

 

How much is the deposit? Website says $250

Do you have to do the shore excursions or can you explore town on your own?

I looked at some sample menus and am a bit concerned. I’m a “meat and potatoes” kind of guy (sorry). I can’t eat seafood and don’t like vegetables. How difficult will that be? I’m not really a “foodie”.

Do the cabins have minibars?

I’m an introvert. Will I be forced to eat with a group of people?

Is there any problems with smokers? I absolutely hate smoking or smelling smoke in my cabin or at meals. 
 

Thanks,

 

Mark

If the website says the deposit is $250, I reckon it’s $250. You can certainly pay more if you like. 
 

You pretty much don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. Because we’ve done five Avalon cruises, repeating many of the stops, We often skip the excursions, sleep late, Have a late breakfast, and walk into town on our own. Just be back before sailing time. 
 

The food is incredible but if the main menu doesn’t interest you, you can have a steak or chicken breast every night. 
 

The cabin mini fridge is stocked with liquor, for which you pay. You are free to bring your own booze onboard. 
 

There are a lot of “two top” tables where you can sit alone, assuming that the ship is not completely full. 
 

Smoking is not allowed anywhere in and on the ship except the very rear of the outside deck. It’s unlikely to be an issue. 
 

If you’re not interested in taking part in the wonderful food and the incredible excursions, and you don’t want to be around people, preferring to stay in your cabin and drink, why are spending a ton of money for a trip on which you will be miserable? 

[Canal archive]

Kenster checking on the internet there is one dedicated smoking area on Avalon vessels and that’s on the after end, there is no smoking inside anywhere including the state rooms and balconies. It’s something I’m always interested in as an ex smoker and so proud of quitting and so thankful to my NHS quitting nurse. I can assure you I can sniff out an illegal smoker a mile off. Although apart from this reply I really don’t talk about it, why when I’ve done it!

[Kenster]

34 minutes ago, Canal archive said:

Kenster checking on the internet there is one dedicated smoking area on Avalon vessels and that’s on the after end, there is no smoking inside anywhere including the state rooms and balconies. It’s something I’m always interested in as an ex smoker and so proud of quitting and so thankful to my NHS quitting nurse. I can assure you I can sniff out an illegal smoker a mile off. Although apart from this reply I really don’t talk about it, why when I’ve done it!

Yes, I mentioned the smoking areas in my previous reply. There are actually two: the rear of the top/Sun deck, and a tiny outside deck just aft of the rear lounge on Deck 3. 

[CruiseMark]

2 hours ago, Kenster said:

 

 

If you’re not interested in taking part in the wonderful food and the incredible excursions, and you don’t want to be around people, preferring to stay in your cabin and drink, why are spending a ton of money for a trip on which you will be miserable? 

Thanks for the info. 
 

To clarify:

a) I don’t drink

b) I never said I didn’t want to go on excursions. In fact I’m looking forward to them. The reason I asked is that I’m a photographer, so I wanted to know if I could go photograph a cathedral for an extended time, for example, if I wanted to. 
c) I also never said I didn’t want to be around people, but forcing me to sit at a table with 8 other people and try to make small talk causes me severe anxiety. 

[Canal archive]

Sorry Kenster I should have addressed CruiseMark. 
It’s your holiday so find out if they have a slow walkers group on the excursions wonderful for photographers.

[*Miss G*]

5 hours ago, CruiseMark said:

Do you have to do the shore excursions or can you explore town on your own?

 

 

You can do either/or, or both.  I found the excursions left enough time for you to wander around on your own when they wrapped up.  On one walking tour, my sister left part-way through (a pre-embarkation injury had hampered mobility).  I stayed through to the end, took tons of cathedral pictures, then walked the route again to pick up on anything I’d missed.  On others I could pick and choose which portions of the tour were of interest.  For example, I took the train with the group to the destination and could choose to go in the museum or wander around on my own.  Even though they are guided tours, you really do still have control over how much or how little you want to participate.

 

5 hours ago, CruiseMark said:

looked at some sample menus and am a bit concerned. I’m a “meat and potatoes” kind of guy (sorry). I can’t eat seafood and don’t like vegetables. How difficult will that be? I’m not really a “foodie”.

 

At the beginning of the cruise they have a Special Dietary Needs meeting with the chef, maitre d’, and I think it was the hotel director.  (See first Daily Newsletter post in linked thread.) You will get a chance to sit with them, privately, to discuss any issues or preferences and they will go out of their way to ensure they are met.

 

5 hours ago, CruiseMark said:

I’m an introvert. Will I be forced to eat with a group of people?

 

You will not be forced to eat with anyone if you don’t want to.  There are many 2-tops.  If you find the main dining room is too overwhelming you can eat in the buffet lounge where the seating is further apart and the atmosphere less formal.

 

I recently did a LIVE Report from my first-ever Avalon cruise if you want to take a look.  It gives you a better idea of what to expect.  I think you will find that your concerns are a non-issue.  Enjoy your cruise!

 

Edited January 16, 2023 by *Miss G*

[CruiseMark]

Thank you, Miss G

[Daisi]

@CruiseMark, don't worry about meals, there are usually several choices, and always the standard steak & chicken if nothing on the standard menu looks good. However, I would suggest trying some of the other foods, the good thing is, if you don't care for it, they will bring you something else, or you can order both a steak and something from the regular menu to try. They are great that way, as my husband found out one night when he mentioned my desert looked good - next thing we knew, although he had the desert he ordered, they were bringing him one of mine as well. 

 

As for dining companions, it's open seating, so you can basically sit with one other person, a group of 4, a group of 2 or on your own. I think there are only a couple of tables for large groups, and they are usually saved for larger groups travelling together. We always sat at the same table, and sometimes had another couple join us, sometimes a group of 4. It's a nice way to meet fellow guests, and because you aren't "stuck" at the same table every night, if you don't "mesh" with your lunchtime companion, you can sit somewhere elsewhere for dinner. 

 

As others have suggested, go on all the slow walker tours to get lots of time for pictures. We found the guides on them were able to walk & talk, instead of walking to a spot, giving you the info about what you just passed, and where you are, then on to the next. The groups are generally smaller, and with the voice box system, you don't have to be up tight to the guide to hear what is being said, If you wish to stay behind and do more shots, just make sure you ask the guide where to meet up in case you need to catch a shuttle back to the bus. We did a 7 day cruise and came home with over 1000 pictures, so there is lots of time for taking pictures. 🙂

 

 

[*Miss G*]

14 minutes ago, Daisi said:

The groups are generally smaller, and with the voice box system, you don't have to be up tight to the guide to hear what is being said

 

Oh!  That’s a good point!  I loved those rechargeable receivers to hear what the guide was saying and the small tour groups.  It meant I could be quite a distance behind, taking my pictures, and still hear the narrative.  If the narrative got a bit crackly, or if there was something I wanted to pay closer attention to, I knew it was time to move on.

[Daisi]

@*Miss G*, it got towards the end of our cruise our small group of slow walkers increased as more found out about the ease of taking pictures, so we would have "spotters" set up to watch the guide and to keep an eye on us photographers. I'm sure others were wondering what was going on, but we were good.

[CPT Trips]

@CruiseMark We found that a good time to do some exploring on our own skipping lunch on the ship. Unless your ship is leaving during lunch, you can pick up a couple extra hours touring this way. Also, you can drop out of the tour early if you spot something you want to explore in more depth. Obviously it works much better in locations where you can easily get back to the ship on your own. 
 

Be sure to let your tour guide know if you are aren’t going back to ship or. Are dropping out out of the tour. Also, confirm the all aboard time when you are ashore without the group. 

[CruiseMark]

@CPT Trips Thanks!

[ljandgb]

I'm the queen of wandering off while on a tour.  I love those whisper devices so I can gauge just how far away I am.  I also love to poke around towns.  If we were docked somewhere that didn't need a bus ride back to the ship (or if I could easily take the subway, etc) I wouldn't go back with the group but would spend more time in town - taking pictures or sometimes trying something from a bakery.  I could eat my way around the globe. 😉

 

I'm also an introvert, but have found that after a couple of days, we usually meet a small handful of people we enjoy talking with and end up eating with them a lot, and sitting near them on the bus.  If you want to sit by yourself the whole time, though, you'll be able to.  Lots of 2 tops in the dining area.  Every trip I've been on there's been a solo that was content to stay solo.  

[YoungDubFan]

I’m taking my 2nd solo Avalon at the end of April (Tulip Time on the Tranquility). My 1st trip turned into a solo when my mom couldn’t come at the last minute due to illness. The cruise only had 50 total passengers and there was at least 1-2 other singles on it. There were some nights that I sat with others at dinner and some nights that I sat by myself. I always took my book with me to dinner so that if I sat by myself, I could just read and was content to dine solo. It was nice to have the option. 

[Daisi]

4 hours ago, ljandgb said:

.  If we were docked somewhere that didn't need a bus ride back to the ship (or if I could easily take the subway, etc) I wouldn't go back with the group but would spend more time in town - taking pictures or sometimes trying something from a bakery.  I could eat my way around the globe. 😉

 

.  

 

Lol, that reminds me of our excursion to Obernai. There is a bakery at the entrance where we came into the village, and they knew we were coming. We got off the bus, crossed the road, and there were 3 staff members outside with trays of macarons.  Of course, on the way back to the bus, they were doing a fantastic business of selling them to all of us. Great spot to have a bakery!

Edited January 20, 2023 by Daisi

[notamermaid]

Oh my, a Lebkuchenhaus!

 

Noted down in my folder for Alsace holidays.

 

notamermaid

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

Isn't that the place that Hansel and Gretel had a little trouble with?  🤣

[Rebel54]

On 1/16/2023 at 5:53 AM, CruiseMark said:

Thanks for the info. 
 

To clarify:

a) I don’t drink

b) I never said I didn’t want to go on excursions. In fact I’m looking forward to them. The reason I asked is that I’m a photographer, so I wanted to know if I could go photograph a cathedral for an extended time, for example, if I wanted to. 
c) I also never said I didn’t want to be around people, but forcing me to sit at a table with 8 other people and try to make small talk causes me severe anxiety. 

CruiseMark,

 

    We don't drink either.  We asked to have all unwanted items removed from our fridge so we had room for what we wanted in it.  They kept us stocked with water and a few sodas that we did llike.

    I am also an avid photographer.  When able I would wander into town without the group to focus on my photos.  Often my spouse would find a local gym and while he worked out, I would take photos.  You can, as others have said, easily wander a bit on your own with a tour group but be mindful of time.  I can recall a couple times where our entire group was held up because we had several people on our tour that had zero consideration for others.  Let your tour guide know what you are doing or make sure you know where the group is meeting up and when,

    My husband is not a fan of group dining either.  I don't care either way.  On our Vietnam river cruise (can't recommend enough if you love photography) we met two lovely couples who were traveling together ... that adopted us .  We did often times have breakfast alone at a two seat table just because we never came down at the same time.  Dinners we usually met up and sat together.  3 years later we are actually still friends with them.  If you aren't comfortable with something, talk to the crew...they will take care of you.

 

[Rebel54]

On 11/14/2022 at 3:24 PM, Daisi said:

Here is a link where you can do a virtual tour of the ship, showing the exercise room. 

 

https://www.avalonwaterways.ca/river-cruise-ships/avalon-saigon/

 

Unfortunately, the Mekong cruises aren't as common as the European ones, so I'm not sure if you will get answers here. Perhaps open a new topic titles "Avalon Mekong", you may find someone who can help with the Wifi and excursions.  You can do a search in this forum for "Mekong", but it will show all lines.

 

Good luck, and if you go, please come back and do a review, as I'm sure others are looking for answers as well.

 

 

We did this cruise 3 years ago.  I will have to look and see if I did a review.  It was AMAZING and can't recommend it enough.  We moved from Hawaii to Texas right when we got back so I can't remember If I came back to share or not.