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All Things Avalon


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4 hours ago, ljandgb said:

I agree it's not a surprise and for the best.  I am wondering about the requirement of a negative test within 72 hours of beginning "Globus sponsored travel" since we were planning on arriving in Prague 2 days early.  That means any test I get for the flight won't be good by the time we get to the boat.  Maybe if I get Avalon to make our pre-night hotel reservations that would count.  Time to call our TA.

We are in the same situation with our Avalon Sept. cruise.  We do have 2 pre night hotels scheduled through Avalon in Zurich.  We stay overnite near the airport before we fly to Zurich.  Delta said don't even come to the airport if you don't have the negative COVID test.

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I went back and looked at the link and I can't find anything about negative tests, just proof of vaccination.  Perhaps I was hallucinating.  It was a long day at work yesterday.  So, if I just need a negative test to get on the plane to get there, I should be fine to spend a couple extra days in Prague.  Assuming I'll need another negative test to get back on the plane to come home, I hope Avalon assists with this since we don't have any extra days at the end.

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Just checked the Canadian site (they aren't letting us cruise yet, so figured the old info would still be there), and it says fully vaccinated.  I guess if you have been fully vaccinated you won't need a test.

 

Makes it easier for all...now to figure out how to get the vaccine passport acceptable for the EU.  I hear that it can be use by visitors, so will have to see what they need.

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2 hours ago, ljandgb said:

I went back and looked at the link and I can't find anything about negative tests, just proof of vaccination.  Perhaps I was hallucinating.  It was a long day at work yesterday.  So, if I just need a negative test to get on the plane to get there, I should be fine to spend a couple extra days in Prague.  Assuming I'll need another negative test to get back on the plane to come home, I hope Avalon assists with this since we don't have any extra days at the end.

I don't know if Avalon is requiring a negative test to board the ship, but Switzerland, where our cruise embarks in Basel, requires  a negative test within 72 hours to enter the country, or they will administer the test at the airport at our expense.  I asked at my health care plan/hospital if they did a rapid COVID test and the answer was no, results in 3-5 days.  No one in our area seems to do a rapid test.

 

Avalon stated on their web page (I had a hard time locating it) that they will administer the COVID test near the end of the cruise for passengers, free of charge,  whose home country (like the US) require it for entry.

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As of July 1, Europe will be having a Vaccine passport.  From what I have heard on other boards, for travellers to Europe, you have to get one from the country you enter.  I think (but as it's not out yet) you can "apply" prior to your trip.  This (hopefully) will eliminate the requirements for the time limited Covid tests. 

 

Mind you...with Covid, you never know...

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If I need a test to get on an international flight from the US, I'd have it to land wherever we end up.  There's a clinic near by that can get the results back in 24 hours.  I'd love to not have to worry about that at all, though, if the vaccine certificate was good enough.  Things seem to change weekly, so I'll just have to keep abreast of the current requirements.

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  • 3 weeks later...

We have recently booked the Rhine and Moselle cruise next June.  It’s our first river cruise.  I have a question I can’t seem to find an answer to.  How are tips handled?  Which ones are included and which aren’t?  If not included, who and how much is suggested?  Are they usually given in cash or is there a way to prepay or include them on our ship board account?  We have an onboard credit, so that would be an easy way to use it.

Thanks!

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You can pay crew tips at the end of the cruise. You’ll be given one envelope for the combined crew tip and a separate envelope for the Cruise Director. They can be paid with cash or you can go to the pursers desk and put it all on your credit card. 
Tips for local guides for your daily or optional excursions  are included.  We typically give a little to the cruise “piano guy,” especially if he has played some requests.  And we always give a little extra to our favorite dining room waiter/waitress as well as the cocktail servers in the lounge if they have taken really good care of us. 
And by the end of the cruise we usually have a ton of loose change that we leave in the cabin for our steward. 

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18 minutes ago, ATG said:

We have recently booked the Rhine and Moselle cruise next June.  It’s our first river cruise.  I have a question I can’t seem to find an answer to.  How are tips handled?  Which ones are included and which aren’t?  If not included, who and how much is suggested?  Are they usually given in cash or is there a way to prepay or include them on our ship board account?  We have an onboard credit, so that would be an easy way to use it.

Thanks!

If you have already booked you might want to look at MyAvalon, because I can't find anything on the open website. When I travelled with Avalon (in SE Asia so it might be different) I had the opportunity to prepay tips. Then, at the end of the cruise, when you settle up any bill that you have, you can add any additional amount if you would like. Yes, you can include them on the ship board account; we didn't have to pay cash.

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You can also pre-pay your tips.  Tips are distributed amongst the crew, so they do a general percentage.  The nicest thing is, you pay in your own $$, onboard, you will be charged Euro's if paying on your CC.  I believe they also ask for Euros as tips as well.  

 

We pre-paid our tips, felt they were worth every cent.  We received coupons in our welcome package that we put in the envelopes.  For those who went above and beyond (our cabin attendant, regular server & wine server, CD) we personally handed over some extra with a big thanks.  I think when it came to settling up our bill at the end of the cruise, it was about 8 Euros, as we had ordered a couple extra beers for the day we cruised the middle Rhine. It was nice to not have any CC bills to settle up when we got home.

 

As @Kenstersays, the drivers & local guides are all paid by Avalon (Globus actually, as they all work for the head company) and no tipping is required, unless you wish to. Some of the guides really do go out over and above what you would expect for a tour, we had one who gave an extra tour in Colmar of the Unterlinden Museum with a lot of great detail on the Isenheim Altarpiece.  We all though she was an Art Major, but no, she just enjoyed sharing her knowledge and had those of us who joined her enthralled.  

Edited by Daisi
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I don't remember well enough to tell you for certain, but for some reason I remember having to get cash for the tips at the end of the cruise. I do remember the 2 tips, one for crew and one for the CD. I think each amount was pretty similar, which stood out because that seemed like pretty good money for the CD.

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12 hours ago, Kenster said:

Crew tip is about $10-12 a day. 
Recommended CD tip is $3 a day. 
We’ve done four cruises in the past six years and that’s what it’s been. 

Thanks for the refresher. My memory was way off.

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13 hours ago, SCBarker said:

I don't remember well enough to tell you for certain, but for some reason I remember having to get cash for the tips at the end of the cruise. I do remember the 2 tips, one for crew and one for the CD. I think each amount was pretty similar, which stood out because that seemed like pretty good money for the CD.

 

The CD is a contract employee through Avalon, not on salary.  That could be partly why the recommended tipping is close.  I also think, if you have a good CD, they are one of the hardest working members of the team.  Ours was going from about 6:00 (at least that's when I first caught her when I went out for an early stroll on the deck) to after midnight.  With no time off for the entire cruise (the crew all got at least a day off when we were there), they work hard.  Ours went above and beyond,  planning bike rides for one group that biked almost everywhere, making reservations for those who wanted to eat in towns, arranging taxis, and also went out with each group on tours to make sure the passengers were happy.

 

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Unlike CDs on ocean cruises, river cruise CDs [at least on AMA] only work one cruise at a time.  They start with the pre-cruise land portion, then the cruise, then the post-cruise land portion – then they collapse and rest until their next contract.  So the tips represent their income over a longer period than it seems.

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27 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Unlike CDs on ocean cruises, river cruise CDs [at least on AMA] only work one cruise at a time.  They start with the pre-cruise land portion, then the cruise, then the post-cruise land portion – then they collapse and rest until their next contract.  So the tips represent their income over a longer period than it seems.

The CD on Avalon is an actual employee of Avalon/Globus. (All other personnel are employees of the ship line, which is contracted by Avalon.  I know some CDs will do back to back cruises then have a bit of time until their next assignment. Some might do a pre-cruise land extension, but that’s not always the case. 
But yes,  what they make on the cruise should not be extrapolated as making that full time.  It’s not solid, and it IS seasonal. 

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2 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Interesting as far as I know on Scenic the CDs are employed by Scenic and the hotel and maritime staff are contracted although these can be fired by Scenic.

Most likely, the Scenic ships are branded Scenic but not actually owned by Scenic. That’s the way it is with most, if not all, river cruise lines. So, the CD actually works for the operators: Scenic, Avalon, Viking, etc, but everyone else on board works for the ship owner. 

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Kenster I’m sorry I do take issue with you there, the hotel and maritime staff and crew are supplied by at least one German company which does not own the boats. I think Glen Moroney will be just a little surprised to find that he suddenly does not own his boats. I will send my Australian friend an email he started in the travel business at the same time as Glen I’m sure he’ll enjoy letting him know in Switzerland. They even own their boat on the Douro which was unusual. 

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19 minutes ago, Canal archive said:

Kenster I’m sorry I do take issue with you there, the hotel and maritime staff and crew are supplied by at least one German company which does not own the boats. I think Glen Moroney will be just a little surprised to find that he suddenly does not own his boats. I will send my Australian friend an email he started in the travel business at the same time as Glen I’m sure he’ll enjoy letting him know in Switzerland. They even own their boat on the Douro which was unusual. 

Thank you for the correction. I guess my point is that the ship’s crew are not Avalon employees whereas the Cruise Director is.  
And that the ships are not owned by the cruise operator, though they are branded Avalon, AMA, Viking, etc. 

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29 minutes ago, Canal archive said:

What do you mean the cruise operator?

The company operating the cruise: Avalon, Viking, AMA, etc. 

 

Just like a tour operator: Globus, Colette, Tauck, etc. 

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