Avalon Waterways Introduces Flexible Dining Option on River Cruises

[Host Jazzbeau]

New article on Cruise Critic:

Avalon Waterways Introduces Flexible Dining Option on River Cruises

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=8525

[Hoyaheel]

Nice!

[Rebel54]

This is major. Thank you for sharing. Eating at 7pm is horrible for us. We eat later so our food has time to digest before we go to bed. Love this change.

[newcruiser1956]

I am thrilled too! Vietnam in 2020

[robertmartha]

Have not sailed on Avalon but that's definitely a game changer for us.

I agree - 7pm is way to early when a vacation - esp a port intensive river cruise.

Will be curious the "hours" of dinner service. Was actually one of the reasons I was looking a Uniworld (in addition to the reviews and feedback from posters as well as the product itself). Would think the cruise lines would benefit from opening the dining hours as well from 5-6ish up thru 8:30ish - spread the crowd out between those who like eating early to those who enjoy dining late.

[KathyK13]

This is major. Thank you for sharing. Eating at 7pm is horrible for us. We eat later so our food has time to digest before we go to bed. Love this change.

 

Do you mean you eat earlier so food can digest? I need at least 2 or 3 hours between dinner and bedtime or my stomach is not happy!

 

I agree this is a big change that will likely attract many people who have complained about the set dining time at 7.

 

With the retirement of the older ships, the focus on fresh local cuisine, more active cruises, and the flexible dining time, Avalon seems to be working towards improving the cruising experience rather than on adding additional ships. They are also advertising more, although not as much as Viking.

[Rebel54]

This is major. Thank you for sharing. Eating at 7pm is horrible for us. We eat later so our food has time to digest before we go to bed. Love this change.

 

 

I meant to say earlier. We usually eat dinner around 5:30 or 6:00 pm.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Before you get your hopes up, I didn't see anything in the announcement that would make me think dinner starts earlier than 7. I'm assuming Avalon is matching a few other river cruise lines that start dinner at 7 but are flexible about people arriving later [not earlier]. I may be wrong in my assumption, but the point is that Avalon hasn't said anything about the hours of the new flexible service.

[Rebel54]

Do you mean you eat earlier so food can digest? I need at least 2 or 3 hours between dinner and bedtime or my stomach is not happy!

 

I agree this is a big change that will likely attract many people who have complained about the set dining time at 7.

 

With the retirement of the older ships, the focus on fresh local cuisine, more active cruises, and the flexible dining time, Avalon seems to be working towards improving the cruising experience rather than on adding additional ships. They are also advertising more, although not as much as Viking.

 

 

Yes...I did. I'm not sure what happened there. :mad:

[gnome12]

I am thrilled too! Vietnam in 2020

Don't assume that this will apply to other than European cruises. Mekong ships are MUCH smaller, and it would be more difficult to add this flexibility.

[gnome12]

Before you get your hopes up, I didn't see anything in the announcement that would make me think dinner starts earlier than 7. I'm assuming Avalon is matching a few other river cruise lines that start dinner at 7 but are flexible about people arriving later [not earlier]. I may be wrong in my assumption, but the point is that Avalon hasn't said anything about the hours of the new flexible service.

I agree. This is the part of the announcement that seems most relevant.

"Previously, meals in the main dining room began promptly at 7 p.m., occasionally requiring passengers to rush to get ready or cut short time in port."