I Put The Highest Rated European River Cruise Line To The Test
I decided to do a European river cruise after
a five-year break. The question was, which line should I use? I looked at the latest reviews on
Cruise Critic and was intrigued to see that a line I had been on before, and thought was okay
but not exceptional, was currently the highest rated line by passengers, with an impressive 4.7
out of 5. So, I booked on one of their Rhine River cruises and boarded with high expectations.
And this is what I discovered. Good and Bad. Welcome aboard, I am Gary Bembridge and as
always, I booked and paid for this cruise at the going rate through my travel agent to make
sure that I give a fair and balanced review. The line currently rated
highest by past passengers is Avalon Waterways. But who and what are they? Avalon is a 20-year-old river cruise company
owned by the Globus family of travel brands, who are the largest tour operator in the world. They sail 15 ships on a wide range of
European rivers, including the Danube, Rhine, Moselle, Rhône, Seine, and Douro. Most of their ships carry 166 passengers, like the Avalon Envision I was on. They also cruise
on rivers in Asia, South America and Africa. Avalon are a four-star Premium river cruising
line, falling between 5-Star Luxury lines like Riverside, Scenic and Uniworld, but higher than
more 3-star budget lines like CroisiEurope and TUI. Their closest competition are lines
like Emerald, Viking, and AmaWaterways. Avalon focuses on English-speaking travellers, with the vast majority on
board from the United States. They’re best known for one feature, which they
talk about more than anything else, which I agree is good so let me start with this and other things
that I liked. Before those that work less well. Avalon argue the best thing about
their ships are the cabins. I agree. Most cabins are Panorama Suites. They
claim these are 30% larger than the industry standard and have two standout features. First, there is no balcony but there are floor-to-ceiling wall-to-wall
windows that open very wide, which means great ability to see the scenery
and have fresh air coming in. I loved this. And the bed faces those windows, and therefore
the view, when lying in or on the bed. I found the bathroom was a good size, with
nice touches like L’Occitane toiletries and towels in two colours, white and beige,
so no arguing over who’s towel is which! I liked the good soundproofing. And certainly, unlike several river cruise ships I’ve been
on, I couldn’t hear people on either side. There were only two minor
negatives I had with the cabin. First, and probably linked more to the
fact that it’s a premium rather than a luxury line, I found the bedding and
the pillows not great. A flimsy duvet, and the pillows had a synthetic feeling filling. And if you’re a North American traveller, it only had European sockets. But
there were USB ports by the bed. They have two other cabin types. A
Royal Suite which is much bigger, with separate seating and bedding areas, and
larger bathroom. And then on the lowest deck, and three-quarters under they have Deluxe
Cabins with windows above the water line. The second positive I want to
talk about is the ship overall. While it’s not particularly unique or
different to other river cruise ships because they all must be the same width, height
and length to fit in the locks and under bridges, I did find the ship pretty good, although
like all river ships facilities were limited. There was a main lounge, the
Panorama Lounge, with the bar, 24-hour coffee machine, and
views out on three sides. It’s used for daily briefings, any entertainment, and importantly as you will
hear later, some dining. There’s another smaller
lounge, that I really liked, at the rear of the ship called the Club Lounge. It has great views, 24-hour coffee machine, huge range of teas, snacks 24
hours a day including cookies, treat of the day like Apple Turnover and muffins,
and bags of fruit and nut mix, and sets of games. There’s a large dining room which I will talk
about in more detail when I talk about the food. There’s a lobby with 24-hoursGuest Services, and
the Cruise Director’s desk. Unlike many river cruise ships, it doesn’t have a shop. Thought they
had a pop-up Avalon merchandise store one day. There’s a small fitness centre with
bike, rowing machine, and some weights. They have an elevator between the floors
for passengers with more limited mobility. On the top of the ship is the Sky
Deck running the full length of the ship with lots of seating areas
many under cover which was fantastic for scenic sailing days like when
we went through the Rhine Gorge. It has a games area with oversized chess,
backgammon, a putting green, small hot tub, and a running/ walking track. Unfortunately, unlike
some river ships I have been, on no plunge pool. I found the decor of the ship rather
neutral. It is not that memorable or distinctive but it’s practical and worked. Next, I want to talk about the strengths
and weaknesses of the on-board experience, off-ship excursions and importantly
dining. I’ll start with that. There were some aspects of
dining that have changed since I was last on Avalon, which I really liked. The Dining Room I mentioned offers a buffet
breakfast, buffet lunch, and then 4-course dinner. One day instead of lunch in dining room the
chef ran a Grill up on the Sky Deck with burgers and German sausages. It is a great
venue and pity it was not used more often. For dinner, unlike many river cruise lines
I have been on, it was open-seated dining, so people didn’t all have to be seated at a fixed
time offering more flexibility which I liked. I also liked the layout of the dining room
as instead of all large tables for 6 or more, like many other lines I’ve been on, there
were also two long banks of tables with options to dine alone, or as a couple. Admittedly, they’re very close to each other so you do
end up sitting next to people and chatting. The dinner menus were solid, with a
decent choice usually with at least one healthy option (called “Avalon Fresh”), a Local
Speciality dish, and Vegetarian one. Overall, I found the food good, and absolutely felt it
matches their other Premium line competition. But what I really liked is Avalon
have embraced more casual dining. On most river cruises I found
limited options for casual dining. Avalon offered a room service breakfast,
admittedly a small menu but you could have it. They had a small casual lunch option in the
Panorama Lounge, and a casual buffet dinner with selected dishes from the Dining
Room menu also in the Panorama Lounge. I really liked this because it
meant that I didn’t have to go and have what usually was an up to 2-hour
served dinner, and if docked in town, could pop off and do a bit of exploring,
or just relax up on the deck or in my room. Another positive was there was
a meeting with the Executive Chef held on embarkation day to
discuss dietary issues or needs. When it comes to dining there were
two areas I think could be improved. They have afternoon tea every day
at 4pm. It was a bit of miss as the sandwiches seem to be prepared a
bit too early and were a bit dried and curled up. But every day had different
cakes and treats which was well done. But more significant, I felt they did
not embrace and immerse us guests into the regional food and drinks as much as other lines I have been on. An observation I
will come back to in another area too. They did have some regional and local dish
here and there on the menu, but I have had much more immersive and fully regional
themed dinners and dining on other lines. On that theme, while the included
wines at meals were all European, they were not all from the area, with a red,
white and rose wine on each menu from Spain, Italy, France, and even Romania
included. Though I suspect this was done to offer variety and wine drinkers
I spoke to enjoyed the options and quality. Wine, beers, and soft drinks were
included with lunch and dinner, and there were more included drinks at the daily
Happy Hour where I could order from a specific Happy Hour drinks menu with included
wines, beers, cocktails, non-alcoholic cocktails, and some alcoholic drinks. The
rest of the time drinks were added charge. As many of you like to explore the food and
drinks more, I’ve put the menus for all meals and the full bar menu in a folder which you
can view at TipsForTravellers.com/Avalon. Next is probably one of the
big strengths of Avalon, and why I think many past passengers
have rated them so very highly. This is the relaxed atmosphere with
more flexibility and active options than many river cruises I have been on,
underpinned by good efficient service. I found Avalon to be less formal
than many. I think that’s because they’re trying to attract travellers
who are more youthful and want to be more active and more casual than
the traditional river cruiser. For example, there is no dress
code and if you want to wear shorts and a T-shirt to dinner then you can. No announcements were made through the PA system, avoiding that feeling I had on other lines
of being on a tightly ordered escorted tour. The open-seated dining and more flexible dining I mentioned again added to the more
casual and less structured feeling. The high level of inclusions also
added to the casual feel as hardly any need to sign for or charge things to my cabin. As well as the drinks and 24-hour coffee
stations I mentioned earlier being included, other inclusions were Starlink Wi-Fi where
I could connect as many devices as I wanted, a choice of at least two excursions at every
stop, daily Fitness Classes run by a dedicated fitness Adventure Host, and the ability to use
on-board eBikes and regular bikes to self-explore. There was no hard sell or
“nickel and diming” on board. The only added charge items were drinks
outside the included times, mini-bar items, some additional added-charge premium
excursions, gratuities, and transfers. Another nod to the more youthful and modern
approach instead of a printed daily program, it was only on the AvalonGO smartphone app and
in-room TV. The App also had all the menus, excursion details, local maps and so on. Another positive, and one I saw referred to
often in online reviews, is the crew and service. It’s a healthy crew-to-passenger ratio with 47
crew looking after the up to 166 passengers. Most of the crew were Eastern
European, although there many Asian cabin attendants which is a change
from other river cruises I have been on. But linked to the relaxed approach, the
crew and service is less formal with a chatty and friendly format. However,
it was still attentive and efficient. Let me talk about the things I felt were
okay, or less good. Starting with one I thought would be stand out due to Avalon
being part of the Globus group: excursions. I did not find Avalon excursions stood
out versus other river cruise lines. I thought they would leverage much more of
the Globus connection because, of course, they do tours in all these places.
But talking to some of the guides, they did seem to focus on river cruise lines and
work across several different cruise lines. There was choice of excursions in
all the stops which was good to have. Avalon make much of having three
categories of excursions: Active, Discovery, and Classic. But I didn’t
really see a big difference between them. The Classic tours were the same I’ve had on
other river cruise lines. These are walking tours of nearby historic towns, with some
history, looking at historically significant buildings or areas, visiting the town
square, and going to the cathedral. The Discovery Tours promised to
go more off the beaten path or explore a specific topic. Like
in Cologne it explored Jewish heritage, and in another exploring the
Black Forest and Cuckoo clock making. The Active Tours were run by the
Adventure Host and included a hike to Neiderwald monument high above Rüdesheim,
and cycling tours of Cologne and Strasbourg. Although they did stress the host was
not a guide and so while would lead the hike or cycle, we would not get
an explanation of sights and places. The tours were like those I have been on
other river cruise lines, so I was a little bit disappointed there was nothing unique and
different. Of course, the challenge is where the ship stops, they are limited on what is there
and so all lines end up doing the same things. Probably though the main thing I was
disappointed in was the lack of enrichment, immersion, and entertainment
from the areas we passed through. The daily briefing was probably weaker
versus other lines I’ve been on as it just covered the daily program for
the next day. But on other lines, we were given talks about the river,
area, history and culture too. So, by the end of those river cruises I
felt that I really understood the river and places we were going through. That
didn’t really happen on Avalon, there was no overarching story or understanding
about the region or the Rhine itself. While most river cruise lines don’t much evening
entertainment, this was particularly low-key. In the evenings there were a couple of game nights,
a local band played in the ship in Cologne, but it was a dance band rather than
anything cultural and a string trio played in Rüdesheim. But again, there no
link to the culture or heritage of region. Other lines brought on traditional
dancers or musicians, or experts to talk. Bearing all the pros and cons in mind,
did I feel that high 4.7 rating is valid? First off, bear in mind this
is a costly trip as all river cruises are. It’s the level of
luxury ocean lines per night. A typical Avalon 7-night cruise, like the
Rhine cruise I did, costs per cabin for two people the following: US$1,000 a night
for a Deluxe Cabin under the waterline, US$1,600 a night for a Panorama Suite,
and $2,100 a night for the Royal Suite. I booked on a no solo supplement promotion sailing
and paid $800 a night for my Panorama Suite. So, if you are river cruising you must judge
value for money knowing it is more costly than most ocean cruise lines and compare it
to other river cruise lines not ocean. With that in mind, I can see why Avalon get
such good ratings as the combination of service, competitive food, acceptable excursions,
pleasant ships, comfortable cabins delivered with a more relaxed and flexible
experience sets it aside from many lines. It is also why I saw younger, or
certainly more youthful guests, including several families with
teen and college aged kids. Does it have elevated food? Does it have
great entertainment and good enrichment? Is it very luxurious? No, but it is a great
premium line that works for a more laid back, independent-minded traveller
wanting to try river cruising. To find out what the what the 12 river
cruises I have done have taught me that anyone going river cruising need
to know, join me over in this video where I start with the big mistake
almost every makes. See you over there.
After a five-year break, I returned to river cruising in Europe to see how the experience compared to my past trips. I chose the European River Cruise line with the highest ratings by recent passengers and boarded with high expectations. This video shares my thoughts on what they did both well and less well, and if I felt they deserve the ratings they are getting
Links mentioned in the video:
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#rivercruisetips #riverCruisingTips #riverCruiseTipsAndTricks
00:00 Start
00:40 WHO IS AVALON?
01:45 WHAT IS GOOD?
01:50 Cabins
03:45 Ship
05:30 Food and Drink
09:14 On Board Experience
11:13 Crew and Service
11:45 WHAT IS JUST OK?
11:56 Excursions
13:43 Immersion and Enrichment
14:50 WORTH THE PRICE?
28 Comments
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What's the ceiling height on these?
Based on my 28 day on Danube/Main/Rhine I agree with all the positives, but not all the criticisms.
Obviously local guides provide same tour to multiple ships. So what. Went on a pre-tour to Transylvania which was excellent.
To say there was no difference between Active and other streams is nonsense. The Active Guide provided Yoga every morning, then either a Hike up to a castle, Bike ride, Power walk, tour by bike. Guide was Romanian but she shared her limited knowledge of sites gained from previous visits. My favorite was riding to next port where we rode thru small villages, parks, bike trails etc. While Viking guides has only red flags, each Avalon guide had a different colour making it easier to follow. Other boats may have bikes to borrow, but none had an Active program as what we had. It was fully booked most days.
We had history of the Danube, the canal connecting Danube with Main and a section where there was dozens of castles, otherwise it was left to local guide ashore. We had many local cultural performers come aboard and we stopped by a Auditorium where we were given an excellent Classical performance.
I would rate Avalon higher that 4.7.
Feb 2025 I cruised the Mekong, Nov 2025 I'll be doing the Nile and in 2026 a 14 day from Zurich to Amsterdam, part by bus and then down the Rhine.
I cruised the Rhine with Avalon this spring, and loved every minute of it. I'll be sailing with them again next year on the Lower Danube. The only meal I was slightly disappointed with was the one up on the Sky deck. The atmosphere was lovely, but I didn't come to Europe to eat burgers and fries.
Thank you, Gary, for sending out this river cruise review. Based on your review and recommendations, I will now feel better informed whilst making my own decision related to a river cruise venture.
Just completed an Avalon cruise on the Rhine. Zero music other than an accordion player!
We spent two weeks in 2024 on two different Avalon river ships in France (Grande France cruise) and I differ on your dining experience. Even though it is stated that you can come into dinner at any time – it does not happen!!! On several occasions we arrived about thirty minutes after opening only to be told that we were late and the waiters were not happy!!! Also happy hour is a great idea but if you are not there well before it opens you will be lucky to get a seat – people go up early and just wait until the free drinks hour. Over all we enjoyed it but with reservations
I loved the rooms on Avalon.
Loved bathrooms too.
We’ve done 3 river cruises and recently decided to give another line an opportunity. IMO what disappoints clients is a failure to meet expectations or resolve issues that impact or diminish a customer’s experience. When you (cruise lines) put your own interests like paying in full 8-12 months in advance, most folks begin to look elsewhere for value and a better customer experience.
I’ve been on 3 Globus/Avalon trips since 2017. The quality of the motor coach tours and guides with Globus made the choice of Avalon an easy one in 2023. I was especially interested in a river cruise that offered more active excursions for my 22-yo son and myself. I found the Rhine cruise from Basel to Amsterdam a good choice with active options at each stop. These included mountain biking in the Black Forest, a vigorous hike up the Philosopher’s Walk in Heidelberg, and kayaking in the Amsterdam canals. These excursions did not disappoint. There were less demanding options at each location for other passengers. I think this review is accurate, though some features depend on the ship. We had US style outlet plugs in our cabin and a plunge pool/hot tub on the upper deck of the ship (which was seldom used).
The staff were excellent and the daily briefings for the next day’s activities were detailed and entertaining. We found the food to be good, with local wine and beer selections. Many of the daily excursions included trying food and beverage experiences, so there was no absence of opportunities. When the ship was in port for an evening, leaving to visit a restaurant was always an option.
I know the price felt a bit steep for a 7 day cruise, but after the trip was over, I felt it was good value. If I had tried to match the itinerary, tour guides and activities, and good accommodations by car on our own, I would have spent more and probably not enjoyed the trip nearly as much.
As probably the youngest passenger on the ship, my son said he really enjoyed the daily activity and people he met. We did not always pick the same excursions and I felt Avalon was especially interested in his satisfaction and feedback, which he gave. We both would recommend and use Avalon again.
I know there are some comments with flights arranged by Avalon that did not go well. I did all of our logistics bookings directly in order to accommodate some of our extra plans before and after the river cruise. This included taking an overnight train from Amsterdam to Basel where our ship disembarked, and also visiting Rotterdam when our cruise concluded. Overall it was a fantastic experience and I look forward to my next Avalon adventure.
Thanks for your research and videos. We're doing on the Romantic Rhine cruise with Avalon in two weeks. We researched the field though videos like this, and Avalon seemed the most appealing. I've never been on a river cruise; my wife did one on Viking with a girlfriend in late 2019. We'll see how it goes.
It’s great to see your an independent reviewer, love your opinions. It helps to choose which cruises would suit different people 🎉
I’m going on an Avalon Christmas market cruise in December. I’m eager to see how different it is from Riviera, which I took on the Danube this April, since it is so much more expensive. I can’t picture how much more elegant it can be for the price as Riviera was wonderful.
On the Riviera cruise, my sister and I were the only Americans among 158 Brits, and that was delightful. So I’m disappointed to learn that this is mostly Americans, so there will be little immersion in another culture while onboard and at meals.
Hey Gary – Do you have reviews or recommendations for affordable river cruises?
I'd like you to do Amawaterways river cruise in Colombia. Why? So I can get the official Bembridge analysis™ of it. We'd love to do it, but it probably has to wait a bit longer due to kid issues. We did go to Medellin and loved it. The USD (and probably British pound) go really far in Colombia, and it's all just a bit less 'touristy' and typical than the usual EU vacations.
Do you cruise on your own? How easy is it to socialize with other passengers?
@wwnoel3
0 seconds ago
Alaska cruising in August last year in a NCL mini-balcony cabin, I had been forewarned that the mattresses were very hard. i devised a double benefit strategy. I got an Amazon twin size 2" foam mattress topper that came incredibly vacumn shrunk packaged. It packed easily, But i knew it would be way too big for my return packing. It only cost $20. My plan was to give it to my cabin steward when I disembarked. I told him this on the first day. It was n addition to my usual generous steward tip. Upon disembarkation time, My excellent steward brought a request from his supervisor to affirm that i indeed intended this as a gift. I wrote a simple affidavit for him. He was the happiest stew
ever. Crew have kinda poor beds. During my many, many Covid ere MSC cruises that were incredible low priced, especially for solo cruisers. Now, I am a solid MSC cruise enthusiast. I travelled extensively in my childhood and youth as an Eastern Airlines employee family. Especially in Easterrn's arena, the Caribbean. Anyways I'd appreciate it, and crew members will too, if you will consider this a a fine way to reward stewards, save the extra luggage space for gifts. Crew beds aren't great. Your steward will absolutely love you forever for this additional gratuity. And it's very low cost. On the MSC covid cruises, where we had nearly one staff member per cruiser, the service was incredible. Upon Tuber's advice, I gave out bags and bags of socks, and phone cards to the best. All loved the socks!!!
Thank you for this review! We thought we were one and done with river cruising, we hated the set dinner time with no options for a more relaxed place to eat. It's nice to hear that Avalon understands that not everyone wants a full sit down meal at a set time every night.
How awful bugs landing on the food outside
Love your videos! I hope you’ll have time to do American river cruises one day. I’m about to go on one to the Great Lakes.
I just got back from Avalon cruise, cruising the same river in France. Who is my first river cruise and I looked at a lot of reviews along with your overview and totally agree with your review. I was a solo traveler so it’s a little different. I really wish some of these cruise lines would offer more to the solo traveler, but I was pretty impressed with the total overall trip.
I have sailed with Avalon 7 times now. I am hooked. I really appreciate the crew, who make the experience fun. As a solo cruiser, I am grateful that Avalon often offers single supplement special rates which I can't really find on other lines. The only disappointing itinerary that I did was the Bordeaux cruise, which really didn't go very far. The shore excursions were great, but there was hardly any cruising. I would say that this was the only not so great experience. Cruising the Rhine Gorge is a highlight that shouldn't be missed, and sailing into Budapest at night is breathtaking. Docking in the heart of Amsterdam is also great allowing for independent travel. I am also impressed with Avalon's cruise directors who are always helpful, pleasant, and personable. Overall, I think that Avalon earns its high rating. I will definitely be back again.
Dress guidance is hard to find – thank you Gary. Your timely video has confirmed for us that we made the right choice to book Avalon, and we will be able to feel comfortable without the pretentiousness of sports coats / buttoned collars / slacks / cocktail dresses / heels.
😮Don, I would really love to participate in your group cruise plans, BUT in 2070 I will be 89!
This December I will be on my 70th cruise – and quite possibly my last – on the Royal Princess for 14days to the Mexican Riviera at age 87!
So I feel I must pass on making any future cruise plans, especially for 2070. I will be with you in spirit, however.
Great review, thanks! I have been on Avalon river cruise 4 times. I've gone on the cruise solo, with my teenage daughters and also with friends. I love it – especially the Active & Discovery cruises where there are active options everyday such as hiking, biking, kayaking.
The cultural immersion also depends on the river and ports. I sailed on the Danube with Avalon two years ago and then the Rhine last year. The Danube offered a much more immersive experience with a genuine castle tour featuring a tea with a princess, opera houses. museums and parks in Vienna and Budapest, the memorable music town of Salzburg, and the medieval wonder of Cesky Krumlov. Parts of the Rhine felt unauthentic, like taking us to a facade of a bombed out castle and then spending the rest of the afternoon in a German beer town. I could have done better by taking the train up and down the Rhine staying in old inns and visiting attractions at my leisure.
sorry, Bud. We took the VIKING Rhine river cruise in June and were treated like Royalty,,,, 'nuff said. Paris was awesome too !