Ever wondered how most days pan out onboard an Avalon Waterways river cruise? While this can be subject to change, here’s a day in the life onboard my Rhône river cruise with Avalon.
6:00AM

I woke up early to watch the sun rise over the Rhône River today and boy, was it worth it! It was too cold to watch from the Sky Deck, but opening the curtains in our Panorama Suite still afforded magnificent views. Today, we have docked in Lyon – the gastronomic capital of France, and a city that has been on my bucket list for years.
7:00AM

My husband and I have had a week of delicious breakfast buffets in the dining room so decided to opt for breakfast in our Panorama Suite this morning. While there were no hot options available, there was still plenty for us to tick off the continental menu when we placed our order the previous night. It was more than enough to fuel us for the day ahead, and it felt decadent to have the flexibility of dining venue options.
8:30AM

Today, we had chosen a Discovery excursion – a cooking class! This excursion had the smallest group, so we jumped into a minivan and were driven to a cosy cooking school to meet our teacher, and chef, Michael. He was very patient with us as he took us through making our 3-course progressive lunch. The benefit of having only seven of us meant we could all share the preparation, cooking and plating duties – a real team effort! I especially liked learning how to make choux pastry as they turned out to not be as difficult as I’d first thought.
1:00PM
The cooking class was a longer-than-usual excursion since it included lunch, so we returned to the ship in the middle of the regular lunch service. With full stomachs, we skipped it and headed back to our room.
1:30PM
My husband chose one of the Optional Excursions on offer for this afternoon – the Exclusive Rooftops of Lyon. He joined a Local Guide who took them on an energetic walk through Lyon, some of its traboules, terraces and VIP access to the top of the iconic Fourvière Basilica. He loved learning about Lyon’s history and seeing the city from some spectacular birds’ eye viewpoints.

I chose to stay back and enjoy my last afternoon onboard the Avalon Imagery II. I made a coffee in the Club Lounge and curled up with my book on the Sky Deck, soaking in some of the spring sunshine.
4:00PM

I had to check out the last afternoon tea service, despite our hearty lunch. One more slice of cake couldn’t hurt, right?
6:00PM
My husband and I caught up with our newfound friends over a drink during Happy Hour in the Panorama Lounge. They had all chosen different excursions, so it was great to hear what they had done.
7:00PM

Our group then moved downstairs for a special farewell dinner. A fabulous menu was accompanied by plenty of stories and laughter from our week onboard. It was a lovely way to finish up our time on our Rhône river cruise with Avalon.
A day in the life onboard an Avalon Waterways river cruise is never dull. Take a look at our full range of river cruises here.