Melinda, from our Sales team in Australia, recently experienced our Avalon Waterways Active & Discovery on the Rhine. Read on to hear what she thought of her river cruise.
Finally, your time has come to join the Europe summer movement. You’ve outgrown the “youth market” but you’re not ready to hang out with travellers old enough to be your grandparents. You also…
- Want to see Europe while spending your money wisely
- Want to see multiple countries, but not pack up your luggage every few days and decipher train schedules in foreign languages
- Want the expertise of a local guide to take you beyond every cathedral in every town
- Want to prepay as much as you can in your home currency, so you’re not stung with hidden costs and conversions
- Want to relax and enjoy a few cocktails in style
Enter the relaxed luxury of Avalon Waterways and their Active & Discovery range of river cruises.
You’ll stay in premium accommodation, complete with marble bathrooms and L’Occitane amenities. All food and sightseeing are taken care of with unlimited beer, wine & bubbles included during those mealtimes. Heck, you’ll even get free cocktails at Happy Hour each night!
On a 7-day cruise from Basel to Amsterdam, I had daily choices of Classic excursions. This meant skipping the queues for local attractions on a guided city tour – an unparalleled experience, especially when travelling in the peak of European summer!
In Koblenz, we waved at the expanding queue waiting for the cable car up to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress. In Strasbourg, we appreciated the navigational guidance as we wound our way through the cobblestoned streets of the quaint La Petite France District.
Alternatively, I could choose a Discovery excursion if I felt like devouring local delicacies on a culinary walking tour around Düsseldorf or recreating a masters artwork in a painting class in Amsterdam. The resident artist informed us of why some of the Dutch masters like Van Gogh became so popular with their new techniques and artistic lens.
Avalon also offers Active excursions such as e-bike rides to the Black Forest or kayaking the canals of Amsterdam. These excursions have been designed to give you a new perspective. Even these tours had local guides taking us through the region’s history as we rode or rowed our way around!
The great thing about these excursions was that if they were of a longer duration and we were away from the ship over lunch, they packed a very generous picnic lunch for each participant too.
Something that really impressed me were the exclusive inclusions like the private reception at Rheinstein Castle, hosted by the original family still residing there! I was absolutely blown away by the classical recital at Schloss Engers, too.
As a vegan, it was wonderful to know that I had no shortage of food available. Those with dietary requirements met with the Executive Chef and Maitre’d on the first day to discuss each person’s requisites. The dining room team were then prepped and handled everyone like pros. Even if I joined different tables at mealtimes, it was no problem. They ensured that I never had to mention that I was vegan, discreetly guiding me through my available options on the day or advising what the chefs had prepared as an alternative.
One of the best parts about cruising with Avalon is that all guests are treated equally. Those who may have been financially motivated and chosen the Deluxe Stateroom with large viewing windows on the Indigo Deck were offered the same inclusions as others who could happily retreat to their Panorama Suite with Open-Air Balcony on the Sapphire and Royal Decks.
I was fortunate enough to opt for the Panorama Suite which utilises floor space in a rather ingenious manner. Ships on most European rivers can have a maximum width of 11.4 metres to accommodate the multitude of locks they need to pass through. 1 metre of this is lost to the central hallway, leaving approximately 5 metres on each side to design any cabins, including a bathroom. Avalon have incorporated the balcony into the room with the Open-Air Balcony’s glass sliding doors situated on the very edge of the ship. This avoids taking up valuable cabin space that an external balcony would normally require.
Incredibly, Avalon are also the only ships with beds that face out to the view in a Panorama Suite! So, on days when I wasn’t ready to socialise, I could sit back in the comfort of my own room to watch the world sail by.
When I was feeling sociable, there were plenty of choices to appease me. I could head to the Panorama Lounge to find a friendly face or sneak in another delicious pastry in the Club Lounge – both of which had their own outdoor decks. Up on the Sky Deck, I could take a dip in the jacuzzi or join a raucous game of corn hole or giant chess.
There were plenty of people of all ages and backgrounds onboard, which made it easy to mingle outside of my travelling group. Excursion choices were easy as I knew I wouldn’t be alone and didn’t have to stick with my buddies if we had different interests for the day. And the best place to meet new people from around the world was on the dance floor after dinner each night!
If you’re still thinking that “river cruising is for oldies”, you’re missing out on the most relaxed way of travelling without missing out on any must see attractions along the way. Visit the Avalon Waterways website and book your dream river cruise today.
