The Rhine & Moselle Reviews

Our first river cruise was with APT in 2016, so we can only use that very good experience as a comparison to the Avalon cruise. The upgrade to deck 2 was a real bonus. Another bonus was the optional excursions offered by Avalon. As with APT, most of the included excursions are half day, leaving a fair bit of time on the cruise spent on the ship or on ...read more 'own time' in the town where the ship is moored.

APT didn't offer any optional trips, so Avalon has the advantage in that respect. The only negative issue was that the buffet breakfast dishes were consistently lukewarm to cold. Similar dishes at lunch were fine. Overall, we'd be happy to travel with Avalon again. After four trips to Europe, which centered mainly on the culture (churches, cathedrals, palaces and castles), we'll be looking for something that offers a different theme next time. Maybe food, wine etc.

Very lucky with the weather for the time of year - lots of sunny days. Our 2nd trip with Avalon and overall very happy. There appeared to be less staff in bar and restaurant than previous trip - maybe cost cutting? Some staff didn't appear to be very happy (maybe the end of season is near?). Captain, Cruise Director, room staff & food were very good. ...read more Included and optional excursions were great. The availability of bikes on board now is an added plus.

Our stateroom (213) was located in the centre of the ship and a good size. Housekeeping staff did a great job of maintaining the room. The scenery along the Moselle was stunning and would highly recommend a cruise along this river - Avalon go further than many of the other cruise lines. The Rhine was beautiful - always something to see! The evening entertainment was mainly the on board keyboard player, they did bring on various musicians along the way. But as dinner didn't usually finish till 9.00pm most people went straight to their cabins as the days were busy when on the excursions. The age of fellow travellers was a lot older for this cruise with more people taking the gentle walkers group than previous tour. Would recommend Avalon for good value. Very happy with all dealings with Global Journeys - you all do an excellent job and we very much appreciate it!

Many thanks to Georgie at Global Journeys for your help with organising our European River Cruise. We enjoyed the experience a great deal and much of this was due to you. I do have some comments about Avalon specifically which I will itemise :

1. The cruise itinerary was great especially to places where we had not cruise before ie the Moselle River. ...read more I would recommend this to anyone
2. The content was varied and generally the operation went smoothly. We were supplied with plenty of information en route. In my critique to Avalon I did say the cruise director talked was too much during her daily 'port briefs' , however in her defense I know many on the cruise thought she was entertaining.
3. Personally I thought the meals were too fussy but as I had the choice of eating in the lounge at midday I did miss the evening meals on several occasions. Again I know others felt it was all fine and I will admit to being a 'non-foodie'
4. The cruise passengers were generally seniors from the USA, Canada, Australia, and NZ. We all got along well and we established some friendships
5. I was miffed with Avalon charging me $600 for the amendments to my flight details when I felt the mistake was not my doing. I have he email detailing my requirements which they did not seem to follow however as I did not notice this until much later in the booking process I did not feel justified in making a big issue of the matter.
6. Would I recommend this cruise to anyone - yes, but I would hesitate going with Avalon (this was my third and last trip with them). There did seem to be a big difference in what we Australians pay to that paid in the UK and the USA.

The hole experience was amazing. The staff were very friendly and the other passengers on board were all friendly as well, which really added to the enjoyment of the cruise. All of the included excursions were extremely good as well, with the guides all being very knowledgeable and friendly. We travelled in May and the weather was a bit hit and miss. ...read more Some days were cold and wet and others were quite pleasant. I don't think we would choose to travel at that time of year again. Avalon Waterways lived up to all of our expectations and we would have no hesitation in recommending them to others. Finally we wish to thank Global Journeys for their efficient service and friendly staff. Michelle White was our contact there and she was always very helpful and friendly. We have booked through Global Journeys before and intend to book our next trip through them again.

We had an amazing time, thank you for all your help, the trip was excellent so glad we went through the Moselle River it was absolutely gorgeous. Avalon Affinity was excellent, the food was fantastic and the service impeccable. We enjoyed our cabin it was again excellent. We can't speak highly enough of Avalon and Global Journeys. Thank you for all ...read more your help and look forward to returning to Europe in the next couple of years.

Internet and TV was a problem during the cruise - we expected more local regional foods and wines, but found the wines were imported and food was generalized, except for one German lunch, which was great. There was no aparent extra value for being in a Suite (other than a slightly larger room), so to us, the extra cost couldn't be justified. Staff were ...read more great and the Cruise Director helpful and informative. We thought there would be more local information sessions at night, so those who were interested could learn about local history, customs and culture. Our journey was restricted because of the cold and constant rain, leading to flooded rivers and restricted access.

We thoroughly enjoyed the Rhine & Moselle river cruise with Avalon Waterways during May 2012. The tour was a very positive experience from booking with Global Journeys and travelling with Avalon Waterways. The ships crew and local guides were all very professional, friendly and helpful at all times. The travel schedule was a comfortable pace and on ...read more time. The meals on board were a high standard and accompanied by good wine. The sites and towns along the waterways are unforgettable.

I was very pleased with the professional manner in which both any requested information was given and the reservation was handled in Australia. The cruise was up to my expectations. Without exception, the staff were very friendly and I was impressed with the quality of the cabin, the various organised tours and the food! I would certainly recommend ...read more both Global Journeys and Avalon Cruises for anyone wishing to try a river cruise in Europe.