Avalon Waterways Reviews 1.889

We did the SE Asia trip with Hanoi and Bangkok added. It was one of the best trips we’ve ever taken! The hotels were top notch with amazing breakfast buffets. We saw so many things including a water puppet show, making conical straw hats, items made with rice, weaving, markets, silver making, daily life, and more. You do a little bit of the Vietnam War but not too much. Everyone was really nice and accommodating. We felt safer than when in Europe. Best trip ever! Our guide, Quang, was exceptional.

crew was excellent & all meals were delicious, room was comfortable & tours were great

Amazing!!!! Wonderful!! So much fun!! First time River Cruising!! Can’t wait for another trip with Avalon Waterways!!

Our Avalon Christmas Market Cruise was pure magic from start to finish. We stayed in a Panorama Suite just steps from the Club Lounge on the Royal Deck—truly the best spot on the ship for sweet treats, hot cocoa and cappuccinos at any hour, and a cozy place to unwind between adventures. The suite itself was beautifully designed with plenty of space to fully unpack, with a perfectly sized bathroom that made getting ready each day effortless.
Every evening felt like a celebration. The four‑course dinners were absolutely delicious, paired with excellent wines and cocktails that made each meal feel special. After full days of expertly guided touring through festively decorated French, Swiss, and German towns, those dinners were the perfect way to relax and relive the day’s highlights. A couple of evenings we enjoyed local entertainment in the panorama lounge and others, we watched our favorite Christmas movies from our bed, facing the nighttime view.
One of the biggest perks of sailing with Avalon was visiting the Christmas Markets at less crowded times. We wandered through twinkling stalls, collected our mugs, sampled seasonal treats, and brought home the most incredible holiday cookies to share and give as gifts. Along the way, we met couples from all over who quickly became new friends, adding even more joy to the experience.
We also loved our post‑cruise stay in Frankfurt. Yes, the nighttime crowds at the market are real—but only because it’s that fabulous. The energy, lights, and festive atmosphere were the perfect finale before flying home.
This was a truly wonderful all‑inclusive vacation. We’re already excited to book our next Avalon adventure—especially with the welcome‑back credits we earned.
Can’t wait to sail again!

The hotels, the ship, ALL of the crew, the ship's chef and meals, how gorgeous the rooms were, the cleaning staff, the towns and cities and the tours. It was THE best vacation ever.

We loved our Avalon Danube River cruise.
The ship staff was wonderful !

Everything went perfect-cruise,tours, dinners cruise staffing, details on arrival and departure, hotels. All excellent

The staff on Illumination were excellent
The Cruise director was very organized and committed to detail. As were his support staff
The Captain was obviously very busy with sailing the ship safely with so many locks
The Chef and staff produced interesting food and plenty of choice
Great trip. I signed up to sail on Avalon Passion because my daughter Jill Ellis is godmother a little disappointed at the late change in ship but sister ship Illumination was perfect

1. After boarding and first few days, front desk staff were unfriendly and acted annoyed that guests were there showing up for the cruise. Warmed up some later in cruise.
2. Felt nickel and dimed on the drinks and alcohol every single day. No drink package available - We would have gladly bought it. Happy hour liquor daily for 1 hour? Please, we are on a vacation. During happy hour (1 total hour), calling liquor choice carries a charge. Your “signature drinks” carry a charge, EVEN DURING HAPPY HOUR?!?!
Drinks available during the day only out of minibar in room for……wait for it……a charge. Alcohol availability horrible compared to Viking. We are not alcoholics by any standard but would simply like to buy a drink package that makes them available during the day.

The whole experience from start to finish is first class. The ship crew members were great and very helpful with any needs. The food was amazing (hats off to the chef and his crew. Activities while on board were well thought out and the land tours were nice and informative as well. Great way to be able to learn and immerse yourself in the local culture. Would highly recommend to anyone wanting to travel and local culture without all the riffraff.

Avalon does EVERYTHING well. Polite and attentive crew. Small intimate number of passengers. Well thought out excursions. Excellent meals. Excellent rooms and amenities. I have been on 7 different Avalon River Cruises on European rivers, and would go on another in a minute.

Engine Motor very loud & vibrating during the night. We were on upper floor, too. I can't sleep like that. Viking ships were no issues. A couple stops weren't much to see. One we just walked thru a small town on a hot day, but didn't see anything special.
Transylvania add-on guide was Not good. He did not explain that Transylvania was a region & not just the Dracula castle. We went there & really wanted to get souvenirs. The shop was closed after dinner & a number of people were not happy that it wasn't explained earlier. We could have shopped before we had dinner. He got "very snippy" to the whole group on the speaker & said someone was spreading rumors about what he was saying. I said I heard him say that we could get souvenirs & he pretty much called me a liar over the speaker, when other people had heard the same thing.

The cruise met most expectations, not sailing to Basel Switzerland was a disappointment. The other stops and excursion were excellent. The food met all expectations. The cabin was spacious and well designed. The best test of our experience is would I cruise with Avalon again and the answer is yes.

Avalon took everything from the hotels to transfers. The food, the choices of our excursions. The port talks were very informative. Avalon kept us up to date on all the procedures for getting to the ship and disembarking. They made it so easy to sign up for excursions if you didn’t sign up before the cruise.
The whole Relaxed atmosphere. A relaxed dress code sit where you want for dinner.
The only thing was I wish they gave out paper maps of the city with Christmas marked. This was a Christmas market cruise.

Bookings ashore were in fine hotels with meals included where applicable. The boat staff were excellent. Meals were great. We liked the variety of the stops along the Danube, especially the concert in Grein. Transportation to shore excursions was great, convenient. Ample free time. Passengers need to consider that they will be visiting multiple countries and plan on different currencies for some of them, and different postage for all of them.

I've been on three European River Cruises with Avalon, and have another scheduled for fall of 2026.
Their service is wonderful starting with the cabins and the beautiful bedding. The staff is always courteous and attentive. The meals are first rate, and the excursions are always interesting and are led by knowledgeable tour guides. The on-board entertainment is a good with a mix of lectures, song and dance and music. The ships are wonderfully designed with easy access to the dining room, lounge and outside decks. We enjoy the casual pace and the informality. We've met a wonderful assortment of people from all over the world and look forward to sailing again.

Great opportunity to learn more about French wines and the Bordeaux region. Avalon long ships are great -- nice cabin, wonderful food, just all around good experience.

This was our 3rd Avalon cruise and we were not disappointed again! Boats are high quality, clean and the crew and every staff member are over the top friendly, helpful and eager to assure a top quality experience. Excursions are well done and plentiful. This was our 2nd Avalon cruise and we are booked for our 3rd this fall.

Everything was wonderful and we had the best time!

The crew was fantastic and loved this ship, especially happy hours!