So what is like on a river cruise ship? Intimate, relatively quiet, great service, beautiful views. Our ship for this trip is the Avalon Impression which holds up to 144 passengers.
You enter the ship on what is basically deck 2.5, right next to the reception desk, and the concierge desk is right across. Forward is the Panorama Lounge (with an outdoor seating area at the very front of the ship), and aft are cabins up and down. You take a half a flight of steps down to the cabins on deck 2, and a half a flight up to the cabins on deck 3. Down from deck 2, you take a half a flight to the deck 1, where the restaurant is forward, the small fitness center and a public rest room is at the stairs, and then the cabins down the hall are the ones with the window at the top of the wall.
The only other public indoor space is the Club Lounge, aft on deck 3, where there are tables, games, an amazing coffee and hot chocolate machine, and snacks during the day – cookies, small donuts, etc.
We also have a treat – the ship holds 144 passengers, and this sailing there are only 66 people onboard. It’s funny because in two weeks the sailing is full.
For those looking to stay in shape during the trip. In addition to the many active excursions per day there is also a small fitness center.
The top deck is the Sky Deck. There is a hot tub, lots of tables and chairs (in the shade and out), and that is where the bikes are stored. They have two e-bikes for free use, you just need to reserve them. There is also a smoking section.
Meal times are kind of flexible – breakfast today (we are sailing this morning) was 7:30 to 9:30am. Lunch is 12-1:30pm in the dining room (buffet) or Light Lunch from 12-1pm in the Panorama Lounge. Dinner is listed as 7-9pm – most people go right down after the 6:45pm port talk (given each day in the Panorama Lounge to describe our tour options and itinerary for the next day), but you can arrive at any time. There is also an Afternoon Tea, Coffee and Cake time in the Panorama Lounge in the afternoon (if you are onboard). And there is fresh fruit in the Panorama Lounge pretty much all day, as well as fruit infused water.
There is nightly entertainment – last night it was a pianist and singer from Bucharest, tonight there will be a performance that includes local children. These take place in the Panorama Lounge.
Yesterday in Svistov, we docked at a commercial area. Last night, the cruise director clarified that is the only time we will dock at such a location – the rest of the time we will dock at or very near the town so you can easily walk into town from the ship.
Avalon includes multiple choices of complimentary excursions each day. This is an “Active Discovery” itinerary, so they try and include an active option (biking, hiking, etc.) and a Discovery (pottery painting workshop, winery visit, food tours, etc.) in almost every port.
Some nice Avalon “extras”
· A choice of mattress firmness, linens, and pillows
· Complimentary room service for breakfast or dinner
· They no longer use single use plastics, so there are 2 water machines with fresh, filtered, sparkling or vitamin-fortified water in the Club Lounge, or fresh, filtered still water outside the dining room. There is also bottled water provided in the room.
· To avoid confusion, they have a set of white towels and a set of brown towels, so you and your cabin mate know which towel is yours.
· They don’t make any public announcements.
· During our morning on the river, at 10am they had a “lecture” (the cruise director shared what it was like to grow up in a Communist country), and at 11am they have a Bean Bag Competition.
· There is a mini bar refrigerator in our room, as well as a small safe and hair dryer.
· Plugs are European style, so make sure and bring an adapter.At one bed side, there is an outlet, on the other side there are two USB ports.
· The bathroom is big enough that two people can be in there at the same time.
Avalon also has an app into which they load excursion information, port information (including guide and map for most ports), the daily schedule, and all the menus.
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