Avalon River Cruise in the Fall
(31 Reviews)
100% Recommended
Daniel Oppliger
El Paso, TX
Group Travel Expert
I have been immersed in the travel industry since relocating to El Paso in 1986. Initially, I worked with a local tour operator before venturing out on my own.Over the years, I've developed specialties in Destination Resorts and River Cru...
I have been immersed in the travel industry since relocating to El Paso in 1986. Initially, I worked with a local tour operator before venturing out on my own.Over the years, I've developed specialties in Destination Resorts and River Cruises, specifically traveling to Turkey and China. I have organized group trips across the globe and visited 65 countries, leading tours extensively in Australia, Chile, China, Costa Rica, and Turkey.
In my capacity as a travel agent and advisor, I have also coordinated group travel to Argentina and Chile. As both a travel agent and tour guide, I focus on river cruises with premier vendors like Avalon. I appreciate Avalon for its spacious cabins and beds that offer stunning water views.
For group bookings, Ama Waterways simplifies the reservation process, allowing you to hold your space while you finalize your plans.I am dedicated to meeting all your group travel requirements and excel at creating balanced itineraries. I help your group steer clear of tourist traps while incorporating enjoyable activities into your travel schedule, like evening performances.
Feel free to inquire about experiences such as yachting adventures, bicycle rentals, or specialized programs.I cater to both large and small groups, whether private or organizational. As a travel agent specialist, I can transform any tour into a more relaxed and thrilling journey. I can identify the ideal suppliers to meet your travel needs, whether traveling as a group or solo.
Interested in visiting the floating markets of Asia? Or perhaps you wish to taste authentic Turkish cuisine? Whatever your preference, I can help you book a vacation that brings your travel dreams to life.I possess strong negotiation skills with vendors, ensuring you can secure a river cabin or hotel upgrade without additional costs. Reach out for my expertise in booking a unique river cruise or crafting an extraordinary travel experience.
Contact us today for all the details. An El Paso Texas Travel Agency.
Can Be Reached At
1-915-280-2922
CRUISE DIRECTOR: Very German, efficient and businesslike. A passenger from Malaysia asked me what I thought about her, I said “She would be cute if she smiled. ”Somebody did a good job of organizing the special entertainment, lectures, beer and wine tasting aboard the ship.
INCLUDED TOURS: Most tours were very good. We stayed aboard in Budapest because the ship had to leave early due to bridge closure. We were not doing a 10 hour plus day on a bus, thus we missed some things in Budapest. We did come in a day early and saw some things not on the Avalon tour including the Gellert Spa. They had 5 buses for all of us. One line with and extra 30 persons aboard uses 4 buses. Kudos for Avalon.
Having a map for the day was great. My wife always had to ask, “Where is the ship on this map? ”Bratislava, Vienna, Miltenberg, Melk, Regensburg, Bamberg were great. In Nuremberg we should have done the Jewish/WW II tour, I think it would have been more interesting. We had been to Rothenburg before, but this time we climbed the city wall, so that was fun.
Amsterdam was dangerous-When our cruise director said “killer bikes,” she was not kidding.Rüdesheim–Rhine Gorge: Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum was poorly organized for this Avalon Cruise. It was 38 degrees outside. On the mini-train windows were quickly fogged up. People opened the windows to take photos while the cold air blew on the rest of us. At the museum those in charge decided to break us up into three groups and of course they made us stand outside for 5-10 minutes.
Every other day we had five groups, today we had three. Two Sunday mornings appeared to be dead time. Both in Rudesheim and earlier in Durnstein most everything was closed as we began our morning tours.We missed Passau due to a low water condition which was a minor disappointment .Amsterdam- I had safety concerns about the boat ride. I saw a lot of glass and no way to open it. Also no back exit on the boat. The Amsterdam buses needed to be washed. The windows were dirty and impracticable to attempt to take a photograph through them. I was in Turkey once on a bus tour. We observed our bus driver cleaning passenger windows more than once on the trip.We appreciated the free bottled water to take on the tours. We passed through a junk boat one day while docked side to side. They had water for sale €1.50. Included on Avalon.
OPTIONAL TOURS: None taken. We went to the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam on our own. Adrienne, our cruise director, gave us directions for foot and tram.
LOCAL GUIDES: The Wurzburg guide was an older fellow, still bitter over the bombing of the castle. Dresden and some other sites were bombed unnecessarily during WWII in his opinion. That was okay because he sold 1oz bottles of alcohol along with beer and wine on the bus.To me, all guides talk too much. I would do well on a Monograms or Cosmos trip, but would go crazy on a Globus tour.
THE BEST THING ABOUT THE CRUISE WAS:Besides the food, the fall colors, the food. Happy hour-other cruises call happy hour “happy hour” but do not have great happy hour prices as Avalon does. I did not know you had happy hour prices until about the third day.The views from the cabin and public spaces were just fantastic. The outside glass was always clean.We made some friends that we may see again.The trip was organized with German precision.
ANYTHING THAT COULD USE ATTENTION OR IMPROVEMENT: Towels- were of a low quality. I have been to Turkey on a gullet cruise. They rent you a set for €25 euros for the week. They are so nice everyone takes them home. The cruise line said they expect people to take them, even though they add it to the bill as a rental charge.Bathrobe- We had a much nicer one at the hotel the night prior to our cruise. I would not buy one at the price Avalon was asking. Bathroom floor- The shower floor was slick. I think Avalon should consider a textured tile for future models. Maybe not the whole floor, but high traffic, center of shower and where you step out of the shower. Bar- The bartender should use simple syrup to make an old-fashioned, not half a sugar packet. The sugar goes to the bottom and does not dissolve.Hall carpet- The yellow-gold sections of the hall carpets have spots that I suspect cannot be removed by normal means.
OTHER: Homesteading. The very first coach tour we took back in the 1980s had a simple rule: NO HOMESTEADING. This means every day you take a new seat in a new row on the bus, not just switch sides with your mate. You should have seen the dirty look when my wife decided to sit in row 2 of the bus. The 300 pound occupant for the previous week was not too happy. The lady in row one should have been with the gentle walkers. Everyone on the ship knows about her sciatica. Same thing in the dining room- It seems two couples monopolized the two “couple” tables there for the whole two weeks.