Everything was wonderful and we had the…
Everything was wonderful and we had the best time!
About Avalon Waterways
Data updated- Website
- avalonwaterways.com
- Category
- Travel & Vacation
- Location
- United States · Denver
- Status
- Unclaimed
- Last 12 months
- 59 reviews
- Replies to negative
- 0% (0/9)
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Is Avalon Waterways legit?
Avalon Waterways (avalonwaterways.com) has a 4.5 out of 5 rating on OK.one, based on 103 user reviews collected here. It is listed under Travel & Vacation and its reputation is excellent. 87% of reviews are 4 stars or higher and 5% are 1 star; The business has not yet replied to negative reviews; 59 of them were added in the last 12 months. Last updated 2026-08-10.
What people say
Wine education on a great ship in a great part of France
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.
Avalon river cruise could be better
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.
Organized and Well Planned
One of the most organized vacations I've ever experienced! Maria, our host, was more than accommodating. Rooms were always clean, and the food was excellent! All the excursions were fabulous, and the local guides were so knowledgeable. The entire crew was friendly and extremely helpful. It was my first trip to Europe and I can't wait to go on another cruise with Avalon!
The staff on Illumination were… 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
Good time was had by all
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.
Everything went perfect!
Everything went perfect-cruise,tours, dinners cruise staffing, details on arrival and departure, hotels. All excellent
8 night Active and Discovery on the…
8 night Active and Discovery on the Rhone What a great experience. I had never done a river cruise before - I think I'll do it again. I loved the pace on the ship. I never felt rushed or pressed into anything. The included excursions were excellent (tours in various cities/towns - in Arles we had a conversation with a real bull fighter - thankfully no bulls were part of the experience) and the ones that had an additional charge were worth it (truffle farm with truffle hunting dogs!). The excursions ranged from quieter single location experiences to walking tours,, to more physical experiences like cycling and kayaking. The cabin (lower deck) while cozy was comfortable. When an issue arose because of allergies to the linen laundry detergent, the staff were incredibly responsive and found a solution right away. The food was very good. Most of the time top notch, though sometimes a bit less so. There was a coffee machine on 2 decks that was available 24/7 with very good lattes, espressos, hot chocolate, etc. I even figured out how to make myself an iced latte. The staff was impeccable. All were pleasant, cheerful and helpful. They genuinely appeared to be enjoying themselves despite working exceptionally hard. With one exception (there has to be one I guess) they were personable and treated every guest with kindness and respect. I liked that this cruise line had a more relaxed, casual feeling that some I'd seen/heard of. While people dressed for dinner, it was a cleaned up casual feel. There was an excellent range of ages from probably mid 40s to into their 90s. There were opportunities during meal times and on excursions to get to know your fellow travellers. The people we got to know were delightful and we're still in touch with some till now. If I could have 2 wishes for the next cruise, they would be this: 1. that the furniture throughout the ship be more comfortable. The dining seating was comfortable, as were the beds. The chairs for lounging tended to be hard and they were often low to the ground in the Nordic style. None of the seating was soft, even the loungers on the top deck did not have any pillows that I could see. 2. I was looking forward to sitting around reading and seeing the countryside roll by as we sailed along. There was only a couple of times where this happened. I had also hoped that there might be more sightings of old buildings along the shore, but there was very little of that.
Danube Christmas Market Cruise
Recently completed our 2nd Christmas Market Cruise with Avalon and this second cruise was just as good as our first cruise. Avalon goes out of their way to make you feel special and take care of every need. The food was absolutely delicious and I love that they have options outside of the daily menu. I had a taste for a cheeseburger one day for lunch, and it was absolutely delicious. Our waiter Gino took such good care of us and was so attentive, but not only to us but each table he was covering. At each stop we had wonderful excursions with wonderful guides that provided us education on their city and history. You can tell how much they love their cities. Due to water levels they had to make some modifications but just like last time Avalon made sure it didn't impact our river cruise. Avalon shares very clearly that they might need to make modifications for water level issues, so this shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. How it's handled is what matters, and Avalon has mastered how they handle these issues. We had a slight issue coming from Nurenburg but Avalon found a resolution and we got to visit a little quintessential German town that was almost my favorite. Like last time they offered activities in the evening that you can participate in or not, your choice. Loved Happy Hour every night that provided us the opportunity to catch up with other guest and have a drink before dinner. What really made the cruise so much more special last time was our cruise director and we were concerned this time Well, Avalon did it again and our cruise director Attila was fantastic. I don't know how they make sure they take care of all of their guests and make them feel special, but they do. Avalon kudos for giving us a wonderful memorable vacation and having a crew that cares so much about their guests. We are already planning our next river cruise and it will only be on Avalon.
Booking process upgrade overcharge
This rating is based on the booking process, as I haven’t been on the actual cruise yet. I have a cruise already booked and wanted to add on their 2 night pre cruise. I’ve never had trouble doing this with any cruise line, until Avalon. Instead of adding on to my existing booking, they are starting from scratch, and since the cruise price has gone up since my booking, I am being charged hundreds more (not including the precruise add on price). It’s like they’re punishing me by charging more money for my base cruise price, just because I want to participate in THEIR pre cruise trip. Advice: make sure you don’t want to make any changes or upgrades to a booked Avalon cruise. I even tried to speak to a supervisor directly, but they wouldn’t get on the line, only talked through 3rd party. I’m very disillusioned with Avalon, as they are showing me that passengers don’t count as much as money to them.
Please read Avalon's Policy regarding Medical Cancellation
Please read Avalon's Policy regarding Cancellation due to Doctor's Medical Certificate. Check the value of Refund for individual cancelling. If have to go Solo, there is a large extra fee to be paid. In addition, you cannot have a substitute for the individual cancelling. We experienced this for our Bucharest to Budapest Cruise in July, 2025. My Husband could not join me and had Medical Documentation to prove that he was not capable to travel. Only a certain % refunded and a charge more than the refund for me to go Solo.
Currently finishing our Egypt river…
Currently finishing our Egypt river cruise. Amazing sites seen however the MS Farah is NOT an Avalon boat and not up to the level of their river cruise boats. An added excursion on our last night, a dinner cruise on the Nile. $100/person... NOT worth it. The river boat was old, dirty and nasty. Food was terrible, we only were able to pay for 1 drink, they never asked if we wanted more. There was no outside space to enjoy the view & beautiful weather other than a smoking area. They started to place new urensils while we were still sitting with our drink glasses, for the next cruise at 9pm... and never cleaned the area we just ate at.. which leads me to believe we were sat at an unsanitary table when we were seated for our dinner time. This was the end our cruise with a horrible experience really left all 11 of us who went with a very bad last impression of Avalon. Don't pay for the dinner cruise at the end if you're going! It's disgusting & can think that Avalon is OK with this level of service for their guests. And know that you'll get lectured for hours at each site vs being able to explore on your own by the tour guide. Bring plenty of money to tip and if you need a 3rd bottle of water after being in the 104 degree Sahara desert you'll need to pay for it. Just know that your ship is not on an acutual Avalon owned boat!
Great cruise, superb experience
I took the Danube River, Budapest to Nuremberg cruise. It was one of the most enjoyable holidays I have had for a long time. There was no stress at all, everything we needed was taken care of, from the moment we boarded the plane Avalon booked to the time we arrived at the departure airport, and in between, it was pure enjoyment. We went to many places, always well organised excursions and attentive crews. I have now booked another cruise with Avalon for next year! Happy days ahead.
Mosell and Rhine river cruise
The trip up the Mosel and Rhine was peaceful. The food was great, servers were very nice and attentive. Boat was clean. Enjoyed the room. Mostly visited little towns. Saw castles, churches and wineries. Beautiful country. Unfortunately we typically had to leave ports at noon to keep to the schedule. That meant we spent lots of time on the boat and didn’t get to go into town at night for dinner or entertainment. If you don’t mind eating on the boat every night then you will be alright with this cruise. One major concern. Had a health emergency while on the boat. Alerted the front desk staff. This was urgent. No assistance was offered by the staff. No help of any kind. Had to wait 24 hours for medical care. Had to walk to a clinic with no aid from the staff. Ended up in an ambulance and taken to the hospital. The health care I received was good and the doctors and nurses were very kind. Once I put myself in their care, I was taken care of. Avalon did nothing to help me.
Beware you will not get a great view from your window
We cruised with Avalon from (Basel) had to leave from Huningue, France and finished (Amsterdam) had to finish in Rotterdam so cruise wasn't quite what was advertised. Firstly can't fault staff. They were great and nothing was too much trouble. Food and drinks were amazing. It was plentiful and varied across the week. Our cabin was kept immaculate and we were on the 2nd level in the middle so had no engine noise. Excursions were okay. With such large groups you didn't really get to see too much due to different fitness levels of the group so we tended to leave the group to enable us to see a bit more. Did some of the active bike tours and they were great. This was our first cruise and we were excited as per Avalon advertisement to wake up in our window facing bed to a beautiful view. BIG disappointment. Out of the 7 mornings of our cruise we only had 1 one morning waking up to a view. 5 mornings we had another boat next to us which meant your room was like a dark cave (so close you can touch the other boat) and you couldn't leave your curtains open due to privacy issues. The other morning we were against a solid concrete wall. We were told to expect maybe a couple of times this may happen and could have accepted that but not 6 out of the 7 mornings. Not sure if all river boats do this but certainly didn't see other companies eg Viking doing it. Sadly this left a bad impression of our Avalon river cruise and we would be reluctant to use them again.
A Relaxing Travel Experience
River cruising is the most relaxing way to travel and Avalon does it so well. The excursions, the staff, the food and dining are all wonderful.
I would have loved to have posted a…
I would have loved to have posted a review of my experience but I won’t get the chance. This review is on customer service and not my actual experience. Please purchase travel insurance as their policy for cancellation is strict. I had an accident 2 months prior to a sold out sailing, where I needed surgery and rehabilitation. We were only looking to rebook the exact itinerary a few months away but were denied. It is unfortunate because we will not consider them in the future.
I looked at river cruises for at least…
I looked at river cruises for at least three years and just couldn’t make a decision to purchase. I think what held me back was the cost for a single person and the worry of would it be like the larger cruises where nobody talks to you. I finally booked in March for the Romantic Rhine, Basel to Amsterdam . The single supplement waiver was what made the decision for me. I’m actually just finishing my trip now and want to share my thoughts. I flew to Zurich wondering how the transfer to ship would take place. I spent one night in Zurich and after breakfast Avalon had a representative at the hotel who explained a few things and transferred us to a bus. We entered the ship without ever touching luggage and were greeted by friendly staff. Rooms were ready at 4pm and when I entered mine my luggage was waiting for me. My room is very comfortable and always clean. The staff are excellent. The excursions are plentiful and there is something for everyone. The food has been good with lots of choices. There was one meal I did not like and I was immediately offered another choice. Apart from breakfast,lunch and dinner there is afternoon tea and happy hour. Water stations are around the ship and the lime mint water is amazing as are the cookies. I’ve made lots of friends with the other passengers and as a single person have never felt awkward. I think this is a great way to see a lot without the 2000 people who take the larger cruise ships. I will definitely look to book another trip with Avalon. Janette Forbes
Your in great hands with Avalon. So organized!!
We were so taken care of! The food was amazing. Ship excursions we very organized.Would Love to do another trip. This was our first river cruse, Ship was so clean, Crew members all felt like family. Thank You Avalon.
The crew
The crew, the itinerary and the cruise director were all great