avalon river cruise menus

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

• Already Booked?
• My Favorites
• 1.800.377.9383
• Email Deals
• Personal Quote

• Advanced Search

• Featured Cruise Deals

• Deals by Destination

• Deals by Cruise Line

• Deals by Departure Port

Last Minute Cruise Deals

Holiday Cruise Deals

Military Cruise Deals

• Family Cruise Deals

Popular Destinations

Australia/New Zealand

• Canada / New England

Popular Int'l Departure Ports

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Barcelona, Spain

Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy

Piraeus (Athens), Greece

Reykjavik, Iceland

Southampton, England

Stockholm, Sweden

Sydney, Australia

Vancouver, British Columbia

Venice, Italy

Popular U.S. Departure Ports

Baltimore, Maryland

Boston, Massachusetts

Cape Liberty (Bayonne), New Jersey

Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida

Los Angeles, California

Miami, Florida

New York, New York

Port Canaveral, Florida

San Francisco, California

Seattle, Washington

Popular Lines

Luxury Lines

River Lines

AmaWaterways

Atlas Ocean Voyages

Avalon Waterways River Cruises

Carnival Cruise Line

Celebrity Cruises

Holland America Line

MSC Cruises

Norwegian Cruise Line

Oceania Cruises

Paul Gauguin Cruises

Princess Cruises

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Royal Caribbean International

Seabourn Cruise Line

Silversea Cruises

Uniworld River Cruises

Viking Expeditions

Viking Ocean Cruises

Viking River Cruises

Windstar Cruises

Land Vacations

• Cosmos Tours
• Globus Journeys
• Kensington Tours
• Tauck Tours

All-Inclusive Resorts

Cruising 101

• Free Consultation

Why Cruise?

Shore Excursions

Cruising Tips

Future Cruise Credits

Photo Galleries

Specialty Cruises

Group Cruises

Business / Incentive Cruises

Events & Meetings at Sea

Private Charters

Theme Cruises

• River Cruises

Cruise Tours

Wedding Cruises

Hosted Cruises

Family Cruises

Senior Living at Sea

News & Media

Press & News

Testimonials

Social Media

Pre-registration

Passports / Visas

Travel Protection

Why Cruise Web?

Our Approach

Low Price Guarantee

Gift Certificates

Customer Service

Not sure where to start?

Talk to a travel consultant.

Expert guidance with no booking fees!

Avalon Waterways: up to FREE Airfare*

Avalon Waterways Europe Sale: Bonus Savings

Avalon Waterways: Guided Tours, Fine Dining...

Avalon Waterways Dining

The dining onboard an Avalon Waterways cruise is an extension of the typical sightseeing and touring experience. Each dinner includes the option of a regional delicacy or western favorite along with a complimentary local wine paired by an expert sommelier. Each sailing also includes a meal prepared by a local chef. 

• Early riser breakfast starts at 6 a.m.
• Breakfast buffet from 7 – 8:30 a.m.
• Late riser breakfast from 8:30-9:30 a.m.
• Lunch buffet starts at 12:30 p.m.
• Afternoon tea starts at 4 p.m.
• Dinner starts at 7:30 p.m.
• Night fare starts at 10:30 p.m.

Sample Menus

• Dinner Menu
• Dessert Menu

* Menu is subject to change and for sample purposes only -- actual menus may be different.

We Make Vacation Planning Easy

With an overwhelming world of choices, we understand you may need some personal assistance to plan your perfect vacation. From finding the right destination to choosing the best departure date, we're here to help. Plus, our experienced travel consultants have access to exclusive vacation deals to make sure you get the best value for your time and money.

Expert guidance. No booking fees.

Find a cruise.

• All Cruise Types
• Popular Cruises
• Luxury Cruises

Vacation Deals

Destinations & ports.

• All Destinations

Cruise Lines

• Popular Cruise Lines
• Luxury Cruise Lines
• River Cruise Lines
• All Cruise Lines
• All About Cruising
• Already Booked

Follow our social media and blog for the latest cruise and travel news, including our best vacation deals.

• Monthly Newsletter

What to expect with Avalon Waterways

I take you through all the details of an Avalon Waterways river cruise ship – the rooms, the food, the bar, the activities, and more!

Written by Michael Turtle

Michael Turtle is the founder of Time Travel Turtle. A journalist for more than 20 years, he's been travelling the world since 2011.

Michael Turtle is the founder of Time Travel Turtle and has been travelling full time for a decade.

Updated: February 2, 2023

Not all river cruises are created equal. This is what I realise as I float down the Danube onboard the Avalon Impression.

In my previous story, I confessed that this was my first time on a European river cruise – and that my expectations and preconceptions had been all wrong.

I realised that there is much more flexibility than I thought, more variety than I imagined, and more authenticity than I expected.

But, as I say, not all river cruises are the same. There are two things that make this trip a little unlike others.

The first is the ship itself – because Avalon Waterways has some differences in its layout, style, and service.

The second is that I’m on an ‘ Active & Discovery ‘ itinerary – a relatively new idea from Avalon that is aimed at a broader market than the traditional river cruiser. That’s why I was invited to try the trip myself so I could tell you more about it.

If you haven’t read my first story about my overall impression of this river cruise from Budapest to Linz, I would recommend you check it out.

 Because now I want to go into some of the specifics of an Avalon Waterways ship and an Active & Discovery itinerary, to help you get a better impression of what it’s like to be on the Avalon Impression (see what I did there – pretty clunky, right?).

First let’s talk about the ship overall. I didn’t realise this previously but most river cruise ships in Europe are the same size. That’s because they need to be able to fit into the locks that they pass through. So, because each company makes their ships just small enough to get through a lock, they’ve all pretty much got the same dimensions.

This means it’s what you do with the same space that sets the ships apart. Let me paint you a picture of how Avalon does its ships.

An Avalon ship is 135 metres long and has three interior levels and a deck. You can get an amazing 3D look at the whole thing with this virtual reality tour from Avalon:

The bottom level has technical stuff at the front and guest rooms at the rear. These rooms have windows but not the full length ones that can be opened on the other two levels.

The second level has the dining room and kitchen at the front and rooms at the rear.

The third level has outdoor seating at the very front, then the lounge and bar, with the concierge in the middle, with rooms at the rear, and a club lounge at the very back.

And then the deck has a bit of space at the front, then the captain’s bridge, with some outdoor seating behind that, and then the majority of the space is lounge chairs and some other spaces to relax.

Having never been inside a river cruise ship before, I had not previously given the interior design too much thought. But, because we occasionally docked alongside other ships and had to walk through them to shore, I came to realise there’s a big variety in how they look.

It gave me a real appreciation of the Avalon ships, which aim to be comfortable and casual (you are on holiday, after all) but are still stylish.

It is clear that thought had gone into every detail, like in the lounge where there were tables to play cards, pairs of plush seats for couples that didn’t want company, or large open couch areas for groups – all a bit different but all cohesive in their style. Simple but classy.

Meanwhile, as I pass through other ships, I see one that looks like it should be the setting for an Agatha Christie novel, while the interior design of another looks like a dictator’s mausoleum!

(I guess everyone has different tastes and so these ships cater to them… but they’re not my style, I’m afraid.)

Let’s look now at the bedrooms, which are one of the biggest selling points of the Avalon ships. I am in one of the Panorama Suites, which most of the rooms on the ship are (65 of them out of 83). So that’s what I’ll focus on.

The first thing you notice is the bed, which is facing the window. It seems so obvious that you would want to look at the view from your bed, but most river cruise ships don’t do this, they have their beds facing a side wall.

The other thing that is really special is the window, which runs the full length and height of the wall and opens two-thirds of the way across.

Avalon calls this an ‘Open-Air Balcony’, which basically means that it feels as if you’re on a balcony if you sit inside and open up your window the whole way.

While this is clearly marketing talk, I do agree that it’s the best way to design the room because, if you were to have an actual balcony, the room would have to be much smaller because the ship can’t be built any wider.

Aside from the bed and the window, there’s a small couch and table, a desk, a TV with news channels and free on-demand movies, two wardrobes, and a large bathroom with a shower.

All in all, a very comfortable space that I wish I could have spent even more time in!

It’s also worth mentioning that it was cleaned twice a day and that was done discreetly while you were at meals.  

Speaking of meals, the food on the cruise was one of my highlights and it’s definitely an element of the trip that shouldn’t be understated.

If you’ve ever been on an ocean cruise and still have traumatic memories of huge crowds of people fighting for the large buffets of mass-produced food trays, don’t worry, this is the complete opposite.

The main meal each day is the dinner, which is a sit-down four-course meal. (This is included in the price for everyone). There is a menu with choices for the entree, soup, main dish, and dessert… and it’s all the quality you would expect at a top restaurant in the city you are near.

In fact, that’s one of the aims – to make it seem like you are in a local restaurant. The menu is based on where the ship is at the moment, with regional ingredients used to make regional dishes.

When we’re still in Hungary one evening, I have Hortobagyi Palacsinta (Hungarian pancakes with minced pork) for my entree, Palocleves (Hungarian lamb chowder) for my soup, and braised beef cheek as my main. (Other options included a Karfiol Levels cauliflower soup, Turos Csusza noodles, and Fogas Korhely sea bass fillet.)

Lunch is slightly more relaxed because, with the activities, not everyone has time for a long meal. So it’s generally served as a buffet but with the chefs on hand to slice meat and serve some special dishes.

Twice during the cruise, there is also a BBQ on the deck as an option for lunch and I really enjoying sitting outside with my steak and salad.

Breakfast is also a buffet meal with a good selection of hot and cold options, with local influences but also the standard food you would expect at any international hotel chain.

Another impressive aspect of the meals is that beer and wine is free during lunch and dinner. And they’re not shy about topping up your glass!

I probably drink a bit more than I really should’ve because each night there are different wines on offer that come from the local regions and, in such a famous wine-producing area of Europe, it seems a waste not to taste them all!

Seeing as we’re talking about drinking now, let me tell you a bit about the bar on the Avalon Impression.

Again, if you have bad memories from ocean cruises, don’t worry. There are no drinks packages on the Avalon ships and this is not a booze cruise (frankly, there’s just too much to see and do on the trip to waste your time with a hangover!).

But that doesn’t mean people don’t want to unwind with a drink in the evening and that’s how it’s designed.

The bar is in the large lounge area at the front of the ship where people tend to gather and where the daily ship briefings are given. It’s there for those who want it but it is not a focal point of the common area.

Each night there is a happy hour before dinner (which also coincides with the ship briefing), where the drinks are half price. It’s a great way to do things – you can have a cheap cocktail or glass of wine while you listen to the information.

The standard prices for the drinks are about €4.5 for a pint of beer, €5 for a glass of wine, and €8 for a gin and tonic. It makes the half-price happy hour very affordable!

After dinner, if you’re like me and you’ve had a fair amount of wine during the meal, all you may want is another glass or two as you continue your conversations before you go to bed.

This Avalon cruise from Budapest to Linz is no ordinary cruise. It’s called an ‘Active & Discovery’ trip and I want to quickly explain what each of those things mean.

There’s often a perception that European river cruises are quite boring because there’s not much to do. Well, the ‘active’ part of this trip defies that notion. Each day there are included activities that get the blood pumping (obviously you can choose whether you want to do them or not).

For instance, one day I join an excursion that goes cycling through the Wachau Valley in Austria. This cultural landscape is actually a World Heritage Site because of the rolling hills of vineyards and quaint villages that lie within it.

It’s a beautiful part of Austria that follows the course of the Danube River and that’s what we do on our bikes.

As we go past vines, old churches, and pretty town squares, our local guides tell us the stories of the region. But beyond that we also see some incredible landscapes while appreciating the challenge of the exercise as well.

Another day I join a group of passengers for a hike up to the top of a hill, along a dirt path and through the forest, to an incredible viewpoint.

From here we have an amazing view of a hairpin curve of the river, the blue sky shining above the green trees running down to the shore, and our ship sailing through the water to meet us at the bottom of the hill when we walk back down.

There are also opportunities to do your own thing – you don’t always have to be on an organised activity. For instance, we’re in Vienna for two days and I borrow one of the ships bikes, as you can do at any time for free.

I take the bike for the whole day and go cycling through the city centre, all the way to Schonbrunn Palace , where I tie it up and go inside this incredible residence of the Habsburgs.

In some ways, this is more activity than I’ve had in recent weeks and I enjoy the chance to get my body moving so much. Then again, I am eating and drinking so much, I’m sure I’m not losing any weight!

The ‘discovery’ part of the cruise also involves activities that you can choose to go on, and they aim to offer more in-depth experiences that show you a different side of the places that you’re visiting.

For instance, when we’re in Budapest , I go on a caving tour that takes us on paths underneath the ground to see the formations created by thermal waters.

At the same time, other passengers go on a Retro tour, where they drive around in a Trabant car to visit some of the sites in the city that remain from the Soviet days.

In Vienna, there’s a morning tour that shows us a slice of local life – the public transport, markets, residences. And there’s also the opportunity to go on a tour of an old absinthe shop to learn about the history of the drink and do some tastings.

There’s a very special experience one evening when we go to Clam Castle, a historic home on a hilltop near where we’ve moored for the night in Austria. Here, the castle’s owner, the count, shows us his home and hosts us for some drinks.

And on one of the last nights of the cruise, there’s a pub crawl through Linz with some local guys that is also a good cultural tour of one of Austria’s main cities.

Many times in my travels I have seen large groups of retirees shuffling through museums listening to a guide through an earpiece. Most of the time, these were cruise excursions. Nothing we did on this trip even came close to that.

Now, I have no fear in giving a balanced review and I would want to share with you any criticism I have about the ship or the itinerary. The problem is, I honestly don’t really have any.

I thought my room was so comfortable and I always loved being in it. I enjoyed the food, the wine, and the coffee. The onboard staff were really lovely, and it was nice to mingle with other passengers. I always felt safe and the captain was excellent.

The only slight comment I would have is about the excursions. While some of the excursions were the highlights of my trip, I did find some to be better than others. However, I think this was more about my expectations.

There were times when I had something in my head, and the activity turned out to be a bit different. If I had known better, I probably would have chosen a different option. There were certainly plenty of other things I could’ve done instead.

So, if you are going to do an Active & Discovery trip yourself, my only piece of advice would be to ask a few more questions about what the excursions involve, to make sure the one you choose is what you expect it to be.

And, finally, the other thing to talk about is the price – and this is a big thing (and a big price).

European river cruises are generally not cheap and I think this is probably one of the reason why they have traditionally been popular with older people. But that’s not the full story.

This Avalon Active and Discovery Cruise is 9 days long and costs about US$4500 per person. That means for a couple, the cruise is costing $1000 a day.

In some ways, there is good value here. You are getting very comfortable accommodation, transport, an included activity each day, three meals, lots of wine – not to mention the convenience and comfort that comes with the cruise.

On the other hand, if you were to plan your own trip from Hungary and Austria, you would be able to find the same level of luxury for less than $1000 a day.

There is good news, though. The figure I am quoting is the standard price for the cruise – but it’s actually often quite cheaper. If you aren’t travelling in peak season, you will normally find a better price. And there are also quite often really good deals advertised that include free flights or upgrades.

So, my advice is to be aware that there is a large cost to a trip like this but, if you want to come on the cruise, you can save a lot of money with some clever timing!

As I wrap up, I realise that I haven’t mentioned things like the free wifi, the free coffee and biscuits available 24 hours a day, and the friendly staff who you get to know quite well by the end of the trip.

All of these small things add to the experience I’ve just described and I don’t think I need to tell you much more about them. Hopefully you’ve already got the idea that the Avalon ships are full of little details that are designed to make your cruise experience as enjoyable as possible.

They certainly made my cruise better than I could have imagined. This was my first time on a European river cruise and I didn’t quite know what to expect and was worried I wouldn’t enjoy it. In the end, I loved it, and I think it was this ship and the unique itinerary that made it so great!

10 thoughts on “What to expect with Avalon Waterways”

We did Budapest to Amsterdam on Avalon Visionary 24 May to 8 th June 2023 Everything was superb ship, staff, meals with cruise director Valentin a master at his job. My only disappointment was the sound of music optional excursion wasn’t as much as l expected it was more about Salzburg Have recommended Avalon to friends as they followed my fb tour photos

I appreciated this article, because we will have our first Avalon Cruise, and first ever river cruise in Europe in April 2024. Your description of daily events, meals, etc… gave me some insight on what to expect. Thank you for your thoughtful reporting!

We will be on the Avalon Tulip cruise in April 2024. Really looking forward to that.

Thank you Michael for your in depth review. My wife and I will be cruising with Avalon in October ’24 on the Rhine from Amsterdam to Basel. Our first ever European holiday (we’re from the land Downunder) I wanted to book with a quality cruise company. Reviews such as yours make me very comfortable that I have made the correct decision.

Thank you! We will be taking the Danube Dream cruise in April 2024 and this was very helpful. My first time in Europe and first River Cruise as well

Hi Leslie…we are too!

We will be doing the Seine River cruise in October which is also our first time in Europe. I did a lot of research before I chose Avalon and your review confirms that we made a good choice.

I have been on several Avalon river cruises and noted that your $1000/day price per couple doesn’t mention that this is the cost of ONLY the room you stay in. The cruise itself is an additional $4000+/-,add gratuities, port charges, and airfare (which isn’t always included) and trip insurance. You are looking at a significantly higher cost. I noted that the trip cost isn’t mentioned anywhere online or in their brochures. Only cabin cost. I feel more transparency is needed by Avalon without having to call them.

I have taken both Avalon and Viking Cruise. I love them both. One thing I loved about Viking was the drink package. While I don’t over indulge, I did find it very convenient. Coming back from an excursion, my wife and I would take a right turn when boarding and visit the bar for a cocktail. We would catchup with others doing the same thing. Without the drink package I go back to my cabin and head back out for dinner. While I could take it or leave it, I prefer to take the drink package when available. The idea of “This is not a booze cruise” falls short for me. On vacation, I am looking for convenience. That being said, I will be cruising again on Avalon in a few weeks.

I went on my first trip to Europe via a river cruise on Tranquility II. If I never go on another trip, I will know that I had the best cruise of my life and will be satisfied that I took the cruise with Avalon. The accommodations were wonderful, the food and drinks were top notch, but the crew made the whole trip as memorable and awesome as it was. The Amsterdam to Brussels trip was a dream with captivating architecture and informative tours about the areas we were in. I LOVED MY TRIP! I will have the best memories of a lifetime because I took this river cruise. Hats off to the people who make all this possible at Avalon.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Find me on the socials:, subscribe for news and deals:.

top stories:

River cruising through France on Avalon Waterways: A new...

Welcome Aboard: Firsthand River Cruise Experiences

June 25, 2015 Comments Off on Tips & Tricks for Your River Cruise Cruising Tips , Homepage Slider -->

Tips & Tricks for Your River Cruise

River cruises are rising in popularity, and it’s no wonder why. Less passengers, more inclusions, and unpacking once are just a few reasons why people are realizing that river cruising is the best way to explore Europe.

At Avalon, we’re experts in river cruising. We compiled a list of tips and tricks from our travel experts to help you once you get on board your next Avalon river cruise ship.

More space in your closet!

• Get extra closet space by storing your empty luggage under your bed
• You can have Avalon create you a name tag when you arrive –  it’s a fun way to get to know our fellow cruisers
• Include binoculars in your luggage. There is so much to see along the shores and it’s fun to be able to look at small castle and vineyard details from your stateroom
• Never worry about not having a bottle of water handy – every time you leave the ship for the included sightseeing the crew has bottles of water to take and there will always be two bottles of water in the stateroom

Cookies and fruit are available for snacks in the Club Lounge!

Sit back and enjoy the view!

Try out the Sky Deck…

[/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end]

…and you can enjoy the Panorama Bistro.

[/ezcol_1half_end]

Chef cooking in the Panorama Bistro.

• Port talks and the entertainment are very popular – if you want a front-row seat, we recommend getting to the Panorama Lounge early

• If you’re maintaining your workout routine, don’t worry about bringing a towel or water to the Fitness Room , they supply both for you (and it was fun to run on the treadmill looking out the window at the river)

You get to hear insight from a local on your included shore excursions.

• On the last day of the cruise, Avalon can print out a full set of the dinner menus for the cruise – such a fun keepsake to remember all the amazing meals you’ve eaten
• Is there was a particular dish that everyone loved? Ask your server at dinner and your chef will  provide your travel group with the recipe
• Make sure to check the Breakfast and Lunch menus – in addition to the buffet, they offer Daily Specials that are not on the buffet, but can be ordered

A hidden secret? The Observation Lounge.

Have you been on an Avalon river cruise before? What tips and tricks do you have to share? Make sure to join the conversation on our Facebook  page.

» breakfast , dinner , Europe , european river cruise , experiences , food , Included , lunch , meals , River Cruise , Suite Ship , Testimonial , tips

Related Posts

The Avalon Waterways Difference

7 Reasons an Avalon River Cruise Should Be...

6 Highlights from an Active River Cruise with...

River Cruising with Avalon Waterways: First Thoughts About...

Connect with us, press & media, popular posts.

Packing for a River Cruise

Why river line Avalon has the best cabins in Europe

“BEST CABINS” IN RIVER CRUISING

Find us on facebook.

Latest Instagram Posts

Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to connect an account.

Most Popular Tags

Latest posts.

MORE LEGENDS ON LEGENDARY RIVERS

BRANCHING OUT FOR THE EARTH

Avalon Extends Vaccine Requirement

©2014 Avalon Waterways

• Contact an Expert
• Globus family of brands

A world beyond. Hassle-free planning, regional Tour Directors & Local Guides, Handpicked hotels and inclusions, seamless transportation, VIP access, and rare Local Favourites that go beyond the guidebook. 

Adventure is knocking. Turn “never thought I would” into “glad I did” with a budget-friendly tour that includes all the essentials plus a great mix of included excursions and free time. 

Cruising Elevated. Cruise on Suite Ships with the widest stateroom views from your window-facing bed. Relaxed luxury flows throughout the ship in every detail plus personalise with Classic, Active, and Discovery excursions.

Discover Cruises

• Cruise Deals

Trip Planning

The avalon difference, europe river cruises, asia river cruises, south america river cruises, africa river cruises, special interest river cruises.

• Danube River
• Douro River
• Garonne & Dordogne River
• Moselle River
• Rhine River
• Rhône River
• Saône River
• Seine River
• Mekong River
• Amazon River
• The Galapagos Islands
• Czech Republic
• The Netherlands
• Active & Discovery
• Storyteller Series
• Beer Tasting
• Photography
• Wine Appreciation
• Garden and Nature
• Taster Cruises
• Avalon Artistry II
• Avalon Alegria
• Avalon Envision
• Avalon View
• Avalon Expression
• Avalon Illumination
• Avalon Imagery II
• Avalon Impression
• Avalon Panorama
• Avalon Passion
• Avalon Poetry II
• Avalon Tapestry II
• Avalon Tranquility II
• Avalon Vista
• Avalon Delfin III
• Avalon Treasure of Galapagos
• Avalon MS Farah
• Avalon Saigon

Our Current Cruise Deals

Save up to $8,000* per couple when you cruise on Europe's storied rivers

Solo travellers can save up to $14,382* on select river cruises in 2024 and 2025

Save up to $6,000* per couple when you cruise the majestic Mekong River

Earn Qantas Points on an Avalon Waterways Cruise!

Combine a Globus tour or city stay with an Avalon River Cruise for the ultimate adventure

Before You Book

• Book with Confidence
• Health & Safety
• Flights & Transfers
• Welcome Back Credit

Before You Travel

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Qantas Frequent Flyer
• Port Locations
• AvalonGO App
• Visa Services

Meet Avalon

• Why Choose Avalon
• A New Way to Cruise
• Freedom & Freebies
• Avalon Cares
• Career Opportunities
• Subscribe to Avalon

The Cruising Experience

• Suites & Staterooms
• Ship Amenities
• Wellness Onboard
• Cruise YourWay
• Avalon Ambassador
• Globus Family of Brands
• Agent portal

Farm-to-fork fare.

Welcome to a culinary experience as delectable as your sweet sail down the river. While you take in the bountiful views, our innovative chefs bring the local bounties to your plate. From inspired menus to artisanal dishes, we fuel your gastronomical journey with a beautiful balance of local flavour and worldly flair.

Time to Indulge

Fresh brews and panoramic views are served with countless sunrise selections including towers of super foods and made-to-order specialties.

Refuel for your adventures with regional treats and homemade sweets—from out-of-this-world specialty dishes to down-to-earth favorites you crave.

Whether you opt for a sumptuous four-course dinner or a lighter tasting menu, hand-crafted excellence is always on the menu.

Avalon Fresh: Turning the table on cruise dining. 

The masters behind our menus .

Executive Chef Krisztián Restás  For more than two decades, Executive Chef Krisztián Restás has been on an epic epicurean journey across Europe and European waterways. Since joining Avalon Waterways in 2013, Chef Restás has stirred, seared and sauteed his way from Traveling Chef to Executive Chef, gracing every menu with his worldly experiences, regional authenticity, and procures the freshest and highest-quality local ingredients. 

Chefs Karl and Leo Wrenkh  Karl and Leo Wrenkh, raised in the first high-quality vegetarian restaurant in Austria and founders of the Wrenkh Vienna Culinary School, created our exclusive Avalon Fresh menu so you can partake in regional delicacies while remaining on your healthy-habits course. Inspired by forest harvests, herb hikes, and using the freshest ingredients from local farms and suppliers, Karl and Leo have created guilt-free, gourmet recipes with a pinch of intrigue, a dash of innovation and a smidgen of surprise.  

• Cruise Dining
• Avalon Waterways

Cruise Search

Special cruise offers.

Royal Caribbean

• 60% OFF 2nd Guest + Kids Sail FREE + Specialty Dining for 2 + FREE GRATUITIES or Up to $1,700 Onboard Credit

Norwegian Cruise Line

• 70% OFF 2nd Guest + FREE At Sea + BOGO Airfare + Up to $1,700 Cash Back

Holland America

• Up to 40% OFF + 3rd & 4th Guests FREE + Onboard Credit + 50% Reduced Deposit

Princess Cruises

• Up to 35% OFF + 3rd & 4th Guest FREE + Up to $1,785 Onboard Credit

Celebrity Cruises

• Up to 75% OFF 2nd Guest + FREE Amenities Included: FREE Beverage Package + Basic Wi-Fi + Up to $1,700 Onboard Credit

Featured Cruise Deals

Other cruise options.

• Last Minute Cruise Deals
• Land Tour Deals
• View Golf Vacations
• Shop by Destination
• Shop by Cruise Line
• Cruise From Port Near You
• Holiday Sailings
• Luxury Cruises

Dining Onboard Avalon Waterways Cruises

Avalon Waterways combines fresh, local ingredients with innovative menus, friendly service and amazing views to create a truly memorable dining experience. Avalon Waterway’s head chef, Stefan Bloch, has won a number of awards and has worked in a variety of five star restaurants. Avalon waterways has also teamed up with two of Europe’s rising culinary stars, chefs Karl & Leo Wrenkh, to create Avalon Fresh starting in 2017.

Intimate, open dining is served in the main dining room on each Avalon Waterway’s ship. Complimentary beer, wine and soft drinks are served with lunch (starting in 2017) and served with dinner including a variety of regional wines.

An Early-Riser Breakfast of coffee and baked goods is served at 6:00AM followed by a full buffet breakfast from 7:00AM – 8:30AM in the main dining room. The breakfast buffet features a selection of freshly baked breads, pastries and rolls, meats, cheeses, fruits, made to order eggs and other local specialty dishes. Late risers can enjoy coffee and backed goods from 8:30AM – 9:30AM.

Guests can enjoy lunch featuring a full buffet that includes a variety of soups, salads, pastas, fresh baked goods, cold cuts, cheeses, carving stations and other entrees, many which focus on regional cuisine. Alternatively guest can enjoy grilled favorites in the Sky Bistro if the weather permits or a light lunch in the panorama lounge.

An elegant multi-course dinner is served at a single seating which offers innovative menus featuring a variety of appetizers, soups & salads, entrees including regional specialties and incredible desserts as well as complimentary beer, wine and soft drinks.

*Additional fee applies.

All menus and dining times are subject to change without notice. Some venues are only available on select ships.

EXCLUSIVE MEMBER SAVINGS

• Forgot Password?

Often cruise lines offer special rates that cannot be displayed to the general public. By registering with Cruise.com you will be able to view these special rates and offers.

Register with Cruise.com to get access to:

• Exclusive Rates
• Special Amenities

Login to Your Account

There was an error! Please re-enter your credentials and try submitting the form again.

Reset Your Password

Please enter the email associated with your account so that we may send you a link to reset your password.

An email was sent to the address provided with instructions on how to reset your password.

Oops! There was an error with the email you provided.

Avalon Waterways Dining

Avalon Waterways offers a variety of dining options aboard their ships. You can enjoy buffets, four course-dinners, Continental breakfasts, al fresco lunch at the Sky Bistro, delectable petite portions in the Panorama Bistro so you can sample a wide variety of foods. All meals on board are prepared by accomplished chefs and consist of local food adjusted for North American tastes. There is a full buffet breakfast, and in Europe a buffet lunch including choice of soups and main courses with appetizer, salad or sandwich, and dessert. On the Irrawaddy and Mekong, a mix of Western and Asian dishes is offered; in the Galápagos, you’ll be able to taste some Ecuadorian specialties and in the Amazon, you will be able to sample Peruvian specialties.

Dining highlights:

• Complimentary wine (including from the region), beer, and soft drinks at every onboard lunch and dinner
• Four-course dinners with choice of appetizers, soups, salads, entrées and desserts or cheese
• Fresh, local ingredients at every meal
• Seasonal cuisine featuring the freshest local ingredients
• Delectable regional & Western cuisine with all onboard meals
• Avalon Fresh® healthy cuisine options at every meal
• Vegetarian options at every meal, as well as vegan and allergy-free selections
• Complimentary coffees or teas
• Panorama Bistro dining option, including regional specialties
• Sky Bistro lunch option on the Sky Deck (schedule and weather permitting)
• Welcome dinner
• Five-course Farewell dinner Captain’s reception with sparkling wine & canapés
• Panorama Lounge offering premium spirits and cocktails throughout the day and evening
• Happy hour every evening including featured drink specials
• Cocktails with a view available on the Sky Deck
• Full buffet breakfast with sparkling wine and made-to-order egg station
• Featured a la carte breakfast options daily
• Extensive lunch buffet with carving and pasta stations
• Self-serve beverage stations with complimentary premium coffee drinks, tea and hot chocolate
• Fresh fruit available throughout the day
• Afternoon Tea featuring tea, coffee, and sweet treats
• Special Tastings – sample the destination’s famous delicacies

All Things Cruise is dedicated to the joy of travel. Specializing in ocean, river, ultra-luxury, small ship and expedition cruises.

We would love to have you subscribe for travel updates, news and great offers directly from the cruise lines!

• River Cruising

Avalon River Cruises Onboard Questions

By cbr663 , January 28 in River Cruising

Recommended Posts

We are about to book an Avalon River cruise and have a couple of questions about the onboard experience:

1.  How much is laundry service?

2.  How much is the service charge for room service?

3.  Any special perks/amenities for Royal Suite passengers?

4.  Are breakfast and lunch options a combination of buffet and made to order items?

5.  Any advice on someone's first river cruise?

6.  Any thing you were surprised with onboard?

Link to comment

Share on other sites.

I didn’t use the laundry.  Room service coffee came with warmed cream.  Breakfast was the buffet plus eggs how you want them, including omelettes.

Our Avalon cruise was awesome and amazing.  We were up early every day and out in the AM doing the included tours until brought back for the afternoon or evening.  Afternoon “tea” included cakes and sandwiches and all kinds of extras.  We were thankful to be able to walk all that off on the 2nd port of the day because supper was going to be amazing.

My advice:  you will be on the move and on the go for most of the day.  You will gather in the lounge for hors d’oeuvres and cocktails or champagne each evening, for port talks, prior to moving to the dining room for dinner.  You cannot miss this time as the CD will be there to talk about the following day and let you know how to sign up for different tours.  Do not miss these talks.

If, somehow, you get “snacky” there are awesome snacks and coffee/drinks in the club lounge at the back of the boat.

You will be on the go from morning till night.  If you have any energy left, you can attend the evening entertainment (local) which will be brought on board at each port.

I posted a “Live From” thread from my first sailing. (Below)  Most surprising thing, for me, was that it was a very active cruise and quite different from an ocean cruise.  We LOVED it and can’t wait to do another.

YoungDubFan

Make sure you read the post at the top of these boards for first time river cruisers. River cruising is a completely different experience vs ocean cruising. There is also a thread on here titled All About Avalon. Read through this long post because it has a lot of information specific to Avalon. 

1. I didn’t use laundry so can’t comment but from what I remember, it wasn’t too expensive. From what I’ve read on these boards, service is pretty quick. 

2. I think the only room service you can get is maybe a continental breakfast and / or coffee. I have never used it. I always go to the dining room for all meals.

3. I’m not aware but none that I’ve seen posted. You just get a bigger room.

4. Breakfast & lunch are buffets with a few rotating selections that could be ordered from the menu. Sometimes the lunch menu option was included as part of the buffet. Dinner is always from a menu. 

5. Read the referenced threads

6. On my Tulip Time cruise last April - Avalon had eliminated the piano player for nightly entertainment. There were some local acts that were brought on a few evenings. 

I spent about $50 on laundry last fall on the Moselle, but that allowed us to take just carry-ons and no checked luggage. Laundry was returned the same day or the next morning. Very neatly done.

We mainly ate dinner upstairs at the buffet. The one thing that surprised me was the noise level in the mdr in the evening.  More like a high school cafeteria than what I remembered from the cruises prior to last year that featured a more traditional, quiet, dinner.

There was a made to order breakfast menu that had French toast and pancakes for sure ( I had them ), and a couple other options that I don’t remember.

We are booked for October, so I’m curious to see if the noisy dinners were just an anomaly.

As far as advice, I think Avalon is a great choice. They really take care of everything.  Boats are beautiful and staff are exceptional.  

River crise boats are limited in height, unlike ocean cruise ships. Thus the dining room will by definition be only the same height as cabins. A low ceiling means more noise. 

17 hours ago, cbr663 said: We are about to book an Avalon River cruise and have a couple of questions about the onboard experience:   1.  How much is laundry service? 2.  How much is the service charge for room service? 3.  Any special perks/amenities for Royal Suite passengers? 4.  Are breakfast and lunch options a combination of buffet and made to order items? 5.  Any advice on someone's first river cruise? 6.  Any thing you were surprised with onboard?

Hi, I'll do my best to answer your questions. 

1) Yes there is laundry, I'll attach the pricing I have from another site.

2) According to the Avalon Waterway's site, under "Dining", you can get complimentary lunch & dinner for room service, and I believe the continental breakfast is also included.

3) No special perks for the 2 Royal Suite cabins other than the larger cabin. Everyone on the ship gets access to everything, no special perks at all.

4) Yes, breakfast & lunch are buffet, there is a made to order omelet station for breakfast, and usually the chef is there with a carving station for lunch. There are also items that can be ordered from a menu, limited, but the buffets are quite large with choices for almost everything. You can check sample menus under the "Dining" tab on the website.

5) Have fun, go with the flow, and be prepared for anything. They are very good at overcoming river level problems, and are also good for organising extras if you ask. Pre-booking outside tours isn't really recommended unless you know for sure you will be at the port as things can change quickly.

6) How easy it is to get to know almost everyone onboard, from crew to fellow passengers. We were on one of the longer ships for our Danube cruise in Sept, and I was a bit worried about the larger #'s (not one for crowds), but it still didn't feel crowded. 

Do your research, so you know what is possible to see, and have fun, Avalon is a fantastic line, 5* service but casual enough that you don't feel uncomfortable.

Thanks everyone for the wonderful replies.  Lots more reading to do.  We went ahead and got our TA to book it.  We are doing the Rhine Northbound with the add-on of 3 days Lake Como and 1 day Lucerne.  We are so looking forward to it.

Lucerne and Lake Como are amazing.  We did them on a land trip, just before the shutdown, traveling by train.  The Rhine itinerary is wonderful!  I am excited for you.  Congratulations!

On 1/29/2024 at 2:06 PM, cbr663 said: Thanks everyone for the wonderful replies.  Lots more reading to do.  We went ahead and got our TA to book it.  We are doing the Rhine Northbound with the add-on of 3 days Lake Como and 1 day Lucerne.  We are so looking forward to it.

Which cabin did you go for?

On 1/28/2024 at 3:37 PM, cbr663 said: We are about to book an Avalon River cruise and have a couple of questions about the onboard experience:   1.  How much is laundry service? 2.  How much is the service charge for room service? 3.  Any special perks/amenities for Royal Suite passengers? 4.  Are breakfast and lunch options a combination of buffet and made to order items? 5.  Any advice on someone's first river cruise? 6.  Any thing you were surprised with onboard?

1.  Very affordable and wonderful.  I'm doing a 20 day cruise and thankful for that.

2.  No room service charges.  I never had meals delivered, preferred to go to the food so it was hot and fresh.  I did get coffee and juice delivered a couple times. 

3. I believe you get a bottle of Champaign (at least the last time we sailed we did) and there is a nespresso machine in your room.  Kind of a waste of space to me because you could go make a fresh coffee in the lounge anytime you wanted.

4. They had waffles that you could order for breakfast and they had the pearl sugar so they had a nice sweet crunch to them.  If you love olive oil and balsamic vinegar with your bread...they have the BEST at the table.

5. Just unpack, relax and enjoy the ride.  There's not a LOT of on board entertainment and the majority of people (on my two that I've done) tend to turn in earlyish so this is not the hopping nightlife that you get on ocean cruises.  This is a nice time to journal, read, or just chat with new friends 🙂 6. I love the relaxed atmosphere.  No pushy sales, no long walks off the boat to face pushy photographers trying to sell you photos, no pushy sales people as you walk out of the cruise owned port (because you don't have those).  No one checking your bags coming back on the boat.  Want to bring back wine and cheese or whatever you prefer...no problem.  No one cares.  Want to walk off the boat, scan your card and with a quick walk you are in a village.  Staff are amazing.  No request too big or too small.  They want to make sure you enjoy your time and there's less than 200 people for them to take care of ... they will know you by name instantly.  

Canal archive

Rebel54 it’s not a case of ‘no one cares’ it’s more that on river cruises regardless of which company you use, they actually care enough to realise that it’s your holiday so that gentle acceptance of your requirements is uppermost rather than the frantic security that seems, sadly to be a needed on ocean cruises. Just step back and enjoy.

15 hours ago, Canal archive said: Rebel54 it’s not a case of ‘no one cares’ it’s more that on river cruises regardless of which company you use, they actually care enough to realise that it’s your holiday so that gentle acceptance of your requirements is uppermost rather than the frantic security that seems, sadly to be a needed on ocean cruises. Just step back and enjoy.

It wasn't meant in a negative light.  I hate ocean cruises for that very reason.  I think it's also a difference in the clients that come on board river vs ocean cruises.  Don't think you will ever see the need for full time drug sniffing dogs on a river cruise :).

Really, but then even we had a police drug sniffer dog through our Narrowboat it was because we were providing the power for the microphone for the King when he was Prince at an event he was more interested in the boat and the dog discovered where all the food especially the confectionery was kept.

2 hours ago, Canal archive said: Really, but then even we had a police drug sniffer dog through our Narrowboat it was because we were providing the power for the microphone for the King when he was Prince at an event he was more interested in the boat and the dog discovered where all the food especially the confectionery was kept.

Very interesting 🙂

On 1/29/2024 at 12:33 PM, YoungDubFan said: Make sure you read the post at the top of these boards for first time river cruisers. River cruising is a completely different experience vs ocean cruising. There is also a thread on here titled All About Avalon. Read through this long post because it has a lot of information specific to Avalon.    1. I didn’t use laundry so can’t comment but from what I remember, it wasn’t too expensive. From what I’ve read on these boards, service is pretty quick.  2. I think the only room service you can get is maybe a continental breakfast and / or coffee. I have never used it. I always go to the dining room for all meals. 3. I’m not aware but none that I’ve seen posted. You just get a bigger room. 4. Breakfast & lunch are buffets with a few rotating selections that could be ordered from the menu. Sometimes the lunch menu option was included as part of the buffet. Dinner is always from a menu.  5. Read the referenced threads 6. On my Tulip Time cruise last April - Avalon had eliminated the piano player for nightly entertainment. There were some local acts that were brought on a few evenings. 

Sorry to hijack. But I couldn’t find the thread “all about Avalon”  can you post the link please?  Thank you.

Scottie920 - the thread is called All Things Avalon & I just bumped it to the top of the forums. You should be able to find it now. I think it is over 70 pages but it has a lot of good information in it. Please post here again if you can’t find the thread. 

1 hour ago, YoungDubFan said: Scottie920 - the thread is called All Things Avalon & I just bumped it to the top of the forums. You should be able to find it now. I think it is over 70 pages but it has a lot of good information in it. Please post here again if you can’t find the thread. 

Host Jazzbeau

Friendly reminder:  bumping is against the CC guidelines.

19 hours ago, YoungDubFan said: Scottie920 - the thread is called All Things Avalon & I just bumped it to the top of the forums. You should be able to find it now. I think it is over 70 pages but it has a lot of good information in it. Please post here again if you can’t find the thread. 

Thankyou, located the 83 pages of information. I was just wondering the following:

are there any soft drinks/water at the 24 hour drinks station?

is the Mini Bar included as the brochure states fully stocked and no little asterisk to say charges apply?

are the l’occitane toileries individual bottles or large pump bottles stuck to the wall.

Thank you in advance

Scottie - there are water dispensers & ice dispensers at a couple of locations around the ship. There is a flavored water dispenser in the club lounge at the back of the ship. This is where cookies. & snacks are located. I don’t think there were any soft drinks but there may have been ice tea. 

I didn’t use the mini bar so can’t speak to that. Avalon does include bottled water in your cabin that is replenished as needed. 

The toiletries were large bottles stuck to the wall of the shower. 

On 2/1/2024 at 6:39 PM, Rebel54 said: Which cabin did you go for?

We decided against the Royal Suite and booked a Panorama Suite for 2 reasons:

1.  Avalon prides itself on the cabin layout with the bed facing the wall of windows so you can lie on your bed and watch the river as you are sailing.  The Royal Suite actually has a large wall in the front of the bed that severely blocks your view.  The best view is from the PS.

2.  Our other concern was the shower size in the PS.  After watching many videos online we finally found a video where one of the guys filming actually went into the shower and spread out so I could see that the shower would work.  I also discovered that not all the ships are the same in that some ships have the shower stack in the PS on the short side of the shower while others have it on the longer side.  We booked with it on the longer side as we think it will make a difference.

3.  We also noticed that the show in the RS has a bench that is located close to the shower stack which we thought would make showering awkward.

@cbr663 , you can go to the Avalon website and do a 360 of your cabin if that's easier. I know it doesn't cover everything, but I always do, as I like "my" side of the bed to be close to the wall, so I make sure my cabin is arranged that way. 

As to soft drinks, they are only available at the bar for a cost if you are looking for one not during the lunch/dinner times, however we always ask our cabin attendant to clear out our fridge and then we can stock whatever we wish in it (chocolate melts when sailing in warm weather 🙂 ) since you can bring anything onboard. 

As YoungDub mentioned, Iced Tea (unsweetened) is available at any time, as well as hot coffee & teas. 

4 hours ago, Daisi said: @cbr663 , you can go to the Avalon website and do a 360 of your cabin if that's easier. I know it doesn't cover everything, but I always do, as I like "my" side of the bed to be close to the wall, so I make sure my cabin is arranged that way.    As to soft drinks, they are only available at the bar for a cost if you are looking for one not during the lunch/dinner times, however we always ask our cabin attendant to clear out our fridge and then we can stock whatever we wish in it (chocolate melts when sailing in warm weather 🙂 ) since you can bring anything onboard.    As YoungDub mentioned, Iced Tea (unsweetened) is available at any time, as well as hot coffee & teas. 

Yes, we tried the 360 tour of our cabin.  Unfortunately, the tours aren't available for all the ships.  For instance, we all sailing on the Vista and the tour is for the sister ship Envision.  This is an example of where on the Envision the shower stack in the PS is on the shower's narrow wall whereas on the Vista it's on the shower's longer wall.  Took us a while and paying very close attention to find that.

Our TA asked why we changed from the RS to PS and this is feedback that she is providing to Avalon on our behalf.

On 2/9/2024 at 8:23 AM, cbr663 said:   We decided against the Royal Suite and booked a Panorama Suite for 2 reasons:   1.  Avalon prides itself on the cabin layout with the bed facing the wall of windows so you can lie on your bed and watch the river as you are sailing.  The Royal Suite actually has a large wall in the front of the bed that severely blocks your view.  The best view is from the PS. 2.  Our other concern was the shower size in the PS.  After watching many videos online we finally found a video where one of the guys filming actually went into the shower and spread out so I could see that the shower would work.  I also discovered that not all the ships are the same in that some ships have the shower stack in the PS on the short side of the shower while others have it on the longer side.  We booked with it on the longer side as we think it will make a difference. 3.  We also noticed that the show in the RS has a bench that is located close to the shower stack which we thought would make showering awkward.  

Very thoughtful response.  Thank you.  The bench in the shower really does not impact you showering at all.  That shower is pretty big.  I also like that there is a separate toilet from the shower room and more counter space.  Traveling with my daughter makes both details a blessing :). I agree on the window situation with the bed in those cabins.  Really wish they had thought about that.  I honestly never laid in bed and watched the scenery so it didn't bother me much.  I'm booked in a RC on the Envision and will have a twin set up and plan to give the bed near the window to my daughter so she can enjoy it.  I prefer to sit at the table and enjoy my coffee in the AM.  I like that the seating area is not crammed at the end of the bed in the RC. 

On 2/9/2024 at 6:51 AM, scottie920 said: Thankyou, located the 83 pages of information. I was just wondering the following:   are there any soft drinks/water at the 24 hour drinks station? is the Mini Bar included as the brochure states fully stocked and no little asterisk to say charges apply? are the l’occitane toileries individual bottles or large pump bottles stuck to the wall.   Thank you in advance      

You do pay for the items in the mini bar.  No soft drinks in the 24 hour area.  I had them remove the mini bar items and just picked up some preferred drink items when we were in port.  L'occitane products are in pump bottles attached to the walls in the shower and at the vanity.

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in

• Welcome to Cruise Critic
• ANNOUNCEMENT: Set Sail on Sun Princess®
• Hurricane Zone 2024
• Cruise Insurance Q&A w/ Steve Dasseos of Tripinsurancestore.com June 2024
• New Cruisers
• Cruise Lines “A – O”
• Cruise Lines “P – Z”
• Cruise Critic News & Features
• Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
• Special Interest Cruising
• Cruise Discussion Topics
• UK Cruising
• Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
• Canadian Cruisers
• North American Homeports
• Ports of Call
• Cruise Conversations

Announcements

• New to Cruise Critic? Join our Community!

Write Your Own Amazing Review !

Click this gorgeous photo by member SUPERstar777 to share your review!

Features & News

LauraS · Started Thursday at 08:52 PM

LauraS · Started Thursday at 07:30 PM

LauraS · Started Tuesday at 05:03 PM

LauraS · Started Tuesday at 03:34 PM

LauraS · Started Tuesday at 03:22 PM

• Existing user? Sign in OR Create an Account
• Find Your Roll Call
• Meet & Mingle
• Community Help Center
• All Activity
• Member Photo Albums
• Meet & Mingle Photos
• Favorite Cruise Memories
• Cruise Food Photos
• Cruise Ship Photos
• Ports of Call Photos
• Towel Animal Photos
• Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos
• Write a Review
• Live Cruise Reports
• Member Cruise Reviews
• Create New...

• Discover Exclusive Offers and Special Deals on 4th of July Cruise Deals
• Discover Exclusive and Special deals on MSC Kids Sail Free
• MSC Cruises June Deals & Add Drink & Wifi to Save More
• Get exclusive cruise deals on MSC Poesia Mediterranean Cruises for 2024
• Get exclusive cruise deals on MSC Sailings from New York
• Get exclusive cruise deals on MSC Euribia Northern Europe Cruises for 2024
• Get exclusive cruise deals on MSC Cruises from Miami and Port Canaveral
• Discover Exclusive Offers and Special Deals on MSC Cruise Deals
• +1 (866) 622-3344

• Top Cruise Destinations
• All Cruise Destinations
• Top Departure Ports
• All Departure Ports
•  Ocean Cruises
•  River Cruises
•  Cruise Length
•  2 to 3 nights
•  4 to 6 nights
•  7 to 9 nights
•  10 to 13 nights
•  14 and more nights
• All Cruise Lines
• Cruise Booking
• River Cruise
• Avalon Vista - Avalon Waterways

Avalon Vista River Cruise Ship Dining

• Accommodation
• Entertainment
• Health and Fitness
• Kids and Teens
• Useful to know

Explore All Dining Options on Avalon Vista

From the first bite to the last 'hmm', Avalon takes your taste buds out of the ordinary. For breakfast, lunch and dinner, try delicious recipes from the regions you travel to. Also, if you prefer, try the more familiar western dishes. At Avalon, every meal is part of the journey.

• Avalon Fresh and healthy food every meal
• Self-serve beverage station with complimentary tea, hot chocolate and premium decaffeinated coffee
• Welcome and farewell cocktails with sparkling wine and canapés
• Spacious, open-seating Panorama Dining Room
• Daily early-riser breakfast
• Daily late-riser breakfast
• Rich buffet breakfast with sparkling wine and freshly made egg station
• Lunch buffet with carving and pasta stations
• Al fresco lunch in the Sky Grill
• Drinks while enjoying the view on the Sky Deck
• Healthy corner options such as low-calorie, low-fat, high-fiber, low-cholesterol, and high-energy options
• Vegetarian options for every meal, vegan and allergy-free menus available
• Afternoon tea with tea, coffee and sweet treats
• Happy hour every night (including drink specials)
• Seasonal cuisine featuring the freshest local ingredients
• Chef-prepared in-flight meal featuring local and famous dishes
• 4-course menu with choice of appetizer, soup, salad, main course, dessert or cheese
• Lunch and dinner include complimentary wine, beer, and soft drinks.
• Complimentary room service for Continental breakfast
• Panoramic Lounge & Bar with premium spirits, comfortable seating, panoramic windows and dance floor
• Healthy meal options
• Casual dinner in the Panorama Bistro
• Sit back and savor a few dishes from the Panorama Bistro's tasting menu and enjoy the informal 'seated' atmosphere.
• Tastings - sample the destination's famous delicacies
• Coffee or tea after dinner
• Light lunch in the Panorama Lounge
• Flexible dining times FlexDining with menu and venue options

Cruise Inquiry

Our cruise experts will help you to plan your perfect cruise vacation!

* I consent to receive communications by email or phone. I understand I may opt out at any time using the unsubscribe link provided in all communications. Please proceed to the Privacy Policy page or read our Terms & Conditions to understand how your data might be used.

We use cookies to give you the best online experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Privacy Policies

The Roaming Boomers

Review: dining aboard the avalon waterways tapestry ii.

Posted by David Porter on Saturday, June 2, 2018 · 6 Comments  

As people consider a river cruise for their vacations, the idea of an unpack-once floating hotel is appealing.

While destination considerations are generally the first draw, beyond that, people want to know about the ship, the staterooms, the shore excursions, and of course the food. And as such, the cruise industry puts a lot of their resources into designing cuisine that will appeal to their target audience as well as giving them the opportunity to sample local flavors.

If we take a peek at the dining page on Avalon’s website, the first thing we will encounter is Avalon Fresh, appealing to a more active and informed traveler who desires to eat healthily and abhors the idea of coming home 5 pounds heavier after their cruise.

Secondly, we’ll notice a variety of dining choices offering “FlexDining” that allows for a resort-casual dress-code and a come-and-go-as-you-please atmosphere.

Here is a peek at Avalon Waterway’s current meal schedule and dining choices:

Our group of 10 “roaming boomers” aboard the Avalon Waterways Tapestry II

As I mentioned in this article , we absolutely loved the design of the Avalon Waterways staterooms, but as we consider a review of our Avalon Waterways experience, many will want to know, “how was the food?”

Well, as we had a group of 10 people with us, let’s turn to them for the answer.

When we got home, I posed to all of them the following question:  please give me a rating of the food quality from your perspective (1- 5), where 1 = food fit only to slop the hogs and  5 = they deserve a Michelin star.

Here are their responses:

• Bonnie : My overall rating is a strong 4. A few misses but nice, fresh variety and gracious willingness to accommodate special requests.
• David and Judy:  I say 3. David says 4
• Robert:  My feeling is a 3.  I thought the dinners were mostly very good, although the Dover sole I had was definitely not Dover Sole.  The breakfast buffet was normally very good as long as you got made to order eggs or omelet, but items that were supposed to be hot were many times cold.
• Chris:  3.5 overall. Breakfasts were wonderful, lunches good, but dinners left a lot to be desired especially since we had a couple of dinners in Paris at neighborhood cafes that were excellent. I wanted especially to experience the local cuisine which we did not seem to get.
• Jim and Shirley:  We’d give them a 3 – pretty amazing considering the size of the kitchen. The presentation and attentive service were 5 stars.
• Paul:  3 (clearly a man of few words).

Our Review of the Food Aboard the Avalon Waterways Tapestry II

First of all, food is a very subjective thing, right?  Where some folks might be very content to eat at Denny’s every night, others towards the foodie end of the spectrum have much higher expectations.

So, before I give you my answer, understand that Carol and I trend towards the foodie end of the spectrum.  And, you should also know that we had just spent three glorious days in Paris before boarding the ship where we enjoyed dining in Michelin-star restaurants and decades-old French bistros.

So, we came aboard expecting good food and great service. To say it another way, we expected 4-star food and 5-star service as this might also describe Avalon Waterways niche in the river cruise industry.

Well, to be honest, Carol and I both felt as though the dining experiences were more in the 3 – 3.5-star range.  There were moments of brilliance, the savory crêpes come to mind, but there were also misses: cold eggs on the buffet, slow service with my morning coffee, and while the service was cordial, it lacked the expected “we’re going to wow you with our service” mentality.  As Jim Collins advised in his best-selling business book, “good is the enemy of great”.

So, now, does that mean that we would advise against Avalon Waterways?  Absolutely not!  Think of it this way; no sports team is always on their game.  They have up weeks and down weeks.  To my mind, we hit Avalon Waterways during one of their off weeks.  Further, Carol and I have sent scores of folks to Avalon Waterways over the years and we’ve always received good reports about the food.

I feel bad that we must share this less-than-desirable review, but the trust of our reader is more important than trying to appease any cruise line. Plus, as a business owner, if I needed to up my game, I would want to have that feedback.

Going forward, Carol and I will continue to confidently recommend Avalon Waterways, and perhaps sometime in the future, we will get the opportunity to again sail with Avalon Waterways were we might enjoy the expected 4-star food with 5-star service.  After all, I absolutely loved the staterooms and everything else about our experience.  🙂

Stay tuned for more articles about our Avalon Waterways river cruise experience as we sailed the River Seine from Paris to Normandy and back. We have lots more to share about our wonderful journey.

Category: Avalon Waterways , Blog , Travel Services · Tags: Avalon Waterways , European River Cruise

6 Comments on “ Review: Dining Aboard the Avalon Waterways Tapestry II ”

Thank you for your honesty.

I also appreciate your honesty. It’s so easy to say everything was great. Your integrity is appreciated.

We did Avalon last April leaving from Amsterdam down the Rhine and then transferred to sister ship in France and then south on Rhine to Cannes. We loved the food and service and thought the food was even better on the French Rhône section. We never had anything cold or off. But we hadn’t been to Paris first. We will be doing Paris river cruise May 2019 on Uniworld.

Correct Rhine to Rhône in France. Sorry.

My last river cruise in 2018 was on Ama (Danube). The food and wine were suburb. As a matter of fact, I couldn’t find fault with anything about Ama and our river cruise experience. I have booked Avalon for October Paris to Normandy and frankly I am okay with 3-3.5 food because frankly I am much more about the ship and the excursions. Having said that, it’s good that you are candid as I know many people want the 4 to 5 star dining experience, as you do.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. 🙂

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Sign up for our Newsletter

Travel smart with our best tips, on-location reviews, exclusive offers, drawings, group events, and more... It’s FREE!

Connect With Us

Our client testimonials.

Research Travel Options

Best way to book a cruise.

Recent Posts

• Japan: A Paradise for Baby Boomer Travelers in 2025
• U.S. Passport Renewal Goes Digital
• Choosing the Right Over-the-Calf Compression Socks for Long Flights
• Review: Tauck Yellowstone & the Tetons: American Safari

Roaming Boomers Travel Services, an Independent Affiliate of Cadence, a Virtuoso® member. CST#201120-40

Copyright © 2024 · All Rights Reserved · The Roaming Boomers · Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, Disclaimer

10 hot river cruises to book this year

There are classic river itineraries — the Danube, the Rhine, the Rhone and the Nile — that anyone who appreciates the ease and camaraderie of river cruising can book with most of the top cruise lines. But those aren't your only options.

The most exciting river cruises to book this year are the new offerings that go off the beaten path, explore an unsung river or combine a standard seven-night sailing with a novel land tour.

For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

Here are 10 new itineraries for 2024 and 2025 that are taking river cruising beyond the familiar, including several on recently launched or soon-to-debut river ships.

AmaWaterways' 7-night Wonders of Colombia and Magic of Colombia

Love South America but have already cruised the Amazon? Consider AmaWaterways ' newest ship, AmaMagdalena. Debuting in January 2025, the 60-passenger ship will sail two alternating seven-night itineraries year-round on Colombia's Magdalena River, traveling from Cartagena to Barranquilla and vice versa.

With the Wonders of Colombia itinerary , you'll board AmaMagdalena in coastal Cartagena, a popular Caribbean port on Panama Canal transits that you can now also enjoy on a river cruise. Arrive a day early or book a two-night precruise add-on to see sights such as the historic Walled City, San Felipe de Barajas Castle and the Gold Museum.

Following a sunset sail away, immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and tastes of Colombia via a local music experience in Palenque, the first "free town" in the Americas after a 1713 decree from the Spanish crown freed residents from slavery. You can also check out 19th-century Calamar on a paola (a two-person bicycle taxi) and the jazz music and local handicrafts available in Santa Barbara de Pinto and Mompox.

El Banco and Magangue round out the list of port calls before the cruise ends with a tour of the floating village of Nueva Venecia and an evening Carnival celebration in the seaside port of Barranquilla.

Choose the Magic of Colombia itinerary , from Barranquilla to Cartagena, and you'll visit the same ports, just in a different order. Rather than end your cruise with the Carnival celebration, you'll experience it on your first day. You can also book several precruise and postcruise land tours, including three nights precruise in Medellin, three nights postcruise in Panama or both.

AmaMagdalena will be joined in June 2025 by 64-passenger AmaMelodia. Both vessels will offer spacious (237- to 516-square-foot) staterooms and suites, as well as a heated pool on the sun deck and two dining options: the main restaurant, serving Latin American cuisine and Western favorites, and an intimate alfresco dining experience.

Related: Best river cruise lines around the world

American Cruise Lines' 15-night National Parks & Legendary Rivers

American Cruise Lines ' itineraries on the Columbia and Snake rivers in Oregon and Washington already attract travelers who appreciate the stunning landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, but now the cruise line has a 15-night National Parks & Legendary Rivers itinerary that takes scenic appreciation to another level.

The trip combines an eight-night cruise on the Columbia and Snake rivers with a seven-night land tour to three national parks: Glacier, Yellowstone and Grand Teton. The itinerary visits five states and begins or ends in either Portland, Oregon, or Jackson, Wyoming, depending on whether you do the land or cruise portion first.

What will you see on this cruise? If you start in Portland, you'll overnight before boarding one of the company's modern, 180-passenger river ships: American Jazz, American Harmony or American Song. Your first day will be spent enjoying scenic cruising along the Columbia River, with Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens as a backdrop, as you head to Astoria, Oregon. The historic seaside city is known for its beautiful Victorian houses and red trolleys.

Geology enthusiasts and anyone who remembers the devastating May 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens will be fascinated by the port call in Kalama, Washington, where you can take an included guided excursion to the National Volcanic Monument. The following day will be spent cruising the Columbia River Gorge before you arrive in Stevenson, Washington, where a visit to 620-foot Multnomah Falls is a highlight. The final two days feature views of the dramatic landscapes of the Snake River in eastern Washington as you call on Richland before disembarking in Clarkston.

The guided national parks tour begins with a drive to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, for a lake cruise followed by an overnight in Kalispell, Montana. Once in Glacier National Park, you'll navigate Going-to-the-Sun Road and dine at the historic Lake McDonald Lodge.

The tour continues on to Yellowstone National Park, where your adventure guides will offer insight as you explore Mammoth Hot Springs, Norris Geyser Basin, Tower Fall and Old Faithful, among other highlights. A visit to Grand Teton National Park and its Jackson Lake Lodge follows, with your final day spent admiring the park's incredible mountain vistas and abundant wildlife.

Related: The best US river cruises

American Cruise Lines' 50-night The Great United States

If 15 nights aren't enough to satisfy your wanderlust, American Cruise Lines offers a 50-night version of The Great United States program for 2025.

The 2025 sailing encompasses three cruises. It takes the 15-night National Parks & Legendary Rivers itinerary described above and adds a 21-night Mississippi River cruise from New Orleans to St. Paul, Minnesota, aboard 180-passenger American Serenade, which will call on 21 ports in six states. Along the Mississippi, you'll have a chance to visit Civil War battlefields in Vicksburg, Mississippi; Mark Twain's boyhood home in Hannibal, Missouri; and the landmark Gateway Arch in St. Louis. You can also enjoy legendary blues music on Beale Street in Memphis.

That segment will be followed by a 14-night, 14-port cruise along the coast of New England on 125-passenger American Pioneer (debuting in 2025). The ship will sail round-trip from Boston and visit scenic coastal ports in Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, including the quintessential New England islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

Tour options will include visits to the Maine Botanical Garden in Boothbay Harbor and Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, an SUV adventure along the dunes of Provincetown on Cape Cod and a tour of the gilded mansions of Newport in Rhode Island.

In total, you'll check off 15 states from your must-visit list during this river cruise. That's an impressive number of destinations to visit in a single trip.

Avalon Waterways' 7-night Vida Portugal: Vineyards & Villages Along the Douro

Portugal's Douro River Valley is beloved by oenophiles. Over the past few decades, it has also attracted river cruisers seeking a relaxing itinerary punctuated by sleepy small towns and the daily enjoyment of local food and wine.

In March 2024, Avalon Waterways added the Douro River to its offerings when it debuted 102-passenger Avalon Alegria sailing an itinerary called Vida Portugal: Vineyards & Villages Along the Douro . The seven-night cruise is round trip from Porto, where there's time at the start and end of your cruise to explore this colorful city's historic port-wine cellars, churches and bridges (including the Ponte de Dona Maria Pia, designed in 1877 by Gustave Eiffel).

Noteworthy stops range from an afternoon call on Porto Antigo, with included excursions to monasteries and churches in Braga and Guimaraes, to a call at Peso de Regua, where sightseeing and wine tasting go hand in hand. You'll even have an opportunity to add an optional excursion from Pinhao to the elaborate 18th-century Baroque palace Casa de Mateus (of rose wine fame).

Save time for the onboard activities, too. After a full-day excursion from Barca d'Alva to Salamanca, Spain — a city known for its mix of Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque architectural styles — you can learn how to paint azulejos (Portugal's famous blue-hued handmade tiles) or enjoy a pastry-making demonstration on the ship the next morning.

Related: The best river cruises in Europe

CroisiEurope's 7-night A Cruise Through Four Exquisite European Valleys

Germany is known for its scenic river valleys, and a new itinerary from French river cruise line CroisiEurope doesn't skimp on beautiful vistas. Called A Cruise Through Four Exquisite European Valleys , the seven-night, round-trip sailing departs from Strasbourg, France, and visits the Rhine, Neckar, Moselle and Saar river valleys.

The ship for this itinerary, 81-passenger Elbe Princesse II, is one of CroisiEurope's three paddle river boats. It normally navigates the Elbe River between Berlin and Prague. However, from July to October 2025, the ship will be cruising the Rhine and its tributaries.

This river cruise kicks off on the Saar River, famous for the Great Bend at Mettlach (the river equivalent of a hairpin turn), and overnights in the town of Saarburg, Germany. After a morning scenic cruise onto the Moselle River, you'll visit Trier, Germany, known for its ancient Roman structures and its photogenic medieval buildings, before continuing on to Cochem, Germany, where you can enjoy an afternoon visit to the hilltop Reichsburg Castle.

Larger cities like Koblenz, Germany, located at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers and home to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, are also on the itinerary. The trip features a stop in wine-centric Rudesheim, Germany, as well, so you can sample some vino and enjoy a ride on a scenic train while in the Rhine Valley.

The final day calls on a trio of German ports on the Neckar River. In the morning, you'll visit Mannheim and disembark for a coach transfer to Heidelberg, home to pink-hued Heidelberg Castle, historic churches and atmospheric beer halls. You'll then reboard Elbe Princesse II in Heidelberg and sail to Eberbach, a medieval city with an abundance of half-timbered homes and ancient fountains. The ship will overnight as you enjoy a final gala dinner before disembarking in Strasbourg the next morning.

Riverside Luxury Cruises' 11-night Danube and Main River Discovery

With the March 2024 debut of 110-passenger Riverside Debussy, Europe-based newcomer Riverside Luxury Cruises has added more than a half-dozen new three- to 21-night itineraries, with options on the Rhine, Main, Moselle and Danube rivers. In October 2024, the ship will sail an 11-night Danube and Main River Discovery itinerary from Budapest to Frankfurt that combines the highlights of two rivers and visits four countries: Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and Germany.

You'll embark Riverside Debussy in Hungary's capital before cruising past the illuminated Hungarian Parliament Building on your way to Bratislava. The capital of Slovakia is home to a hilltop castle, a walkable pedestrian zone and pubs serving local beer.

The next day, discover the history and artistry of Vienna with visits to its Hapsburg-era palaces, 16th-century St. Stephen's Cathedral and numerous museums. Charming Durnstein, Austria, is known for its medieval castle and a riverfront abbey with a pretty blue-and-white spire, while the golden-hued abbey in nearby Melk, Austria, celebrates the flavor of apricots in preserves and liquors.

As you reach Passau, Germany, which sits on the confluence of three rivers, you'll enter Bavaria and discover a walkable city with a domed 17th-century Baroque cathedral. The next day on the Main River (a Rhine tributary), you'll tour Regensburg, Germany, including its UNESCO World Heritage-listed city center, before spending two days exploring Nuremberg, Germany, which has a notably complex history.

Rounding out the cruise are calls on Bamberg, Wurzburg and Wertheim, Germany, with bustling Frankfurt — where historic remnants of the Middle Ages meet modern skyscrapers — serving as the departure port.

Related: River cruise packing list: What to pack when traveling by riverboat

Scenic's 66-night Scenic Cruising Through Europe

If you have two months to spare, a fascination with history, a love of fine wines and a generous budget, you can explore the rivers of Europe in one epic trip with Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours. The new 66-night Scenic Cruising Through Europe journey — available on two dates in 2025 ( May 4-July 9 and Aug. 16-Oct. 21 ) — explores more than a half dozen major rivers and waterways and calls on almost 60 ports in 13 countries.

The first part of the journey begins in Bucharest, Romania, with an overnight in a luxury hotel before you set sail on one of Scenic's 163-guest Space-Ships from Giurgiu. You'll cruise the Danube, Main and Rhine rivers all the way to Belgium and the Netherlands, then backtrack along the Rhine to Basel, Switzerland, taking some time to explore towns along the Moselle River.

This portion of the trip will take 36 days, and you'll explore ports in Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland. You'll spend two days each in Budapest, Vienna and Amsterdam, and scenic highlights include Austria's Wachau Valley and Germany's Rhine River Gorge, with its many hilltop castles.

After a flight from Zurich to Paris, you'll start the next leg of your trip when you board 124-passenger Scenic Gem for a 10-night cruise on the Seine River. Visit historic Rouen and Honfleur or take excursions to Claude Monet's home and gardens at Giverny and the WWII beaches at Normandy.

Next, you'll fly from Paris to Bordeaux and board 149-passenger Scenic Diamond for a 10-night journey along the Garonne and Dordogne rivers in the heart of France's Bordeaux wine region.

On day 57, you'll fly from Bordeaux to Porto, Portugal, to board 96-passenger Scenic Azure on the Douro River for the final 10-night leg of your trip. You'll explore the legendary port cellars of Porto, taste wine amid the terraced vineyards of the Douro Valley and venture into Spain for a day trip to Salamanca. Your river cruise — and this epic 66-night journey — concludes back in Porto with an overnight, allowing you more time to experience this exceptional city.

Tauck's 13-night Romantic Capitals: Prague to Paris

Tauck's newest river offering in Europe for 2025 is its 13-night Romantic Capitals: Prague to Paris itinerary. This multiriver and land journey is available from April to October on Tauck ships Joy and Savor.

You'll start your journey with two nights at the Fairmont Golden Prague Hotel and enjoy ample time to take in sights such as Prague Castle and the Charles Bridge. You'll then transfer to Regensburg, Germany, for a nine-day cruise to Trier along the Main, Rhine, Moselle and upper Danube rivers, as well as the Main-Danube Canal.

Ports and cities visited on excursions include Frankfurt, Koblenz, Nuremberg, Bamberg, Wurzburg, Wertheim and Boppard, Germany. Exclusive experiences available to Tauck guests range from a private reception and dinner at Schlosshotel Kronberg near Frankfurt to a visit to the legendary Nurburgring racetrack near Koblenz.

You'll continue your trip on land with a quick stop in Luxembourg for a walking tour of its capital city. Afterward, you'll board a train to Paris, where your journey will conclude with a two-night stay at L'Hotel du Collectionneur.

Uniworld's 13-night Cruise & Rail: Paris to Istanbul

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises has added a new 13-night Cruise & Rail: Paris to Istanbul itinerary to its 2025 journeys. The two-week cruise offers you the chance to experience these two legendary cities, visit landmarks along the Seine River and then travel by luxury sleeper train for five nights from Paris through six additional countries to Istanbul. A 14-night reverse itinerary from Istanbul to Paris is also available.

If you begin your journey in Paris, you'll board Uniworld's 128-passenger Joie de Vivre for a seven-night Seine River cruise. Highlights include visits to Claude Monet's home and gardens at Giverny and Normandy's medieval capital, Rouen, known for its 11th-century cathedral and Joan of Arc history. A second stop in Rouen gives you a choice of excursions to the beaches of Normandy. This portion of the trip concludes with a stop at Versailles and an overnight in Paris.

You'll then transfer to Gare de Lyon and board the Golden Eagle Danube Express. First stop: the vineyards of Champagne for a tasting. The next day, the majestic scenery of the Austrian Alps are a daytime highlight, while dinner and a private classical concert in Vienna are on the evening agenda. After a morning exploring the city, you'll be back on board as your train heads to Postojna, Slovenia, where you'll enjoy a nighttime tour of the intricate Postojna Caves.

A visit to the Serbian capital of Belgrade rewards you with a traditional feast, while the next day's stop in Sofia, capital of Bulgaria, offers architectural and archeological gems in a city dating back 7,000 years. Upon disembarking in Istanbul, you'll spend a night at the luxurious Four Seasons Sultanahmet and have time to explore nearby sights, which include the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace.

Viking's 10-night Rhine & Main Explorer from Nuremberg to Basel

Viking 's newest itinerary for 2025 is the 10-night Rhine & Main Explorer , which cruises from Nuremberg to Basel (or vice versa) from May to November and visits cities in Germany, France and Switzerland. It's a new mix of ports for Viking, including some lesser-known historic towns in Germany's Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria regions.

You'll board one of the cruise line's 190-passenger Viking Longships in Nuremberg, where an overnight offers time to learn about the city's medieval structures and past as a staging ground for Nazi rallies. More medieval architecture awaits in Bamberg, famous for its river-spanning Altes Rathaus (Town Hall) and its rauchbier (smoked beer). If wine is your preferred spirit, you're in luck, as Wurzburg, a city in Germany's Franken wine region, is also on the itinerary.

As you continue your cruise, you'll see the vibrant half-timbered houses and sample the hearty Bavarian cuisine (think: bratwurst and pork knuckle) of Marktheidenfeld, Germany. A visit to bustling Frankfurt, which provides a stark contrast between historic and modern Germany, is also in order after an afternoon spent sailing past the Main River's castle-topped hillsides.

France's Alsace region gets its turn when you call on Strasbourg, known for its beautifully preserved Old Town encircled by the Ill River. The itinerary also includes a stop across the Rhine in Breisach, Germany, the gateway to the Black Forest and a town full of vineyards. You'll end your journey with a full day of exploring charming guild house-lined Marktplatz, history-rich streets and more than 40 museums in Basel.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• Top ways cruisers waste money
• The ultimate guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin

Gluten-Free Travel With Me

  Travel stories and reviews from a gluten free traveller

Avalon Impression One Week River Cruise Along the Danube April 2024

Our first ever river cruise, and what an amazing week it was! This review covers our whole gluten-free eating experience on board the gorgeous Avalon Impression. We were fortunate enough to have incredible weather as well, so we had a wonderful time sailing the beautiful Danube river from Budapest to Vilshofen. Read on to find out how Avalon cater for anyone who needs to be gluten free.

Avalon Impression

Avalon Impression has been sailing since 2014, and we were highly impressed with the ship. We had 149 passengers on board, out of a potential full capacity of 168, and there were around 45 crew members. Obviously, these figures are hugely different to ocean cruise ship numbers, and it meant that we got to interact with the majority of crew not only only on a daily basis, but frequently throughout the day. This meant they quickly got to know us, and those in food service positions quickly recognised that we were two of many passengers sailing that required a gluten-free diet (more about that to come!). Even the captain of the ship was extremely hands on, we saw him bringing bikes back on board after an afternoon cycling excursion, and one morning as we were leaving the ship he was jumping into a large refuse container at the dock trying to make more space to fit more refuse in! The crew all worked extremely hard, and it felt like a very personal service, much more so than on ocean cruises.

We were in the cheapest cabin, which is on the lowest deck, and has small windows rather than anything that can open or a veranda. I’ve seen it called ‘aquarium class’ before, which made me laugh! However, the windows were bigger than we had anticipated, and we were thoroughly impressed with our cabin. We would definitely be happy to travel aquarium class again! You also get a bit more privacy when you’re docked up right beside another ship (I’m talking only a couple of centimetres between them) assuming you remember to close the curtains!

There are a total of 4 decks, the top one being the open air sky deck. There are cabins on the remaining three decks. There is one lift for those with mobility issues which goes between decks 1 and 3, but you do need to walk up the stairs to be able to get to the open air deck.

Booking and Prior to Cruising

I booked this trip through a travel agent who was offering a very good deal. River cruising tends to be more expensive than ocean cruising, although there is often a lot more included. This was a relatively short notice booking – two months before we cruised, and so we got a great package holiday deal including flights.

When speaking to the travel agent, I informed them of our dietary needs, and these were passed onto Avalon. I also had to fill out a special needs form (possibly due to some mobility issues I have), which the travel agent sent me. There was also space on the form for dietary needs, so I filled them in on the form as well. I always say it’s better to be over prepared than under prepared.

I did my usual Google searching for information, and came up with a few bits of info, but not a huge amount. One thing I did glean is that there is a special diets meeting on the first evening, and also that all menus have allergen markings.

Special Diets Meeting

This is something I’d read about before boarding, so asked reception staff about it straight away. They confirmed that it was on at 5.30pm in the Club Lounge, and this was also advertised on screens in the Panorama Lounge.

We were surprised at how many people attended the special diets meeting, the Club Lounge was pretty full. The head chef and restaurant manager told us that it was very common to have a lot of gluten-free passengers onboard, and reassured us that we would be well catered for. They explained that all of their soups and sauces are made gluten free, and that they use a lot of naturally gluten-free food. Later on in the cruise it was explained to us that they don’t always know the allergen status of things they buy fresh from the food markets (Hungarian sausage was an example one lunch-time), but if not known will err on the side of caution and not consider it to be gluten free.

During the meeting, they take notes of every single passenger they speak to, and what their particular dietary requirements are. They also take a note of their cabin numbers. It felt very personalised and reassuring that they were doing all they could to ensure that they could cater for every single passenger on board, no matter what their individual requirement.

The head chef and restaurant manager were extremely helpful throughout the cruise. We would be brought the menus at breakfast time, then have a chat with them and make a pre-order for dinner, and sometimes lunch as well, depending on what was on the menu. The chef gets off at every port and buys fresh produce from the food markets, and the quality of food was very high. Far higher than any ocean cruise we’ve been on. It’s not that ocean cruise line food is bad, it’s just a little more mass produced, with thousands of passengers on board that need feeding at the same time.

Here is a photo of the allergen chart Avalon use. Each dish then has the appropriate letters of the allergen it contains. d is the code for gluten.

Where Are Meals Served?

Unlike ocean cruise ships, which tend to have multiple dining room plus numerous other additional cost restaurants, there simply isn’t space for those on a river cruise ship. That means that it’s really simple to know where you’re going to eat, as there are limited options!

On Avalon Impression the main dining room is on deck 2.

This is the only place you can get breakfast, which is served buffet style, with a further small selection of cooked items you can request. Lunch and dinner are also served in the main dining room, with lunch being buffet style and dinner being a sit down multi course meal. Below are the lunch and dinner menus for the main dining room.

• Lunch Menu Apr 9
• Lunch Menu Apr 10
• Lunch Menu Apr 11
• Lunch Menu Apr 13
• Lunch Menu Apr 14
• Lunch Menu Apr 15
• Dinner Menu Apr 9
• Dinner Menu Apr 10
• Dinner Menu Apr 11
• Dinner Menu Apr 12
• Dinner Menu Apr 13
• Dinner Menu Apr 14
• Dinner Menu Apr 15

There is also the Panorama Bistro on deck 3, which is located at the front of the Panorama Lounge and Bar.

Here you will find a smaller selection of the same lunch and dinner dishes you will find in the main dining room. Great if you’re wanting something quick, or just can’t be bothered to have a full sit down meal! Here are a selection of light lunch and dinner menus served in the Panorama Bistro:

• Light Lunch Menu Apr 10
• Light Lunch Menu Apr 11
• Light Lunch Menu Apr 12
• Light Lunch Menu Apr 13
• Light Lunch Menu Apr 14
• Light Lunch Menu Apr 15
• Light Dinner Menu Apr 10
• Light Dinner Menu Apr 11
• Light Dinner Menu Apr 12
• Light Dinner Menu Apr 13

If there is good weather on your sailing, then you might be fortunate enough for the crew to set up a grill style lunch at the Sky Bistro on the top deck. We had one during our sailing, and it was fantastic. Here is the Sky Grill Menu Apr 12 .

Finally, a quick mention of the Club Lounge, at the rear of deck 3. Here you can find hot drinks 24 hours a day, and there are things like cookies, nuts, and similar snacks. Sometimes there were things that were marked gluten-free, but we didn’t take any of the snack items, just stuck to the hot drinks.

So, to recap, main dining room for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and Panorama Bistro for an alternative more casual approach to lunch and dinner. Nice and easy to remember!

On your first and last day on board, lunch is only available at the Panorama Bistro. It is put out nice and early so that if you’ve got a flight later in the day you can still get some food. Similarly, if you arrive at the ship early on the first day (we got there around midday) there is also food available.

I’m going to start with lunch, as it’s the first meal we had on board the ship. On the first day, lunch is only available in the Panorama Bistro, and the selection of food did look as if there could be a bit of cross contamination. We asked a member of staff what we should do as we were gluten free. They went and asked the chef, and returned and told us that they would make us some gluten-free sandwiches. These took a little while to come, but were really good. The also brought us some gluten-free cake as well!

For the remainder of our lunches (except for the last day), we ate in the main dining room. Usually we would have seen the menus at breakfast time, so would place a pre-order if nothing suitable. Because I am also vegetarian, mine tended to be a ‘surprise’ (which I was happy with, but if you’re not I’m sure you could order something specific), and in the style of the country we were on. For example, Hungarian goulash which was made vegetarian and gluten free for me.

Lunch is provided buffet style in the main dining room, but it’s a lot more spacious and well laid out, so cross contamination wasn’t really an issue. Everything was also allergen marked. Depending on the menu for the day, sometimes we were happy to take it from the buffet, and other times it would be cooked and brought out from the kitchen for us. You can see how spaced out the dishes are in the photos, especially the salad bar. I’ve tried to show a selection of things we saw on offer, including the allergen cards that go with them. As my husband is a meat eater, he always double checked the meat with the chef, as sometimes the full allergen information was unable to be obtained when bought from the food markets. He would often find that although there was a d on the allergen card, that they were able to confirm that a particular item was in fact gluten free and safe for him to eat.

You can also order burgers with fries, including a vegetarian burger, and the chef confirmed that these were all gluten free with a replacement bun/bread.

Avalon prides itself on using fresh, seasonal produce, and theming the food to the country they’re travelling through. All the food was delicious, and really fresh. As I mentioned before, the quality of food in our opinion was a big step up from ocean cruising.

Lunch on the last day was similar to the first, in that it was a selection of dishes in the Panorama Bistro (I think it was actually the same dishes as the first day as well). Again, these were all allergen marked. We were there when the food was set out as we had a late afternoon flight, so were able to eat from the buffet without risk of cross contamination. The chef was also fantastic, as there was a beef and vegetable pie topped with cheesy mashed potato that was marked as gluten free, but obviously not vegetarian. My husband enjoyed it very much. It wasn’t very busy, so I asked a member of staff if it might be possible for me to get just a portion of the mash, as I wasn’t able to eat the pie. A short while later a beautifully presented plate of mash was brought out to me. I was seriously impressed!

Sky Deck Bistro Lunch

We were fortunate enough to have glorious weather on our sailing – a surprise for early April! It was announced one evening by the cruise director that the next day they would be setting up a grill in that area for lunch. This was basically BBQ style, with lots of fresh salad options too.

We got up there a bit early, so were able to quiz George, the head chef about everything. He confirmed that pretty much everything on the grill was naturally gluten free, but told me he was going to get my veggie burger cooked in the kitchen to avoid contamination from the meat. I thought this was really considerate of him. He also confirmed that the wedges, which had a d on the allergen marking, were in fact gluten free too.

It was lovely to experience eating outside, and the food was really tasty.

We ate all of our evening meals in the main dining room. On the first evening, we had attended the special diets meeting, and informed the head chef and restaurant manager about both being gluten free, and me also being vegetarian. We asked about dinner that first evening, and were told that something would be prepared for us, which it was.

After that, we would be given the menu at breakfast, and make a pre-order. As is usual in most restaurants both on land and on ships, the dishes that tend to be marked as gluten free are more often than not meat or fish, which I can’t eat. My husband can, so his meals were easy to order. For me, sometimes the vegetarian dishes could be adapted to make them gluten free, and other times I was given a surprise dish. The meal was always delicious. I had told the chef I don’t eat parmesan, as it generally isn’t vegetarian, so parmesan wasn’t used in any of my meals.

Gluten free rolls and bread were always brought to us (it depended on available stock as to what we got), which was the same as breakfast and lunch as well. The server soon got to know us as gluten-free people, and at dinner we sat at the same table every night so that we got the same server. Monica was our server, and she took excellent care of us, always going through things on the menu and confirming dishes were gluten-free as she brought them out to us.

There was always a gluten-free cake available (I think some of these were bought in), and sometimes other desserts too.

Served in the main dining room with a selection of hot and cold items served buffet style. These were all allergen marked, and again, due to how things were laid out, it was easy to see if cross contamination would be an issue or not (and in general it really wasn’t, as they use so much naturally gluten-free food). There wasn’t any gluten-free cereal available, and we didn’t manage to accurately find out whether they don’t have it normally, or they were waiting for it to arrive (our cruise was only their second of the season, so they were still missing some items. The gluten-free beer didn’t turn up for a few days either!).

The jams were in shared bowls, so we didn’t use those in case of cross contamination (people using the spoon to put it on their normal bread for example). I’m sure we could have asked for some from the kitchen if we’d have needed. There were individual sealed portions of Nutella and peanut butter, which were great. The butter/margarine were also individual portion packs. You may spy some sachets of brown sauce in the photos – these are ones that I brought from home.

There was an egg station where you could get fried eggs or omelettes made fresh. There was also a small menu available every day for cooked items. There were only 3-4 choices, and the bottom one changed every day. After seeing crepes on the menu the first day, I asked the restaurant manager if we might be able to get some gluten free ones at some point. He said he’d have a word with the chef, and the following morning we were presented with amazing crepes. We were also given gluten-free French toast one morning, and on another day there was GF rice pudding, which my husband enjoyed (I’m not a rice pudding fan). On the last day it was Spanish omelette, and this was also gluten free.

Room Service Breakfast

A small selection of items are available to order (for no extra cost) for breakfast, and I fully intended to do this for us, but ended up completely forgetting! River cruises are pretty full on – it’s usually a new place every morning, and excursions tend to head out from about 8.30am, so it just went out of my mind until we were packing at the end of the cruise.

The selection was mainly pastries, yoghurt and toast, so I’m certain that if we had put the breakfast hanger out on our door and written gluten free that we would have been catered for.

Afternoon Tea

Every afternoon in the Panorama Bistro there would be sandwiches and cakes available. In general, we were either not hungry or out at a port so didn’t really partake other than a couple of days. We asked about gluten-free, and were brought cakes. I’m sure if we had been more specific we would have been made sandwiches as well, but we really didn’t need them.

Happy Hour/Drinks

Avalon Waterways advertises that they operate a happy hour every evening, where house beer and wine, certain cocktails and soft drinks are free. On the package that we had, drinks (both alcoholic and non) were also included with lunch and dinner. We also happened to be on a wine lovers cruise (I didn’t know that when I booked it!) and had three wine tastings onboard included, plus a dinner towards the end of the cruise with wine pairings with every course.

Happy hour didn’t operate on the first evening, so if you’re only there for the free drinks, then don’t get caught out! Other than that, it was a pleasant time to spend in the Panorama Lounge, with the cruise director coming in towards the end to talk about the following day, and giving information about the ports and excursions (the majority of which were included, and excellent). Dinner would then follow on from that.

I had seen from my research that gluten-free beer was available on the bar menu. Unfortunately it hadn’t arrived at the start of our cruise, but it was picked up a few days later when we stopped in Vienna. They only had one crate delivered though (and I believe it was only 12 in a crate), so it only lasted 24 hours!

When the gluten-free beer did arrive, staff were happy to include that within the happy hour, even though it was only supposed to be draft beer. My guess would be that because a zero alcohol bottled beer was also included, that they were happy to include the GF beer.

For lunch and dinner, then any beers and wines were included, so again, we had the GF lager (until it sadly ran out).

Wine Tasting/Pairing (only on specific cruises)

As I mentioned, ours was a wine lovers cruise, which I was unaware of when booking. Fortunately, we are indeed wine lovers, so this was a massive bonus!

On our first full day on board Avalon Impression, there was an included excursion which was a coach based tour of Budapest in the morning, a small amount of free time, then wine tasting in a traditional cellar. There was some food included, and already laid out, and we expected not to be able to eat anything at all. However, the main plate was cheese and salad bits, and this was all gluten free. There was some traditional Hungarian fried foods and of course bread, but these were all in separate dishes. When we made staff aware that we were gluten free, they also gave us a red plastic card as a visual indicator on the table. Give that we hadn’t told anyone beforehand, we were really pleasantly surprised. The wine was delicious, and of course we ended up buying a bottle, and enjoying this later on in our cruise.

There were three other wine tastings held on the ship, and two of these included food. One was cheese, and the other was chocolate. The cheese was gluten free, although I chose not to partake as it was cheeses I either didn’t like or were more likely to contain animal rennet. My husband therefore enjoyed double cheese with his wine!

For the wine tasting with chocolate, we asked the chef a couple of days before if he knew if the chocolate would be safe for us or not. He didn’t know, but said he would find out, and if not would try to get some for us. Whilst we told him not to worry, as we were perfectly happy to enjoy the wine without chocolate, true to his word he discovered that the chocolate being used was a ‘may contain gluten’, and so when getting off the ship to purchase the fresh produce, he also bought us (and the other gluten-free people on board) some different chocolate that was safe. We were so impressed and grateful for this, he really did go above and beyond to cater for people with specific dietary requirements.

There was another really thoughtful moment (not wine based, but doesn’t fit in with any other section in the blog so may as well put it here) when on the last evening, there was a big thank you to all the crew, and each team were brought out and paraded round the Panorama Lounge so that passengers could give them a huge clap to show their appreciation. Canapes were served at this, and our server from dinner, Monica, came and found us and brought us gluten free (and vegetarian for me) canapes that had been made specially. What wonderful service.

Our first experience of river cruising was fantastic, and the gluten-free experience really was outstanding. In both our opinions, the food we ate far surpassed anything we’d eaten in a main dining room on an ocean cruise ship, and we were both hugely impressed.

Yes you have to ask questions, and ask to see the menus so you can pre-order, but that’s very standard. Most people would be asking similar questions when going to a land based restaurant if it wasn’t 100% gluten free, as you have to make sure things are safe. I know that people don’t like doing that, but it does make life a lot easier. Having the special diets meeting was also extremely helpful for that, as you were able to have that one on one discussion with the chef and restaurant manager about your specific needs.

We both tend to be forward thinking people who like a plan, so when we heard that one of the wine tastings were with chocolate, it was second nature to us to try and find out beforehand if it was going to be safe. I have no idea whether the chef would have bought safe chocolate if we hadn’t asked (although maybe we weren’t the only ones who asked, as there were numerous GF passengers on board), but we were extremely grateful that he did. However, it also wouldn’t have ruined our cruise if he didn’t!

The GF beer arriving late and then only lasting 24 hours was a bit unfortunate, but everywhere is suffering with supply issues, so we’re just glad that we did get some at some point to enjoy.

Overall, I can’t say enough positive things about our experience. We’ve definitely caught the river cruising bug, and enjoyed everything about it so much that we’ve booked another one. This is with a different cruise company, so they have a lot to live up to as Avalon were excellent. Avalon Impression, you certainly made a lasting impression on us!

Below are just a few of the glorious sights we saw whilst sailing the Danube. Budapest lit up at night was an absolute highlight.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Protect Your Trip »

Sun princess: the best dining, amenities and more on princess cruises' newest ship.

Sun Princess features an updated layout, delicious new restaurants and plenty of spaces to be entertained.

Sun Princess Review

Courtesy of Princess Cruises

Key Takeaways

• Sun Princess' fresher, more modern design may appeal to a younger crowd than the line normally caters to.
• Incredible dining options abound, including The Catch by Rudi and the new Spellbound dinner and magic show.
• New Cabana Mini-Suites feature indoor-outdoor cabana areas and spacious balconies.

As a travel writer who cruises with all the major lines, I was excited to travel through the Mediterranean on the new Sun Princess cruise ship in May 2024. I traveled with my mother to celebrate her 76th birthday shortly after the new ship's February debut in Rome . The itinerary we sailed was a unique, one-way offering that departed from Athens, Greece , with visits to ports like Bar, Montenegro; Corfu, Greece; and Messina and Naples, Italy .

A true marvel of modern engineering and ship architecture, Sun Princess boasts a maximum guest capacity of 4,300 and room for 1,600 crew. The Sphere-Class vessel is 1,133 feet long and 200 feet high, with a breadth of 139 feet and 21 total decks. There are 2,157 staterooms, including 80 unique suites with extra space for guests.

Standout features include a three-floor main dining area, the Princess Arena with capacity for 990 guests and a 250-person entertainment space known as The Dome. Read on to learn everything there is to know about the Sun Princess cruise ship, including my own take on the dining and entertainment options available to cruisers.

Find your perfect cruise

Sun Princess itineraries for 2024 and 2025

Holly Johnson

While Sun Princess is scheduled to cruise the Mediterranean through September 2024, the ship will cross the Atlantic on its way to Fort Lauderdale, Florida , by October for the winter cruise season.

From this new homeport, Sun Princess will offer seven-day Caribbean cruises with the stops in Honduras, Belize , Mexico, the Bahamas , the Dominican Republic, and Turks & Caicos through March 2025.

Sun Princess will then embark on a 14-day Spanish Passage voyage in March 2025, which ends in Barcelona, Spain , and repositions the ship for its summer in the Mediterranean. At that point, cruisers can book a range of lengthy Mediterranean options over various dates, which include stops in Turkey, Greece, Montenegro, Italy, France, Spain and more.

Who should sail on Sun Princess?

While most people may think of Princess Cruises as a cruise line for baby boomers, Sun Princess aims to attract a younger, livelier crowd. This is immediately apparent when walking around the ship's common areas; Sun Princess boasts bold color schemes, endless windows, sparkling lights and a more modern central piazza than other Princess ships.

While my Mediterranean sailing largely consisted of adult travelers, Sun Princess will likely attract more families on its Caribbean itineraries. The ship's layout is ideal for parents with children of all ages, and amenities geared specifically toward kids abound. It all starts with the ship's Park19 family area, which features a huge climbing structure, a splash zone, a recreational court, a jogging court and more. Sun Princess also has three dedicated youth clubs: Firefly Park Kids Club (ages 3 to 7, with a separate play area for babies and toddlers 6 months and older), Neon Grove Tweens Club (ages 8 to 12) and The Underground Teen Lounge (ages 13 to 17).

What's interesting about Sun Princess is that it still has so much to offer more mature travelers, including couples who want to enjoy a romantic, upscale vacation. This is shown in the ship's elevated dining venues, expansive casino and luxurious spa. Sun Princess also offers the Sanctuary Collection of rooms and suites, which offer more amenities and spaces to relax on the ship.

Travelers who book a room in the Sanctuary Collection get their pick of a nicer selection of rooms, a premium beverage package, access to a private restaurant and pool deck and a more personalized experience overall. Think of the Sanctuary Collection suites as an alternative to MSC Cruises Yacht Club cabins – the biggest difference being that the venues available to cruisers in these cabins are spread throughout the ship.

The stateroom

I stayed in one of the new Cabana Mini-Suites on the Sun Princess, which I would book again in a heartbeat. These rooms are a take on the classic balcony cabin most cruisers expect, but with a twist. In addition to an outdoor balcony, Cabana Mini-Suites have a separate indoor-outdoor cabana-like area with a flat-screen television.

This extra space means the new Cabana Mini-Suites are much longer from one end to the other than a traditional balcony stateroom. The additional space is nice to have whether you want more room for storage or a separate place to read or relax while your cabinmate naps. My mom sat in our cabana area and read several times while I showered and got ready for dinner, and she even took a nap out there while I worked on my computer in our stateroom.

Regardless of the stateroom you book, know that Sun Princess cabins feature soft, neutral tones and plenty of closet space. Power outlets are abundant, and there are all kinds of nooks and crannies for storage. Cabin types on Sun Princess include the following:

Interior Cabins (136 to 145 square feet)

Basic interior rooms offer a queen bed or two small twin beds, a flat-panel television, a refrigerator, and a private bathroom with a shower. These are the most affordable cabins on the ship, and they work best for guests who just want a place to relax and sleep.

Premium Oceanview (212 square feet)

Ocean-view cabins have slightly more space than interior rooms, but they still lack a balcony. These rooms feature a queen bed or two twin configurations, a large flat-screen television, a refrigerator, and more floor and storage space.

Deluxe Balcony (235 square feet, including balcony)

Balcony cabins offer more space than ocean-view rooms due to the addition of a spacious balcony with outdoor seating. Balcony cabins can also come in a queen bed or two twin configuration and have a large flat-screen television, a refrigerator, and more floor and storage space.

Mini-Suite (303 square feet, including balcony)

Mini-Suites are essentially large balcony cabins with more storage space, more closet space and more floor space. These rooms have all the amenities of other cabins but include two flat-screen televisions (one for the bedroom area and another for couch viewing).

Cabana Mini-Suite (329 square feet, including balcony and cabana)

These rooms add the indoor-outdoor space of the cabana adjacent to the outdoor balcony. The cabana area has seating for several people and its own flat-screen television (in addition to the in-room TV).

Signature Suites (304 to 636 square feet, including balcony)

Signature Suites range in size and include larger balconies with premium furniture, two flat-screen televisions, a more spacious bathroom with a separate tub and shower, and dedicated sleeping and living areas.

Signature Sky Suites (1,262 square feet, including balcony)

Princess Cruises Signature Sky Suites are the largest staterooms across all Princess vessels, and they have all the bells and whistles you can imagine. Standout features of Sky Suites include separate living and dining areas; huge, luxurious bathrooms; and Nespresso coffee machines.

(Note: Sanctuary Collection rooms are dotted throughout the ship and consist of balcony-, mini-suite- and suite-category accommodations.)

Tips on Trips and Expert Picks Newsletter

Travel tips, vacation ideas and more to make your next vacation stellar.

Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy .

Best amenities on Sun Princess

Since my itinerary on the Sun Princess cruise ship included multiple port stops, I didn't get to experience everything the ship had to offer. However, what I did experience was worth it – from the nonstop entertainment in the piazza to over-the-top dining features. Some of my standout experiences include:

Part dinner and part magic show, Spellbound by Magic Castle is bookable for an additional charge. The experience begins with a small group dinner with drink pairings, then moves to a hidden bar area of the ship, where the magic begins. The bar itself features magical artifacts and vintage curiosities, a "ghost" pianist, and an incredible drink menu designed to wow and delight guests. Some drinks were served in cages, golden owls and elaborate chests with dry ice.

Magic came in the form of intriguing card tricks and disappearing acts at the bar, plus a separate stage area where crowd participation helped facilitate the illusions. I don't want to give anything more than that away – you must simply experience it for yourself. Though I thought Spellbound was slightly cheesy at times, I thoroughly enjoyed the dinner and show and feel it was worth the added cost.

The Dome on the Sun Princess is part pool area and part stage. Guests can swim in a unique indoor-outdoor pool by day and watch entertainers dance in the evening, with alluring lighting effects and a cozy, intimate atmosphere.

I watched an acrobatics show in The Dome from the comfort of a padded lounge chair and thought the venue was the place to be.

Princess Arena 

The Princess Arena is a circular stage area that holds up to 990 guests. Shows on offer include multifaceted stage productions and acrobatic features with plenty of surprises.

Fitness center

The Sun Princess' fitness center was huge and featured a range of treadmills, stair climbers, weights and machines to choose from. I never had trouble securing a treadmill at any time, even though I've had to wait and fight crowds for machines on other cruise ships.

I also loved the expansive walking track on the ship, which was constantly in use by both serious exercisers and cruisers walking leisurely to enjoy the views. I used the walking track every morning for at least an hour; I found it much more spacious and usable than other ship walking tracks, which are often congested and never quite wide enough.

The ship also features a Fitness Studio with guided classes, but I did not use it during my trip.

Sun Princess features five large pools and nine hot tubs. There are two pools on the lido deck, plus an indoor-outdoor pool in The Dome, a Sanctuary pool (for Sanctuary Collection guests only) and a wake-view infinity pool.

Medallion services

Princess MedallionClass is one of the coolest and most convenient amenities at sea. In place of a traditional cruise card, Princess gives you a small wearable device to bring with you around the ship and on shore. The medallion tracks your physical location on the ship, which allows you to order services and deliveries on board no matter where you are. Medallion delivery options range from food and drinks to extra pillows or bottled water.

I ordered room service through my medallion multiple times and hot, fresh food arrived in my cabin in less than 20 minutes. Meanwhile, drinks were delivered to our cabin and elsewhere on the ship in less than five minutes.

MedallionNet

Princess' Wi-Fi at sea (MedallionNet) is the fastest internet service I have ever used on a cruise ship. The internet was fast and reliable enough for me to complete some work while on board, which is not the norm on cruise ships.

Best dining venues Sun Princess

Sun Princess features 30 dining and bar options, many of which are included in the base cruise fare. Complimentary dining venues on Sun Princess include three traditional dining rooms, The Eatery (a take on the classic buffet, but with staff service), a café for coffee and light bites, The Lido (serving up salads, pizza and more) and the Promenade Dining grill.

Specialty dining options for an extra charge range from O'Malley's Irish Pub to a sushi spot to steak, seafood and Italian restaurants. For an extra special experience, head to Love by Britto to indulge in fine dining, or opt for Umai hot pot or teppanyaki venues. Meanwhile, bars on Sun Princess include Bellini's Cocktail Bar, Sea View Bar, The MIX and more.

My personal favorite dining experiences included:

My Spellbound dinner was excellent, even though the menu is fairly brief. I enjoyed a delicious shrimp cocktail and seafood entree, followed by a vegan dessert (I'm allergic to dairy and the ship happily accommodated). What stood out for me with Spellbound, at least food-wise, was the eclectic selection of drink pairings offered with the meal. It started with a caprese salad cocktail that tasted like tomatoes and balsamic vinegar in a strange, delicious way, then moved on to the spooky concoctions offered in the Spellbound bar.

Crown Grill

Crown Grill, a specialty dining venue, is not unique to Sun Princess, but it is the cruise line's most popular steakhouse brand. My mom and I had a delicious meal here for her birthday that included a Mediterranean-style spiny lobster cake, Chilean sea bass and a huge (surprise) birthday cake delivered to our table.

The Catch by Rudi

The Catch by Rudi is the ship's specialty dining seafood restaurant. Here, I dined on a delicious shrimp cocktail and the catch of the day (a grilled dorado filet). Everything was fresh and the meal was exceptional from start to finish.

I loved The Eatery, the ship's buffet-style dining option. The main difference between this venue and more traditional cruise ship buffets is that you're served by staff instead of serving yourself, which I prefer. The Eatery featured a rotating selection of exceptional main courses (seafood, chicken, beef and ethnic options), salads, appetizers and delicious desserts. It even had a vegan section and an easy-to-find selection of gluten-free offerings.

Best excursions on Sun Princess

The best excursions on Sun Princess vary depending on where you're going on your cruise – the Caribbean or various Europe destinations. Here's an overview of some excellent excursions offered aboard Sun Princess, a few of which I did myself.

Corfu, Greece 

Catamaran Coastal Cruise & Swim: This easy excursion lets you see Corfu from the sea and get out into the water for some snorkeling and swimming. I picked this excursion so we could relax for one day and avoid a lot of walking, and it delivered. A delicious lunch with an open bar was served on board as we sailed around the island taking in some of Corfu's most beautiful sights.

Naples, Italy

Sorrento & Amalfi Coast Cruise: No trip to this region of Italy is complete without a stop in the Amalfi Coast . This excursion was a long one (eight to nine hours) with lots of walking and bus time, but the views of this dynamic coast and time spent in Amalfi and Sorrento made the travel time well worth it.

Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos

Island Vibes & Beach Swim: This relatively short excursion includes a narrated bus trip throughout the island of Grand Turk, highlighting some of the island's top sights. A beach break at picturesque Governor's Beach is included.

Princess Cays, Bahamas

Princess Cays Coastal Cruise: Princess Cruises' private island offers a range of bookable activities, from banana boat rides to snorkeling tours. This coastal cruise is another option that takes you along the shores of Eleuthera in a 40-foot Reef Princess boat.

Overall impressions of Sun Princess

If you're considering a cruise on Sun Princess, you should know that this isn't your traditional Princess ship. The look and feel of this vessel are younger and livelier compared to other Princess ships I have sailed on. Gone are the hallways filled with cruisers knitting and playing cards; in their place, you'll find dancing, entertainment, music and activities around the clock.

When it comes to Sun Princess dining, every meal I had on board was either very good or excellent. You don't even have to opt for an extra-cost specialty dining venue to get a good meal. The Eatery and the regular dining rooms feature fresh, seasonal foods that are more than enough for the average palate to enjoy.

Caribbean itineraries on offer later this year (and into 2025) start at around $660 per person for an interior cabin, and Princess features an endless roster of sales throughout the year. If you're looking for a new cruising experience and want to give Princess a try (or another chance), Sun Princess is more than worthy of your consideration.

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

Holly Johnson is a travel writer who covers all aspects of family travel, including all-inclusive resorts and cruises with both boutique and major cruise brands. Johnson has traveled to more than 50 countries around the world, and she has cruised in destinations throughout the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and the Arctic Circle, and the Middle East. Johnson works alongside her husband, Greg, who runs the travel agency Travel Blue Book .

You might also be interested in:

• Icon of the Seas Review
• Celebrity Ascent Review
• Crystal Symphony Review
• Cruise Packing List
• The Best Cruise Insurance

Tags: Travel , Cruises

World's Best Places To Visit

• # 1 South Island, New Zealand
• # 4 Bora Bora

If you make a purchase from our site, we may earn a commission. This does not affect the quality or independence of our editorial content.

You May Also Like

Amazon prime day luggage deals.

Amanda Norcross June 25, 2024

The 7 Best Key West Snorkeling Tours

Gwen Pratesi June 21, 2024

The Best San Diego Whale Watching

John Rodwan June 21, 2024

6 Top Boston Harbor Cruises

Brittany Chrusciel and Marisa Méndez June 21, 2024

Fun Things to Do in Oklahoma

Ben Luthi and Justine Harrington June 20, 2024

Fun Things to Do in Pennsylvania

Amanda Norcross June 20, 2024

Carry-on Luggage Sizes by Airline

Amanda Norcross June 18, 2024

What to Bring to a Water Park

Top Things to Do in New Hampshire

Timothy J. Forster and Mariya Greeley June 14, 2024

The Best Scotland Tours

Marisa Méndez June 13, 2024

How to save on cruises with AARP Travel

MSN has partnered with The Points Guy for our coverage of credit card products. MSN and The Points Guy may receive a commission from card issuers.

Savings-conscious consumers have long gravitated toward AARP. The advocacy organization for older Americans negotiates discounts on everything from mobile phone plans and drug prescriptions to restaurants, hotels and, yes, cruises. While “older” generally connotes seniors ages 65 and above, AARP membership is open to Americans who are considerably younger. But is it worth subscribing if you’re looking to save money on your next cruise?

I remember feeling insulted when right before my 50th birthday I received an invitation by mail to join AARP. “I’m nowhere near retirement,” I thought as I crumpled it, mumbled something about ageism and tossed it in the trash. This was years after AARP (pronounced A-A-R-P with the letters sounded out) officially changed its name to its acronym. It was founded in 1958 as the American Association of Retired Persons, but as leading-edge baby boomers began retiring in their 50s, AARP started to engage with them to encourage younger membership.

For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG’s cruise newsletter .

More than a decade later I’m still not retired, but this assignment gave me an excuse to finally join AARP. When I did, I took a look at the perks of membership to see which benefits would be useful to my travel plans. Here’s what I learned about how to save on cruises with AARP Travel.

You don’t have to be retired or age 50-plus to join AARP

You do need to be age 50 or older to reap full benefits, but Americans ages 18 to 49 can also join AARP. Folks under 50 can receive most member benefits, aside from those restricted by law or contract, such as certain insurance products.

To sign up, simply visit AARP.org and click “Join Now.” Membership is $16 per year, although rates can be as low as $9 per year if you sign up for a multiyear membership term.

Related: This annual membership can save you hundreds on flights and hotels

When you join, you’ll also get a second free membership for another adult in your household, as well as a monthly AARP Bulletin and the bimonthly AARP The Magazine.

You can book cruise travel via the AARP Travel Center Powered by Expedia

The booking engine that offers member discounts for cruises, as well as hotels and rental cars, is the AARP Travel Center Powered by Expedia . This is where you can search for ocean or river cruises, just as you would on Expedia, with an added bonus: AARP members can receive up to $100 onboard credit on more than 15 cruise lines and up to $200 onboard credit on select Holland America Line cruises.

You can search for a cruise by using a drop-down menu of almost two dozen destinations (you have to pick one to search) and then plugging in your desired travel dates.

The ocean cruise options are fairly extensive but not deeply discounted

Since Expedia powers the AARP Travel Center, it offers access to an extensive range of cruises to global destinations, from a three-night Caribbean sailing from Miami on Norwegian Sky to an 80-night world cruise on Cunard ‘s Queen Victoria. In all, I found thousands of sailings offered by most major cruise lines through mid-2025.

When I searched for Caribbean cruises during the period from Jan. 1 to April 30, 2024, the booking engine returned more than 800 options offered by 13 cruise lines. When I narrowed my search to just premium and luxury cruise lines, I saw a seven-night Caribbean itinerary from Miami on Oceania ‘s new cruise ship Vista in mid-February priced at $2,599 per person for a balcony cabin with bonus shore excursion, beverage, specialty dining and Wi-Fi inclusions. This Western Caribbean itinerary calls on Cozumel, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; Costa Maya, Mexico; and Harvest Caye, Belize, with two sea days.

That seemed like a terrific deal, but when I checked Oceania’s website, I found the same price with all the included bonuses. The only difference was the “up to $100” onboard credit available with AARP membership. In this case, the credit was the full $100 because the cruise fare was more than $2,000. Cruises priced below $2,000 per person get a $50 credit.

Related: The 5 best destinations you can visit on an Oceania Cruises ship

Other deals in the luxury category included a seven-night Caribbean cruise in late February 2024 in a verandah suite aboard Seabourn Ovation for $3,249 per person. The cruise departs from St. Maarten and calls on the British Virgin Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, Guadeloupe and Martinique before ending in Barbados. On Seabourn ’s website, verandah suites for this itinerary started at $3,419 per person. So, the AARP price did offer a savings of $150 per person — plus the $100 onboard credit.

Budget-minded cruisers can also find plenty of three-night sailings for $300 per person or less (for an inside or ocean-view cabin on Norwegian Sky with free drinks, dining and excursion credits) and even some seven-night sailings for under $500 per person (for an inside cabin on Royal Caribbean , MSC Cruises and Princess Cruises ships). All were similar to what’s available on the cruise lines’ websites, but with AARP qualified for an onboard credit of $50.

Cruisers who prefer Holland America also have plenty of choices. They can, for example, book a seven-night Caribbean cruise from Fort Lauderdale in early March 2024 aboard Nieuw Statendam that visits Jamaica; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; Cozumel; and Half Moon Cay, Bahamas. The price? An inside cabin was priced at $614 per person (comparable to what HAL offers on its website) and came with a $50 onboard credit.

What I discovered is that the $200 onboard credit deal with AARP links directly to Holland America’s website for booking and is valid only for balcony and suite bookings on select cruises lasting 10 days or more.

AARP members can also book expedition cruises , such as 12-night Antarctic Explorer itineraries on Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, via the AARP Travel Center. These are priced at $11,995 per person (the same price as on Viking’s website) with just a $25 deposit. Again, the only savings is the $100 onboard credit.

Basically, the AARP Travel Center seems to be an expedient way to compare ocean cruise deals as they are offered by individual cruise lines via the booking engine Expedia — with the chance of scoring a slightly discounted cruise fare and the added bonus of a $50, $100 or $200 onboard credit, depending on the cruise booked.

AARP Travel Center has offers from 4 major river cruise lines

The AARP Travel Center also allows you to search and compare river cruises by searching the destination “Europe” and a specific date range.

A search for European river cruises in 2024 and 2025 turned up hundreds of options on river ships operated by AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways, Uniworld River Cruises and Viking. Itineraries ranged from a seven-night Rhine River cruise from Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland, in late March 2024 aboard Avalon Panorama for $1,949 per person to several sailings of 20 nights or more priced at $15,000 per person and above for suite accommodations.

There were also more than a dozen Viking itineraries on the Rhine in March and early April 2024 for $1,999 per person, which is the same price featured on Viking’s website. Uniworld prices start at $2,999 per person, also comparable to its website, while AmaWaterways ’ value fares ($1,919 to $2,159 per person for Rhine cruises) all matched the cruise line’s pricing — and were in February 2024. Brrr!

A search for river cruises in Asia in 2024 and 2025 turned up more than 300 sailings on AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways and Uniworld, most 12 to 14 nights in length with prices ranging from $6,999 to $8,399 per person.

Once again, the AARP Travel Center seems to be an efficient aggregator, pulling deals from Expedia’s booking engine. River cruise fares also are eligible for a $50 or $100 onboard credit.

River cruise fans can find additional members-only deals beyond onboard credit

AARP members also have access to specific deals on river cruises offered by AARP-preferred travel providers.

Offers include saving up to $100 per person on river cruises booked via Grand European Travel. These are aboard luxury river cruise ships in Europe operated by Uniworld, and the $100 discount per person is off prices comparable to those listed when booking directly with Uniworld.

For example, the eight-day Enchanting Danube itinerary in March and April 2024 aboard S.S. Maria Theresa starts at $3,299 per person, the same as on Uniworld’s website. The total savings? A $100 per person discount if booked with Grand European Travel.

Another savings opportunity is $50 off per person on Collette cruisetours . Cruise options here are more limited and are mostly on Amadeus River Cruises ships on the Rhine and Danube, plus some small-ship coastal cruising in Croatia and tours in Egypt featuring a four-night cruise.

Members-only benefits also include 5% off select rail-and-cruise vacations with Vacations by Rail . The discount is offered on a variety of itineraries in Europe that combine rail travel with cruises aboard river ships operated by CroisiEurope and Amadeus. The catch: All tours begin in London (Vacations by Rail’s parent company is British), which can be a detour for American travelers because it’s simpler to arrive by air in Amsterdam, Basel, Budapest or Bordeaux, France, where these cruises begin.

Some guided tours are 12 days, with four days of rail travel and hotel stays in advance of a seven-night cruise. Reviews, however, mention the hassle of getting luggage on and off trains by yourself (there are no porters).

Related: Best cruises for seniors who love to travel by sea

The cost of the four-day rail/hotel portion of Vacation by Rail’s 12-day Glacier Express & the Majestic Rhine cruise-and-rail tour also seems to account for about half of the overall cost for one-third of the days. The price is $5,095 per person for a June 2024 package, but the seven-night Classical Rhine itinerary on board MS Amadeus Star from Basel to Amsterdam that is included can be booked on the Amadeus website for about $2,600 per person on dates in May and July or $1,913 per person in April.

Both the agility required for train travel and the cost of the four-day rail tour are something to consider when weighing the value of a 5% discount.

Discounted cruise line gift cards are available to AARP Rewards members

Members who sign up for AARP Rewards — which lets you earn points by taking knowledge-boosting quizzes or using fitness-tracking or money-crunching tools — can also purchase gift cards for five cruise lines at a 10% discount. Applicable lines include Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America, Princess and Royal Caribbean.

AARP Rewards members have two options: $100 gift cards priced at $90 ($92 for Princess) and $500 gift cards priced at $450 ($460 for Princess). You can use these gift cards to pay for a portion of your cruise fare or, on some lines, onboard expenses.

Card availability and amounts may change at any time. You can purchase a maximum of 25 gift cards each month.

You can find deals for pre- or post-cruise hotel stays and get a discount on British Airways

You might save the most money by booking a pre- or post-cruise hotel stay with one of AARP Travel Center’s dozens of hotel partners, most of which offer a 10% discount off the best available nightly rate. The list includes Hilton, InterContinental, Radisson, Holiday Inn, Best Western, Embassy Suites, Wyndham, Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, Kimpton and Hotel Indigo.

AARP also has partnered with British Airways. Members save $65 off World Traveller (economy) and World Traveller Plus (premium economy) or $200 off Club World (business class) fares when they purchase round-trip transatlantic tickets online to more than 130 destinations, including Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Restrictions do apply.

You can save money with AARP, but you should also do your homework

The AARP Travel Center seems to be a terrific place to compare fares when deciding which cruise line and month best suits your budget. Whether you eventually book via AARP, the cruise line’s website or elsewhere depends on your preference. (Remember, travel agents and advisers often have deals with extras that websites don’t.)

With similar pricing, it probably depends on whether the onboard credit is a better bonus than perks offered elsewhere.

Signing up for email offers from your preferred cruise line and checking its “deals” or “offers” tab on a regular basis might be your best bet for scoring a top deal. However, there’s no doubt that AARP’s $9 to $16 annual membership fee quickly pays for itself with even a one-time onboard credit — and there is a potential for additional savings. No matter your age, it can’t hurt to sign up.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• 15 ways cruisers waste money
• The ultimate guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin

SPONSORED:  With states reopening, enjoying a meal from a restaurant no longer just means curbside pickup.

And when you do spend on dining, you should use a credit card that will maximize your rewards and potentially even score special discounts. Thanks to temporary card bonuses and changes due to coronavirus, you may even be able to score a meal at your favorite restaurant for free. 

These are the best credit cards for dining out, taking out, and ordering in to maximize every meal purchase.

Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.