The lower Danube and the upper Rhine on the same hull
The Avalon Passion dates from 2016, Den Breejen yard. One hundred and
thirty-five metres, 83 staterooms, 166 travellers, the configuration common to
the whole series. Refurbished in 2024.
Her calendar pulls in two opposite directions. On one side, Budapest toward
Bucharest and Oltenita, meaning the lower Danube, its Iron Gates and its
Romanian and Bulgarian calls. On the other, Amsterdam toward Basel and Lucerne,
the Rhine of castles and steep vineyards. Few hulls cover both ends of the
network in one year.
What that means for you
The same ship does not give the same trip depending on the date. On the upper
Rhine, calls are close together, the towns are old, the quays sit in the centre.
On the lower Danube, distances stretch, coaches drive, and the river itself
becomes the spectacle rather than the towns.
One practical detail that changes everything: the line names no river on this
ship's page. We established her ground from the departure calendar measured on
our own inventory. A third-party database telling you otherwise would be
repeating a search filter, not an assignment.
The other ships in the fleet
The Avalon Illumination shares the run down to the lower Danube. The Avalon Panorama is the lead hull of
the series. The Avalon Tranquility II is shorter and opens the Moselle. The Avalon View is the newest of the
eight.
The fare, line by line
Included: the stateroom, every meal aboard, wine and beer at lunch and
dinner, sparkling wine in the morning, the lounge's all-day self-service, a
daily happy hour, guided excursions in each port, and use of the bicycles on
the European ships.
Not included: air travel, gratuities, optional excursions and the spa. On
gratuities, be careful. The contract leaves them to your discretion.
Promotional offers cover them on chosen departures, never across a whole
season: an agency page that presents them as a standing feature of the line is
wrong, and you would find out when the invoice arrives.
Included excursions come at three effort levels. Active means walking a long
time, often uphill and on cobbles. Classic exists for good reasons and nobody
will judge you for taking it. You choose the evening before, port by port,
which leaves time to read the weather and your own legs.
Satellite Wi-Fi is provided in Europe with no contractual service
commitment. The link drops under bridges, inside locks and in closed
valleys.
What the glass wall does, and what it does not
Across two full decks, the stateroom opens through a full-height glass panel
more than three metres wide that slides back about two. A second pane rises from
the floor as a guardrail. The bed looks at the river. The line calls this an
open-air balcony; a specialist in the trade describes it more accurately as a
French balcony at large scale, and that description is the right one.
In practice you gain air, sound and light across the full width of the room,
and a view from the bed that few competitors offer. You lose private outdoor
space. To take a coffee outside you climb to the sun deck, which is shared. A
traveller attached to a personal patch of terrace should know that before
booking, not after.
The lower-deck stateroom is a different category rather than a smaller
version of the same thing: two fixed windows high on the wall, which do not
open. It costs less for exactly that reason.
The rest of life aboard is quickly told. Shower only, no bathtub. European
outlets, so bring an adapter. A lift serves the cabin decks and the public
rooms, never the sun deck, which is reached by stairs.
Leaving from Quebec
This trip really starts at the airport, and the flight is not part of the
cruise fare. Depending on the embarkation city and the season, the trip from
Montreal is either direct or routed through one European connection.
One simple rule, learned the hard way: arrive at least a day before
embarkation. Jet lag does not clear in a few hours, and a late bag needs a day
to catch up with you. On the way home, keep the day free.
We put the flight, the cruise, the hotel nights, the transfers and the
insurance into one file, with the protection of Quebec's compensation fund for
travel agency customers. Tell us about the trip before you pick the date.
