The Delightful Danube -river cruise with Avalon
(250 Reviews)
99% Recommended
Ann Castagna Morin
Southampton, MA
Luxury River Cruise & European travel specialist
I have had a sense of wanderlust since I was a child, always yearning to go off and explore the world.
I will take my own personal passion for travel and use it to craft an extraordinary luxury experience for you.
Europe is my specia...
I have had a sense of wanderlust since I was a child, always yearning to go off and explore the world.
I will take my own personal passion for travel and use it to craft an extraordinary luxury experience for you.
Europe is my specialty, I have dual citizenship holding both Italian and US passports. I have personally traveled to more than 3/4 of the countries in Europe and have visited Italy over 40 times.
The first-hand knowledge I gain from my own adventures I will utilize to create your inspiring journey.
I work with many tour providers, whether you wish a private custom excursion, a rail package with a local concierge in each city, or a group tour, I not only can arrange it, I have personally experienced the product.
As much as I enjoy land tours, I have become enamored with luxury river cruises and small ship/yacht cruising.
After my first glide down the Danube I was hooked!
I have sailed 20 different small ship itineraries in both Europe and Asia and have two more currently booked. I make it a point to cruise at least once a year so that I can keep up with new ships, and offerings.
It is one thing to read about a product, to fully understand all the nuances of a journey, and how it will fit their client's personality, one needs to experience it first-hand, and more than once!
On a river cruise luxury abounds with high end bath products, indulgent linens, and extraordinary service all along your journey. River cruising is such a delightful experience, similar to staying in a high-end boutique hotel, except that it travels along with you.
No detail is overlooked for your comfort, but you can leave your fancy clothes at home, I call it "laid-back luxury".
A small ship/yacht cruise on Ponant, Scenic, Windstar, Azamara or Seabourn is a journey filled with pure indulgence. These small ships can visit ports the large vessels must bypass and are able to stay late into the evening. With guest capacity ranging from 189-700 there are no crowds or lines like the large ocean vessels.
Wading through all of the choices in ships and itineraries can be overwhelming. I will answer all your questions and show you photos and videos from my own journeys to narrow down the perfect cruise for you.
As one of the top selling Key Partners in the world for both Globus Tours and Avalon Waterways I have the unparalleled experience and skills to ask the right questions to match you up with the perfect itinerary for your interests and budget.
I look forward to working with you!
Can Be Reached At
1-413-552-8941
I adore the Danube River!
I have sailed it four times and will probably sail it many more. There is nothing like gliding past the illuminated Parliament in Budapest, I will never tire of that sight! As it is a long river there are many different itinerary options to choose from. On each of my journeys there have been new ports to explore and new adventures awaiting me.
I favor Avalon Waterways when I do river cruises for many reasons, one of the most important is their panorama suites.They are so much larger than their competitors cabins and lying in bed facing the full wall of windows is an experience that is really hard to beat. When the slider is opened up the entire room becomes an open air balcony, plus, Avalon's cabin has a nice sofa and soft chair to sit on, the others do not.
My cruise began in Budapest and had an extension in Prague at the end, which is a really nice way to see this part of the world. Budapest is a great city, it is very "user friendly" they have a great public transportation system to get around on and you can walk easily between attractions.
It took until my third visit to Budapest for me to visit one of the baths, well, I visited them previously but didn't actually go in the water until last year. I highly recommend you give it a try, it is not expensive and is super relaxing, you can pre-purchase on line a pass and a massage for very little money.
Most Danube cruises overnight in Vienna which is another great city easy to explore on your own!We went to the Imperial Crypt which was super interesting, the coffins were gorgeous, and when we visited the palace later it was fun to match the casket to the bedroom.The Spanish Riding School is in Vienna, you can go to see the Lipizzaner's practice which is quite amazing! You may not know this but the horses are actually born black and turn white later, I found that out there when chatting to one of the trainers. The control and talent of the riders (and horses) is something you won't soon forget! We visited the Belvedere museum on our own as well, my favorite painting, " The Kiss" hangs there, it was humbling seeing it in person.
This is a very picturesque itinerary, you will sail past castles and vineyards that cling to the side of hills overlooking the Danube bend.The Wachau valley has lovely wines, the ship pairs them perfectly with meals at no charge.If wine is not your thing, beer is also included with lunch and dinner, sparkling wine is free with breakfast as well.
Bikes are available to take off the ship for free if you want to go riding, and there is an adventure host that does all kinds of activities like yoga and hiking.The included excursions are interesting too, not just things like a guided walk in town.
For example, we opted to visit Mauthausen Concentration Camp Memorial, it is not for everyone, a sobering day, but something I was glad I did. Mauthausen was a Vernichtung durch arbeit" (extermination by work) camp. Many parts of it are disturbingly intact which serve as an important reminder to the world to never allow horrors like this to happen again.
The trip ended with a few days in Prague which was nice to wind down with a slower pace. The castle is interesting, as is the astronomical clock, but, I just like wandering around on cobblestone streets exploring and shopping. We found the best hole in the wall restaurant where I am sure the grandmother was the chef. There was only room enough for maybe ten patrons and it was the best meal I had the entire three nights I was in Prague.
River cruising has quickly become my favorite way to travel, having excursions, meals, Wi-Fi , wine, etc. all included in one bill makes budgeting easy!
I really like how Avalon, although very luxurious, is laid back, I do not have to worry about dragging fancy clothes to Europe. They have a smaller guest ratio so it has a country club atmosphere making it easy to get to know fellow passengers right away. Unpacking once is a plus, I do take bus tours and that is one thing I do not care for having to pack up and move every few days. When my hotel (ship) moves right along with me it is so much more relaxing!
If you are looking for a trip that gives you lots of beautiful scenery, great included excursions, luxurious accommodations with gourmet meals this checks all the boxes!