We chose this particular cruise because it fit in with our travel time to Europe. We were in Basel, Switzerland for business and ended our trip with the river cruise. We had always wanted to try a river cruise, because I am prone to sea-sickness and never wanted to take an ocean cruise. We thought river cruising would be a great way to see this area of Europe and it was. We thoroughly enjoyed our time on the Avalon Tranquility II. From the time we boarded the ship, we had a wonderful time. Our stateroom was lovely - with plenty of room for unpacking our clothes and storing our luggage. What a great idea to have under-bed storage room for suitcases! The bathroom had a roomy shower, deluxe granite countertops and lovely toiletries. Our room and bathroom were cleaned a couple of times a day! The housekeeping staff was courteous and helpful.

The meals were outstanding. We enjoyed the bountiful buffets for breakfast and lunch. Every night dinner was an occasion with wonderful choices for each course. The service was great. We enjoyed meeting and visiting with other passengers. It was nice to have the freedom to sit where and with whom we wanted.

We enjoyed the tours at the various ports. The guides were all entertaining and knowledgeable. It was nice to be so close to the city centers in many of the ports. We appreciated the bikes being available for a short bike ride along the Rhine which has many bike paths along the shore. The daily "port talks" with the Tour Director, Nico, were a highlight of the afternoon and a great lead-in to dinner. His guided tour of the Rhine River Gorge and description of all the castles was enhanced by the lovely weather we had that day. Read more