I chose this cruise because of positive feedback from other reviewers. The ship was smaller with fewer passengers. which was a plus for me. I also liked the fact that the rooms were larger. The staff and crew were very professional and did everything to make the cruise enjoyable. The food was wonderful and there was a large variety of food in which to choose. Tours, accommodations, entertainment, everything was well thought out and very organized. Embarkation and disembarkation went very smoothly. My group had to disembark very early in the morning (4:30 a.m.). Our luggage was taken care of and a cab was waiting to take us to the airport. The staff prepared a boxed breakfast for us that had a wonderful sandwich, pastries, fruit, and a bottle of water. I was so impressed as to how everyone went out of their way to make sure that all our needs were met and that our vacation was enjoyable. This definitely will not be my last river cruise and I will book with Avalon for my next vacation.