The Avalon Visionary is much nicer than other ships to which we had access due to the double and sometimes triple docking at ports along the way. The clean, Scandinavian aesthetics most evident in the salon were reminiscent of a large living room compared to the overly decorated, glam interiors of the other ships.

The crew was delightful, the cruise director capable and the excursions and tour guides engaged were excellent. If I had it to do over again, I’d probably chose a different itinerary, though. This particular route's German ports were disappointing - it seemed as though the restaurants and shops (the small percentage that were open) were merely going through the paces and rather indifferent as compared to Budapest and Austrian ports. I wondered if those cities weren't regretting becoming ports?

The locks system throughout the river are really interesting and somehow made our 'passage' more adventurous. The rooftop deck was nicely furnished with tents to shade the sun and open-air seating, and the interior gathering spots were perfect for the small-ish number of passengers. The ship had a nice selection of novels, but could benefit from Mahjong & Cribbage sets! There was a coffee station accessible 24/7 where juice and iced tea were also available (and cookies!) Read more