The Amsterdam to Budapest River Cruise (Rhine-Main-Danube)

M/S Avalon Poetry

Introductory comments:

This is the river cruise we did in August-September 2005 with Avalon Waterways aboard the MS Poetry. We had a cabin on the Rhine Deck (ie the top deck) with a second cabin next door for Tony's 89 year old mother who lives in England. This was convenient for her because there were no steps to negotiate on her way to the dining room and lounge (see our "Things to watch for" page).

Each evening, at dinner time, a newsletter will be placed in your room detailing the next day's schedule and activities. We did suggest this be delivered before dinner so that during the meal you could discuss the next day's activities with your fellow travellers. The Tour Director thought this was a good idea, but somehow it appears that the room service crew could not handle it.

It's important that you pay attention to the boarding times. The boat has to stick to schedules for the locks, and if you fail to return by the time the gates close, the boat will not be able to wait for you. It was a close shave for a few people (including us on one occasion), but fortunately no one got left behind.

Next page: Where the cruise went and what it was like