Overview
About
Passengers: 166 | Crew: 47
Passengers to crew: 3.53:1
Launched: 2014
Decks
Deck 1 layout

Cabins
Deluxe Stateroom with Window (D)
Deluxe Stateroom with Window (E)
Activities & entertainment
Activities (9)
- Active Excursions
- Cooking Demonstrations
- Enrichment Lectures
- Fitness Center
- Hair Salon*
- Hot Tub
- Internet Corner
- Nighly Breifings
- Sky Lounge
Entertainment (4)
- Club Lounge
- Local Entertainers
- Lounge
- Nightly Music
Dining (2)
- Bar - Panoramic Bar*
- Dining Room - International
* May require additional fees
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We’ve just returned from a 14 night River Cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam on the Avalon Illumination. All other River Cruisers have to adhere to is a maximum length, width and height requirement in order to pass through the many narrow locks (68 on our trip) and under the low bridges. The ship met and exceeded our expectations in all aspects, staff- service – rooms – food – entertainment and excursions. This is a comprehensive review, so sit down and enjoy. EMBARKATION: Unlike the hustle bustle and congested traffic at most cruise ports, this was by far the easiest to deal with. Avalon arranged a meeting area at the Intercontinental Budapest Hotel on the riverfront on the Pest side. The Cruise Director, Hans and a few staff members were there to greet us and answer any questions. The hotel stored our luggage and a conference room was set up with coffee, tea, soda and water. You could then explore the city on your own until 3:30PM. Trams, metro and buses were close by and the hotel was within walking distance of a pedestrian shopping street, restaurants, bars, churches, museums, bridges to the Buda side and a park overlooking the river. You then boarded buses and were taken to the docking spot. A cold refreshing beverage was offered, your passports collected (only for 24 hours) and a staff member escorted you to your room where your luggage was awaiting – no credit cards and signing of papers – all of that was taken care of later in the week. DEMOGRAPHICS Our ship was almost fully booked with guests from many countries – Most were from Australia, Canada, US and UK. Ages ranged from 20’s to 90’s with most being mid 50’s to mid 70’s. Announcements were made in English only but the staff were multilingual and could assist anyone when needed. STAFF The staff is friendly, well trained, caring and efficient. They soon know you by name, know your favorite beverage whether at mealtime or Happy Hour, and any of your idiosyncrasies – such as a glass of ice for me at every meal. It is apparent that they love their work – smiling, helping each other and pitching in when needed with trash removal and luggage delivery at times – even the Captain and Musician gave a hand. ROOMS Cabins are on three decks. Staterooms on 170 sq. ft. are on the 1st deck- These have windows at shoulder height. The new concept in Avalon’s design of cabins are on the 2nd and 3rd decks. These are called Panoramic Suites – they bring the balcony into the room – thereby gaining 30% more space. One whole wall is a triple sliding glass door and another wall is all mirrored. Just slide the door back and you have a Balcony Sitting room/Bedroom……a great concept that we loved. The décor is more contemporary than traditional in shades of blue, gray and silver with dark wood accents. There is plenty of storage – luggage space under the bed, closets with hanging rods and shelving, dressers and bathroom cabinets. A stocked minibar carries an extra charge, a moderate size safe easily holds I-Pads. The granite and marble bathroom has a large shower with glass door, great water pressure and instant hot water. L’ Occitane products, a powerful hairdryer and a lighted make-up mirror are especially appealing to women. The only thing I found missing was a line to hang clothing or bathing suit to dry. The bed was extremely comfortable with a foam mattress topper and a duvet – the beautiful orchid plant added a nice touch to the room. DINING Food is such a subjective matter, but we found the choices and preparations to be equal or better than most other cruise lines. Breakfast and Lunch are served Buffet Style with one or two specials featured each day to be ordered from the kitchen. Features at Breakfast were Sparkling Wine and a made to order Omelet Station while Lunch always had a Pasta station, a carving station, and sodas but no alcoholic beverages. Lunch options on some days included a Grill Lunch on the Sky Deck (reservations needed) and a light lunch in the Panorama Lounge consisting of two hot dishes, soup, sandwiches, salads and desserts. Dinner was served at 7PM at tables set for four, six or eight in open seating. Regional Wine and Beer flowed freely – you’ll never find your glass empty. Most meats and fish will be served during the two weeks – Steaks, Rack of Lamb, Veal Chop, Sauerbraten, Goulash, Chicken, Pork ,Lamb Shank, Meatballs, Bratwurst, Schnitzel, Shrimp, Tilapia, Scallops, and even Lobster Tail and Foie Gras. Vegetarian options are very creative and change each night. Soups are exceptional – must have had a dozen different flavors. The meal ends with an array of cheeses and the best Bavarian Cream desserts – especially at Tea Time. Another alternative to Dinner is the “Bistro” served either in the Panorama Lounge or on deck if in port with good weather. This consists of about 2 dozen “small plates” ranging from appetizers to offerings from main courses, salads, veggies, cheese and desserts – you don’t have to order – they are all presented during the meal. During the Galley tour the chef explained to us that these change sporadically in order to get feedback from guests before incorporating them into the regular menu (reservations needed – only 24 seats). There are two self-serve coffee stations with specialty coffees (a charge if ordered in the dining room). The station in the aft lounge also has tea, hot chocolate, pastries, cookies, fruit, muffins and donuts at different times during the day – It is open 24 hours. This is also where you can get ice for your room. ENTERTAINMENT A River Cruise does not have the option of the many venues that ocean cruisers have. Avalon has hired very professional talented entertainers and lecturers. We had a resident musician who played quiet piano and sax music in the lounge for lunch, tea, Happy Hour and later in the evening more lively music for dancing. Drink prices are reasonable……most expensive that I saw was $10 for Long Island Ice Tea – most were in the $5 - $8 range and between 5:45PM – 6:45PM they are ½ price. Some excellent local entertainers came aboard while in port – musicians, singers or dancers and two lecturers also joined us between stops. EXCURSIONS This is another aspect of River Cruising that we like – excursions in every port are included. Our Cruise Director Hans, gave a briefing in the lounge each evening just following Happy Hour prior to dinner. He gave a brief history of the next port and explained the excursions in more depth. A complimentary walking tour with bus transportation, if necessary, was offered each morning. Local guides with good English skills lead us while we wore personal headsets so that we could hear the commentary clearly. Optional excursions are offered in the afternoon – pricing very well - $45 to $65 range and in some ports you had the choice of an alternate complimentary excursion such as a Jewish Heritage walk in Cologne. If we were sailing in the afternoon – many times the Cruise Director carried on a commentary of the passing villages, scenery, monasteries, castle, fortresses and vineyards. FITNESS The fitness center was small with about 5 pieces of equipment – but was never crowded. Biking was offered in two ports and you’ll get plenty of walking while visiting the interesting ports. I wear a Fitbit and averaged 5.83 miles per day – on three days it was 11.5 plus miles. Have another delicious dessert!!! OUTDOOR The Sky Deck covers the length of the ship and is well equipped with loungers, chairs, tables and overhead sails to provide shade if wanted. There is also a small Jacuzzi there. There was never a boring moment on this cruise – so much to see and experience – all led by staff that were eager to share what they could with you. Very highly recommended. There are lots of choices in both length of cruise and destination. Watch for the many “specials” that are offered and treat yourself to a memorable vacation.…
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
2 Helpful votes
Helpful
Everything about the river cruise was excellent. The cabin was roomy, and well organized. The staff were very helpful, and polite. The food was very good, and the staff were always willing to make special requests. We liked the excursions.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
The organisation of this 11 Day Danube cruise was excellent. All the transfers, tours and arrangements were very well done. We had an included tour at each stop, most of which were very good, with just one or two which could have been better. The additional tours, which are to pay for, were almost all extremely good with very knowledgable and experienced guides. The ship was modern, uncluttered and comfortable. The cabin was roomy with a very comfortable bed and the shower room was well equipped with plenty of space. Where we felt this particular cruise fell short was in the food/catering. Firstly, the dining room was very noisy - obviously space is limited on a ship like this, but it was hard to hear conversations at times and it just felt crowded. We felt it was more akin to a canteen than a restaurant which was disappointing, even though we could understand the size limitations. The dining room staff, especially the Maitre D, seemed overworked, rushed, and not very experienced. I won't go into details, but we have some dietary issues/allergies which were notified to Avalon at the time of booking and reconfirmed shortly before departure. The dining room staff on the ship said they were unaware of these issues and were of no help at all until I was eventually able to actually speak to the chef, who was then very helpful. One of the reasons we booked Avalon was because their brochure claims that they are happy and able to deal with dietary issues - its a shame that the restaurant staff on the Illumination weren't aware of this. We generously put it down to lack of communication and training. If you have no dietary concerns, don't mind noisy crowded dining rooms and are not are not expecting wonderful meals, then we would say that in all other areas the Avalon Illumination was very good. We had a very enjoyable and interesting trip, packed with experiences and sights, which is really what you go for.…
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
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Upcoming itineraries
Itinerary
7 Night Cruise to Europe
Departure date
Monday, 07/07/25
Itinerary
Prices are cruise only, per person, double occupancy, and are provided by our partners. Taxes, fees and port expenses are not included. Fuel supplements may apply. Availability of prices is subject to the supplier’s pricing availability.