First impressions of our FIRST EVER river cruise | Avalon Waterways Romantic Rhine

Join us as we board the Avalon Waterways Panorama for our first ever river cruise! We joined Avalon Panorama in Amsterdam and spent the following 7 nights making our way down to Basel on a Romantic Rhine river cruise.
In this episode we fly from Cardiff and meet our Avalon Waterways representative in Amsterdam before taking a transfer to our ship, the Avalon Waterways Panorama. We get checked in and explore Avalon Panorama before making our way in to Amsterdam to explore the streets and canals.
We hope you enjoy this Avalon Waterways video, any questions, please drop them in the comments section below!
Paid Promotion: We've were kindly invited on this trip by Avalon Waterways. The UK Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) consider an invite like this as form of payment or paid promotion - this is why you'll see 'paid promotion' at the beginning of the video. We still have full control over the content and can't wait to bring you along on our first trip of this kind since we started KZbin 8 years ago.
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🚢 About Avalon Waterways Avalon Panorama
"The Avalon Panorama led the way as the first of its kind in the industry to feature two full decks of Panorama Suites complete with wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows. You'll cruise in river cruising's only Open-Air Balcony in a 200-square-foot suite that's 30% larger than the industry standard. Exciting onboard amenities include complimentary computer use in public areas and Wi-Fi access, a well-stocked library, a Fitness Center, and a spacious Sky Deck with premium lounge chairs, shade system, whirlpool, and delightful Sky Bistro. There's no better way to take in the view than cruising in Europe in the spacious comfort of the Avalon Panorama.".
Avalon Waterways Panorama stats:
Guests: 166 max
Launched: 2011
Class: Suite Ship
Crew: 47
Length: 135 m / 443 ft
🐒🍌🚢 About Us - Who are the Cruise Monkeys?
We are bananas about cruising! We started cruising in 2014 by doing a mini cruise on P&O Aurora. Making videos of our cruises and sharing our experiences has become our hobby - the complete video is filmed and edited on an iPhone. The videos are our opinions and experiences while on board - really they are us having fun and brining you along with us!
We may not be the youngest cruisers but we are trying to break the stereotype that cruising is for retired people. On a cruise you will normally find us wondering around the ship taking in the atmosphere (and working our way through the cocktails).
We have sailed on P&O Cruises, Cunard Line, Princess Cruises, MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean and Avalon Waterways. We'd love to try Ambassador Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), Fred Olsen, Holland America (HAL), Celebrity, Disney Cruises, Carnival Cruises, Costa, Aida, Marella and Celestyal.
#Avalonwaterways #AvalonPanorama #cruise #cruisemonkeys #cruising #vlogs #vloggers #bloggers #cruisereview #review #rivercruise #rivercruises #rhineriver

[@CruiseMonkeys]

We hope you enjoyed the first vlog of the series?! If you are looking at booking an Avalon Waterways cruise, take a look at the World of Cruising website where you can see what deals are available! Click here to head over there tidd.ly/3X0txdQ

[@Danno1983]

@Cruise Monkeys 2morrow live at 11:30 on @Solent Ships P&O Arvia arrives in Southampton brand new Ship

[@Traveler-nu8xc]

River cruises are the best. We love the intimacy, food is great and you really learn about the history of places you stop.

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Totally agree! It was a really nice change!

[@johnbarton8574]

1st minute shock .... Luke- We're on board and I'm just having a Green Tea 😯😯

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Hehe! The green tea didn’t last long! 😂

[@LindaLee-ft6wj]

Avalon couldn't have picked better people to promote their cruise. Love the sliding door in your room. I appreciate you showing us the food and the menu. Anybody who watches your videos would want to go on the cruise. Your vlogs are so fun and informative.

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Thank you so much we’re glad you enjoy our videos and we really appreciate you taking the time to comment and say so. Thank you! ❤️

[@LindaLee-ft6wj]

Watching you try the white port....hilarious.

[@CruiseMonkeys]

😂😂 never tried it before! Didn’t even realize there was a white port, we usually drink ruby and tawny! ❤️

[@janemayhew1442]

Hi Gavin & Luke, Great video of Luxury Barge on the pond 🤣 Food looks excellent quality, and cabin , thanks for showing , will watch Arrvia tomorrow, .

[@CruiseMonkeys]

🤫 It’s a ship.. 🤣🤣🤣 It was a fab little cruise! Oh yes, we’re excited to see Arvia!

[@chrisonYTtour]

I mean, you just can’t beat that view from your room… and the fact you’re moored practically in the heart of Amsterdam is really all the entertainment you need… personally, I’d have purchased ‘special’ cookies before returning to the ship lol

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Yeah, it was perfect to explore Amsterdam 😉 We did a bit of beer exploring this time 😄

[@rolandjong9126]

What a beautiful ship ! It’s so nice to try something new. I always thought river cruising might be boring but looking forward to your series!

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Us too, thought it would be boring and quiet, but we were proven wrong - we came off needing a break as we explored so much :)

[@_gregc]

What great fun! Thanks Guys

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Thank you for watching and commenting 😀

[@nigelgreer9954]

Just tuned in. Looking forward to this series.

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Thank you ☺️

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

Looked like fun. Thank you for the video!

[@CruiseMonkeys]

It was fab! Thanks for watching :)

[@wendyroberts1967]

Love your vlogs this looks amazing looking for to the rest of your vlogs

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Thank you, glad you are enjoying them :)

[@joannelarose8198]

I knew it!

[@CruiseBuoys]

Fab vlog guys! Love that Veraaaaanda snuck in… we are making a mark 😂 Keep up the awesome content!

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Hahaha. Wonder where that came from! Didn’t even realize I said it at the time but while I was editing I though I’ve gotta put this in!

[@ErrolJ]

A great start to a new series. Looking forward to seeing more.

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Glad you enjoyed it 😀

[@spookycatladytravels]

Never been on a river cruise. Looks like fun.

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Yes, it’s definitely worth a try. Different to ocean cruising but very nice. We really enjoyed it.

[@johnhenfrey5936]

Love the honesty about it been a Promotion, love the enthusiasm from you both, as you really are in love with cruising. Anyway Merry Christmas and a happy new year to the both of you. We might have to postpone Xmas till later on, if Julie doesn’t get out of hospital in time.

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Awww thank you! Sending warm wishes and hugs, hopefully Julie can be home for Christmas rather than having to postpone it!

[@warrencleversy2773]

You two need to wear tracking devices!!! Happy Holidays guys.

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Hahaha yeah! Happy Holidays to you too 🙏

[@traceymorris7300]

Emerald will love Luke calling their luxury river ship a barge😂😂. Dont expect an invite from them anytime soon.(joke). Enjoying seeing you doing something different.

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Shush, don't tell them ;) It was fantastic to experience something different - we had a fabulous time.

[@girlonthego]

I was on this same ship for a Christmas markets river cruise from Basel to Amsterdam in December 2021. Everything was so magical! I still need to create a video about it! Or perhaps go again and film it properly. hahaha

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Ohhhh fab! We’d love to have done a Christmas markets river cruise 😀

[@travelswithlizzylou]

♥️♥️♥️

[@Swampzoid]

Beautiful couple y'all are. My friends want me to join them on this cruise in 2025. I might do it. Looks wonderful

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Awww 🥰 🙏 Oh you should, it’s a wonderful cruise! The river is pretty, rich in history and the ship, staff and food are fabulous!

[@benrichards3622]

Haven’t we already seen this?

[@CruiseMonkeys]

You might be confused by the highlights video which gave a taster of the whole cruise whereas these vlogs are a episode a day covering things is more detail :)

[@erinbrown1274]

So excited, my hubby and I booked a cruise for October. I was just looking at the excursion. They have between 2 and 6 to pick from each day and there some added options that cost extra. Thanks for the tip about the hot spot.

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Hope you enjoy it, we had a brilliant time! All the excursions we took were the ones that were free of charge, but there were some on there that had a charge.

[@cherifurr3935]

Going on the Avalon Impression in April 2024 Prague to Passau. Glad to see it. Looks really beautiful! I love the way the bed faces the window. Lovely top deck. Know they dock stacked up. And yes, nice to be water level. Think I have a panoramic balcony too. Will be in Amsterdam in September on Viking! (Hope you don’t get run over by a bicycle!😆) You should have had a canal boat ride. How much were the beers from the mini-bar? Luke should have brought his lanyard. Never heard of white port-glad you warned us! Cookies look good-lounge was deserted.

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Ohhhh you are in for a fantastic river cruise! It’s like being with good friends as they look after you so well. Yeah, we were always against the pier so never went through another ship. The beers and drinks are the same price as in the bar, mostly 3-8euro depending on what you want. Plus they have a happy hour which may have been extended to include all local beer and wine at all times. He’s got a cruise monkeys lanyard now 👍

[@travelswithlizzylou]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@PhilHarmonic89]

Thanks for sharing! Y’all are adorable. Question…did you notice any passengers by themselves? I’m considering taking a river cruise but wasn’t sure if the dining on board, or activities, are geared towards couples/groups?

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Aww 😊 We didn’t really notice passengers by themselves but know solos do cruise with Avalon as our cruise director mentioned it in conversation, sometimes they do solo deals too. We would say it’s a good option to do solo as it’s quite a sociable atmosphere. Dining isn’t really assigned, so you can just join a table if you wish, try and get in there early and pick a large table etc. As the ship is small and excursions included you’ll never feel alone unless you want to, everyone so friendly. If you are on Facebook, there is a group called ‘I love Avalon Waterways’, lots of people in there agreeing Avalon suits solos 👍

[@82566]

How fun what a neat adventure ✨️ thank you & safe travels 🎉🛳 . Have you done any river cruises in the US & what r your thoughts ? Iam contemplating a first go on one currently .

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Hope you’ve enjoyed. We’re afraid not, this is our only experience so far. Do you follow Gary Benbridge, Tips For Travellers, he may have! We’re actually on his channel later today doing a live Q&A. He does them weekly do pop along, he’s very knowledgeable 👍

[@82566]

@Cruise Monkeys yes I actually followed his channel for advice on my first ocean cruise 🛳 😎 & I'll definitely watch the live thank you 😊

[@tedg4171]

Hi. I watched all your videos on the river cruise. Would I feel out of place since I don’t really drink wine. I do like champagne or sparkling wine but I don’t know if it is offered with meals.

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Oh you wouldn’t be out of place if you didn’t drink, they just include local beers and wines with meals. So you might be lucky and they’ll offer one, but if not the prices are very reasonable 😀

[@downtowndwelling6290]

Just found your video, lovely! Question what month was this? Reading a lot about the low river levels in EU during the summer months - coming from the states want to make sure we will be good! Thanks + Cheers

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Yes, there had apparently been low waters during the summer months, we were cruising towards the end of October, we were the last cruise before the ships took around a month's break before returning for Christmas Markets cruises. Don't think they had any issues in September onwards with low waters. Hope that helps :)

[@downtowndwelling6290]

@@CruiseMonkeys Ah, copy that, thanks again!!

[@markmussario6601]

we are planning a river cruise on Avalon from Basel to Amersterdam in August 2024. Are there issues with low water levels at that time of the year? Is there a contingency plan if the levels on the river get too low?

[@CruiseMonkeys]

There can someone times be issues with river levels but they’ll have contingency plans. Sometimes it may require a change of ship or part may be completed by coach. They’ll be well prepared for that kind of thing 😀

[@janehoward5245]

How did you find the food? I hear it’s not great? Thx

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Oh really? We really liked it, felt fresh and wholesome. Granted, the choice was smaller than on a cruise line, but that's to be expected.

[@janehoward5245]

@@CruiseMonkeys ok good to know.

[@FraserAtSea]

It made me feel uncomfortable seeing you guys enjoying a green tea - hope that didn't last the whole cruise...! That room you had is beaut!

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Hahahaha 🤣 it’s a misconception that we didn’t drink soft drinks! It was a fab room!

[@diannawatenpaugh6870]

Where do you get on ship?

[@CruiseMonkeys]

This one was Amsterdam, so southbound. But you can do northbound and that’s from Basel.

[@emmamilhouse3484]

Which deck were you on and what room number please?

[@CruiseMonkeys]

We we’re on the second deck, starboard side roughly in the middle of the ship, I can’t remember the exact number off the top of my head.

[@emmamilhouse3484]

@@CruiseMonkeys thank you. My husband and I just booked this cruise for July this year. We booked Panorama Suite category A on Saphire deck (Deck 2). Your videos helped us a lot in our choice.

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Wow! That will be amazing! Hope you enjoy it, we had such a fantastic time.

[@lyn3078]

why didn't you bring BFH?

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Big foam hand? 🤣 We just didn’t think we’d need it, wish we did!

[@nicolashankaradasan5470]

Hi Luke and gavin how are you both Diong looks different to other vlogs

[@CruiseMonkeys]

Very well thank you! Yes, this was a different kind of cruise for us but we loved it 😊 Hope you enjoy the vlogs!

[@nicolashankaradasan5470]

@@CruiseMonkeys I did enjoy your vlog

[@joannelarose8198]

I would to do a river cruise. I am not fond of large cruise ships anymore.

[@CruiseMonkeys]

These little ships are so easy to get around, they are fab. Would definitely recommend