I have recently had the pleasure to cruise on the river Rhine (Northbound) with Avalon at the start of October on Imagery II. We sailed from Frankfurt through to Amsterdam with plenty of iconic ports along the way! In Rudesheim we went for a hike up to the top of the vineyards not only were the stunning views worth it but when we came back down, we got to enjoy a coffee with a splash of local brandy and little bit of shopping time!
Sailing through the Rhine Gorge was absolutely beautiful, and we got to learn so much about the local areas as the cruise director knew the history of almost every castle and town!
We then got into Cologne where we cycled around the city and both sides of the river and got some incredible views of Imagery II docked right in front of the iconic Cathedral. We had some free time afterwards where we could mooch around the shops and explore the city.
The highlight for me was always going to be Amsterdam, it's something I feel everyone should see. From the canal and quirky buildings to the bikes, everywhere, it's everything you imagine Amsterdam to be.
However, the most important part of this cruise and the part I can't stop talking about, THE FOOD. The food onboard is on another level! It's impossible to be hungry on a cruise that's for sure, buffet breakfast (as well as ordering things like waffles if you wanted to), buffet lunch (same as breakfast, you could order something from the menu if you wanted to as well), then your 4-course dinner! You get various of options to choose from for all courses, sometimes it's really hard to choose just 1, especially the desserts!
The main menu changes each day; however, they do have a set optional menu which they keep the same. Not only do they have all this food at mealtimes, but you have an endless supply of cookies and cakes in the club lounge too!
It was an amazing opportunity to sail with Avalon and the crew! Each and every member of the crew were helpful and very friendly, there wasn't anything they couldn't do. From day one they remember you and even your drink, the attention to detail and making sure you are well looked after throughout your sailing was top notch.
