In theory, the Love-goddess and I and certain “Travel Companions” are going on a 15-day river cruise in Europe this month which will spill over into October. We are doing this in celebration of special wedding anniversaries for all… Woot!
None of us are really “cruise people”, but the appeal of cruising down a European river, while sitting out on the foredeck sipping a beverage has a certain charm and appeal to it. This will be a one-off I’m sure, but we will get to some interesting towns and cities that we have not visited before and to some others to which we have been before and really enjoyed.
Just one tiny caveat to this poses a bit of a speed bump. Our cruise may be cancelled or modified extensively so that we’re doing some travelling by bus rather than by boat… Not good. And we will probably not know the specifics of what’s going to happen, or not happen, until a week before the boat pulls up anchor and heads out of Amsterdam.
The cruise, “Magnificent Europe” is offered by Avalon Waterways and will take us from Amsterdam up the Rhine, Main, and Danube rivers until we arrive in Budapest. All very exciting… If it happens.
After exhausting myself writing about golf rules in retirement, which I’m sure appeal only a very small number of you who follow my writings, I decided I’m going to try and paint you a picture of what river cruising in Europe is all about. More specifically, about the cruise line we are travelling with, the ship we will be on, and the places we will visit. Again… In theory.
First though, the “Travel Companions”, Les and Patty. If all goes well, you’ll probably be seeing lots of them in my posts from our journey. Here are the four of us in different locales where we have previously travelled together.
“Click on the left image in photo carousels and they will pop up into a larger, easier to view and read format. Individual photos will also pop up into a larger format when you click on them”
Tracking the Weather & River Conditions
As I write this, we have not received any updates from the good folks at Avalon about potential changes or cancellation of our river cruise. That should happen soon though. However, we don’t really enjoy sitting here in the dark, not knowing what’s going on so I have turned to “ye olde inter-web” in search of information.
Initially, my Google searches didn’t reveal the detailed facts and figures I was looking for about water depths in the rivers and how that was impacting commercial traffic, so I once again turned to my new best friend “ChatGPT” and sent it off in search of information. And, it really has provided a wealth of very useful information over the last couple of weeks.
I was so impressed with the detail and sources that it had dug up I asked it to write a summary of what it has been doing for me that I could share with you here. And ChatGPT doing what it normally does, decided that I wanted it to put something together that made it sound like it was me talking and writing
Keep that in mind as you read through this. It’s really an algorithm talking, not me.
“My AI River Watch
With our Amsterdam-to-Budapest river cruise approaching, I’ve been using AI as a sort of personal river analyst. I’ve asked it to monitor rainfall and water levels along our actual route—the Rhine, Main, Main-Danube Canal and Danube—and, more importantly, to identify the potential choke points where unusually low water could disrupt our cruise.
Some of the numbers certainly got my attention. At Kaub, one of the critical gauges on the Rhine, the river reached an extraordinarily low of about 10 cm in August, breaking the previous record low. It subsequently rose substantially before falling again; the latest reports have it back down to very low levels.
On the Danube, Pfelling in Bavaria has emerged as another important trouble spot. Its gauge recently fell to roughly 223 cm, only a couple of centimetres above a historical low-water threshold. Farther downstream, the Danube at Budapest has also been exceptionally low.
The exercise has taught me that the three-river system isn’t equally vulnerable everywhere. Kaub on the Rhine and the Pfelling area of the Upper Danube are particularly important bottlenecks, while the Main-Danube Canal presents its own navigational constraints. A ship can therefore encounter a problem in one relatively short section even though the river looks perfectly healthy elsewhere.
I’m also asking AI to follow rainfall in the river catchments, longer-range weather forecasts and Avalon’s own travel advisories, including what the company does when low water forces a ship swap, bus transfer, itinerary change or cancellation.
The result isn’t a crystal ball that can tell me whether we’ll sail on September 26. It is more like having a research assistant continually gathering information from a complicated and rapidly changing situation and helping me understand what it means for our particular cruise.
And, of course, there’s only one way to find out whether all this analysis was worthwhile: we’ll have to get on the boat and see where the rivers take us.”
As with most undertakings with AI chatbots, they really don’t mind giving themselves a little bit of a pat on the back after they put something together useful for you.
“I particularly like that last line for your blog. It brings the whole AI experiment back to the fact that you’re still the traveller—not a hydrologist sitting in front of a computer. And it leaves you with a nice opportunity to revisit the AI analysis after the cruise and see how well it actually did.”
So, things don’t look good, and the weekly update ChatGPT sent me yesterday was even a little more dire than what is stated above.
‘Nuff Said About the Weather and River Conditions
Enough with the doom and gloom. Let’s have a look at all the good stuff this little outing should be all about.
I will principally be using images from the Avalon website here to paint a picture of what this expedition is going to be all about. We are already booked to fly into Amsterdam a few days before our cruise starts. It is a great city to visit, and we don’t mind heading back there for yet another visit. It has amazing art galleries, interesting food and is a very walkable, and historically, interesting town. I should probably also add that we will be spending three additional days and nights in Budapest before wrapping it all up, followed by four days and nights in Prague.
1. This first image is of the various docks from which Avalon cruises depart the port area. Currently, we are scheduled to depart from “De Ruijterkade West 6 – De Ruijterkade,”. You can see it here on the map.
2. Secondly, our route along the various river systems, with all the towns and cities where we will be stopping highlighted.
Our Ride and Our Lodgings
Let’s take a peek at our floating home away from home and our cabin choice. They definitely look very comfortable and present a much better living situation than one of those enormous cruise ships.
3. This is the vessel we will be travelling on, The Illumination.
The ship has four decks. I will show you what the top three are all about. The bottom “indigo deck” looks like it is steerage and quarters for the crew so not really all that interesting.
4. The Sky Deck is where all the outdoor amenities can be found. In the following three images, you can see that the various features on the ship are listed and numbered, and where they are located on board in the various deck plans.
5. The Royal Deck is where our cabins are located. And no, we are not in the Royal Suites. They wanted an extra $500+ a night for an extra hundred square feet of room… Not happening. As you will see here in a second, the Panoramic Suites in which we will be staying look just dandy.
6. The Sapphire Deck is where the dining room is located. So, probably only interesting to us and not at all to you. Now you know why I left out the even less interesting Indigo deck.
7. The lobby. Our rooms are just up those stairs on the port side. I’ll show you what our suites look like next.
8. Here is the floor plan, followed by some images of what an actual room looks like. The river facing wall in the Panoramic Suites is all sliding glass doors, so we have a great view complete with an open-air balcony. 
9. The little seating area looks like it will be more than enough room and seating for the four of us to gather for a drink before dinner. I am happy to see that there is a desk for my use. I will of course be slaving over a hot laptop churning out blog posts as we make our way upriver from Amsterdam and beyond. OK there’s not gonna be a lot of slaving going on, but I hope I will be able to send you some images and thoughts from the road… er, river.
10. Bright and airy for sure. Complete with the panoramic window view as advertised.
11. Very nicely appointed, and there are even reading lights on each side of the bed. Bonus!
12. A tidy, clean and functional bathroom.
13. Before I take a dive down into our itinerary, take a quick look at this breakdown of all the amenities offered on board. Save me a “premium lounge chair” out at the pointy end of the boat.
Our Various Stops and Shore Excursions
We will dock at thirteen different locations, each with three different types of shore excursions available for us to join if we don’t feel like doing our own thing. I am going to pause the photos for a bit and present you with our full itinerary. I have also decided to include each of the “Classic” activities available at each of these stops. These should give you a sense of what the excursions are all about.
Magnificent Europe – Condensed Itinerary
Avalon Waterways | September 26 – October 10, 2026
Day 1 – Saturday, September 26 | Amsterdam, Holland
Arrive in Amsterdam and board your Avalon Suite Ship by 5:00 p.m. Enjoy free time to explore Amsterdam’s colourful streets, bridges and canals before dinner on board.
Day 2 – Sunday, September 27 | Amsterdam
Spend the day discovering Amsterdam before sailing toward Cologne in the afternoon.
CLASSIC Activity: Choose a guided walking tour through Amsterdam’s cobblestone streets or a guided canal cruise past the city’s historic Golden Age homes.
Day 3 – Monday, September 28 | Cologne, Germany
Explore Cologne’s historic Old City and enjoy some free time to experience the city before continuing down the Rhine.
CLASSIC Activity: Take a guided city walk featuring the Old City and magnificent twin-spired Gothic cathedral, or explore Cologne’s important Jewish heritage sites.
Day 4 – Tuesday, September 29 | Rhine Gorge & Rüdesheim
Sail through the spectacular Rhine Gorge, passing ancient castles perched above the river and the legendary Lorelei Rock.
CLASSIC Activity: Visit Rüdesheim’s Mechanical Music Museum and enjoy authentic Rüdesheimer coffee, or visit a historic wine cellar and enjoy a wine tasting.
Day 5 – Wednesday, September 30 | Miltenberg
Discover the charming medieval town of Miltenberg, famous for its half-timbered houses and historic character.
CLASSIC Activity: Take a guided walking tour of Miltenberg, including its medieval buildings and Germany’s oldest inn.
Day 6 – Thursday, October 1 | Würzburg
Explore Würzburg, known as the “Pearl of the Romantic Road,” and enjoy time to discover the city or visit a local winery.
CLASSIC Activity: Take a guided sightseeing tour featuring the Old Main Bridge, the towering fortress and the magnificent Baroque Bishop’s Residenz with its enormous ceiling fresco.
Day 7 – Friday, October 2 | Volkach
Enjoy the opportunity to visit the fairytale town of Rothenburg on an optional excursion before continuing to Volkach.
CLASSIC Activity: Take a guided walking tour of Volkach, with its quaint half-timbered houses and cobblestone streets.
Day 8 – Saturday, October 3 | Bamberg
Explore Bamberg, a historic city spread across seven hills and known for its beautiful architecture and churches.
CLASSIC Activity: Take a guided walking tour featuring Bamberg’s Romanesque cathedral, Old Town Hall and historic seven hills.
Day 9 – Sunday, October 4 | Nuremberg
Discover Nuremberg’s fascinating medieval history and its important role in more recent European history.
CLASSIC Activity: Choose a guided tour of Nuremberg’s medieval architecture, including the gilded fountain, Gothic cathedral and Kaiserburg Castle, or visit the historic Nuremberg Rally Grounds used by the Third Reich.
Day 10 – Monday, October 5 | Regensburg
Explore Regensburg, one of Germany’s best-preserved medieval cities, before continuing toward Passau.
CLASSIC Activity: Take a guided city walk featuring the Old Town Hall and Porta Pretoria, the ancient entrance to the Roman fortress of Castra Regina.
Day 11 – Tuesday, October 6 | Passau & Linz, Austria
Visit Passau, where the Danube, Inn and Ilz Rivers meet, before continuing to Linz for some time to explore independently.
CLASSIC Activity: Take a guided walking tour of Passau and discover this beautiful “City of Three Rivers.”
Day 12 – Wednesday, October 7 | Melk, Wachau Valley & Vienna
Visit Melk before sailing through the picturesque Wachau Valley toward Vienna, arriving in the afternoon.
CLASSIC Activity: Take a guided tour of magnificent Melk Abbey, including its frescoed ceilings, ornate interiors and extraordinary library.
Day 13 – Thursday, October 8 | Vienna
Spend the day discovering Vienna’s imperial heritage and its rich musical and cultural traditions before sailing toward Budapest.
CLASSIC Activity: Choose a visit to the House of Strauss, including coffee and cake, or a guided city tour featuring the Hofburg, Vienna Opera House and St. Stephen’s Cathedral.
Day 14 – Friday, October 9 | Budapest, Hungary
Enjoy spectacular views of Budapest as you sail into the city, followed by an afternoon to explore on your own or join an optional excursion.
CLASSIC Activity: Take a guided sightseeing tour of Budapest, including the iconic Heroes’ Square.
Day 15 – Saturday, October 10 | Budapest
Enjoy your final breakfast on board before disembarking in Budapest and bringing your Magnificent Europe river cruise to an end.
The Dining Experience
The other thing I am most curious about is what the dining experience is going to be all about. I understand it’s typically good fare on these cruises and that there are usually a number of food venues accessible throughout the day on the ship.
14. This first image really is a great overview of where and when and how you can dine. I think we’ll definitely have to try out the breakfast-in-bed one morning. And, being able to grab a takeaway lunch as you head out to explore the different towns will be a real bonus.
15. For the more “food-inquisitive” individuals amongst you, here is a bit of a bulleted list from the website describing the dining experience in broader detail.
And how about we wrap up this section with a little bit of a photo carrousel of some of the different dining areas on board.
Let’s Go Cruising!
There you have it, boys and girls, a brief overview of some of the things we should be seeing and doing in a couple of weeks. The next time you hear from me I hope it will be as I sit in one of the seats in the photo below sailing up the mighty Rhine.
Fingers crossed!
