Avalon Waterways or Riviera River Cruises — which one delivers the better Burgundy & Provence experience? Join RTE-Travel Talk as we compare these two leading European river cruise lines side by side to help you decide which is the perfect fit for your next journey through France.
In this episode of RTE-Travel Talk | Ask a Real Travel Expert, host Ken sits down with Susan Blume, owner of Personal Escape Travel, who recently sailed with Avalon Waterways and also toured Riviera’s Lord Byron. Together they break down what sets these two river cruise lines apart — from ship design and onboard vibe to inclusions, dining, and overall value.
Ship Design & Comfort: Avalon’s modern, contemporary ships feature its signature Panorama Suites with beds facing the river and wall-to-wall windows that open to the water. Riviera’s Lord Byron embraces timeless Art Deco luxury with gleaming brass, polished wood, and a more traditional European flair.
Onboard Atmosphere: Avalon attracts a younger, more active traveler, offering sunrise yoga, cycling, kayaking, and its lively “Avalon After Dark” evenings. Riviera delivers a slower, sophisticated pace — elegant yet relaxed, perfect for travelers who enjoy fine conversation and classic comfort.
Inclusions & Value: Avalon includes daily excursions in three styles — Classic, Active, and Discovery — plus beer and wine with meals and a nightly happy hour. Riviera features an open bar from 10 a.m. to midnight and is introducing a dedicated ship for solo travelers with 50 departures next year — a first in river cruising.
Dining & Service: Avalon’s menus emphasize regional cuisine, flexibility, and 24-hour room service, while Riviera offers refined multi-course dining in beautifully appointed settings. Both lines earn high marks for attentive, personalized service.
Who It’s For:
Choose Avalon Waterways for an active, contemporary experience with diverse excursions and American-style service.
Choose Riviera River Cruises for European elegance, open-bar value, and a relaxed onboard rhythm.
If you’re comparing Avalon vs. Riviera, this detailed discussion offers the insight you need to make the right choice for your Burgundy & Provence river cruise — straight from an expert who’s experienced both.
Contact Real Travel Experts: questions@realtravelexperts.com
https://realtravelexperts.com/
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Contact Personal Escape Travel: sblume@personalescapetravel.com
Website: https://www.personalescapetravel.com/
Image & Video Credits:
Avalon Clips and Images: Courtesy of Avalon Waterways
Riviera Clips and Images: Courtesy of Riviera Travel
Hostellerie de Perouges Image: Courtesy of https://www.hostelleriedeperouges.com/
Other Images Courtesy of Susan Blume and Abobestock
RTE Travel Talk does not endorse any of their guests’ products or services. The opinions of the guests may or may not reflect those of the host and RTE Travel Talk.
00:00 Introduction
00:58 Special guest, Susan Blume
01:35 Overview of Avalon Poetry Cruise
02:33 Pre-extension recommendation
02:59 Does Avalon live up to the hype?
03:43 On board experience
05:15 Highlights
06:38 What excursions are included in your fare
09:19 Riviera’s Lord Byron
10:10 The typical Riviera guest vs Avalon
11:05 Travel Club
11:31 Price point comparison
11:56 New Riviera ship dedicated to solo travelers
13:16 Staterooms
13:49 Chacuterie cafe
14:20 Drinks included or not?
15:24 Entertainment on Avalon
17:04 Demographics
18:04 Mobility issues
19:11 Atmosphere on Riviera vs Avalon
21:10 Final words of advice
22:04 Contacting Susan
22:38 Susan’s future travel
Avalon waterways versus Riviera river cruises. Which one will you choose for that next Burgundy and Provence river cruise in France? Let’s find out. Welcome to RTE Travel Talk. Ask a real travel expert, the show that talks to travel professionals around the world. And today we’re delighted to be joined by Susan Bloom, owner of Personal Escape Travel. Susan has just recently returned from a river cruise with Avalon. And while there, she also had the opportunity to tour one of Riviera’s river cruise ships. So, in today’s episode, we’ll dive into her Avalon experience and then compare these two river cruise lines side by side. If you enjoy the journey with us today, don’t forget to hit that subscribe button so you never miss an episode. And if this video’s got you inspired, give it a thumbs up or drop a comment and join the conversation. It really helps the channel out. Thanks for being part of our travel community. Whether you’re a longtime fan or just dropping by, we really appreciate it. And now, on with the show. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Hi, Susan. Welcome to RTE Travel Talk. Hi, Ken. It’s great to see you. Thank you for having me. Oh, it’s wonderful to have you Susan. Today, we’re going to talk about one of my favorite river cruise lines, Avalon Up Waterways, which I understand you’ve just recently returned from. But we’ve also got another river cruise line, which I don’t know a whole lot about, but I’m I’m very anxious to learn about because I understand that you spent some time with them, and that’s Riviera. I thought today we could get started with that. How does that sound? That sounds great. Perfect. So, where do we start, Susan? Do you want to give us a quick overview of your recent trip with Avalon? I just got back from the Avalon poetry, too. We went to Burgundy and Provence and we did a twoight pre-state in Nice. Avalon did an absolutely amazing job. They picked us up from the airport. They made sure everything ran smoothly. They took us to the Lee Meridian in Nice, which has outstanding views of the Mediterranean. The next day, they even took us on a half-day city tour, which was fantastic because we got a little bit of history. We kind of got the lay of the land. They gave us advice on dining and things like that. And then they took care of all the details. They took us up to the river cruise and took care of everything. Oh, fantastic. So that was like a a two-day pre-extension before you got started on your other cruise. We spent two nights in Nice and then on the third day they took the 28 of us who had done that up to Ox Proce to catch the cruise. Oh, excellent. Excellent. And do you recommend taking a pre-extension or going in early, Susan? It’s a great way to get over the jet lag and relax and things do happen, right? Flights get cancelled, flights get delayed. So if you’re waiting till the last minute, you might miss your first port. So I would rather do it this way. I’m much more comfortable with that. No, no, it makes a lot of sense. Now Avalon is known for their panorama suites and the bed facing the river. Does it really live up to the hype? 100%. I absolutely loved it. We had our door open the entire time. It’s like having a queensiz or two twinsiz beds on your balcony. You get to lie back, have a drink, watch the castles and the vineyards go by, and it’s just amazing. Oh, fantastic. So, what rivers were you on? We were on the Ron and the Stone, which were absolutely spectacular. If you’re a wine lover, this is the cruise for you. Is it really? It is. The vineyards and getting to see all the small villages and the cobblestone streets and the castles. There’s You can’t beat it. What about the onboard experience, dining, service, excursions, and that sort of thing? How do you feel that Avalon performed? Avalon did an amazing job. Their staff is really amazing. On our cruise, we had 106 guests. We were full. We had about 44 staff members. By the end of the first day, everybody knew your name. By the second day, they knew what you liked and didn’t like. They took amazing care of you and they made sure that the guests interacted with each other. So by the time we got off the ship, we knew just about everybody’s name. So it sounds like it’s a really intimate experience. Now 104 guests uh and you and the ship was full. So that must mean that’s a somewhat smaller ship that you find on on the own and on the zone as a as compared to what they have on the Rine. Would I be right about that? That’s correct. Yes, definitely. It was a great experience. You wanted for nothing. They really took great care of you and the fact that no one had a complaint is amazing. No, that’s absolutely right. How was the dining? The dining was fantastic. Avalon in the evening does a four course dinner, but if you’re not into a formal plated dinner, you can also go up to the lounge. They have definitely a lighter menu up there. You have 24-hour room service. But if you don’t like the menu in the dining room, they basically will also give you an alternative menu where you can kind of create your own. So they really do accommodate you. Oh, fantastic. Now, on this particular itinerary, Susan, what would you say was the highlight for you? Going on some of the excursions was the highlight. And one day we went to the city where you have the first Vatican and then in the afternoons we did uh chateau nu dip up right which is the vineyards of the pope and we did a wine tasting and it was just beautiful but it’s it’s really hard to choose just one every every city has something unique and has something very special about it. And even like the medieval village of Peruge where we ate in a 1300’s inn. It’s a restaurant and an inn. And they gave us a kind of a dessert. It’s like a pastry that’s made with uh just flour and a caramelized sugar. Oh wow. You’re sitting there with with these stone walls and huge beams and a fireplace that you could walk into and realizing that it’s from the 1300s and it’s absolutely beautiful and the cobblestone streets, everything was beautiful. Wow. Wow. Now, one question that quite often comes up when we do re a review of a particular cruise line is what’s included? Were the excursions all included with this? The majority of the excursions are included on both Riviera and Avalon. Okay. On Avalon though, you have three categories of excursion. Okay. You have your classic, you have your active, and you have your discovery. Mhm. So discovery would be things like when we were in the towns where Saison and Van Go were, they had painting classes. Okay. Your classic is generally a city tour or a town tour or the highlights. So we did get to see the original Vatican. Right. On the active tours, you have all kinds of activities. So you’d have hiking and biking and kaying. They did kayaking in Aignon underneath the bridges which was absolutely beautiful. And on Avalon for those that are very active, you have an activities director. Okay. Every morning we were doing yoga before we went ashore and things like that and that’s open for everyone. You can just join. Right. So, are some of those a cost plus or all of those included with your your package if you choose to take them? The majority of the excursions are included. One of the wine tastings, the Chateau Deep, that one was a small fee. There are a lot of winebased excursions that are included though, right? and the medieval village that had a small fee, but they’re very small fees and they were definitely worth it. I would definitely do them again. Right. So, basically, most of the excursions are included and there’s just a few ones with a few extra things for a small fee. Correct. But even at that, you’re going to be able to find something to do in every port which will be included. Yes. And the majority of the time we were docked right in the city. So you could just literally walk off the boat and find your own way around and explore, which was fabulous. Avalon also docks several nights in port so that you can get off in the evening. So people were having dinner on board and going into town after dinner and grabbing drinks. We did have a younger group on board that did hit some of the nightclubs and things like that. So it was great. It’s a great experience. Oh, fantastic. Fantastic. So, let’s talk about the other player that’s in the market that you had the chance to uh visit, and that’s Riviera River Cruises. To be honest, I don’t know a whole lot about Riviera, so I’m hoping you can fill us in. They are a European UKbased cruise line. They have an excellent reputation. So, I was very excited to be able to get on board the Lord Byron. It was a really impressive ship. When you come on board in the lobby, it’s very art deco style. There’s chandeliers, there’s brass railings, there’s beautiful woods that are very highly polished. It’s very, very luxurious in feel. A lot of their common spaces were very open. They also did have a sauna and steam room. Okay, interesting. They were very, very friendly. The staff was very friendly as well as the guests. Let’s talk about the guests for a minute. What type of guest would you find on Avalon as compared to Riviera? On Avalon, they were mostly Americans on our sailing, but we did have a very goodsized group came from Taiwan and then we had other guests from New Zealand and also from Australia. When I was on Riviera, the majority of the guests were from the UK and other places inside of Europe. Okay. But they are making a lot of strides with Americans and they are starting to see that demographic change. Yeah. So I if I understand it, Avalon has for a very long time catered to a more American flavor and tastes whereas Riviera caters to the UK and Europe. But they are now beginning to make strides to attract more Americans and Canadians. That’s correct. Quick pause, folks. Don’t worry. I’m not long-winded. I just want to share our brand new channel memberships. For just $1.99 and up a month, you’ll get fun perks like badges, early video access, travel webinars, and even travel opportunities with some of our experts. It’s a great way to be part of our travel community while getting a little extra along the way. Just hit the join button below for more details. And now back to our show. In terms of price point, did you have a chance to look look at how the two of them may compare? Are they are they roughly on the same price or is one one a little bit more than the other when when comparing similar itineraries? When you compare similar itineraries, they are very similar. Avalon is slightly higher, but you do get more excursions and more options on Avalon. That may change very soon. I just found out from my sales rep today on Riviera that they are doing something very unique for the river cruise industry. Okay. They have built a ship that is going to cater to only solo travelers. Oh, really? And they will have 50 sailings next year and there’s going to be some very interesting changes in the entire market. Wow. Oh, now that’s interesting because you and I both know, especially when you get to my age, Susan, that there’s a lot of solo travelers out there, and quite often it becomes a bit of an impediment to travel because you wind up paying a single supplement or, you know, or not even going in a lot of cases. So, that’s interesting. And both cruise lines run a ton of promotions and special offers and things like that. your guests are more than free to reach out to Personal Escape Travel and we’ll find the best value for them. Yeah. No, exactly. And again, that makes a lot of sense. Uh and I think you’d probably agree with me when you’re considering a river cruise, be it Avalon or Riviera, you probably want to go through a river cruise expert, somebody that’s been on both those lines, because it’s, you know, it gets a little technical and and at the end of the day, this is not inexpensive vacation. So, you want to get the most for most bang for your investment. Sure. So, how about the stateaterooms? Did you have a look at the stateaterooms in on the Lord Byron as compared to Avalons? Yes, they’re very nice. They are definitely a little bit smaller than Avalon and they do not have the panoramic view that Avalon has. They do have very large bathrooms. It’s just that the finishes are not as highend. On Avalon, you also have high-end toiletries like Leo Octane. Those are the kind of minor differences. Now, the Lord Byron also in terms of little things has a little room in the back of the ship that has beautiful windows. It’s very nicely done, done like a little French beastro, and it’s their charter room. So, that’s something that’s very cute and unique. And they serve a charter menu all day long. All right. So, there’s unique things about each line. No, exactly. Now, one of the questions that we get often when we’re comparing to to two particular river cruise lines is when it comes to alcohol, what what’s included with Avalon and and is it the same with Riviera? On Avalon, you have beer and wine included at lunch and at dinner. And then they have happy hour where you have beer, wine, champagne, and the cocktail of the day. And that’s every night. Riviera does things a little bit differently. They pretty much have an open bar, so that runs from 10:00 a.m. to midnight. That includes beer, wine, sodas, and most cocktails. They do have a few very high-end specialty cocktails that you do have to pay a nominal fee for. So, it really depends on, you know, what the guest is looking for. No, exactly. We we found on the river cruises that we’ve been on that beer, wine at lunch and dinner and then that happy hour is really more than enough because it it’s an active vacation anyway. You know, you’re into ports, you’re off and you’re doing things. So, it was way more active than I even expected. Really, the entertainment was phenomenal. So, every night we were at the shows, we were dancing all night long. When there’s not a live band, there’s a DJ. So we were up quite late and having a great time. So it it went well. We really enjoyed it. Yeah. So tell me about the entertainment on Avalon. That that that’s interesting. The entertainment was fantastic. One of the first nights we had a band where one of the band members was one of the original Gypsy Kings and we had a flamingo show and then another night we had jazz and then another night we had a guitar soloist. I would say the average age on our cruise was about 55. Okay. Everybody was out there past midnight. We were all up. We’re all dancing and having a good time. Now, I’ve heard that about Avalon that their Avalon After Dark experience is really something that they’re proud of in this day and age with the the onboard entertainment and the local entertainment that they bring in. So, I gather you’re here to say that that’s actually a real thing. It is a real thing and I think it’s in response to the general demographic of river cruisers, I should say, getting younger. Exactly. And then you’re also sailing by all these ports that are all lit up at night. One night they had everyone bring their cocktails upstairs. We played cornhole and we’re going under these bridges that are all lit up in these towns that are beautifully lit. And it was such a beautiful, amazing experience to see the river and the stars and everything. It was fantastic. Wonderful. Wonderful. Now, you mentioned that the average age on your particular itinerary you figure was probably in around 55. Now, one of the myths that is starting to be dispelled is the fact that river cruises are a bit of a snoozefest and the average age is about 75 or 80, but that’s rapidly rapidly changing. And Avalon, I believe, is probably one of the leaders in that. If we think about demographics on board Riviera, who do you think they would attract? Their demographics seem to be slightly older. I think they were more in the 6570, but again, you still have a very active cruise line. So, it wasn’t like a snoozefest as you’re as you put it. I think just the image of river cruising is starting to change and people are starting to catch on. No, I agree with that. I agree with that. Since we’re talking about guests, what you mentioned this great feature that Rivier is coming out with for solo travelers, how do you think that either one of these lines would handle travelers with possible mobility issues? I think both of them handle mobility issues pretty well, but I think one of the things that you have to keep in mind is that everyone has different issues. If guests would like to reach out and let us know exactly what your needs are, then we can fit you with the right cruise line and the right ship and the right itinerary. A guest has to worry not only about the ship, but they have to worry about the gang planks. They have to worry about what ship is going to be docked to another ship and crossing through two ships. They’re going to have to worry about all the little details as well as the airline as well as the ground transportation. That’s exactly right. The best advice is have a good solid conversation with your expert travel advisor to your particular needs so that they can link you up with the with the right right vacation because they are out there. River cruising in and of itself does get complicated on that fact if you’re if you’re in a wheelchair. Yes, it really does. Along with those disabilities, are there any dietary needs? Are there any other type of needs that we need to make sure we accommodate everything? Yeah. So, we talked about the atmosphere on board Avalon. What What do you think folks would find in terms of the overall vibe on board the Lord Byron or a Riviera ship? The Lord Byron was very relaxed. It’s very elegant. It’s not pretentious. It’s not stuffy. They have a lovely library section and they have a beautiful open panoramic lounge where people were having tea and they were having cocktails. It’s a very, very relaxed cruise line. Okay. It doesn’t seem to be as fastpaced as Avalon, but then again, you don’t have to be fast-paced on Avalon either. It depends what you choose. So, would it be fair to say that if we were to compare Avalon and Riviera? Avalon would be a little bit more of a contemporary modern vibe on board as opposed to Riviera, which might be lean a little bit more towards being elegant. That’s a very good assessment. I think what I would say on Avalon is they really are gearing towards a active group and they are also trying to appeal to foodies and wine lovers. They do have some dedicated cruises to wine lovers. Riviera is very elegant, but it’s done in a very tasteful way without making you feel like they’re stuffy or pretentious. Yeah. elegant but comfortable. So if a client was to come to you and said, “I’m trying to decide between Avalon and Riviera.” What would you say is the biggest difference that might help them choose? It really depends on the experience that the guest wants. Do they want to have more excursion choices or are they looking for something more relaxed and going to stay on board and enjoy Riviera’s open bar? So, it really depends on the guest. I encourage them to reach out to us so we can find what fits them best. Makes makes total sense. Well, Susan, this has been great. Is there any other final words of advice that you might offer before we uh wrap up for today? One of the things our cruise director said to us and especially if you’ve never traveled in Europe before, you are free to pee, but your pee is not free. Okay, we all had a great laugh, but it’s something for especially Americans and Canadians to keep in mind. Toilets are not free in Europe, okay? And restaurants will not allow you to use their bathrooms. You should always keep a little bit of change with you to make sure you can use a bathroom. So, that’s why the pee is not free. That’s a really good tip, especially if you’ve never been to Europe before. I would expect. Well, Susan, this has been a really helpful insight. Thank you so much for sharing your Avalon experience and and giving us a realworld comparison with Riviera River Cruises. It’s been a real pleasure having you. And for those watching who may want to reach out, Susan, what’s the best way to get in touch with you about a possible Avalon or Riviera river cruise? Well, you can reach us via our website which is personal escape travel or you can give us a call 516352-5402 or you can also email us and it’s s like susan bloom blu mpersonalescape.com. Perfect. I’ll leave that contact information in the description for those folks that might like to reach out. But as always, Susan, since I like to live vicariously through all the travels of all the wonderful people I get to meet on this show, I have to know where you’re off to next. What’s next on your travel to-do list? Well, Ken, as you know, I’ve been a Sandals and Beaches specialist for about two decades. So, I am excited to be going back to beaches, Turks, and Caos the end of next month. I’m going to get a tour of the expansion, and I’m super excited. That’ll be my fourth trip. I absolutely love the resort and I can’t wait to see it. I love Turks and Caos. It’s one of my favorite islands in the Caribbean. That sounds amazing. We’ll definitely have to have you back to give us a review of that Turks and Caos Resort. How does that sound? That sounds wonderful. And thank you so much for having me. It was a pleasure talking to you as always. Super. With that, I’m simply going to wish you safe and happy travels on all your future destinations and cruises. May the wind always be at your back and I hope to see you on the sund deck of a Avalon or Riviera cruise ship sometime soon in the future. Thank you. Take care. Take care. And that about wraps it up for today, folks. A very special thanks to my guest Susan Bloom of Personal Escape Travel. If you’d like to reach Susan, I will leave her contact information in the description. If you’d like to reach out to us, you can simply send a question to questions realtravel expperts.com or simply drop a comment. We always respond. And as always folks, if you enjoy this content, a like, subscribe, share is certainly appreciated and helps other folks just like you to find our content. And if you’re really enjoying the content and want to show a little extra love, we hope you’ll think about becoming a channel member. It really helps us to keep delivering those expert travel interviews, destination reviews, and tips that you know and love. So until next time, folks, happy travels. [Music]