This was our third Uniworld Cruise and we can’t imagine using another river cruise line. The ship is beautiful and modern. Our suite even had tvs in the mirrors in the bedroom and bathroom. Our suite was 300 square feet of luxury with fabric covered walls and drapes. There was lots of closet space and the king bed faced the river, unlike many other ships. We had an open bar in crystal decanters as well as a fully stocked fridge with juices, water and mixers all replenished daily. Our butler, Tibor greeted us in our room and took care of every request, right down to the brands of alcohol we requested. He anticipated many before we ever even asked. Our room attendant, Peter was always prompt attentive and pleasant. The food on board was wonderful with so many selections it was hard to choose. Our main waiter, Miguel was a dream...friendly, attentive, funny and fluent in English, as was the entire crew. At dinner, if you can’t choose between two entrees, Miguel would just bring both, no problem. The menu also had selections for those with dietary requirements. Nothing was ever a problem. The somolier, Laura was knowledgeable and attentive and had recommendations for us every evening. The bar was open and bright and Frederico and Fredrica were ever present, quickly learning our preferences and bringing them almostvas soon as we sat down. Want a particular brand?? No problem, just ask. There were so many wonderful staffers..Nedko, Sandu, Richard, and too may others to name, but everyone working onboard always had a smile and a desire to please. From the chef to the spa attendant, these people were on a quest to make us happy. I don’t want to knock other cruiselines, but for river cruises, we’ll never look elsewhere. Read Less

This was our third river cruise on Uniworld. The service was impeccable, the food out of this world. This particular cruise was so enjoyable. We did the all the optional masterpiece excursions, which was well worth the money. The staff aboard was so attentive and friendly. I would like to name those responsible for our wonderful trip. First, our butler, Tibor. I was sick one day and he brought hot tea and a water bottle to me! Over and above! Our room keeper, Peter, met every need we had.The chef, Florian... outstanding cuisine and even better personality. Our servers Frederico, Federica, Jonaz, Sandu. Again, over and above spectacular service. Our waiter and sommelier, Miguel and Laura.. led our culinary journey every evening. The excursions were wonderful. We went to an olive farm, 2 chateaus, and a culinary school in Lyon, the culinary capital of the world! Absolutely wonderful experience. What a great way to see the Rhone valley! Read Less

We thoroughly enjoyed our Avignon to Lyon cruise on the Uniworld S.S. Catherine. We picked this itinerary first and then selected the cruise line our TA thought would offer the best experience. There were more hits than misses on this cruise. Overall the cruise was well managed by Uniworld with the total ship experience, itinerary, food, excursions and crew at the top of the experience with many of the ocean cruises that we have enjoyed. We encountered a couple on this cruise from the very first day to the end who complained about everything on this cruise from the ship to the crew. Except for one issue, we believe their concerns were way overblown and not representative of our Uniworld experience, which was our first. The big highlight here was this charming, historic itinerary. We booked most of the optional tours and they proved to be an excellent choice. I recommend the tours of the olive oil farm, the truffle farm, the wine chateau in Burgundy as particular standouts. Arles with its charm and bullfighting history and Beaune were particularly appealing. We found the crew attentive with the cruise director and the female wine steward adding a lot of their expertise and charm to the whole experience. We would consider booking Uniworld again given the appeal of another unique cruise opportunity that charms us like the last one. Read Less

We chose this cruise because we had such a great a few years ago on the aDanube with Uniworld. We wanted to visit France and thought the Avignon to Lyon trip would be good. The ship was clean and elegant. The crew was outstanding including; Paul, Daniel, Christian, Mila, Elana and others. We reunited with Paul, a great waiter, whom we met on the prior Danube trip. His personal service was so nice. We had friend on board from the time of our arrival. Excursions were enjoyable with unique experiences and knowledgeable local guides. Our favorites includes: lunch with the Count, mid day stops in Vivere, Arles and Macon. Great wine tasting throughout the cruise. Those tastings were top notch. Cuisine on board was super. We were trilled at each meal. The dinners were all unique. The daily activities were well planned as well. We would travel with Uniworld again and are thankful for the memorable trip they delivered. Read Less

This was our first Uniworld cruise, and we were very impressed. The food was excellent and varied. The service was outstanding. The staff went out of their way to be accommodating. There was a choice of shore excursions most days, and we enjoyed them all. The Pont du Gard in Avignon was amazing. We rode bikes in Lyon, and did the vineyard hike in L'Hermitage. We didn't buy any of the optional tours, but the people who went on them said they were good as well. Since gratuities were included, it was nice not to have to be tipping everybody along the way. As happens on river cruises, our ship was unable to take us to the last port before disembarkation because the river was too high. But they provided buses to take passengers to the town, or we had an option to stay in Lyon and spend an extra day there. With plenty to do in Lyon, we chose to stay there, but the people who took the buses said they had a great time too. Our room was quite comfortable. The decor of the ship was a little extreme, but it wasn't bad. Wifi was a little weird. Some apps worked reliably, while others never worked. It was nice having a free self-service laundry room onboard. They even provided soap and an iron. We will definitely sail with Uniworld again. Read Less

This was my first time traveling alone. I chose UniWorld because I wanted to be taken care of and they did not disappoint. There were other solo travelers because UniWorld offers single supplement waiver. But even the couples were open and welcoming. I liked the fact that guests were from several English-speaking countries. At first I hung out with New Zealanders, then partied with the Australians. I flew into Marseilles. UniWorld supplied me with easy-to-follow instructions to call the hotel shuttle that promptly picked me up at the airport and took me to the hotel. The next morning a van picked me up along with some other guests and brought us to the ship. We got to know each other during the drive. They take your photo when you check in and by the second day they know your name. On my cruise there were 56 crew for 88 passengers. In the lounge they knew what I liked to drink and it was in front of me without having to ask. The only "complaint" is that it was easier to get a glass of wine than an iced tea. The liquor flowed freely making for a very friendly atmosphere. I loved the food onboard. Breakfast and lunch are buffets. The scrambled eggs on the buffet were the best I've ever had. I don't know what they do to them but they are a must eat. The eggs Benedict was also good. At lunch I looked forward to the French cheeses. Hot options, soup, salad, and panini options at lunch. I thought the dinners were great. Just the right amount of food and very high quality. I got to try fois grois. Desserts were a little too sweet for my taste. If you are looking for nightly entertainment like ocean cruisers you are not going to find it. After dinner most of us headed for the lounge where there is music, lots of liquor, and fun guests. I would just walk up to the group that looked like it was having the most fun and ask to join. I was always welcome. By the end of the cruise most of us knew each other. One guest remarked she felt like she was leaving her family. The excursions were excellent. There were only a few that you can pay extra. I had a shipboard credit that I used to attend a cooking demonstration and lunch at the Paul Bocuse culinary school in Lyon. We assisted the chef and had a wonderful lunch. I loved the audio systems used on the excursions. They allowed me to wander away to look at things that interested me and still hear what the guide was saying. Almost every excursion included a sampling of local wines and delicacies. Most excursions were no more than ½ day allowing time to venture into town. The ship docks right at the town so it was easy to walk into town and shop or explore. One afternoon we took the bicycles available onboard and cycled around town. When they say all inclusive they mean it. One couple had a $500 shipboard credit and could not find a way to spend it. I was so spoiled that it took adjusting when I returned home and realized I had to plan my own meals and activities. The best part of this cruise was that after all the tastings, food and liquor, somehow I managed to lose a pound! I can only guess it was all the walking we did in the excursions. I met terrific people and would recommend this highly. I just contacted my travel agent to book my next UniWorld cruise. Highly looking forward to it. Read Less

This was my first river cruise and heard that Uniworld would be the one to go with as they provide service, luxury and value. The service onboard can truly be called white glove service as all onboard truly provided you with the feeling that you are very important to each one onboard. The food onboard the SS Catherine was excellent from the morning juices, to the mid afternoon paninis and to our evening wine parings with local Michelin quality dining was superb. The ship is very well designed and decorated with rich overtures of the lovely French country side we would visit. With the ship sold out, the public spaces did not seem overloaded with guest and all flowed throughout the ship without a wait. The shore excursions are very well paced, whether you are active or not. Another important factor to choosing Uniworld was that all was inclusively well, no nickel and dimeing here at all. Read Less

We wanted to cruise the wine country in Southern France. Uniworld is a little pricy but everything is included. All tours, tips, drinks, and excellent food. The booze that was included is high quality. No ticket every time you order a drink. Everything is included. I spent zero on the boat except I gave the butler Valentina as little extra tip. This was not expected because all tips are included in the price of the cruise. If I take another river cruise it will be with Uniworld. Only 150 people of the boat so no crowds. I never had to rush to get my table for dinner. The butler always had one reserved. The experience was generally wonderful from the moment we were picked up at the airport until we departed 7 days later. We took the TGV from Lyon to Paris for an extra 3 nights. You got to try Uniworld at least once. Read Less

Everything was top notch on this cruise. The crew attended to our every need starting with the easy check-in. The food was fabulous, but what can I say, it was French food. All drinks, including premium wines and liquor were included. The highlight of the trip were the local guides to the local attractions. We were surprised at the number of Roman ruins. We read somewhere that there were more Roman ruins in southern France than in Italy. But don't hold me to it. The cities that we visited were within walking distance of the boat. We toured with the guides in the morning and that left us to explore on our own in the afternoon. We visited the small town of Viviers with its medieval castle and houses and the tour guide even took us to her home for wine and appetizers. Every single town was worth visiting. All the morning excursions were included but they did offer some optional afternoon tours that cost extra. We did not go on any of these but the people who did go raved about them. I would highly recommend the Rhone River cruise because the ship was very new, the food was excellent and the tours were exceptional. Read Less

The whole Uniworld Experience is FIRST CLASS all the way. This is our second Uniworld River Cruise and both experiences with our friends on this line were amazing! I have been on many, many other cruises and I would say this is one of my favorite river cruise lines. I can't say enough good things about our cruise and Uniworld. The meals, drinks and Service is impeccable! The whole staff are wonderful, attentive and friendly. I love the all inclusive portion of the package with Uniworld, no large bills at the end of the cruise. The only charge we incurred was a few optional tours we took besides the ones that were offered daily. The wine every night is different as are the dinners. Not repetitive at all. Something new and always outstanding is served so you don't want to miss a meal or try the wine on Uniworld! PERFECT is what I would say about the whole ship, service and experience on Uniworld! Read Less

Loved the cruise. The crew could not have been better. I had lost luggage and the kept calling the airline until it was found. Our room was very comfortable and clean.Loved the the windows went down and that there was a screen you could cover the open window with so that you did not get any bugs. The food was always good and plentiful and the waiters were very professional. l. Its a great way to travel. the ports were interesting and the tours were handled very well. We met some very nice people from all over the world. They brought aboard local entertainment at night a couple of times. The rest of the time they had a pianist ad singer in the evening. Its nice that everything is included and you do not have to worry about the tours or tipping. I would choose Uniworld cruises as my first choose to travel Read Less

Compared to other ships we have been on the rooms on the SS Catherine were conveniently appointed. Lots of room for everything, I could not believe that we had suffiencient space for even my husbands items. Enjoyed the use of the ships bikes which were lovely to ride. From the moment the taxi pulled up in front of the ship the staff and crew were exceptionally helpful, friendly making a point of knowing your names by the end of the first evening. Cannot say enough about the extent they go to in order to make your time onboard the best experience. We had forgotten something in the room and they had it sent home with it arriving to our home before we did. Meals and choices were good but not terribly exceptional but again with a couple of food allergies in our group they took it all very serious and were very attentive to details. We would definately be searching out the destinations that Uniworld sails to again and make it a priority to book with them. Read Less