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Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection

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2 river legs, the rest of the journey was bus rides..

Bused from originating point(Budapest) to Vienna for a 2.5 hour tour.

Bused from Vienna to Tulln for reboarding, then sailed to Linz, At.

Sailed from Linz to Passau/Vilshofen where we sat for 5 days.  We did several bus tours to regional attractions.  Salsburg was the best of the stops.

River portion of cruise was canceled.  We were advised that we would be busedto Frankfurt(actually Offenbach) and the captain 'was going on vacation.'

Offenbach hotel(2 nights) was an old Sheraton with NO air conditioning.

Bused to Amsterdam with a 3 hour stop in Cologne.  2 nights at the DoubleTree hotel in AMS.

Food was mediocre, bland, and mostly warm.  Many mixed up food orders.  Several waiters stated that they were 'new.'  The Maitre d' and 1 waitress carried the load.

The Cruise Manager worked his rear off night&day keeping the show moving.  He would get a 5star rating if available.

First and LAST river cruise.

We expected a fantastic river cruise 2 weeks ago.  Our trip had been postponed for 2 years due to COVID and some health issues.  Uniworld knew that the rivers were low, but gambled on the predictions of rain.  Well the rain never came and we only sailed 1 day on the Danube.  We didn't even start in Budapest, we had to take bus to a nearby city to pick up the ship.  I cannot say enough good things about the crew on the ship - they were awesome - caring, friendly, great service, and well mannered.  They really wanted to please you and they did for the few days we were on the ship.  Mind you we were on the ship for 3 days - stuck in Passau Germany.

What I criticize is the fact that they decided to bus us all over Germany, Austria, and Amsterdam (end point).  They put us in hotels that were not very clean and really unlivable.  We spent countless hours on buses travelling sometimes 4 to 5 hours a day to get to a destination.  We had to live out of our luggage as we didn't spend any considerable time to unpack in Frankfurt or Amsterdam - 3 overnights in Frankfurt and 2 overnights in Amsterdam.  The Sheraton in Frankfurt (not really in Frankfurt but 4 to 5 miles away in Offenbach) was the worst place.   No AC - each room had a pedestal fan that you had to run 24 hours a day.  There was mold and mildew in the bathrooms.  Just not what I planned on when this was supposed to be a luxurious river cruise vacation.  While the hotel did offer breakfast each day, the scrambled eggs were of the powder variety - Army Style.  Uniworld did provide us with 2 dinners - one at the Sheraton and one at a local restaurant by the Frankfurt Airport.  The dinner at the Sheraton was awful - I needed a magnifying glass to find my the chicken breast being service.  Not many fixings served on my plate - a few vegetables.  We had a choice of beer or wine - no spirits provide.  Did I mention this was supposed to be an all inclusive vacation?  Apparently, no one told customer service that we were entitled to spirits as well.   

The beer and wine was only offered one or two nights in Frankfurt from 6 to 11.  While we went to the bar at 5, my friends and wife had to wait until 6 to get their free (not really free) beverages while I had to pay for my own.  Luckily, on Sunday evening we were able to watch a NFL game - Pats vs the Dolphins.  However, the restaurant was closed to ordering a la carte - no bar food, just a buffet that cost an arm and a leg.   If we chose that, we were not able to bring the food into the bar.  We were also not able to order outside food and bring it into the bar.  We did have a nice day trip to Salzburg.  It was a fairly long trip and I really cannot remember what day we travelled on.  There are no highways to Salzburg - only back roads.  Beautiful scenery and very nostalgic (Sound of Music Fans).  The dinner at the local restaurant was very good - large portions of schnitzel.  Again, no spirits.  Each person limited to either 2 beers or 2 glasses of wine.  Did I mention that this trip was supposed to be all inclusive?  

While Uniworld did provide local guides and buses, each day we had to be on the bus at 8:30 am, which meant getting up at 5:30 am to get showered, dressed, and have breakfast.  Each trip was  like a sprint - we ran through almost every town or city seeing sites.   This is what I mean by my army comment.  It just didn't feel like a vacation way to regimented.  I know I am not alone in stating this, as all of the passengers that stayed the course felt this.  We lost many passengers on this cruise - either to a COVID outbreak or disenchantment with the new itinerary.  Who wants to take a bus trip for for 6 to 7 (or more) days.  Every excursion we were herded onto buses like cattle.  While we did make at least one pit stop on our bus rides, we usually had to pay to use the bathrooms - .50 Euros.

So Uniworld feels they have provided the services outlined in their travel brochure - the CEO (Ellen Bettridge) stated this in a form letter sent to us on our last day in Amsterdam.  She hopes that we enjoyed our vacation and "time with them as they were doing their utmost to provide us with the level of service that we expected." How insulting that they  even sent this to us - they slipped the letter under our door in Amsterdam on the final evening.  They also "hope to have another opportunity to welcome us aboard in the future."  Fat chance that any of the remaining passengers would take the bait.

Here we are in Frankfurt (for 3 days) and now we have to travel to Amsterdam via Cologne (approximately 3 hrs).   Any idea how long of a bus ride that is?   FIVE HOURS total however they did stop in Cologne for about 3 hours - 1 hr tour of the town heading toward the cathedral and then 2 hours on our own.  We left Cologne around 2:30 pm heading for Amsterdam - a 3 hour journey.  We made one pit stop for 30 minutes - .70 Euros to use the facilities.  

We arrived at the DoubleTree in Amsterdam and was provide a buffet dinner.  Food was OK, again no beverages.  Did I mention that the cruise was all inclusive?  I had a beautiful room -  NOT - looking out the window I saw a large tree and the wall of another building.  Far from the river view of a French Balcony.  Luckily, I am a Hilton diamond member  and was able to upgrade my room to a view of the canals and city lights.  At least the hotel was clean and the AC worked, the bed however was like sleeping on a padded board, hard as a rock.  The next morning we were once again up and about for an 8:30 tour - this time walking.  We had said farewell to our buses the evening before when we arrived in Amsterdam. The buffet breakfast was included in our "package" - no champagne served unless you wanted to purchase it.  On board you could get champagne whenever you wanted it.  Food was OK - scrambled eggs were runny.  No option to order an omelotte unless you wanted to pay for it.

So Uniworld thinks its off the hook by providing us with a bus trip from Budapest to Amsterdam.  They think that by providing us with lodging for 5 nights at 2 hotels we are willing to accept that as a fair trade.  They did provide us with per diems on the days where no meals were provided - $25 Euros for Lunch per person and $50 Euros for Dinner per person. While they provided us with $250 Euros each, we still had to find a restaurant for dinner on most nights.  We also had to pay for our own beverages.  I personally did not get what was sold to me - Luxury Room, Gourmet Meals, and Unlimited beverages.

I have since written customer service twice - one earlier today (9/20) and one while on the trip (9/10) and have not received any feedback.  I also tried to reach our to Ellen via LinkedIn and no response.  These cruises are very expensive and its just disrespectful to not respond.  We certainly did not get the value for our money on this trip.  It would be very difficult if not impossible to even consider taking another river cruise with them.  I met a English couple at the London Heathrow Airport and he had just completed an Uniworld River Tour and while they were able to enjoy the river cruising, however he too felt that the tours and travel was just too regimented.  

 One positive from this cruise was we met great people and now have new friends all over the world.  While the situation was challenging to say the least, the people we met on the cruise were great.

The bottom line is that this cruise should never have taken place as the Danube was at an all time record low.  Weather predictions were used to keep it on track.  Why run a business on weather predictions when the hard cold facts are staring you in the face.  Numbers don't lie - meteorologists do, as no one can predict the weather.

Uniworld - Bustrip versus River Cruise - are we in the Army now?

We choose this cruise, as we were looking forward to having a relaxing cruise seeing the Danbue and Rhine, the locks and all the beautiful scenery along the way.  Unfortunately, the River Duchess did not make it to Budapest so we could get on the boat.  Instead we were put up in a hotel in Budapest and the next day had a 3+ hour bus trip to meet the boat in Vienna.  This began our adventure.  After a night on the boat, we had approximately 2.5 hrs in Vienna and then bussed again.  We had a total of 1 1/2 days cruising and the rest either docked in Passau or Vilschofen and bussed daily to various cities.  The water levels were low in Europe; however, this was a known fact.  We missed many towns and stops on our itinerary.  We were then bussed to Frankfurt and after 3 nights in a hotel bussed to Amsterdam for 2 nights.  In total we spend 6 nights in a hotel and docked the majority of the rest of the cruise.

Bus Tour vs River Cruise

This was a BUS TOUR not a river cruise!!!  Due to "HISTORICAL" low waters on the Danube we sailed less than three days out of 16 days.  Historic low waters do not happen overnight?!  We were bussed from port to port and excursion to excursion.  

Our river cruise began with a two night stay in a hotel in Budapest, we then spent 8+ hours on a bus from Budapest to Vienna with a 2.5 hour tour of Vienna.  There was a rushed and hectic rest stop at a pay to go public bathroom with turn styles and very long wait lines.  We were informed by our bus driver that we were unable to use the bus bathroom--emergencies only.  Cramped seating, no water offered and we were not allowed to bring coffee or beverages on the bus.  We were bused from Vienna and reboarded in Linz.  From Linz to Passau/Viilshofen where we sat for almost five days.  The river portion was cancelled and we were bused to Frankfurt/Offenbach for a two night stay in a Sheraton that had scaffolding in the front entrance, stained carpets, no AC--oscillating fans were provided, clogged sinks, mold in the bathroom, limited bar time--not all inclusive, no laundry services.  On the bus, guests were coughing, sneezing, swollen ankles, and 12 guests ended up in quarantine due to Covid.  Out of frustration, anger, fear of illness, and anxiety, many cruise guests did not attend excursions via bus and some opted to leave the cruise altogether and return home at their own expense.  Our captain even left the ship in Passau for a vacation.  Our cruise ended with another long bus trip, 5+ hours, to Amsterdam, with a brief stop in Cologne,  and another hotel stay at the Double Tree Hotel in AMS.  We missed many planned excursions, rushed through alternate excursions, literally running to have lunch and board the busses on time.  This was NOT the ALL-INCLUSIVE luxury experience Uniworld advertises.  

My husband and I saved and planned for this luxury cruise for years.  We met many wonderful people from all over the world, but we had little time to engage and really get to know each other under the circumstances.  Uniworld has been contacted by many guests.  I received a response stating their apologies but they were happy to provide enjoyable excursions for its guests.  This was a far cry from the $20,000 luxury all-inclusive river cruise.  

Uniworld states, "You can count on the value of Uniworld's experience and regional knowledge to make sure you enjoy your cruise-tour even when conditions beyond our control occur...If unexpected conditions occur, we will make decisions that are in the best interest of guests, our crew and our vessels, and will take the following steps...We will keep you posted on significant deviations--we monitor conditions along all our routes throughout the season.  We will share updates with you when we deem appropriate.  During unusually low/high water periods, a special statement will be posted on this page to inform you of the river conditions.  If there is a likelihood that a particular cruise will be significantly impacted, this page will be updated with information about that cruise...In the case of significant deviation or full cancellation, you will be notified at the email address you provided at time of booking on your Passenger Information Form."  

Uniworld failed to notify ALL guests of the "significant deviations"  and "unusually low water period" .   Guests should have been given the opportunity to reschedule or cancel under such circumstances.  Uniworld needs to make this right!!!

Uniworld River Duchess BUS TOUR not a river cruise Aug 30-Sept 14, 2022--HELP!!!

This was our first river cruise and we chose it because of our interest in the Lower Danube and countries that were once behind the iron curtain. The River Duchess was apparently refitted in 2020 for the 2021 season which was cut short due to COVID. It appears to us that carpets, mattresses, paint, laundry facilities, etc. were all new. The staff was excellent. Restaurant seating was assigned as follows: we were assigned the table that you chose on our first night for the entire week with the table mates we chose to dine with that first nigh so choose carefully. We had absolutely great table mates and had no issues. We did not get to see Budapest since they stopped issuing quarantine waivers about a week before we sailed. Two days after we arrived that policy was rescinded. Be sure to check on this before booking the Lower Danube cruise. We were very please with the stops. The Belgrade Castle was a favorite as was Lepenski Vir. Traveling during COVID was hard since we had to be vaccinated before traveling and be COVID tested along the way including before, during, and after this trip. Further, we had to fill out forms on the way home in Amsterdam. Many Euro restaurants require proof of vaccination before allowing entry so be aware. All in all this was a wonderful trip. 68 passengers on a 130 passenger trip. We traveled at half price as they were trying to train their crew rebuild traffic for next year. Crew was mostly Romanian. Best cities: Belgrade and Bucharest.

Very enjoyable cruise

While water levels on the Danube and Rhine were beyond Uniworlds control the way they handled things was very unprofessional.  They knew of the river conditions several weeks prior to departure but deliberately kept this information from participants Having purchased trip insurance from Uniworld had they been up front about the conditions I would have gladly cancelled and rescheduled at at later time when conditions had improved.  The bottom line was Uniworld delivered an inferior product at every operating level..We changed ships twice winding up docked in Frankfurt for 2 nights before finishing the last half of the trip via bus..  Service on both ships was average at best and food was a 3 Star product as opposed to the 5 Star quality Uniworld promotes.  The bus segment of the trip was a chaotic disaster. Having spent over 25 years in the travel industry I feel qualified to critique a product and in my opinion Uniworld delivered an inferior product.

Very poor experience that could have been much better

We sailed in October 2018, when the Danube and Rhine were terribly low. Much of Europe was in a drought all summer, and the captain told us he's never seen the rivers this bad. It was affecting all of the cruise lines, not just Uniworld. So we had some disruptions, but we still had a great time. 

We left Budapest a day early because of the river, but got an extra day in Vienna, which was great. Once we got as far as Vilshofen, the river was no longer navigable. We were still able to do most of the tours, but had to take a bus to get to the various towns for our tours. It's not what anyone hoped for, but the buses were comfortable, and the tours were quite enjoyable. Passengers who didn't want to go on a bus were welcome to stay onboard the ship. After 9 days (of a 15 night cruise), we packed up and rode to Frankfurt where we boarded another Uniworld ship to use that as our base for the next 3 nights while we had tours in towns in that area. The final 3 nights were spent in hotels in Cologne and Amsterdam.  The hotels were quite nice, and Uniworld provided money for our meals while we were not on the ship.

I noticed that the Cruise Critic overview for this ship is a little out of date. Alcohol is included with this cruise, except for high-end drinks that are listed in a book at the bar. Also, on the Gala night and Farewell night, dinner is somewhat dressier, but not necessarily as dressy as described. A lot of men wore a jacket without a tie, some wore a tie but no jacket, and some just wore a dress shirt. Women dressed a little dressier than the other nights, but nice slacks and a dressy blouse were fine.

There was a resident pianist/vocalist playing in the lounge before and after dinner, and outside bands were brought in to play on several nights.

The food was generally quite good, and if we found something not to our liking, the wait staff were happy to bring something else.

Regarding tours, they did offer a "Gentle Walkers" option for passengers who would like a slower and easier pace on the tours. Otherwise, I think every town had a choice of at least 2 different tours that were included at no extra charge. They did offer a few special tours that cost extra, but there were always some free tours as well.

Overall, we had a great time, and look forward to our next river cruise.

Low river disruptions, but still a great time

Jost Van Dyke

Currently we are on the Uniworld River Dutchess because our original ship the River Princess could not make it to Amsterdam.  We are on the European Jewels cruise that left Amsterdam on July 6th, 2018.  On departure there were issues because they could not even provide the original ship.  Once on board things were going well until we started to hear news that we would not be able to proceed to Passau and would have to cut out key excursions that is why we booked this trip.  Tomas Martinez the cruise director has nothing that "he can do" only LA can make the decision.  The excursions they provide are okay. Some good and others not so good.  Many things overpriced and even Thomas agreed with this.  My husband had has hand burnt by someone who shoved him while handling hot soup.  The team responded but no incident report.  No concern was really expressed by team.  Spoke with Tomas regarding situation and neither he or Vassil the restaurant manager communicated the incident with the cruise director. We are now being told we will be bussed to our next ship since this one cannot pass.  I planned 16 days on one ship to relax, not be stuck, need to repack, and move along with the best part, since the excursions are all messed up, they are offering 20 euros to cover a lunch in town.  What kind of class or elegance is this supposed to be.  The fact that I cannot get help on board, had to call American Express for assistance since only a travel agent can help, and no one communicates appropriately is distressing.  This cruise is more like a Carnival/Motel 6 than a boutique river cruise.  

So to answer questions, embarkation went fine but now have to disembark and reembark.

Ship clean except the consistent bugs around coffee machine.

Dining is okay, some nights good and some not so good. No one acknowledged special diet requst filed when completing pre-cruise check-in.

Entertainment is a piano bar. Limited entertainment.  Excursions that are good you have to pay for.  Don't let them fool you that all inclusive.

Service- Has gone from great to the the service you would get at a Motel 6 or Holiday Inn.  No communication.  Lack of support.  I asked to go to a pharmacy tonight and was sent to a bar call Pharmacy.

Oh the health and wellness person, is consistently smoking up on top deck.  How is that promoting health and wellness?

Ports-Some good, the great ones like Nuremberg were too short.

No children, not appropriate.

After this entire disaster, we are disputing the charges on credit card.  Even after asking to mediate this dispute, and threatening to file a complain per my EU Ship Passenger Rights, Tomas stated that it is LA that makes the decisions. 

I will definitely not accept future cruse credit.  This hell was bad enough.

Uniworld fails to live up to their expectations

I chose this cruise because I have osteoarthritis in my knees and they advertised "gentle walking".  I've been on over 20 cruises, but this was our first river cruise.  We stayed at the Corinthia in Budapest for two nights before leaving on the cruise.  The hotel is affiliated with Uniworld and we booked through them.  We really loved the hotel; it was lovely, comfortable, and centrally located.  Our transfer to the ship was smooth.

The River Dutchess was built in 2003, and needed an update.  We had one of four suites, which was considerably smaller than I expected.  One of the amenities advertised for suite guests was a spa service.  When I asked about that on board, the spa manager told me that this amenity was discontinued.

On our first evening underway, the cruise manager told the passengers that the gentle walking option was also discontinued.  Some of the passengers were using canes.  Many of us were upset by this.  The cruise manager then agreed to see if some gentle walker guides were available for the excursions.  As it turned out, about half of the walking excursions offered this.  Although these groups were supposed to be for slower walkers, if you stopped to take a picture or look in a shop window, the group moved on.  Almost all of the excursions involved 2 to 4 miles of walking over cobblestones.  16 to 24 mile bike excursions were also offered.

The excursions were centered around wine or beer tastings, and alcohol was the prime entertainment activity on the ship.  Alcohol was included in the price, and some people drank from early morning to midnight.  

The food was plentiful and tasty but tended to be heavy German dishes.  Wine was sometimes added to soups and poured over ice cream.  If you prefer not to imbibe, you are out of luck.

The service was very good, and we enjoyed the ports, but unless you are a brisk walker and heavy drinker, find another vacation alternative.

Only brisk walkers and non-stop drinkers would like this cruise

Uniworld stresses that they will honor special diets and require the client to call before the cruise to state those needs. There was no such record, nor were my diet concerns addressed, although lip service was paid, for the first 2 weeks of the cruise. I walked out of several meals because there was nothing I could eat. Not until my husband vociferously complained did anything get served to me that I could eat (not rocket science--just low salt). Uniworld says no children on the cruises, yet the captain's 2-year-old was on the cruise, riding his trike over clients' feet and screeching and riding through all the public areas. I went on this cruise NOT to be with children--yet here I had to endure it. At a mighty cost. No client is allowed in the wheelhouse, for safety concerns. Yet the captain's child and his strewn toys were in the wheelhouse. Uniworld says no wheelchairs, yet one client had one, and when that client was on a tour, the other clients had to wait for and assist her. Not what I paid for. Again. Ninety percent of the passengers came down with acute bronchitis. Uniworld turned its head at this, refusing to acknowledge there was a problem. I was blamed for not wearing a scarf around my neck, as to the cause of my illness. Hygiene on the ship is unacceptable, forcing clients to share serving spoons, with no enforcement of hand sanitizing or wiping down of the arms of dining chairs, repeated use of the same plastic gloves as cleaners move from cabin to cabin, spreading germs, and candy in jars into which clients stick their hands. To top it off, Uniworld made us pay for a cab to/from a hospital to treat the bronchitis. Really? The daily handout on things to do/see in a particular stopping point are mere cuttings and pastings that someone has slapped together and have little relevance. Why mention shopping and nightlife when we are stopping in a town for 2 hours during the day and have no access to such areas? Why state that what follows in the printout are 10 restaurants to experience--and just 3 are listed. Does no one even read what is dispensed daily? This trip was an unforgivable waste of my money. Uniworld should be ashamed.

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