This was our fourth river cruise with Uniworld over the past couple of years. We like Uniworld because they always deliver on their promise of beautifully decorated rooms, great food, delicious wines and topped off with consistent exceptional on board service and first class pampering fit for a king and queen on every trip. The staff have always been 5 star plus, but on the Maria Theresa they were 5 star 3x plus. Uniworld cruises attract an educated class of travelers we have enjoyed meeting and sharing experiences. Meeting fellow Uniworld travelers on these journeys has always been the icing on the cake for me. Many are well traveled professionals and business people, whom I have enjoyed not just good conversation but even better life experiences. We have meet politicians to even Olympic Gold Medal winners on these trips, which always makes for good dinner conversation. We flew into Munich, Germany two days early just so we could do a full day private bus trip through Viator to see Neuschwanstein Castle, Linderhof Palace and the Shirley Temple of Bavarian villages, Oberammergan. I was surprised to discover that Linderhof Palace interior has almost as many gold decorations, furnishings and beautiful chandeliers as Versailles, France. The gold organ is stunning and worth the price of admission. Checking off that bucket list places to see was already worth the trip so the voyage on the Maria Theresa was just icing on the cake. Since we had arrived a couple of days early, Uniworld was unable to help us with the two hour transportation to Passau. My Pravlus travel agent Kymm was kind enough to get us scheduled with Blacklane transportation to the Maria Theresa from Munich. They picked us up on time, and delivered us to the ship. Our ride in that comfortable black Mercedes was so good, we feel asleep. All the Uniworld ships are all different, but the Maria Theresa is like a floating museum of baroque beauty. It’s a floating palace fit for a king & queen! Lots of gold and mirrors to make you feel like royalty. Its pure luxury on the Danube. We were in 412, which is a balcony room. The balcony is not an outdoor balcony and may not be worth the extra price but made a great place to store and hide luggage (so did under the beds). Our first day began with a walking tour of Passau, the City of Three Rivers. It was a cold and cloudy day, but our tour guide was so interesting that is was easy to ignore the weather. She took us to visit St. Stephan’s Cathedral, which was absolutely beautiful on the inside. The organ is the largest in Europe and we listened to 30 minutes of beautiful organ music. My wife found numerous shops to buy souvenirs so we were late returning for lunch. All the seats were almost taken in the dining area so we decided to sit at the table with a brass bell on it. No one was sitting there so we sat down. It was funny to see the reaction of the service staff when we made that decision. The server, who was in a black tux with tails bent over and whispered in my ear, “Sir, this is the Captains table, and only the captain and crew are allowed to sit here, however they have already had lunch so if no one says anything, you can continue to sit here”. Let me tell you, the service at the Captains table is the best on the ship and I highly recommend it if you can get away with it! It was the only time my wife and I were able to dine alone and we really enjoyed it, especially the wine. Certainly understand why the captain of this this ship is always smiling and happy. We really enjoyed our excursion in Mondsee, Austria to see St. Michaels Basilica where Maria and Capt. Von Trapp were married in the movie, The Sound of Music. The church is absolutely beautiful. It was fun getting our pictures taken at the entrance of the row of trees the children were climbing in, though I was disappointed the trees had grown too tall for me to climb. We decided on taking the full day excursion to Salzburg, Austria and were lucky enough to have Trudy as our tour guide. She was a beautiful voice and had everyone on the bus singing along with her various tunes to The Sound of Music. Again, it was a cold and cloudy day, but she made the trip so enjoyable that we did not even notice. We loved the Mirabell Gardens and enjoyed a quick tour of the Sound of Music Museum that we did during our spare time. The sun came out, so we were able to get some good pictures on the famous Sound of Music Steps and Pegasus Fountain. Seeing the home Mozart was born at was really neat. Our stop and excursion in Melk was amazing. The Melk Abby, is decorated like a palace and has numerous beautiful and ornate rooms that reminded me of Versailles, France. The library is absolutely beautiful, and the open books are so precise and colorful, it’s hard to believe they didn’t use a printing press. Some of those texts took the monks a life time to complete and are truly works of art. One of our excursions was a wine tasting in the Wachau Valley at Nikolaihof organic wines where they still use an old wooden wine press. This was one of the most informative and enjoyable wine tastings my wife and I have ever experienced in our travels. Highly recommend just for the wine! In Vienna, Austria out favorite was not the beautiful St. Stephens Cathedral with the roof covered in beautiful tiles or all the historical buildings, but the Kunsthistorisches Museum! It was full of beautiful art by the masters, marble statues and solid gold treasures like the famous Benevenuto Cellini’s salt cellar. The tower of Bable by Pieter Brueghel was something to behold. The large Theseus Clubbing the Centaur at the entrance was my favorite statue. I needed two days to see everything this museum had to offer. The Hungarian Parliament building was absolutely something to behold. It was decorated more like a palace than an assembly hall. Budapest is full of beautiful building and architecture. My wife really liked the shopping there because things were about 30% cheaper than Munich. Lots of beautiful places for pictures, especially at Buda Hill and the Liberty Statue of Freedom where you can overlook the city. We took the time to visit the House of Terror Museum that was full atrocities by the fascist and communist regimes that once controlled Hungary. Budapest looked to be booming since its left the control of the Soviet Union. Twenty five years into their young democracy, the Hungarians I meet were extremely optimistic and happy to be free. Capitalism is really working for the Hungarians who are willing to work hard to get ahead. Beautiful city full of beautiful people. Read Less

After having experienced the middle deck room in Uniworld’s Venice Cruise, the next year my husband and I were ready to sail the Danube from Passau to Budapest, but on the lower level. For the most part, I was happy with the room, food and staff. The excursions could have been better described. Most guides but the one in Passau were quite knowledgeable about their subjects. The organization of passengers onto busses and back again was streamlined and easy. I’d highly recommend all the tours except Schönbrunn Palace. It was too warm with too many people and not particularly interesting. I was quite tired after that and skipped the Mozart concert, which everyone said was fantastic. The bathroom had a heated marble floor and towel rack, which was great. The beds and pillows are sooo comfortable, although the AC wouldn’t cool quite enough for me at night. An article of clothing “disappeared” from my room’s closet. I wish I had thought to lock my clothes in my suitcase and then slide the suitcase in the space provided under the bed. Read Less

My husband and I chose this cruise because of the itinerary on the Danube from Budapest to Passau, Germany and we chose Uniworld on the advice of a few friends. We liked the idea of an all inclusive trip, we've been on a few ocean cruises where that was not the case. We booked the Uniworld add-on of two nights in Budapest before embarking on our cruise. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with Budapest. Our tour guide/concierge Romulus was wonderful, helped us with restaurant reservations and guidance on where to visit, as well as leading our tours which were included with the add-on. There are a couple of optional tours which were an extra fee, we did book the trip to Sznentendre, which was a lovely little town, full of little stalls with locally made goods. We loved Budapest, the food was wonderful, locally produced wines were very good, the people were friendly, I highly recommend it. Our embarkation onto the ship was extremely smooth. Our luggage went from hotel to ship with no problems. The check in procedure was simple and efficient. Debarkation was also smooth. The ship is beautiful, all the public rooms make you feel like you are staying in one of the palaces you visit along the way. We stayed in a balcony room on the 4th deck, the room is small but very comfortable, There is plenty of storage and the empty suitcases did fit under the bed. I'm not sure if it was worth the extra money for the balcony room, the balcony takes up space in the 194 sq ft, but it was nice being on the upper floor of the ship. The food is really good and there are regional specialties served as you travel along the river. There are always regional wines as well, which were very good and generously poured. The service was excellent, couldn't think of a thing that they could improve on. There isn't much in the way of entertainment at night but we were so tired it didn't matter. The ports along the Danube were beautiful, Budapest, Vienna, Bratislava, Melk, Linz (Salzburg) and Passau. The included tours were all great there were a few which were additional fees, like a Pub Crawl in Budapest (fun) and a tour of Schonbrunn in Vienna, both worth the extra cash. We would definitely try another Uniworld river cruise. Read Less

Have you ever found yourself at a loss for words? I never have until now. I'm Angela and I teach house cleaning for a living - all over the world. So when I stay at a hotel, or I go on a cruise - I can't help it. I notice the bits of dust on the lamps or the drapes or etched water stains on the shower glass. THE WORST DAY TURNED INTO THE BEST I hadn't been on board the S.S. Maria Theresa for more than a minute when my entire trip changed for the absolute best. Let me back up a sec. My husband and I traveled from Charlotte, NC, USA to Passau, Germany by way of Munich. The Passau to Budapest river cruise was the celebration of our milestone birthdays. Weather in Charlotte had steep flight delays and we missed our connecting flight to Munich. When we arrived four hours late, our luggage didn't. There we were in an unfamiliar place, no luggage and needed a means of transport from Munich to Passau two hours away. PANIC TURNED INTO PEACE No sooner had we filed a missing luggage report we came through the baggage claim doors. And waiting for us (much later than the pre-arranged time) is a Uniworld transport driver with a sign bearing our names. She was delightful, charming, and put us right at ease as she drove us to the ship. I thought she was the best gem Uniworld could offer. I didn't know she was the portal to the spellbinding service we would experience all week aboard the ship. We arrived at the ship somewhere around 10:30 pm. WELCOME TO S.S. MARIA THERESA Tired, weary and hungry we checked in at the front desk picked up a room key. Paul, dressed to the nines, escorted us to our rooms. He spent a few minutes showing us the lights, ways to adjust the room temperature, and the plug situation. (Note: There is a USB port hiding under each of the room's outlets in the top right-hand corner to charge your phones.) Then he invited us to the lounge where we could order some food. YES! At 10:30 at night they will bring you a menu, offer you drinks and cater to your every whim. I LOVE this place. THEN IT HIT ME... As I sat in the lounge waiting for them to bring our food my eyes scanned the room. Not in a judgmental way, just a way of familiarizing myself. The drapes in the lounge pooched up in Victorian scallops didn't have a speck of dust. How is this even possible? As my eyes wandered to the mystery of dust-free drapes I noticed the walls adorned in carved flourishes. (Also, dust catchers, they too are free of dust.) Am I dreaming? Sure, it's late, and my blood sugar is out of whack from no food and it's possible I am hallucinating. MY SHOCK TURNED TO HORROR The entry of the ship is glass. All Glass. Glass and Mirrors. And as my mind processed what I had seen a few minutes earlier passing through the lobby, it hit me that the lobby wasn't just mirrored. It was mirrors on top of mirrors. Mirrors made of flourishes attached to mirrors for decorations. Cleaning those mirrors would have made any sane housekeeper flee in horror. Now I sit in the lounge and there is a lavish bar filled with gleaming liquors, wines and drinks. Gleaming because every jar and bottle at the bar is spit-shined and polished. No dust. The glasses hanging from the bar must have been brand new - as in purchased today because not one of them had a smudge. No dust, no water spots. Just new. The thought of how much cleaning went into this "first impression" was horrifying to me. I KNOW CLEAN. And I've never in my life seen anything this clean. I WANTED TO DANCE WITH JOY The friendly staff, impeccably dressed served us as if we were royalty. Friendly, patient and attentive they brought us hot food and drinks. Anxious, exhausted and starved I wanted to hug every one of them. And the place was so clean I wanted to dance with joy. WHAT IS THIS PLACE? Before going to bed the front desk, the crew gave us toiletries for the night and assured us, they would contact the airlines and trace our luggage. I'd been on the ship less than 30 minutes and had already had the best trip of my life. Hooray! And I get to stay another week. ALL THE USUAL'S AND SO MUCH MORE If you've ever been on a cruise your expectations are pretty high. You want great food, clean rooms, nice excursions, friendly staff, and fantastic entertainment. Yes, yes, yes, this ship has all this. AND SO MUCH MORE Every corner of the ship is ornate. Carved flourishes, velvet walls, wrought iron stair railings, and Murano glass chandeliers. Mirrors, mirrors, and more mirrors. And marble floors. The house cleaner in me cringed with delight. Everywhere I looked, there was excellence in cleanliness. Every nook and cranny were shiny and polished. Not a hair out of place, not a speck of dust, not a smudge, smear, fingerprint or spot. EVERYONE KNOWS MY NAME Walking through the lobby at any time of the day or night during the entire week cruise every person on staff addressed me by name. Whhaat? There were 132 passengers on board. How did they learn everybody's names? Surely it wasn't just me. Can they really be that good? YES, THEY CAN! And not only did they greet me but they all knew our luggage hadn't arrived and they volunteered to get us anything we needed. Stephania and a young helpful team (whose names I'm ashamed I don't remember,) tracked our luggage down and had it shipped from Munich to Lenz. We didn't need to follow up with anybody - they took care of it all for us. YOUR EXPECTATIONS EXCEEDED The cruise was spectacular in every way with delicious and healthy food. Lavish entertainment. Walking tours with local tour guides who were friendly, articulate and informative. And the beds provide the best night’s sleep you've ever had. (They are Savoir of England) Comfort takes on a whole new meaning on the S.S. Maria Theresa. And did I mention they have a menu of four different types of pillows? The ones on the bed are pretty amazing one being a down feather soft pillow and the other a supreme fiber comfort pillow. I know what you’re thinking - I didn't want to leave my room either. SHIP ACCESSORIES UMBRELLAS: The ship has umbrellas. If you're off to an excursion during the rain, they have an umbrella for you. (We used them a couple of times.) MAPS: And they provide city maps for you each day as you leave for your daily activities. BICYCLES: There are bicycles you can borrow (which we did three of the days of our trip) to go sightseeing on land. INTERNET: And of course, they have free internet in every room. If you have special internet needs (I have a YouTube channel) they have a special modem you can rent at the front desk. WASHERS & DRYERS: Oh, and did I mention that they have washers and dryers and an iron for your personal use in a public laundry room on the ship? It's true. You don't need to bring an iron or steamer on this cruise with you. Yay! All this and SO MUCH MORE. BEHIND THE MAGIC CURTAIN By Friday my observation of the cleanliness of the ship had turned to an obsession. I know how dust works. It comes in with opening and closing doors, and the AC units kicking on. And I'm on a ship for 5 days and every corner of the ship looks brand-spankin new. It was then I met Nicoleta the Housekeeping Guru who runs the place. Her specialty is in the systems she creates to get the work done on time to turn the rooms between meals and excursions. THE WIZARD OF NICOLETA She has systems for the laundry room where the guest towels and linens get washed. They label every type of linen to keep the turnover service running at optimal speed. She has systems for the uniforms the crew wear. Where it goes when it comes off and a system for its cleaning and ironing. There are systems for dishes and turning a banquet room. Systems for cleaning the common areas of the ship and hallways. And it's no surprise there are systems for cleaning the deck of the ship and removing seat cushions at dusk. The systems she has created for crew scheduling include "to do" lists as well as built-in breaks and time off for the crew. JUST WHEN I THOUGHT I'D SEEN AND HEARD IT ALL... I took a cruise on the S.S. Maria Theresa - a Uniworld sensation. My expectations and hopes were illuminated with the impossible. Imagine me at my age - thinking I'd seen and heard it all - and now this! Awe, wonder, magic, and delight - all in a week on this ship. If you're ready for the time of your life - Choose this cruise. And prepare to be outrageously impressed. Read Less

I'm going to break my review into some basic areas that really are the things most folks look for on river cruise. The Tours, Food, Accommodations, Ambiance and staff. Let me start with the easiest first...Staff. Staff: Uniworld certainly knows what it's doing when it comes to hiring the "best of the best" as we found each and every person on board to be kind, engaging, fun, service oriented and just lovely. In particular Adrian, our Waiter, was Amazing, as was a bar waitress named Sylvia. Always a smile, they remembered the smallest details: How you like your drink, or the type of coffee you enjoyed. Our stewardess kept the cabin SPOTLESS and we were so impressed with how quickly they did their work. Can't praise them enough! Food: Meal quality was a little uneven. In particular Uniworld always has some basics on the menu in case you can't find anything you like in the daily featured dishes at dinner. The "Everyday" menu included things like Chicken and Steaks and Salmon and while prepared pretty well, the quality of the ingredients seemed to be lacking a bit. Strongly suggest they look to their purveyors to up that quality of the proteins on board. The breakfast and Lunches are all buffets and they were really excellent always plenty of choices. The dining room is a bit tight with big comfy chairs but overall a very pleasant place to spend a good portion of the evening. Again, the staff shined with complimentary wine flowing. Overall dinners were OK, just not at the level we were expecting at this price point. Tours: This is where I feel Uniworld really shines and is totally the reason to pay a little more for Uniworld. We saw other lines with huge groups of people but Uniworld had these small intimate group tours around the various cities. We couldn't have been more impressed with the guides (they get the best of the best) and loved the 'do as the locals do" visiting markets, riding public transit with our guide and learning ever so much, about the daily lives of the locals. A++++. Accommodations: So Uniworld claims to have the best beds on the rivers and indeed they do. Seriously it's no joke, these beds are off the chart. It's like sleeping in a gloved hand, resting on a cloud. I could go on and on but suffice to say, you will want to try, as we did, to figure out how to get this bed home with you! The decor is really quite something, shall I say " Over the Top". Makes you feel like you are staying in one of the palaces that you've toured each day. Initially I was a bit taken aback, but quickly realized it was replicating the experience of old Europe and very quickly I fell in love with it all the tufts and frills. while I wouldn't decorate my home this way, the style and glamour immersed you in the European style and we loved it! Ambiance: Sadly on our sailing there wasn't a piano player in the lounge and that was a miss, as a little music during cocktail hour and afterwards would have made the product come to life a little more. Uniworld does bring on entertainment in some of the ports but would have loved a little more consistency in this area. I found the other guest on board to be quite social and we met tons of new friends. Bottom Line: It's worth the extra $$. You will be wowed and super comfy! Read Less

This was our first cruise ever. Was somewhat hesitant on cruising as we thought we would not have enough to do and things would be too micro managed. This boat was wonderful. Once met at the airport, Uniworld took charge of the bags and upon boarding the boat all bags were brought to the room. Room and boat were wonderful. All our needs were met on board and tours were arranged with very knowledgeable guides of the various cities. Our tours were well set up and there were options available depending on what your interests were. Our ship had some children on it and there was enough for them to do. We traveled at times during the day to take in the beautiful scenery, although some of the travel was done in the evening. The food was delicious. There was so much variety. Breakfast was buffet, with also an special order option. Lunch buffet with every day a special chef's carving station. Wine and drinks all day. Staff was just wonderful Special bar area for relaxing between meals and after a day of touring the various cities and several evening entertainment. Sun deck had lounge and tables available with bar set up during the day. Room was beautiful and heated bathroom floors and towel rack. My husband said he had never wanted to go on any type of cruise and here he is planning the next one. We can't say enough about how great this trip was!!! Read Less

Uniworld is a top rated line. Called just two days before leaving for Budapest to check water levels and was told that all was great and we were "assured" that there would be no problem for our embarkation on 9/23. Not so! Got an email in the wee hours of the morning the day before telling us that the ship was in Vienna and we would have to stay in Budapest an extra night, because of low water levels, in another hotel. We would then be bused to Vienna. A nightmare. Got sent to a horrible hotel who had no idea of what was going on! No reservations held for us or other Uiworld passengers. We called Uniworld to no avail. Operators told us the office was closed and had no way to check on status. Our other travel friends didn't even get an email telling them of the delay or anything at all. Ended up in another hotel that was better than the wrong one originally sent to, but not great by any means. We were given 80 Euros per person for dinner and lunch the next day. Got on a bus the day after and sat for 3 1/2 hours to Vienna. Once on board, got a notice saying we would get $150 (US) each to spend on board. Of course, everything was priced in euros. This trip cost each couple $1,500 PER DAY. We virtually lost 2 days and this was the compensation. We were greeted warmly on board, and the staff was great. Food mediocre. Sailed in the evenings so saw no beautiful sites along the way. Only a short afternoon sailing in between 2 towns. The water levels cant be helped. We learned that they have been down for a very long time due to a dry warm summer. Uniworld had to have known this and handled this issue very poorly. They insulted us by offering to pay for a cab fare as we had to drag our luggage to the wrong hotel they gave us. Funny that all the 5 star hotels were available, yet they stuck us in cheaper ones. We then were offered $500 off, per person, a future cruise. Really! The better thing for them to have done was to reimburse us for THIS cruise. Do they honestly think I would pay over $12,000 to them AGAIN just to get a discount! No way! Many other lines to choose from. Very disappointed in Uniworld. Read Less

We started at Roomers hotel in Munich. We did not think much of this hotel. It is chic and stylish, but not for us. Everything was black and the room was not laid out for good use of space. We loved the SS Maria Theresa. The ship was exquisite. We were very comfortable in our room and loved the french balcony - it was the first time we had ever had a full wall window that would fully open. Service on the ship was outstanding, we can't say enough good things about all the staff. Especially the two Alex's at the bar, but also the desk, the dining room, Marko our room steward. Tours were enjoyable, we had fun on every one, and there were tours tailored to all paces - slow or fast. Food average. Corinthia hotel after disembark in Budapest was 5 star. This was our first river cruise, will sail Uniworld again. Read Less

We did a Uniworld cruise on the Douro about 5 years ago which we enjoyed. However, my husband was not anxious to do another for a variety of reasons. But I have always wanted to go to Budapest and Prague and a river cruise made the most sense. The photos of the ship on line made it seem like it was way too ornate and "frilly" so I kept my husband focused on the places and excursions. But I have to say, the ship is just gorgeous! Our cabin was luxurious feeling (although small compared to Seabourn) without feeling too over the top. The other passengers were fantastic, active and interesting and we made some friends and enjoyed meeting people. The excursions were well planned and the guides were all wonderful. I wish we had more time in certain places like Vienna and Melk, but that is the trade off of being on a cruise rather than a land vacation. We were usually the only ones in the fitness center, we took advantage of the free laundry room which allowed us to be away for 2 weeks with only carry on luggage. The crew was AMAZING! Everyone was friendly and professional. The housekeeping was immaculate. The food was really delicious...something for everyone, they made a great Manhattan, wine was flowing, etc. We never made it to the pool (why its indoors is still a mystery to me). We spent most evenings on the top deck but on the last night we went in to dance which was fun. I loved the morning hike in Passau and I hope they add more hiking options (and more active walking in general) to other cruises. I am not a bike rider, but people who did the rides loved them. I am also not a classical music or opera fan so the concert in Vienna and the organ concert in Passau were not my highlights. But I loved Budapest and cruising the Danube at night to see Parliament lit up, the cider farm in Linz, being, Bratislava was a pleasant surprise, the Jewish tour in Prague was wonderful and being able to walk off the ship at night is always a plus. We also spent 2 nights on our own precruise in Budapest and 4 nights in Prague post cruise. So this vacation was a great combination of action and relaxation We averaged about 20,000 steps a day (but this was not the norm especially in the extreme heat) I did a lot of pre-cruise research and it all paid off. And yet this still was way beyond my expectations and I woudl highly recommend Uniworld, this ship and this itinerary Read Less

We chose the Enchanting Danube cruise mainly because my husband wanted a trip for his 50th birthday which included a river cruise in Germany and the Neuschwanstein castle. Uniworld offered both, plus a Generations cruise for these areas so that our 13 year old son could have other kids on the ship to play with. We opted to arrive a day early to spend extra time in Munich. The hotel which Uniworld selected was Roomers. While the hotel was obviously fairly new, clean and had great staff, there were a lot of down sides. First, it was nowhere NEAR the center of town. That was very inconvenient unless you enjoy walking for an hour to get to the main part of the city. Second, the beds were hard and very uncomfortable. The hallways and elevators were very dark and there were a lot of mirrors. We found it a bit creepy, actually. The only restaurant at the hotel was very upscale Asian food with a strict dress code. Not the place to go after a long day seeing the sights. Now to our biggest disappointment. As I said earlier, our MAIN reason for choosing this cruise was for the castle. At the briefing the night before the trip started, we were informed of the land itinerary. And there was NO mention of the Neuschwanstein castle! When I inquired in the session about the castle option, I was told that Uniworld had decided to drop that option from the itinerary as they rarely had enough people who wished to go. There were 15 people in the room that day who had planned on going to the castle. I told her that I had inquired 4 times on the phone to Uniworld to make sure that the castle was still offered, and was told it was. The Uniworld representative was quick to point out that Uniworld has the right to drop any option and has no liability. I told her that I understood that, but with NO warning? I could have made our own arrangements if I'd had even a couple of days notice. The Uniworld rep stated that Greyline Tours offered the castle trip and the front desk of the hotel could help. So, my husband and I went immediately to the front desk. Greyline was, of course, completely booked for the next day. Our LAST day in Munich. We spent hours trying to find other options. By 10pm we had to give up. All the tickets were sold out for the castle tours. My husband had that castle on his bucket list for decades. And for him, THAT was the highlight of the trip. And now that was off the table. Next we went to Passau, a lovely city. We boarded the Maria Theresa there. We were brought right to the ship, and embarkation and settling in was easy and delightful. Lunch was being served so we could have a leisurely lunch while our luggage was brought to the room. The ship is lovely. Very ornate, gilt and mirrors, etc. The beds were outrageously comfortable. The staff, every single one of them, were helpful and cheerful. The food was a bit of a let down for us. It certainly wasn't bad, it just wasn't as good as the reviews led us to believe. The desserts were ok. Not as good as some I had in local bakeries. There weren't enough German food options, which is what I was hoping for. I wanted sausages, cheeses, dumpling variations, schnitzels with various sauces, etc. And while there were a few items, not nearly what I would expect for a German cruise. We did enjoy the open air balcony in the room very much. Lovely touches included fresh chocolates in the room and 2 large glass bottles of water with the turndown service every evening. The activities ranged from amazing (a Mozart concert with opera singers in a small, intimate venue in Vienna, a city tour of Bratislava (a hidden gem!) and Budapest), to bleh (a tour of the church where Maria married Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music in the film took WAY too much time in Salzburg). This was a Generations Cruise, so they had activities for the children. There were about 30 children, I think, onboard. And the majority were between 11-15 years old. And one option was to …..draw and color in a monastery garden. Really? The activity said : Painting in the monastery garden. I thought that sounded great. My son and I could paint on a canvas in a wonderful spot, maybe learn a technique. But..no. Drawing and coloring. There were many bike riding options offered, but most of them were over 15 km. And that was a bit much for our 13 year old to do. And a parent would need to go with our son on any excursions. Adventures by Disney had many excursions for the children to do, AND had dedicated guides with them so the adults could do a different excursion. I had expected something similar, so that was disappointing. On the next to last day they finally offered some activities our son enjoyed. A mixology class onboard where the children could create their own Mocktails. And then a scavenger hunt. There was a pool onboard, but it was VERY small. You certainly couldn't actually swim in it. A cinema room was on the lower deck. A small room with seating for maybe 20, but that became the kids room during this cruise. There was a nice Viennese salon on the lower deck where a hot dog bar, television and a variety of cookies and cakes were always available. The salon also had a great self serve machine for macchiatos, espresso, coffee and hot chocolate. I really enjoyed that space. Our son, who tried the hot dog bar, said the hot dogs were good, but the buns, even when heated, were hard. There was a self serve washer and dryer as well. I didn't use it, but many of the passengers did. Summary: The hotel was not enjoyable. The ship was beautiful. The food was average. The staff was wonderful. The shore excursions were hit or miss. The room was excellent. Canceling a HIGHLIGHT of the tour with NO notice was inexcusable. We would not travel with Uniworld again. The prices were very high and if the experience matched it, my review would have been very different. Read Less

Arriving at the ship, AMG had a lovely canopy and were taking the cases of their passengers, we had no one, took our own case to a row of cases then embarked. A sad first impression for 6 star, especially when the competition is doing more for their guests. Having seen the ship featured on a TV documentary we were excited to book and try our first river cruise, as seasoned ocean liner travellers at the top end, we could see this was our standard, and the price per night was actually more expensive than 6 star cruise ships so we feel we justifiably had high expectations. The ship is beautifully finished and very impressive looking, very elegant, the cabins were fine, after all is it a river ship so smaller is reasonable, and the en suite shower room was the best I have ever seen on a ship. The beds were great and small touches like chocolates in a jar were great. I hated the non provision of fresh cold water and no fridge, for 6 star I expect a cabin fridge and I am not interested in having to refill a tiny water bottle ever time I go out, then carry it around to bring back. I understand its about saving water and plastic, but this deep love for the environment was not extended to saving forests with loads of ridiculous letters, envelopes etc... being delivered daily. I don't mind the letters, but whilst I value the planet, on my holiday I would like some cold water provided on tours. Perhaps guests should be given a choice of refilling daily a small metal canister or having chilled bottled water for a tour. On arrival there was some fruit in the room, this disappeared after 24 hours. The cruise manager Kirsten was outstanding, and actually most of the staff were impressive, the reception desk staff were second to none, and bar staff brilliant also. I thought the food was exceptionally disappointing as was the whole dinning room experience, on occasion I felt more like I was at camp than 6 star. Buffet breakfast and buffet lunch, with tepid food and moderate dishes. Shared tables and slow clearing of plates, and slow drink delivery - such that often the drink arrived at the end of the meal. The evening meal served at 7pm daily was of a very low standard, cheap ingredients, I was looking forward to Lobster, Dover Sole, Scallops etc.... think more a bit of trout, a falafel ball or a bit of salmon. Usually cold, and on occasion the wrong order. 3 desserts, usually one of which being fruit salad, one being an ice cream and the other the main item, but often a cake. Ridiculously although the menu has the 3 desserts on occasion you are given without choice a special 'treat' dessert even if you don't want it. This was the worst dining experience I have ever had on a ship and not worthy of the hefty uniworld price tag. Heaven forbid you want to eat something outside of the very limited restaurant hours, the room service menu is dreadful and after 5pm even worse as it changes. The Viennese cafe, had a exceptionally limited range of offerings, but did usually have one nice, cake, come cheese and hot dogs. The tours were excellent, and the concert evening in Vienna very special. Be warned this is an action holiday, tours leave 8-9 depending on the day and you need to be ready and fed before departure. Thats fair enough, its the river cruise formula, although on some occasions we did wonder why they started quite so early as it did not seem necessary. On balance we did have a great holiday but we felt the price and six star offering were misleading, staff other than food staff were 6 star, the food was 3 star and value for money was very low. We will probably river cruise again, and whilst I am happy to pay for luxury, I am not happy to pay for it and then not get it, so I shall look very hard at the price and offering of the competition next time round. Uniworld, You need to up your game big time on the total experience the moment a guest enters the dininig room. It transforms 4-5 star to 2/3 star. Read Less

This was our 3rd Uniworld cruise and our last. The food was passable at best, with poor meat quality, limited fruits, and the worst bakery products ever. The chef is into recycling and as an example we had duck with sweet/sour red cabbage at night; the next day the remaining red cabbage was mixed with white rice. Another example of the quality is a snack when we returned from the Strauss Concert; hotdogs. pretzel buns, and goulash soup at 10:30 pm The buffet has limited hours and about 1/2 way though the opening hours items are combined to one side, cheese board never replenished, etc. Not one dinner entrée was outstanding ; the veal and beef items were tough. Soups were either salty or watery. Cakes were dry, breads choices repetitive and wine selection adequate. Service on Uni continues to be their best product. Our waiter "Z" was superb as was the entire staff. Excursions were a mixed bag with a superb tour of Linz, a spectacular concert in Vienna, and the remaining ok. Tours tend to stop for hours at churches eliminating the time in the cities. The guides were good for the most part; I am sure it is Uniworld who plans the itinerary. By the way Brataslavia is a find, and Uni would do well to spend more time there and less in Durnstein. Uniworld has decimated their value and you might as well take a mid range line with the largest cabin . Read Less

Took this trip as a Christmas Market trip- Uniworld delivered. However, I would do the Danube River again and make sure we took in more of the historical parts of the cities - we missed out on that - to be fair we booked a Christmas Market trip - so it wasn't a Uniworld thing. Cities are amazing. Ship is spectacular. Clean, beautiful, crew was friendly and helpful. We found we had issues with one particular high profile crew member that really didn't do anything wrong so to speak- it was just a lack of what we have come to expect from that type of position.... it makes for a less than great experience overall. Cabin and steward were amazing. Pretty typical cabin size- bathroom was laid out different so felt spacious but we banged elbows in the shower trying to shampoo... storage was fine in closet and bathrooms. Room was always clean. Dining was good. Some days the food was amazing! Other days it was just fine. I don't care for buffets - and they had those more than not. The staff in dining room was terrific- we really enjoyed getting to know some of the crew. Very nice people. We found we missed the little things we found on Viking- treats when you return to the ship- more socializing with the program director and other officers - lots of little things were missing. There was a small lounge at the back of the boat if you didn't want to be in the larger lounge, there was also a pool which we didn't use, and a small workout area on board. Tours were all nice- hit or miss with a few of the guides - but we still loved the tours and cities. We did slots of exploring on our own after the ship tour. There was some confusion with a few tours being offered then not enough space for everyone- things like that were deflating to many of the passengers. Overall - the ship and most of the crew were just fine- I think for the price I paid and the overall feeling of what was delivered - I wouldn't go on Uniworld again unless their pricing was more in line with others that included airfare etc. I feel like I paid for the Ritz Carlton concierge level service and got the Ramada Inn... Read Less

My wife has always wanted to travel down the Danube so for her birthday I booked a suite on Uniworld's SS Maria Theresa departing from Passau. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon and spent the first night in Munich at the airport Hilton, arranged by Uniworld. We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of accommodations (for an airport hotel) and the breakfast buffet was among the best we have experienced anywhere. The SS Maria Theresa is a stunning vessel. The decor is a bit like what might happen if Laura Ashley and Liberace had a love child but having said that, the detail is high end, inviting and comfortable. Our suite had two floor-to-ceiling picture windows, one at the foot of the bed and one fronting an adjacent sitting area that could be opened to waist level. When the ship was moving it was like having your personal travel video scrolling in front of you. If you book a suite, butler service is included, which we found to be a nice touch. The Uniworld staff were clearly selected and trained to provide service excellence. They were adept at solving problems and were committed to making the trip memorable for everyone. I had heard that the food selection and quality was excellent on Uniworld but again our expectations were exceeded. Much of the food and wine were locally sourced and the attention to detail in terms of prep and presentation were what you would hope to experience in a fine dining restaurant. Wines were local and thoughtfully chosen to match the food. Liquor was top shelf. If you absolutely had to have Dom Perignon or a rare brandy not included in the main bars they had a "diamond collection" at an additional charge. Shore excursions were selected for all levels of activity from "gentle" tours that featured slow paced walks and buses to more strenuous bike tours, hikes, and "do as the locals do" walks. My favorite was a 20 mile bike ride from Melk to Durnstein. The relatively flat course wound through forests, vineyards, and small towns, and then ran along the Danube into Durnstein. It was truly magical. The guides at each destination were local, knowledgeable, their love for their respective cities was contagious. Enrichment activities made each stop even more memorable - visiting with a gentleman trying establish Saffron as a crop in Durnstein; a family who runs a cider farm outside of Linz (who also make some of the best Schnaps I have tasted); an historical scholar from Vienna who gave a mesmerizing talk on Maria Theresa. Bottom line - we are already planning our next cruise with Uniworld. Read Less

We have experienced other river cruise ships, but this was our first trip with Uniworld. We went with three other couples who are all seasoned travelers, but always on the large, ocean going ships. Since none of has had any way of knowing what to expect from Uniworld, we approached the trip with mild trepidation. From the moment we stepped on board, the term we all seemed to utter at the same time was WOW, followed closely with OMG! Yes, the ship made that kind of a first impression. We were greeted warmly and sent expeditiously to our cabin. We were carefully shown all the cabin had to offer. The entire trip, ship, crew, excursions, F&B and overall ambiance far exceeded any expectations we may have had. We are already planning 2018 on the Rhine and hope to show some more folks the 'river way' of cruising! We can hardly wait! Read Less

My first cruise and everything was wonderful. The accommodations, crew, food and excursions were all first class! Uniworld obviously put a lot of thought into this ship and the crew is well trained in customer service. Never had an issue with the crew, the food or the ship. The cruise offered a variety of excursions and each was well organized and fun. I would not hesitate to recommend this cruise and cruise line to my friends. The cruise was all inclusive and never surprised us with any additional charges for food and wine. We paid for a special progressive dinner one night that was limited to eight passengers and it was worth the extra amount. It included private time with the captain and a private tour of all the ship's main departments, including the kitchen, engine room and laundry. It was fun meeting those who were working behind the scenes to make our time on the ship so special. We all did not want the cruise to come to an end. We will go back again! Read Less

My son works for a travel agency and won a trip on theSS Maria Theresa. We sailed July 2017. First of all, I am in awe that my son chose to take his Mom on this fairytale trip, my heart overflows with gratitude to him. This was my first time to Europe, it was totally breathtaking. I have severe back issues, even tho for almost a year before sailing I had several injections and procedures and attended yoga and chair exercise classes. I was doing everything in my power to get strong for our travels, but to no avail, so I spent most of the trip on the top deck enjoying being pampered by the crew. In all my 73 Years I have never been so pampered. One day it was a bit cool and windy as I was laying on a lounge chair and our very HANSOM Captain came with a blanket and covered me up. One of the most amazing things, is that everyone remembered my name and treated me like I was a celebrity. I would definitely take another Uniworld Cruise even with my back trouble, it was a trip of a lifetime. I tell everyone that will listen to me about this AMAZING CRUISE SHIP AND THE SPECIAL CREW THAT TAKES SUCH GOOD CARE OF EVERYONE. Read Less

This was our second cruise with Uniworld and it was just as glorious as the first. This was an 8 day cruise called Enchanting Danube, This boat the Maria Theresa as all the Uniworld ships is lavish in décor. If you like simple and understated , this is not for you. But if your taste tends toward the Baroque there is nothing better. The technology in the staterooms and public rooms is state of the art. The crew is marvelous. They would do hand springs just to make your cruise more enjoyable. The guides on the shore excursions are charming, knowledgeable and most helpful. Gastronomically the food is sumptuous. Unlike many cruise boats, you have several choices and they cater to special needs. Our children who were with us are vegetarians and they never ate this well before! There is one caveat and that concerns the popularity of river boat cruising. This form of travel has become so popular that there are too many boats doing the same itineraries. This makes for a jumble at various ports and the result is that boats have to double up and even triple. The result is that you are often left looking a the window of another boat and not at your port or even at the river. Read Less

We have done several ocean cruises but this is the first river cruise, so our comparison point is not with other river cruises. We had a very enjoyable time overall. The smaller ship (~150) was cozy and let the staff be more flexible in arrangements. The ship facilities were good overall. The excursions were great. The quietvox system they used was really useful. For the biking excursions, they had enough guides that they could have let the group split into two... one faster and one slower group. But instead, by keeping one group, the slower and faster folks were both a bit off their desired paces. The fitness center was small and one of the two bikes was broken for the entire cruise, so this caused a lot of contention. Good laundry machines available. Wait staff was really nice, but often made mistakes... wrong or forgotten orders, etc. Checkout was really inefficient. One person for all checkout. I think we waited in one for 45 minutes. Not much for kids. Read Less

We wanted to experience Eastern Europe, not having been there before, and chose an 8 day cruise between Budapest and Passau. The shore excursions were informative without being great and we sometimes had only brief periods to explore the cities/towns on our own. Our on board experience was mostly good and all the crew were ultra-attentive and always helpful. The restaurant service was impeccable and the dinner menus selective and mainly above par but breakfast and lunch choices, while always tasty, were practically static every day. On board entertainment was below par with the same pianist and vocalist nightly and this must have greater variety like using local performers, in each port, reflecting their local culture. Airport services with pick-up and dispatch was well organized and timely. Embarkation and disembarkation went smoothly and without a hitch. Overall, a bit pricey for what you get in return but we would definitely consider using them again. Read Less

Please note that our family has lived overseas on three different continents, and we traveled a great deal in each area, usually on our own with children. We decided on this small cruise for several reasons: friends joined us, the area interested us, and the definite ease of travel. For the record: I will never, ever, ever take a cruise on a larger ship. Massive amounts of people make my skin crawl. We are of a certain age (me especially) and watching the world go by at a leisurely pace with everything arranged suited us immensely. The staff, crew, and guides spoiled us; this can be disconcerting at times because it is not how we live. Granted, they were not helicopter-intrusive, but they were always present. The food on board was always very tasty and always featured local foods and very fresh ingredients. There were American/English staples for the breakfast and lunch buffets; then they also offered a variety of native items. Dinners were a la carte with three choices: meat, fish, vegetarian. There were other options--but, never taken. Our chef was a youthful Portuguese gentleman who took pride in our table fare and every plate was picture-perfect. Because we were traveling along the Danube, many local wines were poured. They were generally not to my taste and the wait staff was at the ready with alternative choices. Our outings were, of course, well-planned. Local guides met us and filled our heads with dates and names and histories galore. They all spoke very clearly with charming accents. We were given portable ear pieces so that hearing them was not a challenge. Generally, our crowd was a little more geriatric and they accommodated us nicely. Those with great spirit and good health had the option of bicycling from port to port or taking more vigorous tours. Bless their hearts. I was impaired after our three day stay in Prague and the ship had the common sense to have walking sticks available for those of us with mobility challenges. With my ‘magic stick’, I was able to conjure easier paths, elevators, chairs, kindness, and great respect (always after the threat of a wallop). Early June and it proved to be tourist season for the whole world. Some sites were over-crowded and almost claustrophobic--Disney World jammed, you know what I mean. I enjoyed it when arrangements were made for early tours, private entrees, and alternative destinations. River cruises have become quite popular; in larger ports there could be up to 20 ships docked in close proximity. At times our luxuriously large window was blocked by another ship docked next to us. Note to cruise executives: if you are charging us for an immense window, please make sure the view is worthwhile. My husband and I struck out on our own several times with good directions and some helpful hints about the local city. This is what I truly enjoy doing: exploring and observing without a definite timetable. We have been on guided tours, but the venues were more volatile and we had small children with us (Jordan, Egypt, and Turkey). Moving about en masse with about 20 people became a little tedious even though everyone was pleasant and as enthralled as we were. My mailman asked me what my most favorite thing about our trip was. For me, it was talking to those citizens who had lived behind the Iron Curtain and were now venturing into capitalism and their surge into freedom; feeling the history of their countries through stories of change and fear and loss and resurgence--always with pride in their voices. Being on the ship was peaceful. You could relax in the quiet of your room (it was well-insulated) or find a spot in a common area that gave you a view and few people. If you were so inclined, there were people ready to converse, order drinks with you, or engage in rollicking fun. In truth, I am imagining the rollicking fun part as I was usually very tired and ready for my comfortable bed. If I take another cruise, I think it will be one with a theme. Not a drinking or history tour, but one of a more eclectic subject: Northern lights and the fjords of Norway may be calling me as I dine with astronomers. My guess is, Scrabble tours would probably just get ugly. Read Less

From the moment we stepped on board the SS Maria Theresa through to our drop off at the airport on the last day, we were treated like royalty. Without exception every crew member was pleasant, helpful and friendly. They seemed to know every passengers name by the second day ! The food was beautifully presented and delicious. The ship was lavishly and tastefully decorated following the theme throughout. The embarkation and disembarkation were easy and went smoothly. Before dinner appetizers and drinks were served in the lounge nightly. During this time, the tour director provided a nightly overview of the next day's excursions and had every detail addressed. Shore excursions were well planned with English speaking guides who shared local history. The wine steward provided a nightly review of the featured wine for each night's dinner. There was nightly onboard entertainment in the lounge before and after dinner. This cruise and itinerary would appeal to adults...not so much for children. Read Less

For me, when taking a cruise (or staying at a luxury hotel) for the second time, it rarely equals or exceeds the first time. HOWEVER, Uniworld changed everything for me. We cruised on the SS Antionette 2 years ago for the "Castles on the Rhine" and were impressed beyond our expectations. This time we cruised on the SS Maria Theresa for the "Enchanting Danube" Budapest to Passau cruise. Not thinking it could possible happen, it did! It's literally impossible to find anything to criticize. The ship, the Captain, the crew, the food, the bar, the itinerary EVERYTHING. Granted we stayed in a suite, but this was simply the most luxurious, comfortable and rewarding trip/cruise we've ever taken. We've done over 15 Sea or River cruises combined. Having a butler (or two) may be the greatest experience you can have. For my money, if we want the BEST, stick with Uniworld. Read Less

Our second cruise with Uniworld. Previous cruise - the Rhine. Excellent accommodations, food/drink, and service from the crew members. The embarkation and disembarkations were well planned and executed. The food with wine parings were superb. Shore excursions and our guides were excellent. We will definitely travel with Uniworld again and recommend it highly to our friends and family. Service on this ship would be hard to beat. Every crew member greets you with a smile. Need something ? They get it for you right away. Laundry service is exceptional. I can't believe that someone took the time to carefully fold underwear and socks the way they do it. The bed in our cabin was very comfortable and the bathroom was surprisingly spacious with plenty towels, etc. Internet access needs improvement. It was difficult to stay connected for any period of time. It may be something beyond their ability to fix. Read Less

This trip surpassed my expectations - big time. I have cruised extensively and hadn't really considered a river cruise since Viking 10 years ago, from Moscow to St. Petersburg. That was a wonderful itinerary. River cruising has come a long way since then....the ships are far more comfortable. First off - let's get one thing out of the way: the decor of the Maria Theresa. It's like Liberace had a fever dream -- very Hapsburg brothel. Not to everyone's taste to be sure, but it grows on you. And being only two years old, it is very high tech (iffy wifi notwithstanding) and well thought-out. I beg to differ with a previous reviewer who said that most of the walking tours could be done sans tour guide. True enough. And I usually eschew tours. But since they were included, why not? Glad for that - they were generally excellent, and the blue tooth technology allowed one to wander away from the local guide and still hear the commentary. And there was free time to do more exploring on your own from time to time, such as Day 2 in Vienna or Passau by night. Groups were kept small. Kudos to all the staff, who were approachable and and informative. The spread sheet given out at the start of the cruise, with each stop showing available tours, was just what was needed. We were immediately able to book tours for the entire week. The cruise director, Jeonji (sp?) was herself from Budapest, and she was simply outstanding. The one tour we paid extra for was the Ruins Pub tour in the former Budapest ghetto - and it was a lot of fun and worth the money.The food was really good. They did a fine job of including regional specialties whenever possible, and some were spot-on, such as the Wiener schnitzel and sausages. Last but not least: even the weather cooperated. The 20 mile bike ride from Melk to Durnstein was rain-free, and seeing the Maria Theresa pass us as we picnicked on the Danube was a treat. Arrival in Budapest was on a brilliantly sunny (and windy) morning. Gorgeous. And that night the captain sailed the Danube to see the illuminated city at night. Read Less