S.S. Maria Theresa Review
Rating by category
Additional details
Some background information on the cruisers: Couple in early to late 50's. Have over 200 days on Seabourn this was our first river cruise.
Embarkation: We made our own way to the ship at it was very easy to locate. We arrived around 12.15 and as our suite was not ready we looked around the ship and then had a buffet lunch. Very easy embarkation process.
Ship decor: I have heard some posters on cc say they would not sail on Uniworld because they did not like the decor. What a pity to miss out on experiencing Uniworld for this reason Decor is subjective but I will say right now that I loved the decor and really appreciated the fine eye for detail that this ship had. Would I furnish my home in this theme, certainly not but as I was only living with this decor for 15 days I really enjoyed it. I felt like I was living in one of Maria Theresa's palaces and the theme of the ship made sense when we did indeed visit some of her palaces.
Cabin Review
Suite with Open-Air Balcony
Suite: We had suite 406 and the couple we were traveling with had suite 407. Our butler showed us into our suite and explained all the features of the suite. The bar was well stocked with wine,beer,spirits,cool drinks and water. There was also crystal bottles of vodka,whiskey and cognac. There was also a nespresso machine and kettle for boiling water. There was a good variety of tea and coffee. We also had a jar of chocolates and a jar of cookies/cake which changed daily. The tv system was explained to us both the one that came down from the ceiling in the bedroom and also the tv which is a mirror until you turn the tv on. There is also a mirror/tv in the bathroom. The electrical system was explained to us and once you understood that you placed your finger gently on the panel and then pressed to command the system we really loved the electronics in the room. We also loved the finger touch windows and flyscreen on the balcony and bedroom window. I have heard some negatives about this system but honestly once you get the hang of it you can really appreciate the technology. We also loved the key card which activated the panel outside your room so your room steward knew if you were in or out of your room so as not to disturb you. We loved not having to answer the door to be asked if we wanted our room serviced. We found the wardrobe and drawers to be sufficient for a 15 day cruise. The bathrobes and slippers supplied were excellent. The bathroom was large and the shower was huge for a river cruise ship. The shower had a rain-head shower and a hand held shower and the water pressure was fantastic. It is one of the important things to me that I have a shower with pressure. Having spent two weeks prior to the cruise in Europe and having experienced their showers I really appreciated the shower and bathroom on the ship.
The negatives of the room and bathroom. The handle from the suite into the bathroom was very stiff and circular I had problems opening the door and for anyone with arthritis or wrist problems it would be impossible. I hope they change theses handles. Also the cabinet drawers in the bathroom have very decorative handles which have a curved end. These protrude from the cabinet too much and you can easily catch yourself on these. I think older guests could really bruise themselves and these do need to be replaced with handles that are perhaps a bit more practical.