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. Read more