Crunchy but good
River Countess Cruise Review by tarabon
- Sail Date: Oct 2019
- Destination: Europe River
- Cabin Type: Standard Stateroom
This was our first uniworld cruise, and to be honest I did not like the ship. It was very claustrophobic: low ceilings, outsized furniture in small spaces, I always felt like I was sqeezing past other guests, especially at the buffet. That said, service and food were always excellent. We had an amazing art historian leading many of the tours and it was nice to have a choice of tours included every day. (Avoid the mussel cruise at all costs, though; it was totally lame). Having all drinks included, not just with meals, was a nice plus.
We took the option of starting in Milan and were very happy we did. The hotel there was very good and stopping at Verona on the way to Venice was quite pleasant. We took the optional tour to the top of the Milan Cathedral which was dangerously crowded since it was a holiday weekend but still spectacular. I especially appreciated that Uniworld arranged for private group viewings of the Last Supper and St Mark's cathedral so we could avoid the crush and appreciate those places.
The onboard enrichment ranged from pathetic (tiramisu demo). To very good ( narrated tour of the lagoon); onboard entertainment was very good, especially the local musicians and singers.
The cruise director, Ricardo, was always ready to lend a hand to anyone who needed it, and was very pleasant and competent. He kept us well informed of changes in the itinerary.
Although we never reached the Po due to weather, cruising the lagoon was wonderful, and exploring the islands was a treat. If we hadn’t been to Venice before I would have wanted more of the area around the square, but for us it was a wonderful trip
All in all, I would travel with Uniworld again.
Cabin Review
Adequate. I would have preferred to choose a balcony but that is not an option on uniworld. I found myself constantly bumping into my husband trying to get around the room. The bed was very comfortable, but the room is tight. Perhaps removing the bulky chairs would help.
Port & Shore Excursion Reviews
We wished we had more time in Milan. We walk on the Cathedral roof, and saw the Sforza castle and the acade on theverygood city tour, and the recommended restaurants were excellent. The Uniworld crew at the hotel were very helpful.
The mussel tour was a real disappointment. We did not see mussel fishing, nor was it explained well. It was basically a boat ride in the rain. Lunch was excellent, though.
What a beautiful relaxing place; dont miss this if you visit Venice. We went back on our own time to walk around more.
We got to walk across the Bridge of Sighs and into the prison! We had been here before on our own, but our tour guide provided s with so much terrific information that we had missed!
Susan gave an excellent tour of her city; although the pace was brisk for some, we did avoid the crowds. We would have liked sometime in the gift shop, but the long line for the we prevented that.
We were so glad to visit this city, and the tour was very good. Of course Juliet’s house was crowded but there is a lot more going on here.