River Duchess Review
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We have travelled on over 15 ocean cruises but wanted to experience the river cruise. We chose Uniworld and the River Duchess, mostly for the ports in Eastern Europe.
Not knowing river cruising companies we were somewhat intimidated,however we lucked out in choosing Uniworld. Everything was great. Uniworld assembles mostly english speaking passengers for some of their cruises so we were able to enjoy all the people aboard. The main countries represented were US, Canada and Australia. River boat passengers seem to be very well travelled and welcome meeting new people. The dining was open and we never ate alone. The food was outstanding and after the big cruise lines, it was so refreshing to have the variety we experience there but not the massive quantity.
To my view, the river boats are not beautiful because of the specifications they have to follow re bridges etc. but the interior of the River Duchess was quite luxurious. Our stateroom was a little smaller than we had experienced on the ocean liners but very adequate and well appointed.
Cabin Review
Standard Stateroom
The cabin was on the small side but very well appointed. The bed very comfortable with two duvets. We had a lot of storage space. The only small complaint was that the cupboard area was not well insulated so you could hear clearly if your neighbor was in their cupboard. However if the doors were closed, and they were most of the time, the sound was blocked.
In river cruising we found it is very important to check out which side of the ship is the best for a view during the day. We did not choose the best side, since in most of the ports we were tied up to a dingy dock or other river boat rather than having a view of the river. I would also add that in river cruising it is important to choose a deck where you can see out during the day when you are docked. Decks 1 and 2 would not have been good for us, however 3 which had fixed windows and 4 with doors that open to a non balcony were great.
Other oddity we noticed in river cruising, with the door open it is very quiet at night since there is no sound of the surf.