We expected a fantastic river cruise 2 weeks ago. Our trip had been postponed for 2 years due to COVID and some health issues. Uniworld knew that the rivers were low, but gambled on the predictions of rain. Well the rain never came and we only sailed 1 day on the Danube. We didn't even start in Budapest, we had to take bus to a nearby city to pick up the ship. I cannot say enough good things about the crew on the ship - they were awesome - caring, friendly, great service, and well mannered. They really wanted to please you and they did for the few days we were on the ship. Mind you we were on the ship for 3 days - stuck in Passau Germany.

What I criticize is the fact that they decided to bus us all over Germany, Austria, and Amsterdam (end point). They put us in hotels that were not very clean and really unlivable. We spent countless hours on buses travelling sometimes 4 to 5 hours a day to get to a destination. We had to live out of our luggage as we didn't spend any considerable time to unpack in Frankfurt or Amsterdam - 3 overnights in Frankfurt and 2 overnights in Amsterdam. The Sheraton in Frankfurt (not really in Frankfurt but 4 to 5 miles away in Offenbach) was the worst place. No AC - each room had a pedestal fan that you had to run 24 hours a day. There was mold and mildew in the bathrooms. Just not what I planned on when this was supposed to be a luxurious river cruise vacation. While the hotel did offer breakfast each day, the scrambled eggs were of the powder variety - Army Style. Uniworld did provide us with 2 dinners - one at the Sheraton and one at a local restaurant by the Frankfurt Airport. The dinner at the Sheraton was awful - I needed a magnifying glass to find my the chicken breast being service. Not many fixings served on my plate - a few vegetables. We had a choice of beer or wine - no spirits provide. Did I mention this was supposed to be an all inclusive vacation? Apparently, no one told customer service that we were entitled to spirits as well.

The beer and wine was only offered one or two nights in Frankfurt from 6 to 11. While we went to the bar at 5, my friends and wife had to wait until 6 to get their free (not really free) beverages while I had to pay for my own. Luckily, on Sunday evening we were able to watch a NFL game - Pats vs the Dolphins. However, the restaurant was closed to ordering a la carte - no bar food, just a buffet that cost an arm and a leg. If we chose that, we were not able to bring the food into the bar. We were also not able to order outside food and bring it into the bar. We did have a nice day trip to Salzburg. It was a fairly long trip and I really cannot remember what day we travelled on. There are no highways to Salzburg - only back roads. Beautiful scenery and very nostalgic (Sound of Music Fans). The dinner at the local restaurant was very good - large portions of schnitzel. Again, no spirits. Each person limited to either 2 beers or 2 glasses of wine. Did I mention that this trip was supposed to be all inclusive? Read more