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Trip of a lifetime!

After doing 20 ocean cruises, we just returned from our first river cruise on Uniworld River Empress and absolutely loved it!

The itinerary (Basel-Amsterdam) was fantastic, with mix of some larger cities (Basel/Amsterdam overnight, Frankfurt and Cologne) and some smaller charming villages/towns. Highly recommended.   

Uniworld is one of the most inclusive lines, and it's considered a luxury river line. We had two shore excursions that were extra (and very reasonably priced), everything else was included - gratuities, one excursion in each port (typically choice of 2-3), wines and spirits, Internet and shuttles to town.

Some alcoholic beverages were extra cost (the "Diamond Selection" of brands. We tipped mot of our tour guides, but this was our choice. 

We were on the low deck (the swan cabin), and I consider it the best value. All cabins are the same size on this ship (except for 4 "suites", the only difference is that higher decks have larger windows or French balconies. To me, there is no real value to have a larger window, and the only advantage of the French balcony is that you can have some fresh air. But the added cost is really not worth it in my opinion. 

Service was outstanding, probably the best we had on any cruise ship, including Silversea and Crystal. After 2-3 days they learned our preferences and you didn't even have to ask for your favorite drink, they just knew it by heart. On paper, the 3:1 crew/passenger ratio doesn't look promising, compared to 1.4:1 that luxury ocean ships have, but somehow they manage to provide such high level of service with so few people. This is still a mystery to me - somehow those ratios work differently on river ships. You feel like you are staying in a luxury boutique hotel. 

The officers are very visible and approachable, we had some long conversations with the hotel manager Vasil and the cruise manager Tomas. I learned a lot about river cruises from them. 

The dress code in the evening was very casual, with some people even wearing shorts, but they were in minority. Most were wearing casual slacks and shirts. Two gala nights where some men were wearing jackets, but definitely not required. We liked the dress code very much. 

Our cruise manager Tomas was amazing. So knowledgeable, organized and friendly. The excursions were very well organized and planned, always on time, with professional and knowledgeable guides. Average group size was around 20 people, with maximum of 28. Couple of times we had groups as small as 12-14 people. Typically there was a selection of 2-3 excursions in the morning, then back to the ship for lunch, and then another "Masterpiece" excursion in the afternoon at extra cost, or you could just explore on your own. Most of the time the ships docked right at the center of the city, which was a huge positive compared to ocean ships. 

Food was excellent, despite relatively limited choices (4 starters, 2 soups and 4 main courses). I always had something to choose from, and I'm very picky. Lunch buffet was among the best we had on any ship. All ingredients were top quality. 

We were only 88 guests, with full capacity of 130 guests, so we had no issues dining alone if we wanted to. But with ship at full capacity, you are forced to share tables (there are no tables for 2), which could be an issue for people who like to dine alone. We shared tables with other people on some meals and sometimes dined alone. We met some very nice people, everyone was very friendly, so this was not an issue at all. The average age was about 65-70, with a few older and few younger. 

Despite its age (over 20 years), the ships is very well maintained. The AC worked very well, the water pressure was great, no plumbing issues of any kind, and we never heard the engine.  

Some of the negatives: 

Cabins are TINY. No minibar in the cabin. We spend very little time in the cabin and it's definitely very low priority for us. But compared to lines like Silversea with 305 sqft cabins that have walking closet and separate sitting area it is still a negative. But river cruises are 90% about the itinerary. 

The ship is really small, with not much to do (no pool, hot tubs etc). Only one lounge and one restaurant. I believe newer ships have more facilities, sometimes some alternative restaurants.

No place to hide, so if you want some privacy, this is not a ship for you. Evening entertainment was very limited. Internet varied from fair to poor. 

Overall, we had a great time and will definitely sail with Uniworld again. Itinerary will be the main factor, but all other factors equal, we would probably prefer one of their newer "super ships".

Fantastic from start to Finish

Jost Van Dyke

We took the week-long ‘Dutch Delights’ cruise from Amsterdam and back, via the IJsellmeer inland sea and both large and small rivers.  This ‘Generations’ cruise had several sizeable family groups with well-behaved kids, a change from the usual mix of retirees.

We particularly enjoyed visiting the pretty small towns in Friesland and the rural far south of The Netherlands. Amsterdam is probably best experienced at your own pace as an add-on to a cruise.

The crew were generally friendly, typically from Eastern Europe, with Dutch captains sailing in their home waters. 

Food was excellent with a wide choice at buffet breakfasts and lunches and à la carte dinners.

On the downside, the ship is showing its age (over 20 years) with faded interior paintwork and chips in bathroom fittings. Mirrors throughout give a sense of space but sometimes you find yourself having to check you’re not walking into the glass. 

There was plentiful comfortable seating in the main lounge, a relaxed area most of the time, but there was no good alternative for a quiet drink and chat if the evening entertainment isn’t your thing.

Dutch Delights

We have cruised with Silversea and Regent but had never done a river cruise  We chose Castles on the Rhine from Amsterdam to Basel.  We liked  the itinerary and  the all inclusive aspect of Uniworld.

When I stepped foot on the dock in Amsterdam and two men came running down the gangplank to handle my luggage, I knew we had made the right choice.

The staff was unbelievable.  They were professional and unobtrusive...always greeted us with a smile by name.  The food was perfect.  There were lots of freshly made, healthy options at every meal.  I did have trouble with the incredible desserts.  C'est la vie...it was vacation.

I knew the scenery would be pretty but I didn't realize it would be the prettiest trip we've ever taken.  You go down the prettiest parts of the river in the daytime...it is unbelievably beautiful.  We extended with their two day post cruise option in Lucerne, Switzerland.  It was the icing on the cake.

River Cruising is a great option for us now as my husband has some mobility issues.  We loved seeing so much without a lot of packing.  The passengers are extremely friendly and from all over the world.  The average age is about 65.  They did have lots of bike rides, hikes, etc for those who want to be more active.

If we are lucky enough to take another River Cruise, I would only consider Uniworld.

My wife and I chose the Uniworld river cruise as it was recommended by our travel agent due to the supposedly very high level of their food.  We were looking forward to cruising down the Rhine, while viewing beautiful scenery, castles, and making interesting stops along the way from Amsterdam to Basel, all along being served first class food.  It did not turn out that way.  Let me first state the ship was very well maintained, although the decor is dated.  The professionalism and friendliness of the staff could not have been any higher.  We happily give the staff a five star rating!  The weather was excellent throughout our cruise. However, there are several things about our Uniworld River Empress cruise which were definitely disappointing.   

As mentioned above, we looked forward to cruising down the Rhine while taking in beautiful scenery.  However, the cruising time while viewing the scenery basically lasted one and one half days.  The afternoon of the first day, and the full following day.  The rest of the time the cruising was done during the evenings (while sleeping), which significantly short changed our expectations, as well as those promised by cruise advertisement images showing a ship serenely cruising by ancient castles and impressive mountains.  With this having been our first river cruise, my wife and I obviously failed to "read the fine print" of the schedule which would have alerted us to the fact that impressive scenery would be extremely limited.  Most of the days we would wake up in a different small Rhine-area town, disembark, and be given a tour of the immediate area.  These small towns differed little from each other, with the shape of the local cathedral most often being the main difference. After a couple of stops they become interchangeable, since there was little local art (none at all), food, scenery difference to appreciate.  These towns seem to exist currently simply due to the river cruise industry. To say the stops became repetitive is as kind a description possible. If the cruise had lasted half of the time it would have been an improvement, as it would have cut down on the boredom. Uniworld should choose stops which offer individual experiences, not simply more of the same, becoming repetitive.

As far as the food is concerned, the flavor segment of the cuisine was underwhelming.  The selection of food was definitely ample and well presented.  Breakfast, and also desserts at lunch/dinner, were excellent (the pastry chef should be highly commended).  However, the taste of the starters and main courses was definitely Disney quality - bland.  This was a very, very significant disappointment for us, as the endorsed (by our travel agent) high level of the cuisine was the basis for our Uniworld choice.  Food quality was good, food flavor was mediocre.

Sadly, the entertainment (which we did not expect to have) was completely forgettable.

My wife and I lived in Europe for several years some time ago, and perhaps our trip expectations were too high. This trip did not leave us eager to book future cruises.

Underwhelming and repetitive

This was our first cruise and we were celebrating a special occasion. Everything  was great - cabin layout quite adequate with lovely big comfy bed, lovely en suite with great shower, all sparkling clean. Food  was fantastic, loads of choice for breakfast and  lunch, more formal meal in the evening but still with three or four choices on the four course menu. Masses of choice in drinks including malt whiskies, all staff were friendly and  professional. Trips varied but generally good and there was usually a choice.

So what was the problem?? I have to firstly state that I am a poor sleeper. So, we had paid for a 'deluxe' cabin, which meant we had a good sized, non opening window and  were located at the front on the second level. All cabins are the same size and layout, you pay for the window, ours was fine from that point of view. What was definitely not fine was the hellish noise we experienced from the engines at the front, located maybe six feet from our door, which was the second last in the corridor. The last door between us and the engine room was the bottle store. 100+ passengers on an all inclusive cruise get  through a lot of bottles so the staff were constantly in and out during the day and in the evening, clattering and clanking as they restocked. But worst by far was the engine noise. Apparently the engines at the front are the ones which deal with sideways positioning and are therefore heavily engaged when passing through locks. There are a great many locks between Basel and Amsterdam, and we sailed through the vast majority of them overnight, mainly on nights 1 & 2. This meant that I barely slept during either of these nights doe to the roaring of the engine. We spoke to passengers who were in the cheaper cabins one level down but who heard nothing. We were very unfortunate in the location of our room. And to add insult to injury a couple of nights later we had dancing in the lounge from 9.30pm. Guess what, the lounge turned out to be directly above our heads. We ended up going ashore and walking along the towpath for an hour or so in the pitch dark, thankfully when we returned after 11.00 the band was finishing. Lots of apologies and a bottle of fizzy wine the next day from the hotel manager on board.

So apart from the noise the cruise was 5*. Unfortunately if you can't sleep at night you can't enjoy the days. I have since been in touch with customer services who tell me that noise is not unexpected. Well it was completely unexpected for me and served to seriously detract from our holiday. Should you have a problem I cannot recommend Uniworld customer services.

So yes, go on the trip but only if you can be absolutely certain you will not end up in CABIN 202!

Trip spoilt by very noisy cabin

Sal and i have just got back from a fabulous Rhine River Cruise on the River Empress. We enjoyed every minute on the elegant yet cozy ship. We were particularly impressed with the personal attention we were given, everything was sparkling clean, the friendliness of the crew all added to make a unforgettable vacation. Special mention goes to George our cabin attendant who kept our cabin spotless, delightful Monica who catered to our every need in the dining area, the bar lady who made us our cocktails, Ramona who organized the excursions and the personnel at the front desk who answered all our questions so patiently. We have already recommended Uniworld to our friends and family.The food presentation and freshness were very good. We enjoyed eating the bread and cheeses from the ports that we visited. Overall we were very impressed Thank you all for making our cruise unforgettable - Juliet and Sal De Souza

River Empress along the Rhine

We had taken 3 and our sons and their wives had each taken 1 cruise with Uniworld, and we were completely satisfied.  However, this was a totally different story.  This was a generational cruise--the Remarkable Rhine.  My husband and I wanted our children and grandchildren to have this unique experience.  I am posting photos of my one of my son's rooms to show the deplorable condition.  Ours was not much better, but I did not take pictures of it.  We spent a lot of money on this cruise for 11 of us.  I complained to Uniworld and asked for a partial refund.  Instead, we got certificates that have to be used within a year.  We are not happy with their response to our situation.  We will not be taking any Uniworld cruises in the future.  They are going to redo that ship, but they should have lowered the prices to be in line with its condition.  The prices were the same as others were paying for one of their super ships.

Also, we had informed Uniworld months ahead that our flight had been canceled and that we would e arriving at 5:20 instead of at their 5:00 deadline.  At first, they said that we would have to find our own way to the ship.  After I reminded them that there were 11 of us and that we would be arriving only 20 minutes after their deadline, they agreed to pick us up.  Our flight was over 45 minutes late, and our transport was gone.  We called Uniworld, and they told us to make our own transport arrangements to the ship.  We finally arrived just in time for dinner.  I feel that their transport company should have had enough experience to check our flight schedule and have seen that we were going to be late and planned accordingly.  We were reimbursed for our transport.

In all, my husband and I were so happy that we were able to provide our family with this experience and looked forward to it for almost a year.  We remain totally disappointed with our experience.

Did Not Get Our Money's Worth

My fiancé received an incentive trip provided by Brother sewing machines. We started in Amsterdam and also stopped in Germany, Switzerland and ending in Basel, France. 

All the way from special dining foods and wines in what ever region we were in was a delight on this all inclusive cruise. The service by the wonderful crew was superb!  Nicolay runs a wonderful dining room, any request I had he fulfilled for us. Great waiters and waitresses, all had their own special qualities Plus the bar with Mariya and Silviya working very hard to please, constantly smiling. They never tell you no. Anthony  making sure we were introduced to each city we came into port on great excursions. 

Our cabin was wonderfully  taken care of by Tihimore who had a ready smile she shared. 

It felt like home the entire stay. Thank you so much, made many memories for myself and my fiancé.

Beautiful Cruise and Extraordinary Service

We contracted this cruise with others through a common travel agent and received great value. The rooms on the 3rd level are quite small, requiring my wife and I to signal each other as to where we were headed in the room in order to make space for us to pass. There is sufficient closet space, few drawers, a good safe, and interestingly the wall covers have a foam base which eliminates all noise other than that in the room. 

The daily trips related to the Jewish Excursions throughout the week and the guides, with one exception, were among the best we have experienced. Everything was easy here, prompted by a rather modest size passenger list. The food was from good to very good, with outstanding restaurant service, especially the maître d' who provided my wife at every meal with a serrated knife since she has problems with her hand. He would come up behind us, wherever we sat, and unobtrusively replace the cutlery. And he had the cook prepare a side dish for a passenger we sat with based on her request. MOST IMPRESSIVE. 

There is less to do in the afternoons after the tours and other than a piano player, nothing in the evening...with one exception. While the cruise director did good work describing the castles on the Rhine, more information would have been very helpful and more entertainment in the evening would have enhanced the trip.

Our room was kept spotless, and the ship itself was exceedingly clean. 

It was a comfortable cruise with a very attentive staff. I wish that it had some added features in order for me to recommend this excursion to others.

Great Staff

You only have one chance to make a first impression. Uniworld failed, and then failed again. Yet we had a wonderful cruise and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Uniworld product to anyone.

This was my 37th cruise; fourth river cruise; third Europe river cruise; first Uniworld. My favorite ocean cruises are Crystal and Celebrity, and in Europe our two river cruises were on AmaWaterways  (I’d certainly be happy to cruise with them again). We booked through an agency that puts together air and “best available” cruise cabins, close to departure, at good prices. We were hesitant to let somebody else plan our air, but we booked less than two months in advance on a cruise we had wanted to do but didn’t think we could fit into our busy schedule! This itinerary has a Jewish Heritage option for tours in 2018, which is what attracted us to it. I had inquired about whether they’d be doing the same for 2019 and they didn’t know yet. Because the planning would be minimal (just check the weather and try to pack appropriately), we decided to jump in and book.

We actually were happy with the Delta flights chosen for us. We were flying to Basel to start the cruise, and we knew we’d have three ups and downs (we don’t live in a hub city) so it was fine. What was a bit frustrating is that the Basel airport has two distinct exits, one into France and one into Switzerland. We didn’t see the signs about that; we were merely focused on finding our luggage carousel. Luckily a friend who was with us saw the appropriate signs and stopped us from using the wrong exit. I thought Uniworld could’ve mentioned that for guests embarking in Basel. Then to compound the frustration, after finding the representative and boarding the bus for our group transfer, we arrive at the “pier”, with two ships parked along side. No representative from Uniworld welcomed us. Only one crew member came to get luggage, and he couldn’t take everybody’s at once. Finally a second crew member showed up and assured us he’d take our bags, suggesting that we just go to board the River Empress. It wasn’t even clear which way to choose to walk to the ship!

Ok, all of that was quickly forgotten when we got on board and could relax comfortably for an hour in  the lounge, or even outside on the deck, until lunch was served in the main dining room. After that, it was easy to leave our carry-ons with the front desk and walk into the center of the town, where we thoroughly enjoyed seeing the lovely market full of flowers, fruits and vegetables, baked goods, and food stalls. We saw city hall and found the cathedral, so we felt we had started our European sightseeing quite nicely.

Back at the ship, we unpacked and were ready for dinner and bedtime! Before dinner each evening, the Cruise Manager gives a briefing about the next day’s activities. The lounge is comfortable and everybody who wishes to attend fits in nicely. The sommelier/bartender gives a briefing about the included wines that evening for dinner as well as the ones with an upcharge (one white and one red in both categories). That’s a good time to visit with the Cruise Manager if you have any questions about the next day. Also, when you return to your cabin, you’ll find the information about the next day, and there’s plenty of detail that kept us well clued in.

We were quite pleased with all of the meals aboard the River Empress. Breakfast and lunch are buffet and you quickly figure out which things are duplicated on both sides and where to find your favorites.  On a few occasions, restocking wasn’t as quick as we might hope to see, but otherwise everything was available and at the correct temperature. For breakfast, you can order from the menu if you wish, instead of picking out your own things or going to the gentleman cooking the eggs, and there’s one special dish every morning. We were a party of four, and often dined with three additional guests we met onboard, and I would say that all of us were quite happy with the food – and we were VERY happy with the service. We made a point of sitting in the same area because we knew the waiter, Milen, was so good. Special kudos to Uniworld for the nice job they did incorporating local foods into the menus.

I never met our cabin stewardess but she definitely did a good job. I adjusted the little chairs the first night, or I would’ve tripped over them in the middle of the night! But otherwise the cabin was fine, although small. Still, we had enough room to unpack and we certainly had a nice hot shower every day and a truly comfortable night’s sleep. Sometimes we even had a nice view out our window! Other times, we had a view of the river ship next to us, or the walls of the locks that are used to navigate the river, or the docking area. On the little desk/dressing table, there’s an apothecary jar with small, delicious chocolates, and that went a long way to erase my frustration from our airport and river arrival. 

There’s a lounge entertainer before and after dinner, so there’s lovely background music and the opportunity for dancing. One evening, there was a group of three performers who were extremely well received (perhaps because they were over the age of 60, as was most of the cruising population). The cocktail waitress joined the packed dance floor when they played YMCA.

The tours were exactly what we wanted. We had signed up for the Jewish Heritage tours at every port stop that offered them (six out of seven) and the sites we visited, and the tour guides, were excellent in four out of the six and just a bit disappointing in the other two. These tours require advance sign-up, and varied from 24 to 30 guests, always with two tour guides. Usually the tour guides were in two separate groups part of the time and together, all of us, the rest of the time. For the most part it worked great. There are forms to evaluate the tour guides and I certainly took the opportunity of telling who was great and who was not so great. As you may know, river cruising is very big in Europe, so there’s no doubt plenty of competition for the various companies to book the guides. Uniworld uses the QuietVox system so we can always hear the tour guides. I wear hearing aids and I had no trouble using the QuietVox earpiece with no adjustment needed. The only thing one needs to remember is to charge the system every night and take it with you the next day on tour.

One day there was a really good speaker onboard, and one morning there was scenic cruising through the area with many lovely castles and legends. The cruise manager narrated, using the QuietVox system.

As an aside, while we were onboard, Uniworld announced that the Jewish Heritage tours for 2019 will be offered on the Rhine again and also on the Danube. For some totally unknown reason, the Danube cruise seems not to be including Budapest. That makes no sense to me (not that anybody asked me).

Uniworld is an all-inclusive cruise line. All our tours, alcohol, and gratuities, off and on the ship, were included in the cruise fare. I like that a lot. On occasion there’s an opportunity to do an off-ship experience with an upcharge. I didn’t do any, but a friend did and she was very happy with it. The only other things you might spend money for on the ship are purchases in the gift shop, massages, or the upcharge wines (only by the bottle).

Our Cruise Manager was Anthony and I thought he was outstanding. He’s a huge asset for Uniworld. Actually, I have to say all the crew and staff I dealt with were excellent. All in all, a truly lovely cruise experience. I would be delighted to cruise with Uniworld again.

Wonderful cruise despite the iffy first AND second impression!

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