Why such a price diff between Uniworld and Viking

I have researched both cruise lines and are surprised about the price for each. I know Viking gives 1/2 price cruises and air but wonder how they are able to do that especially with the cost of their advertising.

There are no 1/2 price cruises, on Viking, Oceania or any other line. Nobody ever paid the "full" price.

The "1/2 price" thing is just a marketing strategy. Makes you feel like you are getting a very good deal, but in actuality the "1/2 price" is the only price.

I have only been on Viking and my feeling is they give you a good product for the money. Viking is considered a "mid-price" line.

Uni is known to be a bit more upscale, so like most things in life you get what you pay for.

Compare what you get from both cruise lines and see if the additional cost of Uniworld is something you want. Viking gives you a lot for the money and only you can decide if that will make you happy. I was happy with what we got on our Viking cruise and thought is was a good "value" for the money. Some people are used to only the finer things and are willing to pay for them.

Hi,

We sailed Budapest to Prague on Tauck ... first class all the way.

Some over the top shore events like the dinner in Budapest and the cocktail party/classic entertainment and dinner at a palace in Vienna.

Our next river cruise was on Uniworld this past August in Venice.

Very good .. with small cabins. Food and tours were fine. The best part IMHO was the 5 day extension to Florence and Rome. Worth every penny.

Our TA always manages to give us a great discount (around 10%) no matter what line we book on.

I am booked with my daughter on Viking for next June. Bigger cabin than Uniworld. Since we will be in twin beds the extra sq. feet will come in handy. Also did a spread sheet and compared itineraries and costs.

Chose Viking as it was less $. Considering what I had to pay to fly on Delta to Paris saving a few hundred $ was a no brainer.

I think we will have a good time no matter which line we chose.

Looking to book Amsterdam to Basel for 2015. If I like Viking enough we may well book with them if they are less costly.

I think, I may be wrong but as I was researching river cruising, Uniworld was one of the more upscale lines and one of the ones that was beginning to go more all inclusive. Meaning your gratuities were included in you fare starting in 2014.:)

That is my impression as well although how upscale Uniworld is I don't really know. But in 2014 everything is included except premium wines and spirits, a very few optional excursions and any extensions.

Is Uniworld more upscale then AMA?

Compared to AMA or Viking, Uniworld's pricing includes the following:

• Gratuities (onboard crew and tour guides)
  
• Liquor/wine/beer (normally only wine/beer is free at lunch and/or dinner)
  

I have not been on AMA or Viking, but Uniworld is definitely positioning themselves as being more inclusive and upscale than those brands. From my experience onboard Uniworld, they have a very nice product that is similar to staying at a fancy boutique hotel or Four Seasons. Just my two cents.

Is Uniworld more upscale then AMA?

In my opinion... yes.

Some find the "boutique" look on Uniworld not to their liking, but I am fine with it. I have found that Uniworld's attention to detail is unsurpassed when comparing to the companies I have sailed with so far... (AMA, Viking, Scenic).

Fran

We looked at Uniworld for our next trip as well as Viking because we are running out of Viking itineraries in Europe. We've done 5 Viking cruises and enjoyed all five trips - but only 4 of the boats & crews. One boat was a poor experience when they rushed the boat for sailing before it was ready & we were unhappy with the hotel manager's actual avoidance of any help with problems. We've chosen Viking for trip 6 this spring because of cost and because we have enjoyed our past cruises. The itineraries and activities have been very good and most crews have been terrific which really makes a difference to us. We've sailed on older and new boats - actually liked the larger rooms on older boats. True, the 2 for 1 price of Viking is their "regular" price but we get a nice discount for being prior customers and they offer sales on air fare which is a costly component from the west coast. Our preference would be to have a sale on the cruise cost & do our own air so we can control airlines & schedules. Trip 6 will be our first time using Viking's air so we'll judge for the future by how this trip goes. There was a substantial difference in cost (cruise + air) between Viking and Uniworld for the same cruise even figuring in the new all inclusive costs. Viking has given us good value and allowed us to travel and see parts of the world we wouldn't otherwise be able to enjoy. One other difference that might be important for some folks is that Viking requires full payment upon booking. That always affects our evaluations when planning for future trips. Now, we just need some new itinerary choices even on the same rivers. You'll enjoy whichever line you choose.

Riversanddale -- when you say "we get a nice discount for being prior customers" on Viking do you mean the $100 per passenger discount or something more than that?

I have been wondering the same thing. We are probably going to do the Irrawaddy--Burma cruise but will wait to book if there a significant discounts offered while on board or as a past cruiser. It will also help with decision to book again with Viking or seriously look at the Ama and GCT offerings.

We are doing our first river cruise in the fall.

Riversanddale -- when you say "we get a nice discount for being prior customers" on Viking do you mean the $100 per passenger discount or something more than that?

Viking is offering past cruisers $300pp discount on some cruises. There us a deadline for this offer.

Very embarrassed - I just looked and we did get $300 pp off our recent Viking booking. And I think I even posted something about that offer when we received the card in the mail that talked about it. :o

I have been wondering the same thing. We are probably going to do the Irrawaddy--Burma cruise but will wait to book if there a significant discounts offered while on board or as a past cruiser. It will also help with decision to book again with Viking or seriously look at the Ama and GCT offerings.

 

We are doing our first river cruise in the fall.

Be sure to look at the itineraries very closely when you decide which to do. We are traveling with GC in November. I looked at Viking's itinerary and their pretrip is to Bangkok, whereas GC's is to Cambodia (Angkor Wat).

One other difference that might be important for some folks is that Viking requires full payment upon booking.

I'm puzzled by this comment. We are taking our first Viking cruise in April. Booked it last June and paid a deposit then (looks somewhat under a third of the price) and paid the balance a fortnight ago, when it came due.

I'm puzzled by this comment. We are taking our first Viking cruise in April. Booked it last June and paid a deposit then (looks somewhat under a third of the price) and paid the balance a fortnight ago, when it came due.

I think that it is only in the UK that you can pay the final amount so close to sailing. In the US and Canada you are pretty much tied into final payment within 30 days.

Now - that being said - we put a deposit down in December 2013 for a cruise in May 2015. Our final payment is due by May 2014 (ie: a year ahead) --> so we are getting a 6 month reprieve.

Fran

Great information. Thanks everyone.

Anybody have hints about cruising on the Uniworld Beatrice on Thanksgiving to do the Christmas Markets?

Any thing we should know..we are in our mid-fifties.

Anybody have hints about cruising on the Uniworld Beatrice on Thanksgiving to do the Christmas Markets?

Any thing we should know..we are in our mid-fifties.

I have a thorough review of our River Beatrice cruise in my signature, with many pictures of the ships and ports. I did the Christmas Markets along the Rhine, and although they are different, my advice would be:

• Dress WARMLY (gloves, hat, scarf, etc.) and find a pair of comfortable walking shoes or boots.
  
• Try the food from the stalls at the markets - sausages, Belgian fries, sauteed mushrooms, potato panckes - all delicious! Some of the foods are found at multiple markets and some seem to be local specialties, so try something if it looks good, since you don't know if you'll see it in the next city!
  
• If you plan on buying a bunch of things, plan accordingly - leave room in your suitcase, take a duffel bag to fill, etc. If you plan on buying anything fragile, consider bringing your own bubble wrap too.
  

We loved the Christmas Markets and Uniworld and are planning on another one in 2015!

All of the above. I will add this about the shoes, bring waterproof shoes or boots! On a Tulips and Windmill cruise a friend used waterproof spray on a pair of Merrell's and it worked great. I liked having my leather gloves with a cashmere lining. The dampness of the river will make it feel colder than the temperature. We cruised on Uniworld's Rhine Holiday Markets a few years ago and are going on Uniworld's Classic Christmas Markets this year.

Second seating

Ignore the above post wrong thread.

Sorry

In my previous post Nov 30 I mentioned that I booked Viking for Paris to Normandy (sailing with my daughter) based on cost and a slightly larger cabin.

I compared the tours with three companies and thought I would book with AMA over Viking. My daughter said she would be happy to be away from her busy life and spend time with me and that the tours were not as important to her. Since I have been to Paris and Normandy already I opted for the lesser priced Viking cruise. I am sure it will be very nice.

For Viking we made full payment in October of 2013 for a June 2014 cruise.

For Uniworld our booking fee was $200 per person on July 24, 2013 with full payment due due June 13, 2014 for a Sept. 18, 2014 cruise.

We had an early booking discount of $150 pp plus a $150 per person discount for being past passengers.

We also use a TA that gives us a rather nice discount on the brochure prices.

That said we are also booked on Uniworld Sept 2015 on the Duro River.

Uniworld just makes me feel like I am on a luxury ship and their attention to detail makes the experience a great one. DH and I just had a conversation and agreed that we would pay more to be on Uniworld as the differnce of say $500 per person is not that great compared to the ever increasing airfare and the experience we expect to have in the dining rooms and on the tours.

The all inclusive tips, tips, tips is a blessing for us and I imagine the tour leaders and bus drivers on land as I have noted passengers who do not tip these folks. Wine and beer had been included and might I add the wines at dinner on Uniworld last Aug were very good. It is nice to know that I might have a martini if I so choose but having them included will not find me over indulging. For some cruisers this is a real benefit as they like to have a drink while cruising and before or after dinner. To them I say "chin chin" and enjoy.

Taucks over the top special events are great and well worth the price difference. If I recall the ship we sailed on with Tauck was not as appealing as that of Uniworld. Everyone has different expectations and pocket books.

At this age we have a bit less time (like in years left on this earth) and a bit more money than when we were younger. So our motto is just do it - at least for now.

I'll add on one of our Uniworld trips we were in China and someone mentioned in the group they would enjoy getting a Chinese foot massage. By the next day the guide had arranged for our whole group to get them at a school, no extra cost. That's the kind of extra details you get with Uniworld. I have not cruised other river cruise to compare but the attention to details and customer happiness is top notch with Uniworld.

Many of the itineraries are similar. As stated previously in other parts of river cruising posts, there may be differences in price depending on the company. Grand Circle is less expensive but their accommodations cannot be compared to Uniworld, Avalon or Viking. Uniworld certainly includes almost everything -- we've been on 4 of their cruises and would use them again in a heartbeat.

That being said, we're thinking about a Vantage cruise for 2015 (2 of their cruises being combined into 1) as we weren't happy with Uniworld's cabin choices for a similar trip.

Uniworld (and Avalon) gives a hefty discount if you pay in full. If you book thru -------, you get an additional discount for Uniworld/Viking, and if you've traveled with Trafalgar/Grand European Tour, you might also get a discount; Avalon/Globus are partners. We've also booked thru ----------------- and you get another discount! You simply have to shop around.

We're very dissatisfied with Viking's payment policy -- no discount if you pay ahead. I'd haggle with them as they usually want full payment by the end of the month in which you make your initial deposit (for US clients). After much to-ing and fro-ing, we didn't have to make final payment 'til about 5 months before trip. For this reason, we probably wouldn't use Viking again -- but if the itinerary is right...

We always arrive at the beginning city at least 1-2 nites beforehand. If you've not been in Europe before, you might want to take the ship's pre-post extensions, but we lived in Europe for 16 yrs. so we always do our own, using booking.com for hotels. If a cruise line is using a certain hotel, i.e., Hilton, I'll make reservations thru that hotel's website as we earn points for various chains: Hilton; Sheraton; etc. And we often stay at the end city for 1-2 nites as we often continue on for other visits.

If you want to contact me separately, feel free to do so as I don't regularly check CC: cyr13408@yahoo.com.