beesKate

I really don't think there's a wrong answer. We've only sailed Uniworld, and before our first cruise we had the same dilemma. We settled on Uniworld mainly because I learned my cousin had been on several Uniworld cruises, including one when the Icelandic volcano eruptions closed air traffic over Europe when their cruise was over.

I really like how Uniworld has become much more all-inclusive now. We've been extremely pleased with the food, wine and tours offered. I'm glad we don't need to mess with the "optional but recommended" tipping at the end for our next cruise. But we have nothing to compare it to.

I would recommend comparing the day-by-day activities and picking one that meets what you would like. For Uniworld, there is a more detailed "Cruise Companion" (under the "Before You Go" menu on the top of their webpage). There's one pdf for all the cruises in France, find the Paris-Normandy one and read the daily details. I think this gives you a much better idea of the day-to-day plans than the quick day-to-day where they explain the cruise on their website.

I know some people look at the décor on some of the ships and think it's a little over-the-top (I know I did too), but once you're on the ship and all the other passengers and staff are there, it really doesn't seem that bad.;)

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought $1000 for the week was high. Our last trip we had about $400 (only because our neighbor brought home left over euros they didn't use)... and our trip included 2 early days in Munich where we paid cash for almost all our meals. We did totally run out at the end (after holding back a few coins for tips) -- so we used credit in Budapest where cash would have given us a slightly better price, but it wasn't worth finding an ATM for the Hungarian currency we were hardly going to use.

The Uniworld cruises we've been on have been mainly retired couples -- or at the very least empty-nesters. On each of our cruises, there's been a handful of younger people (under 30). And I mean literally less than 5.

However, in order to do a lot of the touring in the towns, you need to be fairly mobile. Even though they've been mainly over 50, it's generally a healthy, active, fit, fun-loving, adventurous crowd. There are usually some who are less mobile (maybe a few more than those under 30). Picture a bell-curve where highest point is about 60-65. I'd say it drops over sharply under 50 and over 75. We've been at the lower edge of the age spectrum and have met wonderful couples on our cruises -- across all ages.

I will say river cruising is a very easy way to explore parts of europe. You don't need to worry about language issues, research ports or plan your days. For busy professionals, its really kind of nice knowing I could just pack my bag and show up without taking care of logistics. It also gives you a level of confidence for future travel. We've been slowly adding days before and after our cruises. Our next european trip after our next cruise will probably be land-only on our own. But I'm not quite willing to give up everything I love about the river cruising experience either.

My goodness! That's a lot of questions! I'll try to answer what I can.

1. We've never asked for 2 cards, normally my husband carries one and I carry another. When you set up this new account, put your husband (or your mother) as a joint owner, then you could get 2 cards. Also make sure it is a VISA debit, not just an ATM card. You don't mention your PIN length; make sure it's 4 digits before you go.

2. Coin purse, or just use pockets. I used a Scotvest for our last cruise and absolutely loved it. I had pockets for everything, and never wore my moneybelt. We've left cash in our cabins while we're in port. Generally extra cash is in the safe, but I'm sure we've left a few odd bills or coins in drawers or table tops at some point.

3. How much of a shopper are you? Most non-Euro countries will accept euros, you'll get a little worse exchange rate, but it may not be worth getting cash you may or may not spend and trying to anticipate the amount.

4. Credit cards are not used in restaurants as much as in the US, but if you're in a touristy area, a larger restaurant may take credit (look at signs at doors). You'll be eating most of your meals on the ship.

You don't need to worry about exchange rates if you're using your credit card for purchases, Chase will calculate the exchange rate and it's normally the market rate. I wouldn't worry about machine-eating devices. Most of the credit card purchases we made, you never lost sight of your credit card. Even in restaurants the servers had portable devices, they never left your sight with it.

5. We've used ATMs at the airport or gone to banks. We've found ATMs after the luggage (and security) area. If you go to the airport's website, there may be information there. Just remember to have an idea of the conversion rates so you know how much spending power you're getting.

6. You probably need very little cash in ports. If you know you'll need to be buying your own meal, maybe 10-20 euros a person (if you like nice restaurants).

7. Look at the Scotvest as an option to a purse or fanny pack. I really loved having it and didn't carry a bag at all. If it's cooler, you'll have jacket pockets. We all read about being prudent and cautious while traveling, most of it is common sense and being aware of your surrounding -- but I realize even seasoned travellers can be taken advantage of. You need to do what will make you feel more comfortable while your touring.

They are so different, really the only similarity is the fact you're on a body of water and your lodging moves with you. Compare a Vegas vacation in a massive Vegas hotel to visiting Austin or maybe Sante Fe and staying in a boutique hotel.

Your ports are sometimes small towns, sometimes larger cities, but they are generally not near as tourist oriented as ocean ports. Much more steeped in history.

The cabins are probably smaller (though it depends on the line), there's normally just one or two common areas. Meals are only available at preset times. You spend most of your days exploring the towns. No seasickness issues.

ingo_e answered the questions pretty well, but here's my 2 cents.

Shoulder seasons (April/May and Oct/Nov) are less expensive because the weather is generally cooler and you may not be able to enjoy the top deck. We opt for early fall over early spring, but we're looking at mid-to late June for our next one. July and August are heavy vacation months and there will be more people about.

TA is travel agent. I've discovered there aren't that many travel agents who truely know alot about the different lines, but most cruise companies only allow booking through travel agents. You need to be prepared to do some homework.

Even though cruiselines may have certain family cruises, river cruises are really not a kid-friendly vacation. The majority of river cruisers are retired or at least in the empty-nest stage. I don't think you'd ever see a river cruise overrun with children.

With a large group, realize the tables in most dining rooms and lounge areas are designed for 6-8 people. On our last cruise there was a large family group (probably close to your size) that went to the dining room early to grab one long table which accommodated all of them. In the lounges you will need to break to smaller groups. Just remain flexible about this and even with your group, be open to meeting others on the cruise.

For scheduled excursions, if your group wants to stay to together, let your cruise director know, I know Uniworld has you pick up cards to designate which tour group you're in, they may consider reserving one guide for your group depending on the normal group size -- or you have one person go pick up cards for your entire group when they're first put out. Other cruise lines may differ in how this is done.

I know we've really enjoyed meeting other people on our river cruises. With a large group, you'll miss out on that. I've read in at least one review where a large group on a river cruise changed the dynamic significantly. A group with a positive attitude and flexibility towards the whims of mother nature will make the cruise more enjoyable for everyone. You just need to make sure everyone's aware of that going in.

Enjoy the planning! You will be overwhelmed by your choices.

There may be some (small) advantage to going in the direction you are since you're going in the direction the river flows. The distances aren't that great, so it really doesn't impact port time very much.

This cruise covers the "between" part of the Danube we haven't cruised. Our first ended in Nuremburg with an extension into Prague, the next picked up in Passau on to Budapest.

The provided tours allow you to see the highlights and you will have some time to explore on your own. It really depends on how much you want to see and do that's not included in the tours.

I can't speak to time of year, we've always cruised in fall.

For the suite, if the extra space is important to you and you can afford it, the suites are very nice. However, we discovered the days are fairly full and we spend very little time in the cabins, so we try to economize there (as long as we get at least a real window). Even when you're cruising, we'd prefer to be on top or in the lounge so we could see both sides of the river. The normal cabin size is very small, the suite gets you more floor space and a little more space in the bathroom.

We are planning this cruise, but trying figure out the best time and direction. If you've been on this cruise with Uniworld, could you answer a few questions (and I realize the itinerary may change -- but I'm trying to gather all the information I can.

1. Which direction did you cruise? North to South or opposite? Was there any reason you chose this direction?

2. Were you able to go into town at night for any of the ports?

3. Did you travel during lavender season and take the optional lavender tour? Thoughts?

4. Did you have free time to explore in the ports after the included tours(like at least 3 hours)? Which ones?

Anything else you can provide would be appreciated. We looking at either late June or late September.

Since I've been back for a while, just in case someone else has this question, you don't actually book your next cruise aboard the ship. You do fill out a form indicating which cruise you're interested in and the dates. They take this back and work with your travel agent to get you the discount. Since we were interested in 2015, and Uniworld has not published those dates yet, we let our travel agent know to be on the lookout for it.

It's not really booking your next cruise, but expressing interest in a specific next cruise. The next cruise needs to be within the next 2 years (at least for our Oct 2013 cruise, it could be applied to any 2014 or 2015 cruise). When they contact you, you have (I think) 30 days to decide and put down a $200 deposit. You do need to turn in your form before you leave the ship.

The only ports where it would be worthwhile to find your own guide would be larger cities (Vienna, Salzburg, etc.) Many ports are so small that the included guided tours are all you need. Some people may like to skip the tours and explore on their own, but the guides help increase your appreciation of the town and area.

For the larger cities, see what the included tours include and if there is more that you'd like to see on your own (or the tour is taking you places you don't care about), you might like to book your own. We've always had excellent tour guides on the included tours, but have left the groups early to explore on our own.

Schonbrunn is very easy to do on your own, but you are still limited by the time in port. We did Schonbrunn on our own, but ended up skipping the palace tour and just explored the grounds. The people on the ship's tour had the palace tour, but didn't have time to explore the grounds. The time to get there (bus with group or subway including walking to the statin) was identical.

Realize the port excursions on river cruises are totally different from port excursions on an ocean liner.

For tags for city tours, add beer and wine (together or as 2 separate categories), then food could be expanded to be food and other drink (like where does the apricot liqueur in Austria fit in? I don't know what you have in mind, but would shops fit in anywhere?

For 2, is it worth differentiating moderate to strenuous walking (includes hills, stairs, etc.) vs. easy walking (with places to sit and rest as needed).

We've only done river cruises on Uniworld. Prior to our first one we read a lot of reviews and had it narrowed down between a couple of cruise lines. We realized the companies' customer service could really make or break the experience. We went with Uniworld after discovering one of my cousins had been on several Uniworld cruises and they had excellent experiences.

We've enjoyed the 2 we've been on and are looking forward to a (more expensive) 3rd in 2015 along the Rhone -- we've decided to try every 2 years to allow us to budget for it.

My husband mentioned that we could just go on a trip to the south of France instead of cruising and would probably spend less. While this is true, I realized how important it is to me to know I could just show up with my suitcase and not have to make too many decisions or research the areas, etc. I really enjoy how Uniworld takes care of its passengers and the guides they hire in the different ports, the locations, the food, etc. I'm actually looking forward to the all-inclusive pricing as we no longer will need to bother with the tips at the end of the cruise. We're also fairly frugal travelers, and normally don't buy extra drinks (just because we don't want charges adding up, and the wine and beer with meals is great), so I'm sure we'll enjoy a few more cocktails.

You will find fans of all the lines (and detractors). You just do what you can to prepare yourself for a good vacation, then go with it.

We were on the River Beatrice this fall in cabin 304, a category 3 cabin. There's absolutely no difference between it and cabin 306 (category 2) right next door, except you're slightly closer to the common areas. We never noticed noise and actually preferred this location as we were just a few steps from the common areas and the doors. Save a few dollars and go for the 3 if it's still available.

We are also awaiting the 2015 itineraries. My husband seems to think they come out in January 2014. Our 2015 cruise will be our 3rd Uniworld cruise and we've loved the 2 we've already taken.

Uniworld has 2 cruises that get you close to all your destinations, but as mentioned above, adding Prague (or the Czech Republic) increasing the difficulty factor!

Uniworld's Rhine Discovery & Prague goes from Basel to Nuremburg on ship, then you have a bus trip to Prague. (But no Austria)

The Danube Discovery & Prague goes from Vienna to Nuremburg with a bus extension to Prague. (No Switzerland)

Uniworld's Grand European Discover travels from Basel to Vienna, but no stops in Prague -- and actually mentions it a combination of the 2 above without the side trip to Prague.

Uniworld sometimes waives their single supplement, it does tend to be shoulder-season cruise times and ships they are trying to fill, but it's worth looking into.

One thing to consider with traveling to Germany in mid/late September is it's Oktoberfest time. The festivals generally start 2 weekends before the 1st weekend in October when it ends. Although this mainly affect Munich, there are festivals in other towns too. You can expect slightly higher prices during that time for air.

Unless you sit in your cabin with the drapes closed, you will see castles. Some depends on which of the Christmas Market cruises you're on. If you are on the Rhine, it would be hard to miss them. The Main has castles, just not as many and the Danube fewer still. But if you are cruising in an area with castles, the cruise director should point them out or let you know (especially if you ask them to let you know).

As for attire, it is much more casual than the advertisements. Dressing up for me may have been changing my shoes and switching my top. Dressy for women may be a fancier top, very few bring dresses or skirts. Men tended to wear khakis, shirts or sweaters. A few wear jackets and ties, but you'll probably be in the minority with both a jacket and a tie. I wouldn't wear fleece or athletic wear to dinner, but they'll be fine for excursions. We tend not to take too many pairs of jeans because they're heavy and tend to attract cold and damp. Most important is comfortable (and for December - warm!) shoes and socks.

Have you tried contacting Uniworld with your question?

Our experience with Uniworld is they normally don't sail until dinner time on embarkation days. I've been looking for more information on the French cruises, but it seems like they're changing up the itineraries a bit.

Their Cruise Companions generally include more detailed information (on their website menu, click "Before You Go" and then "Cruise Companion", they have all the France cruises in one PDF.) However, the Majestic France seems to be a new combination.

This is the thread with the reply from Viking, I think it's on page 2

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1935722

For Schonbrunn Palace, we did exactly what you mentioned. Our ship was in Vienna for 1 1/2 days. The first day, we did the included tour and just enjoyed free time in Vienna. The morning of the 2nd day, we took the subway to the Schonbrunn stop and were able to hike up to the Gloriette and enjoy the view and the autumn colors. We left the ship as the busses were boarding for the optional tour and arrived at Schonbrunn about the same time as the busses arrived. We did not take a tour inside the palace, but just explored the grounds. The people on the tour said that although they had free time after touring the building, it wasn't enough time to enjoy the gardens and go up to the Gloriette.

We did do the optional Vienna concert. Although the concert was enjoyable, if we'd found something else to do (a concert or opera on our own or just walk around) it might have been time better spent. Although the ships are docked within 15 minute walk to the subway station, I don't think I'd walk there late at night. I'm sure the ship would call a cab for you if you wanted a free-time option to the optional concert.

Nurenburg is one of the those places that is so filled with history, it would be a good place to target touring to your interests. However, in Nurenburg you are not docked in the middle of town and need some kind of transport to get to the sights.

In Budapest, if there is an optional Parliament building tour, I recommend that. We did one (with Uniworld) which took us through the Parliament buiding, the Great Market and a couple of other sights -- including the subway system. The people who did the general Budapest tour said there was a lot of time in traffic on the bus (it was a Saturday). We were able to walk up to Castle Hill and explore that area on our own very easily during free time.

Although I have no experience booking personal tours, I have been on river cruise tours of many of the locations you listed (although not Viking). I encourage you to try the included tours, if they don't work, your cruise director should be able to connect you with a local guide.

River cruises are a different scale all together from ocean cruises. The guides they engage are generally excellent, the groups are smaller (see the reply from the Viking rep on the thread titled "size of groups on excursions" -- they indicate they are generally 20-25 people). You may want to contact Viking directly to ask specifically for your cruise and ports. I'd say for Koblenz, Miltenburg, Passau, Melk and probably Wurzburg, Bamburg and Bratislava you'll enjoy the cruise tours. These are smaller ports and there just isn't going to be that much difference except you'll pay for your personal guided tour. If you want a personal guide for larger ports, I'd recommend using your cruise directors resources or jump over to trip advisor and search for private guides for larger ports. Your cruise director will know the guildes they use for the groups and should be able to find one that isn't booked for the larger group.

You may be used to colder weather than I am, but we just returned from a similar cruise. I brought a light rain jacket and my LL Bean bigger jacket. I ended up wearing the heavier jacket almost every day, except for our beautiful Salzburg day where it was in the 60's and sunny. There were also people on the cruise going around in shirt-sleeves.

We watched the 10 day forecasts for our ports and tried to pack accordingly. It snowed in Munich as we arrived, so I decided to stuff the heavy jacket in at the last minute. I did bring tights and long underwear pants, but never wore those (we were walking and the legs stayed warm).

You don't need to worry about dressing for dinner (I changed my shoes). Most of the men on our cruise wore shirts with V-neck sweaters. The ladies casual pants and tops. The locals (and other tourists) in the ports were also wearing coats, scarves and hats.

Thanks oysterdam! I guess they also let you add on the pay-in-full by a certain date too (presuming they'll continue to have those type of discounts).

I'm not so interested in the AMEX deals, jazzbeau. We have certain cards we use (where we don't have to pay for them) -- but thanks for the information.

Has anyone ever booked their next cruise while they are onboard? They mention discounts, but I wonder how much more of a discount it might be. We'll be on Uniworld, but I am curious about other experiences too.

I normally don't take jeans when I travel. I've discovered nice black yoga pants can be paired with a variety of nice tops and no one really notices you're walking around in yoga pants (with the right shoes and top) -- they're my go-to travel-day pant. I also really like Land's End Starfish knit pants. They're a nice weight knit and they have a little zippered pocket at the waist, just the right size for a cruise card or ID. Paired with a cute shirt, jacket, sweater, scarf, whatever they look nice and put-together... plus it's a stretchy waistband!

For jeans, if you have a Loft (Ann Taylor store), they tend to have a great selection in petities. But as always, you need to dedicate time to try them on and be prepared to be discouraged.

If you are used to ocean cruises, river cruises are amazingly simple. We've only been picked up at the airport and driven to the ship. There's not a port terminal, just a gangplank where you walk on the ship. If you're on a bus, there's generally someone at the shore side of the gangplank to greet you, if not, just walk onto the ship and there's a reception desk. I really don't remember the process once we arrived on board.

On the Uniworld River Ambassador, we received key cards that you swipe. These are strictly key cards and not the all-inclusive id, charge-card, etc. There are shipboard charges, but with almost everything inclusive, you'll actually be charging very little. The bar probably had you sign a ticket or just indicate your room. There's so few passengers (compared to an ocean cruise), if you're someone who regularly charges, they'll know you.