Los_Pepes

A few quick insights about this topic. We took an Azamara cruise in Europe this past summer. On day one we upgraded to the Ultimate Drink Package just of habit. This was a mistake as there were pervasive out of stock on many of the spirit brands on the Ultimate list and wine was simply awful. The house brand served in the regular package was undrinkable and when we asked for a wine with our Ultimate Package at dinner, what they served wasn't much better. On the last day I used my Vivino app and took a picture of what they were serving us. The Rose from the Ultimate Package  that my wife was drinking was $9USD a bottle and Pinot Noir could be bought at retail store for $8. 

Cruise was fantastic, but the alcohol selection with the Ultimate Package was substandard. 

13 hours ago, laurieb said:

Yes, friends just got an additional 500.00 obc without having to cancel and rebook 

Same here. We called this morning and got the additional OBC. I believe as long as you do this prior to final payment they will honor the current promo.

On 10/4/2022 at 11:30 AM, NiceAunt said:

Thanks, that is exactly the plan!    She would never do this on her own, or would do it as inexpensive as possible.    She just told me she can't go anywhere this year because her investment account is down.  I don't think she realizes we are going to treat her. 

Please keep us posted! Money well spent!!

Hang out at the bar/coffee shop area of the Sheraton. it is attached to the airport so you don't have to go outside. It is marked very well from all areas of the airport and can't be missed. Once you get together just go outside and cross the street to the train station. 

1 hour ago, caradara said:

I think 4 of 7 which was a lot.  It's on the itinerary but I guess that we didn't catch it.  Plus the tide is huge so we had a lower level balcony with a view of the wall and storm sewer distribution during the day.  It was still a lovely trip (I came home with Covid to top it off!).

You made the best of it. Thankfully you didn't pay for a French Balcony just so you could see a little higher up on that same wall!

3 minutes ago, caradara said:

We did this cruise a few weeks ago but on Viking.  The dock in Pauillac is under some construction so no docking was allowed there and we bussed to the winery that was the scheduled visit and dinner.  So it was twice as long on the bus as it should have been.  However I received a letter from Viking weeks in advance explaining this matter.

We did stay docked in Bordeaux (a fun, beautiful city) for most of the trip but that was on the itinerary.

Thanks for reply. How many nights were you docked in Bordeaux? 

On 9/16/2022 at 6:16 AM, pontac said:

 

Asking the forum to recommend a cruise line is not going to get you anywhere because you are correct that they are all fairly comparable. People here have their favourites and if this thread stays active for long enough then expect in time that every line that does that route to be praised. Also be aware that cruises change so recollection of travel past - especially pre-covid - may not be matched with current or future cruises.

 

I suggest you start from the point that they are all comparable: you will get a room, a comfortable bed, decent food and drink and sightseeing.

 

What you need to decide on is what you want and how much you want to pay for it.

 

For instance, if you don't want cocktails then do you want to pay for a free bar? If the included sightseeing is what you want, do you want to pay for multiple options of sightseeing that you'll not go on? if you prefer to tip yourself do you want to pay for included gratuities?

 

Next in the mix is the price; there lines publish prices but I don't know if anyone actually pays the list price as they always seem to have discounts and deals.

 

So, I suggest you decide what you wnat to have and find the line that offers it, and has suitable dates available, and is a price that suits.

 

PS: I like the heat, so I'd happily go in July. Indoors on the boat it will be airconditioned, outside on your balcony or sundeck if the boat is moving you'll get a breeze from the boats motion.  

 

 

Nice Aunt,

Everything Pontac says here is correct and spot on and I just want to add a few things. If this is her last cruise I would recommend looking at it through a different lens. Don't look at it through the usual cost analysis where every aspect of the cruise line's offering is examined for value. Go for the overall experience and splurge. Tauck and Uniworld have over the top gorgeous ships and great overall service. She will be pampered and doted on by the staff all while in a pretty luxurious setting. Any of the excursions, kayaking included, can most likely be arranged simply by stopping by the cruise manager's desk and asking. You might have to pay extra, but who care! Its her last trip.

We did exactly what you are doing for my father in law this summer. He is almost 90 and we took him on what is likely his last trip. The guy is notoriously cheap and will grind a penny out of any situation. We took him a small/mid size luxury cruise to the Fjords in a great cabin, he flew business class (first time in his life), ordered fine whiskeys and champagnes that were not on the AI list, ate at all the specialty restaurants etc. No restrictions and pure indulgence. 15 years ago he would have been griping about costs and how we could have gotten a better deal if he had done X or Y instead of what we did.

He had a ear to ear smile the entire time and couldn't stop talking about it when he got back. It was very special to us all and no one complained about the extra few bucks we wasted/spent. We removed, to an extent, the cost consideration, and just went for it. Best investment we ever made. 

On 9/28/2022 at 12:00 PM, pontac said:

Hi

 

The Uniworld website shows overnights in Bordeaux, Blaye, Bourg, Cadillac & Fort Medoc. All except last have restaurants within a short walk of the mooring.

 

But I'd suggest caution in booking in advance as the exact itinerary of the boat is dependent on the tide:  passage inland from Bordeaux and back again is dependent on when low tide is as that's the only time hotel boats can pass under the Pont de Pierre (Stone Bridge at Bordeaux. 

 

The towns visited, apart from Bordeaux are small country towns and although they have some restaurants, they are not gourmet destinations. I'd suggest you'll get better food (and free wine) on board.

Hey Pontac,

It seems like you have done this trip before. Was it on Uniworld? Even if it wasn't, any tips, insights or advice? Thanks!

2 hours ago, Canal archive said:

My eldest daughters in-laws have just returned from there Bordeaux  cruise and had a fantastic time but at one point had to be bussed a little further than normal to a venue because of low water. 

Good to know. Thanks!

7 hours ago, pontac said:

Hi

 

The Uniworld website shows overnights in Bordeaux, Blaye, Bourg, Cadillac & Fort Medoc. All except last have restaurants within a short walk of the mooring.

 

But I'd suggest caution in booking in advance as the exact itinerary of the boat is dependent on the tide:  passage inland from Bordeaux and back again is dependent on when low tide is as that's the only time hotel boats can pass under the Pont de Pierre (Stone Bridge at Bordeaux. 

 

The towns visited, apart from Bordeaux are small country towns and although they have some restaurants, they are not gourmet destinations. I'd suggest you'll get better food (and free wine) on board.

Thanks for reply. I couldn't tell that we overnighted at the ports they listed. It was a tad ambiguous. Now that I know we overnight at each one, I can start scoping out restaurants that we might want to try. This will be our 6th Uniworld and know that the food is awesome, but we still do a dinner or two off of the boat for a little more immersion. Thanks for the reply!

We are heading to Bordeaux in a few weeks to do a Uniworld cruise. While I have the itinerary, I am finding it hard to discern where the boat spends each night. If you have done this trip, would you please share what towns we will overnight? My wife wants to start looking at restaurants for the occasional dinner off of the ship.

Thanks in advance. 

24 minutes ago, sfvoyage said:

It is per cabin.

Thanks! 

Thinking about booking our first Seabourn. It would be a family of 4 so two cabins. Would a referral be $250 per cabin or per booking?

Thanks!

1 minute ago, Pennstatedj said:

yes we flip between 4 devices. 

 

Thank you!

4 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

One at a time.  Or buy a three device package if you need them all simultaneously,

Thank you for your prompt reply. So I can flip back and forth between my cell phone and laptop as needed? 

Hi,

How many devices does the Stream package allow you to connect per room? I have a laptop and phone I need connected and my wife needs her phone connected. 

Thanks in advance for any insight. 

Thanks for the helpful info. We sail on Reflection this coming Saturday and appreciate the timeliness of this thread. Is there a way you could tell the ships occupancy before you boarded or did you figure it our once on board? Overall, was having a low occupancy a plus?

Thanks again for the thread. 

Great videos. Thanks!

every other Uniworld ship I have been on has had an iron. For some reason a review I just read on the Catherine mentions a lack of iron. I was trying to figure out if I bring my no iron shirts or something less ugly :)

Flying out tomorrow to join the ship on Sunday in Lyon. Random question as I pack my stuff; does the ship have an iron in the laundry room? I just read that it doesn't and it is going to impact what I pack.

Thanks in advance.

Thank you for your review. You would not happen to have taken a picture of the bar menu? I am curious as to the quality of the spirits and beers.

Do they have draft beer on board?

Hi there! So to answer my own questions that I had about Ponant:

 

House Champagne is Henri Abele. VERY drinkable and LOTS was consumed over the 11 night trans-Atlantic ocean voyage.

 

Entertainment: So we were told that there would be NO entertainment during this cruise and that "gastronomy" would be reduced from their normal high standards. WRONG on both accounts! There were 88 guests on board, which we were told was a fairly high number for Ponant's Ocean Voyages. Because of this, the cruise director Bruno decided to up the ante on the entertainment front. We had live music every evening in the main lounge - two couples (a singer and piano player/singer) who would do two sets before and after dinner. In addition there was a classic pianist that played in the observation lounge before and after dinner every night. Most evenings their dance troupe - four women and one man - would put on a dance show in the main lounge. During the day there were lectures, films (both in French), dance lessons, stretching with the dancers, trivia, and afternoon tea. It was really very nice and quite enjoyable. I know this was different than most Ocean Voyages.

 

The "gastrononmie" was reduced only in the number of eating places. For breakfast and lunch, we were served in the casual restaurant on the pool level. Buffets and the food in our opinion was quite good. Many choices. Dinner was in the main dining room. We found the service and food to be exceptional.

 

All in all a very nice cruise - so much so that we booked a Spring 2019 trans-Atlantic from Cayenne to Lisbon on board.

 

Perry

When you booked on board I am assuming you received a 5% discount. Is that correct? Also, what was the deposit requirement?

I cruised the Douro almost 6 years ago (November 2012) and enjoyed it very much. I’m returning next week with friends who have not been on the Douro before and am certainly looking forward to my return.

 

Last time the ship was the Douro Spirit, chartered with crew by Uniworld from Douro Azul, as are most cruise ships on the Douro. (At the end of that season it went to Viking and Uniworld chartered the Queen Isabel which it still uses).

 

Emerald and its parent Scenic, on the other hand, own their own ships. We’ll be on the Emerald Radiance, launched last year, which seems similar to Emerald ships on other European rivers except smaller to fit the many locks on the Douro. When I booked last year the price was significantly lower than a similar Uniworld cruise. Emerald is almost all-inclusive with main exception being bar charges and a couple of optional excursions. I have been a great fan of Uniworld in the past (5 cruises) so I’ll be very interested to compare the two.

 

 

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Let us know who this trip goes and post lots of pix. We have only done Uniworld and actually booked Emerald Portugal for next year.

They offer an additional 5% discount when you book on board your current cruise. This is over any brochure discount.

I'm not sure what the deposit requirement is sorry.

Thank you!

Anyone know if Ponant offers any onboard booking and/or repeat cruiser discount?