Ritabob

Does anyone have any details about a cruise ship that sank in the Amazon yesterday?  

Mrs. Miggins, 

I hope you will write a review for us when you get back.  I had to look up the ship as I had never heard of her.  A number of your stops are of great interest as they are not on most of the North American known cruise line itineraries. 

The Moselle river is beautiful,  so we are going again in October with Uniworld.   Someday we want to do a driving holiday and see what is just beyond the river and check out Burg Eltz.

RB

We just booked our 10th with Uniworld!   I guess that means we like them.  

RB

And the bar stays open until the last guest leaves the lounge! 

Sam,

When you say your wife enjoys relaxing and doing nothing then I think a river cruise would be ideal for the both of you.  But only if your / her definition of relaxing and doing nothing is the same as mine.  Sleeping in, sitting in the lounge or on deck, reading, perhaps watching the world go by,  being pampered by the staff, maybe go for a massage...that sort of thing.

However, if she is looking for full spa treatments, casinos, fancy entertainment, then, no.

If you can narrow down to a specific cruise  you may be able to get detailed information...just ask.

RB

A quick question about events along the Moselle at the end of October,  ...  is Halloween a 'thing'?

RB

Momma Rene,

I have just come from booking our 10th Uniworld cruise . It will be on the final cruise of the River Queen before she goes into dry dock and her magical transformation into a SS at the end of 2020.

I have toured a few of the SS ships, but never travelled on one. Why?  Not sure, but maybe because we have always felt comfortable on the original fleet. Yes, some of the ship may show a bit of wear, but not where it counts,  imho.  The beds are wonderful and made up in whatever fashion you like...duvets, or American style with sheets and blankets. Your cabin will be immaculate. The crew / staff will do everything to make your trip something special.

Yes, the dining room may be a bit noisy but that is the nature of low ceilings and a space with a lot of people in it. It will be the same on any ship.

I agree, spring or fall are preferred because of the weather and the sites being somewhat less crowded.

Have fun deciding on the perfect itinerary, 

RB

That's where I read it, too.  So why has no one ever told us that on board?

RB

Depending on where the ship is docked, and how comfortable you are with public transit and how many bags you have, the ship my be right next to the central station where you can easily catch a train right into the airport.

RB

To all of you Uniworld fans, were you aware of the extra 3%(I think) discount you can get if youput down a deposit for your next cruise while on board?   Just a deposit for your next cruise, you don't have to be specific as to when and where it will be.

We have been on 9 Uniworld cruises and have never heard of this extra perk.  No one has ever spoken to us on board about booking the next one.  Definitely no hard sell.

The present deal is a small discount if you book before tomorrow the 31st.  I am going to wait for a better offer in the new year.  Wish me luck!

RB

The glass is not half empty, it is the wrong size!

From your suitcase, take out half of what you packed, fill the empty spaces with bubble wrap and take twice as much cash as you originally budgeted.  Now you'll have lots of spending money and a spot in your suitcase to stash your treasures safely.  😉😁

Have a wonderful trip, we'll be waiting for your review! 

RB 

Looking forward to your report..

Safe travels!

RB 

Roz,

Let us know as soon as you see something. I think in past years we got our brochure in the mail around February. 

RB

Mark,

Uniworld is very good to those with dietary requests.  Just let the chef know on your first  day.  

On a past cruise I tried a gf croissant.   Not quite as flakey and decadent as a regular one, but with extra butter and jam, not bad at all.

One chef, years ago, had sourced a very good gf pasta and used it for all the meals that evening, and no one ever knew  .

And just to hijack this one time, to answer your question from another post, the difference in price from September to October has to do with weather and daylight hours.  September can still be  warm, and the harvest season is very popular.

RB

Public transportation from the airport is easy and the hotel Victoria is in a great location.  Staff there were very helpful.   

The bags are gorgeous!   Do you teach anywhere?  I will sign up, and then we can talk about cruising while sewing.

RB

Thank you for the fabric photos.  Love the teal silk and the linens!  And what are you going to make with the leather?  For your own use and enjoyment, or for sale?  Let me know if you are selling anything...It will save me a trip to France and the time to sew something. 

RB

Steve,

I just looked up the itinerary for your trip to see exactly where your concern is.  No worries.  The first day is when you arrive.  If you are flying in that day, and you have given Uniworld your flight information,  there will be a rep waiting for you once you are exiting the controlled area with your luggage.  They will take you to the hotel, where you will be introduced to yet another rep who will make sure you get checked in and give you papers and information.  This is where they usually tell you about a meeting some time that afternoon or evening where they cover the plan for day 2 and what the procedure is going to be for day 3 about checking out and where to be for the bus transfer to the ship, etc.  The rest of day 1 is for you to explore on your own or to crash on your bed and try and deal with jet lag.  That evening meeting will sort everything out and get the numbers for the tours on day 2.

We have not done this specific  itinerary,  but I am assuming it will be similar to the ones we've done starting in Prague. 

RB 

The bike tours are usually lead by an outside company that provides touring bikes.....not the Uniworld bikes on board.  We have always been accommodated.

Be aware that some excursions you have to sign up for may not happen because they do not meet  the minimum number required.

The first day when you get into your cabin, read , or at least glance through the papers there.  There may be a page with all the choices for every day listed as an 'at a glance'  spreadsheet .  That will note which activities you have to sign up for, and by what day.  Once you've got an idea, go to the lobby desk and sign up.

Have a wonderful trip.

RB

Now that you've answered your own question, I will add that you have made a good choice!  We have done the same cruise a few years apart and going in both directions. No difference in the sights or timing, really.   The direct flight home from Amsterdam is what made the difference.

RB

I don't want your trip to end!  I've enjoyed following along.

Loving your report!   

I'm interested in seeing a picture of the fabrics you bought.  Our first river cruise, years ago, was in the south of France and I bought fabric in almost every town we stopped in. I have continued that tradition and now have sewn an extensive collection of dinner napkins, place mats, etc we use every day .  A great reminder of wonderful vacations.

RB

Flobo, 

How old do you feel in your heart?  Do you relate well with people in all age groups? Go.  Have a great time and then report back.  We've been wondering the same thing. 😁 Staff will not resent you, and the rest of the passengers...who cares what they think, you are probably just as active and interesting as the rest of the passengers.

RB

Looking forward to following along.  Happy birthday to your daughter!

RB