Ritabob

A review and ramblings of a wonderful trip.

This was the first sailing of this itinerary this year, although the ship was already in Belgium and the Netherlands earlier in the season.

I am not very technologically minded so have no idea how to incorporate any photos...you'll have to read reports by JP ! I know he has given instruction on how to do it, but he lost me after the first couple of words.

DAY ONE...started with a cross the pond overnight flight and connection in Frankfurt. The flight arrangements we made ourselves. What was available through Uniworld at the time did not suit us, although on previous trips it has worked out. Our layover in Frankfurt was about 4 hours so we knew we did not have to worry about the time it takes for the bus ride around the airport tarmac for our connection.

Landing in Prague and getting our suitcases was quick and easy and the Uniworld rep was easy to spot. The van driver originally thought we were to be dropped off at a different hotel so I think he took us on a somewhat more circuitous route than necessary. I say this because in November we were on Uniworld's Rhine Discovery and Prague cruise that also started in Prague.

The hotel used is the Boscolo Prague... good location gorgeous lobby, fabulous breakfast buffet. Warning if you have mobility issues with stairs. The entrance has waaay too many stairs, and to access an elevator you must go along the sidewalk a ways and down a sloped driveway to get to the lower level.

The rooms are fine, bed is comfortable, but no view out of the window. The bathrooms are modern with very deep tubs, which make it a bit tricky if you want to shower. A big step in or out.

A different Uniworld rep (Jana) meets you at the hotels, gives you a folder with a bit of information and a time to meet for the evening briefing about what is going to happen for the next two days.

Having been in Prague in November we were ready to go exploring until the evening meeting.

On Fridays there is a market set up on one side of Republic Square. Great place to get street food and beverages. The weather was warm so Czech beer was the perfect refreshment.

To get to the square..exit the front of the hotel and turn right..cross one street and turn right at the next one..walk a block and there you are! You can see the Powder Tower, the Municipal House and beyond those a shopping mall. If you orient yourself with the Municipal House on your right you can walk along that street for a few blocks and get to the Old Town Square and the Astronomical Clock. Then standing facing the front of the Astronomical clock, turn to your left and go a few blocks and you're at the Charles bridge!

Streets are not in any grid pattern, but if you have a map with street names...the map from the hotel is very good, you will see street names up on the side of buildings on every corner.

Evening meeting...Jana went over the activities that were included with the tour and the optional one for an extra cost to Terezin Concentration Camp.

We called it an early evening due to jet lag and retired to our room.

RB

We were just there this past weekend ! Someone else will have to advise you on Uber. Our transfer was included in our package.

Public transit is easy, so check out the website before you go. We prefer trams over the subway...you can sight see along the way. There are various types of tickets...good for various lengths of time. I think the 30 minute was 24 cz crowns and the 90 minute was 32 cz. You must buy the tickets before you board. Tickets are available at the local tabac (?) Or variety type Store or at machines. We got ours the evening before we needed them. Once on the tram you validate it at the yellow box. The driver has nothing to do with cash or tickets. Once validated you can hop on and off any bus, tram or subway during your alloted time. Just keep your ticket to prove you have validated it in case you are checked.

If you want to have a good overview of the city sights and a lot of fun check out Prague on Segway dot com. The 8am tour is perfect before the crowds of tourists start jamming the streets/and squares. They tour with only 2 guests at a time, so it is a personally guided tour. We booked on line and only paid after the tour. Cash only.

Keep your wits about you, leave your passport and other valuables in the safe in your hotel and have a great time!

RB

Thanks for reading! I hope you have a great day in Regensburg. We went there as the 2013 floods were starting to recede. We went by train, as a day trip from Nuremberg. It was chilly and overcast but still a fun place to spend the day.

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise. Melk posts should be up soon, so you know what you'll be in for on Friday! Doubt I will get to Passau in time for your visit there on Thursday, but I'm sure you will have a great time anyway. When you are in Passau, please have a look at the June 2013 high-water mark on the Rathaus; that's the flood that we saw the remnants of in Regensburg. Scary.

We were here in Regensberg and Passau the Christmas before and the Christmas after the flood of 2013. It is truly amazing to see how quickly they can restore their buildings and infrastructures.

Temperature is mid 20's, sunny and sitting on the top deck with a cold one is pure bliss.

Good morning from the River Ambassador! I am lying in bed reading your most recent post JP and Chris.

We are entering a lock at the moment, on our way to Regensberg, and it is going to be another glorious day. (It is 5:45 am)

we are on the first of the season Danube Discovery and Prague going from Prague to Vienna, so am hoping your report on Melk is posted before we get there.

A big thank you for your posts.

RB

Any problems with water levels? We leave in the morning for Uniworld's Danube Discovery and Prague.

And we will not try to compete with you or JP and Chris in the tower climbs. Maybe in the category of number of different beers and wines consumed ? Types of street food tasted? Shops entered?

RB

As I creep on the Bucharest to Budapest itinerary (it's only a matter of time) I noticed that they have two offered there, as well. We did the Engerhartzel to Passau bike trip when we were on the River Ambassador, and we loved it. I probably would have tried a couple on your itinerary. :)

How long was the bike ride from Engerhartzel to Passau? And how fit were those who participated?

Hi there

We are going on the Catherine, Lyon to Avignon in July and luckily have the Royal Suite.

I am hearing about the mad rush for dinner!! We are concerned about this as we like a cocktail and then a leisurely dinner. Any suggestions? Can you reserve a table for 2?

Thanks, Boatie

You can go to the dining room any time after it opens (usually 7)No need to rush. And feel free to stay for a cocktail before / during / after the scheduled port talk which is in the lounge just before dinner.

No such thing as reservations, but there should be empty tables whenever you enter the dining room. Also, check if dinner can be served to you in your suite if you do not feel like joining anyone

RB.

I am not a Viking cruiser, but have been in Vienna with another cruise company. Questions for you...How adventurous are you? are you willing to take public transit?

The ship docking areas are a bit of a way from the center of town ...a ten minute walk to the subway and then 2 stops to Stephenplatz. you can take the morning tour - not go back to the ship for lunch and then continue on to the Palace on your own via public transit and meet up with your group there. That would give you time to explore on your own and not waste the bus travel time. Traffic is heavy and the bus will take much longer than you if you take transit.

The palace is busy! just arrange with your TD where to meet up and all is good.

Have Fun!!!

RB

Wait until tomorrow's blog when I describe how we got to the ship. The staff who witnessed it were quite surprised. :D

It's not fair keeping us in suspense !!!!

Glad you had fun! We too are decompressing our brains after all the info we got on tours. We skipped the boat's tours in Budapest and Vienna, in favor of going off on our own. Both cities are easy to visit DIY.

JP and Chris...

What did you do on your own in Vienna? We will be there in 3 weeks, and have already done the usual ship's included tour, checked out a few museums on our own and are now wondering about something a little different. Thanks, RB

Welcome to CC !

Did you book through a TA or directly with Viking? Either should be able to answer your question about adding the post cruise add-on after the original booking.

I don't understand your second question...did you book your airfare through them or are you planning on doing it yourself?

RB

We have done ocean cruises but never a river cruise. The itinerary looks quite intense with trips out every day. It might seem a silly question but do we have to take all the excursions. If we remained on the boat would there be lunch?? Sometimes we like to do our own thing and wander about, coming back to the ship for a meal or snack.

Not sure which cruise company you are looking at, but with Uniworld you can definitely stay on board while others participate in planned excursions. They will always feed you! Once we even had the chef offer to pack us a lunch to take with us because we had to leave the ship at 3 in the morning to catch a flight.

Gee, and I thought the OP wasn't flexible enough to contort themselves to fit into one bag, let alone diet down to 50lbs. :D

There are two major department stores in Paris. Make sure you check both of them out. Unfortunately I can't remember which is which but one has a rooftop deck that you can access for free....just keep going up until the final staircase. You will see an awesome view of Paris from there. The other has a beautiful dome over the restaurant. Oh, and shopping is not too shabby at either one!

Good reminder re: packing material. We always fill the empty spaces in our suitcases with bubble wrap and throw in a roll of tape. Bubble wrap will be there to protect any delicate souvenirs or you can pass the wrap on to other passengers who might need some. You'll become their best friend all of a sudden !

Also, as your journey ends, remember there is probably a scale in the gym on board. We always borrow it for 10 minutes and bring it up to our cabin and check the weight of our suitcases...just in case :)

If you are a repeat customer with Uniworld, you get one complementary bag of laundry done per person per week. It is amazing how much you can jam into that laundry bag!

And as others have stated...no one will remember what you wore yesterday, so wear it again!

Hello All!

 

We have our first river cruise booked on the Uniworld River Empress in July.

 

I am finding very little information or reviews to help me plan.

 

Can anyone share some information with me?

 

Any reviews from past guest would be much appreciated!

 

Any advice on how to plan for a river cruise would also be very helpful.

 

Thank you in advance everyone!

Hey CJ,

Welcome to the river cruisers.

The Empress is one of the older Uniworld ships, so unless you are in a suite, your cabin is going to be cozy. (small) BUT the bed will be delightfully comfy, the shower will have great pressure and someone will be in twice a day to clean. There is a safe big enough for your valuables, storage under your bed for your suitcases, great lighting and a fair number of electrical plugs. And you will be so busy you won't be spending much time in it anyway.

the Cruise Director will have a map of each port every day, but you may want to do a bit of research and find more detailed maps on line - only if you like to explore a bit on your own. when going out on a guided tour, especially if it is a walking tour you can ditch the tour when you've heard / seen enough and go have a beer or gelato or shop. Your tour is going through the best wine country so make sure you have a glass or two!

Check out weather underground or similar website a week before you leave to see what the long range forecast is. There are many threads on this board for clothing suggestions. Have worn in comfortable shoes and bring a hat.

In Koblenz, make sure you take the cable car across the river!

Give Scenic a quick call and ask them where they usually dock. While travelling with another cruise company a few years ago, we were docked on the Swiss side just a few hundred meters from the border with Germany and France was across the river. We were able to take a couple of bicycles and ride over to France for a few hours.

Would some of you Canadians please add your CC choices as well? Please? We're also thinking of changing out of our AirMiles MC and would like to know what others are using. Amex I find is not as widely accepted as MC or Visa.

Thanks, RB

Uniiworld emailed me stating my 2017 book is in the mail. That is what I meant as 'out'.

Let me weigh in with a vote for Uniworld's Grand Christmas and New Year's cruise. we enjoyed it so much the first time we did at again two years later. it was great to get away from the tacky commercialism at home. Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve with a boy's choir equal to the Vienna boy's choir in a gothic church ...wow! New Year's Eve in a palace in Vienna..another wow!

It was a terrific two weeks seeing the sights along the Danube with hardly any tourists.

RB

Uniworld's book is 'out' as of two days ago !

Ritabob....you know those little bibs the dentist puts around your neck? Well if you take two metal clips and attach them to a chain (for him) beads (for her) they clip onto the napkin and cover the front of his shirt and as an added bonus they keep the napkin from falling off your lap and they're cheaper than Tide sticks!!! I found them in a catalog, they were about $5 and somewhere some dentist (or dental assistant) has quit dentistry and making a fortune off people who can't always get the food from plate to mouth!!! :D

The easiest thing for the cruiseline to do is have a bottonhole stitched in the corner of every dinner napkin. Then when a gentleman wears a button down shirt he just has to button on the napkin and spread the two corners across his chest and problem solved.

Here is a cheeky questions for you....Are you a sloppy eater if you are concerned about stains on your clothing? :D

I too, wonder about "country club casual". If they mean dress like you belong to the CC in our city, then no hesitation about the jeans.

Other than when you walk in or out of the dinning room at dinner, no one can see what you are wearing below the table. So don't give it a second thought. I would, however, suggest the jeans be of a darker blue or black. And fit nicely. No wearing baggy-show-your-underwear-even-though-there-is-a-belt jeans.

As for the shirts, depending on the time of year a golf shirt or button down shirt of any colour or print should be just as comfortable. A red plaid hides a myriad of spaghetti stains ! :D

Enjoy your cruise!

As I recall, last year we decided to 'divide and conquer' and I thought the time spent driving to and from Nuenen was too long in relationship to the time actually spent in town at the museum / gallery and doing the walking tour.

That being said, the town is very pretty and if you decide to go off on your own they do have a number of information posts throughout town that show a copy of a painting and where he would have stood to get the exact view shown.

Here's the cheekie answer....put all the variables in a hat and pick a few out. That's what you might get. We've had brilliantly warm sunny conditions as well as serious rain and cold.

Best advice...check the 10 day weather forecast for both end cities a few days before departure to get a general idea.

In case it might rain, some cruise lines provide umbrellas, but you're better off with a good raincoat with hood...better coverage if it's windy and it leaves both hands free.