Babcia7

2 minutes ago, Roz said:

 

I don't think it has to do with lack of concern about the health of passengers, but more with pacing the cancellations at a rate where they can handle the refunds.  

That's a good point, Roz.  Our August 16th cruise to France with Uniworld hasn't been cancelled yet, but France is still not open for tourists and unless restrictions let up significantly, I can't believe that we'll be taking that cruise.  It makes sense that the company is staggering cancellations, but it sure leaves us wondering whether we'll have the option to cruise.

We're still booked for a mid August France cruise with Uniworld, but I have my doubts that it will happen...or if will be the experience that we paid for (in full almost a year ago) if it isn't cancelled.  A brave new world we're having to learn to live with...

I would think that once a vaccine and/or treatment are available we'll all feel more excited about booking vacations abroad.

On 5/30/2020 at 7:10 AM, iMarco46 said:

As noted by Babcia7 in another thread, Uniworld has cancelled everything through the end of August. Their web site removed the affected cruise offers on May 29.

 

Our TA has yet to receive a notification from Uniworld as to the cancellation of our planned cruise and is still awaiting a reply to her inquiry.

 

 

Did you ever get a reply from Uniworld via your TA?  My TA said Uniworld had not yet suspended cruises beyond July 1.

Since we are booked on a Uniworld cruise August 16th, I asked my TA to check with the company about cancellations, since there are no Uniworld cruises listed until September.  Her response was, "Uniworld has not suspended any sailings past mid-July."

Guess it's still a game of wait and see....

Just checked Uniworld's website.  They are no longer listing any available European river cruises through August.  I'm wondering if they'll follow several other companies and cancel bookings until September.

Thanks for sharing this interesting article.  Still doesn't look like river cruising in Europe will be an option this summer, or maybe fall or winter...

Thanks for the updates.  We are currently booked with Uniworld's Grand France tour departing mid August (rescheduled from our canceled March cruise), but I'm very skeptical that even that trip will happen with all the current travel restrictions.  

Last summer we took a Crystal cruise on the Rhine and Moselle.  On our cruise there was a wonderful 93 year old gentleman who seemed to enjoy the whole experience.  It was wonderful to see the ship's staff cater to him, from bringing him his requested selections at breakfast and lunch buffets, to walking (slowly) with him and his walker one-on-one during some of our excursions.

So pre-Corona virus, the river cruises we've been on (Uniworld and Crystal) have all helped to make sure that passengers of all ages have an enjoyable experience. Not sure how it will be on future cruises.

I love that visiting your mother on Mother's Day was deemed essential! 💕

We visited Burg Eltz last summer while on our Crystal Bach cruise.  It was a highlight of the trip!  Such a beautiful castle!

You are fortunate to have a leader who is also a scientist and probably bases her decisions on data and factual information.  

Notamermaid, thank you so much for your posts! They brighten my day in these grim times.  Spring is here in Maryland, and my yard is full of daffodils.  I hope you find your cake today.  If the stores still have the ingredients in stock, I plan on making the Black Forest Cake recipe you posted. Sounds delicious!

Yes: Lois, JP and Chris (as well as all health care providers), a big thank you for your service.  Please continue to stay healthy.

We are farmers on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and although our business has not yet taken a hit and we are healthy, the impact of this virus has had an effect on us all.  Our governor has also been proactive in his efforts to prevent, or at least stem the rise of cases.  Schools and restaurants, playgrounds, etc. have been closed for over a week, and gatherings are limited to 10 people.  My feeling is that we should all follow the unprecedented measures that some states have taken, and all of us who can should hunker down and shelter in place for a period of time.  I keep hearing what is happening in Italy and France and wonder why it is taking so long for our leaders implement more drastic restrictions.  It is obvious that some people need more than suggested guidelines to help combat this crisis.

The good news is that spring is here, the weather is improving and we can spend more time enjoying the outdoors.  We are lucky to live on a beautiful farm on the Chesapeake Bay.  We raise Angus beef and have a huge vegetable garden, so our freezers are full, we have plenty of kale, lettuce and spinach already growing in the garden, and in a week or so we'll be cutting lots of asparagus!  Like Chris, I buy some staples in bulk (since a trip to the store is a drive), so our stock of dry goods is in good supply.

Stay healthy and wash your hands...

Sorry you are having issues with Uniworld.  When we took our first river cruise, our TA suggested Uniworld, partly because their customer service was exemplary, especially if problems arose.  In 2017, we had booked a cruise on the River Queen.  Within 2 weeks of our sailing date, we were notified that the trip was cancelled due to engine problems.  After contacting Uniworld, we were given several options and were told that if they didn't appeal to us, the company would work something out with us.  As it turned out, we accepted Uniworld's offer of a different cruise during approximately the same dates as our initial booking.  Instead of the 10 day cruise that we originally booked (the Rhine and Moselle),  we were offered a 15 day cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam, a cruise that cost substantially more than the cruise we had booked, and giving us several additional days of exploring Europe.  On our original trip we had booked our own airfare using frequent flyer miles, but Uniworld still reimbursed us for the change fees.  We are booked on our 6th cruise with Uniworld this spring, and I hope that our experience will be as wonderful as our previous cruises.

Certainly doesn't sound like the Uniworld company I've experienced.  In past cruises with them, in any issues that arose the company was very forthcoming with information and options for passengers to compensate for any changes in itinerary. Sorry you aren't getting the same kind of response.

Haven't cruised with Ama, but have friends who recommend their offerings.  We will be taking our 6th cruise with Uniworld this spring, which tells you that we have loved our experiences with them on a variety of itineraries. It may be a non issue for some, but we find that Uniworld's all inclusiveness (like Crystal) makes for a more relaxing vacation.  We never liked having to dig into our pockets for bus drivers, guides, etc. on a daily basis with some other river cruises we've taken and although we never felt pressure to tip anyone on the Uniworld or Crystal ships, we did tip some staff that we felt provided service above and beyond what was expected.

On 2/3/2020 at 7:29 PM, kent9xxx1 said:

My agent told me the info will be available when I board the ship.  This is one area where Crystal is better than Uniworld.  I can pick and choose all the excursions way a head of time on Crystal.  I cannot find any adequate information Uniworld.  

I agree that Crystal provides more info on excursions for pre-booking.  I did like doing research ahead of the cruise and deciding what excursions would be most interesting for us on our Bach cruise last summer.  However, I did kind of miss the port talks that Uniworld provides each night explaining in more detail what each excursion includes.  Although I thoroughly enjoyed all of our excursions offered by Crystal, the highlight of our trip was an excursion we took with another couple (not offered by Crystal) to the Eltz Castle.  The nice thing about river cruising is that there is always the option to explore on your own.

We'll be taking this cruise in April as the second half of our Grand France cruise with Uniworld. I contacted Uniworld yesterday about pricing of the Masterpiece Collection excursions, and I was told that the technical team is still working on that.  They suggested I call in a week or so to see if that info is available. I also wanted to know if we could pre-pay for the M.C. excursions.

Thank you for sharing, Notamermaid! It is wonderful to see how the world celebrates this day!

I agree with Roz. Uniworld's decor is very different than that found in my home, but I love that each of their ships has it's own unique ambiance, and I too find their interior design to be elegant, much like that of some high end resorts (the Greenbriar in Virginia for example).  Although the designs are upscale and elegant, the atmosphere on all the Uniworld ships I've been on is warm, welcoming and very comfortable.

Thank you, Bob! We're really looking forward to this trip.... We've taken several river cruises with Uniworld (this will be our 6th) and have enjoyed them all!

13 hours ago, capriccio said:

 

My DH, DB and DSIL spent our part of the first afternoon borrowing Uniworld bikes.  The ship was docked along a lovely riverside park and they had a great time exploring the area by bike.

Great idea.  Hope we'll be docked in the same area!

Thanks for the responses! I'm hoping for an uneventful train trip and looking forward to an afternoon of exploring Lyon on our own.  I always try to look at all of the transportation during a river cruise as part of the adventure!

Sorry about your experience on board the Queen Isabel.  We cruised the Douro 2 years ago on the Queen Isabel and did not encounter any of the problems you described.  In fact, it was one of our favorite river cruises.  The ship might not be one of Uniworld's finest, but the staff, service and offered itinerary made up for any shortcomings. We especially loved that all of the crew was Portuguese, and their love and pride of their country was evident throughout the cruise. I have found that bus rides are part of river cruise excursions on many itineraries, in order to take passengers to interesting places, and I try to embrace the bus travel as part of the journey.

Nothing specific on their website, but I'm checking with my TA.