Babcia7

Have a wonderful time! We were able to purchase the tickets for the Duomo terrace (rooftop) from the Uniworld concierge desk at the hotel. That way we bypassed the line for tickets at the Duomo, but still had to wait and stand in line for about 30 minutes to take the elevator to the rooftop. It was well worth the wait! The views from the rooftop are phenomenal, especially on a clear day! I also loved seeing all the statues and gargoyles from that perspective.

I highly recommend the walk in Venice. It is an amazing place, and the guides we had were wonderful. When we took the cruise, the art tour was offered at a different time, but we did not take that tour, so I can't comment on it either way. Again, have a great time. We loved this trip so much we took it twice (with a few different excursions). I really loved our time both in Milan and Venice, and enjoyed having some extra time in Venice to explore on our own.

Have a great trip. I'll be looking forward to your posts. We will be sailing on the Douro in July with Uniworld, with 3 nights in Madrid pre-cruise and 2 nights in Lisbon post cruise. The itinerary sounds wonderful!

Are Viking and Vantage companies affiliated? I ask because both companies have similar marketing techniques (formats of brochures are very much alike, mailings and emails from Vantage are almost as frequent as Viking's, etc.).

We loved it. Although we have done many small ship cruises (SeaDream), it was our first river boat. Very impressed with Uniworld and their staff. Have never been walked all the way to the check-in counter at the airport before. Added a day in Madrid at the beginning and did the city, palace and Prado tours and the Flamenco show with the group. Once on the boat, at the Portugal border, we thought the scenery was magnificent. Learned all about Port wine, visiting a vineyard and a winery. We had seen Lisbon several times before, so didn't add on, but did partake in the Pasteis de Belem (yum) during the city tour. Most tours gave the option of easy walking or strenuous. Food on board was very good, and both Madrid and Lisbon have many fine restaurants. You'll have a great time.

Thank you for your response! This will be our 5th river cruise with Uniworld, and we have always had a wonderful experience. Nice to hear your endorsement. Can't wait to explore a new part of the old world!

Make no assumptions. I spend a lot of nights in hotels and always carry a long (maybe 12-15') extension cord. If I only use it 5% of the time, it is still worth packing, and doesn't take much space. Many times there is an outlet by the bed, but it is on the other side of the bed. If the outlet is on the wall opposite the bed, and you tend to get up at night, have a crew member tape the cord to the floor. Someday shipbuilders and hotel designers will realize that many of us travel with CPAPs and do the wiring accordingly. We did Uniworld's Douro cruise last year (which is a different type of vessel than their others) and I remember using the extension cord.

I know this is off subject, but what did you think of your Douro river cruise? My husband and I are booked on that cruise this summer.

My husband also is hearing impaired and uses his Bose headphones with the voxbox system on Uniworld. He is able to hear the guides loud and clear. The only negative is that with the headphones on, he can't hear anyone else, or any oncoming traffic.

Thanks for your suggestions!

Thanks for your response. Last year when we took our Uniworld trip in Italy, all excursions were also included. I wasn't sure if the "Bespoke" tours were new for this year and for future cruises. I'm looking for ideas for exploring Madrid and Lisbon on our own beyond the tours that are described in the cruise companion.

We are booked on Uniworld's Jewels of Spain, Portugal and the Douro River next July. When we took our river cruise this year (European Jewels), there were several "bespoke" tours offered at additional cost. Does anyone have any idea if Uniworld has any optional tours on their Douro River cruise or the land portion of the trip in Madrid or Lisbon? The 2017 cruise companion doesn't list any "bespoke" tours.

Finally😀Our river cruise for Aug 23 was cancelled due to mechanical problems. We were really disappointed but Uniworld gave us a few alternatives but we preferred this itinerary Rhine and Moselle. A few very stressful glitches like hurricane Irma.. we live in Naples, Fl ...6 months but we are ok for the moment.. .. So suitcases are packed and we finally hope this will be a wonderful trip.. 😀😀

Have a wonderful trip! We were booked on the same cruise that was cancelled, and Uniworld came through with an alternative itinerary that fit with our schedules. It turned out to be a fantastic trip. Hope you have a relaxing adventure too.

Yes we had a great time on the R.Q. We took our first river cruise last summer sailing on the Scenic Jasper from Budapest to Amsterdam. There was some overlap on this trip (Amsterdam, Cologe, Koblenz, etc..) but there are lots of things to see and do at each stop. We loved all the small quaint villages and towns along the way. You'll enjoy the itinerary.

To be completely hoenst we prefer Scenic's more modern decor, larger cabins and big balconies but Uniworld offers a top notch experience too. I'm sure some of the the staff may change from our cruise until yours but I have no doubt your crew will take EXCELLENT care of you. Capt. Hendrick, the C.D. Tebea, Stoyan the hotel director, 'Dr. Z' behind the bar, Miladan, Lilliana, Pedro, Stevan, Nelson and all the rest couldn't have been nicer.

I'm sure you'll be a Uniworld fan shortly after you board the ship. Have a great trip.

 

Paul

Paul, thanks for sharing your thoughts about your trip on the River Queen. My husband and I were really looking forward to our August 23 cruise. When we booked our first river cruise with Uniworld several years ago, our TA told us that what really sets the company apart is their customer service. Although we have always had wonderful experiences cruising on Uniworld ships, this was our first time that their customer service was really put to the test. Since our cruise was cancelled, Uniworld worked with us to find an alternative, given our time restraints, etc. We will be taking their European Jewels cruise next week from Budapest to Amsterdam. It is an itinerary that we had considered taking sometime in the future, so we'll just take it sooner than expected! We are disappointed that we won't sail on the Moselle, but we are really looking forward to our new itinerary. In such a short time, Uniworld provided us with a wonderful alternative, great airfare and additional compensation. Kudos to their customer service! I hope every passenger who was booked on the cancelled cruise has an outcome that is as positive as we've experienced.

Babcia7.. also waiting to talk to my TA she didn't get back to me last night. We had to make a quick decision yesterday I am sure they were scrambling to get cabins for clients. We were offered a few dates on Uniworld ships with itinerary Amsterdam to Budapest one trip leaving in a few days..we have cruised this itinerary and not interested.. We are tentatively booked for same ship and the itinerary is in reverse. Sept 16...We had booked our air through Uniworld and I upgraded to Delta comfort .. I picked my flights with great connections. Uniworld is compensating us but I wasn't interested in a $400.00 on board credit(how could we spend this?..) We negotiated a cash credit on my cc card also the compensation will be on my CC.. Put away all my summer clothes and prepare for a warmer wardrobe. I am so disappointed but I know things happen hopefully they will have flights for us! This is the first time we have booked flights with Uniworld so hopefully this was a good thing!:)

Did you enjoy your cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest? We are looking into that option, since we'd have a difficult time getting away in the fall. (We're farmers and will be busy with harvesting in mid-September). Waiting to hear back from our TA about our options. Scrambling to make lemonade out of lemons!

We are booked on the same cruise. Not great news to wake up to! Won't be able to contact TA or Uniworld for another couple of hours (we're on the East coast). What are the alternative itineraries Uniworld is offering? We've been looking forward to this trip for months. Glad we purchased trip insurance.

I was wondering the same thing. Last summer we biked along the Danube and had marvelous day so this excursion looked interesting. We are boarding the River Queen this weekend. Any chance you'll be on our cruise or are you sailing later in the month.

 

Paul & Jane

My husband and I took the bike excursion in Chioggia last summer while on Uniworld's River Countess Italy cruise. It was one of our favorite tours, so we're looking forward to the bike trip along the Moselle. We don't leave for our cruise on the River Queen until late August, so we have a few more weeks to anticipate our upcoming vacation!

Have a wonderful trip! If you have a minute when you return, I'd love to hear what you thought of your experience.

We will be exploring the Rhine and Moselle with Uniworld next month. Has anyone done the bike excursion they offer in Bernkastel? Is there time to stop and take photos?

Really enjoyed your trip report! Brought back great memories of our time in Italy aboard the Countess. We have not been on any of Uniworld's super ships (we have been on the River Baroness once and the River Countess twice), so I haven't experienced the difference between the ships with Uniworld. We did take a Viking longship (the Kvasir) on the Rhine two years ago. The ship itself was fine, but we find that we enjoy having less people on the cruise for a more intimate atmosphere. We are spoiled by the service Uniworld provides, and look forward to our upcoming trip on yet another one of their smaller ships, The River Queen. Maybe our next trip will be aboard one of their super ships! Again, thanks for sharing your experiences in Italy.

We have booked the last couple of cruises with Uniworld in the fall, when some of their cruises are offered to past customers at a discount of almost 50%, better than any offer we've seen while onboard. Those offers in the fall are for select cruises (dates and itineraries). Don't know if they'll continue those deals.

To all of you going on the River Countess, have a wonderful time. My husband and I enjoyed our first Gems of Northern Italy with Uniworld in 2014 so much that we repeated the trip last summer. The Star Rosa Grande was a beautiful hotel located just a block from the Duomo, and it was included in the trip price. Breakfast buffets were varied and plentiful, and our Uniworld Milan hosts were amazing. One of the highlights of our time in Milan was going to the rooftop terraces of the Duomo. The views were absolutely incredible, and seeing the architecture from that perspective was amazing.

We were in cabin 209 and had no noise issues. On our first trip we were in the aquarium class and I don't recall any noise issues then either. We spent very little time in our cabins.

This trip is not a typical river cruise, but I loved being able to spend so much time in Venice exploring on guided tours and on our own. Highlights of the trip for us included the luncheon/wine tasting and tour at the Serego Alighieri winery; the bike ride in Chioggia; the mussel harvesting excursion in Chioggia; our pasta making demonstration and lunch in Bologna; our visits to Torcello, Mazzorbo and Burano; tours of several markets; "getting lost" in Venice (as recommended by several guides); and so much more. Hope you enjoy your trip as much as we did!

We've been on 3 Uniworld cruises and 1 Viking cruise. We are booked on our fourth cruise with Uniworld this summer. Yes, the decor on Uniworld ships looks elegant, but the atmosphere is anything but stuffy or formal. We found all of our Uniworld trips to exude a friendly, warm and welcoming environment. On our only Viking cruise, staff (and experience overall) reflected the cold, stark (though very clean) decor. Personally, I wouldn't base a booking on the interior design of a ship, but rather on the experience offered.

We just booked our 4th river cruise with Uniworld on their "Legendary Rhine and Moselle" trip. Take a look at this year's cruise companion for the trip. The itinerary sounds wonderful. Lots of options for excursions. We have always felt that Uniworld offered us a wonderful experience. We took a Viking Rhine river trip in 2014. Some of the itinerary is the same, so it will be interesting to compare. Although Uniworld might seem expensive, they are all-inclusive, where some of the less expensive cruise company deals are not. Gratuities for crew, guides and bus drivers and bar tabs and transfers add up if they aren't included. Just something to consider when deciding on a river cruise.

I have read very positive reviews about the Moselle river, and my husband and I are very much looking forward to this trip! When are you taking your cruise?

Thx for response. We have never cruised 13 days so excited! arrive in Amsterdam we go directly to ship. Usually we book a Hotel and fly in the day before cruise.. We booked airfare also through Uniworld at an unbelievable price. I checked Delta website and price was $$$$ . I also gave Uniworld the Flghts I wanted. I always book my own flights but this Was such a deal. Believe me I do a ton of research....Look forward to cruising the Moselle...

My husband and I are also looking into this cruise. We too usually book our own flights and try to make use of frequent flyer miles. Although we have cruised with Uniworld on three different occasions, we have never booked air through them. You mentioned that you got a great deal on airfare with them. Can you tell me what kind of deal you got?

We've traveled with Uniworld 3 times and have not found the atmosphere at all "stuffy". The decor is definitely a lot more unique then that found on Viking ships, and although it is more formal, we found it also to be warm and comfortable. On our trips, staff could not have been more gracious, helpful and went out of their way to insure that everyone was enjoying the adventure. (For instance, when we asked for directions from the ship to the Jewish Ghetto neighborhood in Venice, the young woman at reception (Emma) not only gave us a map, but took the time to draw a diagram of all of the different landmarks and turns we should make, since she didn't know the street names). Other staff members learned our names early on, and remembered them throughout the week. Although we did feel pampered, we never experienced the formality depicted in Downtown Abbey!

The all inclusive aspect is not just about the bar. We really liked not having to dig into our wallets each time we took a tour or a bus ride.

On our trip this summer, there was quite an age range (probably 30's - 80), but most everyone was active and up for more adventures. We really enjoyed our (12 km) bike ride around Chioggia and out to the Adriatic Sea, and will look for more river cruises that offer a bike tour. Looking at their 2017 catalog, it seems like Uniworld is adding more "go active" options.

We have not been on any of the larger Uniworld ships, and on all of our trips with them, there were only around 80 people on board (with a capacity of 130). We loved the smaller group! On our Viking cruise last summer, we were on one of their longboats at full capacity (around 198 passengers), and found that the staff seemed overwhelmed trying to serve that many people. Many times, there wasn't enough room for everyone in the lounge, and it seemed like the lobby was always congested when tours began. We met others on our cruises that had also tried a Viking cruise, but said that after experiencing Uniworld, they would not sail with Viking again.

We purchased our tickets to the Duomo rooftop terrace through the Uniworld concierge desk at the hotel the day we took the tour. I don't know if it was a deal, but if you wait to purchase the ticket at the Duomo, you stand in one line to get a ticket, then in another one to get access to the elevator to the terrace.

Don't let the line to the elevator deter you. When we entered the cue for the elevator, a sign predicted a 90 minute wait. Our total wait (including security check) was less than 30 minutes, and we felt the view at the top was well worth it!

Just wrote a detailed reply, but it wasn't posted, so here's a brief response to your questions:

In Milan we took an "Aperitivo Tour" the first evening we were there, which included a tram ride to the Brera district. We walked around for a bit, then ate a light dinner at a small restaurant.

There was an optional tour to the La Scala Opera house, which my sister said was fascinating.

My husband and I opted to go to the Duomo's rooftop terraces for spectacular views of Milan and the Alps beyond. It was one of the highlights of our whole trip.

The Bologna excursion was lots of fun, in spite of the abbreviated walking tour.

The best part of the tour is the pasta making demonstration followed by lunch in a beautiful setting.

My brother and sister-in-law went to Ferrara and enjoyed their time there.

Lunch at the mussel harvesting tour included steamed mussels (which were delicious), bread, fried calamari, fried sardines and polenta. Before the tour, my sister-in-law let the cruise director know that she did not care for seafood, so she was offered a hamburger and fries while we enjoyed our seafood.

Have a great time on your trip in June! If you have more questions, let me know.

We just returned from our trip to Italy with Uniworld. My husband and I took virtually the same trip aboard the River Countess in 2014, and enjoyed it so much that we decided to repeat the voyage. We loved the new inclusions in this year's itinerary: 2 nights in Milan; an included winery visit on the way to Venice; the bike excursion in Chioggia; the mussel harvest excursion; and the tours of the beautiful Venetian islands of Torcello, Mazzorbo and Burano. This is not your typical river cruise, where you spend hours sailing hundreds of miles. Rather, the trip is concentrated in Venice and exploring the surrounding lagoon.

We loved our time in Milan, and felt that we could have enjoyed another day or two there before boarding the ship. Our local Uniworld host, Luke and his staff were absolutely wonderful, and from the time we were met at the airport until they escorted us to the the River Countess, we felt totally pampered.

This feeling continued throughout the week aboard the River Countess. Our hotel manager, Sabine and our cruise director, Ricardo were tireless in their efforts to insure that our cruise was a great experience. The rest of the staff was friendly and professional, and it seemed as if any request was met with a positive answer. It was a treat to be served by so many gracious people.

There were only a couple of minor "bumps" on this trip. Our guide in Verona was a last minute substitute, and she was not of the caliber of the other Uniworld guides. We felt that our walking tour in Bologna was not nearly as informative as the tour we had on our last trip, and it seemed a bit rushed.

Some passengers were initially very disappointed when the captain announced

that because of rough seas, the ship would not be able to navigate the Adriatic and as a result, the River Countess would not be sailing on the Po River. This did not change any of the excursions, and it only added about 10 minutes to one of the bus rides. Having sailed on the Po River on our 2014 cruise, we knew we were not missing much as far as scenery goes.

Back to the positive aspects of the cruise: The onboard entertainment was great. The daily pianist was very talented and provided nice background music every afternoon/evening. One evening a very dynamic vocalist and her band came aboard to perform, and on another evening we were treated to an Opera night. For those who had the stamina to stay up until midnight, the ship had a "movie under the stars" one night on the sundeck, complete with drinks and popcorn!

This was our fourth river cruise (third with Uniworld). Our experiences with Uniworld have been wonderful and we look forward to booking another trip with

them next year.

If anyone has any questions about the trip, I'd be happy to try to answer.