Uniworld-River Duchess-Aug., 1, & 13, 2012

[The Old Fogies]

Hi - Is anyone out there on our river cruise???? It's the 27 day Grand European Serenade which is a combination of the Aug. 1st 13-day European Serenade (Amsterdam to Vienna) and the Aug. 13th 14-day Eastern European Explorer (Vienna to Bucharest).

 

We've cruised a lot but never on a river boat cruise!!!!

 

Questions:

Do we need to find a voltage convertor for the shaver, curling iron and camera battery charger??? Or does Viking have 110 outlets????

 

My husband wants to wear shorts all the time!!! Egads - someone said that he needs to dress for dinner and someone else said to wear whatever he wants!

 

Are we going to go stir crazy???? We are used to the big ships and lots of walking and shows every night.

 

1 suitcase per person????? for a whole month????? :( Egads - I'll have to leave my makeup at home and get a crew cut!!!!! :eek: Stan's size 15 shoes and sneakers will take up his whole suitcase!!! That's why he'll only has enough room left for shorts!!!

 

Our friends who we met on our Asia cruise this past spring are going with us. Can't wait!!!! Our cabin is 417. We've never been to the interior of Europe before.

 

Karen

[The Old Fogies]

I just ordered one of Cruise Critic's Shoulder Travel Bags. How could I go wrong for less than $9 including shipping???? I just found out they have a Cruise Critic Store - after being on the boards for years!!!

 

And they're giving a free Cruise Critic pin with the order which I will be wearing in Sept. at the C.C. Meet & Greet on the Crown Princess!

 

Karen

[tiggypooo]

Hi Karen:

I've done 2 cruises on The Duchess. You will love it.

I did only 1/2 of what you are doing, Amsterdam to Vienna. My fav. trip to date.

Uniworld has some converters to use onboard, but I brought my own.

I tried theirs, but didn't find theirs really worked all that well for my battery charger.

Your husband does not need to dress for dinner. Most nights are casual.

Kakhis would do fine. You will not find many men with shorts on in the dining room though and also shorts in any churches or cathedrals are a big "no no" in Europe.

The only dressy nights are the "Captains Welcome and Farewell Dinners".

There was a wide range of dress on both my cruises that night.

Some men had suits, others had shirt and tie and still others had golf shirts.

No pressure for any particular clothing.

 

You won't find yourself going stir crazy, but you do have to prepare yourself for the down time. When you are sailing during the day, there is definitely down time.

You can watch the beautiful scenery go by, read a book and get to know your fellow passengers.

There were some on our cruise that felt that they were bored during those sailing days.

I didn't mind it at all. I loved the socializing part.

We arrived home with a whole new set of friends.

 

You will not have much in the entertainment dept. They usually have a piano player and some local talent.

We found though, at night everyone was very tired. The days usually start at around 7am and by 10pm we were yawning. (I'm usually a night hawk on big ships)

 

No worries about the luggage that you bring. There is lots of storage room, even though the rooms are not too big.

You will not get any hassles at all about a 2nd suitcase. I brought 2 full size ones and my friend had 1.

You will love the laundry facilities onboard though.

That allows you to not have to bring so many clothes.

 

The only thing that you will not like about room 417, is that it is near the dining room.

People tend to be noisy in the morning, when they are waiting for the doors to open.

I was in room 420 and found it a bit noisy from that.

Also, I believe that it is the other side of the ship, that will look out over the river most of the time when docked.

 

I'm sure that you will have the time of your life on this great cruise....

[The Old Fogies]

Hi tiggypooo:

 

Thank you SO MUCH for all the info!!!! I am soooo excited about the trip but still do worry about the down time. We are not ones to sit for hours!!! Hopefully, Stan will like the machines in the exercise room. And I will like the machines in the laundry room!!! :D Guess the exercise room will be small with about 2 machines???

 

Hope there are some Bridge players there. Do they supply games and cards???

 

I do have one more question for you though - you mentioned that our cabin will be on the side of the ship by land most of the time when we are docked. Isn't that good???? I always like to be docked on a cruise ship on the side my balcony is on. That way we can see what is happening in town/at the port/etc.

 

I will contact my TA and try to get a cabin further up front! And after I hear from you, maybe I will try to get one on the other side!

 

Thanks!

Karen

 

PS - What's a tiggypoo??? :p

[HDS]

We cruised from Amsterdam to Bucharest in 2008 on River Countess, sister ship to the Duchess and loved it. Coming from drought-prone Australia, I was so excited about crossing the continent of Europe by boat! I dipped my fingers in the North Sea a few days before we boarded and in the Black Sea at the other end. Then we returned via the Dnipro and the Volga but that's another story.

Like you I was worried about inactivity and took long walks every day we were in port, enjoying my escape from the tourist facade to see the real town. There were bicycles on board, and good riverside cycling/walking tracks in a few ports. The gym (stationary bike, walking machine and a few weights) was small and not well cooled so best used before breakfast. Worst of all it had no view and I cruise to watch, from deck or a big window, as the river reveals its secrets. I always found something on shore to observe and enjoy, including the passage through many locks. On the rare day without ports I did a lot of pacing around the open deck.

A few passengers did an enormous jigsaw puzzle in the library and maybe people played bridge there. My husband is not a card player; I had sworn abstinence from bridge so I wasn't looking. I was sorely tempted on the Dnipro and Volga cruises where there were many hands of bridge.

I agree with Tiggypoo about cabins on level 4. The dining room is at the end of that corridor so every passenger will walk past your cabin six times a day. Some do queue and chat long before meal time. It may not bother you, the cabin acoustics were good. From our bottom deck cabin next to the laundry we were often amused by the antics of the washer-people but weren't bothered by their noise at all. We had a tiny porthole only, no problem as we use cabins to sleep, shower and dress.

I have no strong feelings about cabins left or right but others do. Depending on the orientation of each stretch of river, one side may have more sun/heat than the other. It didn't bother us (late August) with blockout drapes, efficient air-con, and we were rarely in our cabin in daylight.

From most moorings you can see both sides of all three rivers and the canal, they're not Mississipi breadth. River ships aren't tall and possibly, if the water levels are low, the dining room level may be hard up against the wall of a dock. I can't recall it, probably enjoying the meal and company too much to be bothered.

The real downer is that very occasionally ships are moored two or three deep at the same dock. The middle ship views neighbouring ships on both sides. The upside is that you get to walk through the foyers of other ships and check them out. Once again we were out and about or asleep and even on the botom deck, the proximity didn't bother me even though I don't like confined spaces.

You dress to please yourself, except as Tiggypoo said, some venues require a degree of covering. We were in Europe from August to November, packed for and encountering every climate from driving rain to heatwave to snow, in 15kg, so didn't have much range for each temperature zone. I wasn't aware of anyone shunning us on that account. We enjoyed the company of our fellow travellers enormously.

The staff and the local guides were all very good. It is a fascinating journey from relatively prosperous Netherlands and Germany into the former Soviet bloc. Uniworld put out a great reading list and I read everyhing our local library could get for me before we departed. Since then I have enjoyed particularly Olivia Manning's Balkan Trilogy, three novels based on her own experiences in Romania at the start of WWII. I long to return to see more of the Balkan countries.

I hope you enjoy as much as we did.

Deb.

[Rufe]

My husband and I did this same trip as you are doing, this past July. We left home July 6th and stayed in the same hotel that Uniworld uses, for one night prior. We also stayed in Amsterdam for 3 nights after the cruise ended.

We have taken many Ocean cruises but this was our first River.

Our room was 211 and we could walk out the room and there was the wonderful coffee and tea machine. We loved the room. The food was excellent however we missed not having an alternate dining choice for dinner. If we were tired and didn't feel like dressing for dinner it would be nice to have a small buffet available which would be very casual. However, my husband wore slacks and a golf shirt for dinner each night and slacks and a button down shirt on formal nights.

We found the tours for the most part very good and had planned to take several optional tours as well, but only took a couple of them as we were to tired to tour both morning and afternoon.

The entertainment that was brought on board was excellent.

Our tour director Ingred was fabulous as well. It was warm for the first half of the cruise but we had a bit of rain for the second half. The one thing I didn't like is that they do all the optional tours in Euros. With our $$ being so low it was like paying 1 1/2 times the amount shown.

You will love the cruise and if you want any more information, just ask.

Alice

[The Old Fogies]

Deb & Alice - Thank you so VERY much for all the info about Uniworld. Except for Paris and the Frankfurt airport, we haven't been INSIDE Europe - just all around it on cruise ships! This should be a real experience!

 

Should I call Uniworld about the list of books???? Or do they send the list about 3 months before the trip??? I don't normally sit long enough to read books so I should start NOW!!

 

I'm going to miss my free laundry & dry cleaning service that I have on Princess cruise lines!!!

 

Oh - I received the Cruise Critic Travel Bag. It's a nice bag - will be great for the Cruise Critic Meet & Greets on ships - It's worth what I paid for it - less than $9 including tax and will be a good camera bag. I might order another one for a future Cruise Meet & Greet where we bring gifts!

 

Karen

[Rufe]

Hi Karen,

Have you pulled the Uniworlds info. on their website? Choose "before you go" at the top. The pull down menu gives options and take "cruise companions" Then you pick the cruise you are on and it brings up everything you need to know about your cruise and info. on all the different tours, etc. The ones for 2012 may not yet be out but when ours came out our Travel Agent printed us a copy. Believe me it is very long. We studied it a lot and also looked at Barnes and Noble for info. on all the ports. Bought a couple of the books to refer to.

We just like to know more about the ports and our options before we go. We took a wonderful optional tour out of Lenz witch we very much enjoyed.

We also booked a great hotel which is about 4 miles south of Amsterdam which I would recommend to anyone.

Alice

[HDS]

Karen,

 

I echo Rufe/Alice's advice. I found information, including the book list, from the Uniworld website.

 

I read a lot and find background information of any kind, Press, TV, films, novels, history, maps etc. certainly increases my enjoyment, but if you're not a reader it's not worth forcing yourself or spending money on books you won't read. Some of the list looks fairly solid, I started with the lighter ones.

 

You've cerainly seen a lot of sea ports around the world, hope you enjoy the river ones as much.

 

Deb.

[The Old Fogies]

THANKS everyone for all your info & advice!!! Next Aug. seems like such a long time away but as we get older, the years just seem to FLY BY!!!!! August will be here before we know it!!

 

My mother lived with us for 30 years. We were way out in the country and I would never leave her alone so we are now trying to catch up and see the world before it's too late!!!

 

Karen

[tiggypooo]

Hi Karen:

Sorry, I haven't been back on here since I wrote the 1st post.

There were definitely a bunch of bridge players on both of my cruises.

They spent alot of time in the card room/library.

Don't worry about the down time. There really isn't that much of it.

They have to do some sailing during the day, or people would complain that they don't get to see the great scenery along the way.

 

As far as the room goes, being on the land side you will have people right outside your room for alot of the ports.

It's different than on a big ship when you are up high, away from the shore.

On the river cruises, you are right there.

Some ports it's not an issue with people walking by, but I found on most of ours, it would have been.

I found the river side more private. Yes, you do have other ships tied up occasionally, but

when there are none, you get a great view of the river and the other side.

(Just my opinion all)

 

As someone mentioned, the rivers are not very wide.

That was one thing that shocked me.

I thought the Rhine and the Danube would be very wide.

I would try to get a room farther down, but they might be sold out by now.

I know that on the Uniworld ships, especially for that itinerary and for the french balcony rooms, the space is very limited for next year.

You'll have a great time no matter how your room works out.

Tiggy

[easymoney]

Finally found the thread. We are on the Aug 1 cruise. Our first river cruise. and we are looking foreward to it, seems so far away. Will have to find some place else to go in the mean time.

Yes, Karen, it is us.

[The Old Fogies]

Thanks again everyone for all the info about river cruises. I thought of another question!!!!

 

Did you all take those optional tours? Seems like we will go on everyone!!! Well - everyone except:

Rudesheim dinner & entertainment

Budapest by night with folklore show

Classical music performance of Mozart & Strauss in a Vienna concert hall.

 

I don't think I'd like the music. But are they something we shouldn't miss??

 

Stan will LOVE the optional tour to the Budweis brewery.

 

I want to see Dracula's castle in Bran and the horse show in Puszta!

 

Any suggestions on which of the optional tours are NOT worth the money?

 

I promise that I will try NOT to think of anymore questions!!!!

Karen

 

PS - "Easy Money" is our traveling buddies on this river boat cruise. We met them on our Asia cruise this past spring. And they only live 25 minutes away from us!

[HDS]

The only optional tour we did was from Budapest to St Entendre (?sp) which was a tourist shopping strip thinly disguised as an artisans' village. Big mistake for us.

We skipped the Ruddesheim experience as we are not big fans of mass produced German cooking and tourist beer hall conviviality. Some people loved it, others said it was very noisy.

Didn't do the concerts because I wanted nothing less than the atmosphere of a full Opera House performance, not a soprano, tenor and piano performing in a small room for cruise passengers. Our friends loved it, but if (light) classical music isn't your thing, why bother?

Didn't do the Uniworld Bran Castle tour but we spent a week post cruise exploring a tiny part of Romania, including Bran Castle, and loved it all. Dracula is a fictional character, losely based by the English author, Bram Stoker, on a medieval Romanian warlord, Vlad Tepes, whose connection with Bran Castle was slight. Bran Castle was home early last century to the very real Queen Marie of Romania, a quirky, and to me, a far more interesting character. She's worth googling.

Ask all the questions you want, but do your own research into what you want to see and do because your interests may be very different from the responders on this board, including me.

Deb.

[The Old Fogies]

Deb - thanks for your latest "report"!!!! I just can't wait to go. Everythng sounds soooo exciting!

 

Re: your St. Entendre tour - that is what we both worry about. We don't want to waste money on a "shopping trip" excursion. We really don't have to buy gifts for anyone and I don't want another thing that I have to dust!!! :D However, Easy Money likes to shop so they might want to go there.

 

Wish we could spend time at each end of the trip but after being on the boat for 4 weeks, enough is enough (as my husband says!).

 

We are off on a cruise from NYC to Quebec tomorrow so I won't have time to think of more questions!!!!

 

Thanks again everyone for your input! Sounds like you all loved it and would like to go with us again next year!!! Hurry & sign up!!! :p

 

Karen

[The Old Fogies]

Isn't anyone else going to be on this river boat cruise????

 

Karen

[cruiserdt]

Hi,

There is one 100v outlet near the desk area. Most (95%) of the male passengers will wear long cotton pants (khakis) for dinner along with a knit or button-down shirt. Dressier shirts (and probably a tie) for the specialty dinners.

 

There is a self-service laundry available onboard, so you can recycle your clothes. There is also a laundry service available at a fairly reasonable additional cost.

 

You won't go stir-crazy as you will be touring all day. This is not the same as an ocean cruise, as the emphasis is on sightseeing both onboard and at port. Think of it as a land-tour experience but on a ship that travels from town-to-town at night.

 

Going on the European Serenade on July 19. Will post when I return. Have a great time!

[CleoV]

This thread is from 2011....

[Barrheadlass]

The thread started in 2011 but the cruise is coming up this summer...and I've enjoyed reading it due to the enthusiasm of the OP. Wish I was going with her!

[sandongirl]

Isn't anyone else going to be on this river boat cruise????

 

Karen

Hi Karen

We are going on the same cruise,getting excited, will see you in Amsterdam.

[sarmeier]

We did the Budapest by night and thought is was enjoyable. The show was typical but it included a bus tour of the city at night and included things you won't see during the day. The show was on hill side, don't remember is that is Buda or Pest but when you come out you are looking down on the river and city below with all the lights.

[sarmeier]

Most razors, curling irons and many chargers use both 110 and 220 so check. There's blow dryers in most places so theres no need to take on. However, plugs are different so I bought a set of plugs that you use to convert the USA plug to the appropriate plug based on the country you are in. I've never used the transformer I bought on my first trip to Europe and haven't taken it.

[The Old Fogies]

Hi Karen

We are going on the same cruise,getting excited, will see you in Amsterdam.

 

Hi Sandongirl!!!! Hard to believe that after a year on this CC Board, someone signed on to say they would be on this cruise!!!

 

I am still debating - can I wear capris to dinner or do the women have to wear slacks to dinner, too???? I prefer capris. A friend cruised on one of the other river cruise lines a lot and said that everyone wore jeans to dinner. Someone else said that on their cruise (another company again) the women wore capris. And someone else said that some men wore shorts to dinner!

 

So, I am packed but ready to pull out some of the dressier clothes to put in capris. What are you doing???? UGH - I hate the packing part!

 

You sure are coming a long way for the trip!!!! See you on board!

 

Karen

[tarheel423]

We will be on the River Duchess in October for Imperial Capitals of Europe (Istanbul to Vienna). Would love to hear about your trip when you return.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hi, Karen, hope you have a great trip. It's right around the corner!

 

Re activity, definitely make use of the free bikes onboard Uniworld ships. The crew will have them ready for you in port and they are a great way to sightsee while also getting some exercise. I love the bicycling so much that in all honesty if my choice were between a line with no bikes and a line with bikes, I'd pay more for the latter. And so you're in luck. Especially on the Danube, where the towpath runs right along the riverside....

 

Also don't worry too much about wardrobe. Capris are generally fine save for the occasional night you'll want to wear dressy pants. I can't imagine any line permitting shorts at dinner, alas. I don't remember seeing many jeans (wasn't looking for them).

 

Plus you should save some room in your suitcase for shopping (perhaps on the Amsterdam portion of the cruise, and thereabouts, rather than the Bucharest part)!

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn Spencer Brown

Editor in Chief

Cruise Critic

 

Hi Sandongirl!!!! Hard to believe that after a year on this CC Board, someone signed on to say they would be on this cruise!!!

 

I am still debating - can I wear capris to dinner or do the women have to wear slacks to dinner, too???? I prefer capris. A friend cruised on one of the other river cruise lines a lot and said that everyone wore jeans to dinner. Someone else said that on their cruise (another company again) the women wore capris. And someone else said that some men wore shorts to dinner!

 

So, I am packed but ready to pull out some of the dressier clothes to put in capris. What are you doing???? UGH - I hate the packing part!

 

You sure are coming a long way for the trip!!!! See you on board!

 

Karen