SS Antoinette - Castles Along the Rhine 2013

[amd1234]

I am glad you had a wonderful time! We are cruising the same itinerary June 2014. We took our first Uniworld this past June Burgundy and Provence and we were also hooked on Uniworld. We were so excited upon returning we immediately booked for next year. Did you do a precruise or post cruise? We are going to spend three days in Amsterdam on our own and two days in Lucerne booked with Uniworld. Are you going to post a review? Very interested in the details.

[Buck1949]

I am glad you had a wonderful time! We are cruising the same itinerary June 2014. We took our first Uniworld this past June Burgundy and Provence and we were also hooked on Uniworld. We were so excited upon returning we immediately booked for next year. Did you do a precruise or post cruise? We are going to spend three days in Amsterdam on our own and two days in Lucerne booked with Uniworld. Are you going to post a review? Very interested in the details.

 

Hi,

I intend to post a review but will not probably until next week or so. (Too difficult to type on the ipad) :) We are (currently) in Amsterdam - on our own - until Wednesday, then we head to Phoenix. Amsterdam appears to be a very easy city to get around, thus we did not do the Uniworld extension, but rather on our own. We are staying at the Hotel Fita which is a block away from the trams (#2 and 5 ) and a block from the Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum. Either tram will take you to the city center near where the ship docks. Our hotel has tickets to both Museums. This Hotel is family operated and very friendly. They provide breakfast on premises and light snacks etc.

 

We are planning a Blue Boat canal cruise tomorrow and we pre-purchased our tickets months ago to the Anne Frank House and the Red Light Districts walking tour on-line which is a must do. You get to bypass the long lines. Then who knows what else we will do on Tuesday.

 

We and some fellow cruisers are seriously thinking we may do the St Petersberg, Russia to Moscow cruise in 2015......and Uniworld is the line of choice thus far.

[Talisker92]

 

We and some fellow cruisers are seriously thinking we may do the St Petersberg, Russia to Moscow cruise in 2015......and Uniworld is the line of choice thus far.

 

Be careful about which cruise line you chose. You want one that will put you up in hotels at both ends. Some lines have you on the ship the entire time, and the bus rides from the ship to the center of Moscow are very long.

We will be leaving in a week or so for that cruise, and we will be going with Vantage. We will be in hotels at both ends. If you search posts by 4774Papa, he has a great review of the cruise.

[Buck1949]

Be careful about which cruise line you chose. You want one that will put you up in hotels at both ends. Some lines have you on the ship the entire time, and the bus rides from the ship to the center of Moscow are very long.

We will be leaving in a week or so for that cruise, and we will be going with Vantage. We will be in hotels at both ends. If you search posts by 4774Papa, he has a great review of the cruise.

 

Thanks for the information. We will be sure to check it out when we arrive home.

[riandei]

I am sorry to see our cruise on the SS Antoinette end. It was fabulous time, where we were pampered beyond belief. We were fed outstanding food, attended to everywhere we went, fed, shown the great sights along the Rhine River, fed, provided with most anything we could ask for, fed.... Oh did I mention we ate a lot ? :eek:

 

After going to bed on Sunday night we awoke on Monday morning still tied up to the dock when we were supposed to have sailed away. The reason, the first of the locks up stream was broken causing a back up.....so rather than have us wait on the river, they decided to stay put, have the busses come to our ship and still transport us to our first excursion, which was not very much longer than what it would have been if everything had gone as scheduled. The ship gave each passenger 15 euros to pay for lunch in town since the ship was going to set sail and meet us later in the day at our regular dock and we would not be onboard in time for lunch. They were extremely apologetic for the 'problem' which really was not a problem - just a small glitch since we missed nothing at all, and really had an extra hour or so to look around the town.

 

I am hooked, and my wife and friends we met have already talked of another river cruise. Small, intimate, friendly is the way to go!!!!

 

 

 

ive just stumbled on the lenghty post and will try to read as much as possible ... but can I as a few questions ??? :)

 

im in the beginning stages of researching our river cruise vacation for 2014

 

im looking at ama and uniworld and viking ... I am very interested in uniworld as it seems everything i read is so positive. DH and I are in our early 50's and are very interested that they have bikes on board ... did these seem to be used by many ??

 

what is the smoking situation on board ... we are non smokers and this will impact us if it is everywhere.

 

if you have experience with ocean cruising ... can you comment on the cabin sizes ... i see on the antoinette its 163 sf whereas the Baroness is only 128 sf

 

with regards to tipping ... i see on the uniworld site that tipping is all inclusive ... is this true ... will tips be included or will i need to factor that cost into my bottom line

 

thank you so much if you are able to respond (anyone)

[Buck1949]

ive just stumbled on the lenghty post and will try to read as much as possible ... but can I as a few questions ??? :)

 

im in the beginning stages of researching our river cruise vacation for 2014

 

im looking at ama and uniworld and viking ... I am very interested in uniworld as it seems everything i read is so positive. DH and I are in our early 50's and are very interested that they have bikes on board ... did these seem to be used by many ??

 

what is the smoking situation on board ... we are non smokers and this will impact us if it is everywhere.

 

if you have experience with ocean cruising ... can you comment on the cabin sizes ... i see on the antoinette its 163 sf whereas the Baroness is only 128 sf

 

with regards to tipping ... i see on the uniworld site that tipping is all inclusive ... is this true ... will tips be included or will i need to factor that cost into my bottom line

 

thank you so much if you are able to respond (anyone)

 

I will answer briefly but will be happy to expand via email (see below my signature) when I get home on Thursday.

 

- Bikes were very nice and used by many.....that being said there were always bikes available....and staff encouraged their use. On one stop... 2 men rode maybe 20 + miles along the Rhine and joined us in the next port.

- smoking is ONLY allowed in one small area on the sun deck. There were very few people that did smoke. And Not allowed in the rooms.

-the cabins were fine... We had 2 large suitcases that were put under the bed after unpacking, one suitcase slightly larger than a carry-on that we bought in Speyer to hold all the souvenirs we purchased, and 2 smaller backpacks. I know it sounds like a lot, :eek: but we really did buy a lot of souvenirs...especially in Munich where we stayed for a week before the cruise.

-we were in cabin 308, and had the window that lowered, which kind of opened up the room. Ask me more about rooms and location in the email and I can expound more.

- tipping is NOT included, but it appears that 'certain' cruises next year may include it... But I am not sure. Read the fine print in the brochure. Even tho it was said that you do not need to individually have to tip but we did tip our cabin attendant and one waiter that was exceptional. I think if you tip based on the recommendation it would be around 150 - 175 euros for the entire trip. We also tipped the suggested 2 euros or so for each tour guide and 1 euro or so for the bus drivers. This is one time I did not mind tipping at all...as the experience and attention to detail by cruise staff was far far beyond any other cruise or vacation tour we have ever done. It will take a lot to beat the SS Antoinette staff.

 

One last comment..... I booked right around Christmastime of 2012 and was told that the Sept 15th sailing was nearly full, thus we chose the Sept 1st one....... That may have had something to do with Octoberfest or some other reason/event I am not aware of tho.

 

As I mentioned I will be happy to expand the info when I get home to a computer that is easier to type on. :)

[riandei]

ALL INCLUDED

All gratuities onboard and onshore *

Unlimited beverages onboard, including fine wine, beer, spirits, soft drinks, specialty coffee and tea, and

bottled water * †

All meals onboard, impeccably prepared by our chefs using the finest and freshest ingredients from local farmers' markets

All scheduled airport transfers

Shore excursions hosted by English-speaking local experts, with "Choice Is Yours," "Gentle Walking," and "Go Active" options

Complimentary portable audio headset system used on all shore excursions

A variety of complimentary culinary experiences and onboard dining options

All entertainment and Signature Lectures onboard

 

 

 

Thanks for your quick and thorough reply....i copied the above from uniworlds website...the little * at the end states that tipping is not included in russia....but other than that appears this may be new in 2014 along with unlimited alcoholic beverages....i think this is new in 2014 as well

 

Thanks for the info on bicycles...very important...along with the smoking

 

Regards

[Buck1949]

ALL INCLUDED

All gratuities onboard and onshore *

Unlimited beverages onboard, including fine wine, beer, spirits, soft drinks, specialty coffee and tea, and

bottled water * †

All meals onboard, impeccably prepared by our chefs using the finest and freshest ingredients from local farmers' markets

All scheduled airport transfers

Shore excursions hosted by English-speaking local experts, with "Choice Is Yours," "Gentle Walking," and "Go Active" options

Complimentary portable audio headset system used on all shore excursions

A variety of complimentary culinary experiences and onboard dining options

All entertainment and Signature Lectures onboard

 

 

 

Thanks for your quick and thorough reply....i copied the above from uniworlds website...the little * at the end states that tipping is not included in russia....but other than that appears this may be new in 2014 along with unlimited alcoholic beverages....i think this is new in 2014 as well

 

Thanks for the info on bicycles...very important...along with the smoking

 

Regards

 

That sounds great..... I wonder if the cruise price goes up in order to cover those additional 'perks'.

 

If you do the SS Antoinette....check into one of the 2 fine dining nights where 40 people are served in a different part of the ship some of the best food. Even a butler is there to insure great food/service. It is not an extra cost but you do have to sign up for it.

[Buck1949]

Hi riandei ,

 

If you would like to email me I can give you some details about the SS Antoinette that I learned while onboard last week.

 

Great trip, great service overall.....

[WallabyGal]

Hi Riandei (& others);

 

I was on the SS Antoinette last week also with amazing Bill & his lovely wife Linda. I want to echo what he said - it's fabulous!!! I've cruised on NCL & Celebrity, before & while I loved them, this is a very different experience. Much more personal in so many ways. Everything was super - particularly the attention from the crew. I have a non-life threatening dairy allergy & they could not have been better about helping me eat amazing food. The head chef (Claudio) actually sought me out the 2nd or 3rd day to make sure everything was OK - you'd never have that on a big ship. He shared recipes & loved to chat about cooking & food (me too!).

 

3 of us used the bikes on the spur of the moment - they say you can sign up in advance, but we didn't. It was fabulous! (though I'd have liked a helmet as I use in the US, but not a big deal). One couple biked from one port to another - & the ship tooted them as we passed them on the way into port.

 

On our trip as Bill said, smoking was not an issue. In my experience, smoking is worse in the cities & towns in Europe - I feel like proportionally, more Europeans smoke these days, especially, sadly, young people. The vast majority of passengers were American (I was surprised), a few Brits, Canadians & Aussies and 1 Panamanian & 1 Chilean group. No one from France, Germany, etc.

 

I think Uniworld is going "all inclusive" for tipping & liquor in 2014 (including cocktails which you now pay for). But as Bill said, read the fine print. It is a pain to get 1 or 2 Euro coins daily to give bus drivers & tour guides, but I'll echo Bill in that they were totally worth it. We gave our cabin steward(ess) extra, & I gave the chef & our waiter extra too b/c of their amazing help for me.

 

The friend I traveled with had been on Viking in China last fall & felt Uniworld was more upscale, & better in some ways, though not with the tipping (they included it - but she wasn't sure if it was because it was China). She thought the room was equivalent, but she'd been in a junior suite there, & we were in Category 2 on Uniworld, so I'm not sure if it's comparable. She felt Uniworld's food was better, but again, was that b/c it was China? She also felt the guides were far superior on Uniworld.

 

The only critique I'd have is about hand sanitizing. On big boats you can't get on the ship w/o using hand sanitizer, nor can you go in the dining room w/o doing so. Here it was basically optional. More people got sick (colds, but a few did get a stomach thing - no idea if it was the dreaded norovirus) than I've seen before on any cruise (including my friend who got a nasty cold. Even the captain was sniffling at the end). I mentioned the hand issue strongly in my eval survey, & I washed my hands & used the hand sanitizer all the time. I felt like I was fighting off the cold a bit, but I didn't get sick.

 

So I heartily recommend the SS Antoinette & Uniworld - I plan to go again in the future!

Cheers,

Carol

[DuggerPDX]

It's funny you mention the hand sanitizing and colds. We were on this cruise as well, and my partner and I both developed colds shortly after getting off the ship. And we are both very careful about using the sanitizer every time we walk by one of the dispensers.

[Buck1949]

Yep.... and I am sure it did not help that I noticed one man in particular reach into the French fry container with his bare hand and eat a few fries. I also watched others reach into the candy jar(s) in the reception area without using tongs. A great way to pass along those 'friendly' germs.

[Buck1949]

Here is a bit of a brief recap of our cruise from Basel to Amsterdam starting on September 1st, 2013 that I had been asked by others to do if possible. I will not post huge details...however will be happy to expound and answer any questions. Also I will not include much about the various towns/sights we traveled to, and focus on what Uniworld did for us.

 

• We arrived onboard ship at approximately noon, whereby we were greeted at the dock, our luggage taken, and told that we could visit the ship and have lunch while our room was being prepared.
  
• Rooms were ready by approximately 2:30pm and our luggage was awaiting us.
  
• The ship is beautiful, and I managed to get some photos of the vessel before the ship became busy.
  
• We ate and ate and ate......... our way through France, Germany, and Switzerland and into the Netherlands.
  

We ABSOLUTELY loved the Antoinette and the over the top service that we received throughout the entire cruise...... It would take a lot from any other cruise company to top what Uniworld did for us. I was blown away by the attention to detail..... water bottles with carabiners to carry during excursions, items left on the pillow with each of our proper zodiac signs noted, slippers for the bedside, and of course a never empty water jug and candy jar.

 

While these are minor things they just show how much attention the cruise line pays to details. On several occasions we walked through several other ships at dock....Viking, Avalon, and none appeared to compare to the look of the Antoinette.

 

One of the ladies travelling with us has a milk allergy (not lactose) which meant that every single meal she ate had to be double checked. After the first meal and during many others the waiter, and often the head waiter, would come to her to discuss options to the menu that would work for her. The Chef Claudio also stopped by and made sure all was well.

 

As an example of how Uniworld treated us:

 

The first night we did not depart the dock at midnight as planned due to a lock downstream that was broken. Uniworld decided that rather than have us just sit on the river and wait for repairs they would send the busses to the ship and take us to Breisach (Colmar and Riquerwhir) while the ship proceeded up the river and would meet us at the Breisach dock. For the inconvenience, Uniworld gave us Euros for lunch in town since we would not be onboard. The bus trip into the Colmar/Riquerwhir area involved approximately an hour of additional time, however the tours and time spent was never reduced. In fact we probably spent another hour touring that we would not normally do. We reboarded the ship a little later than had been planned, but the Captain who seemed to always be nearby and mingling with the passenger jokingly told us that he would just have to 'put the pedal to the metal' to make up a little lost time. (All the rest of the cruise times were pretty much right on)

 

One area that was of concern to several of us, was the ‘on your honor’ hand sanitizing stations that were positioned in front of the dining rooms and lounges. This allowed passengers to easily bypass without any additional reminders to use them. I do like the ‘washy washy’ attitude of the big cruise lines, and many felt that this may be an item that Uniworld should include…especially when in the dining rooms and lounge areas. I personally noticed a passenger, reach into the French Fry pan and grab a few with his bare hands. Also on occasion I noted that passengers would reach into the candy jars in the lobby without using the provided tongs. Both NOT exactly the healthiest of activities.

 

I will say that several people (two in our group alone) were coughing and mentioned coming down with a bit of a cold by the end of the cruise, but of course we are not sure if cleanliness or weather factored into these issues. Still the extra step in hand sanitizing would definitely not hurt.

 

I could go on and on about the cruise, ship and staff, but will just say that not one time did I notice a staff member negatively interact with a passenger. Everyone that my wife and I (as well as others in our group) encountered seemed to go above and beyond what they needed to make things right for us and always with a smile.

 

One additional quick note about attention to detail:

 

My wife had signed up for an afternoon excursion, and was in the cabin reading and lost total track of time…… when…… the phone rang. The reception area was asking if she still intended to make the excursion, as they had noticed that she had not used her ID card to leave the ship. It was required that you scan your ID/room card anytime leaving or returning to the ship, in order for staff to have an accounting of all passengers onboard. I am pretty sure the ‘big’ ships would not call as a reminder. BTW she made the tour!! All of the excursions/tours were well planned and guides seemed well versed in their particular area. The ship included Vox headsets allowed us to easily hear all information that was being provided. This even gave a few people like myself the chance to step aside and grab a photo or two without losing site of the group or information being given.

 

As I mentioned earlier I will be happy to answer any specific questions either here (when I check the website), or via email which is listed under my signature.

[WallabyGal]

Well said, Bill! I am in total agreement with everything you said - it was a fabulous cruise & Uniworld is truly hard to top. I too would be happy to answer any questions from people considering this cruise. I'm sure I'll be on Uniworld in the future, hopefully along with the amazing Bill & his fabulous wife Linda - could not have asked for better cruisemates!

Cheers,

Carol PS to others reading this, I'm the person with the dairy allergy (not life threatening) & have never been treated as well as I was on Uniworld in terms of helping me to be able to eat fabulous dairy free food. They topped a lot of restaurants I've been in too (where you order a Caesar salad w/no cheese, but it arrives with shredded Parmesan, oh, oops, sooorrry they say!)

[jc foster]

We are sailing on the Antoinette from Amsterdam Nov.3. My wife is a vegetarian (any problems there?). I think we are booked in cat.4. Would you recommend an upgrade? thanks Clark

[Buck1949]

We are sailing on the Antoinette from Amsterdam Nov.3. My wife is a vegetarian (any problems there?). I think we are booked in cat.4. Would you recommend an upgrade? thanks Clark

 

You will love the Antoinette!!

 

As to your stateroom in Category 4, I don't think that is a major issue (except) that it is smaller than the stateroom in category 2 by about 30 square feet as I recall. The room may be a bit snug, but I'm sure it is still very manageable. Cruising in November is likely to be much cooler than our cruise so not having the window that opens probably will not be an issue either.

 

I believe that category 4 is on the same level as the laundry and theater. This floor is below the main deck which is the floor where the reception and dining room are located. I personally would want to be a few rooms down the hall from the laundry and theater. I noticed that the laundry was well used by passengers, me included.

 

As to he vegetarian issue........ I believe that is also not a major issue at all. If there is something specific she needs or would like, I would suggest she ask her waiter the first evening about alternatives. Can't remember but the menu given each night may have mentioned something about vegetarian offerings.

 

Hope this helps. Enjoy your cruise!

[WallabyGal]

JC Foster;

 

We met some ladies who were in category 3 on the same deck as we were (as well as Bill & Linda Rogers) in Category 2. We were curious about the room differences. Answer: none! We were midship, they were aft, the last room on the hallway, next to a door passengers couldn't enter (presumably leading to the engine or some crew 'stuff' -maybe crew cabins? No idea). So their room was identical to ours, just in a different location. I don't know what they paid, but presumably it was cheaper. On a big ship it might make a difference being midship or fore or aft b/c of movement/motion issues. But on a ship that goes 10 knots/hr. on a quiet river, it made no difference.

 

As Bill noted, you are probably on a lower deck, & maybe near the laundry. But otherwise it's not an issue I wouldn't think, & you're not in your room much. The differences certainly weren't as large as they are between categories on a larger ship.

 

Regarding being vegetarian - that should be no problem, she won't be alone. Chef Claudio is fabulous as are he waiters & maitre d'. Just talk to them. Vegan might be a bit more of an issue I suppose, but they clearly aim to please. My recall is that there was always a vegetarian offering each night though it might have cheese or eggs so vegans might have a problem.

 

Enjoy!

Carol

[Buck1949]

We are sailing on the Antoinette from Amsterdam Nov.3. My wife is a vegetarian (any problems there?). I think we are booked in cat.4. Would you recommend an upgrade? thanks Clark

 

Hi Clark ,

Thought I would check back and see what your thoughts were on your cruise experience on the SS Antoinette.

 

We were so happy with our river cruise that we (and maybe as many as 15 others) have started discussing in earnest - a 2015 Russian River cruise.

 

Not sure of dates or even cruise lines yet since itineraries and prices have not been published.....but we are gathering momentum!!:) if you are interested in such a cruise - my email address link is right below my signature.

[jc foster]

Hi Clark ,

Thought I would check back and see what your thoughts were on your cruise experience on the SS Antoinette.

 

We were so happy with our river cruise that we (and maybe as many as 15 others) have started discussing in earnest - a 2015 Russian River cruise.

 

Not sure of dates or even cruise lines yet since itineraries and prices have not been published.....but we are gathering momentum!!:) if you are interested in such a cruise - my email address link is right below my signature.

Hi Bill, It was an excellent cruise, and my wife really enjoyed the menu. The service and staff were excellent as were all the ports. We had previously booked a 12 night (Budapest to Prague) cruise for 2014 with another company and we are now wishing that we had waited and booked with Uniworld. This was our first river cruise, but I think Uniworld may be hard to beat.

[Buck1949]

Great to hear.... I totally agree.....while we have no other River Cruises to compare with, it would be difficult in our minds to surpass what Uniworld has to offer. We are currently trying to determine costs/cruise companies/dates for our Russian River Cruise in 2015....... all the while trying to finalize our NCL cruise excursions for this upcoming summer trip. (a good problem to have I guess). Half the fun is the research.....well maybe not half !!!! :D

[Fairfield Nana]

Howdy Buck!! I gotta tell you that you need to become a professional travel writer--you certainly have the talent. At least Uniworld shoulg put you on the payroll! Still giving the Russia cruise a good hard think for 2015.

Guess we'll have to make up our mind pretty soon to get a place. Have you narrowed down which line and tentative dates yet? Uniworld looks pretty good and our fantastic trip on the Antoinette a couple months ago is still a big plus..Take care and our best to your better half! Your "Basel Buddy"

[Buck1949]

The cruise has been very enjoyable. The staff is superb,and they really spoil you. If you like to ride bikes, it is a great itinerary, because they have a bike path along the Rhine in all of Germany. This morning, 10 people rode bikes the 12 miles from our overnight stop in Boppart to Koblenz.

 

Tonight, in Koblenz, is really the first port where you can walk off the ship into the center of town. The first 3 nights we were tied up out of town, or too far to walk in the dark.

 

Be prepared to walk a lot. We did the two included tours on one day, and my pedometer said we'd gone 8 miles. Today it has been 6 1/2 miles so far.

 

Hey there fellow Arizonan....

Noted you previously on the SS Antoinette....and thought I would post a note to you here......

 

There were a number of us that were so impressed with Uniworld that we are currently in the planning stages of a 2015 Russian River Cruise. Not for sure that Uniworld will be the cruise line of choice but it is certainly at the top of the list.

 

Have you ever looked at the Russian cruise? We have the interest of maybe 12 Antoinette - cruisers....and another 5 or 6 who may have an interest in the cruise that have not done any river cruising.

 

Anyway...just wanted to say hi....from a Phoenix resident to a 'near' Phoenix resident.

[jklc123]

We greatly enjoyed the Uniworld Russian itinerary in 2012. The only drawback, for some travelers, is that you stay on the ship instead of a centrally located hotel during the time in Moscow and St. Petersburg. And now we're looking forward to "Castles on the Rhine" next fall.

[Buck1949]

We greatly enjoyed the Uniworld Russian itinerary in 2012. The only drawback, for some travelers, is that you stay on the ship instead of a centrally located hotel during the time in Moscow and St. Petersburg. And now we're looking forward to "Castles on the Rhine" next fall.

 

AND........... we greatly enjoyed our Uniworld Castles on the Rhine itinerary in September.......and I know you will too. ;)

 

I have heard from others that most of these cruises in Russia use the ship as the hotel..(while others do provide central hotels)....and would have been easier/nicer if a central hotel had been used. I guess that is the part that I was willing to compromise with in order to use Uniworld.

 

I was in port in St. Petersburg in 2009 on an NCL cruise for 2 days and we were bussed into the center of the city to see the sites..... and at that time I did not mind that ride. It was narrated by our guide and gave me the opportunity to see the sites while riding - rather than driving. :) I just hope that this time will be the same.

 

As to your Castle's cruise........... I can only say that ours was FABULOUS. The staff/crew where awesome, and the attention to detail was far beyond any other cruise that we have taken. Food was great, and the tours were very well organized and very interesting. Of course we had to buy a cuckoo clock while in Bavaria which we had shipped home....... (and also a suitcase in Speyer) to carry the extra goodies we bought while on this trip also. :eek:

 

I hope your trip is as great as ours was. To be honest, the way we were treated on the Rhine cruise by Uniworld is a big reason why we are using them for Russia. I am sure that the other cruise lines in Russia are good ( and may be better ) but why wander from a known good thing !!

[jklc123]

AND........... we greatly enjoyed our Uniworld Castles on the Rhine itinerary in September.......and I know you will too. ;)

 

I have heard from others that most of these cruises in Russia use the ship as the hotel..(while others do provide central hotels)....and would have been easier/nicer if a central hotel had been used. I guess that is the part that I was willing to compromise with in order to use Uniworld.

 

I was in port in St. Petersburg in 2009 on an NCL cruise for 2 days and we were bussed into the center of the city to see the sites..... and at that time I did not mind that ride. It was narrated by our guide and gave me the opportunity to see the sites while riding - rather than driving. :) I just hope that this time will be the same.

 

As to your Castle's cruise........... I can only say that ours was FABULOUS. The staff/crew where awesome, and the attention to detail was far beyond any other cruise that we have taken. Food was great, and the tours were very well organized and very interesting. Of course we had to buy a cuckoo clock while in Bavaria which we had shipped home....... (and also a suitcase in Speyer) to carry the extra goodies we bought while on this trip also. :eek:

 

I hope your trip is as great as ours was. To be honest, the way we were treated on the Rhine cruise by Uniworld is a big reason why we are using them for Russia. I am sure that the other cruise lines in Russia are good ( and may be better ) but why wander from a known good thing !!

 

We didn't mind the bus rides into town, either. The commentaries by the guides made the time pass quickly. We did use the subway from the ship to St. Pete when we had free time. The walk to the Moscow station from the ship is a bit longer, but you do walk through parks used by the locals, which is interesting. We chose Uniworld for Russia after only one cruise with them as we were impressed by how they handled a schedule change due to high water, among other things. While every river cruise ship in Russia looks the same from the outside, when we crossed through other ships when double or triple docked, ours looked the most modern. And we liked that Uniworld had turned a walking deck into balconies for the deck we were on. We sat out there & watched the riverbanks go by more than once, although it was also great in the evenings on the front observation deck. (We were there close to the long "summer white nights.") I think you will have rather hot weather in August. You might want to take anti-mosquito spray as on one stretch, although it wasn't really very warm yet for us, mosquitos did board the ship, and seemed to like the computer room! Also, I enjoyed the Russian language sessions on board.

 

Anyway, we are looking forward to being pampered on the Antoinette and wish you a great voyage, too.