New to River Cruises - Question - Room Service on Board?

[micheleg]

Hi All,

 

This may be a silly question to those proficient in River Cruising, but we're now investigating the possibility of taking our first river cruise since most of the mainstream cruiselines have just gone crazy with their pricing to Europe.

 

I know that there's typically buffets for breakfast and lunch and one open seating for dinner on board, but what about room service? What if you get hungry during the day/evening and want a snack or are tired and want to dine in your cabin...are these possibilities? If not, are there snacks offered on board somewhere during the day/evening?

 

I've checked the FAQ's on most of the river cruising lines web pages, but don't see anything mentioned about this. We're not food intensive, but if we're off exploring on our own (outside of the planned ships tours) and miss one of the meals provided, we might want something to snack on when we get on board.

 

Any insight to the ways of river cruising would be most appreciated!

 

Thanks,

Michele :)

[unberwoob]

Michele,

I don't know of any river cruise that offers room service. There is usually a snack in the afternoon along with tea, coffee, etc. Dinner is usually around 7 or 7:30, so evening snacks are not necessary. On our Uniworld Christmas Market cruise last December, there were always cookies, tea, and coffee in the downstairs lounge, but I don't know if this is done on summer cruises. At most ports, the ship docks right in the center of town, so returning to the ship is easy.

Dennis

[pezeli]

Hi Michele,

 

We were on Uniworld for a Danube cruise an they did not have room service. There were three meals a day with one general seating and a snack at 10PM.

 

Hope this helps!

[micheleg]

Thanks for the responses! We're considering Uniworld for the Budapest to Bucharest cruise. This style of cruising really intrigues me...not sure it does the same for my boyfriend. I'm just concerned that we may be bored...we're not party animals, but we do like to gamble a little, etc. My feeling is that we'll be worn at from the day's activities, that we'll need the night time to recoup. Did you ever go off the ship after dinner or were you typically sailing again by that time?

 

How were the cabins and the service in general on Uniworld? Is upgrading to a suite worth it just for the additional space or did you feel it wouldn't be worth it.

 

I'm really trying to make an educated choice here...sorry for all of the questions.

 

Thanks again!

 

Michele

[japiscopo]

I'm looking for the same answers. We are doing Vienna to Amsterdam on Uniworld, and I can barely find any info on Uniworld. Any one out there have any answers or reviews.

[couchking]

I'm looking for the same information. We are booked on the

September 18th from Budapest to Prague. Has anyone been on this cruise. Is anyone going on the same cruise

Larry

[unberwoob]

For anyone new to river cruising, I would suggest you request the Uniworld DVD that they offer. Naturally it is an advertisement, but it gives a pretty good picture of what a river cruise is like.

Service on a river cruise is usually very good because the ship is so small you get to know the crew. You are not just a number.

As far as cabins, all cabins on Uniworld are the same, except for suites, no matter what deck you are on. The only difference is the size of the window. We go for the cheapest cabin. For the price of a suite upgrade, I can take another cruise.

If you look at previous posts on this board you will find loads of information and some reviews.

Happy cruising.

Dennis

[micheleg]

Hi Dennis,

 

Thanks for then info. Have you cruised on any of the other companies other than Uniworld? I'm just wondering how they compare? They seem to have the most bang for your buck.

 

One additional question..when you were on the excursions. Did you feel that your group was competing with all of the other river cruiselines to see the places of interest, or were they timed that only so many groups from so many other lines would be there at one time? Did you find the tours excellent, good, average, so-so, or you felt that you needed to go off on your own to really experience?

 

FYI..the Sofitel Hotel looks awesome!

 

Thanks,

Michele

[easy dad]

Michele,

 

If you are looking to be entertained (as on a cruise ship) I think you will be sorely disappointed. On the otherhand, if you are looking for opportunities to explore and learn you will have a great time. My wife and I took Uniworld down the Rhine from Basel to Amsterdam and it was the best two weeks of our lives. On our cruise, after dinner, the cruise director took us on an improptu, unscheduled, short guided tour of the area around the boat. This relaxed evening stroll, usually in the heart of the city, worked off dinner and gave us time to talk with other passengers while seeing a new city/town with no crowds. There is no room service. Enjoy the company of the other passengers at dinner. You will have a great time.

 

We are taking the Budapest to Prague cruise this September on Amadeus' Poetry only because we want to see Salzberg, which Uniworld does not offer.

[unberwoob]

Michele

Last June we did a Budapest to Prague cruise on Avalon's (same company as Amedeus) Symphony, which we booked through Globus. It was a wonderful trip. Very similar to our trip with Uniworld. The desert table on the Symphony was great! We are now taking trips with Uniworld due to their itineraries and optional excursions that other companies don't offer. For example, on our Russian cruise this summer we are taking a pre excursion trip through the Baltics. On their Bucharest to Budapest cruise we have planned for next year, they offer a pre excursion from Budapest through Romania. Avalon (Amedeus) and Uniworld are equivalent, so let the itinerary be ypur guide.

As far as the shore excursions, they were usually very good. There are 3-4 groups for each city, and although the tours are the same, the groups go their separate ways, so it is not one huge group. We did not run into any problems with groups from other boats. It is never like the big cruise ships that dump thousands of people in a port all at once. Some guides were better than others of course, but most gave very informative tours.

Dennis