Uniworld - Castles on the Rhine

[bunnybear]

Saturday we chose to take the tour of the two Alsace Villages. We were off the boat by 8:45. The bus ride to the village was about 45 to 50 minutes. We had a guide who provided commentary the entire way providing history of the area.

 

The first village was picturesque and very quaint. The guide walked us a short ways through the village and then allowed us some free time. Tony, actually brought a big tray of the local sweet bread for us to snack on while we strolled the streets and visited the shops. Most of the shopkeepers spoke only French so it was a lot of pointing and smiling but they were very gracious.

 

The second village was also pretty with the shops located on a uphill main street. There was also plenty of opportunities for pictures.

 

We were back on the boat by 1:15. We ate lunch and then took on the packing. It always makes me sad when it's time to do that chore after an absolutely wonderful week.

 

The boat sailed at 4:00 and this section of the river is a series of locks that are pretty significant in the amount of height that we had to go up in each lock. A lot of our fellow passengers stayed up on top as we went through the first couple of locks. It was a neat experience.

 

Saturday night at 6:30 is the Captain's Farewell Reception and then the Farewell dinner at 7:00. We noticed that throughout the week groups of passengers sat at the same table throughout the week and by the end of the cruise enjoyed each other's company. We very much enjoyed our new group of friends. We exchanged email addresses and plans to visit each other.

 

Sunday morning embarkation is based on your plans. We are taking the train to Lucerne and Uniworld is providing a bus to the train station at 9:00. You have to be out of your room by 8:30 am so we will hang out in the Salon until it's time for our bus to leave. Uniworld has done everything in their power to make this trip memorable. I would not hesitate to recommend this trip or Cruiseline to anyone.

[bunnybear]

Things that may be helpful for future cruisers on the SS Antoinette:

 

There are two 110 outlets - one in the bedroom and one in the bathroom. We brought a power strip and was able to power up all our electronic devices without any need to use converters.

 

WiFi was promised to be available in the public areas. For the majority of the trip we had WiFi available in our room, as well. Friday and Saturday - the signal was weak but the rest of the trip it was strong.

 

If you have international phone service you will change providers several times. We learned to turn down the volume on our phones when we went to bed or we were woke up as texts came in to tell us that we were in a new provider area.

 

Clothing is casual for the most part. Due to weather conditions, layering is a good idea. It can be cool when you leave but then by mid-morning I was taking off the sweater or jacket. Most men wore a jacket for two dinners. Ladies wore slacks or skirts for those two dinners. Otherwise, it was nicer casual clothes. My hubby wore nice jeans with a jacket and he looked fine. I brought way too many clothes and will definitely pack differently if we river cruise again.

 

We have nothing to compare to, but feel that Uniworld is the best product we have seen. It is all inclusive so I never felt they were trying to sell us something. Bicyles were provided free of charge is you wished to do that. All cocktails, beer and wine are provided and gratuities are included. We never had to tip the bus drivers or the guides. The only thing I had to settle up was our one optional excursion. The crew repeatedly went out of their way to make the trip whatever the passengers wanted it to be.

 

We saw a lot of other cruise ships along the river and it seemed that the tour groups for those lines were much larger. We were always in small groups and with the headsets provided - you could always hear the guide even if you wandered away from the group.

 

Feel free to ask any other questions you may have.

Edited August 31, 2014 by bunnybear

[eyeu]

Really good information and a great review of the cruise. For future cruisers on the Rhine...We went from Basel to Amsterdam..the last day, though it cut short Cologne, the long stretch of boring industrial scenery is what we packed to, in order to get ready to depart in Amsterdam the next morning. From the other direction you cut short the two villages/Colimar. On our northern route we were able to visit the two great wine villages as well as Colimar!! Those were fascinating stops. In other words, I would recommend the Basel to Amsterdam route. Just my 2 cents...

Rick

[ewizabeff]

Thanks for the thorough trip report, Karen! I'm eagerly awaiting boarding the River Ambassador next weekend for our cruise on the Danube.

 

Interesting that most men wore jackets at the formal dinners (and this was confirmed by the photos in this thread). So many cruisers have said that it's getting more casual, but it seems Uniworld wants to continue with the formality. I enjoy dressing for dinner, and will be prepared. Only the available space in my husband's suitcase might prevent him from wearing a jacket.

 

I'm so glad this was a vacation you'll remember fondly!

[mimmy52]

Bunnybear, I'm enjoying a peek at how another cruise line does the Rhine.

[eyeu]

On the Uniworld "formal" dinners, many but not all men wore jackets. Majority did not wear a tie, but just open collar. I like to have a jacket, not only for those dinners but when flying home, gives me extra room in pockets to save on weight limitations.

Rick

[bunnybear]

He wore a black or white sold color polo under his jacket with nice jeans. He fit in just fine.

 

I saw ladies in all styles of dress at dinner. I took a nice pair of black pants that packed easily and just wore different tops with scarves or costume jewelry and it worked perfectly. I took one pair of black sandals and that was fine for the whole week at dinner.

 

Something I think is fabulous is that Uniworld provides a laundry room with three washers and three dryers. They provide the detergent/fabric softener and they are complimentary. We met a lot of folks on board who packed for a lengthy holiday in a carry on because they knew they could do laundry along the way. I did two loads during the week so that when we get home it will lighten my loads.

[bunnybear]

We got off the ship at 9:15 and Uniworld provided transportation to the train station. I bought us tickets for the next available train and we were easily able to make the 10:05 train. The ride was less than an hour. The train station is very close to old town. We caught a cab and realized we could have easily walked to our hotel. We are staying at Des Balances and have a lake view room. The scenery is gorgeous, but unfortunately the weather stinks.

 

But we are going to make the best of it. We headed to the Dieing Lion Monument and have walked across the bridge. We purchased a Swiss watch and ate in a sidewalk café during a heavy rainstorm. We are calling it a night and hope for a break in the weather tomorrow.

 

Lucerne is very easy to get around so I suggest you can do this on your own if that fits your style.

[seabreezer]

Bunnybear, your feedback on this cruise has been excellent and just detailed enough without having to slog through any super long posts. We will also be staying at Des Balances in Lucerne in Sept. and I would appreciate any further comments on the quality of the room, service, food, etc.

[margbem]

Thanks for the thorough trip report, Karen! I'm eagerly awaiting boarding the River Ambassador next weekend for our cruise on the Danube.

 

Interesting that most men wore jackets at the formal dinners (and this was confirmed by the photos in this thread). So many cruisers have said that it's getting more casual, but it seems Uniworld wants to continue with the formality. I enjoy dressing for dinner, and will be prepared. Only the available space in my husband's suitcase might prevent him from wearing a jacket.

 

I'm so glad this was a vacation you'll remember fondly!

 

We have booked on the River Ambassador for this time next year. This will be our first river cruise after several ocean cruises on Seabourn. We are very interested in anything you can tell us about your trip, including towns along the way and the boat itself, whether whilst on board or after you come back, if that is possible!

 

Hope you have a fantastic time on the Danube.

[MommaBear55]

Bunnybear, what a timely review as just last night I started researching Rhine river cruises. Thank you so much for this. I am ready to pack. Eyeyu, thank you for your pictures.

[ewizabeff]

We have booked on the River Ambassador for this time next year. This will be our first river cruise after several ocean cruises on Seabourn. We are very interested in anything you can tell us about your trip, including towns along the way and the boat itself, whether whilst on board or after you come back, if that is possible!

 

Hope you have a fantastic time on the Danube.

 

I'll have lots to share (hopefully in real-time) at http://www.grosstravelchronicles.blogspot.com. Feel free to follow along!

Edited September 1, 2014 by ewizabeff

[nana541]

I'll have lots to share (hopefully in real-time) at http://www.grosstravelchronicles.blogspot.com. Feel free to follow along!

 

 

Your link seems not go to any travel blog??????? Seems to be a search engine for the word "gross"?

 

 

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[gwilli]

Thanks so much for this wonderful review! We have taken many cruises, but not a river cruise. This is now at the top of our list. Cheers!

[bunnybear]

We have just about completed our last day in Lucerne. It is a charming and picturesque place to visit. There is a picture opportunity at every corner. The weather was bit better today so we walked here and there for about 6 hours. We started out our day at a pasteria and picked out two enticing pastries and ordered coffees.

 

We took the lake boat cruise which gave you a good view of the surrounding communities that surround the lake. We then hike up the hill to walk on the upper wall where the towers are located. It was quite a hike but brought along a sandwich we bought along the way and had lunch on a bench we found up the hill. The view from the upper wall is a new perspective. The staircase to get to the upper wall is straight up. We made it but were both winded at the top.

 

We then made our way down from the walls and wandered again to the other bridge that has been here since the 1400's. We spent a lot of time just sitting on benches soaking in the atmosphere. You will hear a lot of different languages spoken but we had so problems with using English in the restaurants and the shops.

 

Food in Lucerne is expensive, especially in the restaurants. We found it was better to buy pasteries and sandwiches in shops for breakfast and lunch. I had also read in TripAdvisor to go to the train station because the food was more economical. We did eat in two restaurants for dinner and they were pricey. When you stay at Des Balances they give you two free cocktails at the restaurant/bar in the hotel. We had the free cocktails, ordered appetizers and two coffees and it was 57 swiss francs.

 

Des Balances has a coffee machine in the room. We bought pastries this evening to enjoy tomorrow morning from our balcony as we say goodbye to Lucerne.

 

Our room is compact but sufficient. It's certainly not the biggest room I have stayed in Europe but certainly not the smallest. The lake front balcony is big enough for a table with two chairs. Our room sits directly across from the Jesuit Church and the church bells that play at 3:30 were a treat.

 

I am really glad we visited this pretty place. I hope this information will help you in your future travel plans.

 

Tomorrow we take the train back to Basel. We are staying overnight in a hotel near the airport and then fly back to Houston early Wednesday morning.

Edited September 1, 2014 by bunnybear

[ewizabeff]

Your link seems not go to any travel blog??????? Seems to be a search engine for the word "gross"?

 

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Ahh, the link in the text is wrong, but it's coded to go to the wrong URL. (My mistake - I edited it and only edited the text.)

 

The correct URL is http://www.grosstravelchronicles.blogspot.com. It's also in my signature, but I believe you can't see that if you're using the Cruise Critic app. Just posted my packing list :)

[nana541]

Yep using the CC App and no your signature is not available on the App

:)

 

 

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[nana541]

My river cruise is next Sept 11 2015, your packing list will come in handy!

Thanks...

 

 

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[CPT Trips]

Ahh, the link in the text is wrong, but it's coded to go to the wrong URL. (My mistake - I edited it and only edited the text.)

 

The correct URL is http://www.grosstravelchronicles.blogspot.com. It's also in my signature, but I believe you can't see that if you're using the Cruise Critic app. Just posted my packing list :)

 

I'm sure that I'm not the only one who has signatures turned off to make scrolling through posts easier . . . We miss some things.

[bunnybear]

The bells at the church across the lake pealed at 7:00 am. We looed out our window to see a flower and fruit market being set up at the church. We will probably go for a short walk and then pack up our belongings and head to the train station.

 

One other note on Des Balances. There is no air conditioning. We slept both nights with our window and door to our balcony open. They provide a fan. It was comfortable for the post part but a little warm for part of the night.

[Copaguy]

Thank you, Karen, for your wonderful postings about your cruise. My husband and I are booked on the Amsterdam to Basel "Castles along the Rhine" leaving June 7, 2015. Your information was great and answered a lot of my questions. We will be spending two days in Amsterdam before the cruise and then two days in Lucerne at the end, so I really enjoyed your information on those two cities too. We can't wait for this trip!

 

Judy and Doug

[Viktoria]

Karen and Scott, Jane and I admire your ability to take the train while carrying your suitcases along. We are not able to do that. We took the Uniworld extension which included the transfers. However, your way was probably a lot less expensive. OUr extension cost us $2000 but included the hotel which was $500 a night and the guide for one day and the transfers to and from Base. I think it was too expensive for what we got. If one is able to do it your way, it is a better idea. I totally agree that the food is very expensive and avoided the restaurants. The city is wonderful and easy to get around. We took the train to the Cog railway and then the rails to the top of Mt. Pilatus. It was an exciting trip up to the top of 7000 foot mountain and the view on the way up was wonderful. We even saw a few farms and cows and heard the ringing of the Swiss cow bells around the cows' necks. The view was obstructed by clouds when we got there but it was still a treat to have done it. Pleased to have met you. :)

[bunnybear]

Traveling the trains in Europe are so easy and nice. We loved the fact that you can just show up when you are ready to leave and hop on the next available departure.

 

The luggage is cumbersome, but they have areas to store them and we managed just fine.

 

The one thing we both agree that we did wrong was making our flight reservations to return out of Basel. We should have just taken the train to Frankfurt and left from there since that is where we were making our connection back to the states from anyways. We had to take the train to Basel Tuesday afternoon and then get a cab to a hotel near the airport and then arrange travel from the hotel to the airport at 4:30 Wednesday morning. We could have made that part of the trip a little bit easier.

 

I wouldn't have wanted to miss Lucerne but you are right - it was expensive.

[bunnybear]

My river cruise is next Sept 11 2015, your packing list will come in handy!

Thanks...

 

 

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I didn't make a packing list - but I would probably have taken a lot less clothing than I did. Like I stated before, you need to bring multiple layers for the day - but with clever planning you could mix and match these and wear them multiple days. I did bring two pair of shorts and did enjoy having them on the warmer days at the end of the cruise. I took one pair of nice black slacks and just wore nice tops with either costume jewelry or scarves to change them up. I took one pair of black sandals for dinner. I brought two pair of Clarks shoes for walking and felt like I could have probably just brought one.

 

My husband likes to wear the Columbia fishing pants on trips because they are comfortable and easily washed in the sink if necessary. He took three pair of those and then a mix of polo shirts and Columbia fishing shirts. For dinner, he wore nice jeans and polo shirts and cowboy boots. For the welcome reception /dinner and the farewell reception/dinner he wore a sports coat and a solid color polo. Most men were in sports coats and no ties, but some were in suits.

 

The fact that you can do laundry on the boat I think you could easily get by with less clothing. The bathroom is stocked with high quality products so there is no need to bring shampoo, shower jell or body lotion.

[nana541]

Bunnybear great advice for both of us! You are my hero for packing lite!

 

Great info about the train to Frankfurt, I am just starting to figure out air reservations. And I need to remember that the trains in Europe can easily get us to Hubs for flights back to the US.

 

 

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