Which is Better: Uniworld or AMA Waterways?

[StarTrkGeek]

My wife and I are planning a trip from Amsterdam to Budapest, and are undecided between AMA Waterways (previously called Amadeus Waterways) and Uniworld.

 

What are the differences (for example, food quality, variety, and taste; service; quality of the tours; number of people on each tour; quality of the beds/mattresses; as well as little extras thrown in)?

 

I know that most offer free table wine at dinner. What about free beer?

 

Any help would be appreciated.

Alan

[tiggypooo]

I've only sailed Uniworld, but the impression that I get is that those 2 cruiselines are very similar as far as quality and service goes.

Apparently the guy that started AMA/Amadeus used to work at Uniworld.

[alexrabi]

As an American you may be happier with GCT (Grand Circle) as this is sold only to Americans it is an English language only trip and there is not the constant translations into other languages on the ship or on the tours. This will occur on the other lines as they are also marketed to Europeans in various countries. I believe food and accommodations are very similar on the various lines.

[pacmom]

Having been on 6 river cruises with the following lines: Uniworld, Vantage and Viking. English was the language used. No translations. You will meet English speaking people from all over the world. We have met folks from the UK, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, Australia. Uraguay and Taiwan. The ethnic mix has been wonderful. Vantage is like GCT--all US citizens. Pat

[HDS]

Last autumn (2008) English was the only language used on Uniworld's River Countess on the Amsterdam to Budapest cruise and also on Viking cruises in Ukraine and Russia, possibly because the companies have head offices in USA and cater to an English speaking market. The majority of travellers on all three boats were from USA and seemed very comfortable with the language.

Our experience of Uniworld between Amsterdam and Vienna ranged from excellent to superb. Walking tour groups were about 20, "Vox" boxes made it easy to hear the guide, food was excellent, staff were extremely efficient, very pleasant and gave excellent service.

Our bed was very comfortable, cabins and public areas were cleaned frequently and were immaculate, hand sanitiser was freely available and its use encouraged.

Wine was served at dinner without charge, beer and soft drinks were not, but this may have changed. Check with the company.

There was a small lift for the less mobile and a guest laundry, no charge for machines and dryers.

Can't comment on other companies.

[letsgo39]

As an American you may be happier with GCT (Grand Circle) as this is sold only to Americans it is an English language only trip and there is not the constant translations into other languages on the ship or on the tours. This will occur on the other lines as they are also marketed to Europeans in various countries. I believe food and accommodations are very similar on the various lines.

 

Are you talking about Deilman?I know their official language is German but I don't know of any other company that markets to the US market that does not have English as the first language.

 

One of the best things about traveling is getting to know people from other countries.DH and I cruised on Avalon from Budapest to Amsterdam in 2007 and the language was English on the ship if that is your concern.It was such fun to get to know fellow travelers from Australia(such fun),New Zealand,Canada,Great Britian and the U.S. We tour on our own often and I don't mind at all the translations in different languages. It is interesting to see just how much I can understand.Seems to me if you have a problem with hearing different languages in"Europe" you should probably stay home in the U.S.:D

 

We were very happy with Avalon and would definitely cruise with them again although I would probably consider other companies too. I do like traveling on newer ships. We have taken 6 other Globus(owns Avalon) tours and always enjoyed them.It amazes me how just spending a few weeks in Italy or Germany on our own that I start to pick up the language.Immersing ourselves in the local culture is one of the joys of traveling and I don't worry at all about which language is spoken.I have never had a problem being understood and understanding somone else.Sometimes it does invlove some sign language and my phrase book!!;)

 

AMA and Avalon have the largest cabins at 172 sq ft and hotel style beds(queen size).They both also have the French Balconys which we really enjoyed.

[StarTrkGeek]

AMA and Avalon have the largest cabins at 172 sq ft and hotel style beds(queen size).They both also have the French Balconys which we really enjoyed.

I just received a DVD from Scenic Tours. They claim to have the only river boats in Europe with actual balconies -- NOT French balconies. With a French balcony, you have to sit inside your cabin to enjoy the view. With a Scenic "Spaceship" balcony, there is a table and chairs outside on the balcony.

[GeriatricNurse]

My wife and I are planning a trip from Amsterdam to Budapest, and are undecided between AMA Waterways (previously called Amadeus Waterways) and Uniworld.

 

What are the differences (for example, food quality, variety, and taste; service; quality of the tours; number of people on each tour; quality of the beds/mattresses; as well as little extras thrown in)?

 

I know that most offer free table wine at dinner. What about free beer?

 

Any help would be appreciated.

Alan

 

 

DW & I did our first river cruise last fall with AMA Waterways from Budapest to Amsterdam.

It was an excellent cruise in all aspects.

Based on our cruising experience with them, we would only cruise with AMA Waterways!

[GeriatricNurse]

As an American you may be happier with GCT (Grand Circle) as this is sold only to Americans it is an English language only trip and there is not the constant translations into other languages on the ship or on the tours. This will occur on the other lines as they are also marketed to Europeans in various countries. I believe food and accommodations are very similar on the various lines.

 

The information that you have stated is incorrect!

DW & I cruised with AMA Waterways last Fall and ONLY English was spoken onboard!

And yes, low & behold, there were MOSTLY Americans & Canadians onboard!

[WIT]

I just received a DVD from Scenic Tours. They claim to have the only river boats in Europe with actual balconies -- NOT French balconies. With a French balcony, you have to sit inside your cabin to enjoy the view. With a Scenic "Spaceship" balcony, there is a table and chairs outside on the balcony.

The locks on the river limit the maximum size of the river boat. Given this fact, having more room for an actual French balcony also means having less space somewhere else on the boat - perhaps fewer or smaller rooms. Most pax found the viewing better in the front or aft lounges or the top deck. A French balcony mid ship on a lower level might be close to the water level and unable to enjoy the views of those in better positions.

 

WIT

[StarTrkGeek]

The locks on the river limit the maximum size of the river boat. Given this fact, having more room for an actual French balcony also means having less space somewhere else on the boat - perhaps fewer or smaller rooms. Most pax found the viewing better in the front or aft lounges or the top deck. A French balcony mid ship on a lower level might be close to the water level and unable to enjoy the views of those in better positions.

 

WIT

I agree that an actual balcony detracts from space on the ship, but a French balcony does NOT. A French balcony is NOT an actual balcony. There is a sliding glass door. Once you open the door, there is a rail -- so you cannot step out onto a balcony. With French balconies, there is NO actual balcony to step onto.

 

The advantage of a French balcony over a full-length window is that you can open the sliding glass door to allow fresh air to enter the cabin. Also, it's great for picture taking, since you do not have to shoot through glass. Plus, it takes up no additional room, when compared to a room with a window.

 

Although a lot of river cruise lines offer French balconies, Scenic appears to be the only cruise line offering a real balcony.

[letsgo39]

We enjoyed our French balcony on Avalon mostly late at night or early morning,but actually spent very little time in our cabin. We spent most of our free time either on the sun deck or in the open area in front of the lounge. When you cruise the Budapest / Amsterdam route there will be several days that the sun deck is closed due to the low bridges.

 

Star Trek Greek-- You seem to be doing some research but have you been on a river cruise yet? Are you trying to decide which line to use? Before you decide to book with Scenic I suggest you read all the complaints on here regarding their very poor Customer Service.I agree their ads look great,why would they not but the reality seems to be different.I only know what I read about them. We were happy with Avalon but I have also been looking at GCT because they offer such good last minute deals. My brother left today for a 21 day China tour with GCT which includes a river cruise. He got a great price. I will be interested to hear his opinion of GCT when he returns.

[zoncom]

Check out the annual cruise issue of Feb. 09 Conde Nast Traveler.Lists top 50 ships. 11,000 readers contibute to poll anually. I have always found their reviews right on the $.

[StarTrkGeek]

Star Trek Greek-- You seem to be doing some research but have you been on a river cruise yet? Are you trying to decide which line to use? Before you decide to book with Scenic I suggest you read all the complaints on here regarding their very poor Customer Service.I agree their ads look great,why would they not but the reality seems to be different.I only know what I read about them. We were happy with Avalon but I have also been looking at GCT because they offer such good last minute deals. My brother left today for a 21 day China tour with GCT which includes a river cruise. He got a great price. I will be interested to hear his opinion of GCT when he returns.

We have not been on a river cruise yet, but are planning one. I, too, have heard about the customer support issues with Scenic. That's too bad, as they seem to have a nice product.

 

We have narrowed our choices down to AMA Waterways, Uniworld, and Tauck.

[Steamboatin]

Hi Alan,

 

When are you planning on going?

 

Reason why I ask is that we are going on Uniworld's Tulips and Windmills cruise. Next month we will be on the River Queen from April 21 to April 30 from Antwerp to Amsterdam. So when we sail together to Alaska we can talk with you about our experience with Uniworld.

 

To our knowledge Trafalgar owns Tauck and Uniworld. We have had 4 land tours with Trafalgar and have been very pleased with them. On our last land tour we had the wireless head sets to listen to the tour guide as we walked the tour. This was great as in crowded areas you had no problems hearing our tour guide taking. It also gives you the opportunity to move away from the immediate area of the tour guide to take pictures and still be able to hear your tour guide talking.

 

We have had 5 river cruises on rivers in the United States but none yet in Europe.

 

We have completed 13 ocean voyages as well.

 

We enjoy both ocean and river cruises. However, there is a very big difference between the two. Ocean cruises have very active programs aboard for their passengers whereas river cruises have basically no activities planned on board their vessels except for some nighly light entertainment in the vessel's lounge. At least that has been our experience.

 

Looking forward to meeting you all on our Alaskian cruise this summer.

[Louise22]

I don't think Tauck would be happy to hear they are owned by Trafalgar. They are a Tauck family owned company. That is, as far as I know.

[StarTrkGeek]

Hi Alan,

 

When are you planning on going?

 

Reason why I ask is that we are going on Uniworld's Tulips and Windmills cruise. Next month we will be on the River Queen from April 21 to April 30 from Antwerp to Amsterdam. So when we sail together to Alaska we can talk with you about our experience with Uniworld.

 

To our knowledge Trafalgar owns Tauck and Uniworld. We have had 4 land tours with Trafalgar and have been very pleased with them. On our last land tour we had the wireless head sets to listen to the tour guide as we walked the tour. This was great as in crowded areas you had no problems hearing our tour guide taking. It also gives you the opportunity to move away from the immediate area of the tour guide to take pictures and still be able to hear your tour guide talking.

 

We have had 5 river cruises on rivers in the United States but none yet in Europe.

 

We have completed 13 ocean voyages as well.

 

We enjoy both ocean and river cruises. However, there is a very big difference between the two. Ocean cruises have very active programs aboard for their passengers whereas river cruises have basically no activities planned on board their vessels except for some nighly light entertainment in the vessel's lounge. At least that has been our experience.

 

Looking forward to meeting you all on our Alaskian cruise this summer.

Hi Steamboatin,

 

Unfortunately, we cannot afford more than one cruise a year. Maybe when we retire.:)

 

I like to do lots of research (I think that I actually live on the Internet). I am currently in various stages of planning for three cruises: for this summer (Alaska -- already booked); Spring 2010 (Transatlantic); and 2010/2011 (European River cruise; possibly a Christmas cruise down the Danube).

 

This will be our second cruise to Alaska. When I was in my early 20s (a long time ago :(), I spent a year in the Aleutian islands (including a few days in Anchorage and a week in Fairbanks, at Eielson AFB).

 

Although I really like the activities on an ocean voyage, I think that I will like a river cruise to Europe even more. I can't wait.

 

I look forward to meeting you this summer.

 

Alan

[Post it]

I traveled on AMA Waterways on a Tulip Time tour two years ago and on a Uniworld Provence trip last year. They are very similar in their product. Both used the VOX box during excursions and both split the boat into smaller tour groups. I thought the tours on both trips outstanding. The ship personnel on both boats were also excellent. The main difference I noticed was the food. The Uniworld cuisine was very good as they had a Cordon Bleu chef running the kitchen. The food on Waterways was poor, and we ended up eating as many meals as we could off the boat. (Caveat - I am very much a foodie, so others may not have the same opinion.)

[Steamboatin]

Hi Alan,

 

Here is an old thread on Uniworld. It should be of some interest to you.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=890494

[MomC]

I, too, am a foodie, but I also recognize that ships have limited space, etc. I found the food on AMA to be similar to what you find on an ocean cruise ship--if most cruise ship food is an 8 out 10--compared to a gourmet restaurant--I would say that AMA was a 7. That being said, specialty dining rooms on cruise ships seem to try for the gourmet dining that foodies like to partake in. They now usually charge extra.

 

We just got off the Azamara Journey and I found the regular dining room food no better, nor worse than the food we had on AMA. They had lots of "fancy" names, but the quality was not that gourmet. Now, the specialty restaurants were outstanding.

 

Food is only one component of a river cruise. How important? Depending on your views, it could be a deal maker or breaker, but I would simply say that the food is NOT terrible on AMA--that is simply not true--and it would not make me eat off the ship at every opportunity. A meal or two at night or lunch off the ship is fun to try the local cuisine. The dining room at night is always fun because of the free flowing wine, beer and sodas--which are complimentary. Food is best when shared with friends--if you are traveling with friends or eating with new found friends, you will find that the entire dining experience improves when shared.

 

I have studied all the river cruise companies in depth--sailed with AMA in September 2007--have not sailed with Uniworld--but am very comfortable recommending AMA. Their customer service is superior to any I have dealth with--we have sailed on 30+ ocean cruises--and I used to be a travel agent. I have a group of seasoned travelers going on AMA Amalyra in September. I could have placed them on any ship.

 

That's my humble opinion--I hope it helps.

 

Mom C

[StarTrkGeek]

I, too, am a foodie, but I also recognize that ships have limited space, etc. I found the food on AMA to be similar to what you find on an ocean cruise ship--if most cruise ship food is an 8 out 10--compared to a gourmet restaurant--I would say that AMA was a 7. That being said, specialty dining rooms on cruise ships seem to try for the gourmet dining that foodies like to partake in. They now usually charge extra.

 

We just got off the Azamara Journey and I found the regular dining room food no better, nor worse than the food we had on AMA. They had lots of "fancy" names, but the quality was not that gourmet. Now, the specialty restaurants were outstanding.

 

Food is only one component of a river cruise. How important? Depending on your views, it could be a deal maker or breaker, but I would simply say that the food is NOT terrible on AMA--that is simply not true--and it would not make me eat off the ship at every opportunity. A meal or two at night or lunch off the ship is fun to try the local cuisine. The dining room at night is always fun because of the free flowing wine, beer and sodas--which are complimentary. Food is best when shared with friends--if you are traveling with friends or eating with new found friends, you will find that the entire dining experience improves when shared.

 

I have studied all the river cruise companies in depth--sailed with AMA in September 2007--have not sailed with Uniworld--but am very comfortable recommending AMA. Their customer service is superior to any I have dealth with--we have sailed on 30+ ocean cruises--and I used to be a travel agent. I have a group of seasoned travelers going on AMA Amalyra in September. I could have placed them on any ship.

 

That's my humble opinion--I hope it helps.

 

Mom C

I agree with everything you said, except "I found the food on AMA to be similar to what you find on an ocean cruise ship--if most cruise ship food is an 8 out 10--compared to a gourmet restaurant--I would say that AMA was a 7."

 

The food in the main dining room on most mainstream ocean cruise lines is definitely NOT an 8 out of 10. On the newer ships of Carnival and Royal Caribbean, as well as on Princess, HAL, and Celebrity, the main dining room rates somewhere between 5 and 7 (with the older ships of Carnival and Royal Caribbean rating a 3 - 5). I agree that some of the alternative restaurants are far better (the Princess alternative restaurants would rate a 7 to 8, while Celebrity's alternative restaurant would rate a 9 to 9.5). Just as a point of reference, I am comparing the food to the best restaurant I have ever eaten at (The Four Seasons restaurant in Boston -- which I would rate a 9.5; nothing is a 10, or absolutely perfect).

[merryecho]

Are you talking about Deilman?I know their official language is German but I don't know of any other company that markets to the US market that does not have English as the first language.

 

We traveled on River Cloud, offered through A&K, and there was one other English speaking couple aboard. The rest were German, Swedish, or Russian. Most of them did speak some English, but of course preferred dining with others they could converse with easily. Thank goodness the other couple were very nice.

[Post it]

I did not go on the AMA Waterways cruise expecting gourmet food. I am just as happy with a juicy hamburger or tender roasted chicken as I am with a "fancy" gourmet meal. I found the food on the Waterways cruise to lack flavor and the meat to be either vastly overcooked or undercooked rather than the medium requested. They did have additional items you could order off the menu like hamburgers but they took nearly an hour before you received them. I do agree with StarTrkGeek about the fun in conversing with other passengers at meal time. I ended up meeting someone who had attended the same high school as I did but had graduated 15 years earlier.

[GeriatricNurse]

I traveled on AMA Waterways on a Tulip Time tour two years ago and on a Uniworld Provence trip last year. They are very similar in their product. Both used the VOX box during excursions and both split the boat into smaller tour groups. I thought the tours on both trips outstanding. The ship personnel on both boats were also excellent. The main difference I noticed was the food. The Uniworld cuisine was very good as they had a Cordon Bleu chef running the kitchen. The food on Waterways was poor, and we ended up eating as many meals as we could off the boat. (Caveat - I am very much a foodie, so others may not have the same opinion.)

 

 

To the contrary, DW & I did a cruise with AMA Waterways onboard the Amalegro, from Budapest to Amsterdam in the fall of 2008, and we found both the food and service to be excellent!

[StarTrkGeek]

To the contrary, DW & I did a cruise with AMA Waterways onboard the Amalegro, from Budapest to Amsterdam in the fall of 2008, and we found both the food and service to be excellent!

The current edition of Conde Nast Traveller rates the top 50 small ships, including river boats. This magazine TOTALLY DISAGREES with you.

 

The AMA Amadaggio rated 25 out of 50. However, the food received a rating of 82.4 compared to 96.2 for GCT Bizet and 90.9 for Uniworld River Duchess. To be fair, there were several Uniworld ships that got only fair marks for food (Uniworld River Empress (79.7) and Uniworld River Ambassador (80.6).

 

Most of the GCT ships received Excellent to Outstanding marks for food. Uniworld ships varied much more widely, from Fair to Excellent. However, the AMA Amadaggio is the only AMA ship to even make the top 50, and it gets an average rating on food.

 

Regarding service, the GCT Bizet received a score of 98.1, while AMA Amadaggio received a score of 87.9. Uniworld ships received scores ranging from 91.7 to 98.1.

 

When comparing GCT, Uniworld, and AMA Waterways, AMA Waterways finished in the rear of the pack.