My husband and I enjoyed our Uniworld cruise, "Castles on the Rhine". This was the third river cruise we have taken, the first being an Avalon cruise from Prague to Budapest and the second a Uniworld "Tulips and Windmills". We began with a day on our own in Amsterdam, an attractive and interesting city in which to relax and catch our breaths after the flight over, never a favorite part of travel.
The River Ambassador, while the smallest and oldest ship we have cruised on, was attractive and well-maintained. While the cabins were the smallest we've ever been assigned to, we ended up spending more time in the comfortable lounge. The crew could not have been better, and the cruise manager and hotel manager were terrific. There were excursions included every day, and the local guides did a good job. We felt that the food was the best we have had, and decent wines were poured freely with dinner. The breakfasts offered good variety and an omelet station. Lunches were very good with a variety of salads, soups, a couple of hot entrees, sandwich-making possibilities and always a tempting dessert table.
The itinerary offered by this cruise included a day and a half in the Alsace region of France. We enjoyed a canal cruise in Strasbourg and a full day visiting the charming villages of Riquewihr and Kaisersburg. Speyer, Germany was also a favorite town along the way.
Our fellow cruisers included other Americans, many Canadians, and a few from "down under". The average age was, perhaps, 60, and it was a very congenial group. River cruising is a great way to go for a relaxing holiday visiting interesting places while enjoying good food and companionship. Uniworld does an exceptional job of providing a quality experience.
Top Notch River Cruise
Uniworld has proven again that it runs a top notch cruise line. Even though the River Ambassador is the oldest ship in its fleet, the boat was in absolutely great condition. Everything was spotless from the cabins to the dining facility and lounge to the common areas. The crew is happy, helpful and proud to be members of the Uniworld team. Every interaction we had with any member of the crew was positive and friendly.
Although the cabins are smaller than on the other Uniworld boats, they are well laid out and more than sufficient for this length of cruise. The bed was extremely comfortable and made/turned down twice a day. Bathroom amenities were high quality and plentiful.
The meals on the boat were much better than the high expectations we had for them. The chef's were GREAT and funny. The dining room manager made sure that everything ran smoothly and our waiter (we tried to get the same one every day) was super. Food at every meal was plentiful and no one should go away hungry. Uniworld provides free wine at dinner and you didn't have to ask for a refill. As soon as your glass was 1/2 empty, it was refilled.
There was a wide variety of passengers on the cruise with an average age in the mid - late 50's (I guess). It was a lively trip with a lot of new friends made.
Check in and check out was very easy and totally transparent. When we arrived, our suitcases disappeared and reappeared in our cabins. At checkout, our suitcases were taken directly to our taxi that morning. No "put out your suitcases the night before departure."
Our cruise manager was EVERYWHERE! He made sure everything ran smoothly and kept on top of all the off boat activities. Tour guides he arranged were very good, knowledgeable, and friendly. Anyone traveling with Marcus will be pleased with his service.
I have to give a special commendation to the Captain and his navigation crew. The Rhine was at the lowest level it had been in 6 years. Other ships were putting passengers on buses to take them to ports, but our captain was able to safely get us to every port without problem. I can't say enough good things about the navigation staff's professionalism.
Bottom line -- definitely take a Castles on the Rhine cruise on the River Ambassador.
Avalon with extra discounts With the decrease in the value of the dollar and the high price of fuel the cost of hotels and meals have doubled in European during the last three years. Savy travelers have come to understand that a river cruise offers the best value for a European Vacation. Accommodations, all meals on board and shore excursions are included in the price and some companies even include wine with dinner. Because of this, you do not have to live in fear of the $300 per night hotel bill, the $100 not so wonderful restaurant meal and the $10 cup of coffee with no free refills.
Many people believe that by dealing directly with the cruise line, they cut out the expense of a middleman. But when it comes to cruising, this is never the case. The cruise lines depend on travel agents to sell their product, and so it is the cruise lines who pay the agent's commission, not the customer. The lines also offer agents various extra incentives, bonus commissions and value-added perks, giving the travel agents more pricing leverage and the ability for us to offer you lower rates: There are many superb and well-trained travel agents, but there are not many who know as much as we do about river cruising.
