Uniworld Budapest to Amsterdam Review

Low water and high temps didn’t dampen our enthusiasm!

More than a year ago, my SIL’s 82 year old mother announced that she wanted to go on a river cruise on Uniworld (highly recommended by ‘someone at the gym’) with her 3 children and their spouses. Well only my SIL and DB said yes so they asked DH and me, plus our other sister and BIL, if we were interested. None of us had ever been on a river cruise (we all have ocean cruising experience) but we were game. Unfortunately our DS and BIL had to drop their plans last spring so 5 of us headed off to Budapest in early August for an August 5 departure on the River Empress.

My DH and I were in the security line at Dulles Airport the afternoon of the 3rd when we received both a text and an email from our travel agent saying that Uniworld had just told her that due to low water in the Danube, we would need a ship exchange in Regensberg. Instead of departing on the River Empress, we would board the River Princess in Budapest and be bussed from Melk to Regensberg to join the River Empress. Since they are sister ships we would have the same cabins. Uniworld quickly sweetened any disappointment by stating that each passenger would be issued a future cruise credit of $1000 to be used in 2015, 2016 or 2017 for the inconvenience. Sounded good to us! And since we would miss a lunch on board Uniworld arranged for a very nice lunch at a local restaurant before the bus ride. Later when we had to take a bus to Passau (making it a very long day) they gave each passenger 20 Euros for lunch money.

We made our own arrangements for the extra night in Budapest and stayed at the Hilton Budapest on Castle Hill. It is a fantastic location and one of the best Hiltons (service, amenities and décor) we’ve ever stayed in. I highly recommend getting access (either through status or paying for any upgrade) to the executive floor. The lounge has hot and cold food, a DIY open bar, and beautiful views to the river from early in the morning until late in the evening. The other 3 members of our group arrived on the 5th and used the very efficient and comfortable Uniworld transfer from the airport to the ship.

The cruise was not full (about 90 passengers – 1/3 Americans, 1/3 Australians, 1/3 lots of other nationalities) and I wonder if some Europeans cancelled due to the low water but that is just conjecture on my part. While most passengers were in their late 50s and older we did have a 20 year old traveling with her grandmother and a mother and 40 something year old son on board. It seemed a very well traveled group and probably half had cruised on Uniworld before, including a passenger on her 25th Uniworld cruise.

These are our collective opinions:

• The staff on each ship was extremely impressive. Everyone – from the deckhands to the captains – was very personable. Our cruise director (who transferred ships with us), Mirela Varga, was outstanding.
  

• The caliber of the excursions was first rate. Every city had walking tours (both regular and ‘gentle’) with very well qualified and interesting guides. In addition there were a number of ‘choice’ (also included in the fare) tours. Our favorite choice tours were a visit to a hop growing farm with beer tasting, and exploring a family owned vineyard with wine tasting. My DB and SIL loved the 22 mile Bike tour from Regensburg to Kelheim that included lunch and a second stop for beer. They also did a guided bike tour of Miltenberg that included a stop for beer. Considering that temps were 95 – 100 degrees, the beer stops were essential! They also did DIY bike rides on Uniworld’s complimentary bikes in a number of cities.
  

• The food - with a few exceptions – was outstanding. Breakfast and lunch are buffet style but you can request made to order eggs and daily specials (eggs benedict, crepes, etc.) at breakfast. Dinner is a 4 course meal (choice of appetizer, soup, entrée, dessert). Meat dishes, homemade soups, salads, breads and desserts were fantastic. The only dishes we found lacking were a couple of pastas (we lived in Italy for 5 years so we are probably hyper critical) and one or two fish dishes that just seemed bland. There was no problem ordering multiple entrees or appetizers. Wine and/or beer flowed freely. As it did at the daily cocktail hour (actually the lounge bar opened at 8 or 9 am so there was access to booze throughout the day).
  

• The bedding was so, so comfortable! While the cabins were small (150 sq ft if not in a suite) we had plenty of storage space. I have to admit that our room in our Amsterdam hotel had a bathroom about the same size as the entire Uniworld cabin – and we were ready for that after 14 days!
  

• The gym was more than sufficient for the 3 gym rats in our group – and each frequently had it to themselves of shared with a member of our group.
  

• The 2 free washers and dryers were a godsend given the hot weather. Uniworld even provided the soap.
  

• Problems (low water, arranging restaurant meals for almost 100 people, discovering that one of the day’s 3 guides had been hospitalized 2 hours before we were due to arrive, etc.) were handled with aplomb. A once every 5 year event (SAIL Amsterdam – tall ships, etc.) was starting on our arrival date so we couldn’t dock in Amsterdam. Uniworld arranged a bus into the city for those with their own onward plans and had cabs meet us to take us to our hotel. It worked like a charm and our cab ride was actually less than it would have been if we had docked at their usual place in Amsterdam.
  

By the time the cruise was half way through we all had begun to plan our next one! It looks like we’re going to do the Grand France itinerary (7 days on Seine, 7 days on the Rhone) next May.

Thank you to all who answered questions and posted reviews during the past year – they were very helpful and I know this forum will continue to be ‘required reading’ while we plan next year’s cruise.

Very nice review, thanks for taking the time to give us your opinion. So glad it was a memorable river cruise and love that the next one is in the works.

In our experience, this sounds exactly like what we've encountered with Uniworld. We thoroughly enjoyed the Grand France cruises this spring, although high water turned the Rhone portion into a bus tour with the SS Catherine meeting us at each port. The bus tours added places we would not have seen otherwise, including delicious lunches in excellent restaurants. For the inconvenience of the bussing, we were each offered $2000 off our next cruise. We're trying to get up the courage to try Egypt.

Thanks for your review, and Bon voyage next year!

In our experience, this sounds exactly like what we've encountered with Uniworld. We thoroughly enjoyed the Grand France cruises this spring, although high water turned the Rhone portion into a bus tour with the SS Catherine meeting us at each port. The bus tours added places we would not have seen otherwise, including delicious lunches in excellent restaurants. For the inconvenience of the bussing, we were each offered $2000 off our next cruise. We're trying to get up the courage to try Egypt.

 

Thanks for your review, and Bon voyage next year!

Do it! Egypt is phenomenal.

OP - We did the Rhone portion of your Grand France trip this March and really loved it. We're on the Danube with Uniworld next year. Hope you enjoy your next one as much as we did!

We did the Rhone last month on the Catherine and enjoyed it as well. I would not cruise again in summer due to heat and crowds but otherwise a very good experience. My detailed review is posted here and in the review section on CC.

We did the Rhone last month on the Catherine and enjoyed it as well. I would not cruise again in summer due to heat and crowds but otherwise a very good experience. My detailed review is posted here and in the review section on CC.

Thank you. In fact, I had read your review before leaving on the cruise! I even quoted it to my traveling companions. After experiencing the unprecedented heat wave (95 to 100 degrees for the first 11 days of our cruise) and the crowded cities (which I had tried to warn them about when making our original plans) it didn't take much to convince everyone that we needed to chose a late spring or early fall departure. We're planning on May 22.

We did the Rhone two summers ago...hot but manageable. Think it was in August..hot but ok. Fantastic trip!

This spring we did the Tulips..at the end of April...rainy, very cool, and windy.

But also fantastic!

Going down the Danube in October...too cool? too dry? I love the cruises..all with Uniworld who like all the vendors have no control on the weather!

Would love to do Egypt..but with the troubled political climate..would take a pass..at least for the moment.

Bottom line..go for it...at least when it comes to the weather.

Rick

... We're trying to get up the courage to try Egypt.

...

We're off there on Uniworld in about 6 weeks. Wish us luck--I'm very much looking forward to it.

We're off there on Uniworld in about 6 weeks. Wish us luck--I'm very much looking forward to it.

I hope you have (almost) as much fun as we did! Please come back and tell us all about it! That will give me an excuse to think about our trip again. :)

We're off there on Uniworld in about 6 weeks. Wish us luck--I'm very much looking forward to it.

Yes, please tell us how it went. That will probably encourage us to book!

Enjoyed your review.

Keith