Comparison vik/uni/tauck/avalon

Trying to find info for Danube cruise budabest to Germany type for September 2016. I haven't seen any comparisons of Viking Uniworld Tauck and Avalon. It will be two couples in our mid 50's going. We do like to have a few nightcaps in the evenings so uniworld and tauck may have a plus there.

 

How do the cabins compare?

 

Meals - quality and do they serve local cuisine ?

 

Excursions quality/variety?

 

Thanks :confused:

You will fine it near to impossible to find someone not in the travel industry who has sailed on all 4 lines. Tauck and Uniworld are all inclusive--Viking and Avalon are not. We have sailed on all but Tauck. Our Avalon trip was on the Mekong, the others in Europe. We also sailed on Uniworld before they became inclusive. Our Viking Europe was also before the long ships. Of the lines we have traveled the food on Uniworld and AMA was best--the beds on those lines the best. You will find each of the 4 lines will have its cheer squad. We make spreadsheets to compare the lines on the itinerary we want to travel.

 

Good luck finding the right cruise for you. Pat

We have been on 4 with Avalon and 1 with Uniworld.

 

Food, wine, drinks and service were all very good to excellent on Uniworld. Our cabin was luxurious as was the vessel overall. Bedding was fabulous as were linens and towels. Very good attention to detail.

 

It was our first inclusive river cruise and exceeded our expectations in these areas. We had a very small bill at the end of the cruise, for massages. We did tip some exceptional staff members extra for their excellent service, even though tips were included.

 

We cruised with Uniworld in France and there was a nice choice of local cuisine, with a decidedly continental (lots of fats and sauces) flair.

 

Excursions that we participated in were good and there were 4-5 offered at additional cost.

 

IMO, Avalon is not in the same league as Uniworld in terms of food, service, wine, overall luxury experience. It is like comparing a Four Seasons to a Marriott.

 

I do think Tauck would be more comparable to Uniworld overall.

 

I have not cruised with Viking and would not choose to do so for many reasons; I cannot comment based on personal experience other than walking through their ships and finding them unattractive and generic.

 

I agree with Pat that AMA is an excellent choice as well. We preferred AMA's excursions and entertainment to Uniworld and thought the food was equal. Their twin balcony staterooms are our personal favorites of the three lines we have sailed.

 

Service on AMA has been very good to exceptional for us (5 cruises) and overall AMA has the edge for us due to staff, onboard ambiance, decor and attention to detail.

Edited August 24, 2015 by caviargal

Meals - quality and do they serve local cuisine ?

 

 

For local cuisine, are you willing to travel on one of the Austrian and German lines?

thanks for the input so far. I hadn't heard of AMA but I looked them up and they look nice also.

For local cuisine, are you willing to travel on one of the Austrian and German lines?

 

I speak a fair amount of German but my wife and the other couple do not so I suspect it would be difficult for them.

Welcome to the River Cruising forum!

 

I suggest you start by reading the sticky New to RIVER CRUISING??? at the top of this forum, especially the downloadable pdf:

http://pdf.cruisecritic.com/travel-guide/UltimateGuidetoRiverCruising.pdf?et_cid=1262487&et_rid=99616845

which discusses each cruise line and compares them to ocean cruise lines and hotels [this will give you a frame of reference]. The range among river cruise lines that market in the US is fairly small -- but there are differences from the bottom to the top, and the prices don't vary as much as it first appears because the more expensive lines include more things that cost extra on the "cheaper" lines. I know you mentioned the Danube, but you might want to read the sticky River Cruise Basics articles on Cruise Critic at the top of this forum to learn more about it and the other major cruising rivers. I also recommend the book Berlitz River Cruising in Europe by Douglas Ward, which may be found at your public library.

Edited August 24, 2015 by Host Jazzbeau

I speak a fair amount of German but my wife and the other couple do not so I suspect it would be difficult for them.

 

Maybe this:

http://www.lueftner-************/en/why-amadeus/culinary-delights.html

We have only sailed on Avalon, (twice) and have found service, beds, food etc extremely good. Will continue to use this company in future.

 

Points that were important to us. Staterooms, 200sqft, beds, face the river, not parallel to river, refrigerator in all rooms (very important to us, no on some other lines), small number of guests to some other lines.

Itinerary and tours suited us better.

 

Very Important factor was their reputation for looking after customer extremely well if there are any issues such as high or low water, blockages on rivers and broken locks. These have been numerous over the last 3 years and Avalon is the most proactive and generous in sorting it out or refunds or alterative options etc

Avalon is the most proactive and generous in sorting it out or refunds or alterative options etc

 

In our cruising history with three different lines, we have experienced both high and low water as well as an accident while on the river. Avalon handled two situations well (one accident and high water mid cruise). AMA handled several incidents extremely well and we never missed a beat, even when the port of initial embarkation changed due to high water and required them to track us down when already in Europe and get us to the new destination. They were amazing! We were on two other cruises with them that had lower water issues and again, things were handled flawlessly.

Edited August 25, 2015 by caviargal

We have been on 4 with Avalon and 1 with Uniworld.

 

 

 

IMO, Avalon is not in the same league as Uniworld in terms of food, service, wine, overall luxury experience. It is like comparing a Four Seasons to a Marriott.

 

I do think Tauck would be more comparable to Uniworld overall.

 

I have not cruised with Viking and would not choose to do so for many reasons; I cannot comment based on personal experience other than walking through their ships and finding them unattractive and generic.

 

I agree with Pat that AMA is an excellent choice as well. We preferred AMA's excursions and entertainment to Uniworld and thought the food was equal. Their twin balcony staterooms are our personal favorites of the three lines we have sailed.

 

Service on AMA has been very good to exceptional for us (5 cruises) and overall AMA has the edge for us due to staff, onboard ambiance, decor and attention to detail.

 

Hi dear,

 

I disagree on this one. As i can see you have been travelling on Ama in the past few years and i have tried it as well back in 2012. Avalon service, cuisine and attention to detail has changed a lot in compare to 2009, when you were there. Avalon is highly ranked and can easily be compared to Uniworld and Tauck, when Ama and it's service is slower and not so attention to detail oriented.

 

I would choose Avalon as for the price range is was better than mentioned lines. It is not all inclusive, but when you put all those together, you would save a lot of money on the end. When Uniworld went all inclusive, they were offering drinks, such as Grey Goose, Don Julio tequila and bigger portion on the plates. Now all those mentioned drinks went to premium packages ( so you need to buy them to have ) and the portions are smaller. The surf & turf we have had last year in April 2014 and we took a picture from this year and it is smaller. Saving costs on guest satisfaction is not bringing customers back, but what i have noticed, people are leaving them to get something else for the price they/we are paying.

 

Definitely Avalon! Great cruise directors, great service, great customer and reservation service. Top notch.

 

Trish

I would choose Avalon as for the price range is was better than mentioned lines. It is not all inclusive, but when you put all those together, you would save a lot of money on the end. When Uniworld went all inclusive, they were offering drinks, such as Grey Goose, Don Julio tequila and bigger portion on the plates. Now all those mentioned drinks went to premium packages ( so you need to buy them to have ) and the portions are smaller.

 

We can agree to disagree :).

 

I am just back from Uniworld and there was no extra charge for Grey Goose and other top shelf brands, including some nice single malts. I did not see any "Premium Package" offered. If a brand was not on their included list, which was extensive, you could opt to pay for that drink. You most definitely did not have to buy a package. I was quite impressed with the quality of what was included as I was not sure that to expect. We drink Goose and single malts and were delighted to see that these were available at no change on Uniworld. Also the included wines were of good quality. I do not know about portion sizes being smaller as, for us, quality trumps quantity and Uniworld quality was very good and portions more than adequate.

 

"when Ama and it's service is slower and not so attention to detail oriented."

 

In my five cruises with them, I have always been very impressed with their excellent attention to detail and wonderful service. That is exactly why we never looked back after our first AMA cruise as we discovered that the difference in quality overall from our Avalon cruises was significant in every aspect.

 

If cheaper prices are your top priority and you are happy with Avalon then it is a great choice for you. For us, we will continue to sail with AMA and Uniworld (and hope to try Scenic as well) as they consistently provide a superior experience based on what is important to us.

 

I would not book a Carnival or NCL cruise because it is cheaper than Oceania (our preference on the oceans) and I have not cruised with Carnival in at least ten years and NCL even longer than that . I don't need to spend my time and money to confirm that those lines are still not suited to my personal preferences.

Edited August 26, 2015 by caviargal

When Uniworld went all inclusive, they were offering drinks, such as Grey Goose, Don Julio tequila and bigger portion on the plates. Now all those mentioned drinks went to premium packages ( so you need to buy them to have ) and the portions are smaller. The surf & turf we have had last year in April 2014 and we took a picture from this year and it is smaller. Saving costs on guest satisfaction is not bringing customers back, but what i have noticed, people are leaving them to get something else for the price they/we are paying.

 

Trish

 

We can agree to disagree :).

 

I am just back from Uniworld and there was no extra charge for Grey Goose and other top shelf brands, including some nice single malts. I did not see any "Premium Package" offered. If a brand was not on their included list, which was extensive, you could opt to pay for that drink. You most definitely did not have to buy a package. I was quite impressed with the quality of what was included as I was not sure that to expect. We drink Goose and single malts and were delighted to see that these were available at no change on Uniworld. Also the included wines were of good quality. I do not know about portion sizes being smaller as, for us, quality trumps quantity and Uniworld quality was very good and portions more than adequate.

 

Tricia - I was shaking my head reading your description of Uniworld because it didn't jibe with our recent (Budapest to Amsterdam ending a week ago) experience. In fact I didn't recognize it at all. Our experience was similar to Caviargirl's.

 

My DH was able to get any 'premium' brand he requested (I'm a champagne drinker) and there was no drinks package in evidence. Regarding portion size - when our group of 5 shared our trip evaluation forms, every single one of us praised the reasonable portion sizes plus Uniworld's willingness to provide multiple entrees upon request (which we did with some pastas and risottos since we all have a weakness for them - we treated them as additional sides). On the whole, the food was wonderful (and I say that even after eating at a palate blowing 2 star Michelin restaurant in Amsterdam after the cruise) at all three meals. The wines were, in our estimation, all good with some outstanding.

 

I don't know if people are leaving Uniworld since this was our first cruise with them (and our first river cruise) but at least half of our fellow passengers had cruised with them before including one woman who was on her 25th cruise with them. Our entire party of 5 plans to do the Grand France itinerary next year so they must be doing something right!

... When Uniworld went all inclusive, ... the portions are smaller.

Just completed a cruise (July 2015) on Uniworld. If the portions we received could be termed "smaller," the basis of comparison would have to be an NFL training table.

 

Actually, I can speak from personal experience that portion sizes were no different from those on two previous Uniworld cruises. And as caviargal points out above, Grey Goose vodka, Oban, Glenlivet and Glenfiddich scotches, and other premium spirits were poured freely upon request. Finally, we had wines that one would expect to pay upwards of $50/bottle poured freely at lunch and dinner.

Lonedaddy - Have traveled on 3 of the 4 lines you mentioned --> have not traveled on Tauck as it is a higher price point than we are comfortable with.

 

Really hard to answer your question without knowing what it important (or a deal breaker) for you.

 

If you like a drink or two in the evening - and prefer not to pay for it at the end of the cruise - then I suggest you book an all-inclusive. So, Tauck, Uniworld or Scenic would be a good place to start.

 

We have traveled once with Avalon - and were prepared for "less" because we paid "less" for the trip. We were very surprised at the level of detail, and the quality that they provided. Viking offers a solid product for a reasonable price. They do not advertise (IMHO) a "luxury" experience, and they don't provide the level of luxury that Uniworld or Scenic (or Tauck, as I have heard) do. But - we have been pleased with our trips with them.

 

Of course, the next question is what do you want in a cabin? Do you want a suite? Do you want a true balcony - or will a French balcony (sliding door with a railing) suffice? We travel lowest category (aka Aquarium class) as we don't spend much time in our cabin - but this may not work for you.

 

We love Uniworld - and have traveled with them 3 times so far. We would travel with them again, but their price point is now higher than what we are looking for.

 

Good luck with your planning!!

 

Fran

Lonedaddy - Really hard to answer your question without knowing what it important (or a deal breaker) for you.

 

Of course, the next question is what do you want in a cabin? Do you want a suite? Do you want a true balcony - or will a French balcony (sliding door with a railing) suffice? We travel lowest category (aka Aquarium class) as we don't spend much time in our cabin - but this may not work for you.

 

 

 

Fran

 

I don't know if any are deal breakers - was most concerned about bed quality and linen quality and a decent bathroom.

 

On sunny ocean cruise we like balcony because the pools get so crowded and you cant find a spot. We are traveling with another couple so I assume we will hang out on the upper deck when we are traveling in scenic areas and having a drink. Room will be for sleeping getting ready and naps:D

 

thanks for the input

I don't know if any are deal breakers - was most concerned about bed quality and linen quality and a decent bathroom.

 

 

I can vouch for the bed and linens on Uniworld -- they were so, so, comfortable. According to their website that's because they are "handcrafted Savoir® of England beds draped in high-thread count 100% Egyptian cotton sheets and European duvets, along with a menu of pillow options." The bathroom was lovely (all marble) but small (we were in a regular cabin, not a suite) with a glass enclosed shower and L’Occitane amenities and very plush towels.

<I can vouch for the bed and linens on Uniworld -- they were so, so, comfortable. According to their website that's because they are "handcrafted Savoir® of England beds draped in high-thread count 100% Egyptian cotton sheets and European duvets, along with a menu of pillow options." The bathroom was lovely (all marble) but small (we were in a regular cabin, not a suite) with a glass enclosed shower and L’Occitane amenities and very plush towels.>

 

Fabulous indeed.

We have only sailed on Avalon, (twice) and have found service, beds, food etc extremely good. Will continue to use this company in future.

 

Points that were important to us. Staterooms, 200sqft, beds, face the river, not parallel to river, refrigerator in all rooms (very important to us, no on some other lines), small number of guests to some other lines.

Itinerary and tours suited us better.

 

Very Important factor was their reputation for looking after customer extremely well if there are any issues such as high or low water, blockages on rivers and broken locks. These have been numerous over the last 3 years and Avalon is the most proactive and generous in sorting it out or refunds or alterative options etc

 

100% agree with your commentary Peterdkiwi. Looking forward to our 4th Avalon River Cruise in December for the Christmas Markets and possible 5th to the French Waterways in Fall 2016.

Points that were important to us. Staterooms, 200sqft, beds, face the river, not parallel to river, refrigerator in all rooms (very important to us, no on some other lines),

 

 

Do they let you bring you own bottle of wine or beer from the local ports?

Do they let you bring you own bottle of wine or beer from the local ports?

 

We did as we did not care for the wine that was included (Avalon). We were charged a reasonable corkage fee.

We bought wines in port to bring on board, had our own corkscrew in our suitcase and opened wine in our cabin. Got wine glasses from Bar and never had issues. Drank wine served on board at Dinner but occasionally brought a filled glass to sip on from our cabin to social areas. No one ever questioned us. That was 4 yrs ago.

I can't comment on the other lines, but we have taken 2 cruises with Uniworld and one with Viking.

 

Hands down, we would travel with Uniworld again. Their service, guides, food, etc. were far above our experience with Viking.

 

Where both are similar: cabins. We booked aquarium classes on all of our cruises, and found that both Uniworld and Viking provide more than adequate,

comfortable accommodations. Viking did have heated bathroom floors and a minifridge, which Uniworld did not. (Not much use for a minifridge on Uniworld, since they are all inclusive). We did not use the heated floors on Viking because it made the whole bathroom very warm....maybe a plus in winter months, but not in the summer!

 

We liked the all inclusiveness of Uniworld. After a while, digging in pockets to provide tips for guides and bus drivers gets old. It really is important to compare "apples to apples" when considering what costs are covered in your cruise options.