Onboard the Uniworld Joie DeVivre

We are onboard from April 23 to 30. Wow - excellent! Service, food, accommodations everything.

Tonight we did the special dinner in the Cave de vin. Costs 93 euros per person but well worth it. Fun experience, great food and very nice wines.

I'll try to report again during the week. Tours so far have been well done. Giverney and Rouen. Very good guides.

Tomorrow is Honfleur then a very long day on thursday for the d-day tours

I will be happy to answer any questions.

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Enjoy your cruise, and give us a detailed report when you come back.

I definitely want to hear all about this ship and itinerary, but I want you to have a great trip. If you spend too much time on CC, you'll have less time to have fun on board! ;)

I am also interested in your comments about the ship, especially since you have sailed with Uniworld before. We greatly enjoyed the same itinerary on the (old but cozy) Baroness.

I'm very interested in this ship and cruise, so please provide all the details you can, when you have time. I'd love to see your photos, as well, if possible! Have a marvelous time!

Not sure how to add pictures using iPhone app. They may have to wait until I return.

I usually take a few minutes each morning to post a bit. It is not getting in the way of a fabulous experience.

Food has been wonderful. The new options are interesting. Last night 12 people did the chef's dinner, 20 were in the supper club (i got no report) and 8 ate in the Bistro ( friends said the limited menu was fine but the venue and the service made it very fun.). Si that means about on 60% of passengers were in the regular dining room.

Heading to a free wine tasting this afternoon after a (relatively short) visit to Honfleur this morning.

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One other quick comment while waiting for my wife to get dressed

The bathrooms are wonderful! If it is not marble it is very high end ceramic. We are in a normal room (305) so it is not a suite. The shower is actually big enough for me ( a pretty large guy). Regular shower door that actually keeps the water inside the shower, not on the bathroom floor. Two shower heads ( an over head "rain" type and a hand held mounted on the wall) and a small bench on the end. Great water pressure. Add in a heated bathroom floor and towel warmers - I think they got it right.

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One other quick comment while waiting for my wife to get dressed

 

The bathrooms are wonderful! If it is not marble it is very high end ceramic. We are in a normal room (305) so it is not a suite. The shower is actually big enough for me ( a pretty large guy). Regular shower door that actually keeps the water inside the shower, not on the bathroom floor. Two shower heads ( an over head "rain" type and a hand held mounted on the wall) and a small bench on the end. Great water pressure. Add in a heated bathroom floor and towel warmers - I think they got it right.

 

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Joe, the bathrooms sound great! Even nicer than those in suites on the SS Antoinette! I don't think you can add photos from your iPhone. I can wait until you get home from your trip - looking forward to it!

Joe, the bathrooms sound great! Even nicer than those in suites on the SS Antoinette! I don't think you can add photos from your iPhone. I can wait until you get home from your trip - looking forward to it!

I find that adding photos from the smartphone app is now MUCH easier than adding them from a laptop.

See this screen capture. There's a picture icon on the left side, right above the predictive text bar. Tap it, browse to the photo using your photo gallery, select it, and it uploads and inserts itself automatically.

In fact I posted the pictures for my entire India review using the phone app. It's far less clunky than the old way.

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Most of my photos are on my camera. I Will upload them to my PC when I get home

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I find that adding photos from the smartphone app is now MUCH easier than adding them from a laptop.

 

See this screen capture. There's a picture icon on the left side, right above the predictive text bar. Tap it, browse to the photo using your photo gallery, select it, and it uploads and inserts itself automatically.

 

 

 

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Thanks... I have been trying to figure out how to post pics. I use Google Photo's, and can't get them from the tablet or iPhone... now I know, put them on a micro sd & post from there!

A fabulous day today! A 12 hour excursion to the NormandyBeaches. Visited Omaha and Utah as well as Sainte Mere Eglise and the American Cemetery. Ended with Uniworld providing a trumpeter to play the Star Spangled Banner and Taps on the beach at Omaha. Typically excellent tour guide ( Barbara - actually above even Uniworld's high standards.). Only downside was the three hour bus ride each way from Ruoen. Not sure why we could not dock closer. I will try to find out why tomorrow.

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So after many flowing reports - and i must say i still am giving this cruise an A+ so far - i have to comment on the wifi.

In this day and age - and for a clientele paying premium prices - why is the wifi onboard worse than the average Starbucks?. This is a state of the art ship and I can't post a Facebook video of our excursion today or stream the audio from the NFL draft. How much more could it cost for a higher speed connection?

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That's one of the reasons I may never cruise on Uniworld. I need to be able to have decent wifi for work. It worked all right on my latest Avalon trip.

I don't know that any cruiseline will guarantee enough bandwidth for streaming anything. We have never been able to FaceTime our son, this includes both Uniworld and Avalon. We had no problems on the River Baroness when we cruised the Seine, for things like websurfing and email. I think a lot depends on where you are geographically, and perhaps, on the ship as well.

This year, I decided to pay the $10/day ATT fee for unlimited phone/text/internet, to have "just in case." It worked well when we were in the locks/the gorge. It was a reasonably priced investment, and cost me less than other packages in the past, which I bought in order to be able to call the kids.

Robin

Ok - it will be interested to see how Uniworld handles the following

We will have a second leg of this trip starting sunday in Bordeaux. uniworld had planned to transfer us by high speed train - about 3 hours.

Last night we were informed that due to construction at a train station in Paris, we will transfer by bus (over 8 hours). They will give us $20 for lunch.

Those involved (5 of us) are not happy with this suggested accommodation. Other options seem to be available - including a train from a different station or a short airflight from Paris to Bordeaux.

I will let you all know how Uniworld responds.

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I don't know that any cruiseline will guarantee enough bandwidth for streaming anything. We have never been able to FaceTime our son, this includes both Uniworld and Avalon. We had no problems on the River Baroness when we cruised the Seine, for things like websurfing and email. I think a lot depends on where you are geographically, and perhaps, on the ship as well.

 

 

 

This year, I decided to pay the $10/day ATT fee for unlimited phone/text/internet, to have "just in case." It worked well when we were in the locks/the gorge. It was a reasonably priced investment, and cost me less than other packages in the past, which I bought in order to be able to call the kids.

 

 

 

Robin

I accept that Uniworld's Wifi is comparable to other cruise lines. I just wish it were comparable to more upscale hotels or public accommodations. I believe it is just a matter of time.

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Ok - it will be interested to see how Uniworld handles the following

 

We will have a second leg of this trip starting sunday in Bordeaux. uniworld had planned to transfer us by high speed train - about 3 hours.

 

Last night we were informed that due to construction at a train station in Paris, we will transfer by bus (over 8 hours). They will give us $20 for lunch.

 

Those involved (5 of us) are not happy with this suggested accommodation. Other options seem to be available - including a train from a different station or a short airflight from Paris to Bordeaux.

 

I will let you all know how Uniworld responds.

 

 

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It might be a little tricky to go from another train station. The TGV stops at very few stations. This could be the train you were supposed to have taken: http://www.sncf.com/fr/horaires-info-trafic/trajet/detail There is only one station inbetween. Paris uses one station for one region and another for another region. Not sure how they would get the train to Bordeaux from another station onto the fast track to Bordeaux. Is the station really closed? Seems a major operation then, I cannot imagine them cancelling trains for a whole day, though. Hmm. According to the building works plan they are installing new signals on the line to Bordeaux. These are the trains leaving for Bordeaux on that day: http://www.sncf.com/fr/horaires-info-trafic/trajet/resultats Note that there are slower trains than the TGV leaving from the same station. These stop at more stations inbetween.

Anyway, hope this helps for trying to get out of an eight hour coach trip.

Have fun in Bordeaux.

notamermaid

Ugh, if it's not one thing with the French trains, it's another. I figured, when I first saw your post, that they were on strike. We once had to drive from Nice to Paris because of a one day strike. Perfect timing...good luck!

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We are on a bus to Versailles with another excellent guide giving us the introduction. I will comment more on this visit later.

But allow me to comment on the service onboard the Joie DeVivre.

In a word: wonderful.

Of course the ship is designed to offer beautiful accommodations and charming public areas. Highly polished woods and chrome give the feel of a private yacht

But it is staff on board that create the experience. On a regular basis, the staff are pleasant and very professional and very hard working.

But it is the response to a request or even the simplest perception that there is something less than desired where the staff shine. A simple salad not on the menu appears with just a passing request. One time I mentioned that I was waiting for coffee - the next four days my cup was never less than half full. I mentioned my wife and I liked plums and there are plums delivered to our room.

Even with more difficult requests - while maybe not solvable - the staff tries to figure out how to minimize the problem.

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We are on a bus to Versailles with another excellent guide giving us the introduction. I will comment more on this visit later.

 

But allow me to comment on the service onboard the Joie DeVivre.

 

In a word: wonderful.

 

Of course the ship is designed to offer beautiful accommodations and charming public areas. Highly polished woods and chrome give the feel of a private yacht

 

But it is staff on board that create the experience. On a regular basis, the staff are pleasant and very professional and very hard working.

 

But it is the response to a request or even the simplest perception that there is something less than desired where the staff shine. A simple salad not on the menu appears with just a passing request. One time I mentioned that I was waiting for coffee - the next four days my cup was never less than half full. I mentioned my wife and I liked plums and there are plums delivered to our room.

 

Even with more difficult requests - while maybe not solvable - the staff tries to figure out how to minimize the problem.

 

 

 

 

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This is what we lover about Uniworld. On our recent trip, my husband ordered a margarita before dinner. We were sitting near, but not at, the bar. He took a sip, and made a face-too sour for him. He continued to drink it though. We returned to the bar, after dinner, and sat at the bar. The bartender told him he saw his expression, and wanted to know how he could adjust the mixture to make it more to my husband's liking.

Whenever we returned from an excursion, each housekeeping person, if they were in the hallway, greeted us with a smile, and a "welcome back."

The sommelier quickly learned we were not wine drinkers, and asked us each night at dinner if we preferred a Coke Light, or beer (knowing the one we liked) instead.

Reading your report really makes me want to do this itinerary again. We loved our Paris Normandy cruise two years ago, but the Baroness cabins were so small, and the ship felt outdated and worn as well. My husband is a golfer, and would love to play at Etretat. This is a serious consideration for our 25th anniversary in two years.

Thanks for the updates!

Robin

That's one of the reasons I may never cruise on Uniworld. I need to be able to have decent wifi for work. It worked all right on my latest Avalon trip.

My husband WAS able to work from the SS Antoinette, however not in our suite although it was the closest to the lounge where the server is. He went to the lounge where the internet was much stronger and had no problem sending and receiving in there. So basically, he wrote all his emails in our suite and then went to the lounge to send. It worked out fine - and he had some very large files he was sending.

I'm very excited about your trip to Versailles. I've heard there are huge crowds and wondering if Uniworld was able to do something to mitigate this problem?

So it is well after another great dinner tonight. Before I crash out, let me give you some updates

Versailles was awesome. We had been there before, but the Uniworld guide was THE best guide we have ever had on any cruise in 15 years. His name was Jean Louis Brisson. Very knowledgeable and very entertaining. The Uniworld guides were able to take us to some private rooms not open to the general public. Including a wonderful visit inside the chapel.

We came back to the ship to find news that we are back scheduled on the TGV first class train to Bordeaux. I have my thoughts as to what happened, but it was repaired in typically Uniworld fashion.

As per the internet, I think it is a hardware issue. Until cruise lines make a priority to provide a true high speed experience, don't expect streaming or large data transfers. I imagine those still working who have to keep in touch with the office might still have issues.

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Oh my gosh! Private rooms in Versailles! I hope you took a ton of photos! I can't wait to see! That must have been absolutely incredible!

So are you changing to another ship? If so, which one?

Trying to decide which Uniworld cruise to take this September/October and narrowed it down to Paris & Normandy or Burgundy & Provence. Just finished reading jpslnny's amazing in-depth review of her trip from 2015 of Burgundy and Provence and then I came across your post while onboard the Joie De Vivre. Looking forward to review and your pictures!! Thanks so much for sharing!!