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River Cruise to Italy


Lois R
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Just a few more weeks. I can't promise I'll do a "live" update, nor the complete photo report that JP does... but I'll try to post at least highlights, etc. On vacation I do normally post at least one photo each day on Instagram, user DeboraRichter

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JP is an impossible act to follow. I'm not a photographer at all so usually don't post pictures but love writing the day to day with as much detail as my feeble brain can remember.

 

JP, if you are following this thread, any chance you can skip you Prague trip(I leave for Prague a week from tomorrow) and go ahead and do the Uniworld Italy trip before I go the end of June so I can have your details to finish out my planning-LOL

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I was on the Countess for its inaugural season in 2013 in Italy. The itinerary is a bit different now, but I'm happy to answer any questions from anyone. Our excursions included Padua, Ravenna, and Verona. We skipped Bologna (too many bus rides on consecutive days) and opted for a day in Chioggia on our own (we were docked there).

 

Robin

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I was on the Countess for its inaugural season in 2013 in Italy. The itinerary is a bit different now, but I'm happy to answer any questions from anyone. Our excursions included Padua, Ravenna, and Verona. We skipped Bologna (too many bus rides on consecutive days) and opted for a day in Chioggia on our own (we were docked there).

 

Robin

 

I do think Uniworld has made a number of adjustments to lessen bus time. For example. With the Milan precruise they stop at Verona on the way to Venice thus avoiding the bus trip back

 

Did you do a day to day thread as you are doing currently on your Antoinette trip, I've been following along as it was our first river cruise and brings back great memories

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I do think Uniworld has made a number of adjustments to lessen bus time. For example. With the Milan precruise they stop at Verona on the way to Venice thus avoiding the bus trip back

 

Did you do a day to day thread as you are doing currently on your Antoinette trip, I've been following along as it was our first river cruise and brings back great memories

 

I did not do a day-to-day thread for the Italy cruise or the Paris-Normandy cruise. I have plenty of pictures from both (though the Italy ones are with my former camera, still good pictures, but not as good) We are looking forward to our return visit next year, and have already booked the same hotel.

 

Here's a picture from the private night time tour of St. Mark's......

 

33878236390_bd53972110_c.jpg

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Thanks for the link........some of those look interesting but they are REALLY small.......some hold less than a dozen people.

I am quite independent and I travel solo but being with such a small group? Can you imagine if it happens to be the few

folks who are "complainers"........?:eek:.....I think a regular river cruise is more of what I am looking for.:)

 

OMG! It would be crazy to wind up with complainers on such a small boat. LOL! I must admit, if I was on one of those small boats and got a complainer, well, I'd be sorely tempted to mess with them big time! They wouldn't know what I was doing, but everyone else would!

 

However, I've met quite a few people who take these trips and they have all been really nice and interesting people - thankfully.

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The problem on a boat that size is that it is possible that many of the others know each other, and you will feel more like an outsider.

 

Really!! We are on the cruise for the itinerary not the socializing. If we met new people and have wonderful conversations than great but if not oh well!! We do not need other people to enjoy ourselves. Besides on the small ships we have taken we have found people to be very accepting and friendly, happy little community. I really doubt that will change with this cruise.

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Since you talk about "we" I assume you are travelling with someone. I travel on my own, and while the destination is primary, I do need to socialize. I spend a lot of time on my own, and it is important to me to have some company on a trip. But I don't want to feel like a fifth wheel.

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Since you talk about "we" I assume you are travelling with someone. I travel on my own, and while the destination is primary, I do need to socialize. I spend a lot of time on my own, and it is important to me to have some company on a trip. But I don't want to feel like a fifth wheel.

 

 

Totally understand. It is always nice to share the wonderful sights with someone, in your case friends you have made on the cruise.

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Just a few more weeks. I can't promise I'll do a "live" update, nor the complete photo report that JP does... but I'll try to post at least highlights, etc. On vacation I do normally post at least one photo each day on Instagram, user DeboraRichter

 

JP is an impossible act to follow. I'm not a photographer at all so usually don't post pictures but love writing the day to day with as much detail as my feeble brain can remember.

 

JP, if you are following this thread, any chance you can skip you Prague trip(I leave for Prague a week from tomorrow) and go ahead and do the Uniworld Italy trip before I go the end of June so I can have your details to finish out my planning-LOL

 

 

Ha, you guys are too kind. Now the weight of expectations will kill me next time! :p

 

I can't skip the Prague trip, though it is a nice offer (I know you were only kidding). Maybe you can tell me all about Prague?

 

We're meeting friends in Prague, and when we get to Copenhagen, we're meeting my brother. So the ends of the trip are locked in. Berlin is the middle part of the trip, so I don't want to miss that either! All three of those cities are new for me, and Chris has only been to Berlin...back when the wall was still up. So we have a lot of catching up to do!

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Ha, you guys are too kind. Now the weight of expectations will kill me next time! :p

 

I can't skip the Prague trip, though it is a nice offer (I know you were only kidding). Maybe you can tell me all about Prague?

 

We're meeting friends in Prague, and when we get to Copenhagen, we're meeting my brother. So the ends of the trip are locked in. Berlin is the middle part of the trip, so I don't want to miss that either! All three of those cities are new for me, and Chris has only been to Berlin...back when the wall was still up. So we have a lot of catching up to do!

 

We are taking our youngest daughter to Prague for a week in celebration of her college graduation. Doing a side trip to Cesky Krumlov. Have tours scheduled for most days. Be happy to give some feedback when I return.

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Since you talk about "we" I assume you are travelling with someone. I travel on my own, and while the destination is primary, I do need to socialize. I spend a lot of time on my own, and it is important to me to have some company on a trip. But I don't want to feel like a fifth wheel.

 

Hi, I travel solo too and thankfully it is very easy for me to meet other folks:D.......it is not "a need" for me to socialize but

rather it makes for a more fun experience (in my opinion).:)

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I'm an introvert and very comfortable alone much of the time, but even so I need people sometimes. Since I don't find it easy to socialize having others grouped makes things difficult. I was in Spain last year on a land tour with 18 people, and there were 2 groups of 2 couples that were travelling together. If they didn't have seats at the table together (we were usually in one table) they expected the singles to move for them. That kind of atmosphere makes me very uncomfortable. I just didn't find it conducive to sociability. So I agree with the earlier poster that too small a group isn't great for a single.

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I'm an introvert and very comfortable alone much of the time, but even so I need people sometimes. Since I don't find it easy to socialize having others grouped makes things difficult. I was in Spain last year on a land tour with 18 people, and there were 2 groups of 2 couples that were travelling together. If they didn't have seats at the table together (we were usually in one table) they expected the singles to move for them. That kind of atmosphere makes me very uncomfortable. I just didn't find it conducive to sociability. So I agree with the earlier poster that too small a group isn't great for a single.

 

Good morning, sorry you were with such a rude group of people:mad:.......fortunately, not everyone acts that way but for

those who "expect" things because we are not a couple.........I say they are freakin idiots..........:mad:......I am 59 years old,

and because I travel solo doesn't make me any less of a person. That would make me mad,more than just uncomfortable.....

I have met many couples who have been the opposite of your experience......very friendly and not thinking so close

minded.

Hopefully your next cruise will be better:)

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I don't generally have a problem with couples. It is those groups of couples that become insular. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. On my river cruises I had no problems; there were enough singles and couples that I found compatible meal companions.

 

The trip wasn't awful; it just wasn't as pleasant as it could be. I think that the tour guide should have done something about it, but he didn't.

 

I have also been on many cycling tours (almost all of them with the same company) and found virtually all of the people very compatible. Of course, they had many repeat clients, so there were many people that I knew on each trip after the first.

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Thanks for your informative reply; it is definitely very reassuring. I just booked the cruise and I'm really looking forward to it!

 

 

I must respectfully disagree with some of the above replies. I think you are making a mistake ruling out the Venice and Gems of Northern Italy cruise. Of all our river cruises (extensive), this is the one we still talk about. Have you read the Cruise Companion to see what it entails? While it's true that it doesn't cover the distance of other itineraries or pass majestic castles, by the end of the trip you will be an expert in Venice and The Veneto, and will experience Verona, Padua, Ferrara, Bologna, Ravenna and some lesser known towns like Chioggia in depth. I defy you to do all that on your own conveniently in that amount of time. Sure, you could (I also went through my Rick Steves phase!), but you will spend the majority of time at the behest of train schedules, rare bus service, etc. Also, while it's true that you are docked in Venice 3 or 4 days, the ship does dock in different areas of Venice so we were able to get know the different areas like San Polo, Dorsoduro, and Castello, etc. Also, when we were taken to Piazza San Marco or the Accademia Museum, or the Rialto for example, we were taken by large motorboats right past all the famous buildings right up the Grand Canal which was as thrilling as the destinations themselves. One morning we accompanied one of the chefs to the Rialto Market and saw the most amazing fruits, vegetables and seafood. Also Chef picked out a live Octopus I'm sure I saw that night in the ceviche! There was plenty of time for concerts or the opera in the evening or to just meander around Venice like locals. This trip can be as exciting as you make it Lois, so just give it another look! I welcome disagreement and discussion. That's the purpose of CC!
Edited by DogLover2017
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I just booked the June 29 sailing for this trip. Looking forward to reading your reviews from your cruise next month!

 

 

PapaB, we started out doing the same thing you did. I thought we'd just "do" Italy on our own. But I've really come to enjoy the small group tours... so I started looking for small groups and guides... etc. Then my husband reminded me we had an extra credit from Uniworld on our last cruise. The idea of letting them do all the planning and taking care of details made me realize how spoiled I'm getting with them. I still tell people my favorite thing on the last cruise was being able to get on the ship after a day of touring and ask for a glass of champagne, then sit and enjoy. Repeat as often as needed. A couple we met on our Rhone cruise last year took this trip and really enjoyed it. I doubt I'll give a day-by-day in May for our trip, but I'll try to check back in with a quick review.
Edited by DogLover2017
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