CruiseRob

any problem with security in India? Sounds like the cross border conflict with Pakistan and the dispute over the water treaty between the two countries is increasing tensions. There have been several incidents in the last week or so. We're headed to Uniworld in November via ORD-CDG-DEL on Delta/AF

 

This is our 39th cruise and have never been concerned before:)

Security was already tight at the Delhi hotel when we went in March. At the time, there were major demonstrations in the city that had closed the major water purification plants. We had no problems at all anywhere.

We also took the ORD-CDG-DEL on Delta/AF. I was surprised that Delta was better than AF in business class, on both going and return. Fyi. If you are in business class, look for the special customs lines at the airport if you move between terminals. We arrived late to Mumbai from Kolkata and would have missed the flight to CDG if we had to wait in the regular lines.

Also day six of the Uniworld review of the trip has been posted on their Facebook.

The only comment is on the picture showing men washing on the street. We were told that Kolkata had erected fountains throughout the city bringing Ganges water into the city so migrants can wash daily in the sacred water. We saw multiple fountains of various sizes as we traveled through the city. They were always busy.

Golden Triangle & the Sacred Ganges Cruise – Day Six

Day Six of the trip is on the Uniworld site.

The review talked about the security and it is tight. They really go through the bags and it does take a lot of time. One thing I noticed is after security, people did not have a problem leaving their bags at their seats and leaving them. Big difference from the States.

The seating on the plane is for local populations and is tighter than what Westerners are used to. It was a bit tight for my over six foot height but it was fine.

When ever you come on the boat, they request your remove your shoes so the can clean (disinfect) your shoes. They give you slippers but they didn’t fit my size 12 shoes. I recommend you bring some slippers that fit. You leave these in the bin for your room number at the entrance after you get your shoes back.

The room is spacious for a riverboat so you should enjoy it. The only complaint would be the limited sink space to put things. I am glad to see they now handle toilet paper in their waste system. That was a major complaint from some of the other passengers.

I'm on the 19 November departure and perhaps someone can help me with a question about tipping.

 

The documentation I have from Uniworld gives suggested gratuity amounts in US dollars and says that they must be paid in cash; ie, they can't be charged to your account on the ship.

 

Question: can the gratuities be paid in US dollars or can/should they be paid in rupees?

 

Thanks.

We also were told to pay in U.S $ so we brought enough cash to do that. We did give some extra rupees and U.S. cash to our stewards. I wasn't sure they could handle the US bills but it was not a problem for them.

Uniworld India trip – Day 5 https://www.facebook.com/uniworldrivercruises/posts/10154393867011005

The Day 5 trip review has posted on Uniworld today. The link is above.

One thing that I noticed that was different was the demonstration of wrapping a turban and the field trips for shopping. Instead, Uniworld had a farewell dinner at the hotel on the last night before we headed to the Ganges Voyager II. At the event, we had good Indian food and entertainment by a lady who danced while adding bowls on her head. Very impressive. They also gave each women a long scarf with beads and they wrapped a turban on every man. There was also a vendor if you wanted to buy any material. Remember the next day, you will fly to Kolkata on the India airline has very low weight limits for luggage. It might be cheaper to have it shipped to your home instead of taking it with you.

Day three Uniworld India trip now posted

I noticed that the third day of the Uniworld India trip review is on their Facebook. Here are a couple of comments.

First, I should have mentioned the extra security at the hotel compound in New Delhi. When we arrived at night, we did pass through metal detectors going in the hotel and there were armed guards at the gate coming in. I also noticed armed guards walking the grounds and during our stay, I also saw guards by the pool and spa areas. This did not concern me because I took it meant they wanted to ensure we were safe. I did not see the same level of security presence at the other hotel but I always felt safe. I think they just took it up a level in New Delhi.

The rest stops restrooms were very basic and a number of women who used them were not very pleased. We bring packs of antiseptic wipes to clean our hands and they came in handy in the restroom.

I did not see any beggars at the rest stops but I may not have looked as receptive. Usually, the kids wanted to have their pictures taken and just wanted to see themselves in the camera. I only saw a total of two beggars in all of India. This was in Agra, outside of the excursion to see how they create the inlays. It is amazing how many slivers make up a tiny piece of inlay.

I am not surprised the review didn’t describe going inside the Taj. When you arrive in the afternoon, the crowds are larger and it is very packed inside as well as very dark. You are not allowed to use lights and you can’t see the beautiful details inside.

However, if you go the next morning at sunrise and head directly to go inside, it is not crowded and the sunlight comes in from the side and you can enjoy the detail. I felt sorry for the people who decided not to go again the next morning.

The review also didn’t mention the security at the Taj. We entered a different line to enter than the locals and it was much shorter. It also appeared the locals were searched much more than us.

There are two types of tickets to enter the Taj. One (2 rupees) puts you in a line that winds around the outside of the and then you get back to the front to enter. The other one (20 rupees) lets you enter directly. The 20 rupee one is what Uniworld provides. You can still walk around the outside afterwards but it is much quicker to get in and you are not standing in the hot sun.

Day 2 journal is live: https://www.facebook.com/uniworldrivercruises/posts/10154373784991005

The day 2 morning matches our trip. We were offered to go on out on our own in our afternoon if we wanted. The hotel would arrange transportation to shopping areas if you were interested. The three afternoon options is new to me but during our whole trip, they kept adding additional excursions to the itinerary.

Although it mentions an option to be “on our own”, note that the guides were with the different groups. Uniworld keeps a good eye on the passengers to make sure they are safe and don’t get lost. It also helps to have someone who speaks the language I believe these new excursions are because of the Tour Manager (Vishal). He is a contractor and I know he was checking options of possible areas for us to see.

I also enjoyed the Welcome dinner but I would have liked an explanation of what the various dishes were so you will want to take small samples to see which ones you like. We do not eat very hot foods and some of the items were not to our tastes. But there was plenty of other good Indian food to eat.

There is a post on Unoworld's FB page from someone on the tour now. So far, they have written only about the first day in Delhi (arrival) but it is enough to pique my interest!

 

Thanks for posting the link. I’m interested in seeing how my experience matches up with their review. I will make comments, as appropriate, with color from my trip. Hopefully this will be helpful and viewed as balanced.

We were also greeted by two people in the New Dehli airport. Our flight (booked through Uniworld) arrived after midnight so we do not have any sunny pictures of the airport or any view of the drive to the hotel. :) We did have a lengthy walk through the garage to get to our car but the traffic was light and we probably made it to the hotel faster.

We had booked to arrive a day early in order to adjust time zones and be ready for the first official day of trip. This worked out for us but it did seem to cause a problem with us receiving the welcome pack of information of the trip. I had to ask the front desk about this and they made a copy of another persons pack so we knew when Vishal would be there initially and when the general meeting would be.

Coming in a day early allowed us to be rested and ready. This was helpful during the meeting because as good as Vishal is, don’t make assumptions on what you are being told. I did have to ask clarifying questions multiple times to get complete information and understanding They were not hiding information but there are cultural differences in how we understand things and what is obvious to the locals.

I have no doubt that at some point I will forget and use the sink water to brush my teeth. I always do. Hopefully it will be in one of the safer places :)

 

Rob, I see you were on Song of Norway in 1981, so was I. It was my first cruise, not counting a transatlantic my parents too me on, but we really did that one to get from one place to another. I thought the Song of Norway was gorgeous!

That was also our first cruise and we have fond memories of it. Of course the ships and products have changed. I thought the food was better but maybe I have become more picky. I have been too lazy to add the other trips we took. I didn't keep track of the ships; only the destinations. :)

One thing I forgot to mention was the water from the sink on the boat should not be drunk or used for brushing your teeth. They give you plenty of bottled water to use. We also skipped using ice on the boat but did eat the salads and had no problems. We were assured the kitchen used different, safe water.

We did use the faucet water in the Oberoi hotels and had no problems. Uniworld said not to use the water in the hotel but since we had already used it for almost two days before being told, (and not by the hotel), we continued to use the water. Not sure where you are staying but they should also have reverse osmosis systems.

A quick question - did the 3 prong round adapters work for charging electronics on the boat and in the hotels? Thanks

What we used was different between the hotels and the boat. The hotels where we stayed provided a power converter that we could plug into. We did bring two plug and converter packages and were able to use them for other outlets. The plugs in our conversion kits were all two prongs but they worked in the outlets. I was concerned because I didn't have three prong and because none of the plugs were labeled for India but one of the two round prongs worked fine. I can't remember which one it was so I can't tell you how it was labeled. I think it was the slightly larger size round prongs but not sure.

There was not a power converter provided on the boat so we used what we brought. Hope this helps.

Rob

Amy,

I can’t help a lot about what dock the boat used. Uniworld had a bus waiting for us when we flew in from Jaipur. The only think I have in writing called it the “Kolkata Jetty”. It had stairs next to it so people could bath/wash clothes in the Ganges. It took at least 1 ½ hours to reach the Kolkata airport.

Vantage may not know where the boat will dock because it probably changes. Once you get on the boat, they should be able to arrange a taxi/transportation from the ship to the airport. My guess they will add you on one on the buses/taxis already there. I don’t think the boat will leave you stranded. You will need their help because where we docked was not in a main area. It was quite a distance down a single lane road with shops and housing on each side. I’m sure you will be ok.

Uniworld took us to Mother Teresa’s the afternoon after we first boarded the ship and the last day was all about getting people to the airport. They also scheduled the times for those who had their own transfers. We were the last passengers off and the cruise director rode with us in the taxi to the airport because he had to fly out as well.

Have you gone back to any of the people on the Ganges Voyager thread. One of them might have made their own transfer reservations and be able to help.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2212205

Amyr. You mentioned that you talked with Haimark about the Ganges Voyager. Below is an article that talks about the shipbuilders taking control of the ships from Haimark. This includes the Ganges Voyager I and II. It should have no affect on the Vantage or Uniworld cruises.

http://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/Shipbuilders-move-in-to-take-over-operations-from-Haimark

We did the trip in March. It was unusually hot this year (90-100 F), including in the north as well as on the river. It was also very dry and they were short of water in Dehli although it did not affect us.

We did have toilet paper but they requested we not flush it in the toilets. There was a small trash can with a lid right next to the toilet. We had heard about this from reviews on the Vantage cruise so we brought cheap baggies to put the paper into before putting them in the can. The hardest part was to change the habit of just dropping the paper.

I wrote the comment on the European standards because there were a couple people that expected Uniworld to make sure the boat was exactly the same as their other boats. I agree with you that the reason you travel is to experience other cultures.

We did have a great time, even my wife. She was worried she might not like it but had a wonderful time and glad she went.

Our flight was to Mumbai (Bombay) instead of back to Dehli and it was about the same length. They had trouble on a runway in Mumbai so the plane landed very late, causing us to rush to the connection.

As far as the visa, we used the recommended Visa Central and received a 10 year visa that we can use if we go back. I wanted to make sure we didn't have a problem getting in country. I felt the assurance was worth the cost. Just another form of insurance.

I meant to post something sooner but we have been doing a lot of traveling. This is my first post and review so please bear with me. I am willing to try to answer any question you might have.

Uniworld India Land and Ganges Voyager II review

General comments.

This is India, not Europe so don't expect European ship standards. You should not book this cruise if the following will bother you: not being able to put your toilet paper in the toilet, both Indian and American food, poverty and extreme wealth side by side. Everywhere we stayed and the boat were very clean. 99% of the passengers were fine with everything.

You saw the iconic sites but the people were the best part of the cruise, especially the children on the river.

Illness concerns

A few people did get sick on the on the trip but it was not widespread or long term. I know one person was sick for several days but not sure what it was. My wife was very sick one night on the ship and it took a couple of days to get her full strength back. We used wipes, washed our hands constantly and were careful to not eat anything that was too spicy. I don’t think it was caused by unclean conditions in the hotels or the boat. I can only guess we caught something like a flu virus on the first part of the trip or on the flight from Jaipur. The ship personnel was extremely solicitous and caring, offering suggestions of what might help and bringing special food to the cabin.

Mobility questions

There can be a great deal of walking over uneven ground so if you have mobility issues, this might be a concern for you and you should ask before going.

Guides

Our guide for the land portions were very good and the pace ensured everyone was included. The guides were very knowledgeable This was not always the case for our guide for the river portion but I blame it on the guide that was contracted from the States. This was his last trip and didn’t expect to be back..

Hotel and on-board service

The land hotels just kept getting better as we moved through the Golden Triangle with the last being the best. We were well protected in New Dehli (armed guards on the grounds and at the gates) and never felt concerned for our safety at any hotel or any portion of the trip.

The ship cabin room was big. Many passengers compared the size of room to a regular hotel room; not a river boat. The shower was fantastic but the counter space by the sink is too small. There was storage for clothes but was not very convenient. The 2 largest drawers were under the bed and the small 3 drawers were in the closet.

The on-board staff would bend over backwards to do everything for you. If you wanted to take a drink back to the room, someone would carry it for you, even if it was just down the passageway.

Air transport.

Booked on Air France with Delta providing service to Paris, AF from Paris to Delhi. I was surprised that Delta service was better than AF. An example was Delta was always asking if you want anything, especially water, and when they provided water, it was a large bottle. AF, you had to ask for water and when it was provided, it was in a small juice glass and they never came around again. This was repeated on the return flights from India to Paris to US.

Internal flights were on domestic airlines and there is weight restrictions. This caused us to pack light and use ultralight luggage. It helped that each person in the cabin received a bag for a free laundry. This allowed us to pack less because we could clean our clothes at the midpoint of the trip.

Business class was definitely worth it and not just for the seat space. Business class had separate check-in lines as well as Customs. We arrived late in Mumbai from Kolkata and only had 30 minutes to catch our connection. We were rushing from one terminal to another and we would have missed our flight if we had to wait in the normal customs line. Of course the terminal gates were the last gates. Air France had agents halfway down the terminal looking for people on their flights. They were trying to ensure everyone got on the flight but some never made it and we left without them.

Clothing

I wore shorts and had khaki pants for night. I wore light sport shirts and polo shirts, all light colors to reflect the sun. Sunglasses are essential as well as a hat. A light colored, folding umbrella is also very handy for the bright sun. Expect hot weather but be prepared for cool nights.

Excursions

Next day activity information was provided before dinner. Information was general and questions were required to clarify specifics (i.e. proper dress for excursions, temple sox needed). Times could change, based on arrival.

Lots of additional optional, free excursions were added. This was a pleasant surprise. Don’t miss the rickshaw through old Delhi. It was bumpy but well worth it. Women should be cautioned to wear modest clothes since it does go through the Muslim area and some women received a number of disapproving looks. There were no problems but they wished they had known to wear other clothes.

Make sure go on the dawn visit to the Taj Mahal. The sunset visit the night before was good for taking pictures as you get closer but it is also very crowded and the light is not good inside. In the morning, there were less people and we went directly into the Taj while everyone else was taking their pictures outside. This means it was not crowded and the morning sun lit the inside so you could see the intricate inlays.