bubbulz

Not really sure about the flights yet, since it's still too early to book. Mostly just wondering whether I should purchase insurance separately like I normally do. The 'any reason' waiver through the Uniworld plan sounds interesting, though.

ETA: And although I thought the Uniworld plan was less expensive, it's not necessarily since it is a per person charge.

One other note: If we purchased the Uniworld plan for the cruise portion, we'd probably add other coverage for any non-refundable airfare and land arrangements. So perhaps a downside would be coordination between the two in the event of an issue?

We're looking at a cruise for 2020 and we normally buy our travel insurance from one of the larger companies (e.g., TravelGuard, Allianz, etc.). However, I started looking at what Uniworld offers and it looks interesting for a few reasons. It is less expensive (probably since it doesn't look at age) and also offers an "any reason" cancellation waiver.

Has anyone used this and have any feedback? Thanks in advance ...

https://www.uniworld.com/en/already-booked/us-travel-protection/2020-travel-protection/

THE UNIWORLD “ANY REASON” CANCELLATION WAIVER*

Provided by Uniworld* (non-insurance feature)

With the Uniworld “Any Reason” Cancellation Waiver, Uniworld will provide you with 100% of the Uniworld cancellation penalties in the form of a future travel credit certificate, should you cancel your cruise/tour prior to your original scheduled flight departure time for any reason that is not eligible for cash reimbursement under the Trip Cancellation section of the Travel Protection Plan. Cancellation penalties are reimbursed in the form of a Uniworld Travel Certificate allowing you a two (2) year credit to travel with us at a later date. Please note that to be eligible for the “Any Reason” Cancellation Waiver, you must enroll and pay for the plan at the time you make your initial trip deposit. The certificate is valid for two years, is nontransferable, nonrefundable and may not be redeemed for cash. Future travel certificates do not include airfare cancellation charges for air arrangements unless those arrangements were provided by Uniworld.

16 minutes ago, SCHappilyRetired said:

We took AMA in the beginning of October 2019 and the weather was perfect! I think 1 rainy day.  AMA has a new ship sailing this year on the Duoro along with AMAVida which we took.  All our other river cruises were taken in September/October with beautiful weather.

Thanks for the feedback!

12 hours ago, LeRenardrouge said:

We do know couples who have sailed with Uniworld on their cruise on the Douro and had very favorable reviews.  I just find the decor on Uniworld a bit over-the-top.  

Although the decor of the Uniworld ships doesn't fit how I would decorate my home, I love it for cruising. Oh, and their beds are to die for!! Would not trade them for anything. I've toured many other ships on our previous cruises and really didn't find anything else I preferred over Uniworld. That said, I've not been on Tauck or Crystal ships so they could be an option. 

11 hours ago, Got2Cruise said:

Uniworld is launching their brand new ship on the Duoro 2020 the photos are beautiful. There will be several suites on this ship. We went in early July and the vineyards were beautiful, the area near Spain was hot. But if you’re from Florida maybe heat doesn’t bother you. The warm days enabled many to enjoy the pool area. 

Yes, the new boat looks like it's going to be terrific. We're not really looking for a summertime cruise, so it would probably be October or November. (November is actually more likely as we will be closer to the end of hurricane season for us.)

21 minutes ago, beanpittsburgh said:

We did our Douro cruise with Viking in mid October of 2017.  The weather was good with only 1 day in Porto with rain and temps in the 60's.  We were able to wear summer clothes the rest of the week.  Remember, summer can get extremely hot (over 100) in this part of the world.  We were actually encouraged by a Portuguese gal who worked on our Viking cruise in Bordeaux to go in the fall.  She said the weather, fall foliage, and harvest season  would all be great reasons to go then.

Thanks! Yes, fall is sounding best for us.

We already have international travel plans for the remainder of this year through next May, so we'd be looking at late 2020 or sometime in 2021. Since we normally try to avoid traveling during the US hurricane season because we are in south FL, that would mean we'd likely be focusing on a trip for next fall or in the spring or fall of 2021. I'd appreciate any feedback on pros and cons.

Also, we're probably looking at sticking with Uniworld since we prefer all-inclusive (or nearly so) and we would be likely booking a suite. That said, we're open to booking with another line if there is an overriding reason to do so (primarily in terms of quality).

Thanks!

9 minutes ago, Got2Cruise said:

We took a few years break. Not because we weren’t happy with River Cruises, but certain itineraries are better served differently. 

Totally agree! 

No river cruises for us this year (or next). We decided on traveling throughout the Scottish Highlands for this year and it looks like Italy is on the top of the list for us again next year. Just can't get enough of Italy and the wonderful scenery, food, wine, and people! We've also got a bunch of shorter trips interspersed in between.

Wow! Thank you all for the great suggestions! Lots of research to do for sure! Have added Silversea to the growing list! Also, a friend of mine just returned from a Windstar cruise and absolutely loved it. Never realized there'd be so many good choices!

Thanks! Definitely checking out Regent. 👍

20 minutes ago, Got2Cruise said:

We sailed Regent on the Mediterranean last summer and loved it. Even though the ship, Voyager, holds 700 pax you’d never know it. It’s totally all inclusive including business class air unless you want to use your own and then receive a sizeable credit. Excursions, gratuities, transfers, alcoholic beverages, specialty restaurants all included in the price. The cabins are large with large bathrooms and verandas. We looked into Windstar and I don’t believe the cabins are large or have verandas. 

Thanks! Will check it out. Sounds great!

Thanks! I will check them out. I appreciate all of the feedback. 

Preference is smaller at this point but I’m not ruling anything out yet! Thanks. 

2 minutes ago, acwmom said:

We will be sailing on Viking Star in 6 weeks, doing the Empires of the Mediterranean, from Athens to Venice. Inclusions seem to mirror their river cruises, one included excursion in each port, beer/wine at lunch and dinner. Port fees and specialty restaurants are included. Wifi is included. We plan to upgrade to their Silver Spirits beverage package for $20/person/day, and gratuities are additional as well. 

For excursions, we chose an additional one on Santorini, and have arranged for 2 independent ones (for less than Viking would have charged) We are usually very content with the included excursions that Uniworld offers, and I'm sure the Viking ones would be fine, but we wanted to cram more into the day then would be possible with their larger tours.

What attracted us to their Ocean product was the fact that the concept was very much like river cruising, with regard to the inclusions/excursions. We also like that there is no casino, no photographers, and no children.

If you're not in a hurry to book, I plan on doing one of my reviews/blogs upon my return.

 

Robin

Thanks! I’m just starting research so will definitely watch for your review. 

Terrific feedback. Thank you both very much. Ideally, we are looking for a ship holding no more than about 250-300 passengers. I’m big on the trip planning end of things so arranging for private tours sounds like the way for us to go. 

ETA: Is a max of several hundred passengers a realistic expectation? Thx. 

I know we get a lot of questions on this board from experienced ocean cruisers who are looking at trying a river cruise for the first time. My husband and I are kind of the opposite and I'm looking for a bit of advice. We've never had any inclination to take a cruise on one of the large ships, but we're now starting to look at options for a Mediterranean cruise. We really don't want something with hundreds of other passengers so I've started looking at Windstar as one option. I'd appreciate any other suggestions you all might have. For river cruises, we've stuck to Uniworld's super ships and definitely would want to stick with a more upscale option if we do a Mediterranean cruise. The other thing I'm curious about is extras ... What is normally not included? I'm assuming that there would be more costs for tours, drinks, laundry, tips, taxes. Is that correct? Anything else I should know? Thanks for any tips!

Do you 'need' one? No. Should you use one? Probably, yes.

I do all of my own bookings for pretty much all of our travel, with the exception of river cruises. We get discounts and freebies from our TA that are unavailable if we book ourselves.

On our three Uniworld cruises, the only extras we typically paid for were for massages and other spa services. We did have a suite which had unlimited laundry service. Uniworld offers a handful of optional excursions, but there are plenty of included tours so no real need to pay extra unless there's something special that you're specifically looking for. All alcohol is included, as are tips.

On 2/6/2019 at 5:00 PM, SMNYCruise said:

As far as the above post by bubbulz...the State department has a four level rating system to provide advice on traveling to every country.  Egypt is at a level 2 which means travelers should use extra caution.  Other countries at level 2 are Belgium, Antarctica, Belize, Denmark, France, Cuba, Germany and so on. I'm sure if the situation in Egypt changes, the tour companies will make adjustments.  Everyone who reported back from their recent Egypt trips felt safe.

Many people are unaware of current events in other countries and blissfully blind to risk levels. The information I posted was for them so they can make an informed choice regarding their travel plans. For my part, I'm glad to have visited Egypt at a time when It was much safer for tourists, and I was able to visit the Egyptian Museum and many sites that were a bit off the beaten path. That said, doing a river cruise is probably a generally safer means of travel than the trip I took.

Just another data point .... Here's who we used:

PRIVATE-PRAGUE-GUIDE.COM 
Travel Agency Custom Travel Services s.r.o.
Pristavni 24 | Prague 7 | Czech Republic

info@prague-guide.cz

Jay was great in handling our bookings. We had a driver-guide pick us up at the ship in Passau and he took us to our hotel in Prague, with a stop of several hours for lunch and a tour in Cesky Krumlov. It was a fantastic day. The next day we went on a 6-hour tour through them that was also excellent:

We've done the Danube with Uniworld twice (2016 and 2018) and wouldn't hesitate to book with them again. Both cruises were outstanding.

Whatever you decide, I'd suggest signing up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive alerts. I just got this one this afternoon:

Exercise increased caution in Egypt due to terrorism. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory.

Do not travel to:
 

• The Sinai Peninsula (with the exception of travel to Sharm El-Sheikh by air) due to terrorism.
• The Western Desert due to terrorism.
• Egyptian border areas due to military zones.

Terrorist groups continue plotting attacks in Egypt. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and local government facilities. Terrorists have conducted attacks in urban areas, including in Cairo, despite the heavy security presence. Terrorists have targeted religious sites, to include mosques, churches, monasteries, and buses traveling to these locations.

Due to risks to civil aviation operating within or in the vicinity of Egypt, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) and/or a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR). For more information U.S. citizens should consult the Federal Aviation Administration's Prohibitions, Restrictions and Notices.

Read the Safety and Security section on the country information page.

If you decide to travel to Egypt:
 

• Stay alert in locations frequented by Westerners.
• Avoid demonstrations and crowds.
• Obtain comprehensive medical insurance that includes medical evacuation.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Follow the Department of State on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram.
• Review the Crime and Safety Report for Egypt.
• U.S. citizens who travel abroad should always have a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the Traveler's Checklist.

Sinai Peninsula

The Sinai Peninsula remains a particularly dangerous area, with frequent attacks on security forces and civilians.

The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens anywhere in the Sinai Peninsula as U.S. government employees are not authorized to travel to these areas (with the exception of the beach resort of Sharm El-Sheikh; travel to Sharm El-Sheikh is only permitted by air).

Visit our website for Travel to High-Risk Areas.

Last Update: Reissued after periodic review with minor edits.
 

We toured around Bavaria after our cruise ended in Nuremberg and then flew Lufthansa from Munich to Budapest for our flight home a couple of years ago. It was quite easy (and inexpensive, although we were able to use miles to book the one-way flight.)

On 1/3/2019 at 12:52 PM, jklc123 said:

We also were very happy to have opted for the progressive dinner. Also on the itinerary were the crew's dining/break room and their living quarters hallway. We were amused that the butler "Z" appeared at each stop with the food and wine, having taken a different route through the ship from us.

Yes! I had forgotten about that portion. We miss both 'Z' and Valentina! They were both outstanding.

Trains are very easy. We took the train from Basel to Lucerne and then from Lucerne to Zurich for our flight a few days later. We stayed at the Hotel Schweizerhof and it was outstanding. Perfect location, right on the lake and close to the station.