Ritabob

Have a great cruise.

A 50's and 60's theme would be more age appropriate on some cruises 😉

Our cruise in April the party was only so-so. The bartenders and cruise director probably had the most fun.

I believe all itineraries have a 70's party. It's another cost cutting measure. Taped music to replace the in house piano player. Our cruise also had a silent disco night. RB

Will follow along vicariously.

We have already booked with Scenic, so Tauck will have to wait their turn.

Up until now we have only cruised with Uniworld, but are ready to jump ship to Scenic. Just wondering if they have special unexpected extras in your cabin, like jars of chocolates that never get empty? What does a Scenic spaceship have that you've not had on any other cruise line? Looking for the little surprises. Thanks RB

Drink more 'fizz' and flush the nasty bugs out of your system. Have a super time! RB

A place to start is look up the official christmas markets websites for each port you will be visiting . Some markets are open every day, some only on weekends and some only in the evening. If your cruise is marketed as a Christmas cruise, then your cruise director should have all that mapped out for you. RB

Looking forward to your photos and updates.

Thank you for your review.

We got off the River Princess two weeks ago. Stayed in cabin 103, lowest deck. On past cruises on the 300 deck as well as the 400 deck on what is now the Joie de vivre. Other than the size of the window there has not been any noticeable difference. I will avoid the deck that has the dining room at the end of it. Elephants start marching by at 7:30 in the morning. 😉 RB

The biggest differences between a bus tour and a river cruise are You unpack once, and if you want to sleep in and skip a tour you won't miss the bus.

Caligirl58, If I was invited to join friends on this itinerary I'd be pulling out my wallet ready to pay up again. We've sailed along the Moselle twice and had our third time cancelled in 2020. The scenery, wine, history, and tours are all great. The River Queen is my favourite Uniworld ship and there is something special about her, even though she is not an SS ship. Cabins are small, there is no pool, but the food and service are the same on all the Uniworld ships. There is always something new to explore at every stop, and every local guide puts their own spin on the stories they tell. RB

We have done two Christmas New Year's cruises from Nuremberg to Budapest. Two weeks on the Danube in the rain, sleet, sunshine, cold, but no snow. There were quite a few on board from Australia and New Zealand hoping to experience a white Christmas. Perhaps less crowded sites and the chance to see snow will entice cruisers. RB

Thursday May 11th Frankfurt A guided walking tour of the (new) old town of the city. It was very interesting to see how they have tried to combine the restored old buildings with some modern ones. A very lively commercial area and a great view from the rooftop of the department store. The ship cruised all acternoon, but again, not the nicest weather for enjoying the upper deck. After dinner the lounge became a Silent Disco. Friday May 12th Baden-Baden or Strasburg The ship was docked in Rastatt long enough to drop off everyone for the two tours. In Baden Baden we walked up and down the hilly streets past the thermal baths and along pedestrian streets watching out for cars. The casino was open for us to wander and feel the ambience without any gambling. The WC was really posh. The bus ride to Strasburg was about an hour and a walking tour followed. Both bus groups were to meet up with the ship in Strasbourg, but due to some timing issues with locks, a heavy current in the wrong direction and passengers who had to get to the airport for a very early flight the next day, there was a change in plans. Everything worked out and we continued sailing on to Kembs instead of the original port of Basel. An afternoon of packing, exchanging email addresses followed by the Captain's Farewell Dinner. Overall thoughts This was probably our last cruise with this company. Its time to try another. The accommodations and the staff were great. Food that was served buffet style was never really hot and we never saw a chef checking the temperature with instant read thermometers. The included tours were as expected. What was not expected was the upcharge on tours that used to be included. Tips for drivers and local guides also used to be included in the 'All Inclusive' company promotion. Not any more.

Wednesday May 10th Miltenberg and Eichenbuehl A cool damp morning in my favourite town. The guides met us at the ship while groups were sorted out. The walkers set off on a 8km trek to Eichenbuehl where the rest of us would meet up with them later. We joined the tour of the town and heard the story of how Miltenberg flourished at the beginning of the pandemic. One of their main industries produces toilet paper! After some free time we boarded the bus to Eichenbuehl to meet up with the hikers who were already enjoying the vibe of entertainment by the local mayor and other civic leaders who greeted us with local wine and beer and open-faced sandwiches with local produce. This all took place in the park like area behind city hall. We had the option of walking a short way to see the inside of the church and ring the bell. On the bus back to he ship for a late lunch and an afternoon free to wander the streets in Miltenberg or get caught up with napping or social media.

Sunday May 7th Bamberg Two tours to pick from this morning. Guided walking tour of town or a 'hike' in the beechwood forest of Steigerwald near Ebrach to an observation tower. During the port talk the previous evening the Cruise Director discouraged people from going on the hike unless they were in top physical form. Those who did go couldn't understand what the big deal was. How unfortunate to miss a walk in the woods even without climbing the tower. In the afternoon if you wanted to visit a local brewery and taste some smoked beer you had to pay 59€ . The last time we were in Bamberg the beer tasting there was no upcharge. Our second Captain's Welcome reception of the cruise was just like the first except last week's captain was on vacation and we were introduced to the new captain. Captain du jour. Monday May 8th Volkach What a lovely area to have so many Franconian wine country villiage day choices . Wine and chocolate...walk and meet vintners...bike...canoe. Naturally we did the divide and conquer. Chocolates and wine for me and just wine for the hub. In the afternoon there was the Romantic Rothenburg Express. Dish out another €69 for something that was included with previous cruises. After lunch we took some bicycles and rode back into the villiage and then along the river. Such a peaceful area. A trio entertained in the lounge to a small crowd. Tuesday May 9th Wurzburg Finally a warm sunny day. Two choices. A hike up the hill to the Fortress Marienberg or a tour of Wurzburg Residence and court garden. After touring the Residence there was an option to walk back to the ship with the guide via the bridge and a glass of wine. As the weather was perfect for sitting on the upper deck we decided it was better to drink the wine under the bridge in comfort rather than in a crowd of tourists on the bridge. A trip to Castle Weikersheim was cancelled due to lack of interest. I think it was the €59 surcharge. The ship set sail around 4pm so we finally were able to enjoy watching the world go by and the many locals along the water's edge soaking up the sun and heat. 70's to 90's disco in the lounge after dinner.

My point was if they could sail during the day then the historic sites and buildings would be closed to tours, in the dark and covered in scaffolding.

Friday May 5th The day started with a leisurely breakfast while the ship was sailing to Nuremberg. There was a lecture in the lounge about Germany, WWII and the role of Nuremberg. After lunch two tours were offered with a maximum number of participants of 45 for each. The first was a city tour with the rally grounds and documentation center visit. The second tour was a visit to Faber Castell Castle or museum with time to shop. Who knew a lead pencil could 'lead' to an empire. This evening was the Captain's Farewell dinner. I think there may have been 4 or 5 men wearing jackets and the same number of women dressed to the 9s and wearing stiletto heals. The rest of the passengers were wearing something. After 9pm there was entertainment in the lounge, a singer, but as usual we grabbed a drink and went somewhere quiet to chat with others. Saturday May 6th This two week cruise, Uniworld Grand Central Europe Cruise was, in fact, two different one week cruises. Therefore today was the disembarkation / embarkation day. A bit of a waste for those of us doing both weeks, as there were no tours provided. What they did provide were shuttles to the city. No maps, no suggestions on what there was to see or do. Luckily we have been there a number of times and were able to wander with out feeling like we were missing something. Back on board it was fun to watch the new passengers explore their new home for the next week. We did say goodbye to a very unhappy couple who did not do their homework before their first cruise. They complained it was too cold to sit up on deck and why can't the ship just cruise during daylight, they wanted to take lots of photos, and there was too much scaffolding around historic buildings.

An independent cycle company provided the bicycles and guides.

Wednesday May 3rd We woke up this morning in Degendorf . There were two choices this morning and both included schnapps tastings. one group experienced a glass blowing demonstration in the Bavarian forest and the other group explored the inside of an old silver mine. What attracted me to the silver mine tour was a scenic chair lift to the mine entrance. Ooops . chairlift closed due to seasonal maintenance. After the two tours everyone was bussed to Straubing for lunch and shopping on your own. Back on the ship which set sail for Regensburg. Afternoon free to snooze or look at phones and ipads. After dinner we had the pleasure of walking about 20 minutes to St. Caecilia church for a performance of the Regensburg Cathedral Choir. They are fantastic, think of the Vienna boys choir. Thursday May 4th overnighted in Regensburg. Guided walking tour of town or a scenic drive to the Hollertau hop growing region . This area makes a beer drinker feel on par with a wine drinker looking at vineyards. Our host at the Stiglmaeir farm was informative and fun. Back on board for an afternoon of sitting on deck and technology. Before dinner was a cocktail reception for River Heritage Members. I think about 1/3 of the passengers are now members. After dinner there was an entertainer in the lounge, but I never got that far.

Happy Victoria Day. This is a statutory holiday here in Ontario, the unofficial start of summer, also known as the Two Four weekend. Our beer comes in cases of 24 bottles or cans. We have been home now for over a week and the cruise has faded into a distant memory. Monday May 1st. after a busy day in Vienna it was nice to slow the pace .The morning in Weissenkirchen began with a lecture in the lounge about Jewish Life in Austria presented by Christian Basel. Christian was the cruise director on our first Uniworld cruise in 2008. A delightful gentleman with a lot of knowledge. After the lecture we had a choice of wandering over the road to the village with a wine tasting and some apricot schnapps or hopping on the bus to Melk Abbey with a tour that included the abbey and time to wander the gardens. After lunch there was a group that went for a hike in the vineyard. The ship set sail around 2:30 in the afternoon so most people got out their phones and tablets and i-pads and got lost in their technology until cocktails and dinner. After dinner a 70's party in the lounge. Tuesday May 2nd The ship docked briefly in Engelhartszell for about 20 or so brave souls to sign waivers and take off on a guided bicycle tour to Passau. The rest of the passengers either napped or connected to technology until lunch. The cyclist beat the ship Passau but had to wait for the ship to raft up to a Viking ship. There was a power struggle between crew of both boats on how to fit the ramp from one upper deck to the other, but our captain pointed and things happened pronto. After lunch was a walking tour of the sights. A Bavarian Country Cooking Class was offered to a maximum 6 people for only 269euro per person. I did not hear of any takers. A Bavarian Brass Band provided the entertainment after dinner.

Hello everyone, Sorry I abandoned this report a few days in. I will put together a full one eventually. Jet lag and allergies need to be tamed first. RB