Uniworld Veterans

I am realizing how much I have depended on CC for information on cruising and there different lines and ships. Can't find a lot here on UniWorld- I guess because it is a river line only. Our sole previous river cruise was on Crystal and they had an active ocean cruise board which helped. Anyway, I have a number of questions which I will just put out and hope that maybe some of you who have sailed on Uniworld might help out.

I am curious about what people do for dress in the evening. I realize that there are no formal nights and that websites always encourage people to dress up a bit but what actually happens onboard?

What time to people general board? We begin in Budapest and overnight there. And there is a Captain's Welcome Dinner that first night.

How are the lectures? And entertainment?

How about the excursions? Well run? over crowded?

Any general thoughts that we should know- we leave in two weeks (I WILL have shaken my bronchitis etc by then- I WILL have done so!). Hints?Secrets? I feel somewhat at a lose- I know next to nothing about Uniworld.

5Waldos,

We have been on a number of Uniworld cruises, so I think I can shed some light on your questions.

Dressing for dinner....smart casual. I have seen jeans...neat, not scruffy wear to the barn kind. Usually a darker denim. Khakis. Collared shirts. Captain's welcome dinner is the second evening and it and the farewell dinner most guests put a bit more effort with perhaps a jacket for men and the ladies a glitzy top.

You can check in any time, but your cabin will not be ready until 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Staff will secure your bags and you can explore all the public areas, have a meal, quench your thirst, and go out and see the sights of Budapest.

On board entertainment is very low key. There are not very many lectures, but the ones I have attended have been very informative.

Excursions are led by local guides who really are passionate about their subjects. No group is usually larger than about 20. And the voxboxes used are great, you have your own listening device with a pretty decent range from the guide so you can stop to take photos and still hear the guide. Groups are divided into gentle walkers up to fast walkers in some locations. You decide where you belong.

Staff members are wonderful, food is great, the beds are so comfy...l need another Uniworld fix...soon .

RB

5Waldos,

We have been on a number of Uniworld cruises, so I think I can shed some light on your questions.

Dressing for dinner....smart casual. I have seen jeans...neat, not scruffy wear to the barn kind. Usually a darker denim. Khakis. Collared shirts. Captain's welcome dinner is the second evening and it and the farewell dinner most guests put a bit more effort with perhaps a jacket for men and the ladies a glitzy top.

You can check in any time, but your cabin will not be ready until 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Staff will secure your bags and you can explore all the public areas, have a meal, quench your thirst, and go out and see the sights of Budapest.

On board entertainment is very low key. There are not very many lectures, but the ones I have attended have been very informative.

Excursions are led by local guides who really are passionate about their subjects. No group is usually larger than about 20. And the voxboxes used are great, you have your own listening device with a pretty decent range from the guide so you can stop to take photos and still hear the guide. Groups are divided into gentle walkers up to fast walkers in some locations. You decide where you belong.

Staff members are wonderful, food is great, the beds are so comfy...l need another Uniworld fix...soon .

RB

Very helpful, RB. We are taking our first river cruise ever, on Uniworld this fall. From some of the videos, one would think that men wear sport coats, and women wear dresses, to any evening meal. I gather that this might be so for the Captain's Welcome Dinner, but not so much for other evening?

Tom & Judy

TFree- I have learned one thing about cruising- the lines would like you to believe, based on the pictures and videos, that everyone is beautiful and dressed far more than I plan to be most of the time. They hope- and we don't exactly deliver.

And thanks RitaBob- helpful information. Looking forward to the cruise for sure- have heard very good things about Uniworld. Sounds like there will be lunch available should we wander over near noontime? I realize that we can't access our cabins but would be nice to find the ship and poke around some. It will depend on how we are feeling- we arrive the evening before from states, have been in Budapest before, so not entirely sure how we are going to plan the day.

One other question- would do you suppose the distribution of passengers is? Crystal River was largely Americans although there were a couple of wonderfully intriguing Middle Eastern princesses.

Wish the weather would settle down in Europe- it is bouncing from the mid 30s to near 60 day by day. Snow one day- nearly balmy the next. Rather like Colorado I guess.

We've sailed 6 rivers with Uniworld. The majority of the passengers have been American, but we've met wonderful Canadians, Australians and British cruisers.

After our first cruise, my husband has not packed a sports coat. Collared shirts all day long have been fine. No dresses for me. Our next cruise will be Christmas to New Years so we will probably dress up a bit more for the New Years dinner dance.

Best wishes for good health for your cruise!

Also, we've always been offered a lunch if we boarded early.

Remember all those pictures are staged with actors / models. Nothing like reality.

Yes to lunch. It will probably be a bit lighter than usual, but filling.

Have you toured the parliament in Budapest? Wandered the market hall? Climbed Gellert hill? Spend the afternoon at a spa?

Usually the majority of the passengers are American with Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans and others mixed in. Every cruise is different.

RB

. Our next cruise will be Christmas to New Years so we will probably dress up a bit more for the New Years dinner dance.

 

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We did the Grand Christmas New Year's cruise with Uniworld twice. You are right about dressing up a lot more for the party atmosphere in a palace.!!!!!!

Ritabob, Glad to hear we are on the right track for celebrating! I suspect a challenge of packing cold weather and party clothes!

thank you all- the sports jacket is out (my husband thanks you all!). And I am still of two minds about a dress or skirt- but may settle for a lovely bright scarf to wrap myself in.

And RitaBob- we have done a number of those things, but not all. I think we will wait and see how we survive the many hours of travel before we make decisions for the next day. Would love to tour the Opera House but that only happens in late afternoon.Too bad because we have a place just a few steps from it. And of course the following day we have tours around the city before we sail.

I so appreciate you all responding- it does feel a bit more secure knowing that there are folks out there (on here?) who have sailed on Uniworld and are here to tell the stories.

Ritabob, Glad to hear we are on the right track for celebrating! I suspect a challenge of packing cold weather and party clothes!

Layers! Sturdy boots. Waterproof coat. My favourite coat was a snowboarder's coat...warm and wind proof. Mitts, earmuffs, etc. Nothing is worse than being cold and damp.

I have been on four previous Uniworld cruises. On embarkation day, I have arrived in the 1-2:00 range. There has always been a delightful lunch available. The literature refers to it as light food but it is plentiful, varied and delicious! The rooms have been ready before 3:00. Usually between 2-3:00.

I wear a dress or skirt several evenings. I would say, that others do also. It is really a blend of dress styles. It is whatever you feel comfortable wearing. At home, I wear jeans most of the time. So, the cruise affords me a chance to dress up a bit.

5Waldos,

As previously mentioned, you can board the ship any time. Nothing is planned on boarding day, so there is no reason why you can't check in, have a look around, have a bite to eat and go back out to tour the Opera house.

I have been on Uniworld ships for probably 80 to 90 dinners and 2 of those in palaces in Vienna for New Year's Eve. I have seen everything from jeans and hiking boots and long formal dresses at the palace to everything in between. All of our cruising has been early or late in the season. No summer cruises, so rarely have had an opportunity to dress in light airy clothes. Never a dress or skirt.

RB

Ritabob has given you excellent advice which mirrors my experience. Don't stress about dressing for the evening meal. I've never brought a dress or skirt, but that would be appropriate among other options. On gala nights I wore black pants, dressy top, and my better jewelry (stuff I don't wear to work). I've worn black jeans in the DR on non-gala nights. Breakfast and lunch is what you're going to wear or have worn for shorex.

I've never found the shorex to be overcrowded, and I thought the lectures were informative and interesting.

On my first Uniworld cruise, everyone was an English speaker, including 2 ladies from Kuwait. Last year was a bit different, with 33 Brazilians traveling as a group. Limited English, if any, but they had their own tour guide and sat in a reserved area in the DR.

Roz

I suppose I qualify as a Uniworld veteran as I have taken five river cruises with them (Yangtze, Istanbul to Vienna, Douro, Antwerp to Amsterdam and Basel to Amsterdam.). The Yangtze cruise is not really relevant as it was only a short part of a longer Uniworld China tour and it was not a Uniworld ship.

 

Here are a few of

 

 

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I suppose I qualify as a Uniworld veteran as I have taken five river cruises with them (Yangtze, Istanbul to Vienna, Douro, Antwerp to Amsterdam and Basel to Amsterdam.). The Yangtze cruise is not really relevant as it was only a short part of a longer Uniworld China tour and it was not a Uniworld ship.

Here are a few of my observations regarding your questions.

Dress: People dress comfortably and at dinner “smart casual” would be the rule. I can’t say I have ever seen shorts at dinner and jeans haven’t been very common in my experience. I’m a bit of an outlier because I usually travel with a blazer or sports coat and often wear it at dinner because I feel comfortable in one. I’ll put on a tie on more “formal” occasions, but I’m in the minority.

Boarding times: You can usually board at any time and the ship will store your bags, but usually the cabin won’t be ready until mid-afternoon. You are welcome to eat lunch (or even breakfast if you are really early). Transfers from the airport are directly to the ship so you might arrive quite early depending on your flight arrival time. I usually arrive a day or two before the cruise.

Tours: I have found in general that the excursions are excellent and the guides very knowledgeable and engaging. The headsets make following a tour very easy. There is always a variety of included tours and “Gentle Walking” tours for those who prefer or require a more leisurely pace. The are also optional tours at extra cost, but I my experience these have often been cancelled for lack of interest. I like the “Do as the Locals Do” walking tours for great insights into cities and towns. Don’t worry about signing up for tours before the cruise. On the first night aboard the Cruise Director will present an overview of all the tours with times for signing up.

Entertainment and Lectures. These arevery low key compared to ocean cruises. There is usually a pianist/vocalist I. The lounge every evening and there will be local musicians and dancers brought aboard at stops along the way. They are usually very good indeed. There’s not much time for lectures as most days are spent ashore, but often there will be a cooking lesson or two in the afternoon.

One final observation. On most Uniworld cruises I have taken the ship travels at night and is berthed during the day, often “rafted” with other ships. A balcony is therefore usually not necessary. When the ship travels through very scenic stretches such as the Rhine Gorge, the Moselle, the Iron Gates on the Danube for example, it will be in daytime, but the best place to take In the scenery will be on the top deck. An exception is the Douro where the ships do not travel at night (also in Russia, which I did with Viking, and the Yangtze).

I’ve always enjoyed cruising with Uniworld. They are getting a bit pricey now, but still are good value for what they offer.

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As a Uniworld veteran, shorts have always been prohibited at dinner, except when they had a picnic style dinner once on the sun deck(Portugal). All other times, long pants required. Jackets are often worn, not required, but many do wear them with open collar shirts (no ties). Ladies often dress nicely for dinner. One rarely sees “jeans” at dinner on either men or women. Typically nice slacks or khakis for men. I have never seen “hiking boots” and jeans at dinner, while not doubting some will go as grunge as policy will allow.

Their tour guides are local and very knowledgeable. If one appears to be continually holding a group up, they most often will be placed into a slower group on future tours. Most appreciate this policy, some resent it. The Whisperers are far superior to those offered from other lines.

Food is excellent and many of the dinners served are from local ( the countries being visited) authentic recipes. For those that demand only Americanized food, the daily menu offers them three selections also.

Entertainment, after dinner, is highly varied. It can range from local groups performing local folk music and/or dance acts, to the onboard entertainers which are typically fun.