Uniworld's River Queen ~ Christmas Week Cruise ~ The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

[Windy56]

My husband and I, with a great deal of luck and a little bit of juggling, managed to make it to Basel on December 21st to begin our Christmas Market Rhine River Cruise, which because of the timing did not include any German Markets. It wasn't a huge loss because we did shop at the Basel, Lucerne, and Strasbourg Christmas Markets and hit the "Mother of all Markets" on the Champs-Elysees when we arrived in Paris, for our Part II Vacation. What follows is our reflections on the river cruise part of our holiday and is an attempt to provide an honest and balanced account of our experience aboard the River Queen.

 

THE GOOD

 

The River Queen is a well appointed boat with very nice spaces, including a comfortable lounge with a cozy fireplace. Compared to cruise ships, it is very compact which means the distance from your cabin to the dining room can be all of 70 feet. The cabins are attractive and the floor to ceiling windows in ours were great for viewing the lovely scenery rolling by. The bed was really comfortable, the towels plush and the bathrobe generously cut.

 

The food, for the most part, was good and on a few occasions very good. Lunches were more appealing than the dinners, which tended to be very drawn out affairs, reflective perhaps of a wait staff which was stretched too thinly. I would recommend the soups and the vegetarian entrees, including the stuffed crepe, the onion tart and the rosti. I especially appreciated the fact that the menus reflected the cuisine of the region.

 

Tour guides for the included excursions were enthusiastic in sharing their knowledge of the various cities and the rich history behind each. You could partake of these guided tours or go off on your own. They did not seem to offer different tours for those passengers with mobility concerns. All of the included tours seemed to move at a fairly brisk pace. The extra cost excursions reflected good value for the price charged. They were really enjoyable, especially the trip to Lucerne and the tour of Marksburg Castle. We participated in all of the extra tours and we were glad we did.

 

Onboard entertainment was surprisingly good. We were told not to expect much on a small boat but the performers, who we had the pleasure to experience, were marvellous. They ranged from a lovely woman who lectured about German Christmas traditions, an Edith Piaf type singer accompanied by an accordion player, a trio consisting of two violins and a guitar who performed folk music and classical music and finally, this wonderful woman who, accompanied by her husband on the keyboard, sang everything from country music to polkas to opera to swing - just fantastic.

 

THE BAD

 

The storage in the cabins left a lot to be desired. There was no long section in the wardrobe to hang dresses or suits and the shelves were awkwardly placed. I would strongly suggest that future passengers buy a few over the door hangers. It would alleviate some of the problems we encountered.

 

When we called to confirm the docking location of the boat on the day of our departure, we were advised that the location had changed and we were given a different address by the Uniworld agent. We arrived at this spot along the river with a cab driver who was quite eager to unload us and our luggage on a deserted road with no boat in sight. We can laugh about it now. We gave him the original address in our cruise documents and the ship was there. Sixty francs later we were schlepping our luggage down a winding ramp and up to a boat that looked empty of passengers and crew. Not a soul was in sight, in the lobby or behind the reception counter. We pressed a button which opened the door to the ship, lugged our bags in and called out, "Hellllll-oooo-oooo!" A crew member did appear within a few seconds of our call and we marvelled at the difference between security onboard cruise ships and river boats. Anyone could have boarded the boat and stowed away in a number of places. It was all very strange and somewhat unsettling.

 

One of the things that I found most disappointing on my River Queen cruise was the inconsistent service I encountered. Some of the crew were outstanding and seemed to really enjoy their jobs. Gabor, the bartender was a delight, always smiling and pleasant, greeting passengers by name and remembering their favourite drinks. Any request, and my requests are always politely made, would be met cheerfully. Sabina, our cabin attendant, was always cordial when we met and kept the cabin spotlessly clean. There was only one female member of the wait staff in the dining room and I can't recall her name, but she reflected this same level of professionalism and efficiency and was so good at her job. Unfortunately, this was not the case with all of the wait staff who managed to straddle that thin line between aloof and downright surly. One night, I decided to try an alternate dining option which included fish or chicken. When I asked the waiter how the chicken was prepared he looked at me with great impatience and said, "I don't know". Isn't that the job of a waiter, to know? Wouldn't the correct response be to say, " If you give me a moment I'll go and check with the chef to see how it is prepared"? When you would ask questions, this league of waiters, and there were about half a dozen of them, would either nod or shake their heads as though uttering an answer would be a terrible waste of their energy. I was puzzled as to how the dining room manager could not see this and correct it.

 

THE UGLY

 

When we have cruised on ships in the past, we have had few occasions to deal with officers or management and on the odd occasion when we have had a concern it has been dealt with quickly and competently. I am very sorry to say that this was not the case on the River Queen.

 

The first incident had to do with the hotel mangager. On the second day we had no hot water from our shower. We reported it and the officer at reception said she would look into it. The next day it was fine and we asked another passenger if they had the problem with hot water and the person said that he, too, was without hot water on the second day. A few days later, I was without hot water again. This time the hotel manager told me I didn't know how to operate the nozzle. I explained that this was not the case and I felt it might be a hot water shortage in certain cabins at peak hours. I left frustrated and when it happened the next day again, my husband insisted that the hotel manager come to room and see for himself. He arrived with the boat's engineer and they insisted it was still a problem with the faucet in the shower. When my husband turned on the faucet in the sink where there was no hot water either, they simply gave him this blank stare and shrugged. I fully expected a bottle of wine with a letter apologizing for the inconvenience, to be waiting for us in our cabin when returned from sight-seeing that day, but there was nothing. There was no follow-up to any of the three complaints of no hot water at any time, during the cruise. They never apologized for the inconvenience.

 

 

The second incident had to do with the cruise director. During one excursion my voxbox, a device that transmits the voice of the tour guide to your earphones, was not working. Again, the cruise director, after trying an alternate set of earphones, just shrugged and told me to stay close to the guide so that I could hear. When I suggested that he should test the voxboxes before the bus leaves the area of the boat so that he could get replacements if they malfunctioned, he was pretty nonresponsive. Again, no apology. On another excursion, when he lost part of the group, I urged him to follow from the back and send someone ahead with the directions, he pretty much ignored me and my advice. He set a pace and never looked back to see if the passengers were with him. He just seemed unaware or indifferent. His job was to introduce the talent in the evenings and he did so. However, I don't ever remember him coming up to the front of the lounge after the performance was over to thank them and lead a round of applause. This was an individual who really lacked polish and style, as well as some basic organizational skills.

 

THE VERDICT

 

I enjoyed many aspects of this river cruise. I liked the itinerary and the intimacy of a ship of this small size. The passengers were friendly and there was a casual feel to the whole experience. You could dress up for dinner if you wanted to or you could wear a nice pair of pants and a sweater and you'd be good to go. However, the inconsistent service and the issues involving the cruise director and hotel manager left a bad taste in my mouth. My husband is not opposed to going on another Uniworld cruise and thinks that perhaps any of the negatives we encountered could very well be unique to the particular ship and the crew. I, on the other hand, think that there are so many other lines out there, why not try them. After this cruise, I would be hard pressed to recommend Uniworld to friends or family. River cruises I would recommend to anyone!

[Talisker92]

I am so sorry you had a bad experience with the staff. We have sailed with Vantage twice and been very happy. We were late leaving Dulles, and missed our connection to Budapest. We got on the next flight, and called ahead to the ship to give them our new flight number and proposed ETA. When we arrived at the Budapest Airport, one of the tour directors was waiting for us and took us to the ship by taxi.

The story of both our trips is on our website http://www.stevekathytravels.

[shoshona2]

Hi Windy56,

 

We took our first river cruise in July from Basel to Amsterdam and it was wonderful! There are other companies out there which you should check out before you book another river cruise. Did you report the negatives to the Uniworld when you returned?

 

Sheila

[Windy56]

Hi Windy56,

 

We took our first river cruise in July from Basel to Amsterdam and it was wonderful! There are other companies out there which you should check out before you book another river cruise. Did you report the negatives to the Uniworld when you returned?

 

Sheila

That's the good thing, isn't it, that there are so many other choices. I just read the person's post where they were actually met by the cruise director who brought them out to the boat. WOW!

 

I've left that task with my husband - writing the letter to Uniworld. I think they need to know. You know, Sheila, it was the lack of any apology that really bugged me after all was said and done.

[Windy56]

I am so sorry you had a bad experience with the staff. We have sailed with Vantage twice and been very happy. We were late leaving Dulles, and missed our connection to Budapest. We got on the next flight, and called ahead to the ship to give them our new flight number and proposed ETA. When we arrived at the Budapest Airport, one of the tour directors was waiting for us and took us to the ship by taxi.

The story of both our trips is on our website www.stevekathytravels.

 

I've read your excellent travel blog, Steve. I consulted it when I was planning our trip. Looking at pictures of poor Kathy shivering resulted in me packing several tons of sweaters for this cruise!

[franski]

It is too bad that your experience was so inconsistent with Uniworld. We were on the River Queen before you, and had a much better experience. Our cruise manager was Ingrid - and she was very good. I am aware, however, that she was heading home to Amsterdam after the cruise following ours (we sailed on the 30th of November.) The hotel manager was Mario - and we found that he was very responsive to any questions or concerns --> so either the hotel manager also changed, or he had an abrupt change in approach.

 

Someone on our cruise ended up taking a taxi back to the boat from the downtown area when we were in Strasbourg - and was given incorrect docking information by someone on the front desk. When the purser (Tanya) found out, they reimbursed her for the cost of the taxi. I thought it was quite a classy move, actually. They should have done the same for you when you ended up at the wrong spot.

 

I agree with the comment re: the closet - and did post the same in our review. We also found the wait staff a bit inconsistent - but felt there were more "good" than "lacking" on our sailing. At least we felt there were enough staff around - unlike our last cruise (with AMA) when the numbers were so low that the hotel manager was manning the omelet station most mornings.

 

I wonder if travelling over Christmas affected the staffing on your sailing?? That being said, if it is too difficult to keep a boat staffed if you sail over Christmas, then don't offer that as an option.

 

Reading your review really brought home how important the cruise manager is. On our 3 cruises to date,we have had outstanding (Uniworld), very good (Uniworld) and "could be better" (AMA). Too bad there isn't any way to know who the cruise manager is before you go. At least you can tip accordingly (unlike the large ships) so your comments can be left in a format that universally understood.

 

I do agree about the apology. That is a small gesture to make. We really like Uniworld - and would go back with them again - but I would think twice if we has the same experience you had.

 

Our next cruise is with Scenic (price was so good we couldn't turn it down...) Scenic has taken some hits here over the last year or so - so am not sure if there will be issues. But - we booked because the price was so good, and won't be terribly upset if there are some glitches. I would be upset, however, if I paid top dollar - only to experience some of the challenges that you described.

 

Living in Canada we don't have quite the same options for river cruising as our neighbours south of the border. Even though our dollar is currently at par, many of the "incentives" include air fare - but only from a US gateway.

 

Nice to hear that this hasn't turned you off completely. Let us know if you get a response from Uniworld.

 

Fran

[Barrheadlass]

My husband and I sailed Amsterdam to Basel on the River Queen earlier in the fall. Also enjoyed the terrific service of bartender Gabor, and Hotel Manager Mario. Never had any issues with wait staff, either...Irma was terrific! We never experienced any of the issues you mention, which certainly would have unsettled me as well. We were very, very pleased with Uniworld and would highly recommend it. I, too,hope you write a very inclusive letter to the company.

[Windy56]

It is too bad that your experience was so inconsistent with Uniworld. We were on the River Queen before you, and had a much better experience. Our cruise manager was Ingrid - and she was very good. I am aware, however, that she was heading home to Amsterdam after the cruise following ours (we sailed on the 30th of November.) The hotel manager was Mario - and we found that he was very responsive to any questions or concerns --> so either the hotel manager also changed, or he had an abrupt change in approach.

 

 

 

Someone on our cruise ended up taking a taxi back to the boat from the downtown area when we were in Strasbourg - and was given incorrect docking information by someone on the front desk. When the purser (Tanya) found out, they reimbursed her for the cost of the taxi. I thought it was quite a classy move, actually. They should have done the same for you when you ended up at the wrong spot.

 

I agree with the comment re: the closet - and did post the same in our review. We also found the wait staff a bit inconsistent - but felt there were more "good" than "lacking" on our sailing. At least we felt there were enough staff around - unlike our last cruise (with AMA) when the numbers were so low that the hotel manager was manning the omelet station most mornings.

 

I wonder if travelling over Christmas affected the staffing on your sailing?? That being said, if it is too difficult to keep a boat staffed if you sail over Christmas, then don't offer that as an option.

 

Reading your review really brought home how important the cruise manager is. On our 3 cruises to date,we have had outstanding (Uniworld), very good (Uniworld) and "could be better" (AMA). Too bad there isn't any way to know who the cruise manager is before you go. At least you can tip accordingly (unlike the large ships) so your comments can be left in a format that universally understood.

 

I do agree about the apology. That is a small gesture to make. We really like Uniworld - and would go back with them again - but I would think twice if we has the same experience you had.

 

Our next cruise is with Scenic (price was so good we couldn't turn it down...) Scenic has taken some hits here over the last year or so - so am not sure if there will be issues. But - we booked because the price was so good, and won't be terribly upset if there are some glitches. I would be upset, however, if I paid top dollar - only to experience some of the challenges that you described.

 

Living in Canada we don't have quite the same options for river cruising as our neighbours south of the border. Even though our dollar is currently at par, many of the "incentives" include air fare - but only from a US gateway.

 

Nice to hear that this hasn't turned you off completely. Let us know if you get a response from Uniworld.

 

Fran

 

Thanks for your response, Fran. We sure didn't imagine the weather issues we would be facing when we booked our trips, last year, did we?

 

My take on Mario was that he just wasn't sharp enough to handle the volume of concerns that faced him on this particular cruise. Issues regarding lost luggage and delayed arrivals he seemed to hand over to the cruise director, for example. We just didn't see how that would be the cruise director's job, a man who had difficulty securing cabs for people and who lost them to other passengers from neighbouring river boats. Mario would be a most pleasant manager when faced with the normal challenge of a normal cruise but this wasn't a normal cruise. People were waiting three or four days for family members to catch up with the ship. Lots of people didn't get their luggage and one poor soul was without her belongings for the entire cruise. (I actually ended up lending some clothing to a passenger.) Put me in Mario's position and I'd be in a corner in the fetal position. However, and it's a big however, his job is to solve problems in any set of circumstances and this is where you separate a competent manager from an incompetent one. The engineer joined Mario in our cabin to examine the shower and Mario was actually intimidated by him. It was surreal. As we ran the sink faucet with cold water streaming out of the tap to prove that it wasn't a shower faucet malfunction, the engineer kept shaking his head and repeating, "This cannot happen." Mario looked scared of the engineer. We learned that day, that the Category 1 cabin next to us was empty during the whole cruise. The obvious solution would have been to offer to move us on the second day that we were without hot water. No solution. No apology. It was a fiasco.

 

I think you really know just how professional an operation is when it is faced with unusual challenges. There were so many late arrivals to Basel that Uniworld should have retained its shuttle and met their very weary travellers at the airport upon their announced late arrivals or sent a crew member and arrange for a cab. None of this was done. Combine that with being given the wrong docking address and our arrival to an empty reception area and you are already off to unprofessional start. After the challenging day of travel that we had just experienced, we should not be in the position of calling out to someone to greet us, upon arrival.

 

I wish we would have had your cruise director. Did you know that this position, unlike cruise ships, is a short term contract, sometimes only for two weeks, on river boats? I think it makes a huge difference. You get to know who your really effective directors are when, in the cruise ship industry, you get repeat passengers on cruises who do so in order to enjoy the cruise director as much as the ports of call. It'a a niche job market calling for a very specialized skill set. Uniworld is not unlike other river boat companies in that their directors supplement their incomes by doing quite a bit of private guide work and a lot of land based guide work during off season time. Being fun loving is a start but a good cruise director has to demonstrate poise in tricky situations. He or she has to be able to pull out a number of solutions to a problem when it arises and they have to be attentive to all passengers not just those whose age bracket or personality might be more appealing. An older woman travelling solo, and whose personality might be categorized as slightly eccentric, was shunned by our cruise director on more than one occasion and I felt really bad for her. Like Mario, the cruise director seemed unable to keep more than a couple of balls up in the air at any one time. He was obsessed with playing Santa Claus on Christmas Eve to the exclusion of providing clear directions to the passengers who wanted to attend Midnight Mass at St. Peter's in Mainz. Several passengers got lost, wandering about in the city which was empty of people at that hour. He didn't do his homework and I doubt he had ever been to this church when he described an hour long choir performance when in fact it was an amazing organ recital and a cold dank cathedral when in fact it was a cozy warm rococco inspired building.

 

Ok, I confess, I am now on a rambling rant but it is just so disappointing to recall how poorly these two men performed in their respective roles. Despite all of this, the towns, the people, the food, the cathedrals, the castles and the scenery were amazing. The icing on the cake was an extended five nights in Paris which will be unforgettable. I consumed my weight in macarons! Where are you going on your next cruise, Fran?

[Windy56]

My husband and I sailed Amsterdam to Basel on the River Queen earlier in the fall. Also enjoyed the terrific service of bartender Gabor, and Hotel Manager Mario. Never had any issues with wait staff, either...Irma was terrific! We never experienced any of the issues you mention, which certainly would have unsettled me as well. We were very, very pleased with Uniworld and would highly recommend it. I, too,hope you write a very inclusive letter to the company.

 

I am wondering if Irma was the only female member of the wait staff. She was really, really good at her job and I made a point to tell her so.

 

We will be writing a letter to Uniworld about our concerns and we'll be sure to report back if and when we get a response.

[caviargal]

Thanks for taking the time to post a detailed review. It is always helpful to read both the positives and negatives.

 

Individual experiences can differ dramatically on the same vessel from cruise to cruise and even person to person. It is unfortunate that you experienced the problems you did - I cannot even imagine being without hot water for days and in the cold of winter!

 

We were on a Christmas Market cruise that departed Frankfurt on 11-30, the day the big storm started. Our CD (Hans on Avalon's Luminary) did an outstanding job of keeping track of those who missed the boat and making sure they arrived at the ship when they were able to the port where they could embark. I had two sets of missing passengers and he stayed in touch with me and kept me appraised of their progress, then tracked me down when they finally did get aboard. Others did not meet the ship until one or two days after departure, due to the mess at the airports.

 

One day we had to pull out early because of the heavy snowfall. We were in Regensburg and our departure time was moved up from 11:30pm to 10pm based on the concern about water levels. As the day went on and the snows continued, we ended up leaving at 4pm and there was no way to contact the passengers who were in town with no idea we were leaving.

 

I remember sailing out of port and seeing Hans standing in the parking lot adjacent to where we had docked with the snow falling all around him and wind whipping his coat all about. He had stayed in port to collect the passengers personally and had a bus waiting for them.

 

When he had them all gathered later that evening, he took them to dinner and then they boarded another vessel, meeting up with ours at 10:30 pm on the river, where they managed to tie the boats together, connect them with a gangplank and transfer them onto the Luminary. It was quite a sight!

 

That kind of attention to detail in the face of a challenge was impressive.

[Windy56]

Thanks for taking the time to post a detailed review. It is always helpful to read both the positives and negatives.

 

Individual experiences can differ dramatically on the same vessel from cruise to cruise and even person to person. It is unfortunate that you experienced the problems you did - I cannot even imagine being without hot water for days and in the cold of winter!

 

We were on a Christmas Market cruise that departed Frankfurt on 11-30, the day the big storm started. Our CD (Hans on Avalon's Luminary) did an outstanding job of keeping track of those who missed the boat and making sure they arrived at the ship when they were able to the port where they could embark. I had two sets of missing passengers and he stayed in touch with me and kept me appraised of their progress, then tracked me down when they finally did get aboard. Others did not meet the ship until one or two days after departure, due to the mess at the airports.

 

One day we had to pull out early because of the heavy snowfall. We were in Regensburg and our departure time was moved up from 11:30pm to 10pm based on the concern about water levels. As the day went on and the snows continued, we ended up leaving at 4pm and there was no way to contact the passengers who were in town with no idea we were leaving.

 

I remember sailing out of port and seeing Hans standing in the parking lot adjacent to where we had docked with the snow falling all around him and wind whipping his coat all about. He had stayed in port to collect the passengers personally and had a bus waiting for them.

 

When he had them all gathered later that evening, he took them to dinner and then they boarded another vessel, meeting up with ours at 10:30 pm on the river, where they managed to tie the boats together, connect them with a gangplank and transfer them onto the Luminary. It was quite a sight!

 

That kind of attention to detail in the face of a challenge was impressive.

 

If the boat had to leave earlier and passengers were still in town, he would have no choice but to wait for them. Taking them out to eat would be a given, too but I guess it is the style in which all of this is done, that makes the difference. It sounds like the management of this vessel was proactive and on the ball, so to speak. I have heard good things about Avalon and will check them out.

 

Did you read the recent thread about a couple's cruise in Egypt. He complained about one of the boats they were on and a representative of the company posted immediately, with a link, to gather further details from him about his concern. I was impressed.

 

I am curious to know how Uniworld will respond when we send them a letter about our concerns with our recent cruise. I have a strong feeling, it will be a tepid response, at best.

[franski]

Ingrid (CM on our sailing) was always on top of things. When we arrived in Rudesheim, it was discovered that the "train" that runs through the town was stopped due to the snow - so she got on the phone and arranged a number of taxis to take us to the Rudesheimer dinner. It wasn't that far - but she didn't want to take a chance that some could not make it. We could take a taxi back - or walk... our choice.

 

On our 1st Uniworld cruise, Christian was our CM --> and he was amazing. Booked some last minute excursions for those who were interested. One involved taking over 100 passengers on the metro, then for an evening cruise on the Seine --> very inexpensive, but a great time. He arranged taxis for those with mobility issues on the way back - and the rest of us rode the metro again. One man did not get on the train before the doors closed, and Chris spent a number of hours tracking him down. He did find him.

 

I agree that most (if not all) companies can cope when things go well. It is how they cope when things *don't* go well that separates the wheat from the chaff (or so my Grandfather would say...:D )

 

We are doing a Tulip time cruise - leaving April 4th. Hadn't really planned on doing another cruise so soon - but couldn't resist the price. We have found that we are quite happy with the lowest category cabin - and the cost savings allows us to travel a bit more often. We had booked on the April 11th sailing - but Scenic contacted our TA to say there was a booking conflict with the boat - and that they moved our reservation back one week. They offered to return our deposit if we wished. We looked closely at moving to another company as we had already booked our air. But - we did like the price, and like the way the itinerary is built -so decided to stay with Scenic. This just left the rebooking charges for our flights. We booked on our own - so Scenic was not obligated to do anything. However, they paid the $250 pp penalty for changing our flights. That was very generous of them - and certainly impressed us.

 

There has been much posted here about the "right" time to cruise to see the Tulips. It has been suggested that early April is too early. But - that is when we are going. I am prepared for cool/rainy weather and limited tulips - and will be pleased if we get some sun and any spring flowers at the Keukenhof. I will be posting when we return.

 

I will be interested to know what type of response you get from Uniworld. I know that people from Viking read these threads --> so perhaps someone from Uniworld will as well. The river cruise niche is VERY competitive right now - and the companies need to make sure that they don't lose repeat business over something such as customer service.

 

Also - I do talk a lot with friends/neighbours re: our experiences. And tell many people to look at this site. If they are considering doing a cruise - and are unsure of which company to go with - the customer service (or lack of, in your case) could well be the deciding factor.

[Tallassie]

I have not written up a review of my recent Uniworld cruise--I disembarked on December 21st in Basel, so I was on the cruise immediately before yours. My previous river cruise experience had been with Viking, which was OK, but I had a wonderful experience on Uniworld.

 

I agree that the cabin storage was somewhat limiting. Being without my luggage for the first 2 1/2 days however, I was just grateful to have something to put in the closet :)! And the Director gave me regular updates as he dealt with the airlines trying to get my luggage to me. I felt like he went way beyond to provide good service.

 

He also came out at the beginning of each tour group and had everyone test their sound boxes to be sure they were in good working order. Once mine did not work and he had it changed out right away. Perhaps they had no working spares left when you had your problem.

 

Gabor was my favorite staff member of the entire crusie! He was always friendly and, yes, remembered my drink request as well.

 

I'm sorry you had the hot water problem. That would have driven me nuts!

 

I would hope that you receive an appropriate response from the Uniworld management. I thought that this line was much more responsive in every way than was Viking.

 

Tallassie

[fred111]

My wife and I have travelled with Uniworld several times and are extremely please with the company. We have found the company headquarters easy to deal with and very accomodating. As an example. Just weeks prior to a Christmas Market Cruise, the travel agency we used went belly up. They shut the doors, turned off the phones and didn't answer emails. We had not yet received our cruise documents, etc. and didn't know our status. After a call to Uniworld with an explanation, they squared everything away in a matter of minutes. Since we were leaving on a pre-cruise, they FedEx'ed our packet overnight. They even called to make sure that we received it.

 

We couldn't be happier with their service. I would be surprised if you didn't hear from them soon.

 

P.S. We have 3 more cruises scheduled with them.

[4774Papa]

I am so sorry you had a bad experience with the staff. We have sailed with Vantage twice and been very happy. We were late leaving Dulles, and missed our connection to Budapest. We got on the next flight, and called ahead to the ship to give them our new flight number and proposed ETA. When we arrived at the Budapest Airport, one of the tour directors was waiting for us and took us to the ship by taxi.

The story of both our trips is on our website www.stevekathytravels.

 

SJGOCH, We have booked the Russian River cruise with Vantage including the pre and post trips to Kiev and the Baltics. Vantage seems to put on a good trip. We will be on a 24 day trip and will probably need to have some laundry done. Do you remember if they offer that service and what are costs?

[Windy56]

I have not written up a review of my recent Uniworld cruise--I disembarked on December 21st in Basel, so I was on the cruise immediately before yours. My previous river cruise experience had been with Viking, which was OK, but I had a wonderful experience on Uniworld.

 

I agree that the cabin storage was somewhat limiting. Being without my luggage for the first 2 1/2 days however, I was just grateful to have something to put in the closet :)! And the Director gave me regular updates as he dealt with the airlines trying to get my luggage to me. I felt like he went way beyond to provide good service.

 

He also came out at the beginning of each tour group and had everyone test their sound boxes to be sure they were in good working order. Once mine did not work and he had it changed out right away. Perhaps they had no working spares left when you had your problem.

 

Gabor was my favorite staff member of the entire crusie! He was always friendly and, yes, remembered my drink request as well.

 

I'm sorry you had the hot water problem. That would have driven me nuts!

 

I would hope that you receive an appropriate response from the Uniworld management. I thought that this line was much more responsive in every way than was Viking.

 

Tallassie

 

I am assuming we had the same cruise director. He never tested the voxboxes on any of the tours and this would, of course, have solved the problem. The thing that really disturbed me was the lack of apology when things went wrong, including the absence of a voxbox for the whole day as well as the cold water for three days. I still can't really believe it. We are in the last stages of drafting our letter and will be sure to report back but given the competition out there, I'm afraid that Uniworld has lost my business.

 

Management would do well to hold Gabor as an example of how service should be delivered. I encountered either indifferent or surly service on more than one occasion involving more than one or two crew members and that's one or two crew members too many for me.

[Windy56]

My wife and I have travelled with Uniworld several times and are extremely please with the company. We have found the company headquarters easy to deal with and very accomodating. As an example. Just weeks prior to a Christmas Market Cruise, the travel agency we used went belly up. They shut the doors, turned off the phones and didn't answer emails. We had not yet received our cruise documents, etc. and didn't know our status. After a call to Uniworld with an explanation, they squared everything away in a matter of minutes. Since we were leaving on a pre-cruise, they FedEx'ed our packet overnight. They even called to make sure that we received it.

 

 

 

We couldn't be happier with their service. I would be surprised if you didn't hear from them soon.

 

P.S. We have 3 more cruises scheduled with them.

 

But Fred, this is the same company that gave us two different addresses to their docking site in Basel. It's also one of their ships that left their reception area unattended on a night when they were expecting late arrivals from delayed international flights. There was nobody to meet us at the airport and nobody to meet us when we boarded the boat, hauling our own luggage up an icy ramp and over the gangplank and nobody to greet us when we called out in an empty foyer. And again, this is the same company whose hotel manager argued with us about the availaibilty of hot water in our cabin as we ran it cold in front of his very own eyes. I found the level of service lacking on so very many levels. Don't get me wrong. Things will go wrong when you travel. People will make mistakes, glitches will be encountered and things will not always work properly. It is how these matters are handled that is decisive factor in determining my repeat business and Uniworld failed miserably.

[fred111]

I can't speak to your experience, only ours. We have never had the problems you cited. We have always been happy with the staff and service and have never been in a situation where an apology was necessary.

 

I would be surprised if Uniworld personnel were not reading your comments since I understand most of the cruise lines do.

[H2Otstr]

Windy 56, I think the situations that you encountered are all terrible, but they are not the norm. We have been on Viking, Uniworld, AMAwaterways, Gate 1 and Grand Circle trips and only had minor incidences, nothing to the extend that you encountered.

 

The worst CD that we encountered was on Uniworld, but it didn't ruin our trip. We have never had to lift a suitcase once we were picked up from the airport on any of the lines that we have traveled.

 

I hope your letter is taken seriously, the things that were wrong with your trip are corrected and that you are offered some kind of apology letter.

 

Fortunately there are many other cruise lines that you can travel with in the future.

[Windy56]

I can't speak to your experience, only ours. We have never had the problems you cited. We have always been happy with the staff and service and have never been in a situation where an apology was necessary.

 

I would be surprised if Uniworld personnel were not reading your comments since I understand most of the cruise lines do.

 

Up until this experience, we were always happy with service on a cruise, as well. Honestly, my hunch is that Uniworld's response will be tepid. I hope I am wrong.

[Windy56]

Windy 56, I think the situations that you encountered are all terrible, but they are not the norm. We have been on Viking, Uniworld, AMAwaterways, Gate 1 and Grand Circle trips and only had minor incidences, nothing to the extend that you encountered.

 

The worst CD that we encountered was on Uniworld, but it didn't ruin our trip. We have never had to lift a suitcase once we were picked up from the airport on any of the lines that we have traveled.

 

I hope your letter is taken seriously, the things that were wrong with your trip are corrected and that you are offered some kind of apology letter.

 

Fortunately there are many other cruise lines that you can travel with in the future.

 

Thanks H2O. Maybe we had the same cruise director or maybe there are two really bad ones out there employed by Uniworld...;) Your assessment of what we encountered as "not the norm", however, is small consolation.

 

I'm sure you read my whole review and understand that the poor level of service on this ship, that we experienced, did not ruin our trip. We were pleased with many aspects of this cruise and have brought home wonderful memories and about 1500 pictures that we are in the process of culling!

 

You're right in noting that we, as consumers, are in the driver's seat and there are so many lines from which to choose. We are also fortunate to have this forum to share our experiences and help others make informed decisions. I am one of those posters who take the negative commentary on here more seriously than the positive. I read with a critical eye and filter out those I think might have an axe to grind or those I feel might have unreasonable expectations. Had I read a review, like my own, before making a decision about which cruise line to go with, I would have had serious reservations about Uniworld because they failed in three areas - dining room service, cruise director service and hotel management service and the expectations described in these areas were far from unreasonable.

 

Will it turn me off of river cruising? I doubt it. Will it turn me off Uniworld? I'm certain of it.

[nordski]

Up until this experience, we were always happy with service on a cruise, as well. Honestly, my hunch is that Uniworld's response will be tepid. I hope I am wrong.

I would be optimistic that they may respond in a more proactive way.

 

Two autumns ago we were on a Uniworld cruise that, for us, created some issues that were distractions from our normal enjoyment of cruises. We wrote a detailed letter suggesting changes in procedures/policies that might help avoid those issues and we did receive a prompt and largely thoughtful response.

 

I'm hopeful that they will respond to your concerns in a satisfactory manner. Regardless, as others stated there is lots of competition for your business.

[franski]

Windy56 - I certainly understand your rationale. CM, dining room service and hotel service would certainly make me carefully review my choice of carrier for our next cruise.

 

We have had 2 experiences now with Uniworld. CM great on both, hotel services no issue on either - dining room not as good this time as it was before. But - not enough to turn us away.

 

We had a few more issues with our AMA cruise. Specifically, our CM was OK (not memorable...) - and the dining room service was spotty. Met some great people on the cruise, however, and the overall experience left me feeling that I would cruise again with AMA if the time was right. Of interest, when we were looking at a Tulip Time cruise with someone other than Scenic (when they changed our date..) - AMA did not offer any past passenger discount. Uniworld offered $100/pp, and Avalon has an early booking discount that was significant even though we have never travelled with them.

 

Will be following this thread closely. I am now very interested to see what Uniworld's response is to your letter.

[Talisker92]

SJGOCH, We have booked the Russian River cruise with Vantage including the pre and post trips to Kiev and the Baltics. Vantage seems to put on a good trip. We will be on a 24 day trip and will probably need to have some laundry done. Do you remember if they offer that service and what are costs?

 

I am sorry, I do not-may I suggest you call Vantage's customer service line and ask them. We sort of cheated-as soon as we got on the Star Princess we had a sea day and did 4 loads of laundry

[Maggie Mae]

I have a question about the River Queen - does the laundry room have both a washer & dryer, or just a washer?

Thank you