Viking vs. Uniworld

[jpalbny]

There is something that I didn't see mentioned that is different between the two. Decor. The decor on Uniworld is unique. Look at the photographs very carefully.Some folks appreciate Uniworld's decor and others do not.

 

Uniworld, no doubt provide a wonderful cruise, but I could not travel with the decor. It is just so 'over the top' I would be very uncomfortable.

 

We have heard these varying opinions before, and we wondered about the décor before our trip a few weeks ago. It definitely seems to generate strong opinions! We honestly didn't know what we'd think, and how we'd react, as we're not usually into fancy décor. It was a complete non-issue!

 

We didn't find it at all over the top, and it never made us uncomfortable. I thought it made the ship quite cozy, comfortable, and really quite nice. We don't want to decorate our house in this style, but it sure was fun to live in a place that reminded us of a French chateau for a week. We didn't take too many pictures of the ship but I'll eventually get some posted with the review I'm doing.

 

The only place where it was an issue for us is in the stateroom - it was a small space, and the décor seemed a little too big for the size of the room. However, they use mirrors creatively in the staterooms, to make the space look bigger, so it's a very minor point.

 

Our personal opinion, then, is that the décor in no way detracts from the cruise. On the contrary, we think it complements the rest of the onboard experience, which is quite luxurious; it also matches the style that you see in the region of Alsace-Lorraine. I'd be very happy to sail on SS Antoinette again.

 

And if you don't like it, nothing wrong with that either. It's all good - and it's great to have so many wonderful choices!

[DrivesLikeMario]

I'm sorry to disagree but if you call what you do scientific then we have a serious different opinion of the definition of "scientific". Based on your "scientific approach" no other cruise company can ever be judged better than Viking. I'm so glad I don't pay attention to your decisions.

 

I agree - the Members' Award is not scientific. The other award is purely based on a small, select group and their opinions and experience.

 

Both awards are interesting but biased. They still have some value but as a potential cruiser, I wouldn't put a lot of energy into living by them or the other awards that plague TAs begging for votes. JMHO.

[Ozjohnno]

Ozjohnno: The Members' award is scientific, as I said, based solely on the ratings you all give in your own cruise reviews.

 

Carolyn

 

How scientific can it be if 75% of all reviews are from a Viking experience no matter how good or bad the review is. I still think you need to revise your "scientific" approach. Bigger is not necessarily better.

[joanne2]

If some rate Viking a 5 in a category and others rate it 2, it gets averaged . Same for the other cruise lines. If it's based on the averaged ratings, what does it matter how many reviews are for Viking vs how many for your favorite? Surely the people who hate their cruise are as anxious to give a bad rating as those who enjoyed and want to give a good rating.

[Ozjohnno]

If some rate Viking a 5 in a category and others rate it 2, it gets averaged . Same for the other cruise lines. If it's based on the averaged ratings, what does it matter how many reviews are for Viking vs how many for your favorite? Surely the people who hate their cruise are as anxious to give a bad rating as those who enjoyed and want to give a good rating.

 

I'm sure one of us is missing something but from what I read it's an unbalanced theory. It's weighted towards only one company no matter how many stars they rate. Looking at it another way if you asked 100 people about a political question knowing that 75% of them were registered to the same party then the result would be a foregone conclusion because the group is not balanced and weighted in one direction and to me that's not scientific. Like I said before I don't pay any attention to these type of polls but I do object to them being stated as being scientific when around 65-75% of posters on this board only post about one company - Viking.

[Los_Pepes]

We just got back from sailing the River Beatrice last week. I must say that whenever we tied up to Viking ship, the Viking passengers spent an inordinate amount of time amiring the Beatrice and asking for tours of the ship. On the other hand the Viking boats looked like they robbed a series of Ikeas to decorate them. They looked cheap and seemed to be a cattle car on the river.

 

Just my $.02

[fred111]

Ozjohnno and DrivesLikeMario are absolutely correct. This is not "scientific" in any way. It is merely the averaging of a limited number of opinions written by the limited number of river cruisers who happen to be on Cruise Critic. At best the results are anecdotal.

 

That said, I do enjoy reading the member reviews because they give me good ideas for future trips.

[goose30]

But, but, but Viking offers two for one pricing!

[jc foster]

But, but, but Viking offers two for one pricing!

Ahh yes, and FREE AIR and according to posts on this forum this past May during the flooding there were many folks who would have loved to use that FREE AIR for a quick exit of the ship and a return back home.

[nordski]

If some rate Viking a 5 in a category and others rate it 2, it gets averaged . Same for the other cruise lines. If it's based on the averaged ratings, what does it matter how many reviews are for Viking vs how many for your favorite? Surely the people who hate their cruise are as anxious to give a bad rating as those who enjoyed and want to give a good rating.

 

I agree.

 

Perhaps a problem is the use of the term "ranking". As I understand, CC is using member reviews and thus the assessment of the experience on a particular cruise and its provider, not a "ranking" versus other cruise lines.

 

It seems that each set of rankings is arrived at discretely within the bounds of those who rate that particular cruise. Thus, in effect, if the complaints are correct that a large number of posters here assess Viking, then that simply increases the size of that sample and thus that assessment's validity.

 

It's hard to see how that affects the assessment of other lines.

 

In fact, the results for other lines may suffer from a small sample size.

 

Whether or not one should put much faith in such "rankings" is a separate issue and I personally wouldn't. However, interestingly, on the forums, sometimes the discussion is dominated by posters with a particular axe to grind or an absence of first hand experience, and their position becomes the "common wisdom" here.

 

So, without knowing the bias of the poster(s) I may not put much faith in that assessment either.

[jacksonnh]

There was a statement on the thread that "Viking's cabins are mostly 135sf" when in fact on their longships 50% are 205sf and above. The 135sf cabins account for less than one quarter of the rooms.

[sanibel]

We did a Uniworld cruise last year and just returned from an Avalon cruise.

 

We didn't feel there was comparable service, food, or excursions between the lines. There are many differences, some subtle and some not so. At the end of the week those variations add up.

Avalon may be a nice cruise line but we won't return to them and won't recommend them to friends.

 

Just our personal opinion,

[pacmom]

Have been reading this thread and think all these awards are subjective.

 

My idea of a lovely room is not everybody's. Food is very subjective as are the caliber of guides, crowding of ships, travel to sites, etc. Two people on the same cruise in same style cabin, eating the exact same menus can write totally different reviews.

 

I for one pay no attention to the ratings and awards--read the reviews for the content and file it away for a future trip.

 

He who has the most toys usually wins by sheer volume. Hope I haven't started a firestorm. Pat

[jiminyC_fan]

Have been reading this thread and think all these awards are subjective.

 

My idea of a lovely room is not everybody's. Food is very subjective as are the caliber of guides, crowding of ships, travel to sites, etc. Two people on the same cruise in same style cabin, eating the exact same menus can write totally different reviews.

 

I for one pay no attention to the ratings and awards--read the reviews for the content and file it away for a future trip.

 

 

I haven't posted because it clearly states by the OP that he wants people who have cruised with both. I haven't so I stayed silent. But I agree with you. It is all very subjective. I think each line has their own cheerleaders and would find the best in their favorite and the worst of the opposing line. It seems there are others that just can't possibly understand why others prefer Viking. It makes them look bad by continually bashing. Everyone has choices and I'm happy for those that like other lines. By comparing the decor to IKEA is crazy. Then the other comment about Viking cruisers checking out their ship. Please, both ships were doing that. Just human nature to be curious.

Edited April 21, 2014 by jiminyC_fan

[pacmom]

Have been on both lines and Uniworld wins hands down for us. This was before U went all-included. Will say that Viking China is the jewel in their river fleet, but have not sailed a longboat and have no desire to. Can't fathom why the French balcony is so much smaller than the "aquarium" level. Sailed on ine Viking that was 200 pax and found it crowded. Aren't we fortunate to have so many choices. Pat

[NC Garden Traveler]

Hi, seabreezer. Try this one: http://view.email.cruisecritic.com/?j=fe9115727366007572&m=fe911570736003797d&ls=fe201077736d0175741073&l=ff5913777d&s=fe4f1d79736502757111&jb=ff971272&ju=fe5e15727d66007e7212&et_cid=1262487&et_rid=99616845&r=0

 

We're working to convert it to a regular story on the site :)

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn,

 

Thanks for providing a link to CC's river cruise summary. I think you have done a good job capturing a sense of what the various lines offer. Getting back to the OP's orginal question of Uniworld vs. Viking, I think your summary is quite useful. Some folks travel to sight see and are happy on a ship with Scandanavian decor, while others want to be pampered with plusher, more elegant French decor.

 

We generally choose our travel based on itinerary, and enjoy Oceania for ocean cruises. As noted in your summary, we would probably also enjoy river cruising with AMA. However, we have only done three river cruises spaced over the past 12 years, with two on Viking and one on Avalon. We enjoyed all three, but would note that the river cruise industry has changed significantly over that time period. Clearly, river ships that were built in 1990 are very different than those being built today. Too often, people form an opinion about what is good vs. bad (or good vs. best) based on a single experience at a specific time and location. My impression based on our travels (and from talking to others) is that generalizations are difficult.

 

However, I do believe that companies that expand rapidly go through 'growing pains.' Some of the negative posts that I read on CC about Viking are a reflection that it is building an amazing number of new ships that are staffed by new hires. Oceania had similar problems when they doubled in size when Marina and Riviera were launched. Rapdily growing companies need to work hard to maintain consistency of their products.

 

I appreciate the efforts that CC makes to help consumers make informed decisions about their cruising options. Ultimately, however, happiness and satisfaction depend on the preferences and attitudes of the consumer.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Thanks, NC Garden Traveler, for sharing your insights. And PacMom (Pat), I love this line, and you make a great point: "Aren't we fortunate to have so many choices."

 

We absolutely are!

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn,

 

Thanks for providing a link to CC's river cruise summary. I think you have done a good job capturing a sense of what the various lines offer. Getting back to the OP's orginal question of Uniworld vs. Viking, I think your summary is quite useful. Some folks travel to sight see and are happy on a ship with Scandanavian decor, while others want to be pampered with plusher, more elegant French decor.

 

We generally choose our travel based on itinerary, and enjoy Oceania for ocean cruises. As noted in your summary, we would probably also enjoy river cruising with AMA. However, we have only done three river cruises spaced over the past 12 years, with two on Viking and one on Avalon. We enjoyed all three, but would note that the river cruise industry has changed significantly over that time period. Clearly, river ships that were built in 1990 are very different than those being built today. Too often, people form an opinion about what is good vs. bad (or good vs. best) based on a single experience at a specific time and location. My impression based on our travels (and from talking to others) is that generalizations are difficult.

 

However, I do believe that companies that expand rapidly go through 'growing pains.' Some of the negative posts that I read on CC about Viking are a reflection that it is building an amazing number of new ships that are staffed by new hires. Oceania had similar problems when they doubled in size when Marina and Riviera were launched. Rapdily growing companies need to work hard to maintain consistency of their products.

 

I appreciate the efforts that CC makes to help consumers make informed decisions about their cruising options. Ultimately, however, happiness and satisfaction depend on the preferences and attitudes of the consumer.

[remydiva]

You won't find many who have cruised both these lines, since Uniworld is considered to be in the top luxury group while Viking is near the bottom. People are more likely to cross-shop Uniworld with Tauck, AMA and Avalon.

 

Done both...Uniworld hands down better.

[cruiserdt]

Great.. we booked a river cruise with Viking... what makes this cruiseline "near the bottom" ... It sure looked nice on their website and commercials...

 

anything I need to be aware of ???

Viking = Royal Caribbean and Uniworld = Regent 7 Seas. Very subjective. Both are good but Uniworld is truly all-inclusive. It's a big step above - and you pay for it!