luxury river cruising

[Ozjohnno]

That's rather a mean-spirited reply. For one thing, my posting makes perfectly clear that "luxurious" is not really what we're looking for. I wonder why such gratuitous nastiness.

 

And, yes, I have read numerous times (by people who otherwise like Tauck very much) that land accommodations are often a big disappointment, that they are allotted completely unappealing "standard" rooms in an otherwise lovely hotel.

 

Sorry if my reply got up your nose but you keep repeating your reports of inferior Tauck rooms but without proof. Show me where these many, many reports are. I've been there as I stated and I think your information is wrong, plainly wrong and I repeat if a hotel room is what you base your cruise holiday expectations on then you're looking at the wrong type of holiday.

[nana541]

That's rather a mean-spirited reply. For one thing, my posting makes perfectly clear that "luxurious" is not really what we're looking for. I wonder why such gratuitous nastiness.

 

 

 

And, yes, I have read numerous times (by people who otherwise like Tauck very much) that land accommodations are often a big disappointment, that they are allotted completely unappealing "standard" rooms in an otherwise lovely hotel.

 

 

Boy am I confused I read and re-read that reply and can find nothing nasty at all.... Just a different experience and a first hand one at that!

 

 

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[caviargal]

<Décor is certainly subjective but SS Antoinette didn't bother us. I certainly wouldn't want my house to look like that >

 

:D:D Nor I.

 

< Though I usually agree with caviargal, and want to grow up like her some day, this is one point where our opinions differ ;)>

 

If I ever try Uniworld, I will pretend I am in a French chateau as you suggested. I like that idea!;)

Edited October 1, 2014 by caviargal

[freddie]

Nana - Many CC members who have been posting and reading posts on this board and on other CC boards (i.e. Regent, Silversea, etc.) have become quiet accustomed to certain posters making unreasonable demands for information or insight. This particular poster has become notorious for requesting precise measurements of the bed widths on various ships, as well as suggesting that the ship's crew should be responsible for the welfare of her DH while she takes excursions.

 

I would respectfully suggest that certain posters will never find a satisfactory answer to their questions, since they are not willing to accept any answer other than the one they wish to receive. Indeed, there may be a time to stop cruising, as no cruise experience, whether on an ocean-going cruise ship or a river boat, can possibly be the same as being on a chartered vessel.

 

This post is not intended to be either insulting or cruel; but it is reasonable to suggest that there are limits to which any provider of travel products should be willing to go to satisfy the very particular preferences of a very particular client.

Edited October 2, 2014 by freddie

[seabreezer]

 

We were pleased with the food and wine offerings on SS Antoinette this spring, on a similar route (Castles on the Rhine), and in fact we did think the comparison with Silversea was fairly accurate. I did notice that many if not all of the wine varietals were local, and some of those grapes are not as familiar (we know them from visiting the Finger Lakes in NY so much). For us that's a plus.

 

We do agree that a few of the tours were too slow (see my comments on Speyer and Marksberg, for example) but overall the quality was pretty good. We normally like to go off on our own and we had ample opportunity to do that which we enjoyed as well. I thought it was a good mix of guided and DIY, and we never felt like we had to stick around on the guided tours (we left Koblenz).

 

Knowing that Uniworld serves the local wines we were so looking forward to the Mosel and Alsatian wines as we seek them out at home and Alsatian Riesling fine herb in particular is my favorite white wine. So different wine style was not the issue and many people we dined with also noted the wines were not great and the food was just okay.

 

We also had free time scheduled into the tours and left several of the tours early where we could. We felt some of the guides were poor time managers and were not all that engaging. I was able to understand their english but I heard several people say they had trouble understanding the guides with stronger accents. 25 to 30 people on many of the tours seemed like a lot and could have contributed to the slow pace. I think we had about 10 days of tours and I considered 2 guides to be excellent, 2 very poor and the rest average.

 

One positive regarding this cruise is that my husband and I have identified several areas we'd like to return to.

[ewizabeff]

It's unfortunate that the food on your Uniworld cruise wasn't up to your standards. We were anxious about the food quality, but were very happy with what was served on the River Ambassador. It wasn't Michelin-star food, but it certainly would get 4/5 stars from any restaurant reviewer around us. We appreciated that they offered local specialties almost every night. We had no problems with the wine either.

 

One cruise may not represent the overall experience one should expect from a company.

[papa B me]

I also agree that our Uniworld experience was far superior to the previous post. We found the food to be outstanding, the service to be over the top, and the accommodations to be luxurious in every sense of the word. As JP stated(we cruised on the same ship) it isn't how we would decorate our home but it was fun for a week. We must have taken at least 10 tours with 8 of them standard and two optional and out of all the tours we only found one of them sub par. But as JP stated you don't have to stay with the tour if you don't want to. So about half way through we left the tour and went out on our own. Although this was our first river cruise we have been blessed to stay in many luxurious accommodations including Ritz Carlton's, Four Seasons, Sandals resorts in their butler suites, and we found Uniworld on par if not exceeding any of our travels as far as quality of experience. To the original OP, although I have never sailed with Tauck I have been reading review, following blogs, and scouring brochures for quite some time and I think you will be pleased with either Uniworld or Tauck

[cruiserfromalabama]

We went on a Tauck river cruise in August and felt that the hotel rooms that Tauck booked for us were great! We had four couples in our group and all the rooms were extremely nice and large(we are all very picky experienced travelers). I would not worry, because if you were not happy with the room-Tauck would make sure you were taken care of! We were very happy with the Swiss Emerald as well and felt like, even though we did not have a suite, that the room was very comfortable and roomy! Not large cruise ship roomy though! My main reason for loving Tauck was that I felt like the guides really took good care to see that everyone needs were met which really helps if you are an older traveler(we are not, but one couple with us was)!

[cruisecriticmember]

I also agree that our Uniworld experience was far superior to the previous post. We found the food to be outstanding, the service to be over the top, and the accommodations to be luxurious in every sense of the word. As JP stated(we cruised on the same ship) it isn't how we would decorate our home but it was fun for a week. We must have taken at least 10 tours with 8 of them standard and two optional and out of all the tours we only found one of them sub par. But as JP stated you don't have to stay with the tour if you don't want to. So about half way through we left the tour and went out on our own. Although this was our first river cruise we have been blessed to stay in many luxurious accommodations including Ritz Carlton's, Four Seasons, Sandals resorts in their butler suites, and we found Uniworld on par if not exceeding any of our travels as far as quality of experience. To the original OP, although I have never sailed with Tauck I have been reading review, following blogs, and scouring brochures for quite some time and I think you will be pleased with either Uniworld or Tauck

 

 

In your research how would you compare the prices Tauck vs. Uniworld? I agree about the decorating on Uniworld. The photos in the brochures make things look much gaudier than the impression you have actually being on the ship. The decor and art work really have been carefully planned and integrated to work well together. Plus the furniture and layout are very comfortable not just pretty.

Notice: I do Not work for Uniworld nor do I get a commission from them. I just am very pleased with my experiences on the Uniworld cruises I have taken.

[whatnot]

I agree with you on the Uniworld decor. I would not decorate my house to look like the Uniwporld decor, but if you are on a ship named after Marie Antoinette, why not spend a few days living in the lavish splendor of her era? It's sorta like going to a Disney theme park or staying at a theme hotel in Vegas. I like Uniwporld very much and the decor just adds to the adventure.

[cruisecriticmember]

I agree with you on the Uniworld decor. I would not decorate my house to look like the Uniwporld decor, but if you are on a ship named after Marie Antoinette, why not spend a few days living in the lavish splendor of her era? It's sorta like going to a Disney theme park or staying at a theme hotel in Vegas. I like Uniwporld very much and the decor just adds to the adventure.

 

I will be cruising on the yet to be launched SS Maria Theresa and am hoping it will be a little less gaudy than the Antoinette. However as the Schonbrun Palace was built to out-Versailles Versailles that may be wishful thinking!;)

[Host Jazzbeau]

I'm looking for something similar about ocean cruising. In large part I'm curious to see whether my feelings about Regent match what the comparison descriptions of other luxury liners suggest. In other words, I want to see how Regent is described (e.g. what kind of people it attracts, what hotel brand it's most like, etc.) I found that comparison "chart" on river cruises interesting (and take it with a grain of salt).

 

The best I can recommend is the book "Berlitz Cruising and Cruise Ships." The 2015 edition is just out. There is a chapter titled "Living in Luxury" with detailed descriptions of all the high-end ocean cruise lines. I don't know if it compares them to hotels, but it gives enough detail on various aspects that you should be able to form your own opinions.

[papa B me]

In your research how would you compare the prices Tauck vs. Uniworld? I agree about the decorating on Uniworld. The photos in the brochures make things look much gaudier than the impression you have actually being on the ship. The decor and art work really have been carefully planned and integrated to work well together. Plus the furniture and layout are very comfortable not just pretty.

Notice: I do Not work for Uniworld nor do I get a commission from them. I just am very pleased with my experiences on the Uniworld cruises I have taken.

 

Through my research on Tauck and my experience on Uniworld I believe Taucks excursions may be more unique and special then Uniworld's. From the review I've read I believe Uniworld gets the edge on food. If you cruise on Uniworld's SS Antoinette, SS Catherine, or next years Teresa I would give the edge to Uniworld for the ship due to the pool and true balcony if that is important to you and it was to me. If you are on one of Taucks new ships vs Uniworlds older ships I would give the edge to Tauck. Finally from a service perspective I think on a whole they are comparable unless you are in suite with Uniworld which includes Butler Service. The butler service with them doing the laundry complimentary and all the extra touches they provide really put Uniworld over the top as far as service. They are both truly all inclusive so a tie there. I'm surprised how many people still don't know that Uniworld starting in 2014 made all alcohol included and not just at meals. Keep in mind that this is one mans opinion and observations.

[papa B me]

In your research how would you compare the prices Tauck vs. Uniworld? I agree about the decorating on Uniworld. The photos in the brochures make things look much gaudier than the impression you have actually being on the ship. The decor and art work really have been carefully planned and integrated to work well together. Plus the furniture and layout are very comfortable not just pretty.

Notice: I do Not work for Uniworld nor do I get a commission from them. I just am very pleased with my experiences on the Uniworld cruises I have taken.

 

Sorry did my comparison and didn't read the question well. I've found Tauck slightly higher if you pay Uniworld in full when booking early. Can be decent discount.

[KathyPet]

Nana - Many CC members who have been posting and reading posts on this board and on other CC boards (i.e. Regent, Silversea, etc.) have become quiet accustomed to certain posters making unreasonable demands for information or insight. This particular poster has become notorious for requesting precise measurements of the bed widths on various ships, as well as suggesting that the ship's crew should be responsible for the welfare of her DH while she takes excursions.

 

I would respectfully suggest that certain posters will never find a satisfactory answer to their questions, since they are not willing to accept any answer other than the one they wish to receive. Indeed, there may be a time to stop cruising, as no cruise experience, whether on an ocean-going cruise ship or a river boat, can possibly be the same as being on a chartered vessel.

 

This post is not intended to be either insulting or cruel; but it is reasonable to

suggest that there are limits to which any provider of travel products should be willing to go to satisfy the very particular preferences of a very particular client.

 

 

ITA. The extreme pickiness of some cruisers whether ocean or river vessel never ceases to amaze me.

[ewizabeff]

Yes, all alcohol (except a top shelf "Diamond" list) is included at all times on Uniworld, and many of the passengers on our cruise took full advantage of that.

 

My husband requested a beer with breakfast the first day (it's a tradition we started the first time we visited Germany), and there was always a glass at his place at breakfast before he was back from the buffet. Sometimes two, if the restaurant manager and the server didn't see each other getting it. So, it doesn't even matter if the bar is open.

[Ozjohnno]

Yes, all alcohol (except a top shelf "Diamond" list) is included at all times on Uniworld, and many of the passengers on our cruise took full advantage of that.

 

My husband requested a beer with breakfast the first day (it's a tradition we started the first time we visited Germany), and there was always a glass at his place at breakfast before he was back from the buffet. Sometimes two, if the restaurant manager and the server didn't see each other getting it. So, it doesn't even matter if the bar is open.

 

Whilst some will see this as irrelevant on Tauck there is no "Top Shelf". From Moet all day, 15 year old single malts to the best of Vodka and Cognac Tauck serves it all. Call me picky but if there is a top shelf that is not included in the price then it's not an all-inclusive price.

[Ship's Wake]

Having just completed my first river cruise with Uniworld I would place them squarely in the "Upscale Light" category. The CC cruise guide compares the Uniworld vibe with Silversea and the amentities with Crystal. I would say Uniworld is just not in the same category as Silversea and I was disappointed by my expectation of such. The decor was uncomfortable and tacky and the food was particularly disappointing. The included wines were almost undrinkable. The daily tours were also disappointing in that the only accommodation made was for slow walkers but all the tour groups were much too large and very slow moving. Some of the guides were pretty bad, too. Overall, far from luxury. OTOH the personnel were very professional, friendly and well trained.

 

Have cruised Uniworld three times. In my opinion they are a first rate river cruise line. "Upscale Light" is a good description for Uniworld. I would not put them in the luxury category at all.

 

My first cruise with Uniworld was in 2005. Interestingly, I found them to be a more inclusive river cruise line then (other than included alcoholic beverages) - many of the optional excursions that are offered now were previously included. Instead of a walking tour being the standard excursion (as it is now) there was usually a walking tour combined with an experience such as a lunch in a castle wine cellar or lunch in a historic restaurant.

 

Instead of having a reusable water bottle in your cabin (which they have now) they provided complimentary bottled water that you could take with you when you headed out for the day.

 

I actually like the decor, but then again I like boutique hotels. Obviously this is an area where people will have individual likes and dislikes.

 

Their "luxury" marketing and "luxury" pricing has exceeded the actual product that they offer. Just my opinion, fwiw.

Edited October 3, 2014 by oysterdam

[seabreezer]

 

One cruise may not represent the overall experience one should expect from a company.

 

For a total cost of well over 20K including our air fare any cruise line should nail it on the first and every cruise. I would say in retrospect that Uniworld probably did nail it had my expectations been lower. Although, I do think they have some work to do to elevate the tour experience and quality of food and drink, even at the "Upscale Light" level. Looking forward to trying Tauck next time.

[TrulyBlonde]

I have been on a b2b river cruise on the Rhine and Rhone with Avalon and swore I would never try another because we truly disliked this line. Time has passed and I do want to do the Danube and am now looking at Uniworld and Tauck. I appreciate reading all of the pros and cons of each. One question?? Do either of these cruise lines offer seating just for "two" persons or all they all the same where you must share tables every evening? I thought Tauck may do this but want to make sure prior to making a decision.

[nana541]

I have been on a b2b river cruise on the Rhine and Rhone with Avalon and swore I would never try another because we truly disliked this line. Time has passed and I do want to do the Danube and am now looking at Uniworld and Tauck. I appreciate reading all of the pros and cons of each. One question?? Do either of these cruise lines offer seating just for "two" persons or all they all the same where you must share tables every evening? I thought Tauck may do this but want to make sure prior to making a decision.

 

 

Wondering when you sailed with Avalon and why you disliked them so much?

 

 

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[orchestrapal]

I have been on a b2b river cruise on the Rhine and Rhone with Avalon and swore I would never try another because we truly disliked this line. Time has passed and I do want to do the Danube and am now looking at Uniworld and Tauck. I appreciate reading all of the pros and cons of each. One question?? Do either of these cruise lines offer seating just for "two" persons or all they all the same where you must share tables every evening? I thought Tauck may do this but want to make sure prior to making a decision.

 

There is a thread on this board "Tables for Two" and it's jus 5 or 6 threads below this one. Tauck does NOT seem to have tables for two which we also would want.

[AZCruiserguy]

I have been on a b2b river cruise on the Rhine and Rhone with Avalon and swore I would never try another because we truly disliked this line. Time has passed and I do want to do the Danube and am now looking at Uniworld and Tauck. I appreciate reading all of the pros and cons of each. One question?? Do either of these cruise lines offer seating just for "two" persons or all they all the same where you must share tables every evening? I thought Tauck may do this but want to make sure prior to making a decision.

Just thought I'd throw out Scenic as another all inclusive you might consider for the Danube. We just finished their Amsterdam to Budapest cruise and had a great experience. They have tables for two, but they are positioned just inches away from the 4 person tables, so you will usually be drawn into the larger group discussions. With limited space, I don't see how they could really isolate two person tables.

[seabreezer]

Just thought I'd throw out Scenic as another all inclusive you might consider for the Danube. We just finished their Amsterdam to Budapest cruise and had a great experience. They have tables for two, but they are positioned just inches away from the 4 person tables, so you will usually be drawn into the larger group discussions. With limited space, I don't see how they could really isolate two person tables.

 

That was the case on Uniworld River Queen as well but there was only one two top. Their larger ships might have more.

[pinotlover]

I believe that the tours are often the archilles heel of many cruises, especially since they are included. I wrote a big write up on my most recent Viking tour on the problems encountered on the tours, and most especially, with the slow walkers. I recommended on that thread; to the Viking rep that later called me; and on the ship critique when leaving the ship, that the passengers be divided up into three different groups for the tours. Keep the current slow group, but add a group(es) for the more physically fit and steady walkers.

 

On ocean cruises, where the tours are not typically included, the roll calls are typically full of cruisers putting together small group tours in the various ports. Many of those roll call thread are very implicit about the walking and physical conditioning they want in their fellow tour mates. While this may present problems for the river cruise operators, I think they all need to work on improving this area. I personally find it ridiculous that the river cruises allow those in poor health and lacking in walking agility to day after day slow down and drag to a crawl many of the tours. IMO, these individuals should be assigned to the slow groups, whether they volunteer to do so or not. This has been an issue that the river cruise ships seem to want to avoid.