Rhine and Moselle on Uniworld?

[amd1234]

We are in the planning stages of booking on Uniworld's River Queen for next August. We have cruised with Uniworld Castles on the Rhine and loved it. This gives us the opportunity to cruise on the Moselle.. Need some reviews on this itinerary .. Its 13 days and it's a special deal with Uniworld. Only two departures dates with this itinerary for a fantastic price. August and November 2017.. Thx in advance for any information ....:)

[jm485]

Never mind. I was confusing this with the Rhine and Main tour that starts next year.

Edited September 29, 2016 by jm485

[pbeach]

I'm booked on Tauk April 2017 on an almost identical itinerary. I think it looks great. This will be our 6th river cruise and have yet to see the Mosel. So looking forward to it. Having sailed Amawaterways and Uniworld before, I wanted to give Tauk a try to see if they're as good as everyone says.

[Ritabob]

We have done the Legendary Rhine and Moselle in November on the River Queen. It was a few years ago, and it was one of our favourite cruises.

The 13 days make it a bit more relaxing....less rushed. Every port and excursion was wonderful.

Feel free to ask specific questions and I'll check my notes if I can't remember.

RB

[amd1234]

Thx for response. We have never cruised 13 days so excited! arrive in Amsterdam we go directly to ship. Usually we book a Hotel and fly in the day before cruise.. We booked airfare also through Uniworld at an unbelievable price. I checked Delta website and price was $$$$ . I also gave Uniworld the Flghts I wanted. I always book my own flights but this Was such a deal. Believe me I do a ton of research....Look forward to cruising the Moselle...

[CPT Trips]

We did GCT's similar itinerary and really enjoyed it. We can give our impressions of ports if you provide your itinerary.

[laverendrye]

I have just returned from this cruise on the River Queen (Basel-Amsterdam 14-26 September). This was my seventh river cruise and fifth with Uniworld, and it was superb in every respect--food, accommodation, service, tours. I'd be happy to answer any specific questions on the cruise.

 

You will find some overlap with the Castles along the Rhine cruise you have taken but the Moselle is in my opinion even more picturesque than the Rhine and Trier is a gem of a city. I think you will enjoy it.

[amd1234]

I have read itinerary and there a few excurisions that we have taken but there are other optional tours to chose from. Question... We have stateroom category 3 ..large picture window. Rm 205 .. We usually book a French balcony but noticed all the staterooms except for suites are same square footage. Are the rooms small.? Last year we cruised on the Avalon Creativity 170 sq feet rooms River Queen 151 sq.feet.. We had a fabulous entertainer on Avalon played and sang in lounge each night. Is there some sort of entertainment each night?Also did you do the vinegar excursion? We liked it but we will not do a repeat this cruise. Favorite memory?.. Thx.

[calteacher]

We are booked on this cruise leaving Amsterdam April 22 and will arrive in Amsterdam several days early. This is our first river cruise after 14 ocean cruises. I really enjoy the ocean cruises for the sea days. However, this is for our 50th Anniversary and this cruise is the choice of my DH. I'm just hoping that with all the tours, etc., there will still be time to just sit and relax.

[amd1234]

Our 50th two years ago we cruised Uniworld to Burgundy and Provence. We stayed two nights precruise in Paris. Post cruise Aix Provence. Four days. It was a lot of planning on my part but it was awesome. This will be our fifth River cruise. Usually we fly in the day before departure easier with jet lag. This trip we are going directly to the ship. We have been to Amsterdam one of our favorite cities..you will love it. You can decline any excurision and remain on the ship and just relax. Last year we went to Paris and Normandy with our friends and husband preferred sometimes to remain on ship. Not me I want to see everything. You can go at your own pace.... Enjoy you will love it...

[laverendrye]

I have read itinerary and there a few excurisions that we have taken but there are other optional tours to chose from. Question... We have stateroom category 3 ..large picture window. Rm 205 .. We usually book a French balcony but noticed all the staterooms except for suites are same square footage. Are the rooms small.? Last year we cruised on the Avalon Creativity 170 sq feet rooms River Queen 151 sq.feet.. We had a fabulous entertainer on Avalon played and sang in lounge each night. Is there some sort of entertainment each night?Also did you do the vinegar excursion? We liked it but we will not do a repeat this cruise. Favorite memory?.. Thx.

 

I have cruised twice on the River Queen, once on the Main Deck (200) and once on the Danube Deck (300) and the staterooms are identical. Those on the Rhine deck (400) have larger windows, while those on the Moselle Deck (100) have small windows at the top. Otherwise, except for the four suites, all staterooms are the same. I wouldn't call them roomy, but are well equipped and laid out and more than adequate in size. For river cruises, I never see the need for a balcony, (perhaps a French balcony for fresh air) because so much travel is at night, and on the Rhine and Moselle at least, ships are rafted at nearly every port or your cabin is next to the jetty wall. For the scenic stretches on both rivers, you want to be on the sun deck as the sights are constantly on both sides of the ship.

 

The River Queen had a very good pianist/singer who entertained in the lounge every cocktail hour and evening. As well there were three special live music events with local musicians, all very good.

 

I didn't take the Vinegar Estate tour, but opted for a walking tour of Speyer, a city I had not previously visited. I was glad I did so for it is a very interesting historic city. As for highlights, I certainly enjoyed Trier and Strasbourg, a city I know very well and which is my favourite city in France (Paris perhaps excepted). I really enjoyed sitting on the sun deck for the afternoon cruising on the Moselle from Trier to Bernkastel--it was a perfect sunny, warm fall day. Unfortunately, the similar afternoon on the Rhine from Rüdesheim to Boppard was chilly and overcast, but enjoyable nonetheless. I think my least favourite stop was Rüdesheim, which I have visited before, although the Mechanical Instrument Museum was fun and the cable car to the Germania monument was interesting and an escape from the hordes crowding the village on a Sunday morning.

[laverendrye]

One other comment on the Basel-Amsterdam cruise. On the last afternoon in Amsterdam I took the optional Polders and Windmills tour (€49). In essence, it was a shambles and the guide incompetent. It was well below the standard I expect of Uniworld, and I complained about it. I was not alone for that evening the Cruise Director apologized for the tour, and everyone on it was given an immediate €20 cash refund. Everyone I spoke with about it was well satisfied with that quick and appropriate response.

[amd1234]

Well I guess I won't do,the windmills tour.. Thx for update. This will be our third Uniworld River Cruise and it's a last minute booking due to a great deal... We have never cruised for 13 days but Uniworld through Travelzoo had a promotion 50% discount but only certain dates. Two departures one in August the other in Npvember. We have a year of anticipation and planning. Appreciate all your help...

[laverendrye]

Well I guess I won't do,the windmills tour.. Thx for update. This will be our third Uniworld River Cruise and it's a last minute booking due to a great deal... We have never cruised for 13 days but Uniworld through Travelzoo had a promotion 50% discount but only certain dates. Two departures one in August the other in Npvember. We have a year of anticipation and planning. Appreciate all your help...

 

The itinerary was not bad, it was the guide, who I am sure will never be engaged by Uniworld again. It was a trip through the oldest polders in the Netherlands (17th Century), a stop at a cheese producer, and then a couple of hours at Zanse Schans, a historical village where there is a collection of some of the remaining industrial windmills that used to fill this area. it's interesting, but quite touristy. The open air museums at Enkhuisen and Arnhem are vastly better, but too far for an afternoon trip from Amsterdam.

 

The alternative to the tour is a free afternoon in Amsterdam--had I not been staying on for a couple of days after the cruise, I would have done that.

[Ritabob]

amd123,

thanks for the info about the deal you got. I'm looking into it right now for a quick little cruise in the spring. Happy dance!

Cabins on the River Queen are cozy at 150 sq ft, but not as cozy as the River Ambassador at 128 sq ft!! All their ships have comfortable beds, lots (adequate?) of storage space, dimmable lighting, choice of pillows, bedding, etc. And someone makes your bed, and cleans your bathroom twice a day!!!! what's not to like about that?

We did the Legendary Rhine and Moselle November 2012 and sailed downstream...Basel to Amsterdam, so the itinerary will be a bit different. Strasbourg was delightful. Speyer had the Technik museum we toured on our own time.In Rudesheim the highlight was the cablecar ride, again we did this on our own. The cable car is a two seater and open, so hope for a nice day to ride over the vineyards. The bus ride from Trier to Luxembourg was boring, but seeing the old town made up for the ride. Koblenz was where we took the cable car over the river up to the other side for a very panoramic view of a very busy river.

Wine and beer drinking also took up a bit of free time, and well worth it, too.

Have fun researching and planning.

RB

[notamermaid]

Hello amd1234,

 

I think you have chosen a great itinerary for next August. I cannot look at the details online right now as Uniworld has moved some internet pages, some restructuring of their website, I think. But from the others have reported I would just like to add a few comments. In August expect lots of tourist in the towns and it will be likely be quite hot in towns at times. But on these sunny days the cable car ride (open cars) to the Niederwald Denkmal above Rüdesheim is a delight and I also recommend the cable car ride (closed carriages) from Koblenz embankment up to the Ehrenbreitstein fortress. You can get a ferry and bus or taxi if you are not into cable cars. Ehrenbreitstein gives you great views of the river but also has an interesting museum. A café is also at the courtyard where you go for the vista of the valley.

 

http://www.seilbahn-ruedesheim.de/en/selection/ratestimes/

 

http://www.koblenz-tourism.com/culture/koblenz-attractions/ehrenbreitstein-fortress.html

 

http://www.koblenz-tourism.com/culture/koblenz-attractions/koblenz-cable-car.html

 

In Koblenz you will dock on the Moselle, walk from there to Deutsches Eck and round it to the Rhine embankment, it is about 150m from the corner (you can cut across behind Deutsches Eck, of course, also nice).

 

Trier is fascinating with its Roman architecture but also has some nice (restored) buildings around the market square, too.

 

Have fun planning.

 

notamermaid

[amd1234]

Thx so much for info. We have cruised the Castles on the Rhine two years ago so I think we will be revisiting the same towns. My mind has brain freeze I would have to look at the itinerary to refresh my memory. But that's ok It doesn't matter to repeat those beautiful towns. We are leaving Aug 23 that was the only date with the Uniworld promotion. So hopefully it won't be too hot..we are also Heritage Club members so we each have a one free laundry each week. To me that's an extra bonus. Again thx for answering my questions.

[Ritabob]

I can't remember which town had the mayor greet us and take us to his family winery where his elderly parents ran around serving us plonk while we had to endure some family home movies. Okay, it might not have been that bad, but it is not something I would want to experience again. :D

[laverendrye]

I can't remember which town had the mayor greet us and take us to his family winery where his elderly parents ran around serving us plonk while we had to endure some family home movies. Okay, it might not have been that bad, but it is not something I would want to experience again. :D

 

I remember this excursion quite differently. We went from Cochem to the nearby town of Ediger-Eiler where we were indeed met by the mayor in mediaeval robes, accompanied by a woman, similarly dressed who turned out to be the owner of a local vineyard. We proceeded through the town to the church where we heard a short organ concert and then to the winery. No home movies, no elderly parents, and the wine was certainly not plonk (but obviously we also weren't served a Trockenbeerenauslese either). The tasting was led by the vineyard owner. The mayor, who has a good voice, sang for us, accompanied by an accordionist. All in all I thought it was a charming afternoon, and most of my fellow passengers seemed to think the same.

 

However, "à chacun son goût", or as they say in Germany, "Jedem Narr gefällt sei' Kapp!"

[Babcia7]

Thx for response. We have never cruised 13 days so excited! arrive in Amsterdam we go directly to ship. Usually we book a Hotel and fly in the day before cruise.. We booked airfare also through Uniworld at an unbelievable price. I checked Delta website and price was $$$$ . I also gave Uniworld the Flghts I wanted. I always book my own flights but this Was such a deal. Believe me I do a ton of research....Look forward to cruising the Moselle...

 

My husband and I are also looking into this cruise. We too usually book our own flights and try to make use of frequent flyer miles. Although we have cruised with Uniworld on three different occasions, we have never booked air through them. You mentioned that you got a great deal on airfare with them. Can you tell me what kind of deal you got?

[amd1234]

We checked prices before booking our River cruise and also schedules. I spoke with my TA and had her check prices with Uniworld. You book with whatever price they have that day. I guess price can change daily. You have to pay with credit card immediately. They use Delta we got a terrific nonstop Bost to Amsterdam.. Good time... The return not so great but price each.. $1.077... Round trip Which was considerably lower then the website. The only draw back for that price was on our return there is a 4 hr layover in Paris.. We figured we would go for it...I wanted a preferred time with a two hr layover in Paris Uniworld wouldn't budge! Good luck.. Do research on flights you want...