1st Time Tips for Uniworld Rhine River Cruise

[SailinPrincess]

My hubby, mother-in-law and I are taking our first river cruise on the Rhine with Uniworld from Amsterdam to Basel.  Looking for any tips and suggestions that we should know. 

[CPT Trips]

That’s a very broad question. I’d suggest you read the “stickies” at the top of the page. That should give you a good overview of what to expect. Then you can ask more focused questions.

[SailinPrincess]

Thanks!  

[SailinPrincess]

I will phrase the question - what were the 2 or 3 things you wish you knew prior to taking your first river cruise?

[Daisi]

I did a lot of research before booking my cruise, but from most I hear, they wished they knew that water levels could create a problem (your line will bus you to excursions to make the most, it's not their fault).  Also, you don't sail much during the day - that is saved for time in ports.  Planning "outside" excursions not include by your cruise line can create problems as well, you won't know until the night before what time you "expect" to dock, and sometimes the ship drops you off and picks you up at further along the river....not fun if you are out on your own and didn't check with the CD to see where & when you should meet up. 🙂

 

I think the most important thing to do is go with a great attitude, be prepared for unexpected changes, and accept that there are some things that are beyond the cruise line's ability to control.  

 

Oh...I  guess the one thing I do wish I had known before cruising was how addictive it is....we were planning our 2nd cruise on the plane home from our first!

[notamermaid]

Welcome to the wonderful world of river cruising!

 

20 minutes ago, SailinPrincess said:

I will phrase the question - what were the 2 or 3 things you wish you knew prior to taking your first river cruise?

Good question. Gopherpharm who arrived in Amsterdam just a couple of days ago had a similar question for us here and that is what was answered:
https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2837581-what’s-the-one-thing-you-wish-you-had-known-about-river-cruising/

 

 

Being familiar with the river(s) a bit not much surprised me. But I was a bit surprised how tiring it was, with all the new impressions and all the walking. I thought the locks would disturb me more but after the first one being a bit noisy I slept through all the subsequent ones (there are not that many on your itinerary).

 

You are stopping in Boppard?

 

notamermaid

 

[SailinPrincess]

Thanks notamermaid!  Yes we will be stopping in Boppard.  I love going thru the locks - have been thru the Panama Canal,  Sault St. Marie, and the Chicago River.  

 

Appreciate you suppling the link.  There are tons of threads here and it can become a bit overwhelming.  We will be coming from London (4 days) taking the ferry to Hook to spend 4 days in Amsterdam (hubby and I have been to both places  before - Amsterdam will be a first for my 86y mother-in-law).  We are super excited to be going - this trip was planned two years ago before Covid. 🙂

[hiccups]

We did Rhine/Moselle on Uniworld and I loved it.  My husband didn't like having to be ready by 8:30 or so every morning for tours--that trip was his first time in Europe and it took him a couple days to adjust to the time change.

I can't say there is anything I wish I knew in advance because I'd done a lot of reading here and I felt well-prepared.  We chose Uniworld because we liked that it's pretty much all-inclusive, and I wanted more active excursions, which they offer.  The service onboard was wonderful.

I hope to be able to talk my husband into another river cruise sometime soon, but the past few years we've been doing golf cruises on Azamara for him.  Pretty soon it's going to be my turn to choose and we'll be looking at Uniworld again.

[Gopherpharm]

If you have any specific questions let me know and I’ll try my best to answer! We board the S.S. Antionette today!

[CPT Trips]

I knew nothing about river cruising when we took our first. Although I was using Cruise Critic at that time, we arranged the cruise on only about a week notice, no time to reseach. There were a lot of surprises, most pleasant and none really problematic.
 

The biggest surprise that some find a problem was the docking arrangements. Several times we were rafted—one ship is tied to the dock and the other is tied to that ship.
 

Open your curtains in the morning . . . Surprise, you have a neighbor. Or, you might return from touring and not see your ship because it’s hidden behind another; they rearranged while you were away.

 

If your ship is the outboard ship, you have to cross the other ship to get ashore and reboard. Sometimes this means going up the stairs to the top deck and crossing there, could be a problem for folks who don’t walk well. 
 

Most of our others surprises had to do with traveling in Europe. It was our first time there in 30+ years, since my military days. Much had changed.

[papa B me]

This was our first river cruise about 7 years ago. We really loved it. Here are a few things to consider:

 

1. Do the vinegar tasting excursion.  I almost canceled it because it sounded awful. But it turned out to be one of our favorites. 
 

2. Don’t overbook your day with multiple excursions.  I’m always tempted to try and cram as much as I can into a day out of my fear of missing out on something good. But a river cruise is perfect to spend some free time wandering on your own; laying on the top deck for an hour or two with a glass of wine and enjoying the scenery, or just getting to know your fellow travelers. 
 

3.  If your health allows use the bicycles. This itinerary is perfect as there are usually bike paths along the river. Most nights we would take a bike ride after or before dinner. 
 

4. Spend an hour or two after dinner in the lounge enjoying their on board musician or special entertainment they may have. Again a great way to meet fellow travelers and you can still get to bed at a decent time. 
 

5.  Enjoy the moment and go with the flow.  Unexpected things can happen such as high water, low water, changes to the itinerary, cancelled excursions, etc...  I’ve met people that let these things ruin their trip since their expectations weren’t met.  Instead try to enjoy the moment and look at the unexpected as an adventure and not a disappointment. 
 

Have a great trip!
 

Brian

[SailinPrincess]

@Gopherpharm - thanks!  I would be interested as to what time the ship departs Amsterdam or Basel (which ever direction you are going)?    Also just curious as to the check in process, I would imagine is fairly straight forward and there aren't long queues like on an ocean cruise.  We are staying at the  Ibis Amsterdam - right next to the train station so we plan on walking to the ship - don't want to get there too early. I read that

you are usually able to get into your room by 3:00 pm. 🙂

Edited April 3, 2022 by SailinPrincess
spelling

[beesKate]

@SailinPrincess if you're used to ocean cruises, one of the most pleasant surprises is how low-key and easy the check in process is!  If you arrive early, they'll take your bags and hold them until they can deliver in your cabin.  They will have snacks and a  light lunch available in the bar area ... even though you aren't able to get to your cabin until they are ready.  

One thing specific to Uniworld I remember on our first cruise is that for breakfast we always just did the buffet.  We didn't realize until almost the end of the cruise that they also have one or two menu items you can order from your server... you may need to ask about them.  You could also have mimosas or sparkling wine with breakfast.  They weren't always offered, but they were out and available.  

Another thing is that there's no need to research the ports.  Some aren't one the tourist radar, and the provided excursions are all very good.  

 

[TFree]

Our first and so far only river cruise was with Uniworld from Amsterdam to Basel.  We really liked it, and we are taking our second one at the end of May (this time on the Danube).  The thing that we liked best is that (as far as I can recall, in every case) you just walk off the ship and you are right in town. 

You have already gotten some really good answers, but let me add just two thoughts.  You don't mention if you have previously done ocean cruises, but if you have, you might find two things that are quite different.  First, the cabins on a river cruise are typically significantly smaller than on an ocean liner.  They are really well put together, and you are probably not going to spend a lot of time in the cabin anyway.  But there are no sea days where you hang around and sit on your balcony reading a book (most of the cabins have no balcony or only a French balcony in any case).  Second, if you have been on ocean cruises, you will find that there are far fewer things to do, and far fewer venues to do them on a river cruise.  Sitting in the lounge and listening to the local musicians is great.  But just be aware going in that there are not a lot of other choices.  

 

Tom & Judy

[Roz]

@papa B me, I enjoyed the vinegar estate tour.  Not something I would have booked (or found) on my own but it was interesting and a lot of fun.  My favorite vinegars were fig and cherry.

[Gopherpharm]

16 hours ago, SailinPrincess said:

@Gopherpharm - thanks!  I would be interested as to what time the ship departs Amsterdam or Basel (which ever direction you are going)?    Also just curious as to the check in process, I would imagine is fairly straight forward and there aren't long queues like on an ocean cruise.  We are staying at the  Ibis Amsterdam - right next to the train station so we plan on walking to the ship - don't want to get there too early. I read that

you are usually able to get into your room by 3:00 pm. 🙂

We dropped our luggage around 11:15am. The public spaces were open but we did a canal cruise from 1230-1400. Our all aboard time was earlier than I thought, 1445 with a sail away time of 1500.  We did not actually depart until 1612 though. 

Check in was our names, showing our passports and vaccine cards, and having a photo taken. They did this when we dropped off our luggage. When we returned around 1425 we got our key cards and a staff member escorted us to our cabin. 

[Roz]

My experience was the same as @Gopherpharm.  Uniworld is very accomodating.  After I checked out my hotel I dumped my suitcase at the dock and went sightseeing and souvenir shopping.

[momofthre3]

We cruise on the S.S. Antoinette in August.   We have gone on many ocean cruises, but this will be our first river cruise. 

I am now planning my wardrobe. With all the issues at Heathrow, I am attempting a capsule wardrobe, using only carry-on luggage.  Is there anything I should pack in particular?  Are dinners business casual or are there some casual nights? 

[beesKate]

On 7/9/2022 at 9:49 PM, momofthre3 said:

I am now planning my wardrobe. With all the issues at Heathrow, I am attempting a capsule wardrobe, using only carry-on luggage.  Is there anything I should pack in particular?  Are dinners business casual or are there some casual nights? 

They are what most would describe as business casual.  No defined casual nights, but I've seen people dress very casually -- and I'm not aware of staff saying anything.  My dining clothes were never that different from what I wore during the day except for a change of shoes and earrings.  My husband (and other male guests) rarely wore ties.  

[Wings55]

• @momofthre3 Greetings from McKinney! We've sailed with Uniworld twice and my dinner attire was usually a polo shirt and a pair of khaki slacks. I brought a few dress shirts and 'fun' ties if I wanted to dress us. A roll-on bag and a backpack should work if you pack carefully. You can aways hand wash a few items or pay to have a few pieces laundered on board. Have a GREAT trip!!
• Paul

 

[scottjeanne]

We just left the River Empress.  No one dressed for dinner.  Lots of kids and extended families.  Most wore shorts to dinner.  We are in Europe for three weeks with just a carryon.  I love to dress up, so I have several fancy tops and one pair of evening slacks.  It is doable.

[momofthre3]

Thanks for all the replies!  I think I have the wardrobe all planned and it will fit the carryon and personal item bag!  Most outfits I just change the top or bottom from the day and add jewelry for the evening.  Now just hoping there won't be a dramatic change in weather ( I do have a few sweaters and a blazer to pack so I can layer).  Mostly curious for the hubby.  He plans on a suitcoat and maybe one tie since they don't take up any room. Getting very excited for this trip!!

[Second seating]

Uniworld has excellent self service laundry with excellent instructions!

 

Second seating

[gnome12]

1 hour ago, Second seating said:

Uniworld has excellent self service laundry with excellent instructions!

 

Second seating

I don’t believe that is true on the older non S.S. ships. 

[Second seating]

Just off the River Queen in May, Miele washer and dryer. 9 cruises with Uniworld all have had a laundry.  I do not know about the ships they run under U.

 

Second seating