Just back from Uniworld River Queen Rhine and Mosselle and it was fabulous!

[ninaks]

Just finished our cruise last week and loved everything about it.  The River Queen is the oldest Uniworld ship and it is being totally renovated next year but I loved the way she looked.  We met the nicest people on board, and the staff, food and service were wonderful.  There were people on board who said this trip was not up to Uniworld service standards, but since this was my first one, i had nothing to compare to and I was satisfied.  Yes, dinner service was slow but it wasn't like we had anywhere else to go.   There were a couple of people doing a lot of coughing and when i mentioned to one of them maybe they should test for covid, she said they were pretty sure it wasn't covid...... well my first day back after the cruise, I tested positive for covid.  I had tested the day before i left the cruise and was negative.  Nobody that we knew of on the cruise had covid so who knows where I got it, but since i am now already over it, it was worth it to me taking the trip.  There were only 60 people on board, so only half full, which i really loved.   We paid extra for a cooking class with 7 of us and it was well worth doing.  Happy to answer any questions, but I highly recommend this cruise.  We didn't do the pre-cruise to Baden Baden but most people did and loved it....

[Gourmet Gal]

Thanks for the report.  I took this cruise a few years ago when there were fewer cruise ships on the Moselle and it was a nice trip.  Sorry to hear ahout Covid.  Just wondering, were people masking onhoard when not eating or drinking?  Was there any sort of mask requirement.

 

I took a Tauck cruise this spring and assumed all the coughing pax had Covid - my husband also tested positive as soon as we got home.  The only way to know if one has Covid or not is to test.

[ninaks]

44 minutes ago, Gourmet Gal said:

Thanks for the report.  I took this cruise a few years ago when there were fewer cruise ships on the Moselle and it was a nice trip.  Sorry to hear ahout Covid.  Just wondering, were people masking onhoard when not eating or drinking?  Was there any sort of mask requirement.

 

I took a Tauck cruise this spring and assumed all the coughing pax had Covid - my husband also tested positive as soon as we got home.  The only way to know if one has Covid or not is to test.

There is no mask mandate at all on the ship.  A few people wore masks at our nightly meeting or on the buses.   One couple we met who were pretty religious about wearing masks, he tested positive the same day I did right when we returned home, and his wife just tested positive yesterday.

[Gourmet Gal]

It’s hard to stay away from Covid on such small ships and busses.  I think a lot of transmission happens at meals, in the lounge and on the busses.

[Host Jazzbeau]

If I test positive on the first day back from my current cruise – that will be a WIN.  I know I'm going to get it sometime [triple vaxxed at present, will get #4 when the new BA5 vaccines are released], and as long as it doesn't affect a cruise I will deal with it.

[Gourmet Gal]

Yes, if you have to get Covid then the day you return from a great trip is ideal!

[ninaks]

Yes, i totally agree, i was thrilled that if i had to get Covid, it didn't impact the trip at all.  I just felt bad for the person i sat next to on the plane on the last leg of my trip.  I did wear a mask so hopefully they did not get it.  My husband picked me up at the airport and drove us home for 30 minutes with the windows closed in the car.  The next morning is when i felt sick and took the covid test and tested positive, and i was sure he would get covid from me, but it has now been almost a week, i am now testing negative, and he still is testing negative

[Gourmet Gal]

That’s good.  Interesting statistic is that per household when there is a case of Covid the average is 40% of members of that household will end up contracting it.  

[Canal archive]

Interesting statistic in a household of two. Although I do agree there’s no good way to have it but it would seem we as a civilisation are at least learning to cope or live with it.

Edited July 27, 2022 by Canal archive

[PhD-iva]

On 7/26/2022 at 4:02 PM, ninaks said:

Just finished our cruise last week and loved everything about it.  The River Queen is the oldest Uniworld ship and it is being totally renovated next year but I loved the way she looked.  We met the nicest people on board, and the staff, food and service were wonderful.  There were people on board who said this trip was not up to Uniworld service standards, but since this was my first one, i had nothing to compare to and I was satisfied.  Yes, dinner service was slow but it wasn't like we had anywhere else to go.   There were a couple of people doing a lot of coughing and when i mentioned to one of them maybe they should test for covid, she said they were pretty sure it wasn't covid...... well my first day back after the cruise, I tested positive for covid.  I had tested the day before i left the cruise and was negative.  Nobody that we knew of on the cruise had covid so who knows where I got it, but since i am now already over it, it was worth it to me taking the trip.  There were only 60 people on board, so only half full, which i really loved.   We paid extra for a cooking class with 7 of us and it was well worth doing.  Happy to answer any questions, but I highly recommend this cruise.  We didn't do the pre-cruise to Baden Baden but most people did and loved it....

I was on the River Queen the sailing before you and I agree everything was fabulous! I loved it! Honestly though, the dining room service was slow. We had about 70 pax on board. By comparison, my Danube river cruise on the Emerald Sky 2 days later was packed with about 160 out of 180 max capacity IIRC. I have to commend Emerald on the valiant effort to keep up with dinner service. It all comes down to training. On Emerald, the supervisor was all over the servers, directly their activities and making sure everything ran smoothly. In contrast, the servers on the River Queen would slowly meander through the breakfast dining room, never lifting their head to look around to see if anyone was trying to get their attention. I was on the ship 10 days, and no one ever figured out that when I sat down for breakfast I wanted cream, not milk, for my coffee. This is a training issue.

There were other issues with Emerald so I don’t want to make it sound like I prefer Emerald - I don’t! But service on the River Queen was slow. Service in the lounge was fine. On balance it was a fabulous cruise, and they are my favorite river cruiseline.

[ninaks]

Several passages complained about the service to our Cruise Director Romona, and things did pick up after that... there was someone in the dining room after that directing staff and things improved, but still slow.    No problems in the lounge at all.  I agree, I loved Uniworld, I know all ships having staffing issues.  

[Tarheel Traveler]

We are on this cruise in October, with the pre-cruise stay in Baden-Baden.  I can't wait!   My husband has Parkinson's and his mobility issues come and go.  We are bringing our strong, adult son along, which will be a big help, and my husband has a walker, but we also know that many excursions will be impossible.  (But hanging around on a beautiful ship is better than staying at home!) Do you remember whether Cochem Castle has a lot of steps?  And were any of the ports only accessible via the sun deck level?  My husband's main problem is steps, and I know that upper level has no elevator. 

[Canal archive]

Cochem castle has lots of steps and cobbles but when we went you could take a Landy up.

[PhD-iva]

Let’s see if I can post some pictures of Cochem castle.
Perhaps you could take a taxi to the castle. I saw several pax who routinely used a cab to drive them into town whereas other pax would make the walk. This was arranged by the cruise director.

sorry that my memory is a little fuzzy after so many castles. I think much of the tour of Cochem castle was on the first floor. I do remember stairs and a second floor, but perhaps your husband could skip that part of the tour.

I’m going to have to think about the sundeck access. Actually, I’m pretty sure we always exited using the main floor, not the sundeck. My second cruise was on the Danube and we often exited using the sundeck. I wonder if “rafting” could be a reason to have to exit using the sundeck. Perhaps others more knowledgeable than I am could help.

Enjoy your cruise!

[ninaks]

We never had to exit from the top deck so he should be fine there. Cochem castle, they bused us up there but then a rather steep cobblestone area to walk up into the castle.  You could do it with a walker I believe if you had your son to help.  Inside the castle though there were stairs we went up right when we walked into the castle.  I would get with your cruise director and see if anything can be arranged where you just do the first floor of the castle.  To me the view from up at the castle was the most amazing part so even if he can't get into the castle, the view is worth it.    

[Farang]

ninaks,

 

Am I correct that your cruise direction was Strasbourg to Frankfurt?  If so, can you describe the Speyer to Cochem leg?  I am wondering what time of the day you departed Speyer and approx. time of day you passed through the Rhine Gorge and what time you arrived in Cochem.

 

Thanks

[ninaks]

2 hours ago, Farang said:

ninaks,

 

Am I correct that your cruise direction was Strasbourg to Frankfurt?  If so, can you describe the Speyer to Cochem leg?  I am wondering what time of the day you departed Speyer and approx. time of day you passed through the Rhine Gorge and what time you arrived in Cochem.

 

Thanks

Yes, i did Strasbourg to Frankfort.  From what i remember, we left Speyer either at night or the next morning and cruised all day down the Rhine and Moselle. We arrived in the evening in Cochem when it was still light out.  Normally we were told they would do the cochem castle that night but because there was an event there that night, we did the tour the next evening.   We then did a walking tour the next day in Cochem, or you had your choice of several other activities including a hike to a suspension bridge which was a fairly new excursion.  

[Farang]

Thank you ninaks

[PhD-iva]

Let's see if I can post my daily itinerary programs....

Uniworld daily itineraries.pdf

[Ritabob]

On 7/31/2022 at 2:23 PM, Tarheel Traveler said:

.... And were any of the ports only accessible via the sun deck level?  My husband's main problem is steps, and I know that upper level has no elevator. 

You are correct,  there is no elevator to the sun deck , but there is a chair lift that will get a person to the top.

[PhD-iva]

14 minutes ago, Ritabob said:

You are correct,  there is no elevator to the sun deck , but there is a chair lift that will get a person to the top.

That surprises me because I never saw it when I was there three weeks ago.

[Ritabob]

1 hour ago, PhD-iva said:

That surprises me because I never saw it when I was there three weeks ago.

I have been on quite a few different Uniworld ships, so cannot guarantee every one has a chair lift . The mechanism is unobtrusive along the side of the outside stairs with the seat flipped up out of the way when not in use.

RB

[trickylibrarian]

Will be on this cruise Oct 27 and will do some train travel from Frankfurt before heading home.

Did any of you go from the boat to the main Frankfurt train station after the cruise?  Trying to 

figure out what we will use to get there.  BTW did Uniworld have their candy jars out for your 

cruise?  

[Ritabob]

31 minutes ago, trickylibrarian said:

  BTW did Uniworld have their candy jars out for your 

cruise?  

loved the candy jars in the past, but with covid and coughing the jars are not too appealing ...if they still have them.

RB 

[PhD-iva]

16 minutes ago, Ritabob said:

loved the candy jars in the past, but with covid and coughing the jars are not too appealing ...if they still have them.

RB 

Individually wrapped candy, delicious!