Europe
Q: Which direction of the cruise should I book, which one is better?
A: It does not matter which direction, as each direction contains the same included features. Timings of course vary a little due to cruising times upstream/downstream but you will not get more in one direction than in the other. It is also a matter of preference. For example, for the Eastern European cruises, do I want to start in Eastern Europe and work my way up to Western Europe or the other way around?
Q: Which itinerary would you recommend?
A: For first time river cruise passengers - unless you have a special interest, an excellent first time choice is Amsterdam to Budapest – four countries and some must-sees, for example, Rothenburg, Nuremberg, Budapest, Vienna and some hidden gems like Wertheim, Miltenberg, etc. Cruising highlights: Romantic Rhine, Wachau Valley, Main-Danube-Canal (marvel of engineering).
2nd or 3rd timers who have done Amsterdam to Budapest or Amsterdam to Vienna, can do the Black Sea Cruise (if interested in culture and tradition of Eastern Europe – very educational cruise) or Legendary Rhine & Moselle if you prefer to stay in Western Germany and enjoy lots of daytime sailing and lovely scenery.
If you have already cruised along the Rhine/Main/Danube rivers – we would suggest Portugal along the Douro River for the fabulous scenery, a real hidden gem. The entire Douro River Valley is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Not many ships are allowed on the river, Uniworld is one of the very few companies who operate a ship in Portugal! Russia – sensational sightseeing, ships are more basic than Uniworld ships.
Q: Do we always dock in the heart of the city?
A: It depends, in many places docking is in walking distance to the city center but there are places where the river only touches the outskirts of a town (i.e. Bamberg or Nuremberg) and thus a motorcoach transfer is necessary.
Q: Is there a lot of walking on the tours?
A: As we visit mostly historic cities, many of the tours are partly or entirely walking. Cobblestones are also very common in Europe. To be able to fully enjoy all excursions, passengers should be in good health and able to walk well (also stairs), otherwise they may not be able to participate in all the tours. Riverboats are not wheelchair accessible.
Q: Are there ever any other ships docked next to us?
A: Yes, this happens and is a normal part of river cruising. As River Cruising has become very popular, traffic on the rivers has increased and it is perfectly normal to moor next to another ship or sometimes even between two ships. The assignment of the exact berthing is up to the harbor authorities of the port of call and Uniworld nor the Captain has any control or influence over this.
Q: On what side of the ship should I book the cabin?
A: It does not matter; there is no "better" side of the ship. On some days, port-side cabins will be docked facing the shore, on other days it will be the star-board side, it differs.
River cruise ships always dock facing upstream, and views from cabins may occasionally be restricted when the ship is docked. The rule of thumb to remember is that the ship will always dock facing upstream. In addition, views from cabins may be restricted when other ships dock next to our ship. River ships often dock next to each other, as docking spots are limited. The Harbor Master is always in control of this not the ship’s Captain.
Q: If during our cruise a Christmas Market is closed, what do we do?
A: There is usually an arrangement made for a city tour and/or free time to spend in the city center.
Q: What are the tipping guidelines?
A: On our ships in Europe (excluding Russia), our suggestion for tip per day, per guest would be: €2-€3 for the local guide and €1-€2 for the driver. At the end of the trip there will be two envelopes to be used for tips, one for the crew and one for the tour manager. Our suggestion for tips at the end of your cruise would be: €3 for the tour manager and €10 for the crew on the ship - per day, per guest. Cash only accepted for tips.
Q: Could our trip be extended or customized with our Uniworld cruise/tour booking?
A: Yes
Q: Which ships have bath tubs in the bathroom?
A: Only two of our ships in the suites have bath tubs - S.S. Antoinette and River Beatrice.
Q: Are we able to take our children and is there an age restriction?
A: Passengers who are under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult that is 21 years of age or older. Uniworld’s long-term experience is that most young children (especially those under 8 years of age) do not enjoy or appreciate the river cruise experience. There are no special arrangements, activities or accommodations for children on Uniworld river cruises and tour programs. Adults accompanying the children are responsible for their behavior during the trip. An exception to this is that we do offer “family cruises” on select itineraries during the summer months, please contact our reservations department for more details.
Q: Is there entertainment onboard the ship?
A: Yes, depending on the itinerary, there could be local performers or musicians on the ship.