Uniworld River Cruise Reviews
The 93 Uniworld River Cruise reviews listed below are from past clients of Global Journeys that have traveled with Uniworld. Each review has been individually verified by our team.
Cruise ship very good. All staff excellent,friendly and helpful. Excursions well timed and planned. Thanks Yvonne for all your help. Because we had been with Uniworld before they gave us a bag of laundry free, a nice touch. Transfers worked well to airport. Good to have an inclusive price. Our tour guide was good, but repeated everything 3 times - once, read more for us anyway, would have been enough!
We had the most relaxing and enjoyable holiday ever. Will definitely do it again soon. Will highly recommend to family and friends.
We had a wonderful holiday 3
Dion Molloy & Kathryn Molloy, Australia, Sep 2014
The staff were excellent and could not fault them, the rooms were cosy and boutique style with a large balcony. The food was superb and service was great. The excursions were good with excellent guides although we're think some extra free time at some of the excursions would have been better. We were lucky with the weather, no rain but some fog caused read more delays in sailing missing a few stops but uniworld offered an optional excursion free of charge to compensate. We had a wonderful holiday and would highly recommend the uniworld ship river Victoria.
Tour was great, just the right pace 1
Elaine & Bruce , Australia, Sep 2014
We thought the tour was great just the right pace and having only 20 in the group was great we got to know everyone and had a fantastic time. The tours were interesting and just long enough, & the local guides were good. The only things we went on were 2 different silk tours. 1 would have been enough, it was admittedly in different city's the second read more was the best. The cruise was good having our own dinning room was also good so we did not have to wait in line. Our tour leader Cheers was very good helpful and friendly she was full of all kinds of information well done.
First time with Uniworld and it turned out better than expected. Compared to APT river cruise ships it was much better, especially staff, facilities, attitudes, flexibility, service, food, presentation, and all the extras in the Suite were truly magnificent. Yvonne Brooks of Global Journeys again gave us prompt and friendly service right from first read more contacting her re the cruise until completion of booking. She will always be our first point of contact for our next holiday.
Great food, satisfactory shore excursions 8
Ultimate European Journey
Jillian Phillips, Australia, Aug 2014
Cabin Quality
Bathroom very tight but otherwise fine for a river boat (and the bathroom was more spacious and far more functional than the one in our Istanbul hotel!)
Food and Dining
More than enough variety and quantity; quantities well judged to minimise waste, even for a 4- or 5-course dinner; vegetarians and other special diets read more well catered for, also non-alcoholic wine/beer etc.; all beautifully presented, served quickly etc. - nothing was too much trouble for waiters or kitchen staff; an added bonus was provision of recipes.
Onboard Entertainment
Specials were excellent (classical pianist, folkdance groups etc.; also most of the guest lecturers) but regular pianists were just 'pretty good'. However in all fairness the people who listened to the regular pianists most nights really enjoyed the music, dancing etc.
Shore Excursions
Satisfaction was very dependent on luck i.e. which small group tour guide - most were excellent but a few were just OK (feedback provided to cruise director where relevant). Each shore excursion offered a 'gentle walkers' group which either did less walking or less strenuous walking than other groups. Our cruise directors (a different one for the two 'halves' of the trip) also catered for people with more severe physical limitations by arranging taxis, rickshaws etc. (at the guests' expense) where the walking tours were not suitable for these guests. The cruise directors were very thoughtful and very helpful in every way.
My biggest disappointment was that several of the shore excursions advertised by Uniworld were simply not offered - I asked about them (e.g. Cesky Krumlov) but didn't really get a satisfactory response from the cruise director (this is different from offering an excursion then not running it due to insufficient takers - I understand the need for a minimum number to make it viable.) I think if something has been advertised in their promo material as being on offer that should be honoured. Several other people expressed the same disappointment.
Value for money
Even with 'two for one' it's hard for me to justify spending roughly $1,000 a day on a vacation! The benefits of cruising over coach tours are obvious but the difference in cost is a huge factor.
Global Journeys
We were very pleased with Yvonne's handling of our booking, especially getting our tickets to us early due to our being in India. The only 'gripe' (and it's minor) was that Yvonne wasn't able to book a 1-night extension for us in Istanbul, even though the Uniworld brochure/website said this could be done and many other Australian guests had made such arrangements through their agents. The only difference, once we'd made our own booking for the extra night, was that we had to arrange our own transport to the airport, which was no trouble at all. So it really didn't matter (although travellers without access to email - if there are any left! - might have had trouble making the booking for the extra night).
Useful Tip
For any guests arriving in Amsterdam by train to join a cruise, it would be helpful to know that the ship is docked just a short 5-min walk from the main train station (though it takes a taxi fare of EUR10 or more because of one-way streets etc.)
Bathroom very tight but otherwise fine for a river boat (and the bathroom was more spacious and far more functional than the one in our Istanbul hotel!)
Food and Dining
More than enough variety and quantity; quantities well judged to minimise waste, even for a 4- or 5-course dinner; vegetarians and other special diets read more well catered for, also non-alcoholic wine/beer etc.; all beautifully presented, served quickly etc. - nothing was too much trouble for waiters or kitchen staff; an added bonus was provision of recipes.
Onboard Entertainment
Specials were excellent (classical pianist, folkdance groups etc.; also most of the guest lecturers) but regular pianists were just 'pretty good'. However in all fairness the people who listened to the regular pianists most nights really enjoyed the music, dancing etc.
Shore Excursions
Satisfaction was very dependent on luck i.e. which small group tour guide - most were excellent but a few were just OK (feedback provided to cruise director where relevant). Each shore excursion offered a 'gentle walkers' group which either did less walking or less strenuous walking than other groups. Our cruise directors (a different one for the two 'halves' of the trip) also catered for people with more severe physical limitations by arranging taxis, rickshaws etc. (at the guests' expense) where the walking tours were not suitable for these guests. The cruise directors were very thoughtful and very helpful in every way.
My biggest disappointment was that several of the shore excursions advertised by Uniworld were simply not offered - I asked about them (e.g. Cesky Krumlov) but didn't really get a satisfactory response from the cruise director (this is different from offering an excursion then not running it due to insufficient takers - I understand the need for a minimum number to make it viable.) I think if something has been advertised in their promo material as being on offer that should be honoured. Several other people expressed the same disappointment.
Value for money
Even with 'two for one' it's hard for me to justify spending roughly $1,000 a day on a vacation! The benefits of cruising over coach tours are obvious but the difference in cost is a huge factor.
Global Journeys
We were very pleased with Yvonne's handling of our booking, especially getting our tickets to us early due to our being in India. The only 'gripe' (and it's minor) was that Yvonne wasn't able to book a 1-night extension for us in Istanbul, even though the Uniworld brochure/website said this could be done and many other Australian guests had made such arrangements through their agents. The only difference, once we'd made our own booking for the extra night, was that we had to arrange our own transport to the airport, which was no trouble at all. So it really didn't matter (although travellers without access to email - if there are any left! - might have had trouble making the booking for the extra night).
Useful Tip
For any guests arriving in Amsterdam by train to join a cruise, it would be helpful to know that the ship is docked just a short 5-min walk from the main train station (though it takes a taxi fare of EUR10 or more because of one-way streets etc.)
Would happily recommend Uniworld to anyone 2
Ultimate European Journey
Coleen Cooper, Australia, Aug 2014
I would happily recommend the Uniworld experience to anyone. Everyone from Uniworld was so friendly, the tours well organised and the food wonderful. We were very well looked after.
All staff on ship went above what we would have expected of them. Our cabin on the first half of the journey was below expectations as it was close to the engines and was very noisey at times. We didn't feel it was worth the extra we paid for the upgrade. Then at Vienna we had to change cabins and our 1st cabin was used for staff which would indicate read more the quality of the cabin. Overall the cruise was most enjoyable. Enjoyed the local on board entertainment on the 2nd half of the cruise much more than the 1st half. This was because it was more traditional dancing, singing etc.
Second cruise director - AJ - was amazing 2
A Portrait of Majestic France
Janine Disbery, Australia, Jul 2014
We had two river cruises on this itinerary. The first tour director was not really there as if she wanted to be somewhere else. Her planning was also inefficient. The second cruise director - AJ - was amazing. Couldn't fault anything and his daily talks really made you look forward to the next day. The on board pianist was amazing but the entertainment read more that was booked additionally was...tired.
This is the best river cruise I have ever done. The staff were friendly and helpful and all included tours were great. The cabins were comfortable but glad we upgraded as the twin cabins were very small. But overall would highly recommend a Uniworld cruise. Will definitely travel with them again.
Our Uniworld cruise was only the beginning of a 10 week holiday, but I'd like to take this opportunity to say that our experience with Uniworld was almost 'out of this world'. We had a fabulous time and were very impressed with the attention to detail that was apparent every day of our cruise. We will certainly use Uniworld when considering this type read more of holiday again. And our consultant at Global Journeys, Yvonne Brooks, was extremely helpful in securing our cabin for us. All in all an extremely positive experience all round.
A holiday to be treasured forever! 1
Ultimate European Journey
Bob & Marilyn Lucas, Australia, May 2014
The most amazing experience possible! We enjoyed the 29 day Istanbul to Amsterdam tour in May/June 2014, and could not fault the attendance and professionalism of the staff and crew, the incredible meals, the evening entertainment, the included and optional shore excursions, the beautiful scenery, and the entire atmosphere of the fun-loving participants. read more Not once did we encounter any sort of problem with our amenities, and not once did we witness any sort of unpleasantness or altercation with the passengers or crew. A holiday to be treasured, forever!
Overall a very enjoyable tour 5
Portugal, Spain & the Douro River Valley
Neil Tuckwell, Australia, May 2014
Overall a very enjoyable tour. Excellent meals. The small al fresco dinning areas at the front of the boat were especially pleasant. Enjoyed not moving at night. Some large groups on the boat were inclined to take over dinning tables as their exclusive 'reservation' especially the window view! An unfortunate experience with the laundry when white read more clothes came back mauve because dark pants were washed with light coloured slacks and t-shirts. The hotel manager was very helpful and recompensed us for the loss. Would recommend the tour to anyone.
An amazing experience with service second to none.
We would definitely travel with Uniworld again 1
Danube Holiday Markets
Annie Gridley, Australia, Dec 2013
Uniworld is an amazing river cruise company - attention to detail was utmost. The crew from our cabin steward to the captain were extremely friendly, courteous and professional. Nothing was too much trouble even down to needing a cork from the bar to put in a bottle of wine. The tour guides on the included tours were extremely knowledgeable about read more each city we were visiting and really made us feel as if we have learned so much in the time we had in each place. We would definitely travel with Uniworld again. As for Global Journeys, Yvonne was amazing, everything she arranged was very professional and we had no problems at all and would highly recommend Global Journeys.
Loved it. Ship, staff, everything fantastic.
Everything about this holiday from start to finish was excellent. Thank you Michelle for a wonderful job and experience. We will certainly use Global Journeys for our next trip.
Tour was excellent and the pace was good 2
Portugal, Spain & the Douro River Valley
Hilary Moody, Australia, Oct 2013
The tour was excellent and the pace was good. The local guides were knowledgeable, friendly and provided many insights into Portuguese life that we would have missed if we travelled independently. The Lisbon director was especially good with providing information on dining options and shopping and she also stressed the need to watch and prepare for read more pick pockets as did the local Porto guide. The cruise ship's accommodation, food and the program offered was excellent. The only concern was that the noise level in the dining room made conversation very difficult for normal hearing people and impossible for those with hearing aids. The ship did provide an al fresco area for dining which thankfully took us out of the dining room noise. Perhaps they need to look at some form of noise baffles for this area. The Douro valley is indeed very beautiful and the fact that we did a lot of daylight cruise allowed us to really enjoy this beautiful part of Portugal. We highly reccommend this tour.
My sister Andrea and myself cannot say enough wonderful things about this cruise. The SS Antoinette is an amazing ship and the staff likewise. From the moment we stepped aboard, they could not do enough for us. The service was exemplary and everyone was wonderful. The tours were so well organised by the cruise director Tamas and staff, and we enjoyed read more experiencing this part of Europe. We would highly recommend the Uniworld line and, would also like to thank Yvonne at Global Journeys for her assistance in booking this cruise. Yvonne was prompt in answering all our questions and ensured that we received all the necessary paperwork to make this holiday a very memorable experience. Thanks again, we plan on booking a Christmas Markets cruise in 2015!
Ship was well laid out, comfortable and very well appointed 2
European Jewels
Mark Hutchinson, Australia, Aug 2013
This was my first cruise and it was delightful. The staff were amazing, nothing was too much trouble. The ship was well laid out, comfortable and very well appointed. It was a very relaxing time.
