River Duchess

We booked the last Tulips and Windmills trip for the season with the hope that there would be still plenty of Tulips to see. We were not disappointed, more flowers that you could poke a stick at. However the trip was not all about tulips. The towns and scenery seen and visited were exceptional. The Uniworld level of service that we had experienced on previous trips was still there. The food as usual was plentiful and extremely tasty, the crew was extremely attentive and helpful. These guys do it well!

Had a wonderful holiday with Uniworld. Was so glad we didn't bypass Istanbul. It was a highlight and due to the recent bombings and troubles, tourism was down 80% and there were no queues anywhere and very few tourists. We were looked after so well and never for a moment felt threatened. The cruise manager (Daniel) and local guide ("Doc") were fantastic hosts and even did a special free Istanbul by night with guests who wanted to see a bit of night life which was great fun. Still a very vibrant city actually with magnificent sightseeing and history. We joined the ship at Bucharest and found all the varied sightseeing choices on a daily basis were excellent and hard to choose sometimes as so many interesting options were included. Eastern Europe was quite an eye opener with horror tales of past history and violent rulers and more recently recovering from communist suppression.

Then of course the legendry sail from Budapest to Amsterdam, beautiful scenery, great weather , fascinating medieval towns and always with interesting local guides along the way to keep us informed and usually with a good sense of humour too. First class ship, though cabins slightly cramped but still plenty of storage and comfort. Dining was amazing, gourmet food almost 24 hours a day and most professional and efficient service throughout.Travelling companions were a happy crowd and most mixed well on outings and enjoyed various evenings entertainment. Our Cruise Director, Daniel, was also the best looking after everyone, guiding and keeping us well informed ( and a good dancer too !!! ) A truly wonderful holiday. Thank you Uniworld, and not forgetting Georgie at Global Journeys who never lets us down with her first class service, knowledge and advice and look forward to next time.

Uniworld left no stone unturned in making our journey one we will remember forever. We were treated like part of the Uniworld family from the time we boarded the boat until the end. Daniel Tarr our cruise director was nothing short of fabulous. Supremely efficient and willing to go the extra mile to assist us whenever needed. He interacted with everyone in the lounge each evening and being a wonderful dancer he managed to make us all feel like dancing queens once the music started. We thoroughly enjoyed the itinerary our only regret being that we opted out of the Istanbul section which according to all who travelled there was magnificent. Excursions offered were varied and enjoyable. We did not have to put our hands in our pockets at all. When they state that everything is included in the initial price they truly mean it. The quality and variety of food was delicious.

Drinks flowed freely ... Anything your heart desired at anytime. The crew were marvellous and such a cohesive unit .... They too worked together as one happy family. Various singing and dancing groups came on board and entertained us in many of the places we visited. When a lock broke down and we had to spend extra time in town due to the boat having to queue on the river we were given 40 euros per couple to buy lunch. Extremely generous. No receipts required. Gifts were left on our beds each evening and being previous travellers with Insight, a sister company, we were not only given a beautiful throw as a thank you gift when we boarded the River Duchess but were also entitled to one bag of laundry each and every week ... Washed and ironed and returned to our cabin within a few hours. I cannot recommend them highly enough and look forward to travelling with them in the near future.

We travelled with Uniworld on the River Duchess on the tour titled North Sea to Black Sea during August. On ship for approx 3 weeks and had a great time. Our cruise was mainly Austns with Kiwis, Canadians and travellers from the US as well. People mixed and got along really well. Crew members were fantastic and really looked after guests. Our cabin was spacious with a good view. Daily excursions were well organised with excellent guides. Meals on the cruise were amazing and drinks aplenty. A good time was had by all. Only caution is to make sure you exercise to avoid adding too many extra kg's. No hesitation in thoroughly recommending this cruise provided you can cope with 22 back to back Christmas Days.

From the moment we were met at Istanbul Airport to our departure from Amsterdam, Uniworld representatives were excellent. The ship's staff were very polite and couldn't have been more helpful. The Cruise Director (Gabriel) was excellent and nothing was too much trouble. The individual tour guides for the included tours were also very good. I have no hesitation in recommending this trip!