Uniworld River Cruising in Europe

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to take a river cruise vs. a "big ship" cruise? I pondered the same question before buying a LL Uniworld cruise up the Rhine in September '09. It is very different, but we could not have been more pleased and look forward to going again.

I have been frequently checking LL to see if any Uniworld cruises would come up for auction again. Wouldn't you know it - a great deal (even better than the one we got in '09) has just come up for Buy Now on the site with a wonderful itinerary. I have recently had shoulder surgery and won't be healed in time for the package travel dates or else I would be hitting the LL "buy" button right now instead of typing this posting! lol.

Here is the current package info.:Price is $2.310 total for 2, which includes beer / wine with dinner, all the tours, entertainment, and transfers to / from the airport. This is the link. Port taxes & sales tax not included. http://www.luxurylink.com/luxury-hot...id=15499&len=7

Uniworld has a new short promo video on their site that is a very good representation of what it is like to take a Uniworld cruise.
http://www.uniworld.com/media-center...enter/index/26

This link is to a 2nd new Uniworld video also. It is a little longer than the above and gives more of an overview of their itineraries (Europe, Egypt, China):
http://www.uniworld.com/media-center...enter/index/36 .

I thought LL members would like the info - whether for now or in the future.

I like the fact that Uniworld does not charge a single supplement for people traveling alone and they don't have to share a cabin with anyone. It is one of the few cruises that I think solo travelers would feel very at home on the trip and don't have to pay a higher price for the private room. They get kind of lost on the regular big ship cruises. (Go directly to Uniworld's website to book a solo trip.)

Shy ~

Hi Shy,
The Uniworld cruises are a cut above the rest of the river cruises in Europe, and LL is offering an execptional value for these cruises. We are currently looking at a 10 day Uniworld Cruise from Nuernberg to Paris in September. Unfortunately, this cruise is not available on LL and there are only 16 rooms left for this trip in Sept, so it is unlikely that LL will offer it. What a shame. There are 5 of us and the single supplement on the regular Uniworld Cruise is really putting a damper on it. Uniworld does put a single supplement on it for solo travelers, but LL offers do not, that is the difference.

LL_Travelfan,

Too bad you can't take the Aug. 29th cruise date for the itinerary you are interested in. Uniworld has the single supplement fee waived for that departure date and you would still have the bulk of the cruise in September.

Shy ~

Hi Shy,
Yes, it's too bad the Aug. 29th date does not work for us. There are 5 of us, and the other three girls are still working girls, so they are somewhat locked in with their dates. If it was up to me, I would take the May date which has a most attractive, all inclusive price for two. We are still awaiting decisions from our three friends on the Sept/Oct dates.
Thanks for looking out for us.
Kind Regards,
LL_Travelfan

You might just call their California office and ask if they would accomodate you on the dates you need in September. Nothing ventured, nothing gained........and in these economic times, who knows? I wish you luck.

Shy ~

Hi Shy,
I tried this already... nothing doing... but good suggestion. Thank you.

LL_Travelfan

LL_Travelfan,

I noticed that new Uniworld package dates have been added. No September yet, but I did see new June, July and November dates offered on the LL site. I continue to cross my fingers for you on the dates you need.

I discovered that on the LL sister site - www.familygetaway.com, that they are offering the Uniworld cruise packages for 4 adults instead of the 2 adults in the LL packages. There isn't an "interest" drop down category for cruises on that site, so the only way I was able to get them to come up was to enter the search term "cruise". Probably something familygetaway should fix.

Shy ~

Hi Shy,
Thanks for the info. I have been watching these packages as well. I am still looking for the right dates in September. The familygetaway offer is nice, but we need room for 5 or 6 adults for our family travel and the dates aren't ok. So far, the family has made plane reservations into Munich. Unless something really good comes up on an Uniworld Cruise from LL, I think we are doing a "land cruise".... Munich, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Garmisch, the Ludwig II Bavarian Castles and back to Munich. It just means more unpacking and moving which the family wanted to avoid with the Uniworld Cruise. We are their expert guides since we live in the southern Bavarian area for six months out of the year.
But thanks for looking out for us....

UNIWORLD LAUNCHES 2 OF 3 NEW SHIPS IN 2011

Uniworld has launched the Douro Spirit (a LL cruise offering) and the S.S. Antoinette. Both are beautiful, but very different in decor from each other.


S.S. Antoinette cabin
http://johnpond.files.wordpress.com/...pg?w=300&h=202

Douro Spirit cabin
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...ZbCukXmmgelpVg

In reading about the new S.S .Antoinette, they have added features that are normally reserved for the bigger ocean cruise ships, such as movie theaters, top deck lounges, and enclosed swimming pools. They have added true suites, which boast alcoves that can be converted from an open air balcony to glassed in conservatory with just the push of a button. I was able to find a video of the new balconies that become glass enclosed with a touch of a button. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt67-YDGRmY

The Antoinette has several innovations on the top deck. Traditionally, river boats use their upper decks as observation areas in good weather only; height-wise, they contain no furnishings taller than a chaise lounge so that the vessels can fit under low-slung bridges.

For Antoinette, Uniworld has constructed a pair of all-weather rooms: the South Beach-like Leopard Bar (which is a classic lounge tradition in many of its Red Carnation hotels) and the elegant L'Orangerie, an indoor/outdoor dining venue. Both have air conditioning and heating. The reason that Uniworld can build such structures: Their ceilings and windows can collapse on demand if the ship needs to pass under a low bridge. SO COOL!! If anyone can find an online video of this “collapse” in action, please post it. It would be fascinating to see how it works. (Bartender yells “duck” right before pushing a button? lol.)

Another twist: Few riverboats have swimming pools (only a handful even have top-deck whirlpools). Both of these 2 new ships have swimming pools on their top decks. On the Antoinette, there's a glassed-in facility with gorgeous mosaic tiling, a wall of windows and an adjacent spa. Interestingly, the pool serves in another capacity. The few river boats that have one typically locate them in their midsections. In Antoinette's case, placing the pool in the rear gives it an operational advantage. With its heavy weight, it creates mass where vibration tends to be a problem, helping to ensure an extra-quiet ride.
http://www.cruisecritic.com/images/u...nette-pool.jpg
To read more about the launch of the new S.S. Antoinette and its innovations, visit http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=4421 .


Shy ~