My husband and I have now traveled twice on the River Countess, in the past year, and it will be very difficult for any other vessel or cruise line to meet our expectations based on the standard set during the tour which began in Bucharest on April 15, 2009. The Bucharest local host was excellent, everything went smoothly, and we were so pleased at the substitution of Peles Castle for the tour of Bran Castle; it saved us having to make those arrangements for ourselves! The greatest pleasures of this tour were threefold: returning to the River Countess and our same ... stateroom; being greeted once again by the friendly faces of Captain Jord Zwaal and his bride Julie; and the superlative services of cruise director Mirela Varga! The tour was excellent; perhaps we were overly spoiled by the small group size, but this trip has certainly set the bar very high. We are looking forward to traveling with Uniworld again in the future. Kevin & Leanne Hayes, NS, Canada Read More...

I want to tell you what a wonderful experience we had on the River Beatrice sailing of June 28, 2009.
 
From the moment we arrived at Munich airport, we were greeted by a smiling, friendly Uniworld representative who was willing to wait while we reported our lost suitcase to Air France.  
 
We boarded your beautiful gem - the River Beatrice in Passau. It was more than we expected.  The public areas were all tastefully done-lovely fabrics and the artwork phenomenal.  Our cabin was impressive – as nice as any ocean liner if not nicer.   The ship was kept immaculate at all ... times.
 
Your staff was very friendly and accommodating. Liliana Lazar, Captain Tom Buining, and Hildegarde Peiker were always  knowledgeable,  available and helpful. 
 
My favorite was Alina Marian, the Concierge, who went above and beyond to be of assistance in all instances. One  example, she single handedly followed up with Air France to search for my piece of lost luggage. She did not give up until it was delivered to the ship three days after arriving in Munich. Without her I might never have received my suitcase. I really appreciated her help.

Joyce Gelfand
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We just completed a wonderful holiday on the River Beatrice. We encountered floods, rain and cruising challenges, but the River Beatrice captain and crew ensured we had a wonderful and safe holiday. The cruise manager, Hildegard, was exceptional at problem solving and creating remarkable options when the Danube would not allow us to sail according to the schedule. I would highly recommend the cruise, the ship and the Uniworld corporate team who obviously worked hourly with the River Beatrice to make our holiday a one to remember and cherish.

Our Eastern Europe Explorer cruise was a great success ... and have had no negative comments at all!!!  I think the highlight for all of us was in Croatia, where we had the visit to a school, and a home-hosted lunch.  That really was a wonderful day.

... We had one more dinner together, the night we were leaving Budapest.  This was one of the nights they offered Sun Deck dining .. and what could have been nicer than sailing away in a beautiful sunset … with your friends !!  One of the other 2 tables up there was a group ... of 4 people from Boston... so, as a finale,  one of those fellows suddenly broke out into “O CANADA” .. and of course we all joined in.  He had a magnificent voice and, believe it or not, even knew all the “new” lines ……..  said it was because he goes to all the hockey games !!!    Both the Hotel Manager and the Restaurant Manager came rushing up the stairs to see what was going on and to join in.  What fun.
 
Thank you also for all your help in planning / “implementing” the trip. It was a pleasure working with you. Ulrike, in your Group Department, was also a great help throughout, and did a wonderful job of coordination…. Always friendly, always helpful, and always patient.
 
In looking over the 2010 list, I think I would like to try the 17-day “Paris and the Heart of Europe” .. from Vienna to Paris, on the Princess….  August 15, 2010. 

Look forward to talking to you ……. 
Regards,
Barbara Broadbent Read More...

Just returned from a wonderful trip on the Rhine. The level of service provided by the crew was just top notch, from the friendly housekeeping staff to the very versatile musician. I am a vegetarian, and had no problems finding great choices at every meal. Would recommend this trip, highly.

My wife and I had a wonderful time on the "River Royale."  All of our expectations were exceeded. The service, food, tours and accommodations were of an exceptional quality.  Your commitment to customer service was fully demonstrated when I left ALL of my prescriptions on the taxi that took us to the airport at Marseilles. The help you provided in locating our taxi driver and having my medications delivered to me at the airport brought a perfect end to a grand experience.  

My words are inadequate and do not fully represent my appreciation.

Merci,
Irv Rollins

Thank you so much for providing such wonderful memories. The entire staff went beyond expectations to give us a most memorable experience, impeccable accommodations, dining, tours, and all over presentations for the first Presidential Cruise.
And Guy Young takes pretty good pictures.
Thanks, Joe & Maggie Tuzikowski

Two weeks after debarking I am still smiling about the Castles along the Rhine Cruise. We had a lovely time. The best part of being on a small ship is that you actually meet your fellow passengers and get to know them. On a regular, big ship cruise, you could say hello to someone and never see them again. Not so on the River Ambassador - we meet at least half the passengers and befriended many of them. The ship itself is merely in Okay condition and hopefully Uniworld will replace it with a newer ship. ... We heard complaints about the plumbing system, but only had minor problems ourselves. But the crew were wonderful - friendly, helpful and always willing to go the extra mile to assist a passenger. The wait-staff always remembered our preferences, the bar-tender always knew our favorite drinks and the cabin-crew knew each of our quirks. I have bad knees and they always had a bag of ice for me to ice them down at the end of the day. The food at dinner was simply amazing, although we dined in the slow French style. The food at lunch and breakfast wasn't as imaginative and delicious, but was still good. The chef had quite a variety of dishes and they all looked as good as they tasted. I'd go back for the food alone! I'd recommend the Basel to Amsterdam route - we took the opposite and visited Cologne on a Monday - and all the museums were closed! If you have a chance visit the Historical Museum in Speyer, though - go, it was wonderful. And the section of the Rhine with all the castles, a UNESCO Historical Site, is probably the most beautiful place I've ever seen. Our Cruise director was simply terrific - the best I've ever encountered and better even than I imaged a Cruise director could be. He was alays available, always knew every detail of every city, always was ready with a personalized suggestion of what to see or where to shop. I don't know if all the Cruise Managers on Uniworld ships are this good, but he was amazing! The passengers ranged from their 50s to their 80s. There was nothing to interest a teen or a child on board, so if you want a family vacation, take another ship. Some of the walking tours were difficult, as most of the streets were cobblestone and uneven. Cobblestone is tiring to walk over. The optional Castle Marksburg tour was especially strenuous - although I highly recommend taking this tour, it would be almost impossible for anyone with mobility issues. I walk with a cane and was able to get around okay [although I needed that ice every night], but people who use walkers or are confined to wheelchairs will find that most places are not handicapped accessible. Overall I would rate this vacation with a five out of five stars. Whatever minor drawbacks were completely negated by the excellent service and locations. This cruise exceeded my admittedly high expectations. I highly recommend it! Read More...

I wanted to tell you about the great experience we had on our recent Uniworld Cruise. It was the Grand France cruise that began for us in Paris on May 1. My wife had never been to France and I could think of no better way to thank her for thirty years of putting up with me than to try this river cruising experience. I admit it was a gamble. I did some research as a teacher would do and found your site. It contained a great combination of good scenery, relaxed yet informative locations, and an attention to details ... so I decided to book.

I must say the I was extremely pleased and satisfied with the experience. The cruise more than exceeded my expectations and my wife was absolutely enthralled by the entire experience. From the moment we landed in Paris to the departure from Marseille, the smile never left my face. The staff of both boats did their very best to make sure our stay was comfortable and friendly. I think you should continue the efforts you've made to keep the staff relaxed and friendly. On the cruise to Normandy our breakfasts and lunch were enhanced by the dining room "relaxed professionalism" of Miroslov who placed a turkey breast on my plate after I said I was hungry to which he responded "Not enough?"

On the "Epicurean" Cruise we were treated and pampered by waiters and waitresses like Zoltan, Anna, Daniella, and Luigi who who did a fantastic job day after day of providing impeccable service and enjoyable company. Zoltan and I (being the history teacher) quizzed each other daily on important historical events.
I'm sure I could go on and on ad nauseum but I wanted you to know that you and your staff provided a perfect anniversary to us and it was a five star hit. I'm sure you can't please everone but you sure did to us and our friends, the Sterns, the McGorrys, and Karen Deegan. We look forward to another cruise soon – we're now officially spoiled. Thank you so much and please convey our gratitude to the entire staff for a job well done.

Sincerely,

George and Bonnie O'Brien
Southport, North Carolina Read More...

I just wanted to say a proper and huge "Thank You" for all you (and the entire River Beatrice staff!) did to make our Uniworld River Cruise experience so wonderful. Both Byron and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and it exceeded my expectations by a long way.

There were so many highlights on the trip that I hardly know where to begin, and all the extra touches too, like the clocks and the pillow gifts on the last evening, and having dinner with the Captain! The ship is really lovely and it was terrific to see all the various ... cabin categories. It was also great to see River Countess - I feel I have a more complete picture of Uniworld since all your ships aren't as new as River Beatrice.

I don't think there is a single thing that I could criticize about the ship, the crew or the itinerary, and of course the food was amazing. Without exception, everyone was great and with people like Captain Tom, Siggy, Gyongi, Alina and the other front desk people, we really were in good hands.

Anyway, thank you so much again...

Ellie Hender, CTC, MCC
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