Budapest Hungary Uniworld April 2015-038

 

If you’re following me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and/or Periscope, then you know I’m still in Europe with my dad! I was originally supposed to fly back to North America after my AmaWaterways Lower Danube cruise with my wife but since I needed to be in Lisbon just nine days later, I decided to stay. Natalie, sadly, had to head back home and back to work.

I was originally going to take my dad to the island of Ischia in Italy to see relatives after a couple of days in Budapest (where my first cruise ended) but it’s not that easy as you need to take planes, trains and automobiles…and a ferry to get there. And then, once you’re there, you need to go into town a few times a day to eat and that’s not easy either, if you don’t have a car.

After getting shingles in February, I decided not to run myself ragged and came up with alternate plan that was a win-win.

So instead, my dad joined me in Europe for a river cruise. He flew from Los Angeles to Budapest via London on one of British Airways’ new A380s. Can you believe the A380, the world’s largest passenger plane, just turned 10 years old? When I asked my dad how his flight was, he told me it was like a dream (he was in British Airways’ Club World) and that the plane was so smooth and quiet that he couldn’t believe he was flying. I understood, as I was onboard BA’s inaugural A380 Los Angeles-to-London flight (here’s my post about that experience).

Since I needed to do some work and my dad is on perpetual vacation (he retired from law several years ago), I needed to find an environment where he could go on tours without me, meet people and have easy access to food.

The perfect choice was to go on another river cruise. He’d never been on one so I arranged for an upper Danube river cruise on Uniworld (they hosted us), which was a cruise line I’ve heard a lot about but had never had the pleasure of experiencing…until now.

I’ve been fortunate enough now to have gone on four river cruises (links to all my river cruise stories are at the bottom of this post) and all have been unique and special—but Uniworld so far is tops. Here’s why:

 

Passau Germany Uniworld May 2015-020

 

1. Service
Without a doubt, the best part about Uniworld is their service. It’s really quite impressive and you will notice it the moment you step onboard. Their service is so amazing that every single person I met on the cruise, which was over 50% of the passengers, raved about it. Including one big-time Australian business traveler who’s used to flying on some of the best airlines and staying at the world’s top hotels. He said he’s now been on Uniworld four times and that he will never try another ship because of their superior service.

After doing some research I realized I shouldn’t have been so surprised. Uniworld has earned many accolades including Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best Service” award and jas made Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List for providing the best service and highest staff-to-guest ratio in the industry.

 

Vienna Austria Uniworld April 2015-012

 

2. Staff-to-guest ratio
One reason Uniworld’s service is so outstanding is that they have the highest staff-to-guest ratio in the river cruise industry. We sailed on River Beatrice, which has 79 cabins, 158 guests and 53 staff members.

 

Budapest Hungary Uniworld April 2015-013

 

3. Friendly staff
Obviously they can’t have great service without friendly staff but I would be remiss if I didn’t list this as one of the 20 reasons. The staff is amazing and they learn everyone’s names right away. It must be mandated for the crew to study the passengers’ security photos and learn their names. One reason why their service might be so good is because Uniworld doesn’t outsource their operations; they oversee all their own onboard operations (nautical, culinary, hospitality) plus all onshore activities. And all of the staff speak English, which is key since most of the passengers are coming from North America, the UK and Australia.

 

Vienna Austria Uniworld April 2015-003

 

4. No public announcements
Uniworld is run like a boutique hotel and they’ve had a lot of experience in this field as their sister company is Red Carnation Hotels. These ships are like a floating boutique hotel so passengers won’t get woken up in the early morning or during an afternoon nap to be told the tours are leaving or that there’s a presentation in the lounge. I loved it but it does put the onus on the passengers to be on time so they either need to set an alarm or ask for a wakeup call.

 

Linz Austria Uniworld May 2015-003

 

5. Cabins/staterooms
My wife is the digital editor of Style at Home, a big design magazine in Canada, and she lives and breathes interior design and style. When she saw my cabin briefly before going to the airport, she seriously considered staying even though that meant risking her job!

The cabins are like a French boutique hotel and have handcrafted Savoir of England beds, 100% Egyptian cotton linens and European duvets, and a menu of pillow choices. There is also ample space with built-in closets. Note: I don’t like heavy duvets so asked the cabin attendant if I could get a lighter comforter and within minutes I had a light blanket with a top sheet so I slept like a baby.

The only negative about the bed is that most of the cabins have twins beds that are pushed together. That way if someone is traveling with a friend and not a lover, they can easily make twin beds. Although, I didn’t hear any couples complain, I personally prefer one solid bed.

Good to know: Cabins are 150 square feet.

 

Linz Austria Uniworld May 2015-002

 

6. Bathrooms
Another feature that made my wife’s jaw drop were the marble bathrooms that come fully stocked with L’Occitane en Provence bath and body products. The bathrooms also have plush towels, a backlit magnifying mirror, bathrobes and slippers.

 

Durnstein to Melk Austria Uniworld May 2015

 

7. Infotainment
All cabins come with a flat-screen TV with complimentary movie and entertainment options. I only turned it on a few times to watch the news (BBC America or CNN), to see what the scenery looked like with the bow cam or watch the lounge cam to hear the cruise manager’s nightly talk when I didn’t feel like going into the lounge. It was cool but I would love for them to add another webcam so you can see the screen of any presentations. But my favorite feature was the GPS maps so I could see exactly where we were and zoom in or out to get to know the geography of the land better.

Good to know: The volume controls on the TV are limited so it won’t disturb your neighbors.

 

Linz Austria Uniworld May 2015

 

8. No plastic bottles
I love that the rooms all have glass reusable bottles that the cabin attendant replaces daily instead of using plastic bottles, which we all know are polluting the environment. They also give each guest personal water bottles to take on shore and then home (pictured above).

 

Budapest Hungary Uniworld April 2015-015

 

9. Suites
Out of the 79 cabins on River Beatrice, there are 15 suites. They are 225 square feet in size and they all come with additional amenities and services, including a special butler service! The butlers offer packing and unpacking assistance, free laundry (score!), a daily fruit and cookie plate, Nespresso coffee machine and fine teas, fully stocked mini bar, full breakfast menu, shoe shine service, bottle of wine upon arrival, Hermés bath products, and a special dinner in the Captain’s Lounge.

 

Linz Austria Uniworld May 2015-010

 

10. Guest laundry
If you aren’t in a suite but need to have your laundry done, you can either send it out to be washed like at a hotel (similar prices, too) or you can do your own laundry in the laundry room. There are two washing machines, dryers and ironing boards. They also provide free detergent so it’s easy and cheap.

 

Tip: Don’t wait until the last day to do your laundry since that’s when everyone else wants to do theirs, too.

 

Linz Austria Uniworld May 2015-017

 

11. Spa
In the cabin next to the laundry room is the Serenity River Spa. I wasn’t going to go until one of the passengers raved that the masseuse, Elena, had hands like God. I looked at the prices (20 minutes for 25E, 45 minutes for 55E. 60 minutes for 65E) and they were reasonable so I signed up for a 45-minute massage. I’m not sure if it’s because I showed up late (probably) but the back, neck (and butt!) massage was really only 30 minutes as she spent a good amount of time washing and scrubbing my feet (which felt damn good, by the way!) but I would rather have had more time spent on the persistent knot in my back.

 

Linz Austria Uniworld May 2015-012

 

12. Fitness center
Across the hall from the laundry room and spa is a small fitness center. I only peeked my head in once to take a photo but it’s nice to know you can work out while on vacation. And you will need it after eating so much good food.

 

Bratislava Slovakia to Hainburg Austria Uniworld April 2015-009

 

13. Food
The food on Uniworld was very good and the best part is that they served local and fresh ingredients. In every country we visited, they served a variety of dishes that you would find there so guests could experience traditional cuisines. For example, in Vienna the menu was Wiener Schnitzel, potato soup and dessert was either ice cafe mélange or Sacher cake.

At breakfast, guests can indulge in an elaborate buffet, plus there is a full menu that guests can order off of, for hot items like pancakes, waffles, eggs benedict, etc. FYI: The omelet chef was a tad slow but he cooked every omelet to perfection!

Note: Uniworld offers al fresco dining, a health-conscious “Traveling Lite” menu and vegetarian options. I also met a guest who raved about the staff and chef since he had severe food allergies and the chef made sure that every dish was cooked with the ingredients he could tolerate.

 

Bratislava Slovakia to Hainburg Austria Uniworld April 2015

 

14. Unlimited drinks
Most river cruise lines only offer free beer and wine during lunch or dinner but not these guys. Uniworld has unlimited beverages onboard, including distinctive wines, craft beers, spirits, soft drinks, specialty teas and coffees 24/7.

 

Budapest Hungary Uniworld April 2015-027_edited

 

15. The little things
What I really love about Uniworld is that they haven’t eliminated the little things to cut costs. For example, each room has a little glass jar filled with local candies and chocolates that gets refilled each day. They also provide Nordic walking sticks, which my dad tried out for the first time and loved. I appreciated that the electrical outlets in the cabins (one by the bed and by the desk) had U.S., European and UK style plugs built in so there was no fumbling for adaptors.

 

Passau Germany Uniworld May 2015-002

 

16. Candy table
If you have a sweet tooth like me, your eyes might light up when you walk onboard the ship and see that next to the front desk are huge glass jars (with tongs) that have Gummy Bears, Werther’s Butterscotch, marshmallows, Mentos and Jelly Belly Raspberries and Blackberries. I was just thankful they weren’t filled with M&Ms or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups since my pants would no longer fit.

 

17. Single supplement
I met numerous solo cruisers onboard who chose Uniworld because they offer X amount of single supplements cabins. It wasn’t clear if it was only during a certain time of year but it’s probably best to book these far in advance.

 

18. Safety
Uniworld takes safety seriously. First of all, there’s a muster drill, which I haven’t seen on many river cruises. I was told they implemented it after Costa Concordia. Guests must also watch a five-minute safety video in their cabin before being able to change the channels. My dad and I both missed the muster drill since we came in late but the crew pinned us down to a time so that the captain could give us a personalized briefing.

 

Linz Austria Uniworld May 2015-016

 

19. No tipping
There’s no tipping on Uniworld since it’s included in the price of the cruise. I hate when passengers get hit (sometimes even blindsided) by tips, which can add up to a few hundred dollars.

 

Durnstein to Melk Austria Uniworld May 2015-018

 

20. Tours
Uniworld has a variety of tours each day and most are included in the cruise price. What’s nice is that guests do not need to sign up in advance for the free tours so you can decide at the last minute if you want to go or not. They have a “gentle walkers” group, which my dad really loved since he doesn’t like to walk that much. For his group, they provided a van in Melk to take them right to the Abbey and taxis in Passau to go up to the church instead of walking.

I didn’t go on a lot of the tours because I was working but everyone I talked to including my dad loved them. They also would find unique tours like a winery in Durnstein where Uniworld had to talk the owners into opening their doors for their private tours and it’s exclusive to Uniworld.

 

Bratislava Slovakia to Hainburg Austria Uniworld April 2015-020

 

And I can’t mention tours without saying how excellent their guides and the cruise manager were — at least on Beatrice. Mirella, who’s been with the company for over 10 years, was amazing and couldn’t have been nicer to my dad.

 

Durnstein to Melk Austria Uniworld May 2015-026

 

As you can tell, my dad and I really loved our experience on Uniworld but there were some things that could be improved upon. For example, I didn’t like there was a farewell letter from the Uniworld CEO that read: “Dear Valued Guest, I want to personally thank you …” instead of being made out in the guests’ name. The free internet was often slow but it’s been like that on every ship I’ve been on. And finally, they use old school keys for the cabin doors, maybe to be more like a French boutique hotel, but I prefer keycards.

Without a doubt, I highly recommend Uniworld and I would really love to check out one of their newer ships as River Beatrice was built in 2009, which in river cruise years, is shockingly ancient.

Uniworld has over 500 departures and 40 itineraries. The voyages can be found on more than a dozen of the world’s scenic rivers in over 20 countries in Europe, Russia, and Asia.

 

My European river cruise posts:

10 reasons to go on a Lower Danube cruise

11 reasons to go on a European River Cruise

20 Reasons to go on a Viking European River Cruise

12 Reasons to Take a Scenic River Cruise In Europe

Visiting Europe’s Christmas Markets on a Viking River Cruise

17 Reasons to Go on an AmaWaterways European River Cruise

 

Want to cruise? If you’d like to speak to an agent, we’ve partnered with Cruise Planners—a top-rated travel agency—to help you plan your perfect trip. Contact Mike Gelman (1-800-724-5868) and tell him Johnny Jet sent you!

Bratislava, Slovakia
Bratislava, Slovakia
Uniworld reception desk crew
Uniworld reception desk crew
Our Uniworld map
Our Uniworld map
View from cabin as we left Budapest
View from cabin as we left Budapest
Uniworld tour options
Uniworld tour options
Uniworld daily schedule of events
Uniworld daily schedule of events
Bratislava, Slovakia
Bratislava, Slovakia
Guest speaker onboard in Vienna, Austria
Guest speaker onboard in Vienna, Austria
24 hour tea and coffee
24 hour tea and coffee
Breakfast buffet on Uniworld
Breakfast buffet on Uniworld
Breakfast buffet on Uniworld
Breakfast buffet on Uniworld
Pancakes on Uniworld
Pancakes on Uniworld
Alcohol in suites
Alcohol in suites
Minibar in suites
Minibar in suites
Fruit plate in suites
Fruit plate in suites
Uniworld TV remote
Uniworld TV remote
Afternoon Tea on Uniworld
Afternoon Tea on Uniworld
Bike tour in Vienna, Austria
Bike tour in Vienna, Austria
Uniworld bus
Uniworld bus
Local food of Linz, Austria onboard Uniworld
Local food of Linz, Austria onboard Uniworld
Wiener schnitzel on Uniworld
Wiener schnitzel on Uniworld
Sailing from Durnstein to Melk Austria on Uniworld
Sailing from Durnstein to Melk Austria on Uniworld
Uniworld's River Beatrice arriving into Melk, Austria
Uniworld's River Beatrice arriving into Melk, Austria
Rainy day in Linz, Austria
Rainy day in Linz, Austria
Elena, the masseuse on Uniworld
Elena, the masseuse on Uniworld
On the way to Passau, Germany
On the way to Passau, Germany
On the way to Passau, Germany
On the way to Passau, Germany
Arriving into Passau, Germany
Arriving into Passau, Germany
Uniworld in Germany
Uniworld in Germany

8 Comments On "20 Reasons to Go on a European River Cruise with Uniworld"
  1. Liz|

    We loved our Uniworld cruise on the Danube last fall. Just so you know, the newer and refurbished ships use electronic key cards. I’m sure they’ll get them on the River Beatrice eventually. We had them on the River Ambassador.

  2. Debra|

    Looking for a river cruise that goes through Germany. Can you give me some guidance? Thank you.

    1. Johnny Jet|

      If you would like to speak to an agent, we’ve partnered with Cruise Planners—a top-rated travel agency—to help you plan your perfect trip. Contact Mike Gelman (1-800-724-5868) and tell him Johnny Jet sent you!

  3. Aijika|

    Actually we are planning a river cruise for next spring and wonder which company is the best?! This is a 35th Anniv. trip so want it very special. We have cruised on the sea several times but have not experienced river cruising yet..
    But thanks for this sharing informative post, because of that i already decided what the best.
    Keep it Great ! ;)

    1. Johnny Jet|

      It’s a personal decision! If you would like to speak to an agent, we’ve partnered with Cruise Planners—a top-rated travel agency—to help you plan your perfect trip. Contact Mike Gelman (1-800-724-5868) and tell him Johnny Jet sent you!

  4. Adriana McCloskey|

    Thanks for the pictures,it all looks very familiar to us.We did 2 trips,one Amsterdam/Basel and one Budapest/Passau and still love to look at our photos and remember the great times we had.

  5. Michelle da Silva Richmond|

    I enjoyed this article and it makes me want to try them out. I’m in SATW and would appreciate it if you would please send me contact info for press.
    Thank you!

  6. Larry Abramson|

    We were on the April 19 sailing of the River Beatrice and could not have been happier with the accommodations, staff, food, tours, etc. As a travel agent, I feel that in order for me to sell these types of cruises (and we offer all brands), it’s necessary for me to try them. Uniworld does a wonderful job.

    Larry

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