We leave next week and will be using Uniworld Boutique River Cruises. Flying to Prague for a few days, then Nuremberg to Vienna on the Danube.
Anyone got any suggestions? We are open to almost anything.
We just returned from that cruise on Uniworld except we went further to Budapest. You picked a fantastic cruise and cruise line. We went with another couple, and we all had a wonderful experience from beginning to end. We’re already looking at booking another tour with Uniworld for next spring.
If you’re staying at the Art Deco Imperial hotel in Prague, have dinner there one night, but make reservations. The chef is famous in Prague and hosts a TV show. Our dinner was delicious, and it was inexpensive. Dinner for two including wine was about $50 US. Our tour guide told us beer was often cheaper than water in restaurants, and she was right. So, if you’re a beer drinker, try the local beers.
Dress was casual on the boat during the day and on excursions. We saw everything from dress slacks to jeans to shorts. The evenings were business casual, and most men, but not all, did wear sports coats at the two designated dinners.
Also, have bring some local coins when going on tours because you’ll need it if you need to use a restroom while your out in most places.
coronax2, Good info. Questions:
Were the men who wore shorts during the day allowed into the churches when on the excursions?
It looks like daytime temps will be fairly warm and night temps somewhat cool (at least for a CA boy). Were you warm enough in a lightweight jacket or sweater in the evening?
Were you able to walk into town from the boat in the afternoons and/or early evenings? Were most of the towns within walking distance of the boat?
I believe many stops were near town and at least two we had the option of staying in town after the tour or going back to the boat. There were also bikes on board to use.
Light jacket or sweater will be fine. We traveled one entire day by boat and spent most of that day on the upper deck taking in all the sights, so you might want to bring a small bottle of sun screen.
The churches were full of tourists and school groups. Although I didn’t pay too much attention, there must have been lots of people in shorts since I saw them on the street. With all the cameras and tour guides chatting, it wasn’t all that reverent unfortunately. They did ask men who forgot to take their hats off.
Were there any singles on the trip?
There were a few sets of ladies traveling together, but I didn’t meet anyone traveling solo.
bookworm, I do get emails from Uniworld promoting singles on select itineraries that are not sold out. There does not appear to be an additional cost (aka single supplement) and all their itineraries look great!
Edit: Unlike Viking who spends a small fortune on direct mail advertising bombardment, you will probably only see emails from Uniworld. If you want additional info from them, your enquiries go directly to a travel agent in your region. I do not believe they have their own employees like Viking does.
Have fun! Mr. Fang and I took a river cruise in the Netherlands a couple of weeks ago with my mother and sister. We had a great time.
Just returned from our river cruise and loved it! Didn’t realize how popular river cruising was in Europe. Before our trip I thought there were just a few river cruise operators. In actuality, I saw over a dozen different companies and countries represented, on the Danube alone. Our river cruise experience was much different than more conventional ocean cruises, some for the obvious reasons but others for reasons that I would not have thought of beforehand. At least on Uniworld Boutique River Cruises these are some of the things that were refreshingly different than what we experienced with the “mass market” ocean cruise lines:
No annoying PA announcements blasting into your cabin or the public areas. None.
No sales pitches of any kind, including jewelry, gemstones, clothing, spa treatments, future cruises, duty-free items, etc. Nothing.
The cabin stewards are somewhat “invisible”, which I really liked. Since this type of cruising has everyone basically participating in the same types of activities all at the same time, they know when you are in your cabin and when you are not. They still give you “Do not disturb” signs (pillows) to hang on your door-- just in case.
“All-inclusive” REALLY meant everything was included. No up-selling on wines, specialty coffees, specialty restaurants, etc. There wasn’t even the usual plea to add an additional tip to those that made your experience extra special.
Free alcohol flowed. You never had to seek it out. They kept your glasses full, or your beers replenished, etc., if that’s what you wanted.
This is the one I liked the best, covered at the initial orientation: “The lounge doesn’t close until the last person goes home”. (I was never the last person, but was within a handful on multiple occasions.)
All of us, 103 guests in total, had a great time.
Thanks for reporting back. We are planning to take the one from Paris and incude the Normandy Beaches tour next year. We are still trying to decide which cruise line to use.
Thanks for the update. I’ve booked a river cruise for next spring on AMA. My mom and I are going to see the tulips! @cardinal fang, your posts about your trip really inspired us to book. We’ll be on a new ship, the AMAStella. @Jshain, your experiences are confirming our decision to go!
Thank you for telling us about your experience. I have been eyeing river cruises for a while. This gives me a positive view of what it can be like. Best features, all inclusive and no up-selling. I dislike up-selling or any type of selling during by vacation time. : )
Ok. Am planning to follow CF’s lead and see tulips in Holland too. CF should get a commission! 
@runnersmom & @HImom, I hope you enjoy the tulips as much as we did!
D is enamored with the idea of going to Holland and Barvarian countries. She has taught herself Dutch and German. She will be our tour guide. We are hoping S will also join us!
wife has been advocating for a river cruise for a few years now. I have been saying “no”. Never seemed like something I would want to do. May relent…
Thanks for the review! That type of a cruise sounds like my cup of tea.
Has anyone had an experience with low water levels on their river cruise? I have read a few reviews from people who were really unhappy with what happens when the water is low (coach trips)
NJres, How long did you say you’ve been married?
@lia_b, Uniworld, as well as a couple of other lines, such as Tauck and, I think, Scenic are all-inclusive whereas other lines have varying degrees of “all-inclusive.” AMA, for instance, includes beer/wine/soda etc. at meals, but you pay for other alcoholic beverages like any other cruise/restaurant. The gratuities are also not included. Also, other lines don’t include all the tours, having some optional additional fee tours as well. As with everything, the devil is in the details; you can compare lines, levels of inclusiveness, itinerary, types of tours etc. We flirted with others but chose AMA due to new ships, double balcony cabins, dates available and multi-level of activity tours offered.