Uniworld River Queen Cruise Review: River Cruising At Its Best!
Uniworld River Queen
Cruising the Rhine, Main and Danube on the Uniworld River Queen is a trip you should consider. The rivers, locks and the little towns along the rivers are hard to describe in one article, but considering this was my first river cruise, I couldn’t have picked a better one. The ship and its crew were so gracious and helpful. The Captain made all of us feel very much at home. Our Cruise Director, Bart, even made an extra-special trip to a drug store to get cough medicine for me – I couldn’t ask for better service than that. Bart was a most helpful Cruise Director as he was always available, always happy and always had a funny story to tell about the next destination.
The Rhine River is beautiful in the springtime with lots of green hills and vineyards all through the Rhine Valley. The ship goes through many locks to get up to the Main River and then more locks to join the Danube. The castles on the Rhine keep you busy with your camera or binoculars, as they seem to be around every corner. Going past the Lorelei statue is a special treat, and the Captain has to be very careful guiding the ship around the corner. Of past, many sailors lost their lives thinking they heard Lorelei singing and
they forgot to watch out for the rocks that could sink their boats.
The River Queen is very warm and inviting. The crew is aware of your every need and very helpful if you have any questions. The Chef prepares daily meals according to the region we are going through. Every evening the menu is posted with all the types of local foods we will be enjoy dining on and where they are from. The dining room is large to accommodate one seating, which is open. This makes it pleasant to visit with different passengers at each meal. Breakfast and lunch are buffets and offer many choices with hot and cold items available. Keep in mind that dinner is something special every night, and try not to eat too much during the day – easier said than done. Wine is served with dinner and visiting with your dinner companions about all the exciting events of the day makes for a very enjoyable evening. Then after dinner the Cruise Director always has something special going on in the Lounge. A wonderful way to end a special day.
Each town you visit has its own identity so there is never an opportunity to be bored. In fact, it is exciting to go and meet with the next local tour guide. Each one is well educated, English-speaking and knowledgeable about their particular town. They treat each guest as a personal friend so it makes the visit even more fun.
Heidelberg was interesting in that it has a beautiful castle with lots of history. It is probably the world’s most famous castle ruins. The enemy at that time hit one tower, but part of it is still standing after all these many years, just as it was the day it was hit. You really feel you are back in time especially looking around the courtyard and visualizing what it must have looked like with all the royalty strutting around in their finery. Oh, what a beautiful sight!
Nuremburg was particularly interesting because the local tour guide made a special point of explaining what Hitler and his regime did to the city. Considering the old part of the city was 90% destroyed, the rebuilding after the war was a miracle. It has been rebuilt into one of Germany’s most beautiful cities.
Melk (the Benedictine Abbey), built in the Baroque style in the Wachau Valley in Germany, is so large it is astonishing. The courtyard looks like it could be a small town. And, the wealth in the Abbey is hard to describe. The ceilings and the library with over 80,000 books and the church are all outstanding and in amazingly great shape. Melk has to be seen to be believed! Be sure to include it in your itinerary.
Vienna and Budapest were the two largest cities we visited and they really need a full day each to be seen. Of course, the opera in Vienna is a must and having a good tour guide is very helpful. Local tour guides do the best they can to highlight the most important and historic parts of each city, with the limited time they have. Uniworld does a great job of getting a fantastic assortment of tour guides.
Taking a leisurely river cruise and visiting lots of towns and cities in Europe in one trip is something everyone should think about doing. There is so much history and so many sites to see. River cruising makes for a most enjoyable European voyage and Uniworld provides all the ingredients for a memorable journey of discovery.
If You Go:
Contact Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
Address:
Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection
17323 Ventura Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 91316
Toll Free Tel: 800-733-7820
Tel: 818-382-7820
Fax: 818-382-2709
Reservations:
Toll Free Tel: 800-555-8333
Email: [email protected]
Website:
www.uniworld.com
