I recently (July 2024) sailed on Uniworld S.S. Antoinette on a Rhine River Cruise from Basel, Switzerland to Amsterdam. This was a great learning experience so that I can better help you, clients and potential clients, to choose the best river cruise for you. As a Virtuoso Travel Advisor, my clients are eligible for exclusive perks with most cruise lines, and with Uniworld, you will receive $300 shipboard credit per couple. That can go a long way towards massages or premium bottles of wine! Contact me to discuss your options!
I'll try to keep this Uniworld river cruise review brief and organized to hold your attention! You can view their available cruises HERE.
Ship
Before sailing with Uniworld, this is one thing that I knew would set them apart. Their ships are meant to feel like a boutique hotel, specifically a Red Carnation Hotel, which is owned by the same parent company. Every ship has a unique design, and S.S. Antoinette was designed around the lobby's chandelier, which originally hung in Tavern on the Green in NYC! Artwork is hanging all over the ship, including an Andy Warhol painting (or print) in the men's bathroom. While some people might prefer clean, modern lines, I appreciate the creativity and attention to detail and prefer it to the generic feel of some other ships. Oh, and a big plus is that there are only about 120 passengers on board!
Stateroom
I had the opportunity to experience two different staterooms. I was originally booked in the most basic category, Classic, but asked if upgrades were possible. Since the ship was sold out, nothing else was available. The room was small and just had a window, but I would have been ok in there. Due to a global IT issue with airlines, some passengers didn't make it to the cruise, so when a French Balcony became available, we got to move. Not only were the room and bathroom nicer and more spacious, but the French Balcony was magical. With the press of a button, the window lowers, opening the room to the beauty outside! Since the outside temperature was usually pleasant, this was used frequently, especially for afternoon naps!
Crew
This is an honest review. I had one negative interaction with a crew member at the very beginning of the cruise. I felt like he was pretty rude to us as we tried to get some lunch. Later the same day, he apologized profusely and made sure we were happy the rest of the cruise. Ultimately, I believe it was a miscommunication since we arrived at the very end of lunch, and he didn't realize we had been told to go to the dining room. It was a strange beginning, which was quickly forgiven.
Otherwise, everyone was wonderful. The cruise manager, Daniele, is a jolly Italian man who was always lovely. The main bartender, Augustin, always greeted me with a smile! We really got to know the servers, who felt like our friends by the end of the cruise. Constantin was my favorite server at dinner, as he would tell me what I should order. At first I didn't know whether I should trust him, but after a couple of dinners, I couldn't order without his input! The sommelier, Laszlo, was very attentive and clearly chose very good local wines for the entire cruise, which changed each night. The housekeeping staff, and everyone else I interacted with, were consistently friendly and kind, as you would find in a luxury boutique hotel!
Food & Beverage
Food is very important to me, and it is the main thing (other than the people) that you can't judge from photos. This is why I try to visit a lot of all-inclusive resorts, as well. On other river cruises, I've been moderately happy with the food, but it often felt repetitive or generic.
Uniworld excels in the food & beverage category! Breakfast and dinner are served as a buffet, and there are always plenty of options available for everyone. The servers were attentive and made sure we had our desired beverage at each meal. All beverages are included all the time, unlike other cruise lines, which only include certain beverages at meals or during a specified happy hour.
Dinners always feature a special menu for the day, the chef's recommendation, and there are a few items, such as a steak, which are always available. I almost always chose the chef's recommendation, and sometimes I substituted courses with other menu selections, which sometimes were suggested by the server. Each course at dinner felt (and tasted) like something special, unlike some other cruise experiences in which each plate is decorated in the same way and tastes similar.
Beverages deserve their own category. As I mentioned, all beverages are always included with Uniworld. It's not a "booze cruise," by any means, but if you return from a tour and want a gin & tonic at 4:00 before getting ready for dinner, that is ok! A Negroni is one of my favorite cocktails, and it requires specific measurements. I appreciated that Augustin, the bartender, made it perfectly each time. Laszlo, the sommelier, selected local wines for each dinner, and he described each in the lounge before dinner. The wines seemed to be very good quality (not cheap, as I've experienced some places), and I always enjoyed either the red or the white--usually both.
Entertainment
Each night after dinner, there is some type of entertainment. Most nights, there is live entertainment, but a couple of nights just have music playing. A few nights stand out to me. One of the first nights featured a singer and guitarist who performed a selection of popular songs, and they were quite good (video below). On another night, there was a ballroom dancing couple who taught some moves to wiling participants, and they also demonstrated their more advance routines for us.
Uniworld is apparently known for their 70s night, and everyone is encouraged to pack a 70s outfit, whether that is a tie-dye t-shirt or full disco garb. They played popular 70s songs, and everyone really had fun either dancing, watching, or singing along.
Tours
Something that is great about river cruises is included tours in each port. Uniworld provided a sample itinerary prior to the cruise, but we didn't have the full information for our cruise until we were onboard. There was a presentation describing the tours, and we were to check off which ones we wanted to go on. If you change your mind at the last minute, that's no problem, unless it is one of the few tours that cost extra. Most tours require a short bus ride. For example, when docked in Mannheim, Germany, we took a 20 minute ride in one direction to Eguisheim, France, a storybook Alsacian village, and then we took another 20 minute ride to another charming village. The guides showed us the highlights of each town and allowed some free time to explore on our own. One day was simply a beautiful narrated sailing to view the many castles!
Sometimes, there is a "gentle walkers" option for those who either have limited mobility or just don't want to be as active, and sometimes there is an active option for those who really want to get their blood pumping. I did two of the more active tours, and I was pleasantly surprised that they really were active. We did a 12-mile bike ride along the Rhine, which had a stop at a Biergarten in the middle. It was fun and lovely but really was a workout! The other very active one was a hike up a mountain, which was challenging for nearly everyone who participated. Again, there was a place for a refreshing beverage at the top, and the way down was by ski lift!
Final Thoughts
Overall, Uniworld is my favorite river cruise experience to date. Fellow passengers were very friendly, and the atmosphere was light and fun (politics were never mentioned)! The accommodations and food & beverage were special and unique, and the crew were consistently attentive and friendly. If this sound like an experience you would enjoy, please contact me!
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