jklc123

1 hour ago, bubbulz said:

Hoping for rain in the meantime. My husband and I are fortunate in one aspect: The only really significant potential impact (at least at this point!) would be not being able to board in Budapest. I did have a long talk with a Uniworld rep today and I'm feeling fairly comfortable that they have reasonably good contingency plans in place.

Bubbulz, is it your understanding that Uniworld will transport you from the Budapest airport to the ship in Vienna? We are booked on the Maria Theresa from Passau to Budapest for the Christmas - New Years cruise and just hoping we can sail at least as far as Vienna. Of course, our flight home is from Budapest, an early morning flight. If the river doesn't rise, I'll call when it's closer to our departure.

I'm glad you were able to get info.about contingency plans and wish you well for your voyage.

New things sound interesting, but glad we went when we did. No rafting, no crowds.

On 10/3/2018 at 6:21 PM, rumba2015 said:

 

 

 

Wonder if you can describe your tour to Giza and sakkara? Did you see the older pyramids? We have a day to plan and do not want to miss the complete older pyramid experience.

An answer by someone more recently in the area with Uniworld might be more useful to you, but on our January 2017 trip, on the way to Saqqara we had a brief stop at the Mit Rahina open air museum, which features statues of Ramses II, other statues, a sphinx and other relics of the little that is left of Memphis. After a rest stop at a carpet factory/store, we then proceeded to Saqqara, where we drove past a few pyramids not yet excavated, and stopped to enter the highly decorated Mastaba of Kagemni, a high ranking official of Pharaoh Teti and Teti’s nearby pyramid. Then on for a stop at the Step Pyramid of Djoser, and lunch at the Mina Hotel (not always an option but we were a small group and able to eat there) before our final stop at the Pyramids of Giza and of course the Sphinx. We had the option of paying small fee to also enter the “Solar Boat” exhibit, well worth doing.

On 10/3/2018 at 6:21 PM, rumba2015 said:

 

 

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Bill and twoboys, thanks for posting. I'm feeling more positive now about our upcoming cruise on the Maria Theresa. After having cruised 6 rivers with Uniworld with excellent service and excursions, even though twice we had itinerary changes due to high water, I was disappointed to read the negative reviews on this thread.

Trig -- I guess my post doesn't put your mind at rest!

We were on that route in late May 2010 and had to leave Durnstein earlier than planned due to rising water and concern about getting under certain bridges. We saw campers packing up along the shore and woke up in Bratislava (not on the itinerary at that time) instead of Vienna, and were bused to Vienna for just one day there while the Beatrice proceeded downriver. We met her and sailed on to Budapest where an extra day and more excursions were added. This was our first river cruise and we were hooked! We did learn about out being flexible due to Mother Nature. We had missed ports entirely on two ocean cruises due to bad weather so it wasn't a new concept. Now we, too, are watching water levels as we are booked on the SS Maria Theresa in late December.

I like the addition of alternate dining options, which is something I've mentioned on Uniworld's end of cruise surveys. I did like the spacious staterooms on the Tosca.

8 minutes ago, Scorpio41 said:

I can't stay and read the forum posts when it's like this count me out till it improves.

Me, too.

I agree with bubblz. Tips are not expected, but DH usually has given a small tip (he can't help himself!) LOL We had an en suite dinner one evening when we were exhausted from a long day of touring, which the butler served in courses. Also, we have had butlers switch complementary bottles of champagne for a bottle of Bailey's, which we enjoy more. And the unlimited laundry is great.

Bon voyage!

Our Panorama tour with Uniworld 8 years ago included a stop at the Matthias Church, I presume the one referred to by Shoeman1, where our guide spoke about the church, the Fisherman's Bastion and Castle Hill area, with over an hour for us to explore on our own, which we actually enjoy, instead of always following a guide everywhere. We then had a drive through Pest, with a stop at Heroes Square.

We were there 8 years ago with Uniworld in early June, so this might not help much. It was an included tour; we had a short orientation to the village, and then time to wander the picturesque streets and browse in the shops -- ceramics, hand embroidered blouses and linens, and carved wooden boxes are what I remember. There are a few art galleries and museums, including a ceramics museum and a marzipan museum (!). There may be Christmas stalls when you go, so perhaps someone who Has taken the market cruise will respond.

jklc123,

 

I don't know when the ship moves but we had a similar situation in Passau and it moved from the city to the hinterlands a little after dinner time.

 

We saw our boat at the center city pier in Budapest during mid-afternoon on the day prior to embarkation so perhaps a similar time? Hopefully someone can give you more specific data.

 

If the out-of-the-way pier is Drava, that is a pain to get anywhere from. There is a public ferry that stops there (line 13, IIRC) and it runs about hourly. That will get you to the area of Parliament.

 

Otherwise there are bus lines that will take you to the area of Heroes' Square and from there you can get the Metro.

 

Those are the transport options I remember off the top of my head from our time there. At least those are the ones we used personally - we actually took the ferry to Drava (with some adventures in getting there) on our own to embark, and after embarkation we took the buses to Heroes' Square to tour in the afternoon before dinner, and I remember a Metro stop there.

 

The Marcius 15 ter location by Elizabeth Bridge is way more convenient, though.

 

Have fun!

Thanks JP. I read your review of your Danube cruise (so well done, as always), so have looked at the bus situation from the Drava pier, just in case. Our last day is January 1, so not much would be open. I'm thinking of visiting the City Park area that day and maybe visiting the zoo, which appears to be open. The day before we should have the afternoon free and could take your favorite tram 🙂 to the parliament area. Of course, we'll need to inquire when onboard about ship movement but wanted to have options ready. And we hope it's not pouring rain, and that we're packing enough layers! We did this itinerary on the "old" Beatrice in late May several years ago -- much nicer weather, but high water caused some excitement. We are repeating for the holiday atmosphere. 🌲☃

Bubbluz, thanks to you I just reread this thread. We will be on the MT for its 2018 Enchanting Christmas and New Years cruise. Christmas Day will be in Salzburg for a special lunch at the St. Peter Stiftskeller in Salzburg and a stop in Oberndorf. Getting very excited!

I am curious about our last day, which will be in Budapest, in case anyone has done this itinerary, ending in Budapest. We plan to skip the Szentendre excursion, having been there before, and explore on our own. I would like to know when the ship typically moves from its dock in central Budapest to the dock for disembarkation the next day. Just trying to research metro/tram/bus transportation for our day of exploration.

My sister in law returned two weeks ago from Viking's Russia cruise and loved it. The weather was pleasant, with some cloudy days. We did Uniworld's Russia cruise a few years ago and loved it. The itineraries are very similar. We went in late May and had pleasant weather and very long days. We could sit outside at 10 pm and still enjoy sailing past beautiful countryside (had to bundle up, though -- a little chilly).

My sister-in-law just did the Viking trip, St, Pete to Moscow, with no problem at all. She reacted as I did -- greatly enjoyed the longer day time sailing of this itinerary, which she found relaxing and peaceful, and the ports quite interesting. (I was on another line, too, a few years ago). I've seen the State Dept. warning but think the cruise lines put a premium on the safety of their PAX and would withdraw their tours if safety was a concern, such as when river cruises on the Nile were shut down. We did a cruise there after they were reinstated and were a bit apprehensive, but we felt safe with the security provided there and had a great time as well.

For cruises ending in Budapest, does the SS Maria Theresa dock near the Elizabeth Bridge but move to Drava 2 pier for disembarkation? If so, when does the move to Drava 2 occur? I'm looking at tram/metro systems for some DYI excursions in Budapest. Thanks

Another option is to choose an 8 day and do pre- and post- cruise stays in the embarkation and debarkation cities, either on your own (what we do) or through the cruise company, maximizing that air travel time and finding out how you feel about river cruising.

Hello JP

Just wanted to let you know that your excellent trip review is still useful. We will be on the Maria Theresa for the Uniworld Christmas-New Years sail from Passau to Budapest. Our first river trip was on the "old" Beatrice, same route, 8 years ago. I anticipate that we will have an afternoon (December 31) and all day January 1 on our own, as we will not want to repeat some of the included tours, so I'm making my note cards (Chris, I do that, too) for poking around Budapest, if the weather cooperates. No museums will be open, of course, so walking many of the places you visited would be wonderful, especially on the Pest side. We did the Buda side pretty well last time, except for the hospital, which sounds fascinating. We should also have a couple of free afternoons in Vienna and time in Melk as we don't plan to visit the Abbey this time. In Passau, Uniworld is offering an optional "Bavarian Romantic Winter Walk," which we will probably use OBC for. I wonder if it's the walk you took on your tour, which was included. We fly in 2 days early to Munich to visit Christmas markets there, including one at the airport with two ice rinks and other entertainment.

Any way, thanks again for taking time once again to provide such a comprehensive review. Happy trails!

Linda

We have had two such experiences with Uniworld, both handled very well, both due to high water, unlike the present situation. In 2010, on the Danube, Passau to Budapest, due to rising water, we had to bypass Vienna to get under certain bridges. We were bused back to Vienna from Bratislava for just one day. Instead, we had more time in Budapest, which was not a bad thing. Extra included excursions were added there. Luckily we had booked three days in Vienna on our own after the cruise. In 2015 on the Rhone, fast moving water prohibited us from staying on the ship while it moved from port to port. We had an extra day in Lyon, again not a bad thing, plus an added port, Vienne, and then were bused from port to port while the ship sailed; we stayed on the ship each night. We had the scheduled excursions at the port plus added visits on land along the way, with delicious lunches at high end restaurants, so we saw more of the beautiful countryside along the way. We did miss getting to the final port, Arles, however. We were given a generous stipend toward another cruise, ($2000 each),which we used to sail with Uniworld in Egypt. The company was able to quickly arrange alternate tours and guides and we had a wonderful time on both trips. I still would like to actually sail down the Rhone, however.

We have thought about the Lord of the Glens cruise so we'll look forward to your posts. Best wishes for a wonderful trip and successful surgery!

We've actually had a couple pleasant conversations from our balcony while rafted next to other ships with balconies. We'll watch out for the Vikings in future, however!

I just finished "A Gentleman in Moscow" by Amor Towles, a tale of a Russian count who in 1922 was sentenced by the Bolsheviks to house arrest in a grand hotel near the Kremlin. It reflects Russia up to the early '50's in an intriguing, engaging, gently humorous way.

Another question....

Does it matter where the cabin is located, as far as mid-section vs. front/back? I know for ocean cruises this can be important for people. I would think that you really don't get the movement on the river as you do on the ocean, but maybe for docking purposes? I know that this was true on our Hurtigruten cruise last year.

We have stayed in various parts of our ships and didn't notice any problems. Some have said the deck below the sun deck can be briefly noisy when furniture is rearranged but we haven't had any problem like that.

Welcome to river cruising! From what I've read on this forum, you can have a great time with any line.

If you haven't yet done so, I suggest you look at Host Jazzbeau's stickies at the top of this forum, especially "What to expect from a river cruise" and "New to River cruising?"

I only have experience with Uniworld but most lines have casual dress codes, even for dinner. My DH has not taken a sports jacket and tie with him since our first cruise. Collared shirts for men and a nice blouse with pants or skirt for women seems to be the norm on all lines . A few people might dress up a bit more for the captain's and farewell dinners, but not everyone.

As for scenery, although on most itineraries most sailing is at night, there is often at least a morning or afternoon designed for sailing through particularly scenic areas, such as castles on the Rhine and the Wachau Valley on the Danube. We also saw lovely scenery on the other rivers we've sailed -- the Seine, Rhone, Volga and Nile. The only industrial area we passed in daytime was on the Rhine between Cologne and Amsterdam, but that was actually rather interesting.

Some lines, such as Uniworld, have more included excursions than others, but I even "all inclusive" Uniworld offers a few excursions for an extra charge. We rarely felt the need to add an optional tour but appreciated the option a few times.

Happy researching! I imagine you will receive lots of advice from other river cruise lovers!

Two boys, we will look for your review. We will be in 404 in late December. We originally booked 305 but DH decided to upgrade for more room as we do enjoy relaxing in the room before and after dinner, recovering from the active touring at each port.

Bon voyage!