Uniworld Prague to Cologne 10/21/11

[fred111]

Anyone on this cruise? Should be a good one.

[fred111]

Anyone been on this cruise?

[williegirlcat]

We actually booked this from Prague to Brussels for July 2012. It will be for 17 days and continues through Holland and Belgium. We will be very interested in your thoughts and comments when you return.

[fred111]

No problem. We are going on to Amsterdam and Belgium for two weeks after the cruise. We have been on 5 Uniworld cruises so far and they do a great job.

 

We took the Tulips and Windmills tour through Holland and Belgium last year. Super cruise.

 

If you are really lucky, you will get Tony Jenkins as your cruise manager.

[williegirlcat]

We purposely booked this for 2012 because the Floriade will be next year. The 17 day trip is a combination of the two - Germany and Belgium/Holland.

 

 

This will be our third river cruise. We did Moscow- St. Petersburg and Kiev to the Black Sea. Enjoyed them both.

[fred111]

We are thinking about the Moscow to St Pete next year. Not sure about the Ukraine trip. Who did you take the Russian trip with?

[williegirlcat]

We went in the summer of 1997. I saw a little ad in the NY Times about a trip to Russia and my DH and I decided to do it. Of course, family thought we were crazy," who wants to go there?".

 

The ship was old, but serviceable and seaworthy. Anyway, it was not a vacation but an adventure. The 120 people on it became a cohesive group. We were just amazed and excited to be there. After all, we were the generation who practiced 'take cover drills' in elementary school. And here we were in the Hermitage!.

The crew were just as interested in us as we were in them.

 

I know this doesn't answer your question or help make the decision but when you asked the company, I took out my album and relived the trip. Thanks for the memory.

[fred111]

That is interesting. I also remember being taught to hide under desks in school. Amazing how the times have changed. I really want to see Moscow and will probably do it next year.

[Jesterscourt]

Fred111, I was on this cruise aboard the River Ambassador a few months ago. Did you have any specific questions? It was an incredible trip that not included several days in Prague, but then the history of Nurnberg, and neat towns along the Main and Rhine Rivers. I wouldn't know where to start! The River Ambassador was newly refurbished, and my only complaint was that it lacked a separate library lounge for readers, which is an extremely minor issue.

[fred111]

Thanks for the offer. I have plenty of questions.

 

We have been on several Uniworld cruises to include one on the Ambassador prior to the refit.

 

What are your "don't miss" things to see or do in each of the towns?

 

How close does the boat dock to town center in Nurnburg?

 

Any recommendations on optional tours?

 

Thanks a lot. I really appreciate any advice you can give me.

 

Fred

[Jesterscourt]

Fred, I will do this in parts as I have time. Please tell me where you are staying in Prague. We were at the Art Deco Imperial, which was great. Let me briefly address Nuremberg. Yes, as you have guessed, you will be docked far from downtown, but there is a decent tour the next morning that also includes the Rally Grounds and famous Court Room. Then there are shuttle busses provided by Uniworld every hour or so back to the ship. So for the afternoon you can enjoy walking around the Old Town and get bratwursts, and when you feel like it, go back to the ship. You can also work out being dropped off and picked up at the Documentation Center. This will all become clear at the Port talk by the Cruise Director the first day. When you arrive from Prague that afternoon, after you unpack, take a short walk along the river 5 minutes away and grab a beer for 1 euro and sit outside with the locals at a cute little place you will pass. It'll be a great way to start the cruise, and you will have plenty of time before dinner. Do you have any specific questions about Prague before I focus on the rest of the trip?

[fred111]

We will be at the Art Deco also. We have been to Prague before and will arrive about fur days before the cruise. We are already set up for several tours outside the city but have nothing planned for Prague itself.

 

Thanks a lot for the information.

[Jesterscourt]

Fred, the Art Deco Hotel in Prague is in a great location about a 10 minute walk to Republic Square where the Municipal House Auditorium is, and a 20 minute walk to Old Town Square. There are little pharmacies and grocery stores on the side streets, and an ATM across the street next door to the Starbucks(!). Don't even think about it! The coffee is delicious in the Imperial Hotel cafe, which, by the way, is very famous for the decor and food. You will love the breakfast there every morning. You have been to Prague before, but have you been to Karlovy Vary or Cesky-Krumlov or other worthwhile day trips? There are many tours that originate near Republic Square to these places. I have also used Mike's Chaffeurs many times(recommended by Rick Steves) for a more personal experience(http://www.mike-chauffeur.cz).

[fred111]

We visited Karlovy Vary on our last trip and are going to Cesky-Krumlov this trip. We have booked with Mike's Chaffeurs to take us there and to Prokopov (where my wife's great grandfather is from). Other then that, nothing planned.

 

Thanks for the info on the hotel. We are looking forward to walking the city.

[Jesterscourt]

Fred, I'm so excited you are going with Mike to C-K! I wonder if he has arranged his friend Jiri as the guide when you get there. Ask him to stop in Budvar on the way back to see the magnificent town square, and the brewery gift shop. My son still raves about the beer stein we got him from there! I don't know what you have seen in Prague, but I will mention a few places that have extraordinary views of the city: on your way down from St. Vitus Cathedral toward Mala Strana, stop at the Lobkowicz Palace cafe. They have thick white hot chocolate, and the view of the spires and bridges below is inspiring. They have an art gallery here as well as the chamber music concerts every afternoon. Don't miss the view down below from the metronome (which used to be Stalin's statue) at Letna Park. The locals frequent the beer garden up there every nice day they get! The view from Petrin Park is no less stunning, but the line to get on the funicular and the crowds make it less desirable in my opinion. And finally, I would like to mention Vysehrad Castle a few metro stops from downtown (or you can arrange a nice day trip to see all these places with Mike or his wife, who is also a guide). The view of Prague from further away really puts it into perspective. The famous Cemetery is also here where the likes of Dvorak, Mucha, and most famous artists and leaders of the Czech Republic are buried. Thank you for allowing me to re-live my experience, and I apologize if this is redundant for you....Steven

[fred111]

Thanks a lot. It is not redundant at all. We are taking your advice and planning stops at all the sites that you mentioned. I will send Mike an email today. He did set us up with a tour guide and I'll ask if it is Jiri. I'll also as him to stop in Budvar. Can't wait to leave on this trip. It should be really good.

 

One thing we did notice. It is very rare to meet someone on your cruise on cruisecritic. Unfortunately, very few river cruisers seem to know about cruisecritic.

[Jesterscourt]

You got that right. When I would mention to fellow passengers that I had learned about something from "Cruise Critic", they replied, "cruise...what?". Even repeat cruise passengers whom I had told about CC, still hadn't bothered to look it up. Some people can't be bothered about doing a little research about their upcoming trip. That may work on a Caribbean cruise, but not on a European river cruise in my opinion......

[kateh513]

Thank you for the information. I have a feeling there are alot of people watching this review. It's the first one I have found on this ship/route. We are going in October and we can't wait!

[fred111]

Kateh513, when are you going? We are on the Oct 21 sailing.

[kateh513]

We are on the Oct 7th trip.

[jambo2009]

Hi Fred Unoiworld have now incorporated choices in their cruises. On this cruise you have a choice of doing the regular city tour or the world war 2 tour. I recommend doing the ww2 tour as it is very interesting and usually includes an inside visit of courtroom 600 where the Nuremberg trials took place. in the afternoon you can go back to town. all the excursions are excellent. if you like wine go to the visit to the residenz and then wine tasting in the 17th century cellar which is a highlight. buy some wine too as it is very good quality. my favourite town is Miltenberg. i woulsd also recommend going to the castle that afternoon for second wine tasting.

 

Then it’s on to Schloss Kleinheubach, a magnificent Versailles-like castle with exquisite grounds built in the early 18th century. You will take a private guided tour of the estate with a member of the Princely family and indulge in a reception featuring wine from the house of Löwenstein- Wertheim-Rosenberg. In the afternoon, enjoy scenic sailing along the Main.

it is quite a family with relations to the former crown of germany

check this out

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%B6wenstein-Wertheim#Princes_of_L.C3.B6wenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg_.281803.E2.80.93Present.29

haveagood trip tj

[fred111]

Thanks a lot. We will definitely take the WWII tour. We would have done that on our own but since Uniworld is offering it we'll go with them. Also, we'll take all the wine tours. We really enjoy them!!!!

 

Quick question. What time do we leave Prague by bus for Numemburg and what time does it arrive? We would like to sit in the town square that day and visit Kathy Wolffarte so my wife can buy some Christmas stuff for the grandkids.

[Jesterscourt]

Fred, if I remember correctly, they give you a free morning in Prague, and you leave for Nuremberg 1 pm, getting there about 4:30. Don't forget, you will need time to check into your room as this is your first day on board. The other issue is that it will be a bit of a chore getting into town as you will be docked way out in the suburbs. Still, you can have the front desk call you a cab and be in the town square in 30 minutes. We found that we had plenty of time for the Market Square the next day where had great beer and bratwurst. The bottom line is that if you are willing to miss your first dinner on board, then go and enjoy downtown Nuremberg, making sure you have a way back that evening....

[fred111]

I think we will stay on the boat if we get there about 4:30. I plan on spending a lot of time in the town square the next day drinking beer and eating brats!!!!

[Jesterscourt]

Fred, there is plenty of time to get off the boat and walk along the river promenade right there. Many locals walk or ride their bikes there, and there is a tiny beer garden about 5 minutes away. It is a great thing to do after the long bus ride, and gives you some non-touristy local flavor. By the way, they break up the 3 hour trip by stopping just before the Czech-German border at a rest stop that has a McDonalds and a gas station with a grocery store that sells snacks, soft drinks, and pretty good beer. The gas station has a restroom where the line should be shorter than the McDonalds. I don't know if you are interested in these trivial details, but if it'll make the trip go smoother for you, what the heck!