Just off of Uniworld's new SS Catherine

[mushroom]

We were on the next-to-the-last cruise of the season on Uniworld's Catherine..(sailing from Avignon to Lyon). In spite of high water forcing a couple of itinerary changes, this cruise was perfection! The staff onboard handled everything in a highly professional, friendly and caring manner. The Rhone river was closed for a day due to flooding. The captain and cruise director made sure that all passengers were in the loop as to what was happening and how it would be handled. Alternate plans were put into place and the result was a wonderful cruise aboard a truly lovely and gracious ship. I've been a Uniworld fan for years, but this experience really sets the bar quite high for river cruising. I will be happy to answer any questions from future guests.

[jpalbny]

Good to hear. We are thinking of this itinerary for next spring. We liked the SS Antoinette very much and hope we can try this Super Ship as well!

[cruisecriticmember]

We were on the next-to-the-last cruise of the season on Uniworld's Catherine..(sailing from Avignon to Lyon). In spite of high water forcing a couple of itinerary changes, this cruise was perfection! The staff onboard handled everything in a highly professional, friendly and caring manner. The Rhone river was closed for a day due to flooding. The captain and cruise director made sure that all passengers were in the loop as to what was happening and how it would be handled. Alternate plans were put into place and the result was a wonderful cruise aboard a truly lovely and gracious ship. I've been a Uniworld fan for years, but this experience really sets the bar quite high for river cruising. I will be happy to answer any questions from future guests.

 

Good to hear you had a great trip. I will be on the SS Maria Theresa next year and I am Very interested to read your opinions of the ship (the Catherine) itself. Thanks!

[cruisecriticmember]

Good to hear. We are thinking of this itinerary for next spring. We liked the SS Antoinette very much and hope we can try this Super Ship as well!

 

How did you like the Antoinette? What was special about her?

[mushroom]

The Catherine is lovely and quite comfortable. Staterooms have plenty of storage and are extremely quiet due to lots of soundproofing. Lots of glass and mirrors give the illusion of spaciousness. Two lively bars for gathering and a well-planned dining room made it easy to enjoy the ample food and beverage service aboard. The waiters and bar staff were among the best I've ever encountered. You get the feeling they really enjoy their jobs. Front desk staff was eager to assist whenever needed. I'm trying hard to think of a "negative" but am unable to do so. My favorite ocean-going cruise line is Regent Seven Seas, and I must say this is as close to RSSC as I can find on a river! Everything you need or want is already anticipated and included.

[cruisecriticmember]

The Catherine is lovely and quite comfortable. Staterooms have plenty of storage and are extremely quiet due to lots of soundproofing. Lots of glass and mirrors give the illusion of spaciousness. Two lively bars for gathering and a well-planned dining room made it easy to enjoy the ample food and beverage service aboard. The waiters and bar staff were among the best I've ever encountered. You get the feeling they really enjoy their jobs. Front desk staff was eager to assist whenever needed. I'm trying hard to think of a "negative" but am unable to do so. My favorite ocean-going cruise line is Regent Seven Seas, and I must say this is as close to RSSC as I can find on a river! Everything you need or want is already anticipated and included.

 

Thanks!

[patrinka]

Great to see your good review. What was the weather like for this sailing? Will be doing it next year. What itinerary changes did they make? Did you fly out of Lyon to another airport to get back to the US?

[mushroom]

Other than rain which added to the level of the river, the temps were bearable. Light jacket and layers for wardrobe. Due to spending an extra day in Avignon, we had to miss Beaune...but I'd been there before and was ok with this bypass. The Uniworld staff made the executive decision to let us stay onboard the Catherine, so as soon as we were able, we went to an alternate city (forgot the name) which was quite charming, non-tourisy, and actually a highlight. While we enjoyed a day ashore, the crew brought the boat upriver to meet us and continue with our itinerary. River cruising is always going to be a bit of a gamble with river levels. In our case, the government of France made the decision to close the river. They have strict rules about when boats can and cannot carry passengers on the rivers. I'd not hesitate to go again this time of year. The lack of crowds more than made up for the minor inconveniences. Also.....many end-of-season sales in the stores!

[mushroom]

Sorry....I missed your last question...we did fly out of Lyon back to Paris. Uniworld provided many transfers to both airport and train - starting as early as 4am.

[patrinka]

Do you recall how much the train ticket was and how long it took you? Was the ride scenic?

[mushroom]

Sorry, I can't answer about the train. We flew from Lyon to Paris.

[jpalbny]

How did you like the Antoinette? What was special about her?

 

A little of everything, which added up a very nice time!

 

Part of it was that the itinerary was interesting and that Springtime this past year in that region was just wonderful. Nice weather, and at least 4 weeks ahead of where we were in Upstate NY. We left snow on the ground, and stepped off the plane into springtime! With that as a prelude, the cruise was bound to be a great success.

 

As mushroom mentioned, the staff was great. Wait staff and bartenders were responsive to your every need, front desk staff always smiling and helpful, and the CD was a sweetheart. In fact, when we visited Bavaria again 2 months later, we met up with her in her hometown, and shared lunch together.

 

The suites were luxurious, and the sliding glass window that converts to an open balcony that they have in the Category 1 staterooms is really cool. The décor was luxurious and we enjoyed the feeling that we were vacationing in a French chateau. The lounge was inviting and the music / entertainment quite fun. They actually had a dance floor big enough to move on.

 

Quite enjoyed the regional food and wine offerings. Part of our enjoyment when visiting different parts of the world is sampling the local cuisine rather than looking for familiar food. Too often cruise ships don't offer enough local fare, but Uniworld did this quite well.

 

There was a decent balance between offering organized / overview tours at each stop, and having enough free time to explore a little more in depth - at most stops. Not perfect but fairly well done.

 

Probably lots of other good things I could say about the ship and the whole experience but there are more details in my review / trip log (link in signature). Perhaps the best endorsement is that last night, we finally booked a cruise on the SS Catherine for next spring on the Rhone! Looking forward to that. :D

[cruisecriticmember]

Thanks for the response, JP.

[jpalbny]

mushroom - as I mentioned earlier on this thread, we booked this itinerary for next March. We will have some OBC to use and I'm wondering if you remember any optional (extra cost) excursions on this voyage. I read the day-by-day description on Uniworld's website but it doesn't mention which of the tours are included, and which (if any) are optional.

 

If there are no extra excursions, it's kind of hard to use OBC on Uniworld...

Edited December 2, 2014 by jpalbny

[jklc123]

We were left with OBC on our last Uniworld trip. Used some at the boutique for things we didn't really need. So we're also interested in the optional excursions. We even have a complimentary massage on each leg of the trip so won't spend on that, probably.

[cruisecriticmember]

how does one get OBC on a Uniworld river cruise?

[jpalbny]

how does one get OBC on a Uniworld river cruise?

 

We got ours through AMEX Platinum. It's a bit redundant given that (almost) everything is included.

 

I can't remember if they have a premium wine list but assume they must. That is our favorite way to make OBC disappear on Silversea.

 

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Forums mobile app

[jklc123]

Our OBC was also from American Express.

[mushroom]

There are a couple of tours - one was a cooking tour and I think the other was a wine tasting tour. Unfortunately, we were unable to do either due to the high water issues on our itinerary. We were, however, able to spend everything in the onboard boutique.

[jpalbny]

There are a couple of tours - one was a cooking tour and I think the other was a wine tasting tour. Unfortunately, we were unable to do either due to the high water issues on our itinerary. We were, however, able to spend everything in the onboard boutique.

 

Thanks much. Hopefully we can do that rather than spend OBC in the boutique. In fact on SS Antoinette, we never made it to the boutique and we left maybe 15 Euro of OBC unused.

 

You have to find extra room to carry your purchases home in your luggage, but you can always carry the extra weight from the cooking excursion home on your person. I do like the sound of those tours... :D