Gems of Northern Italy even better second time around

[Babcia7]

We just returned from our trip to Italy with Uniworld. My husband and I took virtually the same trip aboard the River Countess in 2014, and enjoyed it so much that we decided to repeat the voyage. We loved the new inclusions in this year's itinerary: 2 nights in Milan; an included winery visit on the way to Venice; the bike excursion in Chioggia; the mussel harvest excursion; and the tours of the beautiful Venetian islands of Torcello, Mazzorbo and Burano. This is not your typical river cruise, where you spend hours sailing hundreds of miles. Rather, the trip is concentrated in Venice and exploring the surrounding lagoon.

 

We loved our time in Milan, and felt that we could have enjoyed another day or two there before boarding the ship. Our local Uniworld host, Luke and his staff were absolutely wonderful, and from the time we were met at the airport until they escorted us to the the River Countess, we felt totally pampered.

 

This feeling continued throughout the week aboard the River Countess. Our hotel manager, Sabine and our cruise director, Ricardo were tireless in their efforts to insure that our cruise was a great experience. The rest of the staff was friendly and professional, and it seemed as if any request was met with a positive answer. It was a treat to be served by so many gracious people.

 

There were only a couple of minor "bumps" on this trip. Our guide in Verona was a last minute substitute, and she was not of the caliber of the other Uniworld guides. We felt that our walking tour in Bologna was not nearly as informative as the tour we had on our last trip, and it seemed a bit rushed.

 

Some passengers were initially very disappointed when the captain announced

that because of rough seas, the ship would not be able to navigate the Adriatic and as a result, the River Countess would not be sailing on the Po River. This did not change any of the excursions, and it only added about 10 minutes to one of the bus rides. Having sailed on the Po River on our 2014 cruise, we knew we were not missing much as far as scenery goes.

 

Back to the positive aspects of the cruise: The onboard entertainment was great. The daily pianist was very talented and provided nice background music every afternoon/evening. One evening a very dynamic vocalist and her band came aboard to perform, and on another evening we were treated to an Opera night. For those who had the stamina to stay up until midnight, the ship had a "movie under the stars" one night on the sundeck, complete with drinks and popcorn!

 

This was our fourth river cruise (third with Uniworld). Our experiences with Uniworld have been wonderful and we look forward to booking another trip with

them next year.

 

If anyone has any questions about the trip, I'd be happy to try to answer.

[caviargal]

 

We loved our time in Milan, and felt that we could have enjoyed another day or two there before boarding the ship.

 

 

Milan is a long time favorite of mine. I think it is underrated and I have always enjoyed it for the lack of tourists as compared to the "Big 3".

 

While I cannot imagine visiting Italy on a river cruise (I want to be completely immersed in every aspect of my favorite country and not taking bus rides) I am happy to read that you had a great experience. :)

Edited August 20, 2016 by caviargal

[papa B me]

It is really great to see your review. We are going on this cruise next June. Just booked my flights this morning.

 

Would love to hear more about the Milan portion of the trip as this is the first year. I know that we will see the Lord's Supper. Did they offer any other excursions either included or optional. Any thing special you would recommend to not miss in Milan?

 

Even after the less the stellar guide would you recommend the Bologna excursion over the 1/2 day in Ferrara

 

I see you enjoyed the Mussel harvest. We're mussels the only thing on the lunch menu?

 

I can't wait till next June and your review was great timing.

 

Thanks

Brian

[Babcia7]

Just wrote a detailed reply, but it wasn't posted, so here's a brief response to your questions:

 

In Milan we took an "Aperitivo Tour" the first evening we were there, which included a tram ride to the Brera district. We walked around for a bit, then ate a light dinner at a small restaurant.

 

There was an optional tour to the La Scala Opera house, which my sister said was fascinating.

 

My husband and I opted to go to the Duomo's rooftop terraces for spectacular views of Milan and the Alps beyond. It was one of the highlights of our whole trip.

 

The Bologna excursion was lots of fun, in spite of the abbreviated walking tour.

The best part of the tour is the pasta making demonstration followed by lunch in a beautiful setting.

 

My brother and sister-in-law went to Ferrara and enjoyed their time there.

 

Lunch at the mussel harvesting tour included steamed mussels (which were delicious), bread, fried calamari, fried sardines and polenta. Before the tour, my sister-in-law let the cruise director know that she did not care for seafood, so she was offered a hamburger and fries while we enjoyed our seafood.

 

Have a great time on your trip in June! If you have more questions, let me know.

[papa B me]

Thanks for the info. Its very helpful. I do have another question. Did you get your tickets for the Duomo's rooftop in advance or did you get them the day of? This is certainly on our agenda so want to make sure I'm prepared.

 

Thanks

Brian

[Babcia7]

We purchased our tickets to the Duomo rooftop terrace through the Uniworld concierge desk at the hotel the day we took the tour. I don't know if it was a deal, but if you wait to purchase the ticket at the Duomo, you stand in one line to get a ticket, then in another one to get access to the elevator to the terrace.

Don't let the line to the elevator deter you. When we entered the cue for the elevator, a sign predicted a 90 minute wait. Our total wait (including security check) was less than 30 minutes, and we felt the view at the top was well worth it!