Uniworld Gems of Northern Italy June 23-July 2

[Lois R]

57 minutes ago, skiptomylou said:

Just a few notes from our Gems of Italy Trip in August of 2017 as we prepare for our repeat trip this coming August:

 

1.        We traveled from Seattle to Amsterdam and then flew from there to Milan.  We made it to Milan, but about 30 of us on that flight arrived without our checked luggage.  We went to the lost luggage area and did not leave there with a warm feeling that our luggage would ever arrive in time for the cruise.  Because that process took so long, we missed one of the Uniworld buses heading to the hotel, but there was a small van ready for us when we emerged from the customer service area.

2.       The Uniworld representatives at the hotel told us not to worry about our bags….that this is a common occurrence….we were not convinced, but they were correct…our bags arrived the next day – about 24 hours later.  My advice here is to be sure and pack a carry on bag with your pre cruise items.  We had done, this, but were still stressed about leaving Milan without our bag…it turned out we should not have been worried.

3.       My recommendation for a great Aperitivo bar in Milan, close to the Rosa Grand Hotel, is the Ravizza on via Ulrico Hoepli 3…about a 5 minute walk from the hotel…we loved it, and think this time we will go there both evenings this time.

4.       We were unable to cruise the PO river as it was too low – but it was not a problem…Chioggia was great and we loved the extra time there.

5.       The River Countess will dock in 2- 3 different spots in Venice.  I recommend that you venture out after dinner, in the dark, and see Venice and its people (without the throng of tourists) in more of their natural environment.  We found a route where we followed a canal and found wonderful little restaurants, locals enjoying the cooler, less crowded streets, and the subdued lighting along the canals made for some wonderful views and memories.

6.       The food on board was the best I have experienced on a cruise ship

7.       The tour guide/story teller they have on board for St Mark’s and other stops is top notch and makes those tours come alive with her style.  I hope she is with us this time as well.

8.       Although this is more of a “float”, than a cruise, this is our #1 cruise to date (and we are up to 30 now)….and this is why we are doing it all again….hoping to do more of what we learned from 2 years ago!

 

Paul covered this so well with his review here...I just wanted to add a couple things we learned along the way.

 

Doug

 

Wow😁that says something to be your number 1 cruise

[Lois R]

Brian, do you recall if the dress code is casual? I remember when I sailed AMA everyone was quite casual for tours, etc. and although I changed my clothing for dinner, many did not...….Regular jeans/slacks/tops will be ok for dinner, correct?

 

And of course anyone else can answer too. (Robin).

[papa B me]

Lois,

Our trip was really casual.  Regular jeans, slacks, and tops are certainly ok for dinner.  I would say that maybe the captains welcome and farewell dinners were maybe slightly dressier meaning long sleeve button up shirts for men and dress slacks and top for women but not fancy or really dressy.  I would say many did wear what they wore during the day to dinner although I don't remember shorts at dinner.  Certainly during the day on the ship shorts are the norm.  This was the first trip I didn't even take a jacket.  Wouldn't have put it on as it was really warm for much of our trip.

 

Hope this helps.

Brian

[Lois R]

Hi Brian helps ALOT!...thanks.  I started another thread about it too.  I have several pairs of jeans, some really casual and some in black that are dressier.  With  a nice top, they can be much nicer than "faded blue jeans".  I doubt I will be in shorts but will check the weather a few days before I leave.  It looks like the

average temps for Venice in Oct is mid 60s.....perfect!

 

Do you also recall if it is easy to share a dinner table with other folks? I don't mind dining solo but enjoy the company of others and don't want to eat solo all week.

[papa B me]

It's extremely easy to share a table.  There will be the isolated group of people that get their whole table filled but most people are happy to share and meet others.  We have dined with people traveling solo on all 3 of our Uniworld cruises.  Sometimes its them asking us if the seats taken and sometimes us asking.  We've always tried to sit with different people at lunch time especially to get to know different people.  We also seem to connect with people on our excursions which carries over to meal time.  Don't think you will have any issues from our esperiences.

[Lois R]

7 minutes ago, papa B me said:

It's extremely easy to share a table.  There will be the isolated group of people that get their whole table filled but most people are happy to share and meet others.  We have dined with people traveling solo on all 3 of our Uniworld cruises.  Sometimes its them asking us if the seats taken and sometimes us asking.  We've always tried to sit with different people at lunch time especially to get to know different people.  We also seem to connect with people on our excursions which carries over to meal time.  Don't think you will have any issues from our esperiences.

 

AWESOME sounds like it will be right up my alley!  Shy has never been part of my personality so meeting folks is not an issue.  I just booked my flights too

[papa B me]

Lois,

I thought of another way that works well on the Uniworld cruises to meet people while traveling solo.  Although I've never traveled solo I do spend a couple of hours a day on the ship solo.  My wife tends to take much longer to get ready for dinner and ready for bed then I do.  Plus she doesn't drink.  So I get ready and go hang out at one of the lounges.  I'll usually go sit at the bar as opposed to the tables and inevitably I meet other people sitting alone.  Many times they are traveling solo or commonly with an elderly mother or father so they are looking to meet people as well.  When I'm feeling exceptionally sociable I'll watch for a group of people in the lounge who seem to be having fun.  I'll walk over and say you guys look like you are having so much fun I thought I would come and join you.  Every time I do this people are so welcoming and often become dinner companions or excursion companions.  Again, you'll have no problem meeting people to dine with.

[Lois R]

Thanks Brian

[angela miller]

I am new to posting on the boards but have been reading them for years. So much wonderful info. I will be going on this cruise in July and am so excited. I know it will be hot, but what about mosquitoes? They tend to love me.

[Babcia7]

Loved this trip so much we took it twice...once in July and once in October.  No problem with mosquitos on either trip.  Enjoy!

 

[papa B me]

We went in June and I don't recall any issues at all with mosquitos

[acwmom]

Dress is casual. We were there over Labor Day.  It was sunny and mid 70's every day, except Verona, went it got up to 90! Shorts were the norm, or clam diggers, during the day.  At night, there may have been a few ties, and a few sport coats (like 1 or 2) but nothing over the top dressy, and that was only on the Captain's Welcome night.

 

I will admit, for dinner, we ate on the top deck 6/7 nights. The Osteria had fresh salads, fruits, cheeses, and pizza. In addition, we could order from the dining room, if we wanted (with the understanding everything would be brought at the same time, not served in courses). My husband did this only once.  We tended to eat bigger lunches in the dining room, so the offerings were just right, and sailing the Venetian Lagoon at sunset....in perfect weather, well, we weren't going to pass that up. It continues to be one of my favorite parts about that cruise.  

 

There were several singles on our cruise, and no one had any trouble finding others to socialize with. We have found the same on our other Uniworld cruises. My husband is often on the lookout for fellow golfers, and will usually notice a shirt logo or hat from a golf course, and strike up a conversation.  We actually met a PGA rules official on our Viking cruise, and he and my husband lamented about not being able to watch the first 2 days of the Masters on the ship (luckily, our cruise ended on Saturday, so he got to watch Sat/Sun rounds) As a result, I can no longer book cruises during the Masters...prioities!!!!