Uniworld Excursions

[rubinstein2r]

Should they be booked prior to cruising or onboard?

 

 

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[beesKate]

They can only be booked onboard.

[Roz]

Most of the excursions were included. We only had one that wasn't. There were optional free tours we had to sign up for.

 

Roz

 

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[cole]

Should they be booked prior to cruising or onboard?

 

 

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If you are referring to the optional excursions, those can be booked prior to boarding. We generally make our choices of optional excursions before boarding due to the fact that you can pay for them when you book and you pay US $ rather than Euros.

Cole

[jpalbny]

We have done three Europe cruises, and the India cruise, with Uniworld. There was only the opportunity to book optional excursions on board. They will tell you when and how to sign up for optional (both free and paid) excursions. Edited to add: Cole, I didn't see your post. How did you sign up in advance?

 

There are three general types of excursions, to expand on what Roz was saying.

 

1. basic excursions where any number can participate. No sign up necessary. Show up and go on the excursion.

 

2. choice excursions which are still included in the fare (no upcharge) but numbers may be limited, and/or advance arrangements need to be made. In this case they ask you to sign up a day or maybe two days in advance so they can make the arrangements.

 

3. optional excursions where you sign up in advance and pay for these excursions. AFAIK you can't buy these before the trip, just sign up when they say to do so. Some of these are size limited so sign up early for those. For example, a cooking demo in Lyon at the Paul Bocuse institute was limited to maybe 10 participants? Other optional excursions (evening concert in Vienna, Marksburg Castle, etc) were not so limited, but still required you to sign up and pay. These go on your shipboard credit and you settle up at the end of the cruise.

 

If you tell us what cruise you're on, maybe we'd have more information about which excursions you have to sign up for. Or if you have any questions about specific excursions just ask.

[bubbulz]

We have done three Europe cruises, and the India cruise, with Uniworld. There was only the opportunity to book optional excursions on board. They will tell you when and how to sign up for optional (both free and paid) excursions. Edited to add: Cole, I didn't see your post. How did you sign up in advance?

 

There are three general types of excursions, to expand on what Roz was saying.

 

1. basic excursions where any number can participate. No sign up necessary. Show up and go on the excursion.

 

2. choice excursions which are still included in the fare (no upcharge) but numbers may be limited, and/or advance arrangements need to be made. In this case they ask you to sign up a day or maybe two days in advance so they can make the arrangements.

 

3. optional excursions where you sign up in advance and pay for these excursions. AFAIK you can't buy these before the trip, just sign up when they say to do so. Some of these are size limited so sign up early for those. For example, a cooking demo in Lyon at the Paul Bocuse institute was limited to maybe 10 participants? Other optional excursions (evening concert in Vienna, Marksburg Castle, etc) were not so limited, but still required you to sign up and pay. These go on your shipboard credit and you settle up at the end of the cruise.

 

If you tell us what cruise you're on, maybe we'd have more information about which excursions you have to sign up for. Or if you have any questions about specific excursions just ask.

 

Great summary. Just one minor note: You say, "Other optional excursions (evening concert in Vienna, Marksburg Castle, etc) were not so limited, but still required you to sign up and pay." On our last cruise in December, the Vienna concert required signup but it was one of the many included excursions. Was it not that way on your trip? In fact, we didn't end up with any paid excursions since the included ones kept us quite busy and adequately covered everything we wanted to do while on the ship. Loved the feeling of "checking out" at the end of the trip and having a zero balance on our account after being wined and dined and shown all the area sights all week. :cool:

 

We also always signed up for excursions requiring pre-registration while on the trip, usually the day prior. It never was an issue with tours being full on our two Uniworld trips so far.

[Roz]

There was an extra charge for the evening concert in Vienna on my cruise.

 

Roz

[bubbulz]

There was an extra charge for the evening concert in Vienna on my cruise.

 

 

 

Roz

 

 

 

Wow. Wonder if they changed it since then. I just looked on the current Cruise Companion and it is included.

 

 

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[jpalbny]

There was an extra charge for the evening concert in Vienna on my cruise.

 

Roz

 

Same here. We had OBC so it was still "free" in the end. But the number of participants wasn't limited, like the Bocuse cooking class, for example.

 

 

Wow. Wonder if they changed it since then. I just looked on the current Cruise Companion and it is included.

 

 

Cool. Have to find another way to use OBC.

 

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[acwmom]

Marksburg Castle was included on our trip in March.

 

They did ask us to sign up for the included excursions, so they would know how many buses to have for each.

 

The extra "paid" excursions don't show up anywhere, ahead of time, so there isn't a way to book them in advance. I'm not sure, with this system, how one would even know a USD price.

 

The extras on our Rhine cruise were a trip to the Black Forest, a trip to Heidelberg, and one or two "culinary excursions."

 

Robin

[bubbulz]

Marksburg Castle was included on our trip in March.

 

They did ask us to sign up for the included excursions, so they would know how many buses to have for each.

 

The extra "paid" excursions don't show up anywhere, ahead of time, so there isn't a way to book them in advance. I'm not sure, with this system, how one would even know a USD price.

 

The extras on our Rhine cruise were a trip to the Black Forest, a trip to Heidelberg, and one or two "culinary excursions."

 

Robin

 

Same here when we did the Rhine. We opted for Heidelberg and were glad we did.

[bubbulz]

Cool. Have to find another way to use OBC.

 

The kind of "problem" you don't mind having! ;)

[helpmesailaway]

Marksburg Castle was included on our trip in March.

 

They did ask us to sign up for the included excursions, so they would know how many buses to have for each.

 

The extra "paid" excursions don't show up anywhere, ahead of time, so there isn't a way to book them in advance. I'm not sure, with this system, how one would even know a USD price.

 

The extras on our Rhine cruise were a trip to the Black Forest, a trip to Heidelberg, and one or two "culinary excursions."

 

Robin

 

Hi awcmom I really enjoyed your Castles on the Rhine review and am looking to do this for our first river cruise next year.

 

I am wondering why Heidelberg was an "extra" cost excursion on Uniworld. I think it is included on Scenic when I looked at that brochure.

[jpalbny]

Hi awcmom I really enjoyed your Castles on the Rhine review and am looking to do this for our first river cruise next year.

 

I am wondering why Heidelberg was an "extra" cost excursion on Uniworld. I think it is included on Scenic when I looked at that brochure.

It is on some lines, and not on others. Their accountants might know why... ;)

 

The Rhine is a great itinerary.

 

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[acwmom]

Hi awcmom I really enjoyed your Castles on the Rhine review and am looking to do this for our first river cruise next year.

 

I am wondering why Heidelberg was an "extra" cost excursion on Uniworld. I think it is included on Scenic when I looked at that brochure.

 

First, thanks for the compliment:-)

 

Second, not sure why it is extra on Uniworld. It is included with other lines, as well. That morning, we did the Vinegar Tasting Tour, and in the afternoon, there were shuttles back and forth to Speyer (in addition to the Heidelberg trip). I hadn't been to Heidelberg since high school, and wanted to return, so didn't mind the charge (plus, there was OBC to use)

 

Robin

[hiccups]

First, thanks for the compliment:-)

 

Second, not sure why it is extra on Uniworld. It is included with other lines, as well. That morning, we did the Vinegar Tasting Tour, and in the afternoon, there were shuttles back and forth to Speyer (in addition to the Heidelberg trip). I hadn't been to Heidelberg since high school, and wanted to return, so didn't mind the charge (plus, there was OBC to use)

 

Robin

 

When we did the Uniworld Legendary Rhine & Moselle cruise, they had to cancel the optional excursions like Heidelberg because not enough people signed up.

 

I loved the vinegar tasting--one of my favorites on the trip!

[bubbulz]

I hadn't been to Heidelberg since high school, and wanted to return, so didn't mind the charge (plus, there was OBC to use)

 

Robin

 

Two in our party hadn't been there since high school either, so it was on our 'must do' list as well. Very cool to see them sitting at the same bar decades later (with the same engravings on the walls and tables!).

[rubinstein2r]

I'm the OP. Thanks to all who responded. We are experienced cruisers but this is our first river trip unless you count rafting the Grand Canyon (highly recommended). We are doing Castles on the Rhine first two weeks in October northbound with several days on our own at each end. We are museum and music lovers not so much into wines, castles or cathedrals.

 

 

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[jpalbny]

I'm the OP. Thanks to all who responded. We are experienced cruisers but this is our first river trip unless you count rafting the Grand Canyon (highly recommended). We are doing Castles on the Rhine first two weeks in October northbound with several days on our own at each end. We are museum and music lovers not so much into wines, castles or cathedrals.

 

 

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Have a great trip! Castles on the Rhine was our first and we're hooked. Enjoy Switzerland, or wherever you decide to visit pre-cruise.

[seabreezer]

Interesting, when I did Legendary Rhine and Moselle a couple of years ago Heidelburg was optional but not an extra fee. I'll be on a Tauck Danube cruise this Fall that includes a dinner and concert in Vienna. Surprised it wouldn't be included on Uniworld...are they becoming less all-inclusive?

[acwmom]

Interesting, when I did Legendary Rhine and Moselle a couple of years ago Heidelburg was optional but not an extra fee. I'll be on a Tauck Danube cruise this Fall that includes a dinner and concert in Vienna. Surprised it wouldn't be included on Uniworld...are they becoming less all-inclusive?

 

 

 

Everything listed in their cruise companion is included. There are few with an extra fee, but you won't even know what those are, until you're on board. I wouldn't say they're becoming less inclusive, as there was always at least one included option each morning and afternoon.

 

Robin

 

 

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[bubbulz]

I could be wrong, but I also got the impression that we were further away along the river than where some of the other companies dock. It was a pretty good bus ride to get there and they have to charter a bus for the trip. In any event the standard tours offer plenty of options.

 

 

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[helpmesailaway]

First, thanks for the compliment:-)

 

Second, not sure why it is extra on Uniworld. It is included with other lines, as well. That morning, we did the Vinegar Tasting Tour, and in the afternoon, there were shuttles back and forth to Speyer (in addition to the Heidelberg trip). I hadn't been to Heidelberg since high school, and wanted to return, so didn't mind the charge (plus, there was OBC to use)

 

Robin

 

acwmom and jpalbany - thanks for the info.

 

The "problem;)" becomes so many wonderful choices. The vinegar excursion looks like so much fun and unusual. Heidelberg of course would be wonderful - and has anybody been to the Technic museum in Speyer?

 

I look forward to planning this cruise for next year.

[bubbulz]

I'm the OP. Thanks to all who responded. We are experienced cruisers but this is our first river trip unless you count rafting the Grand Canyon (highly recommended). We are doing Castles on the Rhine first two weeks in October northbound with several days on our own at each end. We are museum and music lovers not so much into wines, castles or cathedrals.

 

 

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Have a great trip!

 

BTW, that was our first trip and we loved it. Spent time in Amsterdam, Lucerne and Zurich and loved every minute. Late September was perfect!

 

 

 

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[seabreezer]

Everything listed in their cruise companion is included. There are few with an extra fee, but you won't even know what those are, until you're on board. I wouldn't say they're becoming less inclusive, as there was always at least one included option each morning and afternoon.

 

Robin

 

 

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I was referring to the fact that now Heidelburg has a fee when clearly 2 years ago it did not. What's up with that?