Uniworld Cruise Companion

[SOShrink]

Does anyone know what happened to the very informative cruise companion books or downloads we used to have access to prior to our trips? It listed every excursion and option in detail. Now all you get is information about cruising, ship amenities and crew, etc. that most of us know already, but no description about each trip. I’m not talking about the overall Uniworld Brochure which is beautiful and useful, but the actual Cruise Companions of each trip we used to be able to access from the “already booked” section of Uniworld.com

 

 

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[Roz]

Hmmm.....looks like they've been reduced online to a 1 page summary, and we need to go to the day to day itinerary in order to get all the details. On my 2 Uniworld cruises (I have a 3rd booked for this fall) I got one mailed to me along with my luggage tags and docs. We shall see what happens with the upcoming cruise.

 

Roz

[bubbulz]

I called Uniworld about this last week as I am very disappointed in the change. At this point, I'm using one from 2016 for our next trip, although some of the tours are different. It's hard to understand why they made this 'downgrade' as it does not seem that it would be that difficult to update it.

[acwmom]

I called Uniworld about this last week as I am very disappointed in the change. At this point, I'm using one from 2016 for our next trip, although some of the tours are different. It's hard to understand why they made this 'downgrade' as it does not seem that it would be that difficult to update it.

 

With regard to the printed material, they are saving money.....however, there's no reason they can't continue to do it online. I was disappointed as well.

 

Robin

[bubbulz]

With regard to the printed material, they are saving money.....however, there's no reason they can't continue to do it online. I was disappointed as well.

 

Robin

 

I agree. No reason they could not provide the information online. That is all I was looking for.

[Roz]

I'm also OK with an online version. By the way, I received the 2019 Uniworld in the mail today.

 

Roz

 

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[gnome12]

The problem is that all the online version has is a schedule; no decent description of the excursions.

 

 

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[acwmom]

The problem is that all the online version has is a schedule; no decent description of the excursions.

 

 

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In its current form, yes. What I meant was, there's no reason they couldn't do the former version in an online only version, which could be downloaded or printed at one's own expense.

 

Robin

 

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[gnome12]

In its current form, yes. What I meant was, there's no reason they couldn't do the former version in an online only version, which could be downloaded or printed at one's own expense.

 

Robin

I agree completely. I'm sure that it is more work for them to even put it up online, but presumably they have to have the text to give to the Tour Directors so it should be available.

[need2travel1]

Without a description of the excursions I have no idea what some of them are. On the Paris & Normandy itinerary sheet for the last day of the trip it lists several optional excursions in Paris: "Paris City Roofs" & "Art Walk & Workshop" are two of them but I have no idea what they actually entail. I called Uniworld & the agent had no idea either so I emailed them but all I got in return was an emailed copy of the same sheet that's online. Ugh!

[sawtooth]

So now you have to wait to board the boat to get in depth description of the tours?

Do you even get it then?

Anyone who has cruised lately can answer this question.

Am I correct in saying that the package sent from Uniworld a few weeks before the cruise does not contain an in depth information?

 

Maybe people who have take the cruises in the past can find a way to post the old cruise companions.

[Roz]

In its current form, yes. What I meant was, there's no reason they couldn't do the former version in an online only version, which could be downloaded or printed at one's own expense.

 

Robin

 

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I was also trying to say what Robin just stated. Online is fine if it's the former version, not what's currently posted which is a mere outline.

 

Roz

[acwmom]

So now you have to wait to board the boat to get in depth description of the tours?

Do you even get it then?

Anyone who has cruised lately can answer this question.

Am I correct in saying that the package sent from Uniworld a few weeks before the cruise does not contain an in depth information?

 

Maybe people who have take the cruises in the past can find a way to post the old cruise companions.

 

No detailed info with the package sent out with luggage tags. Yes, you get detailed info when you get on board.

 

The orientation meeting the 1st night or next morning, depending on the cruise, is long, but very informative. We always have a pretty good idea, in advance, of what we want to do, but these talks do help on the few we are on the fence about.

 

Robin

[SOShrink]

I want to second what Robin just stated. You will have ample time to find out about the optional excursions by attending the port talk or even stopping the cruise director and asking about them in plenty of time to make your decision about the Paris excursions. The Side Car adventure is the only one that may be limited so you should sign up for this sooner if you do it.

 

 

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[pinotlover]

I believe part of the problem is that Uniworld sometimes ( often) goes with the flow of what’s happening at the time of the cruise.

 

Uniworld has its standard set tours it does every cruise. Then, in any port, they may have additional optional tours that appears on the itinerary. All great, except maybe during your cruise there is a special festival going on that week and the CD works out a different optional tour that takes advantage of that event. The regular optional tour is canceled for this special one. Sounds reasonable, but omg someone wanted the regular one not the one time special! Things change regularly! Enjoy your vacation, you’ll have plenty of time to plan your trip once aboard.

[need2travel1]

I know exactly what you mean about special festivals. On our 1st Uniworld (1st river cruise ever) we were scheduled to depart Paris on Monday, July 14. That's right Bastille Day-all the locks were closed for the holiday so we spent Monday in Paris (where most places were closed) & lost our last day Saturday that was supposed to be in Paris since they did everything a day behind schedule. As a result the visit to Versaille was called off. People went nuts over it so they actually had to pull into a previously unscheduled port later in the week & take those cruisers there while the rest of us went on to that days excursion. That was quite the introduction to river cruising but we got hooked anyway!

[SOShrink]

I was researching Highlights of Eastern Europe (our next trip) but we no longer have the detailed cruise companions. So I googled the trip, then clicked on “Day to Day” and then for each day they put “Choice of.....” and list the various tours which are underlined. You then click on that and get a detailed description of those tours as you click on them. It’s a bit arduous, but it’s better than nothing. As also mentioned by others, there are last minute tours they come up with. A few years ago on a Parisian Holiday Cruise, they decided to offer a nighttime complimentary bus tour of Paris including Trocadero overlooking the twinkling Eiffel Tower, which was not listed in the book. Some people who had made other plans like Moulin Rouge in advance missed out on this last minute gem of an evening on our last night in Paris. So it’s best not to plan too far ahead and attend the port talks and see what’s what for your particular week.

 

 

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[sawtooth]

If you can drill down on the Day to Day Itinerary to see the excursions this is perfectly acceptable for pre planning purposes.

You can print them if you want a hard copy.

[acwmom]

I will also add that if there is something you really want to do, ask the concierge, or cruise director. They will do everything within their power to accommodate your request. Yes, it will cost something, in all likelihood. Our Paris-Normandy cruise must have had 15-20 concierge collection options that guests had asked for in the past.

 

Robin

 

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[santoliston]

If you can drill down on the Day to Day Itinerary to see the excursions this is perfectly acceptable for pre planning purposes.

 

You can print them if you want a hard copy.

 

 

 

Not sure what all the fuss is all about. Booked the 1 May 2019, Amsterdam to Bucharest and all the excursion details are available in the Already Booked, Day to Day section.

 

 

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[Bestie098]

There is no pre-printed information other than what is available online either before/during the cruise. You find out what you need to do at the overview on the first night. That said, if you REALLY want to do an optional excursion then the popular ones are booked by experienced cruisers on the first night. We were somewhat disappointed that by the night prior, the cruise director just says "okay, the optional tour has a waitlist" - and for more than one tour!

[SOShrink]

Not sure what all the fuss is all about. Booked the 1 May 2019, Amsterdam to Bucharest and all the excursion details are available in the Already Booked, Day to Day section.

 

 

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With all due respect, I miss my Cruise Companion booklets. They are good mementos of our trips and help you label your pictures. They are also good to show others who may be interested in a future trip. They also used to have all the trips for a particular country or area in one book (i.e. Italy, Germany, etc.) to help plan future trips. I have a nice collection of them from all our trips and will miss adding them to my shelf!