Viking vs Uniworld personal perspective

[knoxclone]

I recently returned from a Uniworld cruise on the Joie de Vivre from Paris to Normandy.  My past river cruises experiences have all been on Viking on the Danube, Rhine and Tulips and Windmills.

 

Personally, I normally prefer the clean Scandinavian vibe, however the Joie de Vivre had a fun French Belle Epoque style which totally fit the theme of the cruise. 

 

Overall, I was very pleased with the ship, the service and the staff.  My experience may have been a little different as the entire ship was chartered by the National World War Museum, so all guests were offered the drinks package and the excursions were specific to WW2. 

 

Nevertheless, I will try to break down my thoughts in a couple basic areas and am happy to answer any questions.

 

Stateroom – 

Cabin was Deluxe French Balcony at 194 sq feet, versus 205 sq ft in a Viking Veranda, and 135 sq ft in a French balcony. 

 

I loved the sliding electric window, and definitely prefer that type of French balcony over the Viking French balcony - which is a slider with a metal railing  (on Viking, I had a fear of accidentally kicking something out the door!).

 

There was great storage, including a drawer built into the end of the bed frame, which was great for storing shoes and bags, but still enough room to store suitcases under bed as well.  Plenty of drawers and great double closet, along with a built-in shelves along one wall.  

 

While the square footage is larger than the Viking French balcony, I did feel that the room “seemed” smaller, most likely due to the padded upholstered walls darker colors.  Biggest downside was no refrigerator in room, and there were limited USB ports and several of the outlets were "loose" and sometimes devices did not charge.

 

Bathroom – the shower pressure was great, and it included a rain showered as well as a hand held. Shower included several safety rails and a built in shower seat.  Bath  featured wonderful Asprey brand toiletries - although I did not like the bottles mounted on the wall, because without my glasses I could not read the labels to see if I was using shampoo or body gel! 😊  Viking definitely wins on that! 

 

Like V, they have heated floor, and several drawers to store personal items. They did have a magnifying mirror which was appreciated, and a blue night light which was nice and unobtrusive. 

 

Food is always subjective, but I was very pleased with the food selections, presentation and service. Breakfast and lunch were served buffet style, and while the menu leaned towards classic and regional French cuisine, the menu always had chicken, steak, fish or vegan options available – and fabulous desserts and breads. 

 

Overall ship design, I think I prefer the Viking layout because of the windows and openness of the rooms. Uniworld has the bar and the smaller dining venue at the bow of the ship, and the dining room has half windows, as opposed to both the V restaurant and lounge which have floor to ceiling views.

 

I also thought the pool and smaller bar towards the back was a waste of space, and the bar was rarely staffed.  Uniworld did have a small glass covered area at the back of the ship with chairs and tables, along with cookies, and board games and books.  I also appreciated the fact they had a wonderful 24 hour fancy coffee machine which also provided decaffeinated options.

 

Finally, I was happy to have a self serve laundry available. which was very nice and soap was provided.   Lots more, but am happy to answer any questions that I may not have addressed.   Traveling on AMAWaterways in early 2024, so looking to see what differences they have.  Based on itinerary, I would not hesitate to book again on Uniworld. 

[philw1776]

Excellent comparison. Traveled on both lines myself. I greatly prefer the open floor to ceiling windows and light look on Viking.  Food is indeed subjective and I don't need included cocktails although I did enjoy a martini several evenings on Uniworld. My Viking martini costs ~$9.  I love my refrigerator on Viking and their Veranda cabin.
I usually book Viking but would gladly book Uniworld again.

[CDNPolar]

My only comparison so far was one Nile cruise on Uniworld vs. 4 Rivers on Viking.  To date I prefer Viking, but The Nile was not a good comparative option in my opinion.   I still need to experience Uniworld on a more mainstream river itinerary to be sure. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

8 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

My only comparison so far was one Nile cruise on Uniworld vs. 4 Rivers on Viking.  To date I prefer Viking, but The Nile was not a good comparative option in my opinion.   I still need to experience Uniworld on a more mainstream river itinerary to be sure. 

Agree, Nile cruises are a class of themselves.  But you are going from one extreme to the other with Viking and Uniworld.  You might want to try something less polarized, like AMA or Scenic.

[pontac]

Thanks, @knoxclone for the comparison review.

 

The lack of a fridge rules Uniworld out for me - I need to keep my eyedrops refrigerated. 

 

I also greatly dislike bathroom soap and shampoo being in wall dispensers.