Cruise Ship Reviews : Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection Reviews

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cindyblogger saw things this way:


An excellent river cruise through Eastern Europe, July 19, 2012
Reviewer: cindyblogger

Pros: Ship just totally refurbished, in excellent condition

Cons: Alcoholic drinks, juices and soft drinks not included, except at meals

Date of cruise: June 28, 2012

Departure port: Vienna, Austria

Region visited: Europe

Cabin category: Outside

Cabin number: 422

Good for children: No

Good for teenagers: No

This river ship is one of 12 in the Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection (they charter ships in Russia, China and Southeast Asia). She has the capacity to carry 134 guests, but we had a very comfortable 85 on board during this sailing. She was built in 2003 and renovated first in 2009 and again last winter. Over several months, the ship was gutted and entirely re-done on the inside: New walls, lights, carpeting, furniture and soft goods all in bright, off-white tones. Mirrors are used throughout to create a sense of much larger space. The remodel was coordinated by the design team of Red Carnation Hotels, Uniworlds sister company. Except for four suites, the 63 staterooms are the same size, 151 square feetthe only difference is that on one deck they have French balconies with doors that open and on the other decks there are wide windows. As with most river cruise ships, the cabins are snugthere is scarcely room for two people to pass in the narrow aisle around the bed. There is a small table and two chairs and a vanity, but, in truth, these are rarely used. Storage space is quite good. The bed is largeking-size, or two doublesand the bedding is luxurious. The bathroom is also tight, but adequate. Cabin amenities include large, flat-screen televisions and free internet access on them via an in-room keyboard. (Wi-Fi is free on the ship.) These are the type of cabins you really do not spend much time in you are either touring, in the lounge or up on the sundeck (except for the occasional nap, of course.) So while the French balconies do let in a lot of light, they arent used that often because you are either off the ship touring or another ship is docked alongside so the only view is of the side of another ship. Also, the weather was so hot during this cruise (in the 90s every day), that you couldnt open the doors for very long without spoiling the air-conditioning. There is a large lounge in the front of the ship with a bar and the dining room is to the rear. Both offer very nice river views. The lounge has a small dance floor which is also used by guest performers and lecturers. A piano player performs during tea, cocktails and after dinner for dancing. The only problem in this room is there are no spotlights or stage lighting for the performers. Hopefully, this will be remedied. There is also a small card room/library, fitness center with a sauna, a laundry with two machines (free), and a coffee station, tiny shop and a few tables on the lower level. We spent most of our time between the lounge and sundeck. The sundeck runs the entire length of the ship and has many chairs and lounges. There is also a single shuffleboard court and an outdoor chess set. There is a Sky Lounge with a sliding glass roof. This area is typically used for al fresco dinners which can accommodate 20 passengers at a time. This is the only place where smoking is permitted. Cynthia Boal Janssens Editor, AllThingsCruise