We just finished a multi-generational trip with our twin 11-year old girls and had a wonderful experience. They made friends on board and had a lot of fun on the guided tours. Having a designated "family" tour group was a wonderful idea. The tour guides had kid-friendly fun facts as well.

Although the kids did not start using the kids' room right away, it became their meeting place for fun - it was their "club" room.

As for our experience as parents - in one word, "pampered".

Thanks to the crew.

I cruised the "Castles on the Rhine" cruise in April and had such a fabulous time. Your ship and the cruise was so much more than I expected. Our group of 26 all came away with nothing but positive comments. The personnel assigned to our ship (River Ambassador from Basel on 24/04/10) were so professional and personable. Thank you for providing such a great experience. I will look forward to another vacation with Uniworld.

It has been just over a month since we returned from Castles Along the Rhine on the River Ambassador. For many years, my sister-in-law, my niece and I have taken time each October for "ladies weekend out." This year, we decided to take it to the next level with a 7 day Rhine River Cruise. Oh, the pampering and special attention from the crew...oh, the delightfully and delicious cuisine...oh, the castles and cathedrals and canals...so much more than we ever anticipated. Everything was taken care of by Uniworld - no travel worries or concerns. All ... we had to do was enjoy... and we did just that!!! Thank you Uniworld! Read More...

This was my first trip to Europe. I accompanied my mother after her traveling companion canceled and I am glad to have had the experience. The cultural experience of seeing Amsterdam, the famous Cologne Cathedral, and the only castle on the Rhine to have never been successfully taken over was unbelievable. We also enjoyed the wine tastings in the Alsatian Region of France. Christine Bremberger, our tour director, and the staff could not have been better. Thanks for a wonderful vacation. Brian Siemers

My wife and I cruised with Uniworld for our 25th wedding anniversary celebration. It could not have been more spectacular! The scenery was everything we have dreamed of and the Uniworld staff made all passengers feel very special. It was a great value and we hope to go again some day. When we do travel again, it will definitely be with Uniworld. Thanks for making our trip such a memorable experience.

Every phase of this cruise exceeded my highest expectations. Relaxing, interesting, informative, charming, entertaining without being demanding; it was just what I was looking for. And our cruise director, Marcus, was perfect in his role. He truly made the experience memorable. You have a treasure there.

I just returned from the 20th of September "Castles on the Rhine" cruise which was exceptional in every respect. The ship, service, staff and food were fabulous. Markus, our cruise director was both highly competent and accommodating and our waiter, Galin, was world class. Uniword even arranged for great weather throughout! Kudos to First Captain Bakker for a seamless journey and very enjoyable experience.

Dear Mr. Young,

My mother and I just completed the 9-day "Castles Along the Rhine" river tour from Amsterdam to Basel (June 6 ­ - 14), and I couldn't have been more pleased.

To begin, although I had traveled internationally, a river cruise vacation was entirely new to me. I was trying to plan a trip to Germany for my mother (who is 84 years old) and myself and I didn't think a bus tour would be suitable for her, so I researched river cruising. I attended a Travel Expo sponsored by AAA in Foxboro, Massachusetts and enjoyed an audio/visual presentation about ... Uniworld and its travel destinations that offered me the opportunity to ask questions about the experience. The concept of visiting Germany and touring some of its beautiful cities and towns without packing and unpacking at different hotels was very attractive.

This is the first trip I have planned that absolutely exceeded my expectations and lived up to its glowing marketing description. There isn't space here to list all the ways that Uniworld made our trip unforgettable, but I'd like to very briefly list the areas in which our tour on the River Ambassador excelled.

The staff: All staff members were professional, courteous, helpful and cheerful. The ship was immaculate and all services performed were of the highest caliber. The cruise manager, Rick Sprengers saw to it that all passengers fully enjoyed their tours every day. He attended to every detail and was very kind to the passengers who had some physical challenges (not my mother, who gets around just fine). The communication of each day's schedule and who to expect on tour was excellent. In short, the combination of capable and pleasant service made for a very relaxing vacation. Bonus: attentive but no intrusive service at all levels.

The food: My family is made up of true "foodies" ­ we are all gourmet cooks and in fact my brother is a professional chef. The meal selection, preparation and presentation were outstanding. The service was excellent, and the minimally decorated white dining room with scenery at every window was calming and elegant. I was glad we were given a copy of the week's menus, and I admit that did take a few pictures of the meals at the table, they were so beautiful and appetizing. We fully enjoyed the complimentary wine with dinner. No four-star restaurant could have done better. Bonus: hot dishes (warm plates for buffet!) and cold ones cold.

Tours: The local guides were excellent and knowledgeable, interesting and eager to share the history of their towns. The AudioVox system is just the best invention! Everyone on the tour was able to hear equally well, and the tour guide could quietly point out features in churches without being disrespectfully noisy. The ways we toured: on foot, on a canal boat and on a bus enabled us to enjoy he best of the areas we toured and gave our legs and feet a break. The description of the tours as "active" is indeed accurate, though they are not unrealistically exhausting. We were tired enough each day to feel we'd earned our fantastic dinner but had enough energy to tour again the next day perfect! The optional dinner in Rudesheim was especially nice for my mother and me since we are of German descent and fully enjoyed the regional menu and the familiar band music. Bonus: My mom cried when she recognized tunes her grandparents had danced to when she was a little child (priceless).

The onboard entertainment: My mother and I took this river cruise for its focus on scenery, tours of history and culture, and cuisine. We were not looking for "night life." However, we very much enjoyed the local entertainers from Germany and France since they augmented the day's tours and offered further exposure to the art of the region. Charlie did a fine job also, making his keyboard sound like a full German "oompah" band for our day of castle gazing up on deck. Bonus: inviting, entertaining evenings with opportunity (but no pressure) for bar drinks.

Again, there is not enough room to detail all the ways that Uniworld and the River Ambassador staff delighted us on our trip down the Rhine River.

Overall, I think the most impressive thing is how relaxing the trip was, not because it was dull, but because there were "no worries". The smallest details were prepared for and addressed. Communication was such that we didn't have to figure anything out.

There was flexibility so we could explore towns and cafes on our own. The ship and its staff became familiar to us quickly so all we had to do was enjoy our travel and the local experiences. We never had to wait for anything.

Sincerely,

Mary S. Schreitmueller Read More...

Just returned from a wonderful trip on the Rhine. The level of service provided by the crew was just top notch, from the friendly housekeeping staff to the very versatile musician. I am a vegetarian, and had no problems finding great choices at every meal. Would recommend this trip, highly.

Two weeks after debarking I am still smiling about the Castles along the Rhine Cruise. We had a lovely time. The best part of being on a small ship is that you actually meet your fellow passengers and get to know them. On a regular, big ship cruise, you could say hello to someone and never see them again. Not so on the River Ambassador - we meet at least half the passengers and befriended many of them. The ship itself is merely in Okay condition and hopefully Uniworld will replace it with a newer ship. ... We heard complaints about the plumbing system, but only had minor problems ourselves. But the crew were wonderful - friendly, helpful and always willing to go the extra mile to assist a passenger. The wait-staff always remembered our preferences, the bar-tender always knew our favorite drinks and the cabin-crew knew each of our quirks. I have bad knees and they always had a bag of ice for me to ice them down at the end of the day. The food at dinner was simply amazing, although we dined in the slow French style. The food at lunch and breakfast wasn't as imaginative and delicious, but was still good. The chef had quite a variety of dishes and they all looked as good as they tasted. I'd go back for the food alone! I'd recommend the Basel to Amsterdam route - we took the opposite and visited Cologne on a Monday - and all the museums were closed! If you have a chance visit the Historical Museum in Speyer, though - go, it was wonderful. And the section of the Rhine with all the castles, a UNESCO Historical Site, is probably the most beautiful place I've ever seen. Our Cruise director was simply terrific - the best I've ever encountered and better even than I imaged a Cruise director could be. He was alays available, always knew every detail of every city, always was ready with a personalized suggestion of what to see or where to shop. I don't know if all the Cruise Managers on Uniworld ships are this good, but he was amazing! The passengers ranged from their 50s to their 80s. There was nothing to interest a teen or a child on board, so if you want a family vacation, take another ship. Some of the walking tours were difficult, as most of the streets were cobblestone and uneven. Cobblestone is tiring to walk over. The optional Castle Marksburg tour was especially strenuous - although I highly recommend taking this tour, it would be almost impossible for anyone with mobility issues. I walk with a cane and was able to get around okay [although I needed that ice every night], but people who use walkers or are confined to wheelchairs will find that most places are not handicapped accessible. Overall I would rate this vacation with a five out of five stars. Whatever minor drawbacks were completely negated by the excellent service and locations. This cruise exceeded my admittedly high expectations. I highly recommend it! Read More...