My husband and I have now traveled twice on the River Countess, in the past year, and it will be very difficult for any other vessel or cruise line to meet our expectations based on the standard set during the tour which began in Bucharest on April 15, 2009. The Bucharest local host was excellent, everything went smoothly, and we were so pleased at the substitution of Peles Castle for the tour of Bran Castle; it saved us having to make those arrangements for ourselves! The greatest pleasures of this tour were threefold: returning to the River Countess and our same ... stateroom; being greeted once again by the friendly faces of Captain Jord Zwaal and his bride Julie; and the superlative services of cruise director Mirela Varga! The tour was excellent; perhaps we were overly spoiled by the small group size, but this trip has certainly set the bar very high. We are looking forward to traveling with Uniworld again in the future. Kevin & Leanne Hayes, NS, Canada Read More...

Our Eastern Europe Explorer cruise was a great success ... and have had no negative comments at all!!!  I think the highlight for all of us was in Croatia, where we had the visit to a school, and a home-hosted lunch.  That really was a wonderful day.

... We had one more dinner together, the night we were leaving Budapest.  This was one of the nights they offered Sun Deck dining .. and what could have been nicer than sailing away in a beautiful sunset … with your friends !!  One of the other 2 tables up there was a group ... of 4 people from Boston... so, as a finale,  one of those fellows suddenly broke out into “O CANADA” .. and of course we all joined in.  He had a magnificent voice and, believe it or not, even knew all the “new” lines ……..  said it was because he goes to all the hockey games !!!    Both the Hotel Manager and the Restaurant Manager came rushing up the stairs to see what was going on and to join in.  What fun.
 
Thank you also for all your help in planning / “implementing” the trip. It was a pleasure working with you. Ulrike, in your Group Department, was also a great help throughout, and did a wonderful job of coordination…. Always friendly, always helpful, and always patient.
 
In looking over the 2010 list, I think I would like to try the 17-day “Paris and the Heart of Europe” .. from Vienna to Paris, on the Princess….  August 15, 2010. 

Look forward to talking to you ……. 
Regards,
Barbara Broadbent Read More...

I returned yesterday from our Eastern Europe vacation where we cruised on the River Empress, Enchanting Danube. I had two other, well traveled, couples with us. I can say that the experience exceeded all of our expectations. The ship, the itinerary, the food and above all the crew were exceptional.

Tony was the cruise director and he was unbelievable. I think he could write a book on European history without looking at any reference notes. Rudy the new hotel manager was a classic. The whole crew was very friendly and we developed ... great friendships on board.

When people ask me about the “cruise”, I tell them it is actually not a “cruise” but more of a very easy way to see wonderful cities, villages and learn the history of these areas, without the normal hassles of traveling. Unpack only once, your hotel goes with you, the food is always good, the staff becomes your friends and someone else is handling nearly all of the details.

Great experience. Thanks.
– Randy Goodrich Read More...