The Meals and Crew of Uniworld…

The majority of these posts dealt with the areas we visited. Life on board ship was not too hard to take either. And, as they say, when you cruise, eating is a full time occupation. The included pictures give you an idea of what one meal on the ship was like.

When you book one of these cruises you really know the diet is going to take a bit of a hit. All the walking helps but the food is always present and certainly displayed in a very artistic way.

On our ship and the other Uniworld tours we have taken, breakfast and lunch are a serve yourself affair. There is table service for drinks and some other things but you walk around a very well stocked area for the food you wish to have. Variety is certainly there.

At dinner, all stops are off. The crew does their best to make sure you really remember the meal. Again, selection is very good and the meals always come with a chef selection. They do their best to make sure there is something for everyone and ask about allergies and the like. Two meals, Captain’s welcoming dinner and the last meal of the journey are a bit special. The pictures I have included show the presentations of the last meal.

I think the required dessert of this last meal on about 90% of cruises is a form of Baked Alaska. Years ago, I can remember parades around the dining area with these things on fire. I think due to safety regulation changes, the flames have gone but the dessert itself has remained very much the same. It does give the members of the crew working in the kitchens a chance to come out and mix with the passengers they are doing their best to impress. It is an interesting sight and certainly something I would expect to see on the next cruise.

So, forget weight watchers, don’t go near a scale for some time after you get home. Instead, enjoy the time and effort the chefs on board put into the meals you will enjoy.

As this cruise was for the holiday season, the crew put on a special presentation of Christmas Carols. They were excellent. When you consider the fact that English is not the first language for many if any of the crew, they did a wonderful job with some traditional songs of the season. As I hope some of the pictures show, they also have a fair bit of fun with this event as well. The crew on board the SS Antoinette worked very hard to make sure all our needs were addressed. It helped make this cruise something special and one I could suggest anyone take. You will not be disappointed. Uniworld does a fantastic job of making sure you come home with wonderful memories of a cruise that is over far too quickly.

The SS Antoinette…

The SS Antoinette: We were told the SS stands for Super Ship. That may well be true as this ship certainly provided a very pleasant home for the week we were on board.
This ship is probably the ‘flagship’ for Uniworld. It is the largest and has the most features including a pool and a movie theatre. There is also a well equipped fitness area as well.  It also has a guest laundry which can be very useful. The dryers were certainly being used after a rather heavy rain at the start of one of our tour days.

The balcony on this ship is different. It contains two small chairs and a table between them. The window is glass from top to bottom but the top half slides down to give you an open area. This is all done with power, you do not have to do anything other than touch a button. What makes this different than other Uniworld ships we have been on is that it creates a bit more space in the cabin. Someone can be sitting on a balcony chair and out of the way of another person using the rest of the cabin. I think this is the only ship in their fleet with this feature. Other ships we have been on have floor to ceiling sliding doors that, when opened, give you a great view but you certainly do not step out on to a balcony.

A word of caution… In some ports two or more ships may be docked at the same location. So, your window might well open on to a window of the next ship. On one cruise people were upset. They had paid the extra to get the balcony view and found in many ports they could not use it as drapes needed to be closed for privacy. That can be a problem at times however, the views you get from such a large door/window while sailing down the rivers more than make up for it in our opinion.

Internet is free and seems to work from the stateroom.  You can also access it from the lounge of the ship. While not the fastest connection, we have actually used it for FaceTime and talked to our daughter back in Canada. It is certainly fine for sending emails and looking at sites on the web. For the ‘techies’ I have included a shot or two of the network connections found under a table used to bring the world into your cabin.

Each room comes with a safe and a reasonable amount of storage. You have room under the beds for the suitcases you bring. However, these staterooms are far from big. Those found on any of the ocean cruises we have taken are much larger. There is room for a bed, two night stands and the small desk/dressing table across the foot of the bed and that is it. The bathroom here is laid out differently than any of the other ships in the line we have been on. It probably isn’t much bigger but it feels a bit bigger. There is room for one person in the bathroom at once. It has a shower but no tub.

I find it best to be gone from the room in the morning so that the person left behind has the washroom and the bedroom to themselves when getting dressed. You certainly could stay in the room and many do, I just find my way works better for me.

The beds are very comfortable, the towels nice and thick and the decor pleasant. These ships get redone on a regular basis so things are are always in excellent condition. As you tend to spend much of your time away from the cabin, the size is not a big thing.

Food, service and treatment on the ships has been excellent. The Vox boxes they use for each tour mean you can always hear your guide and understand what they are saying. Once, we ran into a group from another ship that had the same frequency as we did so that was a bit of a problem when the two groups were close to each other. However, that has happened only once in all our trips.

I think of all the ships we have been on, Uniworld ranks as number 1. Size is not always the winner. While this ship is the biggest, others have had quiet areas like a library where you could go to use the computer in peace and with a spot to plug in. Here on the SS Antoinette, you need to go to the main lounge where a number compete for power plugs and there is always a distraction.

With this write-up and the pictures, I hope you have a better understanding of what to expect. Most Uniworld ships carry bikes they will let you take on shore and we have seen a number on other cruises do this. This time of year is a bit colder than some would want.

In another post, I’ll give you some idea of the type of food you can expect. No one ever goes on a cruise with the main goal being to lose weight. That would be very difficult on a Uniworld cruise as their quality and selection of food is very difficult to beat. Add to that the fact that staff on board could not be nicer or more helpful and you have a real winning combination.

A Second day in Luzern…

As the earlier entry had indicated, Luzern is a beautiful city. On Monday, December 3, we had the whole day to explore the city on our own. We had met with the local host in the morning to make sure everything was set for the airport transfer and to get some last minute advice on what to do for the day but then we were off on our own.

The day started out bright, blue sky and clear. That meant you could see the tops of mountains that were around the city. They were impressive. Also, on a hill top was this beautiful restaurant with a spectacular view of the area. We had been told it had, for years, been a fixture of Luzern. However, it had been a family business and with time the family lost interest and it went bankrupt. After standing vacant for something like ten years, a very wealthy Russian bought it. He reopened it as a restaurant with grand plans to do all sorts of things to resort it to its former glory. I gather that plan lasted a bit more than a year and then he went bankrupt. For the last two years it has been closed. The Russian talks of opening again but so far the people of Luzern have seen nothing to back up his claims.

We were able to wander and see parts of the city. The large Christmas tree on the front of a store is found on one of the city’s most expensive shops. Watches, diamonds and chocolates are everywhere and with prices to match.

We had lunch at a small cafe next to the water. It was a good meal at a reasonable price. Based on those who came in, it appears to be a popular spot with repeat business as most customers seemed to know the two men running the place.

As the day progressed, the weather changed and the clear sky disappeared being replaced by overcast and gray that once again hid the mountain tops. A damp cold with a bit of a breeze made for some rather brisk walking. Our guide had told us that the city gets a fair bit of rain and snow. People, she said, go up the mountains to where things are less cloudy and the sun is more common. That said, I suspect Luzern is a very pretty city regardless of season. Bridges we saw would be covered in flowers in summer according to our guide and this would make for a very beautiful setting.

Some of the shots are taken at night. I ventured out to try and capture some of the Christmas lights and activity found in the markets. I would have stayed longer but by that time the rain was constant and heavy at times. It just did not make for an easy situation. This city really is something to see at night, with snow rather than rain it would have looked very much like those Norman Rockwell pictures that used to grace the front of the Saturday Evening Post back in the 1950’s for those old enough to remember.

After a while, I gave up and went back to the hotel. I knew Tuesday would start about 3:00 AM with a ride to the airport and a long trip home. Luzern is a city I would return to in the future without hesitation. You just need to save money as it is not a cheap city to visit.

These posts have, I hope, given you some idea of what you could expect from a Uniworld Holiday Market cruise. In the next posts, I’d like to show you what you can expect from the ship itself and the terrific people you will meet during your cruise. This is our third cruise with Uniworld and we already have the fourth booked. Simply put, the company and the individuals who work with you on your cruise could not be better.

Luzern Switzerland, well worth a visit…

In Basel, we left the ship and took a bus to Luzern or Lucerne for the two day extension we had arranged. Seven of us from the ship did this. We ended up having a whole highway coach to ourselves.

The trip took about 1.75 hours as we met some problems along the road that held us up for a while. It usually would have taken about an hour and twenty minutes. Part of the problem was the fact that we got our first snow the day we left the ship. The roads were a bit slippery as a result of this. When we got to the hotel, the Wilden Mann, we were met by Cathleen Wagner who is the Uniworld host in the city. She was in the process of saying good-bye to the group who would head out to the ship for the return trip. They had come to Luzern early and had spent two days here.

We had a walking tour of the city and then took an hour boat ride around Lake Luzern. It really is a beautiful city. You get some incredible views from the boat ride but the low clouds blocked much of the mountains that surround the lake. I saw a bit of sun which exposed the mountain but it was short lived.

Back at our hotel, we got a visit from a group of men who come around playing huge cow bells. This must be part of a tradition as they came around a number of times; then they seem to mark time outside our window.

We had heard that Switzerland is not cheap. I can certainly attest to that. And, of course, they use their own currency so those Euros should really be exchanged if you wish to purchase anything that requires money not plastic. Some of our group were headed out to a five star place for dinner. We just did not feel up to the walk and so took a pass. On the ship, a serious round of colds, chest congestion and the like was found. We think it got to us. At least it was near the end. Some people were in bed for two or more stops and at one port they even brought on a doctor.

The city, with the snow and decorations really is a beautiful place to see… very Christmas like. I was out later in the day and was able to get some shots at night. It is a good thing the sun sets early as our time to leave for the airport is 4:15 in the morning. Our voyage home proved to be a looong day as that was they day the flu bug decided to hit me with a vengence.

On Sunday, when we got here, we knew we had picked up the worst of the bug that had run through the ship. So, we weren’t that interested in a fancy meal out. The others headed out to the Swiss House which has a five star rating from the Micheline guide. Talking to them the next morning, we found out the food was excellent, the service first rate but one lady said it was the most she had ever paid for one meal in her life.

We were able to walk around the town with no problems. It is a very walkable city from our hotel. It is a beautiful city, with snow falling, it sure looks like the Christmas card scenes you remember.  Other seasons would be just as beautiful. I was out later to try and take some shots at night with all the lights in operation. It was cold and wet as the snow had turned to rain. Those shots will be part of a later post.

Lastly, the Lion monument is carved into a huge rock face. It honors the 600 Swiss guards who were killed defending Louis XlV (?) at the height of the French revolution. All were either killed at the palace or beheaded in the days that followed.
Our guide told us that at one time mercenary soldiers were a big part of the Swiss history. Now the only place they can serve outside the country is at the Vatican. Young men must do military service or some other form of public service for one year we were told.

Luzern will be the subject of the next post as well. It truly is a beautiful city. I can understand fully why our local guide who hails from the United States insisted on the family living in this city when her husband came back home to work.

A Day in Basel…

We had a bit of a frustrating start to the day at Basel. It was the first day of December and everyone was anxious to get off the ship, on to a bus to take a tour of the city and then head to the Christmas Markets of the city.When we arrived, some other boat was in the spot Uniworld had reserved. It took 45 minutes to get the mess cleared up enough that people could leave the ship. Then we got on a bus that was to take us on an hour ride around the city before dropping us off at the Christmas Market.

The guide on the bus was a dud. He told us very little about the city. Parts of it have some interesting buildings but it is a large city with lots of concrete. We saw a bunch of concrete buildings, some scrap yards and a few nice homes. However, we heard very little from the guide. Our tour director, Tony, was fit to be tied. He was fed up with the guide and the problems about docking. As much of his money is based on tips, he sure wanted things to go well. This did not happen in Basel.

The Christmas Markets were nice enough however, the way the merchants had done their stores and hotels in Strasbourg made that city a hard act to follow. This was also a Saturday so the crowds were something else. I’ve included some shots of the market stalls and other things I found to be of some interest but have to say Basel is a city I could give a pass on any return visit. While I did not get to try any of the fresh bread that was being baked, lines were just too long, I did manage to sample some roasted chestnuts. They were particularly good given the cool damp day.

The afternoon was spent getting some laundry done and the packing started. We had to have suitcases ready outside the door by 8:30 AM the next morning  and our tour bus left for the hotel in Lucerne shortly after. That was not too bad as some had to leave at about three in the morning to make connections home. We had a few days yet before we started that journey.

So, bottom line… if you want to see every Christmas Market, pick a cruise or trip that starts as close to December 1 as you can. That said, we had seen enough Christmas Markets to know things start to repeat and you really don’t need to see every market.

The next post will deal with the city we were in for a two day extension, Lucerne, Switzerland. It was a beautiful place to spend two days and was significantly more attractive, at least to me, than Basel.

The stop at Strasbourg Holiday Markets…

Due to the size of the ship, we could not dock in the actual city of Strasbourg but rather in Germany. Strasbourg was just across the border in France.

We were told it would be a cold day and to bundle up. Well, it turned out to be a sunny day with temperatures in the 6-8º range so it was a very pleasant day to wander around the city and the Holiday Markets. Due to the size of the city and the fact that the Christmas Markets are in full swing our local guide and members of the crew told us we should be aware of pickpockets as there were a number of gypsies in the area. You use common sense, are on your guard and things work out most of the time. I have not heard of someone who has had a problem. If you are aware of your surroundings, keep your eyes open at all times, you should not be the first person to be the victim of a pickpocket.

Strasbourg is a very pleasant city. It has a very large section of beautiful buildings. Our guide told us that many of the larger building have been turned into a number of small apartments. Those close to the centre of the city go for over 500,000 Euro. The larger homes in the same area can cost two million and more. As we were taken on a canal cruise to start our visit, we got to see a number of these homes from the outside. They are impressive but certainly beyond the reach of many of the people who live and work in the area.

As the photos will show, Strasbourg goes all out for the Christmas Market season which lasts for about five weeks we were told. There are the standard little buildings used by those selling however the businesses in the area put up some pretty fancy decorations as well. Our guide told us that beginning in about 2000, the city really began to publicize the markets all over the world. She said that since this started, the markets have changed. It used to be a place to bring your family. Now she said, locals do not come from Friday to Sunday as you cannot move in the area or see much because of the crowds. I would bet this would also make for a pickpocket’s heaven with the crowds and tight locations.

We went in on a Friday morning just as the stalls began to open. It wasn’t bad at the start but by the time we headed back to the ship for lunch, you could see the crowds building. Strasbourg certainly was an interesting place to visit. However, you are starting to see the market products repeating. We had been told to buy something when we saw it as you may not see it again. I am sure that is true for some things however others are common across most of the markets. While I did not check the country of origin for the products, the number of things exactly the same in some of the stalls made me think that China is just as popular here as it is back home.

So, a beautiful day in Strasbourg. It sure does not take long for a week to pass. I still have some ports to cover but the week on board is over before you know it. The crew make you feel right at home, the rooms are terrific, the food wonderful. If you like Christmas and love to be pampered, taking a Uniworld cruise through the Holiday Markets is certainly something to consider.

The next stop? Basel in Switzerland will be the last stop with the ship. We leave the ship there and head off on a two day extension arranged through Uniworld. They can put together a very complete package for you so that you are not bothered with hotel reservations or transfers to the various airports you may need to complete your trip.

A Day in Heidelberg…

So, we set off on a bus ride of about 45 minutes to reach Heidelberg. You know it is Germany for sure as the bus comes from Mercedes, you are on the Autobahn and the cars are just flying by. However, the real proof is in the music they are playing on the bus… In English we listen to Stand by Your Man, On the Road Again and Folsom Prison Blues. All we needed was Billy Ray to belt out Achy Breaky Heart and it would have been perfect. Not an Oompah Band to be heard!

Heidelberg, according to our cruise director Tony, gets a poor rating from Rick Steeves. Rick, we were told, figures it is far to commercialized. I would agree with Tony, I think it is worth a visit. Of all the places we had visited so far on the trip, it had the largest number of Christmas Markets. It also has a very long shopping street that is free from cars. We were told that one in five of the people in Heidelberg is a student at the local university.

The markets were great to walk around. They sold all sorts of different items, decorations, candy, bread, very fancy cookies and a bunch of other items. Street food is a big part of the markets as well. People were walking around with all sorts of buns filled with interesting things. Then there were the crepes and a host of other sweet concoctions that were dusted with the white sugar and chocolate flakes to name just two that I saw.The day was rather damp and raw and so vendors seemed to be doing a banner business in that mulled wine drink we had earlier in the cruise. We had some on the ship, they do a passable job but I think you need the cold damp climate of a market to really make it taste special. We had stopped earlier to have a sausage and beer at an inside restaurant to get out of the cold and to take advantage of the WC for free. If I went back it sure would have been street eats the next time. Prices ‘on the street’ would be better and the variety was certainly there to tempt anyone.
We also spent some time at the ruins of a castle. Some reconstruction is going on but I get the impression that the money just is not there for the complete job. It was interesting and, as I hope some of the pictures show, it gave you a terrific vantage point to see parts of old Heidelberg.

The day was long, you had the option to stop at a small town on the way back to the ship where there is a church and a small Christmas Market. By that time, the cold and length of the day had kicked in. Some got off leaving their friends with the job of carrying packages back to the ship while they went off to find more things. Judging from the number of bags I saw, these people must have come over with some very light suitcases or have a much higher limit on their carrier of choice than we have with KLM.

A long day, the cold got to you by the end but I would go back to Heidelberg. I don’t think Rick has hit the mark with this review if he finds it to commercial.

One of the pictures shows the Heidelberg monkey. I gather touching him or taking your picture by squeezing into the open area in his head is something you should do. Maybe next time.

The next stop in the Holiday Market tour with Uniworld on the SS Antoinette would be Strasbourg France. We had heard wonderful things about this port of call.

A stop at Rudesheim…

Rudesheim is a small town. On the way, we passed through some very interesting country side.  The castle picture gives you an idea of what can be seen from the top deck. A gray day with a bit of wind so it was raw but nothing we Canadians cannot take. Those from Florida and Arizona were bundled up well.

Throughout the town were some very impressive looking Holiday Market preparations however, we were just a few days too early. If the markets are the reason for a trip and given the name of the cruise we are on they should be, I’d book a cruise a week later. However, by the end of the trip, we had seen a number of different markets and so did not feel we had missed much. My hobby is photography, this location would have been a bigger hit with me at night or when the markets were open.

Also, based on the strings of lights I saw in the town, coming at night would make for some impressive photos. Not so much on a gray day. We had docked the night before. Had we known how much the town put into decorations, we would have walked into town to see the lights. If you visit, plan to visit at night, I think the town would be amazing.

We were taken to a private museum of musical instruments. These fall into the category of player piano. However, that does not do the place justice. The gentleman who has put together the collection has over 350 of these. They are impressive and the sounds take you back in time but it may not be to everyone’s taste. They did, however, have a rather different Christmas tree on display.

The town is famous for its coffee and liquor combination called a Rudesheim Coffee. We did not have one as not many places were open. There is one street of about 400 meters that has nothing but bars and small shops. I gather it is very popular but again it was not open when we were there. Another reason for going in at night.

The region is famous for wine and market it well. The train ride into the town has a recorded message that talks of the types. As one picture shows, they get a number of tourists from the east. Big enough market to warrant a special shipping point.

We sail from here to Mainz this afternoon. During the cruise, a demonstration of the making of a Black Forest Cake and a lecture on the Christmas Traditions were given by local experts. It was well worth attending if you have any interest in that type of cake or the local Christmas traditions.

In a week or so, based on what we saw as we walked back to the ship, this town will have a great collection of Christmas Markets. Combine that with the lights at night and pictures would be very impressive. So, maybe a cruise in early December rather than our late November date would work better for some.

A Short Stop in Koblenz…

At about 9:00 AM we docked at Koblenz. It has a population of just over 100,000 and another Christmas market. We took a walking tour that took us past and through the required number of churches. Along the way we walked through a number of Christmas markets. They are spread throughout the city and again sell a variety of items.
It was a grey day but not that cold. The city is much smaller than Cologne, but very pleasant. Our guide was a young woman who also helps run an Inn within the city.

Koblenz is a very pretty city. I would come back and spend more time. The use of colour on many of the buildings makes them stand out. It was great to walk around the city, not only could you see the Holiday or Christmas Markets, you could also make note of the different colours used to paint the buildings. In addition, some buildings have very elaborate signs painted on the side of them. Our guide was knowledgeable when it came to the history of the town and certainly made the walking tour something to remember. Weather was a bit damp but certainly nothing to stop the enjoyment of your time in the city. We were only here for the morning before we set sail for our next port.

I hope the pictures included give you an idea of the city and show that it certainly is a place well worth a visit. One shot shows a rather interesting display in a shop window within the city, another gives you an idea of what our ship looks like from the outside.

Our next port of call was to be Rudesheim. We learned there that a trip into the town at night would have been time well spent…

River Cruise through Holiday Markets

In late November, we flew out of Toronto Ontario headed for Cologne Germany where we would board a Uniworld ship, the SS Antoinette. This would be home for seven days as we did a number of Holiday Markets scattered throughout France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

The SS is for Super Ship. It is the newest and largest of the Uniworld fleet. It cannot go in many of the areas due to its size. It has a small pool, theatre and other things we have never seen on a river cruise ship before. Built in 2011 it is impressive as the lobby shows. You can also see it in the Christmas tree from the ship and the decorations around the ship.
We went to visit Cologne twice, you can see it has both old, the church, and new, the tower, buildings. In the morning, the visit was the organized part where the visit to the church was part of the tour. It contains the remains of the Three Magi or wise men. The box is all gold or gold over silver. Rather impressive. You can walk up to the top of the steeple, some did but we took a pass.
The market was interesting, morning was very wet but by the afternoon the sky was just gray, no rain so it was better. We had a mug of the traditional mulled wine. You buy the mug and then can get it filled at each Market for just the price of the liquid.
Lots of different decorations, the wooden ZZ Top look alike was found at one stall. There was one stall that had a large number of those nesting dolls, quite impressive when you see them all together. The snowmen just reminded me of home and how some things are very universal. While I did not check bottoms, we were told most would say ‘Made in  Germany’ rather than the more common ‘Made in China’ we see at home.
Mistakes happen everywhere. Our guide told us of the one I have called ‘Lighterror’. My understanding is that the black area glows when the light comes from within and it is dark outside. However, according to the guide, this is a 9-5 office building and so the chances of this happening are slim as they turn the lights out when they leave for the day!
Walking around the Market area was great. Lots to see and experience. It was a bit wet to start but by the end of the day, things had dried out and it was easier to get from place to place without getting terribly wet.

In the next update, I’ll provide some information on our next port of call and the markets you might find there. One thing… our cruise started the end of November. Not all the markets would be open when we arrived, some did not open until later in the month. We thought that would be a problem. However, by the end of the week, we had seen a number of markets and really were not upset that some had not been in full operation when we arrived in a location. However, if you wanted access to all the markets, book a tour that starts in December.