Over the last couple of years, cruising the Danube River has become a very trendy option for exploring some of the most stunning European cities in style. There are a number of cruise companies that offer a similar itinerary; but if you want to know why to choose U by Uniworld above the rest, we’ll tell you everything you need to know!
If you are a fellow traveller like us, you know that there are two types of people, the cruise fans and the ones that can take them or leave them. Until our recent trip with U by Uniworld, we were the type that has never really been convinced about cruises.
We thought that the cruising experience was for lazy people or for the ones that like to travel in big groups. We, on the other hand, consider ourselves free spirited travellers, we love to do our own thing, explore at our own pace, and always get the heart of a country’s culture.
So when we received the generous offer from U by Uniworld to become part of a promising experience, we couldn’t say no! This was the perfect opportunity of demystifying what cruises are all about.
U by Uniworld kindly gave us the chance to choose from a great number of European river cruises – click here to see all the options. After checking the many interesting options, we decided to go for “The Danube Flow”.
The 8 day Germany to Hungary cruise started in the cute little town of Regensberg, cruising through Straubing Passau, Linz, Melk, Wachau Valley, Durnstein, Vienna, Bratislava and finishing in beautiful Budapest.
To check the detailed day to day schedule click here.
But let’s cut to the chase! What are the real perks of cruising with U by Uniworld?
1. The Goods: 14 meals on board; welcome party; 2 dedicated hosts; included excursions; U time optional excursions; local DJ set.
2. The Food: delicious locally inspired food carefully made to suite everyone’s needs, even if you are vegetarian or vegan like us!
3. The Drinks: great selection of local wines and beers, also, non-alcoholic drinks and if you want to experiment you will have to chance to even attend to mixology classes.
4. The Crew: this could potentially be the best crew we’ve ever met so far! All from different parts of the world, Spain, Germany, Russia, Hungary, Portugal, Holland, etc. This crew was highly attentive without being intrusive, the perfect combination!
5. The Journey: one of the best parts of cruising is that you get to explore many beautiful countries without the hassle of packing and unpacking all the time. At the end of the trip you will appreciate this more than you think!
6. The Rooms: lush accommodation on a stunning ship. You can choose from a range of rooms depending on your budget; all of them offering amazing views. We had the pleasure to stay in the suite, arguably the most amazing room on board. We were surprised by the room’s private balcony with a table and chairs for two, which made it feel even more spacious. The other options are: the studio, the studio triple and the balcony.
7. The Excursions: these ones may vary from trip to trip but our top three from The Danube Flow were: Oktoberfest; Vienna in Depth and Budapest Ruin Pub Rendezvou. What’s great with U by Uniworld is that if you don’t fancy any of the proposed places, you can still do your own thing and meet up with the rest of the crew later on.
8. The Activities: you’ll find lots of fun activities to choose from. Some of our favourite ones were the drumming workshop; the legendary silent river disco; the pretzel making; the tequila karaoke and the fuss ball tournament U lounge.
9. The Gym and Spa: if you want to burn some calories and then relax, you can as well! Jump on the treadmill while enjoying the breathtaking views.
10. The U Style: at all times while on board you will be informed of everything that is happening on board. The hosts will send you Whatsapp messages or email you the itinerary or anything fun to share, ie: welcome letter, schedules, photos or videos of the activities, etc.
Have we found any downsides of this new experience?
To be completely honest, we haven’t. In saying this, Internet connection can be a funny one. As bloggers we do need to have good wifi and signal most of the time. When cruising you might have a few hiccups but nothing too bad to ruin the amazing experience.
Our final piece of advice…
If you’ve never been on a cruise yet… pack your bags and get ready to enjoy this unique experience. It’ll be an unforgettable adventure that everyone should try at least once in a lifetime!
If you have enjoyed this blog or have any questions, don't be shy, leave us a comment and we'll get back to you as soon as possible! For travel info, questions or collaboration enquiries drop us a line on youmentheseatravel@gmail.com and don't forget to follow us on Instagram @youmeandthesaltysea.
