Q: Which direction of the cruise should I book, which one is better?
A: It does not matter which direction, as each direction contains the same included features. Timings of course vary a little due to cruising times upstream/downstream but you will not get more in one direction than in the other. It is also a matter of preference. For example, for the Eastern European cruises, do I want to start in Eastern Europe and work my way up to Western Europe or the other way around?

Q: Which itinerary would you recommend?
A: For first time river cruise passengers - unless you have a special interest, an excellent first time choice is Amsterdam to Budapest – four countries and some must-sees, for example, Rothenburg, Nuremberg, Budapest, Vienna and some hidden gems like Wertheim, Miltenberg, etc. Cruising highlights: Romantic Rhine, Wachau Valley, Main-Danube-Canal (marvel of engineering).

2nd or 3rd timers who have done Amsterdam to Budapest or Amsterdam to Vienna, can do the Black Sea Cruise (if interested in culture and tradition of Eastern Europe – very educational cruise) or Legendary Rhine & Moselle if you prefer to stay in Western Germany and enjoy lots of daytime sailing and lovely scenery.

If you have already cruised along the Rhine/Main/Danube rivers – we would suggest Portugal along the Douro River for the fabulous scenery, a real hidden gem. The entire Douro River Valley is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Not many ships are allowed on the river, Uniworld is one of the very few companies who operate a ship in Portugal! Russia – sensational sightseeing, ships are more basic.

Q: Do we always dock in the heart of the city?
A: It depends, in many places docking is in walking distance to the city center but there are places where the river only touches the outskirts of a town (i.e. Bamberg or Nuremberg) and thus a motorcoach transfer is necessary.

Q: Is there a lot of walking on the tours?
A: As we visit mostly historic cities, many of the tours are partly or entirely walking. Cobblestones are also very common in Europe. To be able to fully enjoy all excursions, passengers should be in good health and able to walk well (also stairs), otherwise they may not be able to participate in all the tours. Riverboats are not wheelchair accessible.

Q: Are there ever any other ships docked next to us?
A: Yes, this happens and is a normal part of river cruising. As River Cruising has become very popular, traffic on the rivers has increased and it is perfectly normal to moor next to another ship or sometimes even between two ships. The assignment of the exact berthing is up to the harbor authorities of the port of call, they control this.