S.S. Antoinette Review
Uniworld a first-rate river cruise line; the SS Antionette is beautiful!
Review for Europe River Cruise on S.S. Antoinette
IowaCruisers
6-10 Cruises • Age 60s
Rating by category
Cabin
Value for Money
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Additional details
Sail Date: Jun 2018
Cabin: Stateroom with Full Open-Air Balcony
I was desperate for information about Uniworld, and this particular itinerary, after we booked more than a year in advance. So, I'll do my best to review and help others out.
After having been on several ocean cruises, our first impression was "wow, this is really small!! lol We identified our luggage next to the coach, then some of us checked in, but instead of standing in line, Ken and I went for lunch! The "light" lunch buffet was delicious and varied - a dozen different salads, meats and potatoes in steam trays, Panini sandwiches, a carvery, and the most delicious soups! If this was an introduction to Uniworld, it was already a GREAT cruise! As we sat visiting after lunch, the announcement came that our cabins were ready, no later than 2:30 or 3 pm. We were impressed... once again!
So, the stage was set for our daily routine. The restaurant had plenty of seating for everyone, and breakfast was either buffet or a menu if you wished. The buffet varied from day to day, sometimes mushrooms, grilled tomatoes and beans for breakfast, always potatoes, always bacon and sausages, always a cheese board. Lunches were buffet-style, with a different soup every day (tomato, cheese, potato, cauliflower, leek, all delicious), always a carvery always a grilled sandwich option. Always an ice cream bar, too! Yay! Several different flavors of ice cream, with a variety of toppings, to well... top off your lunch. We were very pleased with the quality and variety of the food - something for every palette. Dinners were menu-based, with a variety of dishes, and always at least one local favorite was included on the menu. You could always get a New York strip steak, chicken, or a vegetarian option, plus 5 or 6 different entrees, which changed each night. Substitutions were allowed with a smile, and all (except one) of the wait staff had a ready smile for each of us. They learned our coffee or tea preferences, whether we wanted bread with our meal, and whether we drank red or white wine. They spoke of their homes and families, but were very proud to be employed by Uniworld, and spoke highly of the company.
Cabin Review
Stateroom with Full Open-Air Balcony
Cabin 1
We had chosen Deluxe Balcony cabin 431, the last cabin in the back, close to the swimming pool and spa, and right downstairs from the Leopard Bar. Sorry to say, we did not take advantage of any of those all week! We found it to be small, as expected, with two soft chairs out in the balcony area with a small table. The French balcony worked seamlessly, and we took advantage of lowering the window every day. The bathroom was, again, small, but had a nice big drawer under the sink to store toiletries, and a stand-up shower with a glass door. Lots of mirrors gave me a fright several times (ha ha). The bed was very comfortable, and we took advantage of the pillow menu to customize. Our room steward was efficient, friendly, and when I asked for a top sheet for the bed, instead of just the duvet, it was done without hesitation. We found candy and mints each day, and she was like a ghost, tidying up several times daily. We would have liked for the next day's daily program to be delivered earlier than dinnertime, but we made do. The air conditioner worked well, and cooled the room quickly if needed.
Port Reviews
Speyer
On the recommendation of my heros here on Cruise Critic, we signed up for the vinegar tasting at Doktorenhof, and we were so glad we did. The fruity, pungent, flavorful vinegars were nothing like we had ever tasted, and we got to meet "Mother", the hundreds-of-years-old vinegar mother, that is. We bit the bullet (80 euros), and brought back a 5-bottle sampler pack of this elixir, as they do not ship overseas. We will be dolling this out frugally!
27 Helpful Votes
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