We just finished a Rhine River Cruise on Uniworld. We were expecting a beautiful upscale river cruise but unfortunately and contrary to most of the reviews we read that is not what we experienced. The Antoinette has a worn French decor which is overstated and unattractive. The whole ship is in need of a redo. The cabin we selected was the highest class category other than the suites. It was extremely small with the bed taking up 90% of the room. There was a balcony with a window that opened half way but the balcony area was really part of the cabin with two glass sliding doors dividing it from the cabin. The bathroom was barely adequate with a minuscule shower.

All meals take place in the over crowed dining room and the entertainment which is extremely limited takes place in the lounge. There is an upper deck which was not shaded and so we did not use it very often. The gym is so small and cramped that only 2 guests can exercise at a time. As to the meals, the breakfast was probably the best meal of the day. Lunch was just about the same each day which becomes tiring after a few days. The dinners were disappointing with uninspiring bland and in some cases inedible food served in extremely small portions. The wait staff is overworked with no bus boys to assist. The wine selections were ordinary unless you opted to buy the premium selections.

The Rhine River is for the most part uninteresting and plebeian with the exception of the half day trip past the castles. Most of the ports we visited were unattractive German cities with the exception of Strasbourg and two Alsatian towns. The excursions were nothing special and highlighted visits to a vinegar tasting house and a vineyard with wine tasting. Both were okay but nothing special. In the event a passenger wants to explore a port on his own the excursion director has nothing to offer to help out other than a useless map of the area. I was told that most passengers take the organized excursions so they don't have materials for those who want to go out on their own. Although we were told all excursions were included, Uniworld offers several excursions for an extra fee which we declined to take. Read more