Uniworld Boutique River Cruise CollectionReviews of uniworld.com

Uniworld Ganges River Cruise – Mixed Experience We chose the Uniworld Ganges River cruise to explore a lesser-known part of India, particularly Bengal. The trip also included the Golden Triangle, with stays at Oberoi hotels. While the properties were beautiful, service was inconsistent, except at the Oberoi Delhi, which was excellent. A few meals were included at the Oberoi hotels, but drinks were limited to two per person. This felt unnecessary for a trip at this price point. Guests booking luxury travel are unlikely to take advantage, and the restriction detracted from the experience. The wine offered was basic local Indian wine rather than premium international brands. If cost was the issue, I believe most guests would have happily paid a little more for a fully inclusive, higher-quality offering. Not all meals were included during the Golden Triangle portion, which was disappointing, as shared meals would have offered more opportunity to connect with fellow travellers. The biggest issue by far was the air quality. AQI levels were extremely high everywhere we went, including along the Ganges. I only became fully aware of this shortly before travelling. Had I known this was a serious and regular issue at this time of year, I would not have booked then. When raised, we were told air quality would be low, which was not the case. Thankfully, I had brought FFP2 masks. Uniworld should have been upfront at the time of booking so guests could make an informed decision. At Agra, the early morning Taj Mahal tour was outstanding. After breakfast, there was an optional shopping excursion that could easily have taken place the previous afternoon. We chose not to attend, which delayed our onward journey, meaning we didn’t reach Jaipur until the evening and had to rush for scheduled entertainment. It would have been far better to depart straight after breakfast. The river cruise itself was good but not exceptional. Onboard service lacked consistency. Some events were held outdoors, which we missed due to air-quality concerns, despite seeing similar events held indoors on other sailings. Meal times, particularly breakfast, were rigid, even for guests not joining excursions. A small buffet option would have improved flexibility. Food on board was very good, but the wine selection was underwhelming for a five-star cruise. Communication from the tour director was substandard. Airport arrival instructions were unclear, with no obvious meeting point. We left the baggage area looking for representatives and were unable to return. Less experienced travellers could easily have found this very stressful. Clearer direction would have avoided unnecessary anxiety. We also experienced an Indigo airline strike that cancelled our flight. To Uniworld’s credit, this was handled very well, with alternative flights and additional accommodation arranged in Delhi. Overall, the trip was okay but fell short of expectations for a luxury experience. The Oberoi hotels were beautiful, and the river cruise had potential, but communication and transparency—particularly regarding air quality—need significant improvement. Would I book with Uniworld again? No.

Uniworld - states luxurious but disappoints in guest service. Our room on SS. Elizabeth was 330 which was situated directly below a group of table and chairs which was intended for guest use but instead was used by the crew 24 hours a day smoking and taking breaks. We never had a break of chairs/tables being moved around above our heads throughout the entire cruise. Even worse, we reported it to the hotel manager multiple times and he dismissed us and basically gaslighted us about the issue. We were forced to go up ourselves and ask the house staff and crew to please stop smoking up there because they were keeping us awake. At 10 pm and 1 am. After reporting after cruise to guest relations, they insulted us by offering a 500 credit! Not appropriate when the "hotel" portion of the experience was ruined otherwise it was a great cruise

I believe the reputation of your world is overstated. We found a ship to be very dated, mirrors everywhere, worn furniture in the lounges and state rooms. Their website talks about upscale dress, this is totally contrary to what we found on our cruise where many people were dressed in jeans. The average age on our cruise had to be 70 or greater. The upper deck is very utilitarian and the lounge chairs extremely uncomfortable. The daily management of tour excursions is a bit haphazard, whereas Viking is very structured and you know ahead of time which group you will be in. It is true that alcohol is included, but unless you feel the need to be constantly drinking, I don’t believe it’s worth the added expense of the cruise. I will give the shore guides excellent marks as they know their history and provide a lot of interesting details. I found the food to be over rated and nothing special. The physical location of dining services with the buffet located close to the entrance made for traffics jams during breakfast and lunch. It would not be my expectation to sail with Uniworld again as the price does not live up to the overstated expectations. Viking is a far better choice.

We toured Vietnam and Cambodia with Uniworld. The itinerary, hotels, boat, catering and entertainment were all excellent. The staff were all excellent except for two individuals, the tour guide assigned to our group and the tour manager. Both were outwardly great guys but made us feel like we were inmates of a care home with rigid timings and were unkind to us. Stories too long to recite but we felt bullied over being literally 3 minutes late to a rendezvous and then not forgiven but cold shouldered all tour. Frog-marched at speed round fascinating temple sites. Unnecessary rudeness and adherence to deadlines. We're talking 3 minutes . Not for us again thanks.