Latest Travel Blog Entries

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises earned high honors from the readers of Condé Nast Traveler who named seven of Uniworld's cruise ships to the Top 50 Small Cruise Ships Readers' Poll, with Uniworld's River Duchess ranked at number three.

Condé Nast Traveler readers rated 471 ships on a 100-point scale. Each ship was judged on seven criteria including: Activities/Facilities, Cabins, Crew/Service, Design/Layout, Food/Dining, Itineraries/Schedule, and Shore Excursions.

"The awards Uniworld receives from the top consumer travel publications such as Condé Nast Traveler reinforce the fact that we are delivering on our commitment to provide guests with a fantastic vacation experience," stated Guy Young, President of Uniworld. "In particular, in the areas of Crew/Service, Uniworld averaged 94 out of 100, which clearly illustrates Uniworld's focus on service delivery - one of the pillars of our company's mission."

In the category of Itineraries/Schedule, Uniworld also received some of their highest marks with an average 93 out of 100. Uniworld offers 26 itineraries in Europe, six itineraries in China, and three itineraries in Egypt.


About
Los Angeles-based Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, the premier river cruise company, was named to Travel+Leisure's World's Best Top 10 Small Cruise Lines; Condé Nast Traveler's 2010 Gold List, their Readers' Poll for Top 50 Small Ships, and their Readers' Choice Awards for World's Top 10 Small Ship Cruise Lines; and Cruise Critics Editor's Pick 2009 for Best River Cruise Line, and Best New River Cruise Ship, River Beatrice. Uniworld features intimate, elegant boutique, hotel-style cruise ships with an average capacity of 134 guests, an award-winning staff with a ratio of one staff member for every three guests, world-class cuisine, and expertly planned itineraries with custom-blended shore excursions. The company offers over 500 departures on more than 30 itineraries sailing on 11 rivers in over 20 countries throughout Europe, Egypt and China.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

The magnificence of China awaits you.  With its fascinating history, breathtaking scenery and exotic cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong, the stage is set for you to enjoy a cultural rich adventure of a lifetime. 

Whether you wish to tread the same footsteps of past emperors on the man-made wonder, the Great Wall, explore the incredible excavations of the 7,500 strong Terra Cotta Warriors, discover the ancient Ming Tombs and tour Beijing’s Forbidden City, or admire the stunning views of Guilin’s landscapes, we will ensure you experience the perfect dream vacation. 

Discover the Yangtze River, running through the heart of China.  Cruise on the most luxurious ships and be awe-inspired by the dramatic and beautiful panoramas of this alluring region.  Get up close and personal with some of the world’s rarest wildlife, like the giant panda.  Allow your expertly planned itinerary to take you on a trip through Wu Gorge, which is flanked by the world famous, dramatic Twelve Peaks. 

Whatever you choose to do, we promise you the vacation of a lifetime, far better than anything you could have ever imagined.

Monday, February 08, 2010

For nearly four decades, Uniworld has taken guests to the world’s greatest destinations—Europe, Russia, China and Egypt. Since 2006, when Uniworld was purchased by Travel Corporation, parent company of many popular travel companies such as Trafalgar, Insight, Brendan, and Contiki, as well as Red Carnation Hotels – the award-winning five-star luxury hotel collection – Uniworld has made major investments in its ships and its people. The ultimate goal of these investments—a first-class European River Cruise boutique, hotel-style experience. The winning combination of Uniworld’s sister companies’ expertise in tour planning and in first-class hotel management coupled with Uniworld’s decades of superior nautical experience has created a new dimension in river cruising.

Uniworld’s company-owned boutique hotel-style ships
Boutique hotel designers often invest a lot of thought, time and resources into an interior decor reflective of a destination, as well as the amenities that assure an elegant, relaxed and intimate experience. This is apparent on each of Uniworld’s ten company-owned ships! Over the course of the last couple of years, Uniworld’s ships have been completely refurbished to the highest standard of comfort, so guests travel from one exciting destination to the next with access to stylish lounges, cozy libraries, panoramic restaurants offering sumptuous cuisine and inviting riverview staterooms.

Expect more personalized attention with Uniworld
Uniworld employs an all English, professionally trained staff, so there are no language barriers and no problems with understanding what is being said or going on. All announcements are made only in English. Unlike many companies offering river cruise programs in Europe and elsewhere, Uniworld is an American company focused on North American travelers, or at least English-speaking clientele (the trips are popular with Canadians and folks from Down Under as well).

Early Booking Discount - SAVE up to $600 per couple (Europe)

BOOK AND DEPOSIT on or before February 28, 2010 to SAVE up to $600 per couple ($300 per person) off select 2010 Europe river cruises.

SAVE $600 per couple onselect 2010 Cruises

BOOK AND DEPOSIT on or before February 28, 2010 to SAVE $600 per couple ($300 per person) off select cruise itineraries.

This offer is available on the following itineraries:

Sunday, January 31, 2010

As you get ready to travel?

Here are some tips to give you peace of mind while you are away and make sure you do not make your house as a target of opportunity. These are some simple precautions from the experts.

• Be mindful of who is around when you are discussing your trip - there is no need to let too many people know or draw attention to the fact your house might be empty for a period.
• The best deterrent is to have someone housesit. If that is not possible, ask a trusted neighbor or friend to take in the newspaper, mail, and any other deliveries and keep an eye on the house. Give them your trip plans and an emergency phone number so they can reach you in case of an emergency. You can also arrange with the post office and newspaper to suspend delivery for the time you are away.
• Lock doors, windows and secure sliding doors (a metal rod or a broomstick in the sliding door track is an inexpensive lock), as well as the garage, the basement, and the attic. Some people even disconnect the power to motorized garage door openers.
• Move any valuables from plain sight.
• Check on your appliances, unplug anything that doesn't need to be on while you're away. Lower air conditioning/heating units to energy-saving levels.
• Set timers to turn on lights if you do not have someone staying at the house.

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Single travelers know that the extra fees that suppliers charge for having your own room can at times add on up to 250% of the original cruise fare. Singles can now take advantage of select Globus River Cruises in 2010 that have no single supplement. 

The views on a Globus European river cruise can transform the way you travel forever. Unwind in contemporary spaces on the youngest European river cruising fleet. Encounter ever-changing landscapes and spectacular panoramic views out floor-to-ceiling windows found throughout the ship. Let the transformation begin.  

This is a special limited time river cruise offer! Take advantage of this extraordinary river cruise deal before it sails away!

A Taste of the Danube: 
4 days from Vienna to Budapest        April 24 and July 3, 2010

A Taste of the Danube: 
5 days from Budapest to Vienna       April 20th and June 29, 2010

Romantic Rhine: 
8 days from Zurich to Amsterdam               April 10th and August 14, 2010

Tulip Time: 
8 days round trip Amsterdam                        March 27, March 31st and April 3, 2010

Paris to Normandy's Landing Beaches: 
8 days round trip Paris     July 5, August 2, 9th and 16, 2010

The Legendary Danube: 
11 days Prauge to Budapest                 April 10th and 24th, 2010

Burgundy & Provence: 
11 days Cote d'Azur to Paris                 April 11, 2010

Burgundy & Provence: 
11 days Paris to Nice                               April 2, 2010

Central European Experience: 
12 days Paris to Prague           April 22, 2010

Blue Danube Discovery: 
13 days Budapest to Prague               April 4 and 15, July 4, 2010

European Splendor: 
13 days Vienna to Amsterdam                May 3 and July 19th, 2010

Windmills, Vineyards & Paris: 
13 days Paris to Amserdam   April 10, June 5th and July 31, 2010

Magnificent Europe: 
15 days Budapest to Amsterdam           March 27, June 12, July 10th and August 7, 2010
         Reverse itinerary August 14, 2010

Jewels of Central Europe: 
17 days Paris to Budapest                         April 22, 2010

Click for more on Globus tours | For more Globus tour deals