Let’s face it – when you hear the word “cruise,” a group of young people doesn’t exactly come to mind does it? After all, for as long as the cruising concept has existed, we have associated it with our grandparents’ next vacation. Enter Uniworld… The company that has thrown that stereotype on its head and created U by Uniworld. The new cruise for millennials.
Last month, I had the opportunity to sail the Rhine River with U by Uniworld. I sailed on their ship called The A over the course of seven days from Frankfurt, Germany to Amsterdam, The Netherlands, stopping at a ton of quaint villages and bigger cities on the way up the river.
While I have been on both large and small ocean cruises, this was my first river cruise, and I really, really enjoyed it. I would highly recommend this cruise to young people who want to go on a fun trip together and explore multiple places, but not do too much in the way of planning.
So, let’s board The A.
Onboard the ship, there is a restaurant, lounge, rooftop lounge, gym and spa. There are 26 basic balcony rooms on board, 29 studios and 4 suites, so it’s easy to choose an accommodation that works for you!
I stayed in a balcony room and it was beautiful. Compared to other cruises I’ve been on, the room seemed far more luxurious and immaculately kept. Though small in size, it was outfitted with a full mirrored wall, small balcony, a marble bathroom and an incredible comfortable king size bed.
Moving on to the food on-board. The food in general is absolutely delicious and there is a great mix of both healthy & indulgent options. The crew is also very accommodating with making changes to the menu based on dietary restrictions, which was nice!
My only complaint regarding food would be the meal times. They have a “breakfast” from 7 to 10 am where only coffee and pastries are served and then a “brunch” from 10 am – 1 pm where salads, omelets and other breakfast/lunch options are offered. Then, there is no food onboard until dinnertime at 7 pm. Needless to say, I found myself wishing for a traditional “breakfast/lunch/dinner” model.
As far as the day-to-day on a U by Uniworld cruise looks, there are a number of activities you can do onboard and on shore. On board, there is a gym and spa. You can also relax in the sun on the rooftop lounge and participate in activities like yoga and camping on the roof (yes, camping!).
Every guest gets 11 excursions included with their cruise. There are also 12 U-Time activities that you can participate in for an additional cost. These excursions/activities range from group biking tours to wine/cheese tastings, depending on the port.
You can check out our exact sailing route here, but these were my favorite stops:
Rudesheim, Germany
We didn’t wander around the town too much (though it did look cute!) and instead headed straight to the massive medieval-looking castles within driving distance. We stopped for a while to explore and photograph Ehrenfels Castle. It was so gorgeous with the Rhine River on one side and sprawling vineyards on the other.
On this cruise, we also visited Frankfurt and Dusseldorf, but Rudesheim was my favorite stop in Germany because the castles were unlike anything I’ve seen!
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
This was my first time visiting Amsterdam and I was blown away by the city. In a “this place is magical, I could totally see myself living here” kind of way. I adored Amsterdam.
Everything about it. The quaint streets, the architecture, the people, the canals… Amsterdam really was magic for me.
Aside from wandering the streets and admiring the canals, the best thing we did in Amsterdam was rent a boat at sunset and pilot around the canals, through the main part of the city and through the Red Light District. Seeing the canals from the water was so different (and so much better!) than seeing them from the streets. Plus, the sunset was magical. It was an experience I’ll never forget.
We rented our boat from a company called Sloepdelen, which I highly recommend checking out if you’re ever in Amsterdam! Their rental times are super flexible and the price is decent at 120 euros for a 2 hour rental.
Here’s my vlog from my time in Amsterdam:
Lisse, The Netherlands
Lisse is popular in the Springtime because during the months of April and May, tulips bloom. And not just a few flowers – fields and fields, acres and acres of tulips. This was no doubt the best part of the trip for me. It was an unbelievably beautiful photo opportunity and a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Also check out my friends’ Instagram pages – they took some awesome photos in Lisse too:
Lisa Homsy (@lisahomsy)
Hannah Rheaume (@hannahrheaume)
Mel Vandersluis (@mvandersluis)
Tara Whiteman (@taramilktea)
Catarina Mello (@professionaltraveler)
Without Uniworld, I would not have been able to visit these incredible places, so I’m forever grateful to this incredible cruise line for giving me the opportunity to!
If you’re interested in booking a U by Uniworld cruise, take a look at the different routes they have to offer online.
xx,
(Disclaimer: This post was written in collaboration with Uniworld. As always, all opinions are my own.)
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Loved this post! I’ve never been on a cruise (I get motion sick) but I’m wondering if a river cruise might be a good option for cruise beginners like me! x
Ahh you would love it! Also from my experience the river cruise had wayyy less boat movement than the ocean ones – I honestly barely ever felt the boat move at all! xx
I’ve never heard of a river cruise before, but it looks like so much fun! Your photos from Amsterdam are so gorgeous!
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