NavanTravel

 

I was privileged to cruise on the Rhine on board Uniworld’s Five Star Boutique Ship SS Antoniette recently. This trip was pure luxury and cruising on the Rhine was full on relaxation. It was a short cruise from Amsterdam to Cologne, a re-positioning cruise, and we were onboard for two nights. Most of the European river cruises are for a week.

We flew directly from Dublin with Aer Lingus and we had a pre-booked transfer from the airport which took about forty five minutes and the whole procedure from flight arrival to cruise check in was seamless.

A warm welcome onboard and a speedy check in meant we were in our stateroom in minutes. Our room was really well appointed and the standard of furnishings, bed linen etc was everything you would expect from a premium five star ship. The stateroom was larger than I expected and our French Balcony even had its own T.V. All the furnishings and general decor everywhere on the ship were of the highest standard and the main lounge, Salon du Grand Trianon, to the front of the ship was spacious and offered excellent views as we cruised South Easterly.

The countryside generally was quite flat and probably less spectacular than further South. The Rhine is a busy river and commercial traffic was a regular feature on our two days. We sailed through lots of built up areas as well as some quiet countryside.

The staff on board were helpful, friendly and attentive. All our meals were served in The Versailles Restaurant. Dinner on our first night was excellent and the wines were high quality German wines and the policy is to serve the best local produce as much as is practical.

The buffet breakfast offered a wonderful selection of hot and cold options, fresh fruit, juices and smoothies, as well as breads and preserves. In short everything you would expect from a high end five star ship.

We had a busy day at a conference and then it was time for dinner. Once again good service, choice and excellent food and wine was the order of the evening.

After dinner we had the opportunity to enjoy the ambience of the busy Salon du Grand Trianon or retire to the quieter Leopard Lounge.

Our short trip on the luxurious SS Antoinette left us in no doubt as to why river cruising is the fastest growing sectors of the world cruise market.  I for one cannot wait to return!