Disgusting and immoral customer service
My mother was booked to go on a trip with uni world this month however, although being a healthy and seemingly well 58 year old she was diagnosed with a terminal cancer in November and died just 6 weeks later, before she was even meant to go on the trip. We contacted the company to let them know the situation that she would not be coming and if we could get a refund for her costs. We were told no as we had contacted them within 3 months of her leaving for the trip and it would therefore fall under the 0% refund policy (even though the person going on the trip has been diagnosed and died in that time period??). We were further told to ‘go through our travel insurance’ if we wanted to claim money back, putting further burden on an already grieving family. This came across as completely insensitive and immoral to not have any consideration for the situation at hand. We have decided to not even go through the process as we already have an overwhelming amount of admin to do as is to be expected when someone passes away. Further to this, the day she was meant to be picked up at her destination (ironically falling on the date of her funeral) I recieved a call asking where she was and why she was late. I was completely dumbfounded to be receiving this call as I had multiple conversations with customer service about her not being on the trip. This highlights the lack of internal communication within the company and wider community, and gave me an even sourer taste in my mouth. I would strongly advise against using this company and looking elsewhere for a travel agency that has more compassion and understanding. Granted I am in quite a unique situation, but I would not recommend Uniworld to anyone
Isobel Roberts
They gave us a credit for problems on…
They gave us a credit for problems on Egypt tour in 2023, and then refused to extend it 10 days to book another trip in early 2026. One problem compounded by another. Customer service is terrible.
Paul Stone
Uniworld Ganges River Cruise
Uniworld Ganges River Cruise – Mixed ExperienceWe 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.
Ian Field
Being GasLit by Hotel Manager and Crew Noise
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 ruinedotherwise it was a great cruise
Shanna and Nicole
Great Parisian Holiday Cruise
Just finishing a Parisian holiday cruise on the SS Joie di Vivre and had a wonderful time. Our cabin was beautiful, comfortable, and well maintained. Food was excellent. The staff was very attentive and eager to please. I love that Uniworld chooses tours that support local businesses and cultural sites. Wonderful experience.
Bob Scott
Just want to say thank you to Mya for…
Just want to say thank you to Mya for Uniworld who arranged our Jewels of Venice Cruise. She answered all our myriad of questions and arranged everything my wife wanted Mya knew the answer to everything and phoned and email when she said she would. Thsnk you Mya - she is a credit to Uniworld
glenn
Viking is as good or better for the money
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.
Gary Clifton
2 weeks after responding to Uniworld's…
2 weeks after responding to Uniworld's request for a review, which was very poor but accurate, Uniworld have yet to respond.How does this reflect thlhe first class service they claim to offer?
AlW
Lost Anchor - Awful Response from Uniworld
Ship lost its anchor midway through our cruise and that ended the cruising - we spent the remainder of the time on long bus rides (or waiting for buses to pick us up). Excursions were dramatically impacted (no more walking on-off), our upgraded French Balcony was worthless, we waited for updates daily, being given false hope and then shamed into praising our crew for finding us a bus. The worst thing - Uniworld's response. First, there was none (other than daily advertisements for future cruises) and then, after we requested feedback/acknowledgment, they offered us $400 for a future cruise (we paid $13,000 for this cruise). They actually called the lost anchor incident "bizarre" - meaning it is rare AND their own fault. The lost anchor was sad and disappointing, but their response has been disrespectful and indifferent.
David LaRose
Former Employee ( Waiter) at S.S Maria Theresa
I am writing to formally document my extremely negative experience while employed with Uniworld, where I was subjected to consistent bullying, harassment, and unprofessional treatment by both crew members and management, including the hotel manager.Throughout my time on board, I was frequently shouted at and mistreated by several restaurant staff members, particularly a group of Romanian colleagues. Their behavior included inappropriate and demeaning comments such as, “Do you even remember what we did today?”—spoken in a tone meant to humiliate rather than instruct—and frequent direct shouting in front of others. This created a hostile work environment and made it difficult to perform my duties with dignity.When I attempted to address this behavior and speak up for myself, I was not supported. Instead, I was immediately labeled as “arrogant” by the hotel manager, and within the same day, I received two official warnings without fair discussion or mediation. It was clear that my concerns were not taken seriously. The situation escalated to the point where I decided to leave the ship in Budapest.This experience was deeply disappointing and has left me disillusioned with the work culture at Uniworld. No employee should be made to feel unsafe or unsupported, especially when raising valid concerns about workplace harassment. I hope this feedback is taken seriously and that appropriate steps are taken to ensure no other employee is subjected to similar treatment in the future.Apart to that, Uniworld has a policy of ONLY English to be spoken on duty, but in reality Romanian and Bulgarian is spoken.
Dawid Maleski
HORRIBLE EGYPT CRUISE ON SS SPHINX
We did an Egypt River Cruise Tour on Uniworld's SS Sphinx in May 2025. It's important to know that this is not a Uniworld owned ship and staff employed by them. Uniworld is not transparent about this. The cruise operator and all staff onboard are with Spring Tours in Cairo. The ship was beautifully appointed and the staff was friendly and service oriented. While most Tours were included, they strong arm you to sign up for many expensive extra Tours after they assemble you in the Four Seasons Cairo meeting room. The Egyptologist was knowledgeable but talked way to much, especially in hot sun in over 100 degree weather. The food onboard was horrible. Very poor quality and primarily Egyptian, not fine continental cuisine Uniworld is known for. I and many passengers got very ill from the food, requiring a medical doctor. Uniworld Corporate has denied everything claiming there are no reports about sickness onboard or in the hotels provided for us. Shame on Uniworld for failing to do the right thing. We will never cruise with them again. Potential Cruisers beware! Do not sail Uniworld in Egypt
David
this company is full of toxic staff
this company is full of toxic staff, be aware of their fake mask, bad behaviour of the lady manager , i heard many of their old staff all the dark side of this company, the treat human like garbage and have high ego. Price are expensive too do not be bait by this company.
Crows
Great tour but felt unhappy on tour
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.
Richard Tuffin
They LIE about amenities
Their website states "NEVER [emphasis added] restricted to mealtimes or happy hour, you'll find that fine wines, local beers and premium spirits flow freely through the cruise....[more verbiage on this point]". A week before the cruise departs, you get paperwork that indicates that this is up to the local cruise contracting company which, at least in Egypt, restricts complimentary beverages (including soft drinks til we raise h*ll) to meals and a one-hour pre-dinner happy hour. Too late to cancel, and our protest has gone unanswered for 48 hours and counting.I don't blame the contracting local company: they have their rules and Uniworld knows them. And I'm not such a drinker that this is a major problem. BUT Uniworld prefers to LIE about services that are variably available depending upon the route you have chosenThis is supposed to be a high-end cruise line Instead it's a dishonest operation that does bait and switch on promised services.This was our second Uniworld cruise; it will be our last, and we certainly can't recommend it to fellow travelers.You should get what is advertised and if it's not going to be provided, you should know that before you pay top dollar for the product. Period, end of sentence. Dishonest company. Don't trust it.
Unhappy cruiser
Very unorganized for excursions
Very unorganized for excursions. When you need to cancel and they tell you that you can and that you owe nothing. Then they chase you down in the last day to pay for an excursion you didn’t take and that they told you several times you don nut owe
Susan Large
The fact that anyone reviews them badly…
The fact that anyone reviews them badly is insane to me. The staff on the SS La Venezia waited on us hand and foot, we were denied literally no request we made. Wait staff, cleaning staff, bar staff, cooks, desk staff, every person seemed happy to be there and sincere in their efforts to make your stay enjoyable. The tours and events are top notch, the people conducting them were entertaining and knowledgeable. What a killer vacation—if you’re on the fence about doing this, just stop thinking and do it. I really can’t imagine a world where I took issue with a single thing that has happened on this cruise.The food spread is excellent and diverse, every dish felt gourmet, and the vegetarian options were great. The cleaning staff is very attentive and hits your room twice a day if you don’t declare ‘do not disturb.’Would do this many more times.
Dustin Cleary
I'm a fan
My fiance and I just returned (like within the last 24 hours) from our first river cruise and it was dreamy. We traveled on the Burgundy & Provence itinerary starting in Lyon and ending in Arles. The staff onboard were phenomenal and took such great care of everyone. We met several other couples during our meals and excursions that we really bonded with. Food exceeded expectations and how nice for it to be all-inclusive. The French Balcony rooms were beautiful and had lots of storage space. Although I think the next category up has bigger bathrooms with tubs, so that might be worth the splurge. Cities/villages visited each had their own 'personality' and we spent a lot of time exploring. Most of the docking locations were within easy walking distance of the city center. They had umbrellas for use on rainy days, plus hiking sticks and bikes that you could check-out for the day. Probably should have used the bike in Arles, but live and learn! We'd absolutely book another one and now understand why others we met had done 5+ before this trip. Only regret is not booking the pre-cruise option in Paris, but that's on me.
K. Greenberg
Helpful Tips for future cruisers
Despite the way this review probably sounds like a lot of complaints, we really did have a wonderful time and Uniworld staff did a great job!!! Except for the issues I will discuss in what I hope is a helpful manner to future cruisers, everything was awesome! Food was fresh, plentiful, creative and delicious. Ship was very comfortable and kept very clean. Staff was kind, courteous, patient and very hard working.I would highly recommend Leaving the dinner clothes and any attempt at European fashion at home, Everyone everywhere just looks like a very casual American with logos and ball caps etc. Dinner was casual, just wear your respectable regular clothes. I could have saved a lot of space in my suitcase as I had a lot of fun anticipating our trip and planning and reading a lot of articles and maybe fake reviews that talked about dress code…especially Uniworld being dressier than other ship lines and how to blend in in Europe and not look like a tourist. (I think I am very naïve, we have not traveled in quite awhile) I was happy to anticipate "dressing up". The first night at dinner my view was of a hairy guy in a tank top! Thank goodness I did not have to see that again I should have listened to the reviews that said DO NOT OVERPACK!Again Staff, food, ship, room all excellent!. Too many excursions were centered on always ending up in shops and shopping areas. Now don’t get me wrong, we are shoppers and shopped so much we had to buy an extra suitcase for the way home. Needless to say our family loves us . With so little time though we wanted more time spent on local culture and less on making sure we had plenty of time for shops. We had a much better time looking up local things to do and also asking the staff what they recommended and then going out on our own. This is what happened on one of the only excursions we did go on: this is the description of one stop on the (extra fee) Black Forest Trip: “stop at the family-owned House of Black Forest Clocks, where you will learn how cuckoo clocks are made-and savor a slice of Black Forest cake, too.” The reality: This is a shop with a restaurant upstairs. Just a shop, not a museum, there is no presentation or explanation of the process of making the admittedly beautiful clocks. A shop filled with cuckoo clocks and aisles of the same touristy items we saw everywhere else, INLCUDING the next stop. The very adorable and charming owner and clock maker mingles a little and has a table where he does a little (just for show) carving while there are people in the shop. I expected more. Possibly to learn how cuckoo clocks are made per the description?????? The whole point of us going was to learn how they are made and then buy our clock. Maybe it’s us and we read more into the excursion explanations than is actually there? We did buy a Cuckoo Clock as we had planned, we both wanted one badly and we did find a gorgeous one along with a very rushed employee to sell it to us. The Black Forest Cake was delicious. At the next stop there was a shop with the same clocks and same aisles full of touristy itemsNow to the big tip! Watch out for sick people!!!!! We were placed in close quarters (excursion bus for example) with people who were obviously ill. Severe wet sounding constant cough (all day on 7 hour excursion) with no attempt at covering the mouth, they also couldn't stay awake. It was disgusting. Two men in particular, their wives refused to sit with them. The group of 4 all took separate seats. I am not sure why these people did not stay in their room as they looked extremely miserable. I can only speculate maybe because the extra excursions had a no refund policy? Also at what point does staff intervene when someone obviously ill is constantly in public areas? To be fair I understand this can be a very touchy issue. We ended up eating dinner in our room each night (the staff was wonderful about our repeated room service!!! We gave no explanation and they just smiled and did a great job) and staying away from organized excursions and onboard activities. We did end up with a pretty hefty case of covid, feels like a bad flu. (didn't know it was covid until we got home, and I know no one makes a big deal out of it anymore). We are still quite ill and are just staying home and resting. I am sure a tremendous amount of people that were on board our cruise are ill.One last thing, get the biggest cabin you can afford. We had the largest except for the suite. With the amount of time we spent in it trying to keep away from the sickies it was just big enough. The cabin was very nice, kept very clean by sweet staff.We would like to go on another Uniworld cruise, specifically Egypt. I will book differently as we paid full price and then kept getting offers for our same cruise with up to half off! I will take THAT as a learning experience!!!!!!!
Cruisecouple
MUST you go with Uniworld?
After a bike accident on my first day of a Uniworld 22 day Ultimate France River Cruise I was virtually confined to my cabin and, my life was in serious jeopardy, mainly from the cellulitis that developed in my knee a few days after the incident with Uniworld’s faulty bicycle. I was attended by three doctors and had three hospital visits during the 21 days. But had it not been for my own doctor in Australia, it was conceivable I may not have survived.Immediately on my return I briefed specialist Personal Injury Lawyers to make a claim on Uniworld for pain, suffering and medical expenses.I can only say that Uniworld’s response was appalling beyond belief. Apparently all the staff who had seen me three times a day, struggling to 50 or so metres to the dining room on my crutches had developed amnesia!I have since had to have a total knee replacement.Uniworld's ducking & weaving was astonishing. Here’s one quote from Marcelle Heimdal, Manager of Guest Relations & Reservation Services from Uniworld’s headquarters in Los Angeles:"The waiver also stipulates that guests assume all responsibility for any accidents or injury, and advises (in bold text) that Uniworld cannot be held responsible for any mechanical defects,and that the guest releases Uniworld for all liability. This is the same waiver you signed on board."Uniworld not only relied on the waver but on some of the dismissive fine print of our actual ‘Tickets’.They have many ways of fending off legal action, ultimately stipulating that, if you were crazy enough to initiate legal action against them, the claim could only be lodged in a Swiss court.These are not honest people to deal with. Let alone nice!If you do decide to book a trip with Uniworld, read the fine print on your ticket. And don’t borrow any of their equipment. It maybe safest not to eat any prawns or anything that could give you food poisoning. And, for God’s sake, don’t trip & fall. It could cost you your house (or your life).
Marcus Tarrant
You cant beat a Uniworld Cruise
Been on 17 Uniworld cruises now and they are all absolutely perfect. The boat are lovely, the staff are great and the trips out everyday are very very enjoyable. Sophie, who works in the Guernsey office, is especially helpful and knows a great deal about the cruises if you want any help. I can not recommend these cruises enough. The only downside I feel is their pricing structure as the prices change a lot and so it feels a little bit like a lottery when you book as you might find 2 weeks later the same cruise is lots cheaper and that can be a bit frustrating especially when your budget is quite tight as mine is.
MF.
