After two weeks together on the Uniworld River Princess, it was time to say goodbye--not to each other, but to our ship and crew. We boarded buses to take us to Bucharest for three more days in Romania (including "Dracula's" Bran Castle in Transylvania) before our tour group would head for home or on their further travels. Some went on the extension to Istanbul. I said good-bye to my new friends to go visit longtime (not old) friends who were living in Kyiv, Ukraine.
This is my second cruise on Uniworld, and I have been pleased with both. In 2006, I enjoyed a 9 day voyage up the Danube from Budapest to Nuremberg and then by land to Prague for 3 days. This time on the Eastern European Explorer, it was 13 days from Vienna, Austria to Giurgui, Romania and by land to Bucharest for 3 days. I knew in advance more about what I would see going up the Danube, as I had visited many of those areas years before. When people asked why I was taking the trip down the river, I didn't have a simple answer, as I wasn't sure what I would discover. For a better summary of places I saw on the Danube River go to my post "On the Blue(?) Danube" under Danube Cruise on the sidebar.
I loved exploring and finding new places and friendly people that expanded my understanding of our complex and beautiful world. There were so many little- known delights to enjoy along the way (such as this group of Serbian children). It is a journey I will not forget and would highly recommend.
At the beginning of the trip, I posted "A Small World," as I was finding connections with the other passengers. (See Danube Cruise older posts on sidebar) Today's post is a look back at my new friends and the places we visited. I don't know why I didn't take more photos of my fellow travelers. I enjoyed our diverse group. Likewise, I did not take many photos of our accommodations on the cruise ship. They were pleasant. Every room had windows through which you could watch the shore. Rooms were compact (to keep the boat size small), but nice with comfortable beds and good cabin service.
The food was great with a variety to choose from and local specialties. Casual clothes were the standard (except for this farewell dinner), and there was open seating for meals. It was a good way to meet the other 70+ passengers. The only glitch was trouble we had with internet access.
Many evenings and afternoons, we enjoyed local lecturers and entertainers, and most shore excursions were included in the cost of the trip. (Click video clip: Serbian dancers on board) The cruise staff were friendly and helpful, and the local guides interesting. I enjoyed discussions with Markus, our knowledgeable and enthusiastic cruise manager. A few mornings, I even got up early for an energizing exercise/ stretching class on the top deck, as we watched sleepy towns begin to stir. I very much enjoyed a couple of relaxing massages. Riverboats do not have swimming pools or lots of flashy shows, but we were so often on shore, they weren't missed. 
In the slideshow, you will first see a few photos of the River Empress from my first trip, then the River Princess and group photos from my recent trip. I've also included a few short video clips in this post. It seems most cruises end the Captain's Farewell Dinner with Baked Alaska for dessert and the song Andrea Bocelli made popular, Con Te Partiro (Time to Say Goodbye). (Video clip: Farewell Dinner)
I hope you won't say good-bye, but will return next week for a look at Bucharest, Romania. To see other places visited on this cruise, go to Danube Cruise on the sidebar.
Slideshow Link: Time to Say Goodbye
Music: Andrea Bocelli, Con Te Partiro, Romanza
More Information: http://www.UniworldCruiseLine.com/
http://www.danube-river.com/
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