DESTINATIONS CRUISE | RHINE
OF THE BEST
experiences MUST-do
Rheinstein Castle
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Rüdesheim; Boppard; writer Colin meets chef Tomas PICTURES: Uniworld
HIDDEN GEMS
Dutch cruise manager Rik Sprengers had advised us to keep the cabin curtains closed for the “ugly” stretch of the sailing through Germany’s Ruhr Valley, but a beautiful bright red sunrise revealed many of the industrial plants involved in recycling, using this very river as an efficient mode of transport – one barge can carry hundreds of lorry-loads of goods. We docked in Cologne under the awe-inspiring spires of its cathedral. Here, Captain Mihai Marcu showed me around the wheelhouse. He has been filling the ship solely with HVO since April, using 55,000 litres – three-quarters of a tank – for the 14-night round trip from Amsterdam. However, Mihai explains that HVO is more expensive than diesel and, at current prices, he can’t see more ships using it unless it becomes mandatory. We pass charming Koblenz and historic Boppard
before reaching the Rhine’s most scenic stretch, admiring the castles dotted high up on the banks as staff served rum and cream coffee on deck to keep us warm. This is also the most difficult section for the captain to navigate, as the gorge’s steep sides narrow the river into a fast-flowing stream before it opens out again at the beautiful village of Rüdesheim, the wine-making capital of the region.
On the newest river ships, docking can be done solely with battery power. A-Rosa and Amadeus River Cruises have put batteries on two of their ships, and Uniworld will do so on Emilie, launching this year on the Danube. While in many ports we switched to shore power, the weight of batteries means sailing port-to-port on electric power is a distant dream.
56 22 JANUARY 2026
FOOD REVOLUTION It was to France, specifically stunning Strasbourg and its culinary delights, that we headed next – which was apt, since Uniworld is making strides in reducing food waste. Back when I worked as a waiter, I was told chefs liked to see the dirty plates to ascertain what customers hadn’t liked. The AI-powered LeanPath technology Uniworld has adopted on all ships takes this concept to a new level. In the galley, I met executive chef Tomas Breziansky. He and the enthusiastic staff weigh food as it goes into the dining room and after it comes back, categorising waste into proteins or starches, fruit or vegetables, and are told by the system how to modify both the buffet selection and portion sizes to increase efficiency. When catering for 110 guests, three times a day, using AI to help calculate supplies is a smart move. Between the first sailing of the season last April and my journey in September, Elisabeth’s galley team had reduced food waste by 23%. Of the food that does end up as waste, 90% is sent off to be turned into biofuel, which by this time was powering us towards Basel. So I went for an elegant dinner of escargots, tender beef sirloin and chocolate lava pudding before arriving at the illuminated Swiss city – and pondered the thought that it was food power that got us there.
TW BOOK IT
Uniworld’s Castles Along the Rhine on board Elisabeth costs from £3,239 per person, based on two sharing, including return Eurostar travel to Amsterdam, drinks and excursions, departing on April 4.
uniworld.com
Castle heights: One of Uniworld’s more unusual excursions is its night-time trip to Rheinstein Castle, where the owner explains over a glass of bubbly how it fell into his family’s hands. Getting there involves eight steep ramps and 80 steps, though these weren’t what floored me. I attempted to clamber to one of Rheinstein’s towers but backed down when I saw the 90-metre vertical drops into the Rhine either side.
Tasting notes: The vinegar- tasting tour at Weinessiggut Doktorenhof, in Venningen, saw us dressing in medieval capes to explore the cellars where the vinegar is aged in barrels with the same precision as the wine-making processes we had witnessed in vineyards along the route. The tasting afterwards revealed you could serve the vinegars as aperitifs, with all the subtle notes of fine sherries and ports but without the alcohol.
Behind the scenes: If clients are interested in finding out how Uniworld ships are run, suggest the ‘progressive dinner’ (from €110 per person), where each course is served in an area of the ship passengers don’t usually see, such as the wheelhouse and engine room.
travelweekly.co.uk
3
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88
