River Cruise

I can't speak to the Rhine itineraries, but I've been on all the high-end lines and Uniworld is my favorite.

Travel friends who started with Viking River Cruises have now switched allegiance to Uniworld.

Uniworld is our 2nd favorite line (Tauck is our absolute favorite).

If you are a AAA member, you can sometimes get a better deal on Uniworld.

WE love that they are both all inclusive and include top shelf alcohol 24/7. The service and food is top notch. The guides in the towns are amazing. We've been with Uniworld 3 times and Tauck 5 times. We have done Viking, AMA, GateOne. We will stick with Tauck. My AAA travel agent says Uniworld is not being good about cancelations with Covid, refunding, etc. WE had a Tauck Xmas Market River Cruise booked for 2020 and they have been amazing with refunds and giving us a $500 credit for our next cruise with them.
We did like AMA, but certainly not better than Tauck.

I suggest that you review the river cruise boards on Cruise Critic. There are some very unhappy Uniworld travelers right now because of their handling of the cancellations because of Covid. They are not cancelling the cruises until 2 weeks out, leaving the cruisers in a lurch until that time. I have not traveled with them, but have friends that have and really liked them prior to this. We have traveled with AmaWaterways and highly recommend them.

We have been on 3 Uniworld cruises and have had first class service and experiences each time. The Rhine Cruise is wonderful. Also have done the Danube and the Paris/Normandy which was so impactful. You won't be disappointed!

Never done a Uniworld River cruise, but they have great reviews.

There are many excellent river cruise companies, I compare several before selecting our cruises.

Viking
Vantage World Travel
Scenic
AMA Waterways
Uniworld
Crystal,
Tauck
Avalon
Emerald
Gate 1 (If you are looking for a great cruise, don't forget Gate 1, their prices can't be beat)

Would love to hear your experiences taking the train from Basel to Lake Como (Bernia Express).
Which towns did you stay in? Where did you stay?

Thank you!

Getting from Basel to Varenna you have a variety of options depending on how much time you have. If scenic train rides are of interest, you could travel Zermatt with a single connection at Visp. Then take the Glacier Express train from there to Chur or St Moritz. then the Bernina Express, which starts in Chur, stopping at St Moritz, to Tirano, Italy. In Tirano you will have to cross the piazza to the Trenord station to get a train to Varenna.

Another idea is to visit Luzern. There are frequent direct trains from Basel. From Luzern, you can travel to Chur with a single connection, then Chur is the starting point of the Bernina Express. I have ridden the Bernina Express and it is a beautiful ride.

I suggest you read the Cruise Critic forum for River Cruising. I have cruised on Uniworld and Grand Circle. Both those lines have had very critical reviews about refunding $ last year. I would Read carefully and chose the line that has the best reputation for refunds, not just travel credits.