Uniworld River Cruises is known for delivering excellent customer service while guests enjoy local food, beer, and wine aboard one-of-a-kind ships. With that said, it’s easy to see why people from all over the world choose Uniworld for their next river cruise adventure.
However, life happens, and if you need to cancel your trip due to an unforeseen circumstance, it’s vital to know the Uniworld cancellation policy. Keep reading as we discuss the terms of the Uniworld cancellation policy so you know before you book.
What Is the Uniworld Cancellation Policy?
River cruises are an excellent way to take a vacation. Relaxing and fascinating, they allow you to learn about the region and immerse yourself in the local culture.
Like other vacations, river cruises take a lot of planning and usually need to be booked far in advance. If you don’t book months ahead of time, you can be looking at high price tags and fewer itinerary options.
Since booking in advance is a must, you never know if something will come up months or weeks before you depart. That’s why it’s vital to know the Uniworld cancellation policy so you can avoid losing a boatload of money (pun intended).
Hopefully, nothing does come between you and going on a Uniworld river cruise. But if it does, here is what you need to know about their cancellation policy.
Uniworld Cancellation Policy: Cancellation Must Be in Writing
First off, if you need to cancel your trip for any reason, your cancellation must be done in writing and will be effective on the day of receipt. Whether you booked through a travel agent or on your own, you must contact Uniworld directly. It’s unclear if Uniworld will send you a document for you to sign or if they will accept an email.
If you booked through a travel agent, we highly recommend contacting the agent immediately. They can move the needle faster and contact Uniworld on your behalf. If you did the booking yourself, then it’s best to contact Uniworld customer service for the exact steps.
Uniworld Cancellation Policy: Cancellation Charges
Unfortunately, no matter how many days in advance you cancel your Uniworld cruise vacation, you will be charged fees. It is also important to note that these fees are in addition to any fees you might pay your travel agent. With that in mind, be sure to ask your travel agent if they have any cancellation fees before booking a cruise package.
According to Uniworld cancellation policy, if your cancellation notice is received 120 days or more before the start of your trip, you will need to pay a $200 fee per person. If you and your spouse are the only ones going on the trip, you will need to pay $400 to cancel the trip. While this isn’t ideal, at least you can salvage some of your costs.
If you cancel 90 to 119 days before your trip, you will pay a 20% fee of the total fare. For cancellations between 60 and 89 days, it’s a 35% fee of the total fare. Between 30 to 59 days before the departure date is a 50% fee of the total fare. Lastly, if you cancel 30 days before the departure date or are a no-show, you will lose 100% of the total fare.
The fare is considered the cruise costs excluding port charges. If your cancellation request is received before the departure date, you will be refunded the port charges.
Uniworld Cancellation Policy: Airfare
If you purchased a package deal where your airfare is included, then you will also need to be aware of Uniworld’s airline cancellation policy. If you cancel your airline booking within 24 hours, you will receive a full refund.
However, if you cancel your airfare for any reason within 119 days or less before the departure date, your flight is 100% non-refundable. So, while you may get some of your cruise costs back, you will be stuck paying for the airfare unless you purchase a travel insurance policy that covers cancellations.
Uniworld Itinerary Changes
When booking a river cruise, you are given a general outline of the itinerary. However, things happen that may completely change the course of the river cruise itinerary. For example, if there is a severe storm while traveling through the Danube and it is unsafe for the captain and crew to proceed, they will change the itinerary.
In this case, Uniworld reserves the right to change any itinerary aspect. For example, this may mean you will be transferred to a different hotel or vessel. In addition, the itinerary may change to different excursions and port of call stops.
If this happens, you are not eligible for a refund, no matter the reason. This is due to the cruise still taking place, just with a different itinerary. Uniworld also clarifies that itinerary changes can happen without notice in the case of low or high water levels, severe wind, or other acts of God.
If you change or cancel your cruise due to these changes, then you will need to refer back to the Uniworld cancellation policy.
Advanced, Cancelled, or Delayed Sailing
Under any circumstances out of Uniworld’s control, it reserves the right to postpone or modify your river cruise’s departure or return times. This also includes any scheduled excursions or events that were a part of the original cruise package.
While Uniworld says they will not be liable for cancellations, delays, or rescheduling that impacts your itinerary beyond their control, you will be entitled to a travel credit or refund. However, it’s vital to ensure that you do your due diligence in research to ensure you are protected in the case of any emergency or delay.
Uniworld Travel Protection Plan
During the Covid 19 pandemic, thousands, if not millions, of travel plans were derailed entirely. While hopefully nothing like this happens again in our lifetimes, it’s a good idea to get a protection plan for peace of mind.
The Uniworld travel protection plan isn’t exactly cheap, but it provides you with coverage if you need to cancel your trip. The travel protection plan ranges from $219 per person to $889 per person depending on the total cost of your trip.
One of the biggest benefits of the travel protection plan is that you get a 100% refund up to one day prior to your departure date. However, it is only refunded as a travel certificate, which is a credit that you can use for a future Uniworld river cruise.
However, if Uniworld cancels the trip for reasons out of its control, it will refund 100% of the trip to the payment method originally used to pay for the trip. Other benefits include but are not limited to trip delay, accident/sickness medical expenses, emergency evacuation, accidental death, baggage loss, and more.
Know Before You Go
Understanding cancellation policies before booking any vacation is always a good idea. This will protect you financially if the unexpected happens. If you have any questions regarding the Uniworld cancellation policy, we recommend contacting them directly.
Not sure if Uniworld is the right cruise line for your next vacation? Check out our other articles like Uniworld vs. Viking: A Side-by-Side Comparison, Uniworld vs. Avalon River Cruise – Which One Is Right For You?, Uniworld vs. Tauck: Which River Cruise Company Is Best for You?. Or, speak with one of our river cruise specialists to find the perfect one for you.