Rik told us that working in the river cruise industry is addictive, and he wasn’t kidding! He’s been working on Uniworld luxury river cruise ships for over 15 years and keeps going back for more.
In our chat with Rik we spoke about his fascinating role as Cruise Manager with Uniworld, what his average day entails, where he loves cruising and got the lowdown on his popular Instagram account uniworld_Rik.
His many years cruising the European waterways means he has a thousand tales, tips and tricks to make sure guests get the most out of their trip.
You can read our full chat below to get the inside scoop on all things European cruising.
What’s your favourite destination to cruise to and why?
The Moselle River and Strasbourg.
The Moselle River is a best-kept secret! It is gorgeous with hills and vineyards for miles and small towns with castles. The Moselle meanders from France through Luxembourg to Koblenz where it joins the Rhine River.
We cruise during the day on Moselle and all guests need to do is to go to the sundeck, order their favourite drink and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
And then there is Strasbourg! A great mixture of the best of France and Germany. The cathedral, the half-timber houses, cobblestone streets, the enormous selection of pastry shops and restaurants make Strasbourg a city easy to enjoy.
The best way to describe Strasbourg is “French cuisine but German size portions”
On the River Queen program in 2020 we do both, River Moselle and a stop in Strasbourg. I can’t wait to be on it.
What are some of your unforgettable River Cruise moments?
I was able to see and visit some incredible places, like Princess Anita’s private palace in Artstetten, Austria where we had coffee and cake or having the Saint Mark’s Basilica in Venice just ourselves
I once ended up on a private tour of the Hofburg Palace and ended up the room where Maria Theresa was born. I’ve even had dinner with the (Ronald) Reagan Family, after a large part of the family booked a Uniworld Cruises and invited me for dinner!
But what’s truly special is the guests you meet. When a guest approaches you at the end of the cruise and just genuinely tells you how much they have enjoyed the cruise.
What 3 Hot Tips do you have for a first time River Cruiser?
Start with a shorter cruise, like a week. Always try to fly in a few days earlier, book a pre extension before getting onboard, this way you have extra time in a big city like Amsterdam, Vienna or Budapest. Often cruise programs are only one day in big cities. This also gives you a little buffer just in case you have changes in your flight over.
Pack for all kinds of weather! Springtime is still cold and cool when doing the Tulips and Windmills program in Belgium and the Netherlands. Summer in France and Italy can be very hot.
Be a traveller, not a tourist. Be curious, try new things, be adventurous.
Talk us through a day in the life of a Uniworld Cruise Manager
After a quick breakfast, I prepare for the tours. Firstly I check if the local guides and buses are in the right place. I like to have a short chat with them and go over the program.
I hand them the quiet vox listen devices, and send guests to the right bus and locals guides. There are always last-minute requests and questions. Before I send the guides off, I like to introduce the guides and bus driver.
It is important to me that I have had contact with all guests, at least a little chat to get to know them better. This can be challenging with 150 guests in seven days. A good way to do it is to go into the lounge at cocktail hour to make a round and ask guests how their day was.
As the “informer” of the ship, it is my job to communicate all information to the guests. My port talk is a daily returning ritual just before dinner time. I like to make sure that my 15 minute talk is a mixture of information and entertainment. I would love to call it “infotainment”. It is great to get guests excited about the next day, what to look for, and what to look at.
After dinner, there might be local entertainment onboard from a classical concert, a zither player, a dance band or a local folklore show. I make sure all is ready for the performers and I introduce the show.
What inspired you to start your popular @Uniworld_Rik Instagram and what has the response been like to it?
We were asked by Uniworld to share pictures and stories on social media a couple of years ago. I started taking videos from the ship, the crew and our destinations.
I got really into it, and during the winter months, I spend quite some time building my portfolio of pictures and trying to get more followers.
It seems that short videos or pictures with colleagues and crew members are the most popular.
What attracted you to River Cruising and working for Uniworld?
After working on coach tours in the USA and Europe for several years, I visited my friend Nancy, who was the cruise director for Uniworld on the River Duchess in Cologne.
This was in 2003, the year the River Duchess was introduced. As soon as I stepped onboard, I knew I wanted to be part of it.
The staff made me feel so welcome! I wrote a letter, and two months later I was on the ship.
What’s something that people may not know about cruising with Uniworld
We care. We really care about our guests, crew and ships. We are trained with a great quote and mindset from the lovely Mrs Beatrice Tollman:
“No request too large, no detail too small”.
And that is really what we live by. We will go the extra mile.
The reason why I have been with Uniworld for 17 years is that I learned early on that we will do our utmost to make sure our guests have an unforgettable experience. We care.
People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people never forget how you made them feel!
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