Uniworld cruise policies
Uniworld Policies: Deposits, Final Payment, Cancellation, Gratuities, Dress Code and Age Rules
Every booking rule that affects your wallet or your packing list, on one page: what you pay when you book, when the balance is due, what it costs to cancel, what the all-inclusive fare already covers, what to wear at dinner and who can sail. Figures are Uniworld's own, from the terms and conditions it publishes for bookings made in the United States, and apply to its river ships in Europe, Egypt, India, Vietnam and Cambodia, and Peru.
Deposit
Uniworld's deposit is a percentage of the fare rather than a flat amount: at least 10% of the cruise or cruise-tour fare, less any discounts, per person, due within 48 hours of booking. The same 10% applies on every itinerary; what changes by destination is how much of it Uniworld keeps if you cancel. Promotional offers can set their own payment terms, and your invoice is the authority.
| Cruise length | Deposit |
|---|---|
| Europe river cruises and cruise-tours | 10% of the fare per person, within 48 hours of booking |
| Egypt, India, Vietnam and Cambodia, Peru and South America, Bali | 10% of the fare per person, within 48 hours of booking |
| Rivers of the World (2026 edition) | 10% of the fare per person; $2,500 per person of it is kept on cancellation |
| Flights booked through Uniworld | $450 per person, nonrefundable, at the time of booking, on top of the cruise deposit |
Good to know
- The fare for deposit purposes is the cruise or cruise-tour price, port charges and any pre- or post-cruise extension, less applicable discounts.
- The deposit is refundable only through the cancellation schedule: cancel 120 days or more before the start date and Uniworld keeps $250 per person on Europe sailings or $500 per person on Egypt, India, Vietnam, Peru and Bali sailings, and refunds the rest.
- That $250 or $500 is not lost outright. Uniworld's Deposit Protection Credit returns it as a credit toward a new Uniworld booking, valid for two years from the cancellation, with no cash value and not usable toward a deposit, travel protection or air.
- The $450 airfare deposit is nonrefundable after 24 hours; cancel the air within 24 hours of booking it and the deposit, or the full airfare if already paid, comes back.
- Uniworld's Travel Protection Plan costs 9.75% of the trip price and can be cancelled for a full refund within 10 days of purchase, before travel starts and before any claim.
Final payment
The balance is due 120 days before the start date of the program unless the offer says otherwise, and Uniworld can cancel a reservation whose payment arrives late. Book inside the window and the full fare is due at booking. All payments are in U.S. dollars.
Standard schedule
| Cruise length | Balance due |
|---|---|
| Europe river cruises and cruise-tours | 120 days before the start date |
| Egypt, India, Vietnam and Cambodia, Peru, Bali | 120 days before the start date |
| Rivers of the World (2026 edition) | 180 days before the start date |
| Bookings made inside 120 days (180 for Rivers of the World) | Full payment at booking |
Good to know
- The start date is the first day of the Uniworld program, which is the first hotel night on a cruise-tour, not the day you board the ship.
- Airfare booked through Uniworld is final once deposited: fare, taxes and fuel surcharges are locked and changes cost $50 per person before ticketing and $100 after, plus any airline charges.
- Every guest's Passenger Information Form must reach Uniworld by the final payment date, or the cruise documents are not released.
- Uniworld's published fares are subject to change until a deposit is paid; the fare on a deposited booking is the one on your invoice.
Cancellation charges
Charges are per person, either a flat amount or a percentage of the fare plus any added land elements, and depend on the day Uniworld receives your written cancellation at cancel@uniworld.com. They are on top of any airline or other third-party penalties. A name change or a date change counts as a cancellation and a new booking.
Europe and other standard programs
Every river cruise and cruise-tour except the destinations in the next two tables.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Any length | 120 days or more | $250 per person (returned as a Deposit Protection Credit) |
| Any length | 119 to 90 days | 25% of the fare plus any added land elements |
| Any length | 89 to 60 days | 50% |
| Any length | 59 to 30 days | 75% |
| Any length | 29 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
Egypt, Peru and South America, India, Vietnam and Bali
Egypt, Peru and South America, India cruise-tours and cruise-and-rail programs, Vietnam cruise-tours and Bali.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Any length | 120 days or more | $500 per person (returned as a Deposit Protection Credit) |
| Any length | 119 to 90 days | 50% of the fare plus any added land elements |
| Any length | 89 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
Rivers of the World (2026 edition)
Uniworld's multi-river grand voyage; the 2027 and 2028 terms do not list one.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Any length | 180 days or more | $2,500 per person, not eligible for the Deposit Protection Credit |
| Any length | 179 to 120 days | 25% of the fare plus any added land elements |
| Any length | 119 to 60 days | 50% |
| Any length | 59 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
Flights booked through Uniworld
The air portion only; it is charged separately from the cruise schedule above.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Any length | Within 24 hours of booking the air | No charge, full refund of the air deposit or airfare |
| Any length | 120 days or more | $450 per person air deposit |
| Any length | 119 days or fewer | 100% of the airfare, no refund |
Good to know
- Cancellations must be in writing to cancel@uniworld.com and take effect on the day Uniworld receives them: tell SmartCruiser and we send it the same day.
- The Deposit Protection Credit: cancel 120 days or more before the start date and the $250 or $500 Uniworld keeps comes back as a credit toward a new Uniworld booking, valid for two years, one credit per person per booking, combinable with current promotions, no cash value, not usable toward a deposit or travel protection, and not available on air or Rivers of the World.
- Any other change to a reservation costs a nonrefundable $50 per person per transaction unless it increases the value of the booking; changing a passenger name or the itinerary date is a cancellation under the schedule above and a new reservation.
- A no-show is a 100% cancellation on every itinerary, and there are no refunds for unused services or any unused portion of the trip, including leaving the cruise early.
- Optional excursions bought on board are not refunded if cancelled within 24 hours of the tour start time; prepaid optional tours are not refunded at all.
- Refunds go back to the original payment method, or to SmartCruiser when we made the payment for you, and we pass them straight on.
- Uniworld's Travel Protection Plan returns a cancellation as a Future Travel Certificate for any reason up to one day before your first Uniworld-arranged travel date; a cash refund of the penalty needs a covered reason. U.S. residents only.
Gratuities
Nothing is added to your account for gratuities on a Uniworld river cruise. The fare includes gratuities for the ship's staff, crew and Cruise Manager on every sailing, and in Egypt, India, Peru and Vietnam and Cambodia it also covers the onshore guides and drivers and any pre- or post-cruise extension. Drinks, Wi-Fi, bicycles and the scheduled excursions are in the fare too.
| Stateroom | Daily gratuity |
|---|---|
| Europe sailings: ship staff, crew and Cruise/Tour Manager | Included in the fare |
| Egypt, India, Peru, Vietnam and Cambodia: onboard and onshore personnel, including land extensions | Included in the fare |
| Motorcoach drivers, Travel Directors and local hosts on a land-tour portion | Not included; Uniworld's terms call these voluntary and given at the end of the trip |
| Guides on optional excursions you buy on board | At your discretion |
Good to know
- In Europe the fare covers unlimited beverages on board: fine wines, beer, spirits, specialty coffee, tea, soft drinks and mineral water, not limited to meals or a happy hour; Uniworld says the bar closes when the last guest goes to bed. Egypt, India, Vietnam and Cambodia and Peru each have their own beverage list, so check the itinerary overview.
- Ship-wide Wi-Fi, bicycles and Nordic walking sticks, onboard exercise classes and the excursions listed in the itinerary are included; optional excursions are booked on board with the Cruise Manager and charged to your onboard account.
- Transfers are included only when you buy your flights through Uniworld and they fall within its transfer guidelines; porterage covers one suitcase per person.
- There are no ATMs on board and only limited cash-only currency exchange; extension excursions are paid by credit card.
Dress code
No formal nights on any Uniworld ship. Days are smart casual for exploring; evenings are resort smart casual, with one firm rule: no shorts at dinner on board. The Captain's Welcome and Farewell are the dressiest evenings, and a sport jacket or a cocktail dress is suggested rather than required.
Daytime
Comfortable, sporty, smart-casual daywear on shore and on board, with good walking shoes for cobblestones and a light layer for wind on the river.
Dinner on board
Resort-style smart casual: slacks or a skirt with a blouse, collared shirt or sweater. Shorts are not permitted at dinner. Men may want one sport jacket and women a cocktail dress or two for the dressier restaurant venues and evenings ashore.
Captain's Welcome and Farewell
The same smart casual with a step up: a sport jacket for men and a cocktail dress or pantsuit for women are suggested; neckties are optional and no one needs a tuxedo or gown.
Egypt, India, Vietnam and Cambodia, Peru
More casual still because of the heat: sport jackets and cocktail dresses are not needed, footwear must be worn in the dining room at all times, and Egypt guests may want one smart-casual outfit for the Gala Reception.
Dress Your Best nights
| Cruise length | Formal nights |
|---|---|
| Any length | 0 |
House rules
- Shorts are not allowed at dinner on board in Europe; daytime shorts are fine on deck and ashore.
- Footwear is required in the dining room at all times on the Egypt, India, Southeast Asia and Peru ships.
- Temples, mosques, churches and other holy sites on the itinerary require covered shoulders and knees; pack a scarf or light layer.
- Smoking and vaping are permitted only on the ship's sun deck, never in suites, on balconies, indoors, on motorcoaches or trains, and Uniworld asks guests not to smoke on shore excursions.
Age rules
Uniworld welcomes children from age 5 (7 in Peru) but makes no special arrangements for them outside its Generations family departures, and says most children under that age are simply not yet old enough to enjoy river cruising. Age is counted on the day the program starts.
Minimum age to sail without a parent or guardian
| Departure | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Europe, Egypt, India, Vietnam and Cambodia, Bali | 18; younger guests travel with a parent or guardian and share a cabin with someone 21 or older |
| Peru | 21; younger guests travel with a parent or guardian in a connecting suite or share a cabin with someone 25 or older |
Stateroom assignment
Every guest under 18 must be booked in a cabin with someone 21 or older and travel with a parent or guardian; in Peru every guest under 21 must share with someone 25 or older or have a parent or guardian in a connecting suite. Most Uniworld staterooms sleep two, so a family of four usually takes two staterooms or a suite with a sofa bed; the Generations ships have a Young Travelers' Lounge and the parents remain responsible for their children's safety and behavior on board and ashore.
Infants
| Sailing | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Europe, Egypt, India, Vietnam and Cambodia, Bali | 5 years or older |
| Peru | 7 years or older; some Peru excursions are not suited to young children |
| Generations family departures | 5 years or older; Family Hosts run Junior Cruisers (5 to 12) and Teen Cruisers (13 to 17) programs |
Drinking age
| Departure or destination | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| All sailings | Uniworld publishes no drinking age in its U.S. terms, FAQ or ticket contract; the crew serves the included wine, beer and spirits to adults. Cruise Critic reports the line enforces 21 (unverified). Alcohol is prohibited on motorcoaches. |
Good to know
- Generations departures for 2026 to 2028 are Splendors of Egypt and the Nile (December 19 and 26, 2026; December 18 and 25, 2027; December 16 and 23, 2028), Castles along the Rhine and Amsterdam, Castles along the Rhine, Enchanting Danube and Burgundy and Provence on summer and fall dates in 2027 and 2028; they add kid-friendly menus, a Young Travelers' Table, craft and cooking workshops, movie nights and family-focused excursions.
- Uniworld's older documents, including the Cruise Passenger Ticket Contract still on its site, show a minimum age of 4; the 2026, 2027 and 2028 terms and the current FAQ say 5, and that is the figure Uniworld applies to new bookings.
- Guests must be able to board and leave the ship and manage walking tours over cobblestones and stairs on their own; Uniworld strongly encourages travel protection on every booking and requires an insurance acknowledgment on the Passenger Information Form from guests who decline it.
- There is no casino on any Uniworld ship.
How SmartCruiser handles the fine print for you
- We put your 120 day (or 180 day) final payment date on our calendar and remind you before it, so a booking never cancels by accident.
- Before final payment we watch your sailing for Uniworld's next promotion and move your booking to it when Uniworld allows, so you never overpay for the same suite.
- Uniworld takes cancellations in writing only, so we handle cancellations, name changes and date changes with Uniworld directly, tell you the exact charge before you decide and make sure your Deposit Protection Credit is recorded.
- Flights, pre- and post-cruise extensions, optional Masterpiece Collection excursions and Uniworld's Travel Protection Plan go on your invoice if you want them, and your River Heritage Club number goes on the reservation.
- Where Uniworld allows it, SmartCruiser adds bonus onboard credit that is not available booking direct. Ask for it when you call 1-800-444-1560.
Last verified October 14, 2026 against Uniworld's own pages: 2026 Terms and Conditions (U.S.), 2027 Terms and Conditions (U.S.), 2028 Terms and Conditions (U.S.), FAQ: gratuities, dress code, minimum age, smoking, All-Inclusive: what the fare covers, Generations family departures, Travel Protection Plan, Cruise Passenger Ticket Contract, Reseller copy of the 2026 terms used for cross-checking. These deposit, payment and cancellation terms are Uniworld's U.S. Terms and Conditions. Uniworld publishes one edition per travel year (2026, 2027 and 2028); all three say they apply to bookings made from October 1, 2026 and carry the same deposit, final payment and cancellation figures, so the edition that matches your sailing year is the one on your invoice. The United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and other markets have their own booking conditions with different deposits and cancellation charges. Policies change; the cruise line's ticket contract and the terms on your booking confirmation govern.
Questions
Uniworld policy FAQ
How much is the deposit on a Uniworld river cruise?
When is final payment due?
What does it cost to cancel?
Is the Uniworld deposit refundable?
Are gratuities included on Uniworld?
What else is included in the fare?
Does Uniworld have formal nights?
Can children sail on Uniworld?
Ask a Uniworld specialist
Deposits, deadlines, cancellations and what to pack: one call and it is handled, with SmartCruiser's bonus onboard credit on your booking.