They do still offer the program you speak of from-time-to-time. I seem to recall them in the Fall, before the holidays and perhaps other times as well. Skunk has the right idea, try the 14 day trial (
Mythic Entertainment | Ultima Online - Play the 14-Day Free Trial!) to see if you like the changes before deciding to reopen an older account. You don't have to play all 14 days just long enough to see if it is worth it.
Some suggestions:
Try the Enhanced Client (EC) (
UO Enhanced Client beta discussion - Stratics Forums). The Classic Client (CC) is still available and supported, but if you have been gone for any length of time you may find you like it.
Check out your shards forums (
Shard Forums - Stratics Forums) to get a feel for the population, play-styles and times as well as hot spots to find other players.
Good Luck!