WHY IT RATES: The new ships will be scattered around the world, in Egypt, Portugal, Vietnam and Russia. —Janeen Christoff, TravelPulse Senior Writer
Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection reinforces its position as the leader in luxury river cruising with the announcement it will introduce four new ships to its award-winning fleet of floating boutique hotels over the next three years.
New ships will launch on the Nile in Egypt, the Douro in Portugal and the Mekong in Vietnam in 2020, followed by a new ship on the Volga in Russia in 2021.
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The new ships will replace existing vessels in each destination and the levels of comfort, luxury and design will be in line with the best of the Uniworld’s custom-built Super Ships in Europe, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to having the most luxurious cruise fleet on the world’s rivers. Uniworld also announced today that it will be renovating and upgrading its River Countess vessel, offering guests an unparalleled floating hotel experience in Venice.
Uniworld’s president and CEO Ellen Bettridge said: “We are delighted to bring our unique and elegantly designed one-of-a-kind vessels to the rivers in Egypt, Portugal, Vietnam, and Russia for the first time. We strive to provide our discerning guests with an unforgettable river cruise experience both on and offshore, therefore we have plans to offer our one-of-a-kind ships on our popular itineraries along the Nile, Douro, Mekong, and the Volga. With a beautiful upgrade of the River Countess also planned for 2020, our brand is truly innovating and these new developments demonstrate that Uniworld will always be ahead of the competition as the luxury leader in river cruising.”
This announcement follows a number of recent ship transformations undertaken by the luxury cruise line, including the successful launch of the S.S. Joie de Vivre on the Seine in 2017 and Super Ship transformations of the S.S. Beatrice in 2018, and S.S. Bon Voyage which is set to sail in France in spring 2019. The new floating boutique hotels will feature the signature touches and distinctive themes for which the company’s ships are renowned–more suites, more dining venues, and more luxurious finishes.
SOURCE: Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection press release.
