TORONTO — Uniworld says it’s consolidating its position at the top end of the market with the announcement of four new boutique river ships, sailing in Egypt, Portugal, Vietnam and Russia.
The move reinforces Uniworld’s position as the leader in luxury river cruising, says Uniworld’s President & CEO Ellen Bettridge.
The new ships, billed as floating boutique hotels, 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.
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, adds Bettridge.
Uniworld also announced that it will be renovating and upgrading its River Countess vessel, offering guests “an unparalleled floating hotel experience” in Venice.
“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,” said Bettridge. “We strive to provide our discerning guests with an unforgettable river cruise experience both on and off shore, 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 demonstrates that Uniworld will always be ahead of the competition as the luxury leader in river cruising.”
The announcement follows a number of recent ship transformations undertaken by the luxury cruise line, including the 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 known, including more suites, more dining venues and more luxurious finishes, says Bettridge.
