Fans of ultra-luxury, all-inclusive boutique European river cruising have two reasons to celebrate. Uniworld has announced the addition of two ships to its fleet. Following the line’s tradition of naming ships after European queens, empresses and other royalty, the new ships names are S.S. Victoria and S.S. Elisabeth. The ships will begin sailing in 2024 and 2025 respectively.
We say ‘new’ ships, but they’re not newly-launched; however, they are new-to-Uniworld. Victoria and Elisabeth will be familiar to many fans of luxury river cruising. They were formerly part of luxury Crystal Cruises’ river fleet, where they were named Crystal Bach and Crystal Mahler. The entire Crystal river fleet was purchased by a new company, Riverside Luxury Cruises. While that new company is growing, it’s chartering the two ships to Uniworld for three years to satisfy the ever-growing popularity of luxury European river cruising.
Uniworld will create its signature experience onboard the two new-to-Uniworld ships on existing popular itineraries. The newly-dubbed S.S. Victoria will sail on Uniworld’s popular Rhine and nearby itineraries beginning in 2024, including ‘Holland & Belgium at Tulip Time,’ ‘Castles Along the Rhine,’ featuring fairytale-like towns, historic castles and fine winemaking traditions, the ‘Magnificent Moselle and Rhine, and even ‘Belgium Holiday Markets’ celebrating European Christmas traditions.
Uniworld guests will love the identical sister former Crystal ships, featuring modern design, some of the largest suites on the rivers, and a contemporary luxury ambiance. As the Uniworld ships S.S. Victoria and S.S. Elisabeth, the ships will have an all-Uniworld staff, as well as Uniworld’s fan-favorite touches and amenities.
The two ships can accommodate 110 guests in 55 luxurious suites and staterooms. Rooms and suites differ in size, but all feature similar design and full-length windows directly in front of the king-sized beds for panoramic views of the passing scenery. Guests will find fine materials and finishes onboard including leather, velvet, and marble, plus ultra-luxury features in select suite categories such as walk-in closets, fireplaces, and up to 759 square feet of space in a Uniworld-first two-bedroom accommodation with adjoining suites.
Other ship highlights include a massage room, gym, bistro for snacks, rooftop bar and grill for cocktails and light bites, and fine dining restaurant for breakfast, lunch and gourmet dinner. Like all Uniworld cruises, dining venues will feature farm-to-table cuisine utilizing fresh local ingredients gathered by the chef in destination daily.
The S.S. Elisabethis scheduled to sail as a Uniworld ship in the 2025 season, with the cruise line set to release more river and itinerary information soon.
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Images provided by Uniworld
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