Uniworld Boutique River Cruises is launching a new Super Ship in Spring 2014, the S.S. Catherine, on the Rhône and Saône rivers in Burgundy and Provence. Uniworld’s River Royale, currently sailing these rivers, will move to her new home in France’s Bordeaux region. The River Royale, as well the River Empress, sailing Uniworld’s European Jewels program between Amsterdam and Budapest will undergo remodels.
The new Super Ship, S.S. Catherine, will be designed by Uniworld’s sister company, the Red Carnation Hotel Collection—a collection of five-star award-winning boutique hotels.
The S.S. Catherine will be similar to the S.S. Antoinette, and will be one of the company’s largest ships at 443 feet long. According to Guy Young, president of Uniworld, “As we did with the S.S. Antoinette, we have used the additional space on the S.S. Catherine to create innovative public areas and extra spacious staterooms and suites for our guests. Uniworld carries fewer guests than our competitors and the S.S. Catherine will have a 159 total passenger capacity, with five suites at 305 square feet and one Royal suite at 410 square feet.”
All suites and staterooms on the top deck will offer full open-air private balconies, which convert to enclosed conservatories with the touch of a switch—an innovation developed by Uniworld on the S.S. Antoinette. Staterooms on the middle deck will feature French balconies. All suites and staterooms will have Uniworld’s one-of-a-kind touches such as handcrafted Savoir of England beds and beautiful marble bathrooms.
The S.S. Catherine offers three full decks with elegantly appointed public areas designed with one goal in mind: delighting guests. Similar to the S.S. Antoinette, the S.S. Catherine will have the Leopard Lounge with its leopard print furnishings, elephant-head bar rails and other jungle-like touches. There will be a mosaic-tiled pool and spa area. The main restaurant will feature an al fresco outdoor dining terrace further enriching the dining experience as guests sail through the inspiring countryside. There will also be a bistro restaurant.
Uniworld’s River Royale, recently remodeled for the 2012 season, will be remodeled again for the 2014 season to reflect her new home. The new eight-day itinerary will begin and end in Bordeaux, a UNESCO World Heritage city. Travelers will visit some of the regions’ Aquitaine Châteaux as well as Pauillac, gateway to the Medoc wine route and St. Emilion, the oldest wine area of the Bordeaux region and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
For more information, visit www.uniworld.com.