DELRAY BEACH, FL, June 12, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the leader in luxury river cruising and the world's only authentic boutique cruise line, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises will become the only North American river cruise line to offer a truly all-inclusive river cruise experience in 2014, elevating its already impeccable award-winning product to even higher standards. Uniworld also will introduce the new Super Ship, S.S. Catherine; their newest destination, Bordeaux, France, and the two new itineraries sailing through this gorgeous region; and an even more personalized and authentic approach to their onshore program.
Uniworld currently offers a host of inclusions, such as all non-alcoholic beverages, fine wine, and beer served during lunch and dinner onboard; all meals onboard prepared using the finest and freshest ingredients from local farmers' markets; fully hosted shore excursions; free Internet and Wi-Fi; and all arrival and departure day transfers. In 2014, Uniworld will expand their services and amenities on all Uniworld European boutique river cruises to include unlimited fine wine, beer, spirits, soft drinks, and bottled water, and all gratuities for all onboard and onshore services, including pre- and post-cruise extensions.
With the popularity of river cruising growing, Uniworld continues to stand out in their unique approach to luxury river cruising. Similar to the high-end luxury ocean cruise lines, such as Crystal, Regent, and Silverseas, Uniworld is dedicated to creating the most luxurious and worry-free experience for their guests. According to Guy Young, president of Uniworld: "Our decision to move to offering a truly all-inclusive experience was largely based on feedback from our guests and travel agency partners. We believe this will help us further establish our positioning at the very top end of the river cruise sector."
Uniworld will also launch their newest Super Ship, the S.S. Catherine, sister ship to the award-winning S.S. Antoinette, in France in 2014. The S.S. Catherine will share the same exquisite standards and scrupulous attention to detail reflected throughout the company's award-winning fleet and will be designed by the renowned design team of Uniworld's sister company, The Red Carnation Hotel Collection. While the S.S. Catherine will be the sister ship to the S.S. Antoinette, she will be styled in a fashion to reflect her new home along the Rhône and Saône rivers of breathtaking Burgundy and Provence. "Each ship in the Uniworld fleet is 'unique' fitting into our philosophy and our brand positioning of what a true 'boutique' concept means, and as such, this is not like the cookie-cutter approach used by many of our competitors," states Young. With the S.S. Catherine sailing France's Rhône and Saône rivers, Uniworld's River Royale, currently sailing these rivers will move to her new home in Uniworld's newest destination, France's breathtaking Bordeaux region.
Bordeaux is the focus for both of Uniworld's captivating new itineraries, the 8-day Bordeaux, Vineyards & Châteaux and 15-day A Portrait of Majestic France, taking guests through this idyllic region of France and along the three rivers of Aquitaine--the Garonne, the Gironde, and the Dordogne. Travelers will visit some of the Aquitaine region's most prestigious châteaux, as well as Pauillac, gateway to the magical Médoc wine route and Saint-Émilion, the oldest wine area of the Bordeaux region and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Other enhancements Uniworld is making for 2014 include delving even more into authentic and personalized travel experiences. According to Young: "We continue to move away from the 'one size fits all mold' as that is what a 'true boutique experience' is all about. Just like the 'uniqueness' of our ships, we are creating the same approach for our guests with a more personalized and unique approach to their onshore experience." Uniworld's onshore experiences will continue to focus more on flexibility with their "Choice is Yours" options, along with more authentic and enriching experiences with more interaction with local communities, such as their "Do as the Locals" and exclusive "Village Days" offering the ultimate insider's experience.
About Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection
Los Angeles-based Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, the world's only authentic boutique cruise line™, is recognized among the "World's Best River Cruises" by Travel + Leisure. Uniworld has been named to Condé Nast Traveler's prestigious Gold List for six consecutive years and to their Platinum Circle for two years. Uniworld was also ranked in their top three among the world's "Top Ten" cruise lines, both ocean and river. Uniworld's staterooms and dining are also ranked among the top three in the world by Zagat Survey®, with Uniworld being the only river cruise line named in the Zagat Survey® amongst the best of the best in the cruise industry. The editors of Cruise Critic named Uniworld "Best River Cruise Line" and Uniworld has the highest rankings by travelers on Cruise Critic for both river and ocean cruise lines. Uniworld features luxurious boutique ships with an average capacity of 130 guests and the highest staff-to-guest ratio in the river cruise industry, as well as included shore excursions, world-class gourmet cuisine, and award-winning hospitality. Uniworld offers over 500 departures sailing on over 13 rivers in more than 20 countries throughout Europe, Russia, Egypt, China, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
For more details, please visit uniworld.com or connect with Uniworld Boutique River Cruises at facebook.com/uniworldrivercruises or twitter.com/uniworldcruises.
Uniworld is a member of CLIA, Cruise Lines International Association
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