Uniworld Boutique River Cruises shares plans for 2025

Uniworld has announced its new offerings for 2025, including the debut of its latest ship, the S.S. Elisabeth, setting sail for the first time from Amsterdam in March.

Uniworld will also introduce six new itineraries next year in Italy, France, Portugal and beyond, along with multiple cruise extensions and more.

“We’re looking forward to another exceptional year of travel ahead at Uniworld, with a variety of innovative itineraries, extensions and the addition of another beautiful Super Ship that we know our guests will love,” says Ellen Bettridge, President and CEO of Uniworld. “Our new offerings have been thoughtfully designed to create unforgettable moments across the globe. We can’t wait for our valued guests, both returning and new, to experience everything that we have in store for 2025.”

The S.S. Elisabeth joins the Uniworld fleet

The S.S. Elisabeth will join its sister ship the S.S. Victoria next season, accommodating up to 110 guests in 55 luxurious suites and staterooms. The S.S. Elisabeth features some of the largest suites on the rivers of Europe, plus a pool, gym, massage room, sundeck bar and more. The ship will set sail on the 8-day ‘Castles Along the Rhine’ itinerary in March 2025, followed by the ‘Rhine Holiday Market’ itinerary during the 2025 holiday season.

New European itineraries

In 2025, Uniworld will launch six new itineraries in Europe:

• ‘Cruise & Rail: Paris to Istanbul’
  • Guests will visit seven countries in 14 days by river and land, including iconic cities like Paris, Vienna and Istanbul, onboard the S.S. Joie de Vivre and the Golden Eagle Danube Express private train. Highlights include a vineyard tour and tasting in Champagne, live saxophone music in the stone halls of the Postojna caves and more.
• ‘Wine Roads of France and Portugal’
  • A combination of ‘Brilliant Bordeaux’ and ‘Portugal, Spain & the Douro River Valley,’ this 18-day itinerary is ideal for wine lovers. Guests will meet local vintners and sample everything from bold reds to dessert wines, bike amongst the vines and sail on two ships – the S.S. Bon Voyage and the S.S. São Gabriel.
• ‘Rhine, Moselle and Belgium Grand Discovery’
  • This 15-day journey takes travelers to the highlights of Central Europe’s vibrant cities and culture between Belgium and Switzerland, visiting no less than six different countries along the way onboard the S.S. Victoria.
• ‘Grande Italia’
  • Guests will spend 13 days exploring three of Italy’s most exciting cities – Milan, Venice, and Rome – through a series of immersive cultural experiences, complemented by stops in hidden gem Venetian towns onboard the S.S. La Venezia.
• ‘Rome, Venice & the Jewels of Veneto’
  • Guests will begin this 11-day journey in Venice onboard the S.S. La Venezia, docking in the heart of Venice in the Venetian Lagoon, which can only be accessed by small ship. After visiting charming local towns, the tour continues on land in Rome, complete with a visit to Vatican City.
• ‘Dutch and Belgian Holiday Celebration’
  • A new holiday itinerary for 2025 on the S.S. Victoria, guests will spend Christmas in Belgium and New Year’s in the Netherlands on this 11-day itinerary, with highlights like chocolate tasting in Brussels and Christmas spent in the underground holiday market of Valkenburg.

Exclusive added extensions

Uniworld is adding six cruise extensions on itineraries across Europe in 2025:

• Madeira Island
  • Available as a pre-cruise extension for Uniworld’s Portugal itineraries, guests will spend four days enjoying Madeira’s temperate climate, beautiful natural environment and unique local culture.
• Mediterranean Cassis
  • Guests can start or end their Uniworld experience on select itineraries in France with a three-day adventure to Cassis, a fishing port situated right on the Mediterranean coast.
• Biarritz Basque Country
  • Guests on select itineraries in France can start their Uniworld experience with a four-day adventure in the Biarritz Basque Country – a beautiful resort town, known affectionately as the “queen of the beaches, and beach of the kings.”
• Engelberg
  • Available as a pre or post-cruise extension on ‘Rhine Holiday Markets,’ guests can spend four days in the charming Swiss alpine village of Engelberg.
• Kitzbühel
  • Available as a pre or post-cruise extension on ‘Danube Holiday Markets,’ guests can spend four days in this Austrian alpine town, where shops and cafes line the streets of its medieval center.
• Zurich
  • Guests on select European itineraries can start or end their journeys with three added days in the quintessential Swiss city known for its contemporary art and shopping.

Special savings

Uniworld is currently running an Early Booking Savings Offer, where guests who book and pay in full by September 30, 2024, can save up to 20% on select 2025 cruises, including new itineraries like ‘Grande Italia.’

Uniworld University 2025

Travel advisors are encouraged to complete the ‘What’s New for 2025’ certification on the online training portal, Uniworld University. Those who participate in the Uniworld University program receive exclusive travel advisor rates, points towards CLIA’s Certification Program, are listed as a Preferred Specialist on the Uniworld website and receive a Uniworld Preferred Specialist badge for their e-mail signature.

The 2025 course includes detailed information on Uniworld’s six new itineraries, inspired land extensions and the S.S. Elisabeth.

To access the course, Canadian advisors can visit https://www.uniworld.com/ca/uniworld-university