| Uniworld plans new ship, destination

The SS Catherine will debut in
the south of France in 2014,
while the fully refurbished River
Royale moves to Bordeaux.
A SISTER ship to the award-winning SS
Antoinette, Uniworld’s SS Catherine is set to
offer eight-day itineraries on the Rhône and
Saône rivers in Burgundy and Provence.
Meanwhile, the River Royale, currently
sailing these rivers, will launch a new
destination for the cruise line in Bordeaux.
The itinerary will begin and end in the
UNESCO World Heritage city and include visits
to Aquitaine Châteaux and Pauillac, the
gateway to the Medoc wine route, and St.
Emilion, the oldest wine area of the region.
River Royale, which was refurbished for this
year’s season, and the River Empress, which
operates the ‘European Jewels’ cruise between
Amsterdam and Budapest, are also both
scheduled to undergo major remodelling
before starting the 2014 program.
Speaking to CW this morning, John Molinaro,
general manager Australia, said the new 159-
passenger SS Catherine would boast “Red
Carnation Hotel touches”, an outdoor dining
terrace, a bistro, the jungle-themed Leopard
Lounge and an indoor pool and spa, to help
guests cool off on warm French summer days.
“She is going to be built along the lines of
Antoinette in terms of the amenities and
opulence that only Uniworld can provide,” he
said.
All suites and staterooms on the top deck will
feature full open-air private balconies, which
convert to enclosed conservatories with the
touch of a switch.
Staterooms on the middle deck will have
French balconies, with all suites and
staterooms onboard fitted with handcrafted
Savoir beds and marble bathrooms.
The luxury ship also will feature art, classic
furnishings, old world antiques and marble.
Guy Young, President of Uniworld, said: “I have
no doubt in my mind that the SS Catherine will
continue setting the standard in luxury river
cruising in the South of France along the
Rhône and Saône, and will allow us to offer
more passenger capacity to support our
Burgundy and Provence itinerary, which is one
of our most popular programs”.
“We therefore made the decision to move the
River Royale to Bordeaux’s Aquitaine region as
the size of this ship is perfect for navigating
Garonne, Gironde, and Dordogne rivers.”
A preview brochure will be released early
next year, supported by local promotions,
Molinaro said.
“We are working on the 2014 program now
and will be offering many things to entice
agents and consumers.
“We are already having a very good 2013 and
we are still looking at expansion and new
rivers to explore.”