The Uniworld River Heritage Club E-Newsletter
September 2021
In This Issue 7 Our First Ever Sailing in the Peruvian Amazon
1 Ellen’s 360° 2 Uniquely Uniworld: Nights Out Excursions
8 From the Kitchen of Bea Tollman: Key Lime Pie
3 How We TreadRight 5 Meet our Sustainability Officer
September 2021
#ExploreUniworld
ELLEN’S 360° Happy fall to all of our lovely River Heritage Club members! This festive time of year comes at a particularly exciting time for Uniworld, and I’m happy to be sharing a few big updates with you this month. First and foremost, I’m honored to tell you that Uniworld has been named the #1 River Cruise Line in the 2021 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards! On behalf of the entire Uniworld team, we want to express our sincerest gratitude to our River Heritage Club members in helping us receive this accolade. It’s all thanks to your loyalty and support, and we are endlessly grateful. On another happy note, we’re so pleased to be getting back to traveling around the world again, and our first-ever Peruvian Amazon cruise has finally set sail! I’m thrilled to be bringing you some behind-the-scenes content in this issue of RiverViews. Also in this issue, you’ll learn more about our newest line of onshore experiences, Nights Out excursions, and meet our new Sustainability Officer in an exclusive interview. I hope you’ll also enjoy a look at our new MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences. Warmest Regards,
ELLEN BETTRIDGE CEO, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
1
U N IQU ELY U N I WOR LD
NIGHTS OUT EXCURSIONS Joining our cast of included excursions—Village Day, Let’s Go, and Do as the Locals Do—is a new line of Uniworld experiences, Nights Out. To call these evening outings “excursions,” however, is an understatement. The Nights Out collection will show you your destinations in a whole new light, from private after-hours tours of popular attractions to fun and local nightlife experiences. Building this new program, we were inspired by the fondness of our guests for our existing evening experiences in Venice and Vienna. These became our first two Nights Out experiences, and from there we built the next three that we’re thrilled to be sharing with you starting in 2022!
on MILAN, VENICE & THE GEMS OF NORTHERN ITALY
on ENCHANTING DANUBE
Enter St. Mark’s Basilica after-hours, when just you and your fellow Uniworld guests are allowed inside to watch the building’s gilded interiors glow during a special lighting ceremony.
Get an immersive introduction to Vienna’s musical history with a private concert in the beautiful Albert Hall, featuring compositions by two of the city’s most famous artists, Mozart and Strauss.
on REMARKABLE RHINE & HISTORIC HOLLAND
on DUTCH DELIGHT
on RHINE, MOSELLE & BLISSFUL BADEN-BADEN
Sample one of the best beers in all of Switzerland at the Feldschlösschen, where the incredible popularity of their brew funded a breathtaking, castle-like transformation.
See Amsterdam from its most charming angle during an evening canal cruise unlike any other, complete with a handful of surprises you’ll discover while sailing.
Visit Cochem Castle, a hillside fortress known as the “Pearl of the Moselle.” Taste local wines at a special reception and tour its painstakingly restored halls. 2
See how your travels become a force for good FOUNDED IN 2008 BY UNIWORLD’S PARENT COMPANY, THE TRAVEL CORPORATION, THE TREADRIGHT FOUNDATION’S MISSION IS TO SAFEGUARD PEOPLE, WILDLIFE AND THE PLANET FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. On your future trips with Uniworld, you will have the opportunity to see the impact travel can have on local communities and the planet on our new MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences. Specially designed to promote the United Nations’ Goals for Sustainable Development, these memorable excursions will give you a unique connection to your destinations.
For more information, visit Uniworld.com/MTM-Experiences.
3
A FEW OF OUR MAKE TRAVEL MATTER EXPERIENCES ®
BRUSSELS CITY TOUR WITH CHOCOLATE TASTING Visit a local chocolatier to learn about their sustainable practices, including harvesting beans from their own cacao farm to ensure their chocolate is of both of superior quality and produced by fair labor.
LINZ TOWN AND COUNTRY Immerse yourself in rural Austrian life while supporting local farmers on a visit to a cider farm in the countryside near Linz. You’ll enjoy an organic lunch of the farm’s products and a tasting of their ciders.
IRAQ AL-AMIR WOMEN’S COOPERATIVE Get to know the incredible individuals that make up this organization that aims to give local women the tools and opportunity to become financially independent while simultaneously preserving local heritage.
TAKE THE PLEDGE BELOW TO JOIN US IN MAKING TRAVEL MATTER! TreadRight.org/Pledge 4
MEET OUR SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER
JULIE HIGGINS
5
Meet Julie Higgins, Uniworld’s Charter Operations and Learning & Development Manager and now our first Sustainability Officer. Julie joined the company over 17 years ago, working both onboard our ships and at our operations offices in Switzerland. We are very excited to see her develop this new role with her wealth of experience and industry knowledge. Could you tell us a bit about your role and what being Uniworld’s Sustainability Officer entails? As Uniworld’s Sustainability Officer, my role is very much centered around working together with The TreadRight Foundation and the amazingly dedicated team there on integrating our sustainability strategy, How We Tread Right, into every aspect of our daily operation here at Uniworld. However, it is by no means a solo position, because for us to successfully achieve our sustainability goals, it requires involvement and collaboration from each individual who is a part of Uniworld, whether as an employee within any department, as our partner or as our guest. So reaching out, communicating and engaging with, and hopefully inspiring others to join our efforts will be an important aspect of my role, as well as compiling measurements and data for analysis and implementing new procedures and methods to reduce our footprint and really make travel matter.
What special training have you undergone that makes you uniquely suited to your role? I am now in the dissertation phase of my MBA in Sustainability Leadership studies, which I have found to be incredibly thought-provoking and have really learned so much. Over these last two years of the theoretical learning process, I have been able to apply so much of what I have learned to my job already. I have also recently been given the opportunity through The Travel Corporation to participate in a newly launched course at Harvard University which starts this Autumn, entitled Pursuing Sustainability in the Travel & Tourism Sector, which I am incredibly excited about. However, formal studies aside, the best learning which I have undergone until now has been over these 17+ years in my career at Uniworld. I have been so incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to work within various departments, from Housekeeping to Restaurant and Bar, to Front Desk and finally becoming Hotel Manager in my last years onboard of our ships—and all of this practical knowledge has given me a strong foundation on which I can build on moving forward.
As someone who already had such major responsibilities within the company, what made you decide to take on the Sustainability Officer role? Growing up in South Africa, I started life with a deep love for animals, and huge respect and appreciation of the spectacular landscapes around me, which I have carried with me to wherever my travels have taken me. I did reach a point some years ago in my career, and with my life in general, where I was questioning what true success actually meant, and I had this need to actively contribute towards something far bigger than myself, or what I initially thought was important. The TreadRight Foundation, and our CEO Brett Tollman, inspired me to look beyond the mainstream concept of luxury travel and what I thought I knew about it and to realize that making a positive difference in our world is not only our responsibility, but a huge opportunity for us as an organization, and also for each of us as travelers, in truly making travel matter.
What, from your perspective, makes sustainability so important at Uniworld? Here at Uniworld, we are taking thousands of people to multiple locations across the globe every year. We have the responsibility, as well as endless opportunity, to bring positive impact to each port which our ships sail to, and each community which we visit. We can inspire and influence fellow travelers, as well as other organizations with which we partner with or fellow organizations within the travel industry.
You are Uniworld’s first Sustainability Officer. What are your goals for the role? What are you hoping to accomplish first? And as a whole? Besides seeing Uniworld become carbon neutral with our How We Tread Right strategy, I’m looking forward to engaging and inspiring people at all levels of our organization—and even partners, suppliers and guests—to embed sustainability at the core of everything we do.
6
Our first ever sailing on
THE PERUVIAN AMAZON
If you’ve been tuning in to our social media channels lately, you’ll have seen our first voyages into the Peruvian Amazon launch this month! We’ve been eagerly anticipating the days in which we can finally see this exciting new experience in action, and it’s every bit as incredible as we’d hoped. The Aria Amazon is, of course, a stunning ship. Our smallest yet by quite a large margin, she carries just 32 guests and 27 crew members—perfectly sized for sailing through the lush environs of the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve. Guests onboard our first sailing loved the immersive floor-to-ceiling windows and the fresh Peruvian cuisine served onboard. Best of all were the daily outings that took guests on skiffs, on kayaks and on foot into the rainforest. Take a look around this page to see the memories they’ve shared of this once-in-a-lifetime luxury adventure.
7
From the Kitchen of Bea Tollman
KEY LIME PIE Bid farewell to the summer season with one of our favorite desserts. This refreshing pie is best made with the tart and aromatic juice that can only be found in key limes.
Ingredients 200 g plain Hobnob biscuits (or Digestive biscuits) ¼ cup melted butter + softened butter to grease the pie tin 20 oz condensed milk 1 cup key lime juice Zest of 2 key limes 8 egg yolks 1 cup double cream (or heavy whipping cream) 1 tbsp sugar 8-inch fluted round pie dish (if you want to take the finished pie out of the dish, use a pie dish with a loose bottom)
Preparation 1. Grind the biscuits in a food processor until they resemble bread crumbs, then slowly add the melted butter. 2. Grease the pie dish with the softened butter, then, using a spoon, press the biscuit crumbs into the sides and base of the pie dish. 3. Bake at 320°F for 5 minutes, then take out of the oven when the base is just starting to brown. 4. Whisk all the remaining ingredients together, except for the cream and sugar, and pour into the pie shell. 5. Bake in the center of the oven until just set (15-20 minutes). Leave to cool completely, preferably overnight in the fridge. 6. Whip the cream and sugar together to form stiff peaks, then pipe rosettes of cream onto the pie and decorate with slices of lime.
Hobnob biscuits are made from rolled oats and jumbo oats, similar to a flapjack-digestive biscuit hybrid, and are among the most popular British biscuits.
8
Bring a piece of Uniworld home Check out our virtual shop to find Uniworld merchandise and authentic handmade items from Europe to get a little taste of travel while you’re at home. Start shopping here.
An outstanding loyalty program for our exceptional guests After your first Uniworld cruise, you will be automatically enrolled in our River Heritage Club loyalty program and begin receiving benefits, savings and rewards reserved exclusively for our loyal guests.
EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS ON ALL CRUISES, COMBINABLE WITH ALL PROMOTIONS* plus An exclusive WELCOME GIFT to commemorate your membership
PRIORITY NOTIFICATION on new cruises and programs
Earn credit toward your next cruise with our REFERRAL PROGRAM
Special MEMBERS-ONLY OFFERS
Complimentary LAUNDRY service
Dedicated PHONE NUMBER
Exclusive RIVERVIEWS E-MAGAZINE
EXCLUSIVE TTC LOYALTY SAVINGS of 5% on select trips across our family of more than 40 award-winning brands
Complimentary IN-ROOM FRUIT PLATTER waiting onboard for you upon arrival
Join the Captain for a members-only COCKTAIL PARTY onboard
Can you name this ship?
Each ship in our fleet is a one-of-a-kind floating boutique hotel, designed to be an extension of the destinations it sails through. If you can name which Uniworld ship this is, email us at RHC@Uniworld.com. The first to answer correctly will be featured in our next issue of RiverViews.
LAST ISSUE’S VICTOR Congratulations to Cora Fanning for being the first to identify the July Mystery Photo, Le Restaurant Pigalle on the S.S. Joie de Vivre, and winning for the second consecutive issue.”
Visit Uniworld.com/River-Heritage-Club for more information. River Heritage Club savings and amenities are available to guests after completing their first Uniworld cruise. Exclusive savings are based on the cruise or cruise/tour-only price (including any upgrades and single supplement) after other cash discounts are applied. Savings are combinable with all current Uniworld promotions. Restrictions may apply.
*