RiverViews Newsletter April 2018

E-NEWSLETTER

RIVERVIEWS The Uniworld River Heritage Club

UNIWORLD BY THE NUMBERS pg 02 FROM SHIP TO SUPER SHIP pg 03 WHAT'S NEW FOR 2019? pg 05

April 2018

1 ELLEN'S 360°

7 GUEST SPOTLIGHT

2 UNIQUELY UNIWORLD

9 UNIWORLD Q&A

3 FROM SHIP TO SUPER SHIP

11 FROM THE KITCHEN OF BEA TOLLMAN

5 WHAT'S NEW FOR 2019?

13 WHERE IN THE WORLD?

#ExploreUniworld

April 2018

Ellen’s 360° The 2018 sailing season is officially underway and it kicked off in spectacular fashion with the S.S. Beatrice’s maiden voyage along the Danube. I was overjoyed to be onboard for such a monumental occasion in Uniworld history and she was everything we dreamed she would be—sleek and comfortable yet elegant and breathtaking.

In this issue of RiverViews, we’re excited to share with you some of the unique reasons a river cruise with Uniworld is a river cruise unlike any other. We’re also giving you an indepth look at the S.S. Beatrice, with photos and descriptions of her remarkable transformation along with brand-new dining venues. Our “What’s New for 2019?” article details all things new for the 2019 sailing season, including five new itineraries, three enhanced itineraries, another new Super Ship and more. Additionally, we recently unveiled our Early Booking Savings offer, enabling you to save 10% on select

6 sailing of Parisian Royal Holiday! Stay tuned for more details

itineraries when you pay in full at time of booking. Plus,

regarding what to expect and when to book.

prepare for the festivities of the spring and summer months with a Bea Tollman recipe perfect for any type of gathering.

We look forward to seeing you onboard again soon!

Lastly, as a valued River Heritage Club member, you’re the first

Warm regards,

to hear about an exclusive opportunity to join us for the holidays and reunite with fellow River Heritage Club members.

I’m pleased to announce that this year's President’s Cruise will also be our inaugural River Heritage Club Reunion Cruise, taking place onboard the S.S. Joie de Vivre during the December

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Ellen Bettridge PRESIDENT & CEO, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection

UNIQUELY UNIWORLD Don’t settle for any less than the best.

We’ve spent the last 40+ years crafting the world’s best and most awarded luxury river cruise line, with a commitment to providing experiences that can’t be found anywhere else. We make sure to provide you nothing but the best when you travel with us, because the best is what you deserve.

UNIWORLD BY THE NUMBERS Our bars are stocked with 11 VODKAS, including Grey Goose and Chopin Across our ships, we serve 32 DIFFERENT KINDS OF CHEESES We have a 2.7:1 GUEST-TO-STAFF RATIO Our culinary director is a certified master chef by the World Association of Chefs' Societies with over 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE Choose from a collection of 28 DIFFERENT WHISKEYS AND BOURBONS Our fleet features 17 WORK-OF-ART SHIPS, including 5 Super Ships We offer 30 ITINERARIES IN EUROPE alone 4 DIFFERENT “THEMED” CRUISES are available, including our exclusive Jewish Heritage Cruises

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03.

FROM SHIP TO SUPER SHIP. THE S.S. BEATRICE IS READY TO GRACE THE RIVERS.

The S.S. Beatrice made her debut on the Danube showcasing luxury river cruising at its best. She’s the first vessel in our award-winning fleet of floating boutique hotels to be transformed into a Super Ship.

The S.S. Beatrice boasts a fresh, sleek look complete with a graceful bow, yacht-like finishes throughout, an elegant grand staircase, two additional dining venues, additional suites, and original artwork from Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder and Pino Signoretto.

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01. MAX’S

01.

Max’s, named for famous Austrian composer Max Steiner, is our new private dining venue that allows you to participate in an immersive culinary experience. You can prepare your very own three-course European-inspired meal alongside the chef and enjoy a wine-pairing presentation by our onboard sommeliers. Or savor an exquisite steak dinner, prepared right in front of you with your choice of locally-sourced dry-aged prime cuts of beef.

SAVOR A MEAL AT MAX’S ON Highlights of Eastern Europe | 13 Days | Budapest to Bucharest “To see all the relics and ruins of centuries ago and the magnificent palaces and cathedrals and learn about how it affected the people was fabulous.” –

Faye

02. SCHUBERT’S

02.

Schubert’s is an 18-seat café located at the bow of the ship named after renowned Austrian composer Franz Schubert, offering shared plates from lunch through dinnertime. The cozy Austrian-themed eatery features menus reflecting the cuisine of the ship’s destinations, with fresh farm-to-table ingredients and recipes from Bea Tollman, author of A Life in Food.

03. STATEROOMS AND SUITES The renovated staterooms and suites are dressed in shades of blue and accents of white. We’ve added two new Grand Suites measuring 310 square feet and a second 390-square-foot Royale Suite. Additionally, several connecting rooms ideal for friends and families traveling together have also been added.

04. WOLFGANG’S

04.

The redesigned lounge is absolutely stunning and features beautiful sofas and chairs with handmade upholstery, a parquet, upholstered ceiling panels, solar shades and new USB ports that allow you to charge your devices anywhere you’re sitting. Plus, yacht-style light wood and blue and white finishes blanket many of the elegant public spaces.

RELAX AT WOLFGANG'S ON Portraits of Eastern Europe | 19 Days | Prague to Bucharest “Our 4th Uniworld cruise and there’s a reason we keep coming back.

Great itineraries, outstanding guides, super staff, quality wine and spirits, and interesting menus beautifully prepared. Why wouldn’t we be repeat guests?” –

Jullius

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WHAT’S NEW FOR 2019?

New Super Ships, itineraries and extensions, to name a few.

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In 2019 and beyond, we’re perfecting our craft by continuing to expand our offerings and enhance every single detail, creating moments you’ll remember long after your cruise is over. With all these wonderful new options, you’ll discover plenty of opportunities to turn your vacation into a spectacular masterpiece.

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New Ships

Following the 2018 unveiling of S.S. Beatrice, our fifth Super Ship, we’re adding another member to our Super Ship portfolio. The River Royale will undergo extensive bow-to-stern renovations and be transformed into the S.S. Royale for the 2019 sailing season. We’ve also introduced a new ship to our guests, the Sanctuary Yangzi Explorer, which sails on the Yangtze River and boasts suites with private balconies and the highest crew to passenger ratio on the river of 1:1.

Sanctuary Yangzi Explorer

2 Vienna, Austria Alluring Amsterdam & Vienna

Rüdesheim, Germany Magnificent Moselle & Rhine

New Itineraries

We’re thrilled to offer five new itineraries for the 2019 sailing season. In Central Europe, we unveiled the 15-day Alluring Amsterdam & Vienna and 10-day Authentic Danube & Prague itineraries along the dazzling Danube.

Plus, we've added the Magnificent Moselle & Rhine cruise through an acclaimed German wine-making region that allows you to fly roundtrip via Frankfurt. In India, we’ve introduced our ME to WE & the Sacred Ganges itinerary, featuring five pre-cruise tour days of immersion in the Indian countryside with our partner, ME to WE. You’ll also be delighted to know that you can visit villages lining the Ganges only 900 people get to travel to collectively each year.

Araveli, India ME to WE & the Sacred Ganges

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Enhanced Itineraries

Several itineraries have also been enhanced in 2019, including bringing back our popular 8-day Holland & Belgium at Tulip Time and updating the 10-day Remarkable Rhine & Historic Holland itinerary, our Jewish Heritage-themed cruise–which happens to be the only one of its kind on the Rhine. On the 11-day Highlights of China & the Yangtze cruise, we now offer a new six-day pre-cruise extension in Mongolia, featuring a visit to the Gobi Desert. You also now have the chance to enjoy trips to Jordan or Jerusalem with extensions available on Splendors of Egypt & the Nile.

Kinderdijk, The Netherlands Holland & Belgium at Tulip Time

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We had the pleasure of chatting with Judy Henderson, avid traveler, professional cellist and newfound river cruise aficionado to learn about her and her husband’s experience on our Grand France itinerary.

Hi Judy, can you tell us a little about your experience on our Grand France itinerary?

It sounds like you enjoyed your time both onboard and onshore with Uniworld.

I appreciated the ease of reaching a representative

was getting into, but it was really wonderful. I had

by phone to answer all our questions as we prepared

nothing to worry about.

It was my first river cruise, so I didn’t know what I

for our trip. Each detail had been anticipated by Transfers were smooth, and we were always met

How does a river cruise compare to other trips you’ve taken in the past?

exactly when and where we expected to find

It was different. When you go on a river cruise,

someone. Our cruise director was lovely, funny,

you’re on what used to be the superhighways from

smart, engaging and all-around wonderful. The local

medieval times. You’re visiting all these wonderful

day guides were incredible, like walking history

places in history. River cruising gives you access to

books, offering amazing in-depth insights for us as

the middle of these important cities. If we want the

we visited cathedrals, marketplaces, culinary spots

river cruise experience, we go to Uniworld.

Uniworld and as they promised, they delivered.

and medieval towns.

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The dining facilities and cooks were superb. The

Do you have a favorite memory from your Grand France trip?

variety of food was unending, the presentation was

I think one of the most interesting things was the

elegant, and the wines were lovely. Each day ended

visit to the truffle farm. I had never really figured out

with a beautiful hour of companionship with new

what a truffle did in food until I had the chance to

friends before a delicious dinner. It was life being

taste it on that little bit of bread that they passed

well lived. The Grand France tour gave me exactly

around. The third time I tasted it I actually figured

the introduction to river cruising that I wanted.

out what the truffle did! It opened my eyes to



truffles. Then, we had lunch at the castle and it

because we think it’s better than a scrapbook. It’s

had been in the family since the 1200s and it was

our form of scrapbook. It’s his desire to keep

like seeing into someone’s home. It was very

track of what he’s done in his life. We can share

interesting to see history and people living there

with relatives and friends, and we’ve also found

still. The food market in Lyon was unbelievable,

with our travels, everyone we travel with on that

I’ll never forget that.

particular trip wants access to our blog because they want to see it too.

Would you say the truffles were the best thing you ate while you were in France?

Any plans for a future Uniworld river cruise?

Well, I would say it was the most interesting

Yes, we’re going on Splendors of Egypt & the Nile

flavor experience I had. Of course, we visited an

this coming September. I’m excited to see the

olive mill and had the same experience with the

pyramids and the temples at Abu Simbel.

olive oil too.

What was your favorite city that you visited?

We hope you have a wonderful time in Egypt, Judy and Mike!

Not really a city, but a place…my husband, Mike, is saying the chocolate place, Cité du Chocolat Valrhona, was best for him! We really loved that.

Going up to the cathedral in Lyon at night was interesting, but being up at the top of the hill at night was really neat. The bridges of Avignon, he loved that. And I would say the Roman Aqueduct for me. The Roman Aqueduct was really outstanding!

What inspired you and your husband to start documenting your travels on your blog, MikeandJudyTravel.com?

Mike has an engineer’s brain. He likes to document what he does. He just does it for us,

DO YOU HAVE A STORY TO SHARE FROM YOUR UNIWORLD CRUISE? Contact RHC@uniworld.com if you’re interested in being featured in a future Guest Spotlight.

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UNIWORLD Q&A: Uniworld Senior Onboard Wellness Coach, Milenko

Senior Onboard Wellness Coach, Milenko, has always been drawn to the water. After beginning his career in the spa and wellness industry on the ocean, he took to the rivers to provide Uniworld guests with active experiences they’ll never forget.

What is your title and role within Uniworld?

coach is the perfect role for me because I get to combine my passion

I’m the Senior Onboard Wellness Coach, which means I am

for training and exercise with providing guests active opportunities

responsible for overseeing our Wellness on the Water program

to experience these destinations from a unique perspective.

and providing coaching and training onboard. Additionally, I lead some of our Let’s Go onshore excursions.

What types of wellness training have you had?

I have a degree in physical therapy and certificates in different

What were you doing before you arrived at Uniworld?

wellness treatments from Steiner Beauty Academy in London.

I spent six years in the spa and wellness industry on ocean cruise liners and three years in spa management and consulting at home.

What drew you to a position with Uniworld?

My whole life is attached to water and rivers were a logical

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What makes you a successful wellness coach?

continuation after I sailed all seas and oceans. I always work for the

Constant personal and professional development. Being a wellness

best and that’s why I chose Uniworld. 

What does a typical day look like for a Senior Onboard Wellness Coach?

like and the length of the treatment. We’re also offering an

It’s different every day. I spend most of my time supporting, training

treatment. They’re also able to choose from an extensive menu of

and observing. My day can consist of everything from teaching

exercise classes led by a coach. One of the most interesting

sunrise yoga on the top deck and taking guests on a Let’s Go hike or

activities is Chinese qi gong, where we teach guests eight different

bike ride, to training someone in the fitness center or leading a

traditional qi gong postures. Plus, there’s plenty of Let’s Go

meditation session.

onshore excursions to pick from throughout the itineraries.

How long have you been with Uniworld?

I’ve been with Uniworld since 2015. This is my fourth sailing season.

Do you have a favorite memory from your time with Uniworld so far?

It gets better and better each year!

My whole time onboard so far has been one big memory. It’s a

What is your favorite wellness activity to share with guests?

It's not so easy to choose only one, but let’s say that I really enjoy the outside activities, including biking, hiking and kayaking. Those are so much fun. I especially like biking the paths along the rivers, where you get to feel a nice breeze. On the biking excursions, I like that we make plenty of pit-stops to take in the scenery (and sometimes grab a bite to eat).

How do you maintain your personal wellness routine living onboard a ship?

Just being active with guests all the time is more than enough to stay in shape. Personally, running is my “cardio meditation.” I make sure that I’m not only leading each activity but working out alongside the guests as much as possible too. It’s easy to maintain my personal wellness routine when we dock in such

assortment of new add-ons, like a scalp massage and eye

never-ending story.

What makes Uniworld’s wellness program so unique?

Simplicity. With the new way of presentation, it’s easy to make a decision between treatments, exercises and activities that creates a custom-made experience. Guests are able to completely tailor their experience to their tastes and availability, with opportunities to participate in activities they may have never heard of or done before, like Ashtanga yoga or TRX® Suspension Training, with some of the most scenic locations as their backdrop.

Which ship in the Uniworld fleet is your favorite?

I would say that people and itineraries make the ships “favorites.”

That’s why I can’t pick only one. I love them all. Like Walt Disney said, “You can dream, create, design and build the most

beautiful places because all I want to do is get out and explore

wonderful place in the world…but it requires people to make the

my new surroundings.

dream a reality.”

How would you describe 2018’s new wellness menus? What’s the best thing you’ve eaten onboard?

Hmmm, desserts. J The honeycomb ice cream is one Is there anything you’re particularly excited for?

of my

The menu is a unique, custom-made treat. I love the fact that

favorites. It’s the perfect ending to a day full of being outdoors.

guests can create their own perfect form of relaxation. Guests are

Also, I can never pass up a slice of Bea Tollman’s cheesecake.

able to choose the type of treatment, the type of oil they would

There’s too many delicious options to pick from!

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from the kitchen of Bea Tollman

Summer Lodge prides itself on its own vegetable garden, where the broccoli is usually abundant. In summer, we serve an old recipe I used when my children were growing up. None of them were big broccoli eaters. Or so I thought. They loved this salad, which is an easy coleslaw recipe using broccoli instead of cabbage. I hope it becomes one of your family’s favorites too.

–Bea Tollman

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BROCCOLI COLESLAW Make mealtime a masterpiece with a Bea Tollman broccoli coleslaw recipe perfect for savoring during the spring and summer months.

INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

1 small head broccoli

Coarsely grate the broccoli and fennel.

1 medium bulb fennel

Grate the onion and squeeze out all the juice,

1 small onion

then mix with the broccoli and fennel.

1 tablespoon sugar

Mix together the mayonnaise, vinegar and

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 150 ml mayonnaise

sugar. Add this to the coleslaw and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes prior to serving.

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UNIWORLD’S RIVER HERITAGE CLUB AN EXCLUSIVE CLUB FOR UNIWORLD LOYAL GUESTS

Once you’ve cruised with Uniworld, you automatically become an esteemed member of our River Heritage Club, and are eligible for an array of members-only savings and onboard benefits that we offer in sincere gratitude for your loyalty. We look forward to welcoming you aboard as a returning friend on your next Uniworld river cruise!

RIVER HERITAGE CLUB REWARDS INCLUDE:

EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS

ON ANY UNIWORLD CRUISE AROUND THE GLOBE*

• An onboard members-only cocktail party with the Captain • Complimentary onboard laundry service weekly on ships in Europe and Russia, and once per cruise on ships in India, Vietnam and Cambodia • Complimentary in-room fruit platter waiting for you upon arrival • An exclusive e-magazine • Milestone gifts to celebrate guests who have joined us for multiple cruises

But even more value comes to those who plan ahead. It’s never too early to begin thinking about your next adventure, and if you do, you’ll enjoy added savings. When you book your next voyage while onboard, you’ll save an additional 5% on top of your exclusive savings for River Heritage Club members.†

PLUS NEW! As a loyal River Heritage Club member, enjoy exclusive access to our members-only reservations line: 1-800-307-4699 NOTE: Benefits may not apply on cruises to China, Vietnam & Cambodia, India and Egypt.

WHERE IN THE WORLD….???

This opulent former residence has been one of Austria’s most popular attractions for decades. With a history that spans well over 300 years, its façade, interior and gardens reflect the changing tastes and interests of former monarchs.

If you can name where in the world this place is, email us at RHC@ Uniworld.com. The first to answer correctly will be featured in our next issue of RiverViews.

LAST MONTH’S VICTOR Congratulations Dee Dee Plaizier for being the first to correctly identify Juliet’s balcony in Verona, Italy, as February’s mystery destination.

Experience this iconic spot for yourself and explore Italy’s incomparable treasures on Gems of Northern Italy and Splendors of Italy.

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.†This offer is combinable with all other promotions and savings programs. Onboard savings are calculated on the cruise-tour price (including any upgrades and single supplements), after all applicable flat-rate discounts are applied. Bookings must be created and full deposit processed while onboard to qualify for 5% onboard savings. Other restrictions apply. See Uniworld.com for complete terms and conditions.