E-NEWSLETTER
RIVERVIEWS The Uniworld River Heritage Club
FINE DINING PAIRED WITH ARTFUL REFINEMENTS pg 02 OUR TELEVISION DEBUT pg 03 GUEST SPOTLIGHT: PAUL GOODEN'S EXPERIENCE IN RUSSIA pg 05
August 2018
1 ELLEN’S 360° 2 UNIQUELY UNIWORLD 3 OUR TELEVISION DEBUT 4
INTRODUCING THE S.S. BON VOYAGE
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UNIWORLD Q&A WITH SHIRNETT FLEET, VICE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL MARKETING
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TREADRIGHT FEATURE: TIGERS IN THAILAND
11 FROM THE KITCHEN OF BEA TOLLMAN
5 GUEST SPOTLIGHT: PAUL GOODEN'S EXPERIENCE IN RUSSIA
#ExploreUniworld
August 2018
Ellen’s 360° There’s so much to explore, so much to see and so much to look forward to—and as always, we’re giving you the first look at everything we’re eagerly working on for the coming months. First, I’m thrilled to announce that Uniworld will make its television debut on September 10, 2018, on Amanpour & Co., a brand-new nightly series coming to PBS. We are overjoyed at this partnership and we look forward to being in the homes of PBS viewers. I'm also very excited to share with you new details about our sixth Super Ship, the S.S. Bon Voyage, who will be joining us in the spring of 2019, the secrets behind our culinary excellence, a delightful Bea Tollman original recipe and much more. Plus, get to know our not-for-profit foundation, TreadRight, in a new feature article where we'll highlight different initiatives in each issue of RiverViews. Additionally, I wanted to thank you for making our first annual River Heritage Club Reunion Cruise a major success before we even set sail! There was a tremendous response and I look forward to meeting our members onboard the December 6 sailing of Parisian Royal Holiday. Stay tuned, because we’ll be announcing our 2019 River Heritage Club Reunion Cruise very soon!
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Warm regards,
Ellen Bettridge PRESIDENT & CEO, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection
FINE DINING paired with artful refinements.
Bea Tollman, celebrity chef and author of A Life in Food, and our renowned team of culinary visionaries have perfected our artistic yet homegrown approach to fine dining. From breakfast to lunch to dinner, each meal is carefully crafted just for you. Did you know that…
Our Culinary Director is a certified Master Chef by the World Association of Chef’s Societies, with over 30 years of experience.
Across our ships, we have Guests can enjoy unique 32 different kinds of lagers, ales and stouts crafted cheese available. by small specialty brewers throughout Europe.
Appetizingly accommodating for all dining preferences. Our Traveling Lite Menu features healthier, vegetarian and gluten-free options. Endless pours. A wide variety of premium alcohol is already included in your fare—including 19 different whiskeys, 12 vodkas, 11 rums and 5 gins onboard all of our European ships. It’s always a good time for wine onboard. Onboard every ship, we serve fine local wines handpicked by our onboard sommelier, including those from our own award-winning family vineyard—Bouchard Finlayson.
It must be delicious.
– Bea Tollman
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OUR TELEVISION DEBUT is right around the corner.
At the beginning of next month, we’ll make our television debut as the founding corporate underwriter of Amanpour & Co., a new nightly series on PBS. Amanpour & Co. features CNN’s Chief International Correspondent, Christiane Amanpour, and presents wide-ranging and in-depth conversations with various noteworthy contributors including author, history professor and journalist Walter Isaacson, NPR host Michel Martin, PBS NewsHour Weekend anchor Hari Sreenivasan and journalist and commentator Alicia Menendez. We’re excited to have the opportunity to partner with PBS to support this groundbreaking new program and share our brand story in an entirely new forum. Tune in to Amanpour & Co. on PBS starting September 10 at 11 p.m.
UNIWORLD VICE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL MARKETING, SHIRNETT FLEET, WITH THE STAR OF PBS'S AMANPOUR & CO., CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR.
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INTRODUCING THE S.S. BON VOYAGE
Our sixth Super Ship joins us in the spring of 2019.
On the heels of the S.S. Beatrice’s stunning debut, we are thrilled to announce that the River Royale will undergo extensive renovations and be transformed into the S.S. Bon Voyage— returning to the Dordogne and Garonne rivers for the 2019 sailing season. The S.S. Bon Voyage will be the second Uniworld ship to be upgraded to Super Ship and will showcase the beauty, renowned wine and gastronomic expertise of the region. She’ll introduce a stunning new bow and enhanced culinary options, including two new onboard dining venues, Le Café du Soleil and La Brasserie. Le Café du Soleil will serve as a casual dining venue that opens up onto the new pool on the top deck and will serve lighter fare with a French flair. In the evening, the venue will transform into a bar and the location for intimate French cooking classes with the chef. At the bow of the ship, La Brasserie will be a bistro inspired by Bouillon Pigalle in Paris, serving sharing plates reflecting local cuisine. There will also be enhancements to the main dining room, Le Grand Fromage, and a private dining and wine tasting venue. Additionally, the S.S. Bon Voyage will add four new luxury suites, a new top-deck swimming pool, marble bathrooms throughout the ship, increase its already high staffto-guest ratio and much more.
Join us onboard Uniworld’s newest Super Ship next spring!
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Recently, we had the pleasure of speaking with Paul Gooden, worldtraveler and newfound Uniworld river cruise aficionado, about his experience on our Imperial Waterways of Russia itinerary. Hi Paul, what drew you to our Imperial Waterways of Russia itinerary? For my wife’s most recent birthday, I told her we
After hearing how many other people have loved it, we knew that was the one we wanted to do.
With that, we’ve decided that every year, we’re
What characteristics of a Uniworld cruise did you find most compelling?
going to go on holiday and experience somewhere
I think the main thing was it was such a great
could go anywhere in the world she wanted to go.
different. For her birthday present, she told me that when she was little she used to read books with pictures of Russia and she had always been fascinated with the country. She wanted to see the waterways and get a richer experience of the cities and Russian culture.
How did you first hear about Uniworld?
balance of relaxation with good exposure to Russia’s architecture, history and food. It was extremely well planned, and we loved the fact that you get to come onboard and really experience the country and the people all the way from the cities to the countryside. The quality and thought behind the transportation… everything was facilitated incredibly. Secondly, the people who organized the tours and the guides were very warm and really looked out for you and made
My previous mentor in my healthcare job had a
sure you truly enjoyed the experience. They had
daughter that started her own travel agency. We
great local knowledge and brought stories to life.
told her we wanted to go on a cruise in Russia and
Uniworld would be the best one and that their
Looking back on your voyage, which city would you say was your favorite to visit?
high-quality ships and well-thought-out programs
That’s too hard! I’d say St. Petersburg was probably
would give us the exposure we were looking for.
my favorite. That’s because of the layout,
have a good-paced experience that would allow us to experience the whole country. She told us that
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architecture and parks. Also, Moscow because
and it was kind of like a cross between the
it’s an older city and a bit richer in history. The
Louvre and Versailles. It was quite fascinating
Soviet-era architecture, Kremlin and things like
and we spent a lot of extra time there. After
that are quite unique. Of the little cities, Yaroslavl was very interesting and beautiful.
that, we got to go to the Moscow Circus. You wouldn’t be able to believe the variety of things
What is your favorite memory from your trip? I enjoyed when we went to Goritsy. It was very
they do with precision, accuracy and flair! In St. Petersburg, we went to the Russian Ballet and that was just stunning as well.
quiet and we walked up to the monastery and to speak English in front of all of us, but the whole
How would you describe the food onboard the River Victoria?
classroom spoke English beautifully. That was a
The cooking class was great fun and everybody
great memory because we were really connecting
enjoyed the vodka tasting onboard. Everyone
with the people.
turned up for that! People were so interested in the
school, one of the Russian kids was embarrassed
stories behind each vodka and were paying such
What surprised you most about Russia?
close attention.
The enthusiasm of the young people. They’re very engaging and really have a thirst for knowledge. Prior to 1991, that was forbidden, so I can understand that. Sometimes, you’ll meet older people and they really don’t want to talk and that’s okay, they’re not rude, they just keep
The food onboard was tremendous. I think where it really excelled was at nighttime with the different menu options. It was just really well-thought-out and well-executed food. The problem was the food was too good. Each night, there’d be a local
people,
specialty to try and we couldn’t pass it up. Why not
because they can and they want to learn English,
just taste a little of everything? The quality of it was
they have such an interest in technology, fashion
just fantastic.
to
themselves—but
the
younger
and food. Interacting with people like that, you get to learn a lot about their country and they
Any plans for a future Uniworld cruise?
get to learn a lot about where you come from.
We met some great people on the cruise and quite
What was your visit to the Hermitage Museum like? It was just amazing. What we found was that upstairs they had all the rooms from the palace
a few brought up the Splendors of Egypt & the Nile cruise and said it was great. We’ll definitely be doing that one…it’s not if, it’s when!
Bon voyage, Paul!
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UNIWORLD Q&A: Vice President of Global Marketing, Shirnett Fleet
With nearly 20 years of experience, Shirnett Fleet, Vice President of Global Marketing, has found her perfect niche. By fusing her passion for marketing with her passion for the travel industry, she’s honed her craft—becoming the driving force behind Uniworld and U by Uniworld’s global marketing efforts. Hi Shirnett, what is your title and role within Uniworld?
and tourism industry, working for companies like Universal
I am the Vice President of Global Marketing for Uniworld and U
Studios Hollywood, Crystal Cruises, Virgin and JetSuite. I took a
by Uniworld. I oversee all of the marketing strategy and brand
slight departure from travel to work in technology and that
development globally for Uniworld as well as U by Uniworld, including
experience made me realize how much I missed the travel
content creation and public relations. My role is to make sure we
industry, which is why I decided to return to travel. Right at that
bring both brands to life, providing the most relevant and engaging
time, the position with Uniworld presented itself and it sounded
information to travel agents, loyal guests and future customers in
like the perfect opportunity to get back into an industry that I love
a meaningful and timely manner. I work closely with teams across
and bring my years of experience to the Uniworld brand.
our organization to ensure that our communication accurately and consistently represents what our guests’ experience will be, both onboard and onshore, so that they can make well-informed decisions.
What aspect of your position as Vice President of Global Marketing do you enjoy the most? The talented people I get to work with every day and the two
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How did you end up at Uniworld?
amazing brands that I get to tell the world about. As a marketer, it
I have spent almost 20 years in marketing, primarily in the travel
is crucial to believe in what you’re selling. With Uniworld, that’s
Jaipur, India
extremely easy and so satisfying—because the product is
mind, body and spirit—with different types of yoga offered
absolutely outstanding and I truly believe in it. However, that also
throughout the cruise, special menus and classes. Having that
makes my job more challenging. It feels as if no amount of perfectly
element where you can focus on you is incredibly intriguing. Third,
crafted words, professionally cut videos or stunning photography
for the ME to WE component. In April, I had the opportunity to
can bring to life what the experience onboard our ships is really like.
Each year, Uniworld puts out a comprehensive cruise brochure. Can you tell us a little bit about the process of putting together such an important piece?
hear the founder of WE.org speak about ME to WE and I was blown away by how powerful these trips are. The idea that by simply traveling to some of these locations, you are helping those communities build their economy through tourism, regardless of
The development of the brochure starts several months out. Right
whether or not you help them with the community projects they
now, we’re in the process of getting the framework built out for our
are already working on. It’s travel that gives back. To get to do that
2020 brochure! The first step is working closely with the product
as part of the cruise is such a win-win.
development team while they determine where our ships are going to be that year, what destinations we’re going to be in and what experiences we are going to offer our guests. We work closely with them to understand those aspects so we can take that content and do our best to convey those offerings through a compelling story. Then, we work with our brilliant creative agency and their team of copywriters and content creators to bring those experiences to life through amazing imagery and copy.
Between all things new and enhanced for 2019, what are you most excited for? I am always excited for when we have a new or transformed ship. I’m blown away every time. When the S.S. Joie de Vivre came out, I thought, “Wow, she is amazing. She’s by the far the most beautiful ship on the river.” Then, we launched S.S. Beatrice and to see her transformation…I was blown away once again. With that being said,
About how long does a project of this size and importance take from start to finish?
I’m really looking forward to what we’re going to do with the S.S.
It takes approximately 8 months from the time we receive the
stunning. We keep outdoing ourselves and that’s so exciting.
Bon Voyage. I’ve seen the plans and she’s going to be absolutely
product descriptions, to reviewing several options for the look and feel, to proofreading, fact-checking and image selection, getting it approved by the key stakeholders within the organization, and then finally printing and distribution.
What is your favorite part of the brochure-making process? When it’s printed, delivered and that final copy lands on my desk!
Additionally, U by Uniworld has a lot of exciting things in store for next year. Any hints as to what we can look forward to? One of the things that naturally happens within the first year of a brand-new product or service is that you learn a lot. Since we started cruising in April, we’ve listened to our guests’, our travel partners’
What feature of the 2019 brochure do you think guests will enjoy most?
and our crew’s feedback on what’s working, what’s not and what
We’ve gone out of our way to tell a story in the brochure. We
is that we’re very nimble and quick to respond, so I’m very excited
believe and hope that the brochure feels more like a coffee-table
that for 2019 we’re going to be able to implement everything we’ve
book—something you’d want to sit, read and enjoy. There are
learned—including updates to our culinary experiences, onboard
stories about the history of our brand, the uniqueness of our
activities and onshore experiences. I’m thrilled we have the
ships, our passion for service and Tiny Noticeable Touches, and
opportunity to continue to mold and shape U into what our guests
the reasons why we do what we do.
If you could go on any of Uniworld’s new 2019 itineraries, which one would it be and why? I would do ME to WE & the Sacred Ganges for three reasons. India,
guests would love to see more of. The great thing about this company
would love and what we ultimately envision it to be.
When you’re not helping lead Uniworld’s marketing efforts, how do you like to spend your free time?
for me, is still on my bucketlist and I love the idea of experiencing
I love spending quality time with my husband, our two children and
India on a cruise—mainly because the river flows through the
our pug, Henry. We are a very active family, so you can typically find
heart of so many interesting cities. Second, for our new Wellness
us at the park playing soccer together or riding our bikes…basically
Program onboard the Ganges Voyager II. This program is all about
we love to do anything outdoors we can do together!
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TIGERS BELONG IN THE WILD. 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. As part of this mission, TreadRight partner World Animal Protection assisted the foundation in developing our Animal Welfare Policy, which assists our team in assessing all animal-related activities we offer so that they meet globally recognized welfare criteria. On July 29, in honor of International Tiger Day, World Animal Protection kickedoff a brand new campaign to enlighten tourists about the exploitation and cruelty tigers face when used as a tourist attraction and to urge Thai authorities to ban captive breeding by 2020.
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WHY TIGERS? All around the world, but overwhelmingly in Thailand, tigers are being bred in captivity for wildlife tourism and the traditional medicine industry. As tigers bred purely for these purposes, they are treated alarmingly awful, living in horrific conditions with limited access to fresh food and water. They typically only leave their enclosures for the next photo op. Additionally, it is believed in some areas that tiger body parts can cure a variety of diseases and health issues, leading to many tigers being killed for medicinal purposes.
HOW CAN I HELP? Tigers are not meant to be entertainers or used for medicinal purposes—and very much belong in the wild. By saying no to taking pictures and selfies of tigers who are performing tricks, we can help end the cycle of suffering if we just walk away or completely avoid these situations. With time, hopefully this will be the last generation of tigers bred into these tragic situations.
ABOUT WORLD ANIMAL PROTECTION World Animal Protection operates under the philosophy that we need to end the suffering of animals on a global scale, working to help the world see how important animals are to all of us and inspiring people to change animals’ lives for the better. TreadRight and The Travel Corporation partnered with World Animal Protection to assist in the development of an animal welfare policy to assist TTC’s operations teams around the world as they assess all the animal-related activities TTC offers. To learn more about these efforts, visit TreadRight.com. UNIWORLD.COM 10
from the kitchen of Bea Tollman
“I created this during the time of our Colony Restaurant years ago. It came about from some time experimenting in the kitchen, trying to figure out an alternative to the basic beef burger.”
–Bea Tollman
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CHICKEN BURGER Indulge in these delicious, easy-to-make chicken burgers, a delightful twist on a summertime favorite.
INGREDIENTS
PREPARATION
1 large chicken, about 2 lbs
Poach the chicken in chicken stock mixed with a little water for about 30 minutes until half cooked. Reserve the stock.
2 pints (about 34 oz) of chicken stock—homemade or store bought 1 organic chicken bouillon cube 2 tablespoons butter 2 teaspoons chopped parsley
Remove all skin and bones and roughly chop up the meat in the food processor, or by hand.
2 tablespoons chopped onion, browned Fresh ground pepper to taste Vegetable oil
Sauté the onion in a little vegetable oil until golden brown and most of the moisture is gone. Set aside. Melt the butter. Crumble and mix the chicken bouillon cube with 1 tablespoon of the reserved chicken stock. Combine with the melted butter. Mix together some of the butter mixture with the parsley, onion, chopped chicken and pepper. Add more butter if needed—the mixture should not be too moist. Shape into burgers about the same size as your favorite hamburger—mine are about 1 inch thick. In a preheated non-stick pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil, then cook the burgers (not too close together) until golden brown and crispy, then turn once and cook the same again. Do not press down while cooking, as this removes the moisture and makes the burger too dry. Serve with a little mango chutney on the side.
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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.
Join the Captain for a members-only COCKTAIL PARTY onboard.
Special MEMBER-ONLY OFFERS.
Complimentary LAUNDRY service.
Exclusive RIVERVIEWS E-MAGAZINE.
Enjoy exclusive access to our dedicated, members-only reservations line: 1-800-307-4699.
Complimentary IN-ROOM FRUIT PLATTER waiting onboard for you upon arrival.
NOTE: Benefits in China may vary.
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 3% ON TOP OF YOUR EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS FOR RIVER HERITAGE CLUB MEMBERS.†
WHERE IN THE WORLD….??? This 17th-century French landmark once protected a southwestern France city from attacks by sea. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this fortification is breathtakingly perched overlooking the Gironde Estuary. 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, Leslie Traver, for being the first to correctly identify the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan, Egypt, as last month’s mystery destination. Peruse this Egyptian icon for yourself and traverse the most legendary river in the world on our Splendors of Egypt & the Nile itinerary.
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 the River Heritage Club Member Benefit and Early Booking Discount. 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 3% onboard savings. Other restrictions apply. See Uniworld.com for complete terms and conditions.