The first year bringing together Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold’s escorted tours has proved to be a coup for Uniworld, and the company is adding two new itineraries next year.
“We are delighted to offer two new tours for 2017, a result of the great success and popularity of our 2016 collection,” said Ellen Bettridge, president and CEO of Uniworld. “Guests on these unrivaled luxury itineraries travel Europe’s legendary routes by road, river and rail, immersing themselves in fascinating cultures, authentic regional flavors and lovely, picturesque villages. Travelers on the all-new Elegance of England & France will be among the first guests on our newest ‘super ship,’ S.S. Joie de Vivre, debuting in 2017.”
Clients benefit from the strengths of each brand: Uniworld’s elegant, all-inclusive travel onboard ships with highly individual decor that draws from the boutique Red Carnation Hotels brand; Insight’s resourceful signature Tour Directors program; and Luxury Gold’s exclusive VIP events.
The new 22-day Elegance of England & France combines Luxury Gold’s French Connection tour and Uniworld’s Paris & Normandy Seine cruise. A new 24-day itinerary — Danube Delights & the Dalmatian Riviera — tours some of the most fascinating cities in Europe, including Prague, Vienna and Zagreb, Croatia, and joins with a weeklong cruise to Nuremburg and Regensburg, Germany, and Austria’s Wachau Valley.
The experiences are impressive: Guests not only sail on Uniworld’s elegant ships, but also stay in properties such as The Milestone Hotel overlooking Kensington Gardens in London, and Summer Lodge Country House Hotel, Restaurant and Spa, a Relais & Chateaux property in England’s idyllic West Country, where they can explore in the footsteps of novelist Thomas Hardy. On the Isle of Guernsey, the base is The Old Government House Hotel & Spa, dating back to the late 18th century and once the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of the British Crown. A week on Joie de Vivre takes in the arts of Paris, Rouen, Giverny and Versailles in France.
Travelers combining the Danube and Dalmatian Riviera itineraries stay at properties such as Boscolo Prague, a grand hotel in a restored historical bank building; and Hotel Croatia Cavtat, located on an exceptionally beautiful, secluded peninsula across from Dubrovnik overlooking the south Adriatic on one side and the picturesque old town of Cavtat on the other.
On land, there’s a strong romantic theme, with the opportunity to explore the Bavarian Forest. In Croatia, travelers visit Plitvice Lakes National Park; a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its chain of 16 lakes and spectacular waterfalls. In Dubrovnik, the tour director takes guests for a sunset dinner cruise around the city walls; and in Sarajevo, clients see the Tunnel of Hope and talk with a resident who lived through the nearly four-year siege of the Bosnian War.
Other Uniworld combined land and river vacations brought over from 2016 include the 16-day Switzerland & the Rhine; 17-day Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg & the Rhine; 17-day Bohemia & the Danube; 18-day Portugal & the Douro; 22-day La Serenissima; and 16-day Gems of Italy & the River Po.
The Details
Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collectionwww.uniworld.com
