Uniworld Announces Expansion in 2014

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises has announced the launch of a new Super Ship, the S.S. Catherine, in 2014 on the Rhone and Saone in Burgundy and Provence, France, replacing River Royale, which will move to Bordeaux, France.

The Catherine will be similar to the Antoinette, and will be one of the company’s largest ships at 443 feet  long.

“As we did with the Antoinette, we have used the additional space on the Catherine to create innovative public areas and extra spacious staterooms and suites for our guests,” said Uniworld president & CEO Guy Young. “Uniworld carries fewer guests than our competitors and the Catherine will have a 159 total passenger capacity, with five suites at 305 square feet and one Royal Suite at 410 square feet.”

All suites and staterooms on the top deck will have private balconies, which convert to enclosed conservatories with the touch of a switch; staterooms on the middle deck will have French balconies. All accommodations will have handcrafted Savoir of England beds and marble bathrooms. Similar to the Antoinette, the Catherine will have the Leopard Lounge with its leopard print furnishings, elephant-head bar rails and jungle touches. There will be a mosaic-tiled pool and spa area, a main restaurant with an al fresco outdoor dining terrace and a bistro restaurant.

“I have no doubt in my mind that the Catherine will continue setting the standard in luxury river cruising in the South of France along the Rhone and Saone and will allow us to offer more passenger capacity to support our Burgundy and Provence itinerary, which is one of our most popular programs,” Young said. “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.”

Uniworld’s River Royale, recently remodeled for the 2012 season, will be remodeled again for 2014 to reflect her new home. The new eight-day itinerary will begin and end in Bordeaux, a UNESCO World Heritage city, and visit some of the regions’ most prestigious Aquitaine Chateaux as well as Pauillac, the gateway to the Medoc wine route and St. Emilion, the oldest wine area of the Bordeaux region, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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