- Uniworld orders four new river ships
- Nile, Douro, Mekong & Volga
Sharon Jordan of Uniworld
Luxury river cruise line Uniworld, which is represented in Ireland by Sharon Jordan and her team, has announced plans for four new river cruise ships replace existing ships on the Nile in Egypt, the Douro in Portugal and the Mekong in Vietnam in 2020, followed by the Volga in Russia in 2021.
Uniworld currently charters Queen Isabel on the Douro; Mekong Navigator; and in Russia, River Victoria.
Uniworld will completely refurbish the 130-passenger Venice-based River Countess, rename it and move it off of the River Po. According to Uniworld , passenger demand has indicated people want to spend more time in the Venice Lagoon, rather than along the River Po.
Ellen Bettridge of Uniworld
CEO Ellen Bettridge said “all the ships would carry fewer passengers than existing vessels. This is all about elevating our brand, it’s not about increasing capacity,” she said at a press conference announcing the new ships. “The feedback we get is people want more suites, they want more dining choices, and these new ships will reflect that. We are realistic, we have not put two ships in these destinations because we know there is a limit on the number of luxury passengers.”
