# Uniworld Boutique River Cruises

> Uniworld Boutique River Cruises is a luxury river cruise line that runs a fleet of individually designed ships along the rivers of Europe, Egypt, India, Southeast Asia and Peru. Founded in 1976 and owned by The Travel Corporation since 2004, it pairs an all-inclusive fare - meals, drinks, gratuities, excursions and transfers - with the look and service of a boutique hotel afloat, drawing on the design sensibility of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection. Most ships carry around 130 guests with one of the highest staff-to-guest ratios in the category.

- **Founded:** 1976
- **Headquarters:** Los Angeles, California, United States
- **Founders:** Serba Ilich (Founder)
- **Team size:** About 900 employees (company-wide; individual ship crews are much smaller)
- **Products:** European river cruises, Boutique fleet of S.S. and River ships, Exotic and long-haul itineraries, Rivers of the World cruises, Cruise & Rail and land add-ons
- **Notable:** Repeatedly named among the top river cruise lines in Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards and Global Traveler's Leisure Lifestyle Awards., Pioneered dedicated American-market European river cruising, beginning in 1993., Introduced the first 'world cruise' on rivers - a 47-night Cairo-to-Lisbon itinerary (2023).

## Products & services

- **European river cruises** — All-inclusive sailings on the Danube, Rhine, Seine, Rhône, Douro, Po and other European rivers aboard individually designed boutique ships.
- **Boutique fleet of S.S. and River ships** — A fleet of roughly 17-19 ships, each uniquely styled, averaging about 130 guests, with named vessels such as S.S. Antoinette, S.S. Catherine, S.S. Joie de Vivre, S.S. Maria Theresa and S.S. Beatrice.
- **Exotic and long-haul itineraries** — River journeys in Egypt (the Nile), India (the Ganges), Southeast Asia (Mekong), and Peru (the Amazon).
- **Rivers of the World cruises** — Ultra-long grand voyages spanning multiple countries and continents, including a 47-night Cairo-to-Lisbon voyage and a 50-night 2026 anniversary edition.
- **Cruise & Rail and land add-ons** — Combined itineraries pairing river cruising with luxury rail (Golden Eagle, Maharajas' Express) and pre/post land stays.
- **S.S. Emilie** — A new 154-guest Danube ship inspired by Gustav Klimt and Emilie Floge, introduced for the 2026 50th-anniversary season.

## Achievements

- Repeatedly named among the top river cruise lines in Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards and Global Traveler's Leisure Lifestyle Awards.
- Pioneered dedicated American-market European river cruising, beginning in 1993.
- Introduced the first 'world cruise' on rivers - a 47-night Cairo-to-Lisbon itinerary (2023).
- Operates one of the highest staff-to-guest ratios in the river cruise category.
- Expanded into new regions including Singapore and Indonesia for the 2026 season.

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Launch of the 50-night 'Rivers of the World' anniversary cruise, departing April 16, 2026, across three continents.
- **2026-01** — S.S. Emilie, a 154-guest Klimt-inspired ship, joins the fleet for the 50th-anniversary Danube season.
- **2026-01** — Uniworld marks its 50th anniversary with new itineraries, Mystery Cruises, a family sailing, Golden Party evenings and first-time sailings in Singapore and Indonesia.

## Links

- Website: https://uniworld.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uniworld-boutique-river-cruises
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/uniworldcruises
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/UniworldRiverCruise
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uniworldrivercruises
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/uniworldrivercruises

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/uniworld-boutique-river-cruises
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-12