Uniworld Boutique River Cruises has added two new Super Ships, the S.S. Victoria and S.S. Elisabeth, which will begin sailing in Europe in 2024 and 2025 respectively.
Taking over the ships from Seaside Collection under a three-year, bareboat charter agreement for each ship, Uniworld will create its signature experience on existing itineraries with an all-Uniworld staff, as well as the brand’s trademark touches and amenities.
Before joining Riverside Luxury Cruises, the ships were a part of Crystal Cruises’ River fleet as the Crystal Bach and Crystal Mahler.
Ellen Bettridge, president and CEO of Uniworld, said: “The S.S. Victoria and S.S. Elisabeth are unique vessels that we know our guests will love, featuring a modern design, some of the largest suites on the rivers, and an ambiance that exudes contemporary luxury.”
The identical sister ships can accommodate 110 guests in 55 suites and staterooms, each boasting panoramic views of the passing scenery. The ships will also house Uniworld’s first two-bedroom accommodation with adjoining suites, and other highlights include a massage room, gym, bistro for snacks, rooftop bar and grill for cocktails and light bites, and fine dining restaurant for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Like all Uniworld cruises, dining venues will feature farm-to-table cuisine utilising fresh local ingredients gathered by the chef in destination daily.
The S.S. Victoria will set sail first at the start of the 2024 season, debuting in March in Amsterdam onboard the eight-day Holland & Belgium at Tulip Time cruise through Belgium and The Netherlands. She will then embark on the eight-day Castles Along the Rhine itinerary from Basel to Amsterdam, as well as sail along two rivers aboard the Magnificent Moselle and Rhine itinerary over the course of 10 days. Travellers can also opt for the eight-day Belgium Holiday Markets sailing round-trip from Brussels featuring a mix of Christmas markets in small towns during the festive season.
The S.S. Elisabeth is scheduled to set sail for the 2025 season, with more details to come.
Japan is seeing the opening of more big-name and glitzy attractions, as companies seek to gain from the country’s tourism recovery.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo: The Making of Harry Potter, which opened in June, is the second theme park based on the hit film series after the one in London, which has welcomed 17 million visitors since opening in 2012.
Covering 30,000m2, the Tokyo site is also the world’s largest Harry Potter attraction. Operated by Warner Bros. Studio Japan, it features exclusive sets from the film series, interactive experiences including using a green screen, F&B options and shops, with entry for adults priced at 6,300 yen (US$42).
Attractions based on Japanese characters are also expanding, due to their popularity at home and abroad.
Building on its 60 billion yen (US$403 million) investment to open Super Nintendo World in 2021, Universal Studios Japan, in July, launched attractions based on several animation series including One Piece, Detective Conan and Attack on Titan.
Ghibli Park, which opened in Nagoya Prefecture in 2022, has also expanded this year to add two new areas: Mononoke Village, which unveils Japan as it was in the fifteenth century, and Irontown Village, featuring giant sculptures of creatures from Studio Ghibli films.
Growth in theme park attendance is important to tourism recovery as Japan seeks increased consumption by visitors.
Theme parks and amusement parks across the country are welcoming fewer visitors than pre-pandemic, with recovery at just under 80 per cent, but those visitors are spending more. Consumption per person exceeded 10,000 yen for the first time in 2022, according to data from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
There are more products in the pipeline.
Tom’s City Circuit Tokyo Bay will open at the capital’s Odaiba waterfront in November, offering indoor and outdoor electric vehicle go-karting, as well as VR-based entertainment.
The company said the attraction can “help revitalise Tokyo’s night-time economy” as electric vehicles are quiet, allowing smooth operations at night.