A Firsthand Look at Uniworld’s New S.S. Maria Theresa

Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection officially welcomes the S.S. Maria Theresa into the fleet! Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Thursday, March 26, 2015

It’s been a busy week of river cruising here in Amsterdam, and we’re still very much playing catch-up. But even as I write this at 2:44 a.m. in the morning, I have to skip ahead a bit to show you one of the most striking ships on the waterways of Europe: Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection’s S.S. Maria Theresa.

The ornate lobby welcomes guests aboard Uniworld’s S.S. Maria Theresa. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

The brand-new 443-foot long ship was christened this morning in an understated ceremony at the Port of Amsterdam, and we were on-hand to experience both the festivities and the S.S. Maria Theresa herself. Capable of carrying 150 guests and a staff of 37, Uniworld’s latest-and greatest is as much a floating work of art as it is a river cruise ship.

Believe it or not, after years of writing about the line this is the very first Uniworld ship I’ve physically stepped on board. With an all-inclusive product, I have certain elevated expectations, and Uniworld has not only met but exceeded them: luggage was brought to my Category 2 Stateroom on Deck 3 promptly, and my cabin stewardess explained the myriad of electronic doodads in the stateroom to me. If you think you don’t need the explanation, you do: this ship does things very differently when it comes to accommodations, from the way you open your stateroom door (pull towards you, then push inward), to the way you control you cabin lighting via a digital dimmer.

Home Suite Home: My Category 2 Stateroom on Deck 3 is surprisingly opulent. Check out the sumptuous bed! Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Few details have been overlooked, including this unexpectedly luxe touch: a keycard holder. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

The bathroom is unusually large, and fitted with some custom amenities…Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

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Our Live Voyage Report from the christening of Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection’s S.S. Maria Theresa will continue with a full photo-tour of this striking ship! Be sure to follow along on twitter @deckchairblog or the hashtag #LiveVoyageReport.