About River Empress
River Empress belongs to Uniworld Boutique River Cruises's Classic series and entered service in 2002. Built to navigate the lock systems and bridge clearances of European waterways, she measures roughly 110 metres in length and accommodates up to 130 guests in 65 staterooms across 3 passenger decks.
Uniworld is part of the Travel Corporation's luxury portfolio. Each Super Ship is individually designed by Bea Tollman, with custom murals, museum-quality antiques and one-of-a-kind suites. The line's all-inclusive fare covers gratuities, all dining, beverages, and a daily choice of excursions. River Empress reflects that brand DNA — from the design of her public spaces to the inclusions in her base fare.
The ship's typical home waters are the Rhine, where she runs 8 distinct itineraries during the operating season. Repositioning sailings, themed wine cruises and Christmas-market voyages may be added in autumn and early winter.
Cabin categories
The following stateroom and suite categories are offered onboard. Square-foot figures are quoted from the operator's published deck plans and exclude balcony floor space.
| Category | Square feet | Deck | Window / view | Max guests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Deck Cabin | 120 sq ft | Main Deck | Fixed window | 2 |
| Middle Deck Cabin | 140 sq ft | Middle Deck | Panoramic window | 2 |
| Upper Deck Cabin | 150 sq ft | Upper Deck | Panoramic window | 2 |
Deck plan
River Empress is laid out across 3 passenger decks plus the open-air sun deck. Public spaces, cabins and crew areas are arranged in the configuration described below.
Onboard amenities
- Sun deck with shaded lounge area
- Panoramic lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows
- Main restaurant serving open-seating regional cuisine
- Casual bistro for breakfast, lunch and late-night snacks
- Reception with 24-hour staff and concierge service
- Lift between most passenger decks
- Complimentary onboard Wi-Fi throughout the ship
- Hair salon and small fitness room
- All-inclusive beverages, gratuities and shore excursions
Featured itineraries
The voyages below are representative of those River Empress sails during her primary season. Exact ports, departure dates and durations vary by year — consult the operator for current schedules.
| Itinerary | Length | Sample ports | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romantic Rhine | 8 nights | Amsterdam · Cologne · Koblenz · Rüdesheim · Mannheim · Strasbourg | Rhine |
| Rhine Highlights | 7 nights | Basel · Breisach · Strasbourg · Speyer · Mainz · Rüdesheim | Rhine |
| Tulip Time on the Rhine | 8 nights | Amsterdam · Kinderdijk · Antwerp · Veere · Hoorn · Arnhem | Rhine |
| Castles of the Rhine | 8 nights | Amsterdam · Cologne · Koblenz · Heidelberg · Strasbourg · Breisach | Rhine |
| Danube Waltz | 8 nights | Passau · Linz · Melk · Vienna · Bratislava · Budapest | Danube |
| Romantic Danube | 8 nights | Budapest · Vienna · Linz · Passau · Regensburg · Nuremberg | Danube |
| Lower Danube Discovery | 11 nights | Budapest · Mohács · Belgrade · Iron Gates · Vidin · Russe | Danube |
| Christmas Markets Danube | 8 nights | Nuremberg · Regensburg · Passau · Linz · Melk · Vienna | Danube |
Sister ships in the Uniworld Boutique River Cruises fleet
SS Antoinette
154 guests · launched 2011
SS Catherine
159 guests · launched 2014
SS Beatrice
158 guests · launched 2009
SS Maria Theresa
150 guests · launched 2015
SS Joie de Vivre
128 guests · launched 2017
SS Bon Voyage
128 guests · launched 2019