SAIL AWAY WITH ME ON UNIWORLD’S S.S. MARIA THERESA
Greetings! It was earlier this summer that Brad & I took a trip to Europe that included a wonderful voyage down the Danube River. I have been meaning to share this trip with you for sometime, which began with our visit to beautiful Budapest that I blogged about here. So, at long last, today I invite you to sail away with me on Uniworld’s S.S. Maria Theresa. She is the newest ship in the Uniworld River Cruises fleet, and she makes her home on the Danube River, sailing between Budapest & Amsterdam.
“Photo courtesy of Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection”
The great Habsburg ruler, Maria Theresa, was one of Europe’s longest reigning monarchs, and 2017 marks the 300th anniversary of Maria Theresa’s birth. It was a great time to be in her part of the world, as we enjoyed many special festivities marking the occasion. On our “Enchanting Danube” voyage we would spend 8 days in the opulent and elegant atmosphere of the ship built in her honor, traveling through the very places Maria Theresa ruled for over 40 years. Uniworld’s S.S. Maria Theresa is a floating homage to the former Austrian Empress, whose giant portrait decorates the main salon of the ship.
“Photo courtesy of Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection”
Our voyage began in Budapest, Hungary and continued through Slovakia and Austria, stopping at 5 ports of call before concluding in Passau, Germany. Every port brought new and unique things to see, so stay tuned and in upcoming posts I’ll take you with me to Bratislava, Vienna, Melk, Linz, Salzburg & Passau.
Named “Best New River Ship” by Cruise Critic editors, the S.S. Maria Theresa is by far one of the most beautiful, elegant and luxurious river boats in the world.
“Photo courtesy of Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection”
As I’ve repeated many times on this blog, my travel motto is, “Why leave home for anything less than I’m leaving behind?” So in selecting this ship I set comfort, style, atmosphere & service as top priorities. Uniworld and the S.S. Maria Theresa did not disappoint! We sailed in grand style, making our home-away-from-home up the marble staircase, and a few steps down the elegant hallway, in Suite 404.
Please, step inside Suite 404 and let me show you around.
Upon entering the suite you encounter a vestibule lined with spacious, mirrored closets that provide ample space for the contents of as much luggage as one wishes to bring along. Suite occupant can even have their personal butler unpack their luggage, although that’s a too personal service I have yet to avail myself of.
Brad & I each had our own closets like the one shown below.
On the opposite side of the vestibule ia a beautiful bar, complete with crystal decanters filled with one’s favorite beverages, a mini fridge and a Nespresso coffee maker.
These amenities are complementary to Suite occupants and are replenished daily or as often as you like.
Just beyond the closets was a comfortable sitting area that opened onto the balcony which had a retractable window. Embedded in the mirror above the sofa was one of 2 TV’s in our suite.
“Photo courtesy of Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection”
We made good use of this area (as well as the services of our Butler) each afternoon. When we returned to our suite tired and thirsty after long days of sightseeing we would arrive to find an assortment of small snacks along with a cooling and refreshing iced tea.
One afternoon I returned to find a birthday cake. While we were in fact sailing on my birthday, we had never shared with Uniworld that it was a birthday cruise. This fact however, was not missed by them, and even though I was hoping to avoid the customary birthday reminders, Uniworld was quick to recognize and acknowledge it. That’s what I call attention to detail!
Adjacent to the sitting area was the lavishly appointed bed, dressed in silk and draped in a regal looking bed crown. Silk fabric wall coverings completed the sumptuous decor.
“Photo courtesy of Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection”
Beautiful original artwork decorated the walls and complimented the decor, while also reminding us of the river just outside.
The very comfortable bed faced outward onto the river, which could be viewed from the bed through the large picture window at its foot.
Located behind the bedroom area was this spacious and grand marble bathroom complete with 2 sinks, a large shower, plush towels hung over a heated towel bar, and even heated marble floors! And as you know, I always judge a thoughtfully appointed bathroom by the presence of a magnifying mirror. This bathroom did not disappoint.
I also appreciate the fine Hermes bath products that Uniworld provides to its Suite guests.
Now that you’ve seen our beautiful Suite I’d like to show you around the ship. The “SS” in the ship’s name stands for “Super Ship”. I’d say it’s an appropriate description, far more appropriate than “river boat.” Just down the hall from our suite was the Cruise Manager’s desk. We availed ourselves of his convenient services from time to time, having him arrange for drivers, and he made us restaurant reservations and the like.
“Photo courtesy of Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection”
Every evening before dinner we would visit the Habsburg Salon where our favorite bartender would mix me a exceptionally delicious Mojito, packed with fresh mint just the way I like it. After observing him make this delicious cocktail, I’ve now become considerably more proficient in the art of Mojito making myself.
“Photo courtesy of Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection”
Every evening over cocktails the Captain and the Cruise Manager would make a presentation about the following days port of call, etc. while we lounged comfortably in this lovely room. The onboard sommelier would also explain the complimentary wines that would be served each evening, which was always a delicious sampling from the the very region we were visiting.
“Photo courtesy of Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection”
Then we would proceed to dinner, where there was open seating at various sized tables. Sometimes we’d select a romantic table for 2. Other times we’d sit at a large table, taking the opportunity to make new friends over what was always a very delicious meal.
“Photos courtesy of Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection”
The food we enjoyed onboard in the Baroque Restaurant was exceptional, as evidenced by the photos I snapped. Meal-after-meal was a culinary delight and a visual masterpiece.
Every evening a movie would be screened in the Lipizzan Cinema complete with popcorn and candy.
“Photo courtesy of Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection”
We never found time to watch a movie but did try to visit the Bar du Leopard for an after dinner drink each evening.
“Photo courtesy of Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection”
Adjacent to the Leopard Bar was the glass-enclosed swimming pool, a feature rarely found on river sailing ships.
While the swimming pool was surrounded by glass walls open to the Leopard Bar and the outside, this room had an interesting feature. As soon as one walked inside, the glass walls would become opaque, allowing bathers to swim in privacy.
“Photos courtesy of Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection”
Another feature very special to the S.S. Maria Theresa was her Viennese Cafe. As an ode to the wonderful coffeehouses of Vienna, (one of our ports of call) this ship has its own coffee lounge complete with a self serve espresso and latte maker. The cafe also had sweet treats such as the famous Sacher Torte there for the taking. I availed myself of the Viennese Cafe every morning, making myself my obligatory morning latte.
“Photos courtesy of Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection”
So here’s the facts about Uniworld’s S.S. Maria Theresa:
- GUESTS – 150
- STAFF – 57
- SUITES – 11 (305-410 sq ft)
- STATEROOMS – 64 (162-194 sq ft)
- LENGTH – 443 ft
- WIDTH – 37.5 ft
In closing I want to advise that this was not a sponsored post and I was not compensated in any fashion for my review of Uniworld’s S.S. Maria Theresa. Having sailed twice with Uniworld I can say with all sincerity that this company has a fine product and works very hard to earn happy customers like Brad and me. If you’d like to plan a wonderful European vacation, contact my valued travel agent who helped us make this trip an amazing one.
To book your trip contact my very helpful and professional travel agent here:
Lori Seeley
Group Travel Specialist
Innovative Travel Concepts
A division of Largay Travel
Phone: 941-312-2584
lori@innovativetravelconcepts.com
So there you have it: SAIL AWAY WITH ME ON UNIWORLD’S S.S. MARIA THERESA
Thanks so much for dropping in!
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