Close Window [x]
Dear Customer,
When it comes to your cruise-shopping experience, how do you define "happiness"?
Does it mean paying the lowest possible price for your sailing without sacrificing a shred of quality – and having both your price and your satisfaction fully guaranteed? Perhaps it's 24/7 access to an expert (or hundreds of them, in fact, each one professionally certified and steeped in product knowledge) that matters most of all. Or maybe you'll require something more personalized and more specific – a special arrangement that needs making, say, or a one-of-a-kind benefit that rewards and acknowledges your repeat business – before you're truly happy. Maybe it's all of the above.
We place special emphasis on our service and expertise, and we're continually looking for new opportunities to expand and enhance both in order to better serve you. We're grateful and inspired whenever our customers and colleagues let us know that we're succeeding, and we hope you'll spare a moment to learn more about everything we have to offer and all of the ways in which we're working hard to put a smile on your face.
Sincerely,
Brad Tolkin & Jeff Tolkin
Co-Chairmen / CEOs, World Travel Holdings/Cruise411.com
Home > Cruise Lines > Uniworld River Cruises > About Your Ship: S.S. Antoinette
About Your Ship: S.S. Antoinette

Overview & Itinerary Staterooms Deck Plans Food & Dining Entertainment & Activities Photo Gallery Reviews
 
Overall RatingNot Yet Rated
About Cruise Critic Star Ratings
First Glimpse
S.S. Antoinette, river cruise line Uniworld's first-ever new-build, launched in March 2011. The 164-passenger vessel, built at Holland's Shipyard De Hoop, is one of the most innovative ships sailing on Europe's rivers today.

Uniworld's penchant for whimsical and daring interior design (Antoinette, for instance, is based on an interpretation of Marie Antoinette's France), lush cabin appointments, and superb service and cuisine is apparent on all the company's vessels. But creating its first ship from scratch offered the line a chance to innovate, and did it ever.

The Rhine River-based S.S. Antoinette offers a serious wow factor with its new unique-to-river-cruising features, including suites with alcoves that can be converted from glassed-in conservatories to open-air balconies by pushing a switch.

There's also a beautiful 22-seat cinema with Dolby Surround Sound that's atmospherically housed in a room adorned with vintage movie posters. (The requisite popcorn cart is also included in the mix.)

In addition, the vessel's top deck showcases several novel twists. Traditionally, riverboats use their upper decks as observation areas in good weather only; height-wise, they contain no furnishings taller than a chaise lounge so that the vessels can fit under low-slung bridges. For Antoinette, Uniworld has constructed a pair of all-weather rooms: the South Beach-like Leopard Bar (which is a classic lounge tradition in many Red Carnation hotels, a sister company) and the elegant L'Orangerie, an indoor/outdoor dining venue. Both have air conditioning and heating. The reason that Uniworld can build such structures: Their ceilings and windows can collapse on demand if the ship needs to pass under a low bridge.

Another twist: Few riverboats have swimming pools; on Antoinette, there's a glassed-in facility with gorgeous mosaic tiling, a wall of windows and an adjacent spa. Interestingly, the pool serves in another capacity. The few riverboats that have one typically locate them in their midsections, said Patrick Janssens, owner of Shipyard De Hoop, which has been building vessels for more than a century. In Antoinette's case, placing the pool in the rear gives it an operational advantage. With its heavy weight, it creates mass where vibration tends to be a problem, helping to ensure an extra-quiet ride.
 top
Expert reviews are provided by CruiseCritic.com, an award-winning cruise community. This objective information can help you choose just the right ship for your next cruise vacation.

Let our experts help you plan your cruise.
800-553-7090    
Call 24 Hours a day, 7 days a week.