Step aboard Uniworld’s newest river ship, and the first thing you’ll notice isn’t a chandelier or a gilded ceiling. It’s a portrait, larger than life and bathed in natural light, hanging just inside the entryway. That’s Emilie Flöge, a 20th-century Austrian fashion designer and muse of the famous painter Gustav Klimt.
Flöge was no footnote. In turn-of-the-century Vienna, she ran her own fashion house, designing loose, high-bodice dresses that freed women from the corset years before that became fashionable. She spent nearly three decades as Gustav Klimt’s life partner.
Interior designer Liane van Leeuwen wanted Uniworld’s newest ship to honor Flöge as much as Klimt. Klimt’s paintings turn up throughout the suites, but it’s Flöge’s portrait that greets you first. Her influence can be seen throughout the ship, including a floor-to-ceiling photograph of her with Klimt on the wall of the fitness center.
Distinctive spaces designed for modern luxury
The public spaces on board the SS Emilie carry through on that same design. The Belvedere Lounge, the ship’s social heart, hosts everything from welcome cocktails to nightly local musicians, styled more like a grand European hotel lobby than anything typically found on a river ship. Guests can head to the smaller Brocade Bar for a nightcap or reserve the intimate Gold Room for a private dinner for up to 10 guests.
In Gustav’s Restaurant, the main dining room, Uniworld moved the buffet to one end of the room, where it can be closed off behind glass doors for dinner service, so that the space reads as a proper restaurant.
The 77 staterooms and suites lean into the same idea. Even the Classic staterooms come with marble bathrooms, Asprey products, and plush robes, and every room has a view; there are no windowless cabins here. Suites and Grand Suites add butler service, in-room breakfast, and complimentary laundry as standard. For even more space, the Grand Suite can be paired with the adjoining Deluxe French Balcony next door, creating a two-bedroom configuration that’s ideal for multigenerational travel or two couples who want their own space and a shared living room.
Discover the Danube in style
As striking as the ship is, most guests will be here for the Danube itself. The SS Emilie's Capital Cities of the Danube itinerary threads together three imperial capitals: Vienna, with its palaces, coffeehouse culture, and centuries of artistic legacy; Budapest, where riverside parliament buildings glow gold after dark; and Bratislava, whose compact Old Town and emerging restaurant scene still fly under the radar of most travelers. Along the way, the river passes vineyards, medieval castles, and small towns in a memorable cruise itinerary.
On the longer Danube Grandeur sailing, a 15-day journey through six countries between Belgrade and Nuremberg, guests dock in Vienna for three days, which is long enough for a private evening visit to the Belvedere Palace, home to the world’s largest collection of Klimt’s work, including The Kiss.
Standing before Klimt’s impressive works is a memorable experience. Uniworld builds in the kind of local access that makes a river cruise feel like more than sightseeing: a cheesemaking visit at a family farm, a countryside bike ride, an evening tasting that spills into a local pub with new friends. Unpack once, and the Danube’s capital cities, vineyards, and back roads all come to you.
The Uniworld difference
What ties it together is the same thing that’s always defined Uniworld: a high staff-to-guest ratio; an all-inclusive fare that covers dining, drinks, gratuities and excursions; and a roster of experiences that allow you to truly experience a destination rather than just pass through it.
A new icon for river cruising
For travelers who’ve sailed the Danube before, the SS Emilie is reason enough to go back. For those who haven’t, there may not be a better introduction. The SS Emilie is a ship that has found its unique place on the river, telling the story of a woman who spent her life refusing to blend in. Emilie Flöge would surely approve.
Want to plan your own cruise on the SS Emilie? Talk to your AAA Travel Advisor.