RiverViews Newsletter June 2017

E-NEWSLETTER

You deserve the best

TM

RIVERVIEWS The Uniworld River Heritage Club

UNIQUELY UNIWORLD pg 2 FEATURED DESTINATION: EGYPT pg 5 FROM THE KITCHEN OF BEA TOLLMAN pg 11

June 2017

IN THIS ISSUE

1 ELLEN,S 360 2 UNIQUELY UNIWORLD TRAVEL TIPS 3 FAMILY FOR SUMMER

7 GUEST SPOTLIGHT 9 Q&A WITH WANDA KOWALCZYK, UNIWORLD'S VP OF PRODUCT PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT

FROM THE KITCHEN F EATURED DESTINATION: 11 OF 5 EGYPT BEA TOLLMAN #ExploreUniworld

June 2017

Ellen’s 360° I’ve always been a lover of the road less traveled. There’s nothing

As always, your patronage and loyalty are of the utmost importance

I enjoy more than venturing outside my comfort zone, exploring

to us. I am very grateful for your continued support of Uniworld,

different cultures and embracing the fascinating diversity that

and would like to share these savings as a “thank you.” Join us today

makes this world so special. Though I’ve been to a number of

to color your world on a voyage to one of these amazing destinations.

amazing destinations, I’m always left awestruck by the Far East.

I hope to see you onboard soon. Kind regards, A voyage in China, Vietnam & Cambodia, India or Egypt will captivate your mind, body and soul. Visiting the home of Mother Teresa will humble you. The Pyramids, the Sphinx, the tomb of King Tutankhamun will remind you of the true meaning of “awesome”.

Ellen Bettridge

Ho Chi Minh City will surprise you with how charming it is. And

PRESIDENT & CEO Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection

you’ll find the Great Wall lives up to its name.

Since you are a valued River Heritage Club member, I wanted to personally take a moment to share an offer that will let you experience these mesmerizing destinations for yourself. Don’t wait – it's the last few days to enjoy this exclusive offer if you haven’t already. Please visit Uniworld.com/RHCExoticOffer When you book a cruise to Egypt, India, Vietnam & Cambodia, or China by June 30, 2017, you’ll receive 25% savings for any stateroom category, exclusively for River Heritage Club members.*

*Visit Uniworld.com/RHCExoticOffer for complete offer details, terms and conditions.

Uniquely

UNIWORLD

“

Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.

-Thomas Merton

”

What was the first thing you noticed when you stepped onboard a Uniworld ship for the first time? For many guests, their answer is the range of artistic creations that are present in every room on the ship. Our Uniworld team goes to great lenghts to curate original artwork that takes our ships from great to grand.

Take the S.S. Maria Theresa, which houses over a dozen Carmontelle paintings; the River Empress, which showcases the cosmopolitan style of British artist Julian Opie; or the S.S. Catherine, where you’ll find multitudes of work from Matisse, Chagall and Picasso hanging in its hallways. We only wish these greats could have lived to see their works hanging on our walls. We have a feeling they’d feel right at home.

Another prime example of our dedication to art and design serves as the centerpiece on one of our incredible Super Ships. At one point in time a marvelous chandelier hung in New York’s famous Central Park restaurant, Tavern on the Green. So when the Tavern went through a remodel a couple of years back, we took the opportunity to acquire the chandelier for ourselves. Now the 10-foot Strauss Baccarat structure, clad with huge blue sapphire crystals, proudly hangs in the two-story foyer of our Super Ship, S.S. Antoinette.

The next time you travel with us, don't just focus on what’s outside. Take some time to look around and lose yourself in the onboard art and design.

UNIWORLD.COM 2

FAMILY TRAVEL tips for summer.

Summer is the perfect time to take a trip with family. However, deciding on where to go can be the hard part.

So to help you, check out these family-friendly locations instead.

1) Amsterdam. This Dutch city is great for adults and kids who love to be outdoors, with biking and boating being the key means of transportation.

2) Vienna. Adults will enjoy this Austrian capital’s museums and palaces, while the younger ones will love the puppet museums and sand-filled city “beaches.”

3) Munich. Everyone will enjoy the bustling farmer markets and parks of this German city, but the kids will really go for the interactive museums and toy stores that are abundant in the area.

4) Paris. Adults will adore the rich and fascinating history of landmarks like the Arc de Triomphe, while the kids will get a kick out of its Natural History Museum, which houses a fascinating display on animals and their evolution.

5) Rome. This Italian standout is home to classic sites like the Pantheon and the Colosseum. The little ones will love the Villa Borghese, a giant park with go-karting, biking, and a train that circumnavigates the entire area.

With a little planning and research, you can find an adventure and activities that suit everyone no matter where you choose to go. Kayaking, scavenger hunts, Segway tours and cooking classes feature enjoyment for those of all ages.

Or, if you want to skip the legwork and really go one-of-a-kind with your family vacation, we may have a cruise that’s right up your alley.

Uniworld specializes in personalized travel, and that goes for our younger guests as well. Since no two kids are alike, we offer a full range of enticing onshore excursions and onboard activities–some geared for children and others tailored for tweens and teens. Our unique Generations family program is available on select 2017 and 2018 European itineraries.

UNIWORLD.COM 4

Featured destination: EGYPT

EXPERIENCE marvels, myths and wonders old and new.

Though we travel through a number of exotic destinations, one of our absolute favorites is Egypt. Its enchanting landscapes and rich history never cease to surprise, and that’s why it holds such a special place in our hearts.

Egyptian cuisine we can’t get enough of Egypt is known for ancient monuments, but not many people know that it is also famous for food.

We really enjoy dukkah, which is a commonly used

religious complex. And it’s a magical experience to see the entrancing Temple of Luxor, and visit temples dedicated to Hathor, Horus and other mythological figures.

dip eaten along with Egyptian flatbread or vegetables.

During the Sham-El-Nessim festival, we like to indulge in feseekh, a fermented, salted and dried mullet fish plate. And you can never go wrong with the national dish, kushari, which consists of pasta and tomato sauce along with rice, lentils, caramelized onions, garlic and chickpeas. Yum!

Get the big picture We've all seen photos of these historic world famous sites, but there's something about seeing them in person that puts them back into context and lets you see how they fit into the ancient history of Egyptian culture. The Egyptian Museum is home to a stupendously unrivaled collection of pharaonic

Egypt leaves a lasting impression After indulging in our favorite eats, we like to do a little sightseeing. Fun Fact: The Great Pyramid at Giza is the only ancient wonder of the world that

artifacts, including treasures recovered from the world-famous tomb of Tutankhamun. One could easily get lost in the fascinating stories you’ll uncover walking through this incredible location.

is still in existence today. And that’s just the start

Egypt in itself is a massively awesome experience

to what you can experience traveling along the

that’s full of beauty, history and excellent cuisine.

mesmerizing Nile river.

And will always be an extraordinary destination

We also love wandering amongst the towering ruins

that no culturally curious traveler will want to miss.

of the Temple of Karnak, the world’s largest ancient

UNIWORLD.COM 6

Guest SPOTLIGHT Steve Fletcher, Uniworld guest, world traveler and consultant It’s always a joy to hear from past guests about their Uniworld experience and their plans for future endeavors.

This month, we caught up with Steve to discuss places we’d like to visit, the benefits of river cruising, and eating deep fried scorpions.

Hi, Steve; can you share where you are from?

I’m originally from the UK, but currently live in Lancaster, PA. My wife and I own a consulting business.

What Uniworld voyages have you been on in the past?

We did the Amsterdam to Basel cruise and are booked on the Bucharest to Amsterdam cruise later this year.

We also sailed on the China, Tibet & the Yangtze cruise.

The latter is the main topic of our conversation today. How was it?

There was nothing about the trip I didn’t like. We were in China for over a month. We had a mixture of plans we did on our own. We flew from city to city, then cruised with Uniworld during the middle of the trip.

We spent five days in Beijing, so we got to experience it in detail. We visited the terracotta warriors, which is a must.

I love Shanghai. I’m from the UK, worked in London and Philadelphia, and have been to many major cities, but I’d put Shanghai up there with any of them. I was surprised and really impressed by how clean China was. I guess I had it in my head that China is a bit grungy, but that wasn’t the case. It was very easy to get around China on your own, the people are very friendly, and most of the younger people speak English.

The local Chinese entertainment onboard was very good. The ship had a great atmosphere to it. It always felt lively.

Any memorable meals during your time there?

All of the food on the ship was really good. Beijing and Shanghai had some amazing restaurants. I’m pretty adventurous and like to try the street food. I ate some scorpions and cicadas. They would have skewers of live scorpions sitting there that they would deep-fry once you order!

You really can deep-fry anything. You mentioned you’ve done a lot of travel. What are some of the benefits you enjoy about river cruising specifically?

Everything with Uniworld is so easy. Once you get on and unpack, you don’t have to repack until you leave. River cruising is great because when the ship stops, you can explore wherever you are. Moving about is a lot simpler and quicker. The small size makes it easy to get to know a lot of people on your cruise. We’ve swapped photographs with the different people we’ve met onboard.

If you weren’t running your consulting business, what would you be doing?

I would love working on a cruise ship. I think it would be a lot of fun giving lectures or working as a travel guide.

Well, I think I might know of a company. Any last words?

This might be a good piece of advertising for you: When we were docked in Cologne on our Uniworld cruise, we were next to a Viking ship. Some of the Viking passengers were taking a tour of our ship.

Every Viking guest kept saying “you guys have a much better ship”!

Can’t argue with that. It’s hard to top a ship that’s one-of-a-kind. Thanks for your time, Steve. We’ll see you in Europe soon.

Do you have a story or photos to share from your Uniworld cruise?

Contact RHC@uniworld.com if you’re interested in being featured in a future Guest Spotlight.

UNIWORLD.COM 8

INDIA, YOU HAD ME AT “hello.”

Q&A with Wanda Kowalczyk, Uniworld's VP of Product Planning & Development What does it take to run the world’s best river cruise line? Just ask Wanda Kowalczyk, Uniworld's VP of Product Planning & Development. Wanda’s hard work and energizing passion play a major role in making sure your cruise is a masterpiece, time and time again. While Wanda loves traveling to all different locations, she has a special place in her heart for our exotic destinations. We recently spent some time together discussing just that.

Hi, Wanda! First off, can you tell us where you are from?

I was born in Warsaw, Poland. I came here [USA] for vacation and I just really fell in love with your country. I’m very privileged to be here and also to be able to raise my family in Los Angeles.

What is your current role with Uniworld? How long have you been with the company?

I’m the Vice President of Product Development and I have been working for Uniworld for the last, believe it or not, 15 years. My department and our colleagues from our European office, we are responsible for managing the existing and future product lines for the company in Europe, obviously, and in Asia and Egypt as well.

All of Uniworld’s destinations are unique, and the exotics are no different. What makes the exotic destinations so intriguing?

When we would like to offer a new destination, two of us, for example myself and then also another colleague, just to make sure we have two pairs of eyes which is very important, we go explore the new destination.

On our program Timeless Wonders of Vietnam, Cambodia, and the Mekong we visit two mesmerizing countries: Cambodia is worth a visit because of its welcoming people, its delightful cities and villages, its amusing culture, and obviously Angkor Wat. It’s so impressive that hundreds of years ago in the middle of the jungle, hundreds of temples were built and then forgotten. Vietnam is amazingly exotic - it's a country of breathtaking natural beauty. We also offer a lot of different activities in Vietnam. Now we go to Ho Chi Minh, we go to Hanoi, but we also take our guests to local and quaint fishing farms in the Mekong, we visit schools where our guests can mingle with the teachers and the kids.

Overall, I would say these destinations are intriguing because of the welcoming people and delightful cities and villages, as well as the spirituality and really amazing cultures. The peacefulness of the people is not easily met elsewhere in the world.

India is the country of many surprises and one of the oldest civilizations in the world. In my opinion, it is one of the most colorful countries that I have ever visited. The colors of this country are amazing - not to mention that 95% of women wear colorful saris. I have a dream to remove the crowds from 5th Avenue of New York City, bring those ladies there,

and allow one hundred of the best photographers in the world to shoot it. Can you imagine the beauty of those people, the colors and New York City all together? I think that would just be fascinating.

a human to human connection without needing meaningful words—just sharing a simple joy of meeting each other, looking at each other, handshaking and enjoying the moment.

Wow, I can picture it. Can you tell us about a memorable personal experience you have had in India?

It sounds like a moment you’d never anticipate, but wouldn’t trade for the world. What makes a Uniworld cruise to India so special?

I have three moments — before I went to India and when I arrived there. The first one was when I was on the Queen Isabel, which is our ship in Portugal. It had been announced that Uniworld would be sailing in India and one of the guests, a doctor, approached me; he was born in India, but he left India when he was three years old with his parents. He said “you know, my kids and my wife have been asking me for years to take them to India, but now if Uniworld is going, I’m going.”

That’s part of why I love Uniworld. It's about creating trust with our customers so they know that we will deliver the same service level and standard of excellence in all of our destinations.

Very simply, it’s so special because this year, 2017, fewer than 900 people will be able to see what our guests see. We have 16 sailings, each with 56 guests onboard, and there is no way to visit all of the villages and places we go aside from our cruise.

The next memorable moment is when I arrived in Agra.

I had read a lot about the Taj Mahal. A lot. The Taj Mahal, it’s amazing because it’s one of the most beautiful lone standing structures that I have ever seen. It appears pink in the morning and then when you are there during the day it is milky white and it changes color to gold in the moonlight. This is why we decided to take our guests twice, at sunrise and sunset. I was sitting there and I was completely speechless because it was created as a memorial to a woman who had fourteen kids with Shah Jahan and he built this structure because of his love for her. Can you imagine that not only was it built for her, but it’s still standing?

That’s a great point. Not only is every ship boutique, but the cruise itself is a boutique adventure. What type of guest would you recommend a cruise to India to?

I would recommend it to people who are culturally curious. To tell you the truth, at first I was hesitant to go to India. But it is my job to go and make sure the country is ready to welcome Uniworld and our guests.

I arrived there and after a few days I was sold. I fell in love. And I thought about how I could possibly describe to you my first feeling when I arrived in India, and I came up with this famous quote from the wonderful movie, “Jerry Maguire.”

I can only say that India, you had me at “hello.”

And the last experience that I have to mention is when we arrived in Bandel, which is a really small village. All of the villagers came out from their houses. I'm never going to forget this moment because they all had the biggest smiles on their faces that I have ever seen. Even though only a few of them spoke English, we were able to bond. It was

Learn more about Wanda's experience in India here: https://youtu.be/Re_7N9NLhoo

UNIWORLD.COM 10

FROMof Bea THETollman KITCHEN

“

Arthur was once the Maitre d’hotel of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection’s Colony restaurant. Each night, he would make a large curry for the staff that always looked and smelled absolutely divine. Needless to say, I had to know how it was made. So one Sunday morning in 1974, he and his mother-in-law came to my home and spent the day teaching me how to make his amazingly flavorful curry. Since, I have never found a curry recipe that tastes so delicious. Try serving with cool chopped tomatoes, sliced bananas and crispy pappadams.”

–Bea Tollman

ARTHUR’S CHICKEN CURRY SERVES 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

- 2 organic chickens (totaling about 1.5kg) washed in cold water, patted dry and cut into 5-6 pieces each - 250ml vegetable oil - 1 medium onion, sliced - 5 tablespoons medium strength masala curry powder (I use Pride of India mixed powder brand) - 1 clove garlic - 1 large ginger root - 2 green chillies - 2 teaspoons dried turmeric powder - 1 tablespoon salt - A handful of curry leaves (fresh or dried) - 1 bunch fresh coriander - 3 cinnamon sticks - 3 cardamom seeds, slightly crushed - 250ml water or chicken stock - 4 large potatoes, cut into quarters - 2 tomatoes, sliced - 1/2 tablespoon garam masala

PREPARATION 1) Blend the garlic, ginger, and green chillies to a smooth spice paste in the blender.

2) Heat the oil in a large, thick casserole pot over medium to high heat. Slice the onion and saute until golden brown. Then add 4 tablespoons of the mixed masala, the spice paste and the turmeric. Add the chicken and mix well, then add the salt and braise until browned.

3) Spread the remaining 2 tablespoons of the spice paste into the pot on top of the meat. Add most of the curry leaves and coriander, then the cinnamon sticks and the cardamom seeds. Pour in the liquid and continue braising for 30 minutes, then add another tablespoon of the mixed masala, and a little more liquid if needed.

4) After half an hour add the potatoes, and when these are a little soft, add the tomatoes and turn down the heat to medium low. When the potatoes are tender, add a little more fresh coriander and curry leaves. When both the potatoes and meat are tender, stir in the garam masala to enhance the curry flavor.

UNIWORLD.COM 12

Uniworld’s River Heritage Club A N E X C L U S I V E C L U B F O R U N I W O R L D L OYA L G U E S T S

Once you’ve cruised with Uniworld, you automatically become an esteemed member of our River Heritage Club, eligible for an array of member-only savings and onboard benefits that we offer in sincere gratitude for your loyalty. We look forward to welcoming you aboard as a returning friend on your next Uniworld river cruise!

RIVER HERITAGE CLUB REWARDS INCLUDE: •S ave 5% on any Uniworld cruise or cruise/tour around the globe* • Private members-only cocktail party onboard, hosted by the Captain (European cruises)** •R iverViews™ e-magazine** • One (1) category upgrade on ships in Europe and Russia (excludes suites; subject to availability 45 days prior to departure)** • Complimentary in-room fruit platter upon arrival (European cruises)** • Complimentary onboard laundry service once per week (European cruises)**

DID YOU KNOW? Great value comes to those who plan ahead.

It’s never too early to begin thinking about your next adventure, and if you do, you’ll enjoy added savings. When you book your next voyage while onboard, you’ll save an additional 5% (on top of your River Heritage Club 5% reward) for a 10% total discount. The only question now is "Where to?" The world awaits.†

WHERE IN THE WORLD….???

One of the greatest discoveries of the 19th century, this temple complex is the largest religious monument in the world. It is surrounded by a square moat and is primarily constructed of sandstone. If you can name the spot, send us an email to RHC@uniworld.com. The first to answer correctly will be featured in our next edition of RiverViews.

LAST MONTH’S VICTOR Congratulations, Leanne and Kevin Hayes! Leanne and Kevin correctly identified last month’s mystery destination: Étretat. Here’s a little of what they had to say about their past experience with us.

“Castles will be our 9th cruise with Uniworld. We have traveled with other river cruise companies — but we always return to the best! Uniworld made an excellent impression on us from the first trip. Its staff, whether onboard or through head office, have always treated us well and responded promptly to our needs, inquiries and feedback. We really appreciate how Uniworld has progressed over the years, adding new services, options, activity types and inclusions. It really is the service and attention to detail that keep us coming back.”

We couldn’t agree more. We’ll see you soon, Leanne and Kevin!

Visit uniworld.com/river-heritage-club for more information. * River Heritage Club savings and amenities are available to guests after completing their first Uniworld cruise. 5% savings are based on the cruise or cruise/tour-only price (including any upgrades and single supplement) after other cash discounts are applied. Savings are combinable with all current Uniworld promotions. Restrictions may apply. For complete details, general information, and terms and conditions applicable to all Uniworld trips, please visit uniworld.com. **For 2017 cruise/tours only † 10% discount represents 5% onboard booking savings + 5% River Heritage Club discount. This offer is combinable with all other promotions and savings programs. Onboard savings are calculated on the cruise-tour price (including any upgrades and single supplements), after all applicable flat rate discounts are applied. Bookings must be created and full deposit processed while onboard to qualify for 5% onboard savings. Other restrictions apply. See Uniworld.com for complete terms and conditions.