River cruising in Italy. Not exactly the first thing that comes
to mind when one thinks of visiting Italy, but it should be!
Why? Uniworld's 134-guest river ship, River Countess has been sailing the Po River roundtrip from Venice for a few years now, and it is simply magnifico! A river cruise along the placid, little known Po River is, in fact, an ideal way to see this tourist paradise in depth, at leisure and hassle-free. In addition, given the very high cost of hotels in Italy, it’s a very cost effective way to tour and now that Uniworld is "all inclusive," (Everything is included in your cruise price!), you’ll never feel like you’re being “nickled and dimed to death.” Enjoy all meals, all sightseeing, all gratuities and even fine wines, beers and spirits aboard the elegant, completely refurbished River Countess.
Touring Italy and a Po river cruise should be on your very short “bucket list.”
Anyone who has traveled in Italy knows there really is no other place on earth quite like this magical country. It’s truly a traveler’s dream destination with something to delight everyone. For those who enjoy archaeology, there are some of the world’s most fascinating and best-preserved ruins and monuments to explore. Her key cities like Rome, Florence, and Venice are in and of themselves like living museums. For those who enjoy exceptional culinary treats, Italy has some of the world’s finest food and wines to taste and savor. For art lovers, need we say more than Michelangelo, Leonardo d’Vinci, and Raphael? It’s also the cradle of the Christian faith and home of the Vatican. In addition, the climate is ideal; the people are warm, fun-loving and friendly. Italy truly is an ideal destination for anyone.
Gelato!
There is one other very sought after Italian treasure… its ice cream, called gelato. Where can you find this delectable treasure... everywhere! But... well, if you’ve never been to Tres Scalini on the Piazza Navona on a mild evening, you just have not lived. There’s just no way to describe the fresh gelato flavors they prepare fresh daily. In our opinion as “ice cream junkies,” Tres Scalini makes the silkiest, deepest, darkest and richest chocolate gelato you will ever have the pleasure of enjoying. (FYI... when you book your river cruise with Premier, we’ll also provide you a customized list of some of the most interesting, scrumptious local (non-touristy) restaurants in Italy. We’ll even tell you which outdoor piazzas are best to stroll through on a balmy evening in Rome, Florence and Venice).
Uniworld is the only U.S.-based cruise line currently offering cruises on the Po.
To create this unique itinerary experience they actually ferried the 361-foot-long River Countess from her previous venue on the Danube to Italy. That would have been a sight to behold!
Uniworld is offering two Italian river cruise vacations. The first one is the Venice and Gems of Northern Italy, a 7-night cruise sailing roundtrip from Venice for guests who don’t have time for a longer trip. It’s very cool the way they’ve created the itinerary — your elegant cruise ship will be your hotel while in Venice for two nights at the beginning and end of the cruise. Talk about comfort and convenience! During the cruise, you’ll sail the Po into both the Umbrian and Tuscany regions visiting Padua, Ravenna, Bologna (where you’ll actually get your hands dirty during a pasta-making workshop), and Verona — home to literature’s most famous lovers, Romeo and Juliet.
While onboard you’ll enjoy and savor Uniworld’s gastronomic delights and delight in the complimentary, small group guided sightseeing in each port, including extensive touring in Venice. Using the ship as your hotel is a novel idea for Venice, especially when you consider that a deluxe hotel commensurate with Uniworld’s amenities can be as much as $800 per night, and that’s without a view. Again... talk about comfort and value!
The second Italy experience is the preferred way to maximize (in our opinion) your time in Italy and on the river cruise. This itinerary is called the Splendors of Italy, because it provides guests with an overall in-depth look at the key attractions in this spectacular country. Your 12-night cruise/tour program consists of the same 7-night river cruise and a remarkable, well thought out land program.
Click on the cruise name links in the previous paragraphs to see each respective itinerary's full day-by-day details, deck plan, ship photo gallery, route map and more!
In addition to the delightful river cruise on the River Countess, you’ll be able to experience Florence and Rome in depth with Uniworld’s deluxe post-cruise land program. You’ll enjoy three nights in these two dynamic cities which includes your deluxe hotel, all meals, all sightseeing, and just enough free time to explore on your own. Prices for the 7 and 13 night river cruise and cruise/tour are very reasonable. These incredibly low, value-packed prices include deluxe accommodations on the River Countess and on land, comprehensive sightseeing in each city visited, complimentary fine wines and beers at dinner, all transfers and much, much more.
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