CRUISE RIVER SHIPS DESTINATIONS MARIA THERESA
w MARIA THERESA From the outside, you’d never know the Maria Theresa was a castle. River cruise ships, with the height limits imposed by bridges, tend to look pretty similar from the outside – long, low, and white. But the minute you step inside
It takes
Joanna Booth and Hollie-Rae Merrick test two very different new river ships from Uniworld and CroisiEurope
Uniworld’s newest river cruiser, it’s immediately obvious that this is something very different. Even the Antoinette, Uniworld’s first Super Ship, isn’t quite as ornate as the Maria Theresa. Cruising on the Rhine, Main and Danube, the ship plies its way along a superhighway of Baroque castles, and though there are no turrets on board – and I’m guessing Leopard Lounges were thin on the ground in the Baroque period – this ornate look was very much the inspiration for designers Bea and Toni Tollman. Guests are greeted in the lobby
two LOIRE PRINCESSE
by a three-metre-high portrait of Maria Theresa, the Habsburg Archduchess of Austria, flanked by a double marble staircase and topped by an ornate chandelier. The ship was christened in March by Princess Anita von Hohenberg, a direct descendant of Maria Theresa, who commented: “It really is a floating castle.” This is emphatically not a ship
for minimalists. Every corner is mirrored, gilded, painted with trompe l’oeils, upholstered in brocaded fabric or adorned with ruffles – even the corridors. The craftsmanship is truly spectacular, with the designers seeking out artisans from all over Europe to recreate their historical vision with original techniques. Public areas include the Habsburg Salon, which has a lounge area and bar with a small dancefloor, where we watched dancers perform a Viennese waltz, and the Leopard Bar, a Uniworld signature reinterpreted with a Baroque twist. Designer Toni describes the palette as ‘snow leopard’, and alongside there is a small plunge pool with elaborate murals on the walls, and an interior glass wall that can be frosted over at the touch of a button – much to the relief
15 October 2015
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