Uniworld Plans Biggest Fleet Expansion Yet, Growing to 22 Ships

October 19, 2026 — Uniworld Boutique River Cruises is planning its biggest fleet expansion so far, with new ships in 2027 and three more in 2028. The fleet will reach 22 ships.

The new ships

Year	Ship	Where
2026	Emilie (already debuted; first newbuild since 2020)	TBA in source
2027	Audrey and Marlene (interiors inspired by Audrey Hepburn and Marlene Dietrich)	TBA
2027	São Rafael	Douro River, Portugal
2027	Aqua Blu (expedition yacht run with Aqua Expeditions; two sailings)	Indonesia and Singapore
2028	Helen	Danube
2028	Clara	Rhine
2028	Mekong Mystique	Mekong, Southeast Asia

Exact debut dates, capacities and booking dates are TBA. Uniworld is also adding six new itineraries in Europe and Asia, pre- and post-cruise land stays in Paris, Prague and Zurich, and more biking, hiking, cooking and wine excursions. The Women-Only Cruise returns in 2027, along with family Generations sailings timed to school holidays and themed wine, golf, music and Jewish heritage cruises. Uniworld’s Bettridge, quoted by Cruise Industry News, described each ship as a “floating boutique hotel.”

What it means for airline travelers

The new Paris, Prague and Zurich land packages give you a built-in buffer before or after the cruise. That is useful when flying standby to Europe, so you are not counting on one specific flight.
Itineraries for the new ships, including the Douro, are not published yet. Check the start and end cities before booking flights.
The Aqua Blu sailings visit Indonesia and Singapore. Check whether your sailing starts and ends in different cities before booking flights.
Uniworld did not mention any travel-industry or interline rates.