36 LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR | MAY 2014

River Suites
CRUISES
Uniworlds new S.S. Catherine and Vikings the Viking Heimdal
are a study in contrasts.
Uniworlds new S.S. Catherine
and Viking Cruises new Viking
Heimdal now sail the Saone
and Rhone riverstaking guests
to chateaux and vineyards,
quaint French towns like Viviers
and Tain-lHermitage and Lyon,
Frances gastronomic capital.
Other river lines serve the
region, as well.
Wine-and-culinary focused
itineraries are clearly the prime
reason for booking, but whats to
know about these two new ships
themselves? Luxury Travel Advi-
sor was onboard in March.
Both vessels are accurately
described as upscale. Uniworld
Boutique River Cruise Collec-
tions (www.uniworld.com) S.S.
Catherine carries 149 guests and
delivers what wed characterize as
asophisticated yet relaxing lux-
ury experience. It boasts top-end
suites with butler service. Plus,
it has many big-ship features,
including a pool, Serenity River
spa and exercise facility. It also
carries bicycles for complimen-
tary guest use ashore.
Viking Cruises (www.
vikingcruises.com) Viking Heim-
dal, as with all Viking Longships,
serves 190 guests in a deluxe
experience with many touches of
luxury. Viking too has top-end
suites with butler service. But
Vikings Longships dont have a
pool, spa or exercise center, as
the lines philosophy is to use
that space for more staterooms.
That adds value for all guests
in the overall product pricing.
Viking says its concierge also will
arrange such services ashore.
Another difference? S.S.
Catherine is highly ornate
with French-inspired original
design and impeccable dcor
detail, while, in contrast, Viking
Heimdal has modern, clean lines
with an airy feel. Service-wise,
S.S. Catherines service felt a
tad more formal than Vikings
relaxed, yet professional, service.
Because the sailings we took
were inaugurals, the superb
cuisine included corporate chef
creations and special menus, not
necessarily typical for regu-
lar cruises. That said, we can
recommend guests sample the
wide range of cheeses served on
Rhone/Saone voyagesevery-
thing from Saint-Marcellin
to Camembert, from Brie to
Ossau-Iraty. Regional wines
from the Cote du Rhone appel-
lation are freely poured with
lunch and dinner.
More About S.S. Catherine:
Its obvious that designers
Beatrice Tollman, founder and
president of the Red Carnation
Hotel Collection, daughter Toni
Tollman, and Brian Brennan,
project manager, labored over
every design and dcor detail for
S.S. Catherine. It truly shows.
Printed wall coverings match
high-quality fabric drapes.
Guest corridors have padded
wall coverings that are soft to
the touch. Travelers wont be
able to keep their eyes from
examining the intricacies, much
as we did with the Van Gogh
Lounges window treatments of
rich blue fabric trimmed with
gold tassels and velvet.
Its easy to feel special given
the fresh flowers that are every-
where. While a fully mirrored
atrium is a bit over-the-top for
some, its just fine for others.
Unusual? The walls dont just
display usual cruise ship art.
In contrast, $1 million worth
of world-class art on this ship
includes antique prints and even
original works by Miso, Chagall
and Calder.
Guests staying in the
410-square-foot Royal Suite (No.
401) will gaze upon early 20th
century original prints by French
artist Louis Icart. Suites 402 to
406 are bit smaller at 305 square
feet, but all suites have one-of-
a-kind dcor and separate living
and bedroom areas.
S.S. Catherines suites also
have full open-air balconies
thatwith the touch of a but-
tonraise the glass to create an
enclosed conservatory, perfect
in rainy weather. Wed suggest
admiring the outdoor scenery
from the Royal Suites open-air
balcony, which has upholstered
chairs and a small glass table with
a liquor set-up. Suite bedrooms
also have French balconies.
Each suites living room sofa
pulls out to accommodate a third
person. Guests in all accom-
modations sleep on hand-crafted
Savoir of England beds. The
Royal Suites bed faces its French
balcony so why not ask the but-
ler to serve breakfast in bed? This
suites spacious marble bathroom
MAY 2014 | LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR 37
EXPLORER SUITES on Viking Longships have
270-degree forward and side views from exterior
balconies.
offers a separate tub, rainforest-
type shower and secluded toilet
and bidet area. Guests will feel
the warmth from heated floors,
mirrors and towel racks.
One of S.S. Catherines most
impressive public spaces is its
two-level atrium. A waterfall
cascades down one side of its
elevator. An intricate Murano
glass chandelier has small horse
heads on its tips. We particularly
liked the green-and-gold horse
sculpture gracing the marbled
atrium floor; it was a popular
selfie photo spot for guests.
Favorite spot onboard? Wed
highly recommend meandering
to the exotic Leopard Bar. Its
fun to sink into black leather and
jungle print seating and order the
ships signature Leopard Martini.
From here, an indoor swimming
pool is visible via several glass
walls. This pool area often glows
green at night (think jungle)
but what really wows is the
glistening leopard-themed wall
mural/sculpture.
More about Viking Heim-
dal: Created by naval architects
Yran & Storbraaten, the team
behind the original Seabourn
ships, the Viking Cruises (www.
vikingcruises.com) Longships are
definitely cookie-cutter by design.
Yet, they have a lovely aura
about them. The modern look is
clean, not edgy or cold, thanks
to the soft interior color schemes.
Yes, there are a few design
differences, but nothing major.
For example, the large original
painting at the top of the atrium
staircase is different for each
ship. Interior colors vary slightly
and bathroom floor coverings
may be light or dark, depending
on the ship.
The view rules on these
ships. As with all Longships,
Viking Heimdals observation
lounge and bar has floor-to-
ceiling glass doors. The main
restaurant has floor-to-ceiling
windows. At the pleasant, indoor-
outdoor Aquavit Terrace light fare
is served. At times it seems like
a picnic back home as the chef
tends to barbecued chicken or
burgers on an outside grill.
Definitely wed recommend
the Aquavit Terraces yummy
club sandwiches, the best weve
had on a ship. The fruit skewers,
Asian curry, fresh fish, pasta and
savory mushroom soup are also
recommended. Glass roofing
extends over the buffet area and
some tables and the large interior
lounge are just steps away. So,
weather is never an issue. If its
sunny, though, grab a table out-
side for al fresco dining.
Seeking luxury? Then wed
suggest reserving one of two
445-square-foot, wraparound
Explorer Suites on each ship.
With 270-degree (forward and
side) views from exterior balco-
nies, these ships have far forward
views, thanks to the Longships
hybrid diesel-electric engines that
produce less vibration.
Longships also have
275-square-foot Veranda Suites.
Whats nice is that all Viking
Heimdal suites feature separate
living and bedroom areas with a
veranda off the living room and a
French balcony in the bedroom.
The Explorer Suites bathroom
has double sinks, a shower,
heated mirror and floor, and
premium bath products.
When sailing through France,
guests eager to learn more about
the regions art, culture, heritage,
cuisine or wine should just pop
into the ships cozy library occu-
pying a corner of the atriums
upper level. It has really inviting
books, such as one that outlines
the architecture of Paris, another
the Bordeaux wine culture, plus
games too.
Two of the best perks on
both S.S. Catherine and Viking
Heimdal? They offer large size
safes (perfect for a laptop), plus
free Internet/Wi-Fi.
Susan J. Young
38 LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR | MAY 2014
UNIWORLDS S.S. Catherine
Royal Suites marble bath-
room offers a separate tub,
rainforest-type shower and
secluded toilet and bidet
area.
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permission.