Discovering Venice With Uniworld Boutique River Cruises

The Flavors of Venice: Captured Aboard the S.S. La Venezia

The restaurant and bars aboard Uniworld’s S.S. La Venezia are culinary revelries, fit for a country famous for its unique cuisine. As expected from Uniworld’s signature dining experience, there are several options from which to choose. 

Ristorante Rialto, the largest dining venue onboard, is a warm and cozy restaurant oBering traditional Venetian fare—think handmade pasta, tinted black with squid ink and topped with seafood caught fresh from the lagoon outside your ship. 

Hari’s Bar and Lounge is a more relaxed aBair. Guests can settle into the sumptuously upholstered love seats to enjoy their evening entertainment, sipping on fine Italian wines or such classic cocktails as the negroni or Aperol spritz. Hand etched glass walls and polished dark wood set the scene for the most intimate venue, La Cantinetta, where guests can book a private dinner for their group. 

For authentic Italian food with the best view of Venice, guests can relax at Cielo’s, a Pizzeria on the Lido di Venezia Deck. From the comfort of their colorful banquettes, guests will enjoy wood-fired pizzas fresh from the oven as they absorb the magnificence of the famous city al fresco.

And after your delicious pizza lunch, you’ll find one of the best parts of staying aboard the S.S. La Venezia is relaxing on the sundeck while the ship sets sail across the lagoon. Park yourself somewhere comfortable and bask in the sun—and don’t worry, a smiling face will come along soon to oBer you a glass of prosecco.
 

How to MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® for Venice

It’s not hard to see why Venice attracts so many travelers each year—those romantic, twisting alleyways, the glittering lagoon, its pivotal role in Renaissance history, delicious cuisine … we could go on forever about this destination.

With all those visitors, however, comes an undeniable human impact to the environment, particularly the protected area of the Northern Venetian Lagoon. Uniworld believes it is vitally important to do their best to travel in a way that benefits everyone, from their guests to the communities who welcome them. That’s why they’re proud to announce their new partnership with Venice’s Barena Association.

“We at Uniworld have always understood our role as stewards of European riverways, we have a great responsibility to protect Venice’s wetlands and waterways, in addition to showcasing the one-of-a-kind beauty of Venice to our guests. Barena’s initiative is crucial to the health of the Venetian ecosystems and aligns with Uniworld’s long-standing commitment to sustainability.”
- Uniworld Sustainability OBicer, Julie Higgins

The Barena Association is dedicated to preserving the fragile ecosystem of the Northern Venetian Lagoon, including its unique wetland environment, fauna and flora, and the culture and traditions surrounding the lagoons. Their flagship project, “SOS Barena,” aims to protect and restore sections of the intertidal salt marshes in this region. A grant from TreadRight, Uniworld’s joint not-for-profit organization within The Travel Corporation, will be 
instrumental in constructing new barriers made with biodegradable material, to be installed with the support of local fishermen. Once installed, sediment will be pumped between these barriers and the marshes’ edges, creating a shield to protect the marshes from waves and help root systems develop in the mud, thereby safeguarding the marsh soil from further erosion.

Other ways Uniworld prioritizes sustainable travel in Venice:

SMALL SHIP TRAVEL
In recent years, Venice has decided to ban ocean liner vessels. Carrying several thousand people each, these massive ships had an outsized impact on the environment of the lagoon, and the hordes of tourists they dropped in Venice overwhelmed the island more than they supported its culture and economy. As a small cruise line with a maximum capacity of 126 guests, Uniworld is the exception. Their trips bring a much more sustainable number of visitors to Venice, while allowing them to spend more time in the area than ocean ships would and enabling them to explore nearby towns in the lagoon as well.

MEANINGFUL LOCAL EXPERIENCES
Uniworld gives their guests ample opportunity to really interact with the culture, businesses, and artisans of Venice and its nearby towns. They head to St. Mark’s after hours on a visit led by an art historian so guests can appreciate this important monument to its fullest. The same art historian also takes guests to a lesser visited—but still highly significant—mural on Torcello island.

AMAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience allows guests to try their hand a Venice’s unique style of rowing with a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the tradition and empowering female rowers, who are significantly underrepresented. On this itinerary, guests will also get to meet the renowned lacemakers of Burano, gondola carvers, Venetian mask artisans, and more.