This Uniworld Cruise Delivers a Uniquely In-Depth Venice Experience

A conscious traveler is likely taken aback by the following statistics: Venice, Italy, which has a resident population of approximately 50,000, receives about 30 million visitors every year. It is estimated that half of those travelers come for just a day. In 2024, an “access tax” was instituted; the day-tripper fee was seen as a way to mitigate the strain to the lagoon city’s infrastructure.

The history, culture and beauty of Venice cannot be overstated, but how to see it without being part of the in-and-out travelers who wander briefly, snap a few photos, then leave? For years, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises has had a solution — the eight-day Venice & Jewels of Veneto lagoon cruise.

Onboard the S.S. La Venezia, guests are privy to a slower paced and in-depth Venice adventure — and with just 126 guests, it’s an intimate experience, too. Renovated in 2020, the ship boasts plenty of updates while still being small enough to cruise the lagoon and let guests disembark in ideal locales. Clients will beat the crowds on an early morning visit to Doge’s Palace and enjoy a private tour of St. Mark’s Basilica, for example. The ship showcases Venice’s less-visited neighbors, too, from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Padua to the fishing port of Chioggia.

To gain more intel on this special cruise, we chatted with Louisa Warman, cruise manager on the S.S. La Venezia.

Enviable Access 

Warman is British by birth, but she has lived in Venice for 25 years. In 2012, she began guiding for Uniworld as part of the line’s guest experience offerings. By 2016, she was a cruise manager for the brand.

“I've always worked in hospitality and art and culture,” she said. “I know the city very well, and it's a great honor to be able to introduce people to Venice through this product, because it's absolutely beautiful.”

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Unpacking once, and staying in a “floating boutique hotel,” are two important facets of the Uniworld experience in Venice, Warman says. Her next favorite part is that passengers gain a deeper understanding of the destination than day-trippers ever could.

“Italians are incredibly proud of their land, culture and history — and everyone is ready to share it,” she said. “We have relationships we’ve built over decades. Sailing with Uniworld gives you the opportunity to do things you couldn't do even if you were in the most luxurious hotel.”

Visiting St. Mark's Basilica after hours is an example of the line's enviable access. Passengers enjoy a crowd-free venue and benefit from the knowledge of an expert guide. Late-night snacks while guests reflect on their experience are included as well. 

“Guests don't have to consider how and when — it's just presented to them on a plate,” she said. “All they have to do is enjoy.”

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Another special offering is an overnight stay in Burano, a beautiful island known for its vibrantly colored architecture, lace-making artisans and more. 

“We actually dock overnight in Burano, so you can be there at 4 p.m. and explore without crowds, or go out in the early morning to watch the sunrise. This is a beautiful place — it looks like you have fallen into a postcard,” Warman said. 

In Burano, passengers might tour and go wine tasting on an estate that once was a medieval monastery. Another unique part of this cruise is a visit to the Po Delta Biosphere Reserve, which can only be accessed by small vessels such as S.S. La Venezia. Italy’s only delta, the Po is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to more than 300 bird species and the European eel.

“This is a fragile area,” Warman said. “We go with an environmental expert and get into the nooks and crannies of the river. Guests can get off the boat and walk on the sandbars, and they will learn about all of the details with the expert guide.”

Positive Impact 

Spending a full week in the Venice Lagoon — which is composed of more than 100 small islands and their adjacent waters in the Adriatic Sea — is something only Uniworld does, Warman says. Slowing down and building a sense of respect and understanding for the destination benefits cruisers and locals alike.

“People want to see Venice, but we don’t drag them through at midday,” Warman said. “We are able to do it in a more sort sensitive, delicate way, and that’s just a million times better for guests.”

And the locals who greet them in each locale are happy to see travelers exploring the region this way.

“When we’re in Burano or Chioggia, the people there say how nice it is that our guests are coming in and delving deeper,” Warman said. “We are not part of a human march. Our guests are exploring more, they're getting to know the culture and they're more open to learning. It’s not about ticking a box and grabbing a fridge magnet.”

These guests often “invest” in the local destinations, too; Warman says they are more likely to purchase higher quality, artisan-made goods, which supports the regional economy and its people. 

“That gets noticed,” Warman said. “We are here every single week for 30 weeks of the year, and the locals see that we are bringing people to a better understanding of the culture and the history of the locations we visit. That's appreciated.”

The Uniworld team is so visible that it’s not uncommon for locals to communicate with them and their guests. And that makes the entire experience more authentic and less “commercial,” Warman says.

Uniworld passengers often leave the Venice & Jewels of Veneto overwhelmed by what they learned on the trip — how many islands are in the lagoon and how much there is to discover beyond the Rialto. By immersing themselves in the local culture, history, cuisine, wine and even weather, guests leave with an impactful understanding of the place.