Joining the Uniworld Boutique River Cruises fleet in 2027 will be a trio of newly constructed riverboats. These signature luxury Super Ships will take design inspiration from historical figures and ships connected to their respective sailing regions, which will include the Rhine, Main, Danube and Douro rivers. S.S. Audrey and S.S. Marlene will follow 2026 sister ship’s S.S. Emilie’s layout while S.S. Sao Rafael will take cues from existing S.S. Sao Gabriel.
S.S. Audrey, named after Audrey Hepburn, and S.S. Marlene, named after Marlene Dietrich — both cinematic starlets born in Europe — will take design inspiration from their namesakes, "making their influence a seamless fit with Uniworld’s tradition of bringing local stories to life onboard,” according to the line.
S.S. Sao Rafael will be named as an homage to the Portuguese ship Sao Rafael, which sailed alongside Vasco da Gama’s Sao Gabriel to India, under the command of Paulo da Gama.
Rendering of a restaurant on S.S. Marlene
Credit: 2025 Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
The vessels, each displaying their very own look and feel, will be more spacious with additional suites and dining venues, according to Uniworld.
Editor’s note: This article will be updated as more details are revealed. This page was last updated on Oct. 28, 2025.
“2027 will mark an extraordinary milestone for Uniworld as we complete our transformation into a fully Super Ship fleet with the addition of three incredible new builds,” said Ellen Bettridge, president and CEO of the line. “Our focus has never been on simply adding more ships, but on continually raising the bar on the luxury river cruise experience. These new vessels will embody our unwavering commitment to innovation and craftsmanship, delivering something truly unparalleled for our valued guests — where no detail is too small.”
Our focus has never been on simply adding more ships, but on continually raising the bar on the luxury river cruise experience.
Future guests can expect the same five-star, all-inclusive lifestyle as the rest of the fleet, which will consist entirely of Super Ships. Taking into consideration the debuts of S.S. Emile (in 2026), S.S. Elisabeth (in 2025) and S.S. Victoria (in 2024), the total additions will mark an over 10% fleet increase since 2020.
According to the line, passengers will discover “grand design elements using only the highest quality materials" onboard, including custom fabrics, hand-carved wood and marble floors and specially commissioned artwork.
Rendering of a classic stateroom on S.S. Marlene
Credit: 2025 Uniworld Boutique River CruisesItineraries
A fourth vessel expected in 2027 is Aqua Blu, an expedition yacht helmed in collaboration with Aqua Expeditions on two chartered cruises per year. Altogether, there will be six new itineraries introduced for the annum, including the 13-night Bali, Singapore & Indonesia Expedition.
Other river routes will extend to the 11-night Paris, Prague & Germany’s Hidden Gems voyage on S.S. Audrey; the 11-night Scenic Rhine, Paris & the Swiss Alps itinerary, also onboard Audrey; a singular 14-night European Gems trip on S.S. Emilie, from Amsterdam to Vienna; the 16-night Grand Highlights of the Danube on S.S. Marlene; and the nine-night Castles Along the Rhine & Amsterdam expansion from Basel, with two days in the Dutch capital.
