River Cruising in Art Nouveau Style
- Danielle Dybiec
- Sep 9
- 4 min read
I love the Art Nouveau era of art and architecture. That's why I'm so intrigued by Uniworld's new ship, Emilie, because of its inspired design and homage to Gustav Klimt's muse, Emilie Flöge. Uniworld's ships are like floating boutique hotels with impressive original art on board that create a luxurious environment like no other.
7/16/2025 article produced by Virtuoso with Uniworld Boutique River Cruises can be found here.
Uniworld’s Emilie sets sail next spring.
In 1976, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises began plying Europe’s waterways, pioneering the modern river-cruise industry and eventually expanding its reach to Asia, Africa, and South America. Now almost 50 years on, the company plans to celebrate its golden anniversary with a glittering new addition that channels fin de siècle Vienna. Inspired by the celebrated Austrian painter Gustav Klimt and named for his model and muse, Emilie Flöge (a creative force in her own right), the 154-passenger Emilie will make its debut in March 2026. Book it for the art nouveau design, an ideal balance of onboard indulgence and well-being, and itineraries that delve deep into the heart of Europe.
Old-World Glamour
Uniworld fashions its ships as boutique hotels, each with its own striking personality. Klimt’s Vienna Secession art – renowned for its rich patterns, illuminated surfaces, and romantic subjects – inspired the design of the intricately patterned, neo-nouveau Emilie. In public spaces, high-gloss walnut walls meet marble tabletops, oak parquet floors, glass mosaics, and beveled mirrors. Mohair and velvet upholstery, silk curtains, and lush carpets add warmth and texture to the splendor, accented by artwork commissioned for the ship.
A glowing portrait of Flöge, a Viennese clothing designer and Klimt’s artistic collaborator, presides over Emilie’s lobby. The ship’s interior designer, Liane van Leeuwen, salutes Flöge, whose caftans and loose silhouettes were not only practical but modern, as a maverick in business, fashion, and feminism. “Emilie liberated women from their tight corsets, giving them greater freedom of movement,” she says.
Organic motifs, metallic accents, and painterly hues follow guests into their cabins. Marble bathrooms feature gold fixtures and mosaic showers. Klimt-inspired prints hang beside handmade Savoir beds from England. Suites expand on Viennese decadence with plush seating and on-call butlers, who replenish snacks in the minibar twice daily.
Onboard Delights
Uniworld embodies sophistication not only in its chic interiors but through taste in the literal sense. Emilie’s chefs take their inspiration from the ship’s location – be it France, Belgium, or beyond – sourcing ingredients from local ports and creating menus that bring destinations on board.
Passengers will sit for dinners in the signature Gustav’s Restaurant, classic cocktails at the aft Brocade Bar, and local beers in the foredeck lounge. Uniworld sommeliers pair regional wines with the locavore fare and specialize in unexpected vintages. During optional progressive dinners, diners move across the ship for each course, from the captain’s wheelhouse to crew-only areas and the kitchen.
Offsetting the multicourse meals, Uniworld’s shipboard wellness program spans sunrise yoga on the top deck, TRX Suspension Training classes, and a well-equipped gym. Passengers can wind down in the Serenity River Spa, which offers a menu of services that include reflexology and aromatherapy massages.
The line’s culinary and wellness strengths extend to shore excursions too. Food-focused outings may visit farms for at-the-source sampling or meet with local bakers and chefs. Active day trips serve hikers, walkers (with Nordic walking poles supplied), kayakers, and golfers, and the ship carries its own fleet of bikes for on-shore touring.
How to Set Sail
After its inaugural sailing in Belgium and the Netherlands, Emilie launches on the Danube in May 2026 with a seven-night sailing from Belgrade to Vienna that transits five countries. The itinerary links Vienna’s ornate museums – including the Belvedere Palace, which houses Klimt’s iconic painting The Kiss – Budapest’s grand Buda Castle, and the palaces of Belgrade with lesser-known Bratislava, Slovakia’s capital city, and its eighteenth-century, pedestrian-only Old Town. A call at Batina, the gateway to rural Croatia, promises lunch on a local farm; while Novi Sad, Serbia, offers riverside strolls beneath the bluff-top Petrovaradin Fortress. Departures: Multiple dates, May 17 through November 1, 2026.
The ship will also welcome passengers during Uniworld’s 2026 globe-trotting tour, a 50-night itinerary between Belgium and Jordan that seamlessly links five routes in six countries and includes air travel, hotel stays, and a mystery cruise leg. Emilie kicks off the voyage with a ten-night sailing through Belgium and the Netherlands with visits to the medieval city center of Ghent and the Keukenhof garden during tulip season. After disembarking from the ship in Cassis, France, passengers fly to Egypt where they’ll spend a week cruising the Nile River and then fly to Jordan to experience Amman, the Dead Sea, and Petra. Departure: April 16, 2026.
Start planning inspired travel and read more about me and what I can do for you!
Start planning inspired travel and read more about me and what I can do for you!
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Danielle Dybiec
Founder & President
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